More Black students joining Latino Greek organizations

PhDiva · #1 12-20-2006, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Your location states that you're in SoCal...but did you grow up here? Do you live in the Los Angeles area? Hell I grew up in Alhambra...high concentration of both Latinos and Asians. I also lived in the city of Los Angeles....went to Horace Mann Jr. HS, the entire population of the school were Af-Am and Latinos....

Hell all my life my best friends have been Latinas

so I question this statement and say ITS WRONG

Born and raised in Compton and have lived in Riverside, Tustin, Fullerton, Long Beach, Van Nuys, South Central LA, Los Feliz and currently Palos Verdes. I taught in LAUSD for 3 years before I became a college professor in Southern California.

If Blacks and Latinos were so familiar with each other in Southern California as your post implies, what accounts for all the racial tension in SoCal between these two groups? Black and Latinos in Spanish Harlem have never experienced the same type inter-racial conflicts that we have out here in California. Blacks and Latinos live side-by-side on the East Coast and in Chicago while in Los Angeles, usually what happens is that Blacks move when a sizable number of Latinos move in.

Even in Inglewood, there is almost a clear line between the Latino section (south of Century Blvd) and the predominantly Black section (north of Century Blvd). In Southern California more than Northern California, there are distinct pockets of Black folks and Latinos. Competition for low wage work is one issue that keeps these groups from unifying as does gangs based on racial identity. Sure, there are mixed groups but that is more the exception than the rule. Of course, with Black flight out of Southern California to the South, the few Blacks that do remain will have to interact with Latinos if they are to survive. I'm not basing my comments solely on personal observation but also on demographic statistics, incidents of hostility between the two groups and why so many Black folks initially refused to vote for Villaraigosa for mayor (when he was running against Hahn the first time). Blacks fear that with the growth of the Latino community that they will be pushed out. Just check out the message board on BlacknLA.com and see page after page of Black folks complaining about Latinos being favored over Blacks. I'm not weighing in on that debate but I can tell you everything between Blacks and Latinos in Southern California ain't peachy.

If you don't believe me: Google "tensions between blacks and Latinos in Los Angeles". You'll find page after page of articles about job competition, clashes over language and gang violence between the two groups.

PhDiva

L.O.C.K. · #2 12-20-2006, 09:13 PM

Drolefille,

Oops! My bad, I didn't explain it well enough. I had trouble at first too when I first heard of it.

Go to ProQuest Database in your Library's Online Database List. You should see a tab for basic search. Then scroll down and click on Dissertations & Theses or ProQuest Digital Dissertations or something similar. Make sure it is checked, and then search.

If this doesn't work, look on your school library's website for Dissertation Databse International or something similar. Let me know if you get it!!!

Take Care,
Nate

Elephant Walk · #3 12-20-2006, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Born and raised in Compton and have lived in Riverside, Tustin, Fullerton, Long Beach, Van Nuys, South Central LA, Los Feliz and currently Palos Verdes. I taught in LAUSD for 3 years before I became a college professor in Southern California.

You poor woman.

ms_gwyn · #4 12-20-2006, 10:23 PM

PhDiva,

I live and work in the area that you are writing about and I don't see it.

The century blvd "line" is of socio-economic area....meaning lower middle class and mid-middle class, at least that is the way that I see it.

People always move out of one area to another area when they are "movin' on up".

I also see you writing statistics, which *sometimes* don't reflect in the real world.

I am speaking from my experience and I have never been in nor witnessed this type of tension you are writing about.

Of course, my life experience is different from anyone else's on the planet. Oh, since I don't live in the city of LA, I didn't vote in the Mayoral elections, but from my understanding a lot of people had other issues with Villaraigosa and his agenda and I can see why people have/had those issues.

Drolefille · #5 12-20-2006, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.O.C.K.

Drolefille,

Oops! My bad, I didn't explain it well enough. I had trouble at first too when I first heard of it.

Go to ProQuest Database in your Library's Online Database List. You should see a tab for basic search. Then scroll down and click on Dissertations & Theses or ProQuest Digital Dissertations or something similar. Make sure it is checked, and then search.

If this doesn't work, look on your school library's website for Dissertation Databse International or something similar. Let me know if you get it!!!

Take Care,
Nate

Thanks! I found it but now I have to decide if I'm just going to wait until I go to work or download it over dial up

PhDiva · #6 12-20-2006, 11:54 PM

Elephant Walk -

C'mon Compton ain't bad compared to parts of South Central

Ms. Gwyn - We will have agree to disagree.

I'm not dismissive of your personal experience because they are real and specific to you nor do I dismiss the statistics because they do reflect larger trends which may have been missed by individuals. You may have not experienced the tension but I know plenty of Latinos that have (esp. ones who were not from California). When I worked for LAUSD, there were times when I did some substitute teaching in predominantly Latino areas and I was met with racial epithets and outright hostility from some students and staff. I have personal experience too but I rely on the statistics because I can't assume everyone has experienced what I have.

There is a vast difference between Black/Latino coalitions on the west coast versus the east coast, however, which might account for more blacks joining Latino Greek organizations in that region. That was the point of my comment.

PhDiva

TotallyWicked · #7 12-21-2006, 02:16 AM

I think SoCal tensions have alot to do with the location, political climate, and history. SoCal, the entire Southwest for that matter, has had a history with discrimination against Latinos (Mexicans specifically), you also have to look at the proximity to the U.S.-Mexican border, which raises many issues including cultural assimilation (e.g. who is Really American?), I feel students are buying into the typical identity builder of making "the others", Latinos (Mexicans specifically being this other) and are raised with that thus joining a Latin Org will definitely not attract them.

I sometimes see this, I work with kids, and no surprise the Blacks kids sit together and the Latinos sit with one another, I work in a very conservative, segregated suburb, where issues like immigration are definitely debated heavily, I could only imagine that bordertowns have this at the forefront of their minds.

The B Girl · #8 12-21-2006, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhDiva

If Blacks and Latinos were so familiar with each other in Southern California as your post implies, what accounts for all the racial tension in SoCal between these two groups? PhDiva

Miami has the same tension between African Americans and Hispanics.

TopSider · #9 12-22-2006, 01:11 PM

I think its very humerous that there are Asian, and Latino "fraternities" now. What did they feel left out that we were not including them? HAHAHAHA. Im lucky we dont have this kind of discrace at my school.

Senusret I · #10 12-22-2006, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopSider

I think its very humerous that there are Asian, and Latino "fraternities" now. What did they feel left out that we were not including them? HAHAHAHA. Im lucky we dont have this kind of discrace at my school.

Yeah.... the only "discrace" at your school is you. You are very "humerous" too. Question, is your mother also your aunt?

TopSider · #11 12-22-2006, 01:16 PM

No, I am just lucky enough to go to a proper southern school where we dont allow those types of things to go on. My mom is not my aunt, but she would shoot buck shot in somone's eye for sayin it.

LONG LIVE DIXIE

Drolefille · #12 12-22-2006, 01:36 PM

So you don't want minorities in your fraternity but you think it's stupid for them to have their own?

The logic train went that way -> you missed it.

TopSider · #13 12-22-2006, 01:52 PM

No, its just I find it highly ironic that they have their own organizations. Its just humerous is all im sayin.

7thSonofOsiris · #14 12-22-2006, 01:58 PM

Attention please!

Disregard all that you read from topsider. He's backwards in both thought and in his being. He's slightly retarded so, only a mixed melange of confused treatises and diatribes will flow from is stinking pie-hole. I'm going to forward two messages that he sent me earlier today so that folks can attempt to understand him.

akdphi_cherry · #15 12-22-2006, 01:59 PM

You say "its very humerous that there are Asian, and Latino "fraternities" now." as if it's a new thing, but if you even bothered to read this thread, you'd note that several ethnic GLOs were established in the 1920s. As in around the time your grandparents were born.

Not to mention I go to a "proper" Southern school with FIFTY-THREE different Greek organizations, only 31 of which are IFC/Panhel.