Thanks, Larry, for this article from the Oregonian. My goodness, we’re whiter than Nashville! We should start our own country music scene here.
This part of the article describes the cultural issues accurately:
Portland-area employers competing for top talent have a hard time retaining African American hires, who often can’t bear the social and cultural isolation of a metro area that is less than 3 percent black.
“A lot of my friends and other minorities come here to Portland thinking of it as a stopover,” says Angel Anderson, an African American software engineer from suburban Chicago who was recruited by Intel. “They leave the state in a year or two.”
Anderson has stayed four years, bought a house in Tanasbourne, loves her job and calls Portland “the friendliest place I have ever lived.” But she chafes at often being the only black face in the room, longing for “somebody I could talk to who might have similar experiences to me.”
I agree with Anderson. It’s a friendly place, possibly the friendliest place in the world, but the lack of diversity creates an atmosphere where people of color have trouble making themselves understood. It fragments the community because people who happen to differ from the mainstream white viewpoint often don’t get a fair hearing.
Speaking of “fair hearing,” let me recount a story that happened here just a few years back. A large, very powerful, organization in Portland opened a hearing to discuss what could be done about racism in Portland. I was new to Portland, so I attended. I was the only person of color there. People were very friendly and smiled a lot, but when I raised my hand and spoke about the psychological barriers that minorities face, people just glazed over. They nodded, not really understanding much, and then moved on to allow the next white person to define racism. Ten white people later, they had a pretty good idea of what white people needed to do to fix racism in Portland.
Now don’t get me wrong, most of these people had good intentions. But how can you fix relationships when there isn’t a large enough voice coming from those with whom you are trying to fix those relationships? Any attempt to fix community efforts must include diversity.
Related posts:
I also wanted more rice than what could fit inside the wrap....
Pingback: Diversity « Noraebang
What I found interesting was some of the comments left by the readers. It almost seems there a certain amount of apathy about the lack of diversity. In fact, one early commenter said “maybe we should import [minorities].” What the hell is wrong with people?
Now I do see why, when I talk of feeling marginalized and all the blatant and subtle racism that is perpetuated in my neck of the woods, people look at me as thought I’m making shit up.
Mpls/St. Paul may not be on the top of the list but given the actual number of population and percentage… And yet the locals here, when I lament lack of diversity here, get pretty defensive and tell me that diversity is better here than most other places.
These numbers are making me depressed.
P2H:
Thanks for pointing out the comments. I usually read them, but this time I was so impressed that a mainstream paper broached the subject, that I ignored the comments in my rush to share the article with the world!
You know, I think in this case the comments are representative of the views that really are out there. Here’s a gem of wisdom from one of the commenters:
“I am white and that’s not going to change. I chose to move here for the opportunities, both career wise and outdoors wise. I like the area,I like the attractions, I like the climate. I didn’t even analyze the ethnic makeup before moving here. It is immaterial to me. I also find this to be a stupid article without any merit, question why this is on the front page to begin with, and am offended as well.”
That’s a typical attitude summed up in a paragraph. People are very nice here, very polite, and they all care about the environment. There’s very little racial violence, and I’d even say that there is very little racial condescension. But you point out that all their friends are white, or you introduce them to a new way of looking at things, and all of a sudden they either glaze over or ignore you.
What’s ironic is that so many of the creative businesses that help Portland function with its tax dollars are very diverse: Nike, Intel, Wieden and Kennedy, Tektronix. You can’t walk ten feet at any of these places without seeing a person of color. Yet somehow, the majority of the “beer, bikes and Birkenstock” crowd along with the old-timers who rule the place would rather pretend that minorities don’t exist or believe we only exist to crank out products to make money. There’s a flawed ignorance of the humanity of minorities.
It’s interested that this comes as a surprise to be people in Portland.
“What’s ironic is that so many of the creative businesses that help Portland function with its tax dollars are very diverse: Nike, Intel, Wieden and Kennedy, Tektronix.”
Larger companies with big operation in technology tend to be more diverse. Wieden & Kenndy is interesting firm though.
So, what’s the ideal percentage of whites for Portland to be sufficiently ‘diverse’ in your eyes?
Cynic:
I don’t know if there would be a number that I would strive to hit, but I would say that it should be high enough that institutions take notice and become more inclusive. Or it should be high enough for minorities to start and fund their own cultural institutions. I think in the new era, it has to work with government rather than despite government. Our tax dollars should support diversity.
That’s not an answer – that’s a dodge.
You feel that Portland is too white – clearly at some point it becomes ‘just white enough’. What point is that?
Cynic,
I don’t recall ever saying that I was looking for a number or that I would try to find one. In fact, my post details a story that happened to me, not an incident of number crunching where I happened to be appalled my some figures or percentages.
I think Portland needs more racial minorities so that we get more recognition and respect. I’ll leave it at that. If you prefer for everything to be defined in terms of numbers, that’s your call and methodology. You would be one of the few who uses this methodology however.
I’m curious what is defined as “Seattle” – because Seattle proper is definitely diverse, but if we’re including Bellevue/some other places on the East side up here. It actually skews the numbers back a little bit.
From my experiences in Portland, I wouldn’t say that the culture there does too much to support the interests of many people of color. I’ve never been able to really put a finger on it when I’m down there, but its like I don’t really feel like I fit in there.
Wish I could elaborate for you.
You still haven’t answered! For shame …
If you prefer for everything to be defined in terms of numbers, that’s your call and methodology. You would be one of the few who uses this methodology however.
Oh, come on, you can do better than that! :p
Left-wing activists are always going on (and on and on and on) about things (neighborhoods, cities, schools, professions, companies, etc etc etc) being ‘not diverse enough’, based on counting European heads, but they never say at what point things will be ‘diverse enough’, so I’ve asked you a simple question, which you keep refusing to answer. At what point does Portland become acceptably ‘diverse’ for your taste?
Jason,
Exactly. The point is to diversify so that people feel included.
Cynic:
You still haven’t answered!
It’s like this:
Cynic: “What’s the quota?”
Jaehwan: “I don’t believe in quotas.”
Cynic: “What’s the quota? You didn’t answer my question.”
Truth is, I did. I don’t agree with your premise that there has to be a quota. You can’t assign a belief to a person and then accuse that person of dodging when he doesn’t agree with your premise, namely that a person needs to believe in quotas if he wants more diversity.
Left-wing activists are always going on (and on and on and on) about things (neighborhoods, cities, schools, professions, companies, etc etc etc) being ‘not diverse enough’, based on counting European heads, but they never say at what point things will be ‘diverse enough’, so I’ve asked you a simple question, which you keep refusing to answer.
C’mon, let’s get real. It’s not just the “left-wing activists.” Most major companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Exxon Mobil, all have some statement of intent on their websites that mentions diversity, yet none of them name a number or percentage that they’re striving to reach. (Though you may be right about it being a left-wing movement–Halliburton doesn’t have a statement of diversity, but that’s because they rely more on powerful friends in government…wait, I guess not any more!) Supporting diversity is becoming more and more commonplace. If you’ve got beef, you should be taking it up with everyone, including left-wingers AND heads of major corporations.
Byron,
Oops, forgot to add that part. I think I was trying to get around to it and was getting tired. I haven’t been taking care of myself as far sleep goes.
But basically, with out the diversity, less people are exposed to it- and therefore less likely to have the appropriate social skills in dealing with this particular type of diversity. I feel that, subconsciously, the atmosphere where people don’t understand how you think creates an environment/subculture that will prevent people from speaking up. In other words, the lack of diversity can cause an individual to have to suppress part of their identity in order to “make it” in life.
“Diverse enough”, mind you, is not a statistic but a condition – a non quantifiable condition. “Diverse enough” would be a state where an individual would be accepted for his views and identity because the community has fostered the social skills required to do so. “Diverse enough” would be when an individual would be able to remain as her/himself and still have the opportunity to succeed.
Mind you, not necessarily the same opportunity, but the opportunity.
REMINDER: This is my personal opinion of why diversity matters.
Jason
I agree. Being part of a minority is okay and maybe even expected, as some of the commenters on this thread are implying), but it’s not “diverse enough” until individual views from minorities are heard.
Jaehwan, if you don’t like it there, why don’t you just move?
No one is forcing you to live in Portland, Oregon, or the USA, am I correct?
But you expect everyone to drop what they’re doing, and rush to remake Portland over into an image more to your liking because, well… because you want them to?
Get real.
“dude”:
Your post is a classic example of white privilege. Check out the comments on this post for more info.
There are white people who protest in Portland for the legalization of marijuana. No one ever suggests that they up and move to Amsterdam. There are white people in the South who protest against the presence of black people. No one ever tells them to move to Scandinavia. But the minute a non-white person says that he wants change, all of a sudden all the holier-than-thou types tell them to go back to Asia or Africa.
I’m not sure what you mean by “get real.” My opinion is more real than yours since it includes the opinions of both those who do and do not look like me.