Racial tension in Chicago? (Woodlawn, Time: inspection, living in, move)

[Humboldt1]

The two brothers live in Humboldt Park, a ghetto to some, though my area isn't as bad as some areas to the south and west of me. One works and got his degree. The other dropped out and couldn't even handle working at Wal-Mart stocking shelves.

Both arguably live in a challenging area, are black, but yet very different because of their attitudes.

[cdc3217]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

I'll preface this by saying that I know nothing about racial issues, thus I typically don't participate in these conversations. One thing I anecdotally have noticed again and again over 25 years of conversations with south side blacks (mostly on Red Line and Metra Electric) is that 1) they as a group work incredibly hard, commuting often two hours on public transit, waking up at 4am, etc. so many stories that are hard to believe given my relatively relaxed work lifestyle and 2) most of the dads are absent from this equation and the single moms can't afford childcare, thus the kids grow up with little supervision and become total thugs that the moms are even scared of. This latter tendency might be more than an unfair stereotype -- not really sure though. Just my observation.

I have seen a number of situations such as these and I agree - child care is the crux of the problem. Either the mother works long hours and has bigger sibling watch littler sibling, or she doesn't work in order to protect her children from the evils of the neighborhood. Sadly, it doesn't seem to help much after a certain age. The lucky families have a grandma to raise the kids - those situations seem to be a little better.

[Chicagoaklandish]

Originally Posted by aragx6

How Race is Lived in America -- actually a compilation of NY Times articles and it really gets into black, white and brown issues in this country. I highly suggest it.

This is a GREAT book. Doesn't really matter what your background is, you will gain a lot out of it. One of my favorite articles in there was about the two friends from Cuba (one of African ancestry one of European) who moved to Miami, and suddenly became "black" and "white" rather than both "Cuban" or "Latino"

[IloveLoganSquare]

Sounds like you live in NYC....

You obviously know absolutely nothing about Chicago so...

Originally Posted by movingsomewhere

so what's this whole racial tension all about? i read about it here in the forums. there was mention of chicago being the most segregated city in the nation as well. i know it's not NYC when it comes to true diversity but feel free to talk about it freely here...

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by Chicagoaklandish

This is a GREAT book. Doesn't really matter what your background is, you will gain a lot out of it. One of my favorite articles in there was about the two friends from Cuba (one of African ancestry one of European) who moved to Miami, and suddenly became "black" and "white" rather than both "Cuban" or "Latino"

I agree, very interesting. I also really liked the one about self-segregation in high school.

[Lookout Kid]

There is another NY Times compilation on issues of class called Class Matters. I really enjoyed this book, so now perhaps I'll go pick up the race version!

[LittleRedPitbull]

i've been in humboldt park for half of a summer, i am half cuban and pretty light skinned, i had to walk around with my cousin's pit bulls to keep anyone from getting stupid ideas, it wasn't really my choice but my cousin said it would be better if i did, there is a bit of a racial tension in Chicago but nothing way too serious, as a matter of fact i made more friends in Chi than i did anywhere else.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by missmeli0501

I'm from Cleveland, and Cleveland Heights in particular is an interesting look at racial diversity. Each street is about equally divided between blacks and whites, but the key is that they are mostly on an equal level, economically. People who have money generally don't need to shoot people to get status/power/whatever. Therefore, crime increases in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, and makes them less desirable.

missmeli0501, I had to re-read much of this thread to find your post which represents my views exactly. I was born in Chicago and then moved to the suburbs (Waukegan) for H.S. At the time, my H.S. was about 1/3 white, 1/3 black, 1/3 hispanic. I feel the racial groups got along fairly well and it was relatively safe (and I know things have changed). There was some gang activity (I once was at a party where a Black Gangsta was shot by a Black Disciple but that wasn't a race issue). My best friends were white, black, hispanic... I labeled them as Jocks/Brainiacs/Burnouts/Gangsters, etc. and never thought of them as a particular race. Many of my friends are now in interracial marriages (including my siblings). Yet when I went away to college, I first realized that this is not always how the world works and I was priveged (even though we had little money) to have grown up in that environment. Was Waukegan an anomaly - some sort of desegregated racial Nirvana? At the time, everyone in Waukegan was mainly lower-middle class. I think you're right that the key was that the town was comprised mostly of people "of an equal level, economically" who "don't need to shoot people to get status/power/whatever."

[Banx]

There is no racial tension in Chicago, at least hardly any at all. Everyone I know hangs out in groups of friends that always have whites, blacks, mexicans and puerto ricans. The group that seems to be missing sometimes are asians, but I even see them around too sometimes. The 1950's are long gone., people are so ignorant.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by Banx

There is no racial tension in Chicago, at least hardly any at all. Everyone I know hangs out in groups of friends that always have whites, blacks, mexicans and puerto ricans.

This is how I've always seen things where I've lived in and around Chicago (can't speak for all areas though)...