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are you in the racial minority in your neighborhood?  

post #1 of 53
4/17/08 at 12:34am
Thread Starter 
Just curious-- are you in the racial minority in your neighborhood (regardless of what your race is)? I live in a mostly black and Hispanic neighborhood and I am white. My children (most of whom look white) go to a mostly black school.

I am used to it by now in that I no longer feel like an outsider, and actually I feel uncomfortable in mostly white neighborhoods by this point (the neighborhoods here are pretty segregated). I also know my family wouldn't be welcome in those white neighborhoods which I think adds to my discomfort.

I just find it interesting that I have encountered little or no racism against me, here. I'm pretty sure if it were the reverse (being one of the only black women in a white neighborhood), I most likely would have encountered some problems.
post #2 of 53
4/17/08 at 2:14am
My neighborhood is predominately Chinese, so yes, I am a minority here. However, the city itself is very diverse, so it's not something I notice much.

I grew up in a predominately white neighborhood (I'm black/white). I sometimes felt a little out of place (I could tell you some crazy stories!) but mostly I was used to it.
post #3 of 53
4/17/08 at 3:59am
Where we currently live it is so diverse that there is no majority population. There are plenty of other people around of both my background and DH's. There are plenty of multi-ethnic families, even some with a similar combinations to us.

However, in our old neighborhood both DH and I were in the minority. Though it was a somewhat multi-ethnic area there was a clear majority of African Americans and a sizable Hispanic population. It was diverse enough though that one would see other White and Asian people around and about.
post #4 of 53
4/17/08 at 4:48am
I have lived in predominately Hispanic neighborhoods for over 5+ years. I feel very comfortable here. I do have people come to my door a lot and react in shock that I do not speak Spanish. But there are usually very nice about it. Then they ask if my neighbors speak Spanish and when I say no they are even more shocked! I think my landlord only rents to non-Spanish-speaking people. had no idea of that at the time but all 4 units in the property are rented by white people and once he made a comment that he likes to rent to people that "will get along together" whatever that means. The only thing that bugs me is the reaction I get from some people when they find out where I live. I've actually had people be uncomfortable coming over to my place! : There is absolutely nothing wrong with my neighborhood other than it is run-down and kind of crowded. But it is totally safe! I don't even lock the front door to my house or my car most of the time!
post #5 of 53
4/17/08 at 8:40am
My husband/children are basically a minority for the whole town. We have some other Asians here, but Koreans are rare. Boy did the dentist (Korean) at our local clinic get excited when he saw our kids and my husband, you could tell he would have just loved to talk for hours. I have never seen any other Asians in our neighborhood and really only 2 Hispanic families and one African American family...the rest of the 200+ families are white I presume. Our town has a huge Hispanic population, but white and Hispanic are mostly the majority around here.
post #6 of 53
4/17/08 at 9:14am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by shershine View Post
The only thing that bugs me is the reaction I get from some people when they find out where I live. I've actually had people be uncomfortable coming over to my place! : There is absolutely nothing wrong with my neighborhood other than it is run-down and kind of crowded. But it is totally safe! I don't even lock the front door to my house or my car most of the time!
I have this problem too. My mom is horrified by my neighborhood. Yes it is a bit run down here and there but there are also some beautiful streets with impeccably kept houses. It is safe here too, considering that this is NYC-- I have accidentally left my car unlocked a number of times with my purse in it, and nothing happened.
post #7 of 53
4/17/08 at 9:19am
I live in basically an all black neighborhood and we are white. I'm fine with it, no one has ever bothered us about being a minority and our neighbors only ever cause normal neighborhood problems like noise complaints and stuff like that. No violence towards each other (aside from an occasional late night parking lot fight!) or towards us and everyone always says hi!
post #8 of 53
4/17/08 at 2:49pm
I am biracial, so I think I am in the minority wherever I go. But we do live in an extremely diverse neighborhood so I don't really feel like I stick out. I do get mistaken for the nanny a lot, though.
post #9 of 53
4/17/08 at 3:15pm
I'm not but my DH was the only black person since we moved here until a couple of months ago. Another biracial family moved in 2 doors down.
post #10 of 53
4/17/08 at 3:26pm
I'm not... my town and my neighborhood are both quite diverse, but I'm white and am in the majority or large minority in most places around town. My DH is Hispanic mestizo and is in the minority in our neighborhood and town... I believe most Hispanics live in surrounding towns. However, since our little neighborhood is quite diverse, it's not an issue at all.

My DD is half white/half Hispanic mestizo, and I have no idea how she fits in. Her class at daycare has a several mixed (black/white) children, a few black children, and a couple white children, several Arabic children, no Hispanics or Asians. So culturally she's sorta in the minority, but there are so many mixed children there that she's almost in the majority, too.
post #11 of 53
4/17/08 at 3:34pm
Nope. I live in a predominantly Black area and I am Black. I am pondering moving, but I don't know if I could deal with the culture shock for myself. It is damned near impossible when thinking of moving to a place without an infrastucture that can support Black people. I need to be able to buy hair care products, for example without having to drive an hour to get them.
post #12 of 53
4/17/08 at 4:47pm
I am a Black woman in Maine , Maine is only 2nd to Vermont as far as being the whitest state in the US. I live in a town of 17K and there are maybe 40 Black folks in this town.

Honestly the first year was rough, then again I moved here from a racially diverse area in Chicago. First year I thought I was going to lose my mind, it was that rough, had it not been for the net, I would have probably left.

That said 6 years later, I am fine here, the bigger issue is my 16 yo son who currently lives with his Dad and wants to finish HS here with me. He recently was here on spring break and had his first encounter with the police, he supposedly fit the description of some young hooligan (who it turns out was white), however when the cop brought him home and saw where we lived in town and dh( who is white) suddenly it was a misunderstanding ::. I am concerned about my son being here, he is biracial (looks Latino) and 6'2 which in a small white town seems to be a potential issue.

Overall though the regulars knows me and the neighbors after almost 4 years speak to me.

To answer the question I am the racial minority in my area, in my immediate neighborhood there are probably 10 Black folks if that..

Shay
post #13 of 53
4/17/08 at 4:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bad Mama Jama View Post
It is damned near impossible when thinking of moving to a place without an infrastucture that can support Black people. I need to be able to buy hair care products, for example without having to drive an hour to get them.
When I first got my locks 4 years ago, I had to go 2 hours each way to Boston to get them maintained and that was every 6 weeks, so I know exactly what you are talking about. I started free-forming when I got pregnant with dd because I did not have the time to do that. There is only 1 Black salon in my state and she didn't know how to do natural hair. Thankfully I order my oils and stuff online but I admit there are times when I miss being able to go to a Black bookstore and get oils and general stuff.

Its one of those things I thought about when I moved but liviing it, yes its hard.. hell even finding foods like collard greens or smoked turkey to cook with is hard, that necessitates a drive to Portland where we have a small Black and African community.
post #14 of 53
4/17/08 at 9:33pm
I currently live in an area that is predominantly white. However, there is plenty of diversity within arms reach so it is not an issue. The other night my neighbors threw a "welcome" to the neighborhood party for me. I was the only black person in attendance, but I guess I've gotten used to it. There was an Asian woman there. She didn't speak much English but we bonded through our eyes. I found it interesting that after she left, a few of the women whispered they wished she would learn English. I responded that perhaps she is comfortable just the way she is.
More to say later.............
post #15 of 53
4/17/08 at 9:43pm
yes.
post #16 of 53
4/17/08 at 11:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shayinme View Post
When I first got my locks 4 years ago, I had to go 2 hours each way to Boston to get them maintained and that was every 6 weeks, so I know exactly what you are talking about. I started free-forming when I got pregnant with dd because I did not have the time to do that. There is only 1 Black salon in my state and she didn't know how to do natural hair. Thankfully I order my oils and stuff online but I admit there are times when I miss being able to go to a Black bookstore and get oils and general stuff.

Its one of those things I thought about when I moved but liviing it, yes its hard.. hell even finding foods like collard greens or smoked turkey to cook with is hard, that necessitates a drive to Portland where we have a small Black and African community.
Yep to all that. I speak from experience. I lived in a small town once and I had to make small pilgrimages to find other Black folk. Then the stereotype was that neighborhood was bad. I liked it, there were probably just too many brown faces there for some of the people in the town.

I don't know if I could make such a large leap. I would at least need a mixed community. Unless I just move in with you.
post #17 of 53
4/19/08 at 6:31am
I am multiracial and have always been or felt like the only one my whole life.I grew up in a all white town.The Mexicans drove in to work and thier kids went to school.There was one black girl when I was in 2nd grade but she didn't live in town her aunt worked on main street.We just moved to HI and for the first time I feel like I blend in.I've only been asked once what am I?It feels so nice I don't want to ever leave.
post #18 of 53
4/19/08 at 12:55pm
I live in Turkey. If you count the Turkish people among Caucasian than I am not in a minority. But I am about the only western-European foreign-language-speaking person in my neighbourhood. And definitely a minority :-).
Funny thing though that some people here recognise me as a foreigner and others don't, I may blend in or not depending on perception, and when I speak (Flemish to my kids and Turkish to others, sometimes English to HB) they are sure of it .
When in Belgium on a visit, I definitely blend in with 'the people', but partly feel like a foreigner by now (8 years abroad) and when I am around the mainly Turkish neighbourhoods there in some towns, I feel totally at home, but again am being recognised as 'Belgian' and outsider .
It's getting complicated .
post #19 of 53
4/19/08 at 3:24pm
Yep, I'm a minority where I live.
post #20 of 53
4/19/08 at 7:36pm
YES. everyone else is AMISH. Drive horse and buggies. Speak German, and have there own schools.

daughter is black. Not one other person in out area I can think of who is black
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