Food & Drink May 4, 2010 at 1:55 pm

What Are They Feeding Those (White) Kids?

Bethany Jean Clement
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Comments

1
60% of my hometown is hispanic and another 8% is non-white, moving to Portland was interesting, to say the least.

"Wait, you mean we don't gather in the town square to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Diez y Seis? They don't know what the Charreada is? I can't join a folklorico group? WHAT IS THIS? Oh, PBR and mass transit, nevermind."
Baconcat on May 4, 2010 at 2:04 PM Report this
2
It would be interesting to see county by county breakdowns of Oregons obesity rate. I am inclined to believe that the Portland metro area, which holds most of Oregons population, benefits not only from a higher rate of education, but also from the accomodations (public transit, sidewalks, parks, and bike lanes)necessary to their growth management policy.
Tingleyfeeln on May 4, 2010 at 2:08 PM Report this
3
Oregon also had a major Klan presence, back in the ’20s.
Sben on May 4, 2010 at 2:12 PM Report this
4
To be fair, "white persons not Hispanic" is only 80%, which suggests that virtually all of their 11% Hispanic population checked "white". Further evidence that the Federal race and ethnicity categorization duality needs to be changed.

Oregon is like Washington minus most of the Asian immigration and most of the industrial WWII-era black migration. It's almost as white as Idaho. The whole northern tier, from WA all the way to WI, and down as far south as IA, NE, and UT, is the All-White America. The vast majority of America's Whitopias are in these states.
Fnarf on May 4, 2010 at 2:12 PM Report this
5
This might go a little ways in explaining why Oregon is so overwhelmingly white:

http://www.blackpast.org/?q=primarywest/…

A related timeline:

http://www.historicoregoncity.org/HOC/in…
buginthegrass on May 4, 2010 at 2:23 PM Report this
6
"The vast majority of America's Whitopias are in these states."

It's why it's so easy to be a progressive; it's all theory, no reality.
on May 4, 2010 at 2:24 PM Report this
7
"This might go a little ways in explaining why Oregon is so overwhelmingly white"

Yes, it also explains why they don't film episodes of my favorite black comedy, "The First 48" there.
on May 4, 2010 at 2:28 PM Report this
8
"I did not know until this moment that Oregon is so mighty white."

You really ought to get out more. Oregon is 3 hours away.
Citizen R on May 4, 2010 at 2:38 PM Report this
9
It's because they have a decent transit system and don't make it easier for cars than for bikes, skateboards, or transit users.

Everything else is just commentary by car-obsessed fat kids who drive one block to buy a candy bar.
Will in Seattle on May 4, 2010 at 2:49 PM Report this
10
As @5 points out, Oregon has an interesting historical relationship to race (the exclusion law, etc.). So that probably contributes to the whiteness.

There are all kinds of interesting thoughts about why Oregon's overall childhood obesity rate is low (high rates of breast-feeding), but what changed to cause the rate to fall from 2003 to 2007? That's the interesting part, to me anyways....
Julie in Eugene on May 4, 2010 at 2:53 PM Report this
11
"t's because they have a decent transit system and don't make it easier for cars than for bikes, skateboards, or transit users."

You know that Portland is not the same as Oregon right?
on May 4, 2010 at 2:59 PM Report this
12
I hope you realize that when the Oregon Excusion Law was passed, Oregon included what is now Washington.
Fnarf on May 4, 2010 at 3:01 PM Report this
13
Still, it's not like Oregon is alone in exclusionary practices.

http://
sundown.
afro.
illinois.
edu/
sundowntowns.
php
on May 4, 2010 at 3:06 PM Report this
14
And don't forget all those "Oregon: it's a great place to visit, but don't move here" ads Gov. McCall narrated in the '60's. That probably kept a lot of (non-Caucasian) people away as well.
COMTE on May 4, 2010 at 3:11 PM Report this
15
I think they're feeding them good cycling communities.
Westlake, son! on May 4, 2010 at 3:13 PM Report this
16
This took me a bit by surprise. Not that I doubt it, but that it isn't my everyday reality. This is my reality, the children that I help with math, science and reading in my local elementary school. The smiles that capture my heart.

American Indian 1%
Asian or Pacific Islander 3%
Black 2%
Hispanic 77%
White 17%
Multiple Categories Selected 1%

They are why I was surprised.
kim in portland on May 4, 2010 at 3:42 PM Report this
17
no military bases
Max Solomon on May 4, 2010 at 3:43 PM Report this
18
@11, we know that Portland, which IS in Oregon, is not the same as Oregon, but it (plus its Metro area) makes up a majority of the states population. Still think the rest of us are stupid, fucknut? Why don't you register or at least understand context befor criticising other peoples comments.
Tingleyfeeln on May 4, 2010 at 3:44 PM Report this
19
@4 The top tier between Washington and Wisconsin is an interesting area. Montana, where I'm pretty sure everyone is too afraid to not be white, North and South Dakota, where no one seems to have enough imagination to be anything but white, and Minnesota. Outer MN is pretty much white bread, I'll give you that. But the Twin Cities has growing Somali and Hmong/Laotian communities.

The last official count put the cities at 68% caucasian, the state at 75% 'of western european descent' which I think is a polite way of saying white.
catballou on May 4, 2010 at 4:41 PM Report this
21
"More black people equals more murders"

that's so racist! Someday when we get enough black people here in Seattle we'll prove you wrong.
on May 4, 2010 at 5:38 PM Report this
22
Don't you white Seattle progressives ever get tired of being so naive?
on May 4, 2010 at 5:53 PM Report this
23
@19: "blonde". In the Cities, "blonde" was the euphemism for white.
Telsa Grills on May 4, 2010 at 6:11 PM Report this
24
Fnarf: 3 of the top 4 whitest states are in New England. The 4th is West Virginia. Washington and Oregon aren't even in the top 20.
on May 4, 2010 at 6:26 PM Report this
25
@21 LOL ! Funniest comment on Slog ever!
on May 4, 2010 at 6:56 PM Report this
26
Idaho is even whiter. 90% to 95%.
Greg on May 4, 2010 at 9:05 PM Report this
27
Washington is up at 84%

Get out of the cities sometime.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/…
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/…
Unregistered User on May 4, 2010 at 11:16 PM Report this
28
the older more brown members of my family have lived in OR, they tell us young'ns that it's white and to be careful.
internet_jen on May 5, 2010 at 4:21 AM Report this

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