Black Community in NOVA? (and Schools) (Arlington, Burke: salons, apartment, renting)

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by nitrovic

Although I do understand your reason for posting, would it be "racist" for a white person to post the exact same thing?

Not if someone were asking that question about PG County or another area with a majority-minority population.

[claremarie]

On the contrary, a white person moving to PG County from, say, Utah, and inquiring about communities/schools with substantial white populations would likely be criticized as racist.

[Margery]

Originally Posted by Tone509

Not if someone were asking that question about PG County or another area with a majority-minority population.

Isn't majority-minority an oxymoron?

[RedShrek]

Originally Posted by claremarie

You're not going to find a predominantly black upper-middle class community in Fairfax County as you would in PG County, because the affluent black population is much smaller and scattered across the county. The majority of students in the "best" high schools are white and Asian, with smaller numbers of Hispanics and blacks. (Mount Vernon, which has a 32% black student body, has some of the lowest test scores in the county). You research demographics and test scores on the FCPS website, and on the greatschools site, but I think you'll find that a higher black population comes with lower test scores.
I can't help you with the black hair salon question, but Alexandria is not really very far from the Springfield area.

This is a very telling statement. Does anyone have anything constructive to add to this line? Why is this the case in a supposedly affluent area? Is this a cultural issue or an economic issue?

[Yankeesfan]

Closing the Gap, Child by Child - washingtonpost.com

Myths Left Behind -- Achievement Gaps Are Not Inevitable - washingtonpost.com

[RedShrek]

Originally Posted by Yankeesfan

Closing the Gap, Child by Child - washingtonpost.com

Myths Left Behind -- Achievement Gaps Are Not Inevitable - washingtonpost.com

Thank you for the links. So one of the biggest factors in the creation of the "achievement gap" is cultural in nature then? Low expectations set for black kids it seems? Am I wrong here?

[claremarie]

The "Myths Left Behind" link focused on Graham Road Elementary in the Falls Church area, where most of the students are children of Hispanic and Asian immigrants (with about 12% black and 10% white). The school has done some amazing things with these kids, but most of them aren't black. There are cultural issues aplenty in these populations, but they are different than the cultural issues facing most low-income black students.
And though Fairfax County is wealthy overall, there is a range of incomes, and the schools that serve the lower-income communities have lower test scores. You can take a look at the schools ranked by test scores, and the (inverse) correlation between incomes and test scores is unmistakable.

[Skapov]

Originally Posted by claremarie

On the contrary, a white person moving to PG County from, say, Utah, and inquiring about communities/schools with substantial white populations would likely be criticized as racist.

Actually, I think it is perfectly reasonable to inquire about race even in the reverse situation, and trust me, people DO INQUIRE because I also spend time in the Maryland forum. The schools where I currently live are about 95% + black, and the schools where I lived a year ago, in Bladensburg/Brentwood/Hyattsville area of PG County inside the Beltway, were like 80% hispanic. If a white family from Iowa or Utah were moving to PG County, I'd probably recommend them to try Bowie or Laurel, which have about a 60% white population. WHY? Because I know that most White Americans are still very uncomfortable with being in the minority, and I understand that TRUE Diversity means having a mix of EVERYONE, and so a school that is 95% black is not really a diverse school. I think it's "okay" for a parent to weigh their concern for diversity as a factor of where to live. An honest straight-talk discussion about Diversity is not racist.

That said, I have seen in these forums how much North/Central Springfield and the area near the "mixing bowl" over by Springfield Mall gets bashed! People looking to relocate to that area get steered away towards Burke/West Springfield. Hmmm...wonder if that's got something to due with anti-Hispanic bias common in NOVA? Also, I read in Washington Post how Fairfax County is "cracking down" on illegal bording-houses, and we know they aren't targeting all the people in SFHs who house Grad Students from GWU in their basement-apartments! Hmm...I wonder why having a boarding house is only an issue when the residents have brown skin?

[RedShrek]

Originally Posted by claremarie

The "Myths Left Behind" link focused on Graham Road Elementary in the Falls Church area, where most of the students are children of Hispanic and Asian immigrants (with about 12% black and 10% white). The school has done some amazing things with these kids, but most of them aren't black. There are cultural issues aplenty in these populations, but they are different than the cultural issues facing most low-income black students.
And though Fairfax County is wealthy overall, there is a range of incomes, and the schools that serve the lower-income communities have lower test scores. You can take a look at the schools ranked by test scores, and the (inverse) correlation between incomes and test scores is unmistakable.

So then there must be a correlation between income and ethnicity? Or not? I think I've taken this thread too far off its intended purpose. Thanks for indulging me.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by Margery

Isn't majority-minority an oxymoron?

Touche' but I think you know what I meant. I guess I pick up too many new terms from newspapers.