clownyprincess: wonderwomanv2: badatpettingcats: har Hm, so.  This is kinda my old neighborhood, actually.  I went to UIC, lived in the area surrounding Pilsen, and then in my last year lived in the neighborhood itself.  Like a lot of metropolitan areas, Pilsen and the West Side are full of streets that literally alternate between developed and dessicated.  As newer apartments are being remodeled and sold on the cheap (because Pilsen is a neighborhood with one of the highest crime rates in the city and also property is just much cheaper there), more and more young white usually-students are moving into the area because for some reason there’s this weird and permeating idea that it’s subversive to move into a poor neighborhood and pursue your studies/art/what-have-you.  I think the idea is kind of like it’s “getting the opportunity” (which is steeeeeeeped in privilege) to essentially live in an impoverished country for a year.  This is a really gross attitude to have, but you do see it in these kids who move to this neighborhood and who just marvel at how fascinating the funny little lives of these people of color are (this is gross, don’t do this).  Because, traditionally, Pilsen tends to be a Hispanic and Latino neighborhood.   So, I guess, basically, don’t be these kids.  And I’m not saying white people shouldn’t live in Pilsen because if that’s where you can afford to live and go to school, then that’s where you live.  That’s the only neighborhood I could afford to live in and still be near enough to both work and go to school, but seriously don’t treat it like you live in a zoo.  Just be polite to your neighbors and don’t shout “QUE PASA AMIGO” at non-white passersby because JFC you look like the biggest asshole alive.  Yeah, what you describe, I think it’s true of a lot of places around the world - it’s certainly true of several neighbourhoods I can think of here in Sydney. And, of course, what is not understood is that these neighbourhoods are lower-socio-economic and largely of colour because of racism. Because of systemic, entrenched and institutionalised racism that keeps POC at a disadvantage. And as if that isn’t enough… then these bratty white kids start moving into ‘the ghetto’ because it’s ‘edgy’ and ‘arty’ and they start taking over and occupying all sorts of spaces with arrogance and entitlement… when they already have all these other spaces. And POC have to negotiate those white spaces in otherwise daily life and then it’s part of their space too… and like wwv2 says, if that’s where you can afford to live, that’s where you live… but you don’t have to bring in all your white entitlement and unconscious dominance either. And understanding why the long-term residents might resent your presence wouldn’t go astray either. (full disclosure: I am white) This really annoys me as I can relate to it. Of course not in the same sense as a black person would but I can still relate. The area in which I live in is a mainly coloured town (as in I can honestly say for every 10 people there’s 2 white people) and it’s cheaper than other areas in London as it’s in Wet, deep deep suburban greater West. I wouldn’t know any different as I’ve lived here all my life but lately I am seeing lots of quite young white kids (mainly females) coming into the area and being very ignorant and rude towards black people. It seems as if they’re treating it like they’ve gone abroad for the first time and are baffled yet interested in these new ‘types’ of people they’ve come across. I also get the whole ‘these stupid hipster kids move there coz they think it’s edgy’ and it’s SO TRUE. I’m not sure whether I’ll get hate for this as I am white and people might think I’m an idiot for even thinking that I understand but I really do. My life has been spend in predominately coloured communities and I grew up understanding how to conduct myself. I also hate how these young white people seem to sometimes think that they’re black and start shouting “yeah nigger” and all of this shit in the street and it’s like…really bitch, really. It doesn’t make you “cool” to live in a coloured community because you’re white, it’s just somewhere you live, regardless of who lives there. (I understand this isn’t really the same as I’m from London but you get my drift)

clownyprincess:

wonderwomanv2:

badatpettingcats:

har

Hm, so.  This is kinda my old neighborhood, actually.  I went to UIC, lived in the area surrounding Pilsen, and then in my last year lived in the neighborhood itself.  Like a lot of metropolitan areas, Pilsen and the West Side are full of streets that literally alternate between developed and dessicated.  As newer apartments are being remodeled and sold on the cheap (because Pilsen is a neighborhood with one of the highest crime rates in the city and also property is just much cheaper there), more and more young white usually-students are moving into the area because for some reason there’s this weird and permeating idea that it’s subversive to move into a poor neighborhood and pursue your studies/art/what-have-you.  I think the idea is kind of like it’s “getting the opportunity” (which is steeeeeeeped in privilege) to essentially live in an impoverished country for a year.  This is a really gross attitude to have, but you do see it in these kids who move to this neighborhood and who just marvel at how fascinating the funny little lives of these people of color are (this is gross, don’t do this).  Because, traditionally, Pilsen tends to be a Hispanic and Latino neighborhood.  

So, I guess, basically, don’t be these kids.  And I’m not saying white people shouldn’t live in Pilsen because if that’s where you can afford to live and go to school, then that’s where you live.  That’s the only neighborhood I could afford to live in and still be near enough to both work and go to school, but seriously don’t treat it like you live in a zoo.  Just be polite to your neighbors and don’t shout “QUE PASA AMIGO” at non-white passersby because JFC you look like the biggest asshole alive. 

Yeah, what you describe, I think it’s true of a lot of places around the world - it’s certainly true of several neighbourhoods I can think of here in Sydney. And, of course, what is not understood is that these neighbourhoods are lower-socio-economic and largely of colour because of racism. Because of systemic, entrenched and institutionalised racism that keeps POC at a disadvantage.

And as if that isn’t enough… then these bratty white kids start moving into ‘the ghetto’ because it’s ‘edgy’ and ‘arty’ and they start taking over and occupying all sorts of spaces with arrogance and entitlement… when they already have all these other spaces. And POC have to negotiate those white spaces in otherwise daily life and then it’s part of their space too… and like wwv2 says, if that’s where you can afford to live, that’s where you live… but you don’t have to bring in all your white entitlement and unconscious dominance either. And understanding why the long-term residents might resent your presence wouldn’t go astray either.

(full disclosure: I am white)

This really annoys me as I can relate to it. Of course not in the same sense as a black person would but I can still relate. The area in which I live in is a mainly coloured town (as in I can honestly say for every 10 people there’s 2 white people) and it’s cheaper than other areas in London as it’s in Wet, deep deep suburban greater West. I wouldn’t know any different as I’ve lived here all my life but lately I am seeing lots of quite young white kids (mainly females) coming into the area and being very ignorant and rude towards black people. It seems as if they’re treating it like they’ve gone abroad for the first time and are baffled yet interested in these new ‘types’ of people they’ve come across. I also get the whole ‘these stupid hipster kids move there coz they think it’s edgy’ and it’s SO TRUE. I’m not sure whether I’ll get hate for this as I am white and people might think I’m an idiot for even thinking that I understand but I really do. My life has been spend in predominately coloured communities and I grew up understanding how to conduct myself. I also hate how these young white people seem to sometimes think that they’re black and start shouting “yeah nigger” and all of this shit in the street and it’s like…really bitch, really. It doesn’t make you “cool” to live in a coloured community because you’re white, it’s just somewhere you live, regardless of who lives there. (I understand this isn’t really the same as I’m from London but you get my drift)

30/1/12 @ 3:19pm • 1286 ♥

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