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With somber news like the string of race-related murders in Highland Park, the battles being waged between black and Latino politicians and the recent prison race riots in Chino frequenting local headlines, it sometimes feels like the Latino and African American populations of Los Angeles are on the verge of a war. Depending on whom you ask, the black-brown race problem is either being blown way out of proportion by the media or it is just the harbinger of an even bigger looming crisis. One thing most national commentators agree upon is that the problem seems to be unique to largely Latino Southern California.
However, last week The Economist published an insightful and disturbing feature illustrating how this problem has spread far beyond California's borders, and how that conflict could even affect the 2008 Presidential race. On the heels of the recent arraignment of two Latino gang members accused of the racially-motivated slaying of 14-year-old African American girl Cheryl Green, The Economist headed east to Durham, North Carolina, where a similar racial fissure is festering despite the fact that the southern city is far from being a Latino hotbed.
Durham, which forms the well-known “Research Triangle” along with Raleigh and Chapel Hill, has historically been almost equally divided between blacks and whites. Things changed when a building boom a decade ago attracted a wealth of workers from Mexico, both legal and illegal. Apparently, the new arrivals brought pre-conceived notions about the existing black populace. The story said those views have turned out to be even more extreme than what many perceived were common feelings held by conservative Southern whites:
Blacks are less likely than whites or even Hispanics to believe that immigrants end up on welfare or commit crimes. Latinos, on the other hand, appear to make no such concessions. One survey of Durham, in North Carolina, found that 59% of Latinos believed few or almost no blacks were hard-working, and a similar proportion reckoned few or almost none could be trusted. Fewer than one in ten whites felt the same way.
Photo by Nathan Gibbs via Flickr
The result has been a racial powder keg in North Carolina surprisingly similar to what we've been experiencing here in Southern California. Even more interesting is that those bitter feelings are likely to seep into the upcoming presidential race, which is great news if your name happens to be Hillary Clinton:
Such ethnic squabbles, which are almost inevitable in the zero-sum game of urban politics, can shape attitudes. And they may help to explain one of the most striking features of the 2008 presidential race: the lack of Latino support for Mr Obama. In June a Gallup poll showed that black Democrats were evenly divided between Mr Obama and Hillary Clinton, while whites gave Mrs Clinton a 16-point lead. Among Hispanics, however, the senator from New York led by a crushing 46 points—despite Mr Obama's impeccably liberal line on immigration.
Ouch. Apparently, closeness between Latinos and blacks has bred more contempt than anyone could have imagined. LAist wonders, is there something that can be done to mend fences between blacks and Latinos not just in Los Angeles, but across the country? Or henceforth, will the key to a politician winning the Latino vote simply be to run against a black person? We're thinking whoever ends up being the Republican candidate will now likely be praying for Obama to win his party's nomination.
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This black American is pretty much done with the Democrats precisely because they've sold out black and white working people to the illegal immigration lobby.
Mend fences? No. Put up a real fence, at the border, and enforce the existing laws.
Til then, Romney in 2008!
I don't think there is a black and brown problem. I think the problem is LA has lost it's middle class and everyone on the bottom is fighting to survive. Many people on the bottom are black and brown, so yeah they are going to fight.
If you look closely though all of the working class people are fighting. People in Tujunga are fighting to get keep piece of the pie (and they are white), African-Americans are fighting to keep their political clout. Armenian-Americans are fighting for a piece of the dream in Glendale. People who don't have money are pissed and angry. The economy is shit. There are no jobs, there isn't any housing, so for the people having nothing well might as well kick some ass.
The problems have way more to do with the fact the LA is a selfish and unforgiving place more than it has to do with the fact that Latinos and African-Americans don't like each other.
LA will be like New York in no time. In New York there are certain places if you aren't the "right" thing, well you'll have some problems. Black guys in Dyker Heights, white guys in South Bronx along the B,F,D Line...this is what happens when your middle class disappears.
LA is going to be lots of fun very soon.
Jane
Hmm, all of the Militant's black and Latino friends seem to get along with each other just fine. Maybe the Militant should break to them the news that they should start becoming mortal enemies, y'know, because it's the "In" thing now...
Maybe the Militant should realize, for once, that his tiny world, sadly, is not the entire world. Which could be the reason that more people trust the reporting of The Economist, and common sense, than the third person.
#3: Thank you for such a wonderfully glib response to an issue many people are taking quite seriously.
There is nothing that can be done to mend fences between blacks and latinos . We have never liked each other, period. I'm not sure where it all started I only know that for four generations of my family we have been raised to stay away from "certain" people. I'm surprised other people have finally noticed.
Want to stop the tension? Secure the borders. Blacks have enough troubles without being forced out of their neighborhoods and undercut in the job market by illegal immigrants.
By the way, your lame attempt at political analysis (the Obama/Republicans comment) was the most ignorant thing I've read all morning.
Racism against blacks is prevalent in Mexican popular culture. Do we really expect them to think like Americans the minute they set foot in our country?
want some insight into this conflict? read these posts ostensibly written by intelligent and/or educated individuals. Preconceived ideas born before the writer masquerading as opinion. ignorance barely concealed by twisted logic.
but remember, when the media starts in on the "black vs. brown" conflict they're more interested in generating attention than debate or discussion.
do some Blacks and Latinos hate? of course. does this mean that Blacks and Latinos can't "get along," don't be absurd.
The problem is one of definitions and perceptions. Does anyone see the problem with referring to people like J-Lo, Ricky Martin, Sofia Vergara, A-Rod, etc as "brown?" Most of the "browns" are in fact just white Latinos and view Black Latinos (the people who are the true browns, chromatically) in the same ways in their home countries as whites do here. So it it surprising they closely identify with other whites? The quotes from the Economist even point this out.