Is St. Cloud really this hostile? (Minneapolis, Duluth: neighborhood, school, university)

[pearlj1]

Ok, so common' ppl quit lying. St Cloud Mn, in my oppinion is one of the most racist towns that I have ever lived in, and I have lived in a lot of places. I moved from Portland Oregon, and when I got here I was blown away by the blatant racism... I am sooooo tired of hearing how "Somalians smell bad" or 'mY Dad wont let me date a black guy" or how "whites should stay with whites" or the friggin' endless racist jokes that are opened with "Now, dont take this offensively but...." Dont try and sugar coat the truth about this place, and if you havent lived here for several years or if you have lived here your whole life (in which case you think racism is normal, and/or wouldnt be able to recognize it if you tried) than dont try to tell a straight shooter that this town has "its issues like all towns, but is relatively friendly" wait untill you here the whole "America is being taken over" argument. and if you dont believe me talk to a few cab drivers that work in Cloud, and they will tell you their opinions, which in my opinion is representative of this whole lil hick town. Oh and yes they will attempt to convert you (zealots not as many as racists but their are an astronomical amount) and one more thing you should look into "Stearns County Syndrome" that'll tell you exactly how "tight knit" families are here and why they hide under the pretense of "family values" there Ive had my say...

[Jocelyneh]

I agree with you that St. Cloud is racist, but it comes from the fact that it's full of small-town folk who are probably more racialized than racist. By this I mean that they are ignorant and closed-minded to anyone that is different, but they are also closed minded to anything that is different, whether it be clothes, music, sports, arts, etc. Their ignorance makes them offensive, but I would differ this from being violent.

Overall, being European, having known many Americans back in the UK, and having traveled to numerous countries - I would say that Americans' are more prejudiced than Europeans or other nationalities because they have more stereotypical and conservative views of how others should or should not live. Thus, from my experience Americans as a whole, regardless of race, ethinicity, or gender, ascribe to sexist, racist, heterosexist, etc. Believe me - I've had just as many "ism" incidents from women, blacks, gays, straights, etc. because I'm not Minnesotan.

Unfortunately, we live in Minnesota where passive-aggression is common-place, so racism is hidden behind smiles whereas in New York, they probably would just be more open about ignoring/hating you. And it is a land where people are just beginning to deal with differences, moving from such a high level of homogenous environments is bound to make the locals feel intimitdated and insecure - just like in High School.

[green_mariner]

Well, I know I won't be living in St. Cloud anytime soon. I'll take the Twin Cities anyday!

[emilyc]

I have lived here all my life and im now 24. saint cloud and the surrounding area st.joe, sartell, sauk rapids, waite park, is a great place to live and raise a family. I think its nice because its has a good medium size popul. we have lots of restaurants, out door activities, walking to parks without feeling scared, shopping, and good schools (SCSU). We dont have a crime problem like the cities area. If you live here its a great center point between the cities if you want to go visit 1 hr. drive or drive up north and see alll the beautiful lakes only a few hours. People hear are friendly, and we dont have a stearns county syndrome haha thats something everyone jokes about which we all find funny because some people would actually believe it. The only thing that i would say is starting to become an issue is the fact that with many people moving here and the city becoming bigger we are seeing more problems with petty gang issues such as fights downtown (mostly drunks) but nothing close to murders or drive bys. We are not a hick town that is racist, i would be ignorant if i say there is no racism but where ever you go you will find that its very sad but true. Reading the posts on here you would think that the town has racist stuff posted all over but we dont. I can honestly say that i have not seen any racism in my everyday life not to say that it doesnt happen but its not like the south were its going on alot. I think that the only reason people are starting to be more aware of it is the fact that more african americans are coming from chicago to st.cloud to live a better life and when a few bad apples get caught for drugs or violence and its posted in the paper people freak out and think that all people coming from chicago are violent/drugs, which is not the case, (from personal experience) anyway thats my perspective on Saint Cloud

[yellowsnow]

I think St. Cloud is basically a nice place to live, shop, work, and raise a family. It is suffering from a tremendous population influx of people from all over the word. A much more urban group than has historically lived in the area. Whenever this happens you are going to have growing pains. The original population will feel put upon because their home is changing. The media grabs onto these things because they are sensational and people are always willing to watch someone else suffer.

St. Cloud will be OK.

[lukeache]

In my opinion, there are 2 Minnesotas: Minneapolis/St Paul and the rest of the state. Saint Cloud happens to be part of the second Minnesota, therefore, people will be much more ignorant, uneducated, closed minded and intolerant than in the Twin Cities. However, you will always find nice people in the small towns as well. I love to drive to Duluth and stop at those small towns like Sturgeon Lake and Finlayson. I always feel this very unwelcoming, "what are you doing here" kind of vibe from the locals in these small ignorant towns. I could never live in a Minnesota town outside of the metro area. Minnesota is a totally different world outside of the metro area, a world I do not want to be part of.

[newcastle]

therefore, people will be much more ignorant, uneducated, closed minded and intolerant than in the Twin Cities.

Wow, That's a pretty one sided opinion. I think you proved the point that you can live anywhere and be ignorant and closed minded. Stay in the metro then and live in your own world since you don't want to be part of the rest of the state. Don't bother taking anymore of your little drives up north to"watch the locals" and pick up on the"vibes" You send a pretty clear message yourself.

[abbylena]

First of all, I would like to say that I am proud of where I am from. I don't understand how people could say negative things about St. Cloud and surrounding communities, or as for some comments, all of Minnesota excluding the Metro Area.....
Think about things such as this:
1. If your car won't start on a freezing MN morning in the Cities, will your neighbor come to give you a jump? The answer will probably be "No". You probably don't know them. We in our "hick" communities would do it for anyone, not just a neighbor.
2. When you have a night out at the bar and drink a bit too much in the Metro Area, would you be offered a ride home by at least 10 different people? The answer would be "No". In Stearns County, It happens everytime I am out. People care about others here. (you know what they say about us Stearns County Drinkers!)
3. Would you walk down the street after dark in the Cities? I sure wouldn't! Here in "Hickville" we can and we don't even have to be afraid.
4. This is a big one for me since I am a mother..Children...Where are they going to be more safe? I bet it is in my tight community where people know them and watch out for them as much as their parents do.

I am not at all knocking MSP or the Suburbs, I am just saying that there are people who enjoy the huslte and bustle, honking horns, sirens, etc. I am not one of them. My fellow "Hicks" and I are proud to be from our small towns where everything is slower paced and we can relax once in a while. That is why we choose to live here. "Stearns County Syndrome" is something I have heard since I can remember and honestly people, if being a close community comes with that label...I'll take it. I woudn't trade places for all the money in the world. I would rather live my life a little less stressful and in that case, live happier and longer.

I also want to say that just because we don't accept change as fast as large cities, it does not make us racist. It may take us a while to adjust to new faces, races, or sexual orientation, but we don't shun people or make fun of them. In the small town that I live in, it happens to everyone new. The local taverns door opens, everyones head turns to see who it is, ready to say hello to their friends, and if it is a stranger, we just stare. But I am willing to bet money that the next time that same stranger comes through the door, we will say hello to our new friend.

Change is difficult for everyone. In the big cities, you don't notice it because there are so many people and you have seen it before. We haven't, so give us a break. We will get there.

[marmac]

The St Cloud Times likes to stir the pot by constantly bringing up racial discrimination yet they will publish the surveilance photos of a white man robbing a convenience store but not if it is the picture of a black person.
It was reported that of all the discrimination cases filed, 12% were found to be credible. 88% were not.
Yes, there is some discrimination in St Cloud.
No, it is nowhere as serious as certain people want you to believe.

[green_mariner]

I have come to the conclusion that St. Cloud may have just as much racial tension as other places. The difference is that St. Cloud has a reputation for it, as a friend from MN has told me, is stirred up by the media. Maybe I'm just scared or holding MN to a higher standard that other places, but problems are everywhere. St. Cloud is no exception, it just gets called more for it than other places.