White People in the News - May 30, 2008
May 30, 2008 by clander
“Racial Shift in a Progressive City Spurs Talks”
By: William Yardley
The New York Times (temporary ban has been lifted due to fantastic photo)
May 29th, 2008
Summary
Portland struggles to figure out how to create diversity without affecting property values. It is not easy. Fortunately, things are being solved through awareness.
Best Passage
“I’ve been really upset by what I perceive to be Portland’s blind spot in its progressivism,” said Khaela Maricich, a local artist and musician. “They think they live in the best city in the country, but it’s all about saving the environment and things like that. It’s not really about social issues. It’s upper-middle-class progressivism, really.”
Ms. Maricich, 33, who is white, spoke after attending this month’s meeting of Portland’s Restorative Listening Project.
Things Mentioned
- Being Offended
- Awareness
- Gentrification
- Diversity
- Barack Obama
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Bicycles
- Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
- Indie Music
- Coffee
- Dogs (photo)
- Expensive Strollers (Book)
- Portland, OR (Book)
- Native Wisdom (Book)
Thanks to Yolonda for being the first of many to send this in.
Photo by Brian Lee
www.BrianLeePhoto.com
www.BrianLeeWeddings.com
Pages: [12] 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 … 1 » Show All
Portland is one of the most boring places I’ve ever been. It’s bland. It’s dreary. It’s got bridges. Who cares?
you gotta check out this site–it lists ALL the cities white people like, along with crazy comparisons! good intro by paul hawken too, another whitey with great intentions
http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/
Portland is definitely the #1 green&white city to behold. Make sure to check out sustainlane’s socio-economic studies of fixie bicycle hipsters vs spandex logo wearers; how to color up Portland; saving street tree fruit to make street jam; and a new white favorite, depaving!
http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/articles/when-the-messenger-is-as-important-as-the-message/NASVJQBOXL2U9SW71OVAWUPIYAMD
Lo and behold, and only 2% milkfat!
GREEN PASTURES
I Being a so called white hippy had to do with the alchemy and all people celebrating together. I think the media is responsible for all this white people propaganda…I understand what you are saying although the old saying its always greener on the other side could also apply to skin…we live in a time that is not easy and grass ain’t all that green on either side of these political humors
I just visited “What Black People Like Blog”. I think they are both awesome and a testimony to this strange thing called blogs. Kudos!
I left a comment saying:
“If I don’t get lazy I will go back to the other neighborhood and share a comment too. ”
Kinda surreal that Obama may end up being the president of the United States, raised by a white mother but the son of a black man. Surreal…
The only problem is that Obama is a racist and has been a member of a white/america hating Church for TWENTY YEARS and even called the well known Rev. Wright his mentor. Dont even try to tell me that in the 20 years Obama was a member of this Church that he never heard any of these white hate remarks and the bashing of America. And everyone already knows about his comments on the white middle working class. Enough said on that. Obama claims to be for change and to unite the US, but he is the most liberal candidate we can remember and he has shown through his votes as congressman that he wont associate himself with the republicans. Obama has no track record and it is disgraceful that he is even still running for the most important job in the world. So we are going to elect a racist, unproven, and the most liberal candidate that we have ever seen for the President of our country? Can you even imagine if John Mccain had been a member of a Church that bashed black people and hated america? He would be out of the race the very second the media found out about it. Unbelievable. Definition of Racism-hatred or intolerance of another race or other races. Example: Barack Obama
I think this blog and book should be re-titled, “Things Young Liberal White People Like.” Why does the author’s usage of ‘white people’ apply so such a narrow range of people? Perhaps the author should get out of whichever liberal city he/she lives in now and then.
It’s clearly about Young Liberal White People (I’d throw Pretentious in there too), but that just isn’t as funny of a title. The Young Liberal Pretentious White Person is like the token white stereotype.
If the blog was about Stuff Mexicans Like, the posts would include “sleeping”, “gardening”, and “quesadillas” because talking about the Mexicans who become surgeons just isn’t as interesting.
Maybe white people think Obama is so cool because it makes them sound like they are accepting of the underdog minorities. After all, what’s cooler to fellow educated white people than to be into everything that you originally aren’t?
Example…hating grandpa sweaters and buying them at a nasty thrift store because what you found is soo vintage!
“Maybe white people think Obama is so cool because it makes them sound like they are accepting of the underdog minorities. After all, what’s cooler to fellow educated white people than to be into everything that you originally aren’t?”
Well I guess they would try to sell you on the idea that Obama represents the underdog, and that they are great people because he is everything they aren’t…
In fact he is pretty much every thing a lot of them are not inasmuch as he is an in-shape, well-dressed, articulate, successfully married senator who is IV League educated.
They can try to get cred by saying innane things like “See, I am not racist, I support this man who went to Columbia for undergrad, Harvard Law (where he became the editor of the law review after his first year) and taught at the University of Chicago Law school.
So yea, he is everything most of us are not… WAY down on the list is being half-Kenyan.
Loving a really successful well-educated half-Kenyan man who is charismatic doesn’t exactly make these folks paragons of racial understanding.
Really this whole site is stupied. Very few things are right but NOT being racist ..voting for Obama? You are crazy NO ONE wants Obama to make it.
Like we really need another Muslim in this country LOL and one in the hot seat….plain crazy!
Christian Lander, I really wish you would elaborate on your ideas around this. My questions are not rhetorical, so feel free to respond to them!
I’m not quite sure what the problem with Khaela Maricich’s comment is, exactly? Unless you think the solution to Portland’s problems is that she ceases to be white, make art, or both, before she has any thoughts on the subject? Or, God forbid, tries to actually do something about it? However ineffectual it may turn out to be - but that’s the risk you take when you take part in any sort of activism, isn’t it. Do you think that any sort of activism is wrong, if it supported by mostly whites? What about, say, the Black Panthers? (Whoalso believed in free health care - maybe they were also elitist obsessed with Europe?)
What makes their activism different, the fact that they were willing to disobey the law, or that they were black and (partially) working class?
Of course the Restorative Listening Project has the potential of being just another way to make middle class white liberals feel better without actually addressing the problem. Congratulations on picking up on that.
But it sounds like the organizers are trying to find ways to actually translate the understanding into action, like supporting local (black) businesses, harassing business that are urging blacks to sell their property in “up and coming” areas, etc. There needs to be more action, for sure. But if you insist on seeing the problem of gentrification as a problem of white people wanting to - or, more accurately in my experience - having to live in ethnic working class neighborhoods, you are not going to effect the problem beyond writing sarcastic blogs (primarily hailed by white teenagers - even non-whites have to appreciate the irony of that?)
What about the problem of class differences in the first place - ridiculously unequal pay, ridiculously high cost of education, terribly underfunded public schools, medical bills that can put a working class family out of commission for life…? And then real estate and zoning laws compounding the problem?
I’ve lived in a lot of these “newly integrated” areas in my life.
I’m definitely met with some understandable hostility from long time (black) residents, but I met more people who were just plain friendly to me. And many community organizations were doing a lot of political work to prevent rezoning and protect stabilized rents and local businesses, without scape goating the new white or black middle class residents.
They were non-profit activist organizations… does that make them “white” by definition then?
I just don’t buy the idea that most blacks are so angry with any development, that just hasn’t been my experience. Especially the younger blacks in the areas tended to embrace more bars, more restaurants, more cafes serving iced lattes in the summer alongside the KFC’s, Golden Crusts, and cheap Chinese food. I don’t get what makes you think only white people like food that isn’t deep fried once in a while?
Some (about one fourth, in my last neighborhood) of these places were owned and run by blacks (if they were long term residents of recent transplants I have no idea, but that distinction seems to be meaningless to Christian Lander anyway.)
If you want to talk about serious political issues like gentrification, why don’t you tell us what your constructive ideas are, instead of hiding behind sarcasm?
I’ve got to say, it’s white people like you that make this blog so damn funny. I’m white, fully outfitted in technical outdoor gear, I own a pea coat and I live in Portland, but damn. This is comedy. If you don’t get it, that’s okay. Just try to get that you don’t get it.
Also, I’m positive that the author of this blog votes with you, and agrees with your politics. He just has enough insight and self-deprecation to laugh! Just calm down. Strike your favorite yoga pose and have some tea.
“If you want to talk about serious political issues like gentrification, why don’t you tell us what your constructive ideas are, instead of hiding behind sarcasm?”
Cannibalism. That’s literally the solution.
Eat all the white people.
So Portland is the greatest city in the country to live in, and then the picture looks like it was made in fucking Tijuana.
Your next entry should be (#104)
Stuff White People Like: Being Financially Independent, Community Oriented, Socially Conscious, Law Abiding, Well Mannered, and Not Being a Burden on Society. In other words, generally things needed to have a productive society.
Unlike most minorities.
Censor me and I will become offended! On behalf of a minority, of course.
This post was spell checked and has proper grammar. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, whitey.
Great article, serious subject that deserves serious attention.
If you get a chance, check out http://www.laughtank.com it has some cool stuff
I looovveee Obama cuz I love my men dark, black and biggggggg.
Pages: [12] 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 … 1 » Show All