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I have laughed and laughed at all the politically correct talk on this thread. Everyone knows that most people will divide up and interact mostly with people who are most like themselves and because everyone is so different in NYC, the city does not work as well as a homogeneous place like Erie where most people are English as a first language and speak the same language culturally and socially and just feel more comfortable with each other.
Laugh about it, sure, but you're missing a very key point: social economic status is by far a better indicator of commonality. You're paying too much attention to skin color/ethnicity. A college educated white collar six figure earning professional in NYC will have the most in common with other college educated white collar six figure earning professionals. Whether you like to believe it or not, this cuts across racial and ethnic lines. I get along with all of the whites, reds, browns, and yellows that I work with because our socioeconomic backgrounds are identical. In Erie, do you really think a white American that is a high school drop out, works the register at Safeway, and is on public assistance really has ANYTHING in common with the white American who has an JD from Harvard and is partner in a law firm? I can assure you that a black doctor, Asian ibanker, white lawyer, and Hispanic engineer would have a lot in common and swim in similar social circles.
Speaking only from the perspective of a tourist I can't say I noticed the ethnicity of the good people of New York City, I did notice, however, the multitude of good looking women from all cultural backgrounds. NYC in the summertime is full of wonderful sights!
Speaking only from the perspective of a tourist I can't say I noticed the ethnicity of the good people of New York City, I did notice, however, the multitude of good looking women from all cultural backgrounds. NYC in the summertime is full of wonderful sights!
If you were around the Empire State Building then you were definitely in the Fashion District and probably saw tons of models walking around. I still remember that when I first visited the city.
Ohiogirl22, so many of your posts display much anger. Could it be that on a subconscious or even on a conscious level that you actually relate more to the OP than you would care to even admit to yourself? You may suffer from Oikophobia?
You can not help where you were born and raised but you will never truly move forward until you accept who you were (are?) and let go of your anger. You are in a unique position to "teach" the OP rather than despise him. I base this "ONLY" on the OP's very first original post and not the rhetoric that followed because these type of threads do have a way of spiraling out of control and off topic.
It sounds like she has ohiophobia. How can ohio be that bad? I guess Ohio went downhill ever since Lebron James left.
I agree to a point. But does that mean that a poor Hispanic who swam across the river from Mexico who works as a dishwasher has a lot in common with the other dishwasher who is from rural West Virginia and is white, because they are both poor and uneducated?
It would be easier to hire all Hispanics from rural Mexico or all Rednecks from West Virginia at the restaurant if you want people to work more effectively together.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jad2k
Laugh about it, sure, but you're missing a very key point: social economic status is by far a better indicator of commonality. You're paying too much attention to skin color/ethnicity. A college educated white collar six figure earning professional in NYC will have the most in common with other college educated white collar six figure earning professionals. Whether you like to believe it or not, this cuts across racial and ethnic lines. I get along with all of the whites, reds, browns, and yellows that I work with because our socioeconomic backgrounds are identical. In Erie, do you really think a white American that is a high school drop out, works the register at Safeway, and is on public assistance really has ANYTHING in common with the white American who has an JD from Harvard and is partner in a law firm? I can assure you that a black doctor, Asian ibanker, white lawyer, and Hispanic engineer would have a lot in common and swim in similar social circles.
Like the OP I came from a predominantly white english speaking town, in northern california. I remember moving there at the beginning of high school, from southern california, and immediately noticing how racist everyone was! They'd say things that would have gotten the crap beat out of them in SoCal, but no one was around to care in this town! After 10 years of living there I'd pretty much determined that most people - my age at least - actually weren't racist, they were just clueless! And after 10 years of living there, I felt I was much more clueless too unfortunately.
So when I went to NYC for the first time I certainly noticed the huge mix of people, why wouldn't you if you'd come from somewhere that was mostly white, mostly purple, mostly anything? And I felt incredibly awkward and unsure of myself, not because I'm racist, but because I was suddenly hyper-aware of how clueless I was as far as what normal interactions with non-white people looked like. An awkwardly comical carrousel of thought as to what's 'normal' would circle around in my head with even the slightest interaction with someone non-white (which seemed like everyone, statistics be damned!) It's been that way every time I've gone back after having been back 'home' for at least several months, each successive trip to lessening degrees at least. Each time, before long I'd just get frazzed out over-thinking it and probably acting so stiffly and decide to do whatever seemed OK and normal-to-me. And no one's decreed me a racist yet, so I guess I'm OK ;) ((That's not an invitation ;P ...)) Point is, even if one comes from some bfe town of racist whites - as long as *you're* not racist, you acclimate quickly enough to the diversity but it does feel a little weird at first simply because it's something you're unaccustomed to. On a side note, it was the same way for me on that first visit to NYC because so many people were well dressed - it wasn't that way back home and I didn't know how to be around these people, didn't know if I should or should not somehow adjust my behavior. I didn't know if I should talk to them the same or not, didn't know if I should treat them different, didn't know if I should give them more space on the subway so as not to scuff their shoes, didn't know if they'd look down upon me somehow, etc etc. I felt very out of place and odd about it for a while - that's just how unfamiliar experiences are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdaz
Speaking only from the perspective of a tourist I can't say I noticed the ethnicity of the good people of New York City, I did notice, however, the multitude of good looking women from all cultural backgrounds. NYC in the summertime is full of wonderful sights!
Man, my touristy experiences were polar opposite of yours. I guess I'm just a certain type or something, but I was stunned to discover I wasn't too fond of new york women. I remember getting home after my first trip and deciding I definitely wanted to move there someday - but I was literally worried that if I did I'd never find the woman of my dreams lol. Luckily I found her first and got her hooked on the city too, so it's all good.
Laugh about it, sure, but you're missing a very key point: social economic status is by far a better indicator of commonality. You're paying too much attention to skin color/ethnicity. A college educated white collar six figure earning professional in NYC will have the most in common with other college educated white collar six figure earning professionals. Whether you like to believe it or not, this cuts across racial and ethnic lines. I get along with all of the whites, reds, browns, and yellows that I work with because our socioeconomic backgrounds are identical. In Erie, do you really think a white American that is a high school drop out, works the register at Safeway, and is on public assistance really has ANYTHING in common with the white American who has an JD from Harvard and is partner in a law firm? I can assure you that a black doctor, Asian ibanker, white lawyer, and Hispanic engineer would have a lot in common and swim in similar social circles.
Strongly agree, granted because it is also my experience.
You do have your random nuts and psychopaths, of course.
In American culture there is a strong prejudice against, and a complete lack of ability discussing and navigating, analyses drawing on social and economic class. This is a long tradition, connected with the idea that all can do anything, "land of opportunity." Whereas, at least some of us here will know that economic and social class challenges are very real. Every day, America is less and less the "land of opportunity" that our tenaciously-held ideology insists.
Hence, my comment that "racism" is the latest "opium of the people." And the bankers and CEOs build their wealth.
I agree to a point. But does that mean that a poor Hispanic who swam across the river from Mexico who works as a dishwasher has a lot in common with the other dishwasher who is from rural West Virginia and is white, because they are both poor and uneducated?
Yes. It does mean that. However, our culture or whatever will turn these two against each other.
Consider the great migration from the south. Labor workers from the north convinced people to migrate to industrial centers, to New York, etc., because there were strikes. They were willing to migrate because of the constant lynchings, injustice of courts, not enough food or work for different reasons. When they arrived, the migrants met hostility from the striking workers and other unemployed.
Therefore, two groups who should have been natural allies were turned against each other. This dynamic is still at play.
Laugh about it, sure, but you're missing a very key point: social economic status is by far a better indicator of commonality. You're paying too much attention to skin color/ethnicity. A college educated white collar six figure earning professional in NYC will have the most in common with other college educated white collar six figure earning professionals. Whether you like to believe it or not, this cuts across racial and ethnic lines. I get along with all of the whites, reds, browns, and yellows that I work with because our socioeconomic backgrounds are identical. In Erie, do you really think a white American that is a high school drop out, works the register at Safeway, and is on public assistance really has ANYTHING in common with the white American who has an JD from Harvard and is partner in a law firm? I can assure you that a black doctor, Asian ibanker, white lawyer, and Hispanic engineer would have a lot in common and swim in similar social circles.
This if anything is very true in this city. I have a much wider group of friends now then when I was younger, and part of the reason why is because of education, financial, professional and also something else to ad, special intrest. I was never one to hang out with the "chelsea boy," or in and around 8th ave, but as I joined different groups many of my friends now fit those stereo types and hang in that area.
I agree to a point. But does that mean that a poor Hispanic who swam across the river from Mexico who works as a dishwasher has a lot in common with the other dishwasher who is from rural West Virginia and is white, because they are both poor and uneducated?
It would be easier to hire all Hispanics from rural Mexico or all Rednecks from West Virginia at the restaurant if you want people to work more effectively together.
Again goes, some may some may not. If they are both gay, play soccer and are apart of the NYC ramblers group then hey you never know. Especially if the West Virginia hick has a thing for the dark boys, something he could not express back home..Or at the same time, Juan may get sick of Cletus bluegrass and cletus may get sick of Juans love and watning to hang his country's flag.
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