"Racist Rednecks" (Portland, Hillsboro: home, schools, living)

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by bman15470

Oregon has been a land of transplants for 20 years, the state is run by and has been since Barb Roberts by LIBERAL transplants. Oregon is so far removed from its roots that to say its not freindly to blacks is a "Oregon thing" is non sense. The place is run by extreme leftist. Can you say "Sam Adams" ? I rest my case.

I thought Barbara Roberts was born in Sheridan, Oregon as a fourth-generation Oregonian? Tom McCall on the other hand was born in Massachusetts to a wealthy East Coast family before moving to Oregon.. Nothing against Tom McCall, great governor for Oregon.

If you want to make the argument that Portland is run by extreme liberals you might have a case, but to say all of Oregon is run by liberals is simply false...

I don't think that Oregon is much more racist than any of the other western states..There is a casual racism that pervades a lot of American society, but hardcore racists seem to around less these days. I've heard some suprisingly racist things said about black people from people in parts of Oregon, but most of these sorts of comments were more the result of ignorance rather than a deep seated personal hatred. The only serious example of racism I've heard were from a black friend of mine from college who grew up in Grants Pass and was subject to harrasment growing up because of his background. Then you have other stories like the idiots who burned a cross in the lawn of a mixed-race couple in Medford..But I think for the most part people in Oregon are fairly mild-mannered and polite, if there are any racist feelings, I don't think most people would express them directly. And I've met people living in the rural parts of Oregon who were friendlier and more tolerant than some of my friends in Portland. But you'll find some angry curmudgeons and jerks in every area..

[alexxiz]

I'm going to respond, since the OP's bigoted non-sense is allowed to hang out there in the cyberspace and be viewed by anyone, including little kids and may come up on searches for "Russian" community in OR. Please stop perpetuating the idiotic, insulting and inaccurate stereotypes. The OP had only reinforced the view of "backwards bumpkins" that some might have of certain areas of Oregon.

Why are you talking about "russians" here? (yes, in lower case). Do you even know what "Russians" are?--have you ever bothered to find out before speaking out? Obviously, you didn't.

To begin with: "Russians", "Hispanics", etc are AMERICANS--just like you--you should remember that rather than be focusing on stereotypes.

There's a reason Federal questionnaires do not have "Russian" category, along with existing "Hispanic", "Caucasian", etc, checkboxes. Please do not confuse "Russian" with "Russian-speaking", these are two completely different things. A lot of people who speak Russian are not ethnic Russians--in the US, MOST of them are NOT ethnic Russians. In fact, a lot of them are not even from the territory of Russian Federation. Most of them have their own, non-Russian, heritage and (ancient, thousands of years old) cultures, which they're proud of. Some of them sought independence after the collapse of USSR and reinstated their sovereign states. There's a large number of nationalities that live on the former USSR territory and also inside current Russian Federation, most of which have little in common with "Russian" ethnicity. (current Russia includes numerous ethnically defined "territories" which are a part of the federation--sometimes AGAINST their will)

--Speaking of "race", most of the ethnic Russians are Caucasian, by race (yes, just like you, Sir, before you go into the whole "who's white" thing), light haired/light eyed/very pale-skinned.
--There're also many Asian (by race) nations who live on the territory of Russian Federation, and more on territory of former USSR (many are Bhuddhist predominantly).
--There're some Muslim nations as well, some of which can be technically classified as Caucasian and some as Asian, by race. Most of them have much larger population than OR.
--There're nations such as Armenians, Georgians, Osetinians and many others, who can speak Russian and often lumped with "russians" in the US, who are Caucasian (especially can be called that since they live in the CAUCASUS mountains for thousands of years, FYI--I'm sure you haven't heard of those--but Caucuasian actually means, someone who lives in Caucasus, former Southern USSR territory, for the most part), who have dark hair/eyes, some traditionally Christian, some Muslim: they're all Caucasian, by race and some can be called Middle-Eastern as well.
--There're also Latvians/Estonians/Lithuanians, who are Northern Europeans and have nothing to do with "Russian" ethnicity, but often can speak Russian when they need to.
-- There're Ukrainians, whom, I'm sure you lump with "russians". Well, they have their own--large--country, Ukraine--yes, much BIGGER than Oregon (I'm talking 45M population vs 3M+, and size of Ukraine being 850,000 sq. kilometers vs. 255,000 sq. kilometers of OR territory). Their own, old culture (yes, much older than "Oregon" or US (or even "Russian") culture). Own language. They do not like to be called Russian for the most part and proud of own heritage.
--There's a "small" Moldova nation, similar to Romanians, Eastern European--their country population size is approx. equal to the OR population size, btw.

In fact, MOST of the distinct, non-Russian, nations you lump as "russian" have much, MUCH bigger population size than entire population of Oregon.

--There're, finally, Jews--MOST "Russian" immigrants in the US of A are in fact, Jewish, due to prior visa availability/asylum, due to existing anti-semitism in the former USSR. Most of them have dark hair/eyes, and, by race, Caucasian but can also be called Middle-Eastern. Their heritage began way before "Russia" existed. Look up "Israel" on google.... we have those little search tools available now. (There're also Holy Bible parts on the subject, for those who are challenged by google)

As you can see most of them are either White/Caucasian (yes, just like you are, Sir), or Asian by "race". Please, do not confuse "race", "ethnicity", "languages spoken" and "primary first language". It's like lumping together Canadians, US Americans, East Indians, Islanders, Dutch, Native Americans and Nigerians as "english"... "cause they can speak English"
Thank you.

In the end, do not forget, they are American and please perceive them as such and do not insult them with never-ending "where are you from" questions, hints about their "outsider" status, stereotyping (unless you want to be stereotyped as "ignorant redneck" yourself), etc. Thank you very much.

Finally, as ethnic Russian and Ukrainian, I'm not entitled to check anything other than "Caucasian" box on certain papers...hence never been eligible for any affirmative action benefits/to receive any hiring or school admission preferences due to Federal "diversity" requirements or to receive "diversity" grants.

[Mr. Opinionated]

Originally Posted by subsound

Oregon is about the most tolerant area I have ever experienced, even to the point of making sure to celebrate anyone different. So many seem to think that white skin = racism, which is a form of racism in itself (any negative stereotype based on skin color) and just as bad as any other. Which denies the whole quality of free will and making decisions as a rational and intelligent human being and perpetuates the problem.

Part of the world is made about how people react to it. If some one expects everyone of a certain look to behave badly and treat them with malice, usually people will react to back to that person in the same way...reinforcing the belief. I know I would not care what a person thought of me if they displayed anger and hatred for what I am, if I have already lost there's no way to win but get away form this hateful person.

One non black person's perspective who cannot speak for what life is like for Afro Americans.
And here is another one...

Originally Posted by jojo4

America has been a land of transplants for 200 years, the state is run by and has been since the royal British governors by LIBERAL transplants. America is so far removed from its roots that to say its not freindly to non-whites is a "American thing" is non sense. The place is run by extreme leftist. Can you say "Sam Adams" ? I rest my case. blah blah blah

This remark is also non sense because it speaks from a perspective that appears to be presumptuous and totally removed, from any insight to the OP's sentiment. And the same would apply to similar replies to an inquiry of the black community by a white person.

[Kimballette]

Thank you for resurrecting a thread that's been dormant for over three years. If you re-read the o/p, it would be more appropriate to interpret the post as being a defense of alleged "white trash" rural dwellers (hence the thread title of "racist rednecks") and a discussion of various cultural and ethnic differences in the area. It doesn't appear that the o/p was targeting anyone. I doubt very much the o/p cares about the history of the USSR, or any of the minutiae contained in your impassioned rant, but I hope you feel better now.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

That's the beauty of City-Data.

You learn something new everyday.

[danwilsonbsee]

I took 4 years of Russian in college. I probably should have taken Mandarin but nooo, I had to choose Russian.

/more useless info nobody cares about.

[Deezus]

I was the last poster on this thread over three years ago until it got revived today. I forgot what we were discussing on here though....

Russians?

[pdxMIKEpdx]

When I was a kid, my Grandmother's friend used to make us Kulich and Pashka for Easter.



/more useless info nobody cares about.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Kimballette

Thank you for resurrecting a thread that's been dormant for over three years. If you re-read the o/p, it would be more appropriate to interpret the post as being a defense of alleged "white trash" rural dwellers (hence the thread title of "racist rednecks") and a discussion of various cultural and ethnic differences in the area. It doesn't appear that the o/p was targeting anyone. I doubt very much the o/p cares about the history of the USSR, or any of the minutiae contained in your impassioned rant, but I hope you feel better now.

Yeah, I'm with you on this. What does what the thread's resurrector's tirade have to do with the OP's original post about rednecks in Oregon?

I am one of those Jewish-Eastern European-Latvian-Lithuanian-sometimes-Russian-sometimes not-depending-upon-whatever-country-claimed-them-descendents.

Who cares?

[ptld]

Recent transplant to Molalla here. Can't speak to the issue of racism, but on the topic of outsiderness, I've been asked several times if I'm Canadian based on the way I talk (originally from New England). Not racist, of course, just an observation. From what I've seen, outside of its urban areas, Oregon gets intensely Republican. I've found the people normal, friendly folks, but definitely of a certain rural lifestyle (farms, flannel, shotguns and country music). I wouldn't steer anyone away from the area based on fears of racism, but unless you really want to embrace the country-lifestyle, not much reason to live outside the metro area.