Quote:
Originally posted by Steeltrap
I'm in Southern California. Blacks have been the minority here for years -- we're only 7% of the state's overall population, while Latinos are in the 20-30% range or so, I'm a little bit fuzzy on my math.
Most Latinos in California are Mexicans, products of mestizaje between Spanish people and Indians, unlike in the East with Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, etc.
In terms of Latino attitudes, I've found that second-generation or California-born Latinos tend to coexist more peacefully with AfAms. This extends to living in roughly the same neighborhoods, etc.
On the other hand, Latino immigrants sometimes come here with negative stereotypes of AfAms, mainly related to work.
And of course, many AfAms resent Latino immigrants because of the perception that they take ANY job out there and depress the wage market.
I do believe, however, that the groups need to find some commonalities, especially in Cali where we are a super-minority and have some of the same interests.
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You've basically summed it up for SoCal. Younger or Seond-generation Latinos get along far better w/ African Americans than first-generations do. I think that has to do more w/ growing up together and understanding each other's culture a little bit more. My high school consisted of roughly 48% Blacks and 48% Latinos. We all pretty much got along great--many of us haver known each other growing up, some early childhood. There is a huge amount of interracial dating in Cali--it's almost like the norm, although people do date interacially out here for various reasons (that's anpther thread though)...So, no one's really suprised to see an interracial couple walking down the street holding hands, etc. I have never dated anoyone that's Latino, but it's not b/c I'm against it...it just hasn't happened.
I feel like both groups do have very similar interests and commonalities and that it would benefit us to get over most of our roadblocks and unite.