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Answer to the question "what is white america on the west coast"?....I really can't answer that not being white myself...but I can speak from experience as being1 of 5 blacks growing up in a small rural town in southern oregon (and the only one who wasn't an adopted child) and then going to University of Oregon for a college education, moving to the East coast to further my education with a graduate degree, living in Europe for 5 years post graduate years and finally returning to Oregon to raise my children. I find "white" america in Oregon does not tolerate African Americans who show more passion in their speech and in their body language, those who dress in brighter colors are looked at differently, our hair is often referred to as brilo pads as we do not have the free flowing Herbal essence commercials sterotypes, etc....

If you notice just from the conversations on the radio as well as the blogs...who is in charge in the State of Oregon? Who called in the radio show? Go into any workplace and find 90% of the people are white. Its not about race your right, but tell that to the odd man out. We might not think about it everyday but its the elephant in the room and its always there. I love Oregon to death, I grew up here but the fact is when I go to the East Coast or Europe its like I can breath....people are people there. Here it's about whether your black or white and it weighs on our personal being. Yeah, there may be issues on the East too like the Massachutsetts thing but its not nearly as bad as the West.  So why don't I move if its such a problem? Why should I have too? We as americans are conforming to the hispanic language, why can't we conform to us being one nation not separate races?

Who is trying to change this? That is my question. Is the State of Oregon even keeping up with its Affirmative Action? Check out the state's attempts like their office of multicultural affairs or the commision of black affairs. Its a joke just like the NAACP in my personal belief. They only end up helping those priviledged African Americans.

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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There is a dichotomy between the african-americans of the west coast vs. the african-americans of the east coast. Whilst the progress of the professional african-american on the east coast thrives, it is very much surpressed on the west. People on the west coast want african-americans to conform to a "white" america on the west and are threathen by a strong african-american influence in the work place. Thus, if an african-american conforms to the "white" america they are accepted and will thrive on the west. But, if african-americans should retain there cultural identity they seem to encounter more issues on the west especially in Oregon.

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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I graduated Y2k and I am still in a world of debt. After interest a total of $120K and that's not even a Doctorate degree. I was lucky though because my first 5 years of undergraduate school was covered through an in-state grant that paid for full-tuition. My total debt out of undergraduate was approximately $20K. But then, I decided to continue on to a private school on the East Coast for my graduate education. Two years of graduate shcool put me back $80K. I initially thought I would continue to live on the East Coast and that I could definately pay off the debt in 10 years or so. But, that didn't happen. I moved back to the West Coast, Oregon, where my impressive graduate degree in Public Administration seems worth squat. My choices now, except the facts and try to get by in Oregon or move back to the chaos of "Politico World" and try to start all over. I opt to live in the serenity of the west. Now this debt I've incurred impacts every single decison in life. Because of the debt to income ratio. I can't buy a home or a car for that matter. I never took out credit cards nor spent money foolishy yet people who are careless and get into credit debt spending money on brand new BMW's can file bankruptcy and it all goes away. There lies the rub!

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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