Is Minneapolis Racist? (St. Paul, Cleveland: hotel, employment, school)

[artwomyn]

Hey Kid Cann,

The thing you need to realize, is that if you feel that minorities are always hostile towards you, then it could be due to your own expectations. Meaning, that if you expect a hostile response whenever you interact with minorities, then it becomes a self-fulfilling issue. People
pick up on those negative vibes that you're putting out there, and react accordingly. Try looking at minorities as people, rather than as minorities. Then you'll likely get more positive responses from them, when you make social contact with them.

You mention that white males have a 'target on their backs'. If you feel this way, then this tells me that you have a victim mentality, when it comes to dealing with minorities. Until you get out of that mode of thinking, then you'll always feel like the 'poor white guy who is always unfairly picked-on, by minorities'.

The fact is, as a white male, you are a person in our society, that has privileges based on your skin color, and gender, that minorites and women still don't enjoy. So before you sink into
a despair of victimhood, you need to remember just how fortunate you are, to be a white male in America.

Yes, we have a black President, and blacks (and women) have made strides towards equality, since the 60s. But the fact remains, that minorities and women, are still not considered equal, in the eyes of society at large, to white males. As a result, we still suffer forms of discrimination, that white males don't in our society. So consider yourself to be fortunate, in that regards.

And if you care about issues of equality, then take some positive actions to promote it, such as doing some activist work, on behalf of women and minorities. That's better than constantly
fretting, about perceived hostility that you say you get from minorities, which will never accomplish anything positive between the races.

Sonya.

[smith21]

its such a privilege to be white if your born into money, try being white and broke go to a shelter or police department and see what you can find for help for minorities and women, all kinds off stuff it must be nice to get grants and money for school for being black i wish i could to and get free **** but i cant and there is no help for poor white men but if your black or a women there is so much out there for you. show me one site just one or anything that will help a poor white male. there are none!!! none!!! hmmmmm i wonder if black people have it easier here or if black from africe have it easier in africa. hmmmmm they must come here for a reason. hey kid cann maybe if you take a stroll on some street on the southside of chicago and treat everybody like there people and not a minority nobody will say anything to you because there is no such thing as a black person being racist towards a white person. dont waste your time talking to blacks about you racist incounters with other blacks because they dont beleive that is possible. there is know way in there mind that a white person could have ever dealt with racism. they just want to talk about themselves and thats it. if your willing to talk about blacks and only blacks they will chat with you all day. they will only tell you that your crazy to think a black was racist to you.

[Drewcifer]

I am not going to comment on the comments here but rather the original post.

I am white so most of my experiences with racism are generally through second hand stories that happened to other people (with a few exceptions, mostly on the #16 bus late at night) but I work in a restaurant kitchen which means that I spend most of my waking hours in a Latin American environment. The people I work with seem to like it here. Those who are good at their jobs advance into higher level management positions. They tend to encourage their relatives to move here. I think most of the racism that exists here is directed towards native blacks or Somalis, there is a bit of an edge of racism on the fringes of Minnesota society (like in all other parts of the US) but you can probably construct a good life here where you don't have to deal with those people very often because it is not too common in the cities proper. As a white person you get to hear the racist notions that other white people have when there are no minorities around, I don't hear much of that in the Twin Cities compared to the other places I have lived (upstate NY and Chicago). I don't spend enough time in the suburbs to comment on that. In the restaurant business Latinos are respected, when you stand next to somebody for 10 hours a day and they take care of business they become your friend. I would hope it is like this in the rest of local society. Perhaps some other people can comment more.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by Drewcifer

As a white person you get to hear the racist notions that other white people have when there are no minorities around

I'm assuming you speak spanish pretty well. Ever hear any racist comments in spanish while sitting on the bus where they assume you don't know what they are saying? Or from your co-workers?

I've heard those over the years, I've also know some really bad words in Korean and have overheard them make some nasty comments that way as well.

Just saying, it's been my experience that the worst racial comments I've heard in the past 20 years have come from older whites, asians, blacks etc.
Latinos are actually not so bad in this regard. I've seen some national surveys that back up my personal experiences.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

I'm assuming you speak spanish pretty well. Ever hear any racist comments in spanish while sitting on the bus where they assume you don't know what they are saying? Or from your co-workers?

I speak Spanish and I'm a white guy living in South Minneapolis (lots of native Spanish speakers in my neighborhood). I've NEVER had this happen to me or anybody else. I think it's just people being paranoid and making assumptions whenever they hear a language being spoken that they don't understand.

[artwomyn]

Hey smith21,

You say that you've experienced racism from blacks, as a white male. Racism against any race, is wrong. Having said that, let me ask you; have you ever been denied employment, or a promotion, by a black boss? Have you ever been pulled over while driving through a black neighborhood, and/or suffered police brutality, at the hands of black cops? Have you ever been followed around a store, by overzealous black clerks, to make sure that you don't steal something? Have you ever been denied an apartment or a mortgage, by a black landlord, or a black loan officer? If you haven't experienced any of these things, then you haven't experienced the virulent, deeply entrenched forms of racism like these described above, that blacks still experience from whites, on a daily basis. These forms of racism, perpetrated by whites towards minorities, has a very detrimental effect, on the lives of minorities.

If you feel oppressed, as a poor white male, it's because of class oppression, not race. Your oppression is a result of the wealthy white ruling class, and it's socioeconomic policies towards the poor, of ALL races. So women and minorities are not the enemy, when it comes to your own struggles to get ahead. Your anger regarding being economically oppressed, is indeed justifiable. HOWEVER, you need to direct you anger, at the wealthy white-run class system that keeps you down, rather than at women and minorities, who don't.

Hope you think long and hard about what I said. Otherwise, I wish you the best in your fight
to succeed inb our society.

Sonya.

[marmac]

Originally Posted by artwomyn

Hey smith21,

You say that you've experienced racism from blacks, as a white male. Racism against any race, is wrong. Having said that, let me ask you; have you ever been denied employment, or a promotion, by a black boss? Have you ever been pulled over while driving through a black neighborhood, and/or suffered police brutality, at the hands of black cops? Have you ever been followed around a store, by overzealous black clerks, to make sure that you don't steal something? Have you ever been denied an apartment or a mortgage, by a black landlord, or a black loan officer? If you haven't experienced any of these things, then you haven't experienced the virulent, deeply entrenched forms of racism like these described above, that blacks still experience from whites, on a daily basis. These forms of racism, perpetrated by whites towards minorities, has a very detrimental effect, on the lives of minorities.

If you feel oppressed, as a poor white male, it's because of class oppression, not race. Your oppression is a result of the wealthy white ruling class, and it's socioeconomic policies towards the poor, of ALL races. So women and minorities are not the enemy, when it comes to your own struggles to get ahead. Your anger regarding being economically oppressed, is indeed justifiable. HOWEVER, you need to direct you anger, at the wealthy white-run class system that keeps you down, rather than at women and minorities, who don't.

Hope you think long and hard about what I said. Otherwise, I wish you the best in your fight
to succeed inb our society.

Sonya.

---and/or suffered police brutality---

Have you suffered police brutality ?

Regarding cops------in posting sites blacks have complained about cops singling them out.

Maybe I should too.
In my younger days, I was pulled over many times for " flimsy" reasons as I drove to work for my 3:00AM shift.

I think it had more to do with the fact I was late teens/early 20's........ driving a sporty looking newer car, and always passing thru the a residental area at 2:30 AM.

I could say it was because I was white, but the reason had more to do
with all the bars in that town/city

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by Slig

I speak Spanish and I'm a white guy living in South Minneapolis (lots of native Spanish speakers in my neighborhood). I've NEVER had this happen to me or anybody else. I think it's just people being paranoid and making assumptions whenever they hear a language being spoken that they don't understand.

LOL....I can assure you I've heard some really choice comments over the years that I've FULLY understood....but those were in Chicago and without question, Chicago is a more racist city from everything I've heard.

I don't abide by or support racism, just sharing my observations.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

LOL....I can assure you I've heard some really choice comments over the years that I've FULLY understood....but those were in Chicago and without question, Chicago is a more racist city from everything I've heard.

I don't abide by or support racism, just sharing my observations.

We are planning on heading down to Chicago sometime this summer so I'll be sure to keep my ears open. I play off the ignorant Gringo bit often to see if that kind of stuff ever happens and just haven't ever caught somebody doing it, which is starting to give me doubts about it...but maybe it does happen on occasion, who knows.

[ho hey!]

I live in Northeast Minneapolis, and we (and next door neighbor) rarely say greet to each other, but we do greet one another when we get the chance. I guess it depends where you live and who you are dealing with. I only had to deal with mean looks when I'm in the rich suburban area. Yeah, I know there are nice rich people and mean rich people. I guess I encountered with mean ones more often than with the nice one. It doesn't hurt two seconds to greet people.