Went to a Polish Neighborhood- Are Polish Racist? (Chicago, Ogden: to live in, restaurant)

[emathias]

Another thing is that you can make use of clerks or shopkeepers following you around - ask them for help finding things, tell them why you're there and what they have that could be of use. When I was younger I'd be annoyed when I was followed around, but now that I'm older I find it a really helpful timesaver because I can get in, find what I need or determine that they don't have what I need, and get on with my day.

Another factor is whether you were carrying a bag. Some shops have signs posted asking that bags be left at the counter to prevent theft but even if they do they might conclude keeping an eye on you is more efficient and less offensive than making you leave your bag with them while you shop. Baggy clothes are also sometimes used to shoplift, so if you were wearing baggy clothes it could be the clothes that resulted in a more watchful eye. I know that a lot of non-white people feel that shopkeepers keep a suspicious eye on them, and I know that sometimes that happens for reasons of prejudice, but it's not always prejudice - there are also a lot of perfectly non-prejudicial reasons to keep an eye on a customer.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by Runuova

Something tells me if Blacks or Mexicans did that it would be called something else.

What word do you have in mind?

I personally am like that with children. I don't want their money. So if I had a store, I'd often like to refuse selling them stuff.

And I can list examples of cases where I wouldn't want to sell to adults.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

I know several South Side Mexican-Polish marriages (and quite a few Mexican-Irish ones too). It's my experience that most working class Euro ethnics in Chicago admire the Mexican work ethic, accept Mexicans as equals and get along with them on easy and familiar terms.

Stop it Tom, your lifetime of true experience in Chicago is meaningless here. The race trolls will invoke enough conjecture and innuendo in this thread to keep their nipples hard and that's all that matters. There's no tolerating logic here, so pop open a cold one and wiggle your toes in the sand while we in the racist empire of Chicago live in perpetual shame.

[ChicagoMeO]

it can happen anywhere with any group. i was at a Middle Eastern kabob restaurant where the people were all speaking Arabic, i got my food and was sitting by myself and no one bothered me and i felt like an outsider. It just the way it is, but i think sometimes we ourselves may be self conscious when no one is doing anything to you. you just have to go places and act like you live in the neighborhood. sometimes if you show an attitude coming from your self-consciousness, some people will pick that up and not feel like being friendly to you.

For an experiment, try going into other ethnic places where you are the only one of your race or whatever you want to classify yourself and see what happens. Now try going to a place with a friendly attitude and one with a opposite attitude and see how you get treated.

[ChicagoMeO]

hey if you want to shop in a Polish neighborhood, learn some Polish words and surprise them.

You can greet them by saying "Yock Shemash" (it means how are you?). The response is "Dobjeh" (fine).

Try that and see what happens.

Or do the same going to any ethnic neighborhood.

[ChiND]

Originally Posted by joseanto071

I'm not from Chicago or anywhere near there. I was just there visiting a freind from there for a couple days. We are both Mexican. We went at a Neighborhood where lots of people are Polish and most of the signs and restaurantes and stores are in Polish.

However, I felt like the people there weren't very friendly in the stores. As soon as I entered the store the atmosphere felt kinda hostile in fact, and well I ignored it. Then, I was walking around the store looking what was there, while he was waiting in line ordering some cheese. In there, I dunno why but the lady (owner or manager) was following me. I tried to loose here but I dunno she followed me like as if I was going to steal something.

My friend told me that this happens often with the people who don't look Polish or white. I'm the typical mestizo Mexican both in phenotype and genotype, and well they don't have good relations with Mexicans or the Black African American community much less.

I just wonder why though and if this is true and normal. I'm from a small city called Idaho Falls, I think it's less diverse, less liberal, also it's in one of the most conservative red republican states in the nation and yet I've never felt discrimination like in Chicago. In fact people here are usually nice to me if I am nice to them, never really felt discriminated here so much....I thought Chicago being the 3rd largest city, liberal/progressive, and one of the most diverse cities in the world, this would not happen but I'm wrong.

Polish people are definitely racist. I am Polish myself. It is all about perspective and attitude. Poles may feel uncomfortable because Chicago is a large city with a lot of crime and some very crazy people living in it. Obviously, not all Poles are racists. Generally speaking, the younger generations are better than the older ones. My parents came to Chicago 20 years ago and they had to deal with some traumatic stuff when they got here. Drive by shootings were not an uncommon occurrence in neighborhoods that were shared by Polish and Latino neighbors. These types of events can breed distrust among people. It is sad that many of these communities are now becoming more homogeneous (Latino and Polish alike). You have to realize though, that there are Poles and Latinos out there who have gotten past their pre-conceived notions of each other and are friends. I happen to have many friends who are Latinos.

If you are new to the city I would definitely recommend to learn how to "read" people. Put them at ease with your presence if they seem uncomfortable around you. Also, stay away from bad neighborhoods at night. Anything south of North Ave (1600 N) is a no go after hours. Even good neighborhoods can be dangerous

Good luck and enjoy the city.

[Runuova]

Originally Posted by ChiND

Polish people are definitely racist. I am Polish myself. It is all about perspective and attitude. Poles may feel uncomfortable because Chicago is a large city with a lot of crime and some very crazy people living in it. Obviously, not all Poles are racists. Generally speaking, the younger generations are better than the older ones. My parents came to Chicago 20 years ago and they had to deal with some traumatic stuff when they got here. Drive by shootings were not an uncommon occurrence in neighborhoods that were shared by Polish and Latino neighbors. These types of events can breed distrust among people. It is sad that many of these communities are now becoming more homogeneous (Latino and Polish alike). You have to realize though, that there are Poles and Latinos out there who have gotten past their pre-conceived notions of each other and are friends. I happen to have many friends who are Latinos.

If you are new to the city I would definitely recommend to learn how to "read" people. Put them at ease with your presence if they seem uncomfortable around you. Also, stay away from bad neighborhoods at night. Anything south of North Ave (1600 N) is a no go after hours. Even good neighborhoods can be dangerous

Good luck and enjoy the city.

Anything south of North Avenue? Do you mean the rest of the city?

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by ChiND

Anything south of North Ave (1600 N) is a no go after hours.

That assertion is absurd.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by ChiND

...
If you are new to the city I would definitely recommend to learn how to "read" people. Put them at ease with your presence if they seem uncomfortable around you. Also, stay away from bad neighborhoods at night. Anything south of North Ave (1600 N) is a no go after hours. Even good neighborhoods can be dangerous

Good luck and enjoy the city.

Good neighborhoods are, by definition, not dangerous.

The areas to avoid are more like west of California (and ESPECIALLY west of Pulaski), east of Austin, and between Grand Avenue and Ogden. There are a few spots in there that aren't too bad, but if you're going to make a generalization, at least those boundaries aren't excluding the entire central and south parts of the city.

Other areas to avoid in general include the area bounded by 43rd, 75th, MLK, and Western. And the area south of 67th and east of the Skyway. And south of 79th between Halsted St and Cottage Grove Ave. I also personally wouldn't spend a lot of time between Clark, Lawrence, Montrose and Lake Shore Drive - that's the one area I've personally seen a shooting happen.

[ChiND]

Originally Posted by emathias

Good neighborhoods are, by definition, not dangerous.

The areas to avoid are more like west of California (and ESPECIALLY west of Pulaski), east of Austin, and between Grand Avenue and Ogden. There are a few spots in there that aren't too bad, but if you're going to make a generalization, at least those boundaries aren't excluding the entire central and south parts of the city.

Other areas to avoid in general include the area bounded by 43rd, 75th, MLK, and Western. And the area south of 67th and east of the Skyway. And south of 79th between Halsted St and Cottage Grove Ave. I also personally wouldn't spend a lot of time between Clark, Lawrence, Montrose and Lake Shore Drive - that's the one area I've personally seen a shooting happen.

I do believe that there is a general sense of relief in good neighborhoods but it can at times be misleading. The most important thing to remember is to have a healthy amount of paranoia. One of my neighbors was killed in a drive by shooting near the SKOKIE suburb. (This happened a few years ago, literally on the Chicago edge of Chicago and Skokie). Your safety is going to depend on your instincts. Especially in Chicago. If you give off the aura that you are careful and not to be messed with, people will not mess with you. Some people feel safer in certain neighborhoods, it just depends on your sense of comfort. If something feels wrong, I would get out of there, regardless of where you find yourself. If you see some shady people in your path, start talking to yourself. I have lived in Chicago for 20 years and have never gotten into any serious trouble. (Some lightweight fights but never permanent injuries.)

I definitely agree with your point on the west side as well.