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This is what amazes me about white America: 1: 14% of the population is black, 2: 90% of white America have never spoken to a black person let alone have a b

This is what amazes me about white America: 1: 14% of the population is black, 2: 90% of white America have never spoken to a black person let alone have a black friend. 3: So where do their stereotypes come from, rap?, news?, (with regards to height) NBA? 4: They don't like to talk about this and this will be flagged off HN. It amazes me with so little to no interaction with a group, white America can infer a black persons character and be so confident in doing so. EDIT: "In fact, PRRI's data show that a full 75 percent of whites have "entirely white social networks without any minority presence." The same holds true for slightly less than two-thirds of black Americans." Look at it another way 66% of black people say they do not have a white person in their social network. So roughly 34% of 14% of the population have a person in their social network from the white population. So how the hell can all these white people claim to have all these black friends? How can all these white people know so much about people they don't have meaningful interactions with?

Mc_Big_G 11y ago
>90% of white America have never spoken to a black person let alone have a black friend. Are you being serious? Citation needed.
hyperpape 11y ago
So, your overall question is a good one, but #2 is a howler. The reported statistic I've seen is that 40% of Americans say they don't have a close friend of a different race. But I'm confident that 99% of white Americans have spoken to a black person. Except for a few states like Vermont, most states and most cities have significant black populations. See, for instance: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-most-diverse-cities-are-often-the-most-segregated/ http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-most-diverse-cities-.... Even in spite of that segregation, people do talk to each other (they may not live on the same block, but they do eventually meet each other). Do you live in the US? If you don't, please do try to get basic facts about us right. Our country has a lot of problems, but you can't understand them without having a basic factual grasp of our demographics.
- nashequilibrium 11y ago
  "The reported statistic I've seen is that 40% of Americans say they don't have a close friend of a different race." Firstly that says of another race, could be arab,persian, Italian, asian, etc... Secondly, no way in hell 60% of america can have a friend from a pool of 14% of America. This is impossible looking at how race groups tend to cluster.
  - hyperpape 11y ago
    More evidence you're confused about the US. In the United States, white people don't consider Italians a different race. They're white. You're right about the precise claim of what I said. But people who've never talked to a black person are disproportionately likely to have not talked to an Asian, Arab, etc. States that have high proportions of non-Black racial minorities tend to have higher proportions of Blacks.
    - nashequilibrium 11y ago
      Bullshit, I've heard white ppl talk shit about Jersey Shore and use racial slurs against Italians. Secondly look at the Silicon Valley numbers for diversity, how many Asian vs Black? So your point no black interaction == no asian interaction is incorrect.
      - deleted 11y ago
        [deleted]
      - hyperpape 11y ago
        Regarding minority populations: it's not equivalent. But it is often the case. Think Texas, New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago. People talk shit or joke about the French, Italians, Germans too, but French and German people are considered white. Same with Poles and Italians. Those stats you gave did not consider people of Italian or German descent as non-White.
        11y ago
alex8022 11y ago
Source? I'm asking because I find it hard to believe (almost impossible) that 90% of white people have never spoken to a black person.
- nashequilibrium 11y ago
  How many white people do you know that have spoken to a black person, not the lady at Mcdonalds but an actual interaction?
  - hyperpape 11y ago
    Every single person I worked with in Rocky Mount had spoken with Black people and worked with Black people. They lived on the same streets and their kids went to the same schools. And many of those white people who interacted with Black people every day were stunningly racist (and I should say many weren't). Maybe they categorized "different types" of black people. But they could hold a civil conversation, then turn around and stereotype, or drop the n-word repeatedly. Your vision of what people have been exposed to is a cartoon.
    - nashequilibrium 11y ago
      "In fact, PRRI's data show that a full 75 percent of whites have "entirely white social networks without any minority presence." The same holds true for slightly less than two-thirds of black Americans." Now isolate the 14% black population from all minorities, take into account how minorities cluster and the 75% number is for black friendship is probably even higher than 90%
      - hyperpape 11y ago
        This is the number I've seen: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/08/us-usa-poll-race-idUSBRE97704320130808 http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/08/us-usa-poll-race-i....
      - nashequilibrium 11y ago
bluedino 11y ago
>> 90% of white America have never spoken to a black person let alone have a black friend. Where in the world did this statistic come from?
stickfigure 11y ago
Please source statistic #2. You have, seemingly without irony, just stereotyped "white america"... as someone that stereotypes "black america". You deserve to be voted down. But not for the reason you think you do.

Mc_Big_G 11y ago

>90% of white America have never spoken to a black person let alone have a black friend. Are you being serious? Citation needed.

hyperpape 11y ago

So, your overall question is a good one, but #2 is a howler. The reported statistic I've seen is that 40% of Americans say they don't have a close friend of a different race. But I'm confident that 99% of white Americans have spoken to a black person. Except for a few states like Vermont, most states and most cities have significant black populations. See, for instance: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-most-diverse-cities-are-often-the-most-segregated/ http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-most-diverse-cities-.... Even in spite of that segregation, people do talk to each other (they may not live on the same block, but they do eventually meet each other). Do you live in the US? If you don't, please do try to get basic facts about us right. Our country has a lot of problems, but you can't understand them without having a basic factual grasp of our demographics.

nashequilibrium 11y ago
"The reported statistic I've seen is that 40% of Americans say they don't have a close friend of a different race." Firstly that says of another race, could be arab,persian, Italian, asian, etc... Secondly, no way in hell 60% of america can have a friend from a pool of 14% of America. This is impossible looking at how race groups tend to cluster.
- hyperpape 11y ago
  More evidence you're confused about the US. In the United States, white people don't consider Italians a different race. They're white. You're right about the precise claim of what I said. But people who've never talked to a black person are disproportionately likely to have not talked to an Asian, Arab, etc. States that have high proportions of non-Black racial minorities tend to have higher proportions of Blacks.
  - nashequilibrium 11y ago
    Bullshit, I've heard white ppl talk shit about Jersey Shore and use racial slurs against Italians. Secondly look at the Silicon Valley numbers for diversity, how many Asian vs Black? So your point no black interaction == no asian interaction is incorrect.
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
    - hyperpape 11y ago
      Regarding minority populations: it's not equivalent. But it is often the case. Think Texas, New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago. People talk shit or joke about the French, Italians, Germans too, but French and German people are considered white. Same with Poles and Italians. Those stats you gave did not consider people of Italian or German descent as non-White.
      - 11y ago

alex8022 11y ago

Source? I'm asking because I find it hard to believe (almost impossible) that 90% of white people have never spoken to a black person.

nashequilibrium 11y ago
How many white people do you know that have spoken to a black person, not the lady at Mcdonalds but an actual interaction?
- hyperpape 11y ago
  Every single person I worked with in Rocky Mount had spoken with Black people and worked with Black people. They lived on the same streets and their kids went to the same schools. And many of those white people who interacted with Black people every day were stunningly racist (and I should say many weren't). Maybe they categorized "different types" of black people. But they could hold a civil conversation, then turn around and stereotype, or drop the n-word repeatedly. Your vision of what people have been exposed to is a cartoon.
  - nashequilibrium 11y ago
    "In fact, PRRI's data show that a full 75 percent of whites have "entirely white social networks without any minority presence." The same holds true for slightly less than two-thirds of black Americans." Now isolate the 14% black population from all minorities, take into account how minorities cluster and the 75% number is for black friendship is probably even higher than 90%
    - hyperpape 11y ago
      This is the number I've seen: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/08/us-usa-poll-race-idUSBRE97704320130808 http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/08/us-usa-poll-race-i....
    - nashequilibrium 11y ago

bluedino 11y ago

>> 90% of white America have never spoken to a black person let alone have a black friend. Where in the world did this statistic come from?

stickfigure 11y ago

Please source statistic #2. You have, seemingly without irony, just stereotyped "white america"... as someone that stereotypes "black america". You deserve to be voted down. But not for the reason you think you do.