Was very excited to relocate to Portland until.... (Beaverton, Tigard: transplants, home)

[CanuckInPortland]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

I googled "Portland racist" and came up with a list of sites. Some sites claimed to be news but were clearly making things up out of whole cloth. Mainly they seemed to be clickbait, chock-full of exaggerated overheated accusations not backed up by fact.

Tigard, doncha know, is considered racist because it's full of white people. That's the sum and substance of that claim.

Tigard seems to have decent sized Hispanic population and a fair number of Asians(and a giant branch of H-Mart the Korean grocery chain), so I've never considered it anymore white than any other part of the Portland metro. Not even like a place like Lake Oswego, which seems to be very white in terms of demographics.

[Ms_Christina]

You are moving to the PNW. The whitest part of the country. There are bound to be racist jerks, just like everywhere. But, in the Portland metro area everyone is very PC so they will never say anything to your face. As my bi-racial nephews observe. They won't spew racial slurs at you on the street but they will still cross to the other side if they see you coming.

[VelouriaPDX]

I will echo what others have said; the racism here is passive but exists. My perspective is that of a white person who has lived here for ten years, but grew up in a much more racially diverse city. My high school was probably 20% white, for perspective.

Here I can go days without seeing a black person. I live in inner Portland. I do see more Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese people. I believe the city is quite segregated and that many non-white people are being displaced by the changes taking place in the city. I have friends who teach in the public schools who tell me their school is 90% Latino, for example. A quick look at school data online shows these schools are failing and stricken with poverty and violence. Meanwhile schools a mile or so away are serving a primarily white population and are good to great schools. So yes, there ARE diverse communities here but they are not integrated into the Portlandia version of Portland in many instances.

I have had black acquaintances tell me they are uncomfortable in Eastmoreland because they are treated as if they don't belong there and are viewed with suspicion. Again, this is anecdotal and not a first person account so take it for what it is.

Like I said, it is passive and I don't think people here realize they are marginalizing people of other races. Race just isn't talked about and when it is, it is odd in my opinion. For example, the local liberal arts college boasts stats about their percentage of "people of color" and hired a Dean of Diversity and Inclusion. It seems well-intentioned, but also odd and like white people patting themselves on the back for "taking care of the race problem."

Where I grew up (large Latino population) race relations were more strained and overt. White and black people had no problem complaining openly about "the Puerto Ricans ruining the city," for example. Otherwise intelligent and seemingly kind people would say very racist things. That doesn't happen here in Portland. People don't say anything rude and there is an outward attempt at inclusion and "tolerance" whatever that means. BUT, I do think a black or Latino person living in inner Portland will feel like an "other."

This article and video might be helpful is better explaining this: How the whitest city in America appears through the eyes of its black residents - The Washington Post

[KJoe11]

Originally Posted by elle2124

Forums on CD, other publications on the internet (yes the internet). I've been researching on my own, as amateur as it sounds google it and there is plenty of articles on this issue.

I am not looking for it to be a negative thread, like I stated, we are looking forward to living in Portland. I was definitely caught off guard when I read about the overt racism there.

If it is on the Internet, then, it has to be true.

Message to OP
1. Hatred label has been wisely dispersed. People may not like the color of your skin, your religious preference, too fat/thin. Now, it has gone beyond these boundaries. Disagreeing with or not conforming to certain behavioral issues is now deemed as hatred. It is at a point where people won't look you into the eye anymore. It is not that they are racist or fill with distain, just cautiously reserved. So, don't worry about racism. I just think that is NOT the main issue in Portland.

[Yankeemama]

Tigard may seem red neck to some... therefore being racist against minorities. Remember that WA County, where Tigard is located, has a large population of people from India because of Intel and there are more affluent Asian Americans that have lived in Beaverton for decades. I have witnessed racism by disgruntled and ignorant youths towards a group of Muslim women at the WA Square Mall. Tigard has a lot of big trucks parked in the driveways and it seems to have more blue collar neighborhoods than Beaverton, which is more diverse and a more yuppie. I am mixed race and from S.F. originally and I actually feel very comfortable at the mall I mentioned which is located in Tigard.

[Rob Allen]

This site may be of interest: The Black Portlanders

[firechild]

Yup there are some racist idiots in Portland. But there are also kind people in Portland.

[eric351982]

I don't think there's any more racism here than any other liberal/blue city. Maybe even some overcompensating/patronizing behavior.

[elle2124]

Most of your replies echo what I have heard before. We are both born and raised in California the demographics as you know, are very different than Oregon. I feel like my concern is valid, especially for our child. With that said, I look forward to our move. It is unsettling to read that it's not so much overt racism but a very passive , let us keep our part of the country white....type of passive attitude as a previous poster mentioned. But it is what it is here in the United States 2015. At the end of all that, I see fear of change and just simply the unfamiliar. That in itself is not necessarily terrible but how people choose to react to that unfamiliarity I suppose.

Thank you for your words, I appreciate it.

[j_k_k]

I forget which black man summed it up, quote inexact: "The Southerner doesn't mind how close I get, long as I don't get too big. The Northerner doesn't mind how big I get, long as I don't get too close." I have generally found that to hold up. Yes, it's true that the Portland area, like many Northwestern cities, has some ugly racist history. Considering that ugly racism is packed into US history, this should not be a shocker. I doubt there is a racial Nirvana out there to find, but in terms of the modern day, the Portland area is probably as reasonable as any place to live as a black person, or biracial person, or mixed couple, or whatever the situation may be.

Might also want to avoid going too much by looks (not that you did, just food for thought). I am a crew-cut, barrel-chested, heavy-bearded white guy. Long before I had the beard or crew cut, I was once told I looked like a racist, so now I probably look more like the stereotypical racist redneck than your average fiftyish white guy. Putting aside that a recent DNA run shows that my mom is about 5% black--therefore I'm at least half that black and probably more--I know I'd hate to have people look at me and make an assumption based on my appearance. I think people of color can relate (I was going to use the metaphor 'in spades,' but how grossly inappropriate would that have been?). I think all you can do is exemplify the person you would like others to be, and see who surprises you, see who disappoints you, and do your best with the situation. You might be surprised how often you are surprised.