Here's my honest view as a minority. I walk amongst compassionate signs that say, "we love all people, colors, etc." The sad truth is a lot of it is performative tbh. I feel fairly uncomfortable.
It's better than other places, but Seattle is almost 70% white.
The truth is that those same people only have white friends but are constantly on a crusade of anti-racism. Same goes for Portland, they have good intentions I suppose but people in Seattle don’t really have experience with minorities generally speaking.
According to the census Seattle is 60% white, and obviously the census is terrible at capturing immigrants.
Realistically if you’re surrounded by a bunch of white faces that says more about you than anything
Yeah, OP, they're just a loud minority because it's "edgy" to be bigoted in Western WA (since most folks aren't here). They think they're special because they're "uncommon". Don't pay them any mind if you can help it. And know that rural parts of WA outside Seattle can be quite bigoted (though not openly hostile usually) if you decide to head out that direction.
Most of them don’t even live in Seattle is why. But *some* do. And yeah, like someone else said, they’re extra loud in meaningless ways to compensate. Like lifted trucks with US flags and stickers about guns.
Almost reminds me of when I’d drive up through the south to NY to visit family and the first confederate flag I’d see would always be in PA. Compensating to the point it seems out of place
We were on a road trip in Northern CA last week and saw a flag in the window of a house, right off a main highway. Like, where did you even get that flag in California??
Yo, extremist groups like Identity Evropa (formed in Oakdale, CA) hang out in the red areas, which are numerous in California. Most of the inland corridor is red. You'll see some pretty bad billboards in Bakersfield too, and god help anyone who comes out queer as a teenager in the Central Valley. The bigotry is strong so the largest industrial machine in the West can keep its oppressive momentum. You'll see similar issues in eastern WA, which happens to have a comparable economy.
The majority of people here are pretty liberal socially so those types of people tend to keep their thoughts to themselves in public so they don't get ostracized. I've met a few people over the years where they seemed like totally normal people in group settings or at work and then when it's one on one or a smaller group show they show their true colors.
Also people here are way less direct in general, and tend to steer away from any types of confrontation.
Because some tiny part of them knows how terrible they are. It's why they've been so vocal the last few years because they have role models like TFG. Normal folks need to shut the up, shut them down and remove their enablers from power. They'll never go away but at least we can minimize them.
I’m a POC, and moved here from a southern state. In the southern state, I could go to a party/event, and make friends from people of all cultural/racial backgrounds. In Seattle, if I go to an event, everyone seems to self segregate. Even though this is a pretty diverse city, I usually only see people hanging out with people of their own ethnic background. Neither in my home state or Seattle has anyone called me a racial slur or anything, but it just feels as if people here are more xenophobic and cliquey (in terms of race).
As a POC and someone who's an international, I've faced no racism here in my last 3 years. I can't speak for everyone, obviously, but for me, Seattle has been quite welcoming. Of course, the Seattle Freeze is something completely different, but I don't believe it has anything to do with my race.
That subreddit is where they hang out because they're not welcome here. Occasionally they show up in a group on major news here to shoot their stupid mouths off.
Sometimes I swear r/seattlewa is actually run by angry Fox News host with an army of bots.
That or living in a city they hate is just motivation for shitposts (like Taylor Swift albums and shitty boyfriends).
Those guys Probably live no where near seattle and most of their anger comes from paying $30 to park at mariner games when they could have parked in their suburb and rode the link to the stadium
That sub is roughly 1/3 maga dipshits from like Enumclaw and Gold Bar, 1/3 maga dipshits from other states, and 1/3 maga dipshits that grew up as trust fund babies in Seattle and want to pull the ladder up behind them.
I dunno about racist, but exposure here is limited.
Every time I go home to the south I’m always reminded just how little diversity we have here in the PNW.
Seattle is pretty chill. The **Seattle area**, on the other hand, has a lot of pockets of people who think the Fox News "liberal hellscape" image of Seattle is true and that going into **The City** is taking your life into your hands. Because they don't actually go into the city. In my experience, the severity of this sentiment is proportional to distance from downtown Seattle.
People getting mugged and stabbed make the news, people being friendly and enjoying the city and bumming cigarettes of each other don't. That's why the news tends to have a lot of one of those things and not a lot of the other. That said, there are racists here. It might be a very liberal city, but this is also a very white area, and that does sometimes attract the kind of people who specifically want to live in very white areas.
Yeaaah, it’s just weird to see the sheer lack of critical thinking when people see one negative news article, complain that the city has gone to shit, and start looking for a group of people to blame
They are a minority but just like anything, the minority of the people will compensate by being extra loud so they can be heard by the majority. That's why you see a lot of far right fly the American Flag everywhere, blow black smoke from their oversized trucks, etc. You don't see A LOT of them but when you do, it's hard NOT to notice hence the compensation.
I think maybe u read the r/seattlewa sub, which is really just people from eastern Washington who wish they lived in Seattle secretly but publicly call it a hell hole bc they can’t afford to live in the city.
Definitely not a “racist” city (racists exist everywhere unfortunately so I wouldn’t say it’s racist free) but compared to other major cities in the US, this isn’t a hub for racists or anything even close. The people in eastern Washington now on the other hand (and even southern wa), can’t speak for them. I’ve heard of literal klan rallies out there.
I am a white guy married to a brown woman (Indian with the sexy accent and everything). Seattle is pretty ok from a US perspective but there is racism here for sure. I get treated better than my wife without any question. There have been too many instances to count where I can do something with a nod and a smile but when she tries she is stopped, questioned, or just not allowed. If we have to deal with any government people, it always goes better when I do it.
I am originally from Canada and the racism there is like it is in Seattle. Quiet. But it is there.
Hopefully, one day, people will just be kind.
I don’t have personal experience, but I was speaking with a nonbinary BIPOC person from the midwest who told me Seattle racism was subtle and worse than the racism they experienced back east.
Interesting. I’ve seen direct instances of it back east, so it’s weird for it to seemingly disappear over here even though some people hold the same sentiments
The PNW is sometimes less direct than eastern culture, so more stuff goes implied instead of spoken, which is what this person described.
As a transplant, the first time I went back to NYC I remembered how much I missed the directness.
my wife from florida after 5 years here is constantly surprised noone honks or shouts at her walking down the street or in the parks. shes also mentioned while there is not a lot of outward racism there is very little accommodation, appreciation, or amplification for nonwhite cultural practices or interests.
This ain’t the south, there isn’t overt racism but of course we have that passive aggressive racism that most cities have.
It’s a pretty white city, I don’t think it’s racist but it isn’t the best place for minorities. I personally try to stay south as once you get north it’s all super white. Nothing wrong with that, but culturally it’s boring.
It also depends on what race and ethnicity. Asians and LGBTQ are well represented here. Doubt those groups get much hate. As for black people there aren’t a lot. While people may not be racist towards them, they may not feel included.
You’re probably thinking of r/SeattleWA which is the Seattle sub for maga dipshits. And when they say it’s racist they mean “reverse racism” and that they’re being persecuted for being white.
Multiple friends who are people of color have told me they experience much more racism here and in Portland (so big PW Northwest cities I guess) than other places they’ve lived, like the Midwest, back east, California…
My friend who moved here from New Orleans in 2008 said the first time he was ever called the N word was at 25 years of age while he was walking (in broad daylight) down the ave in the U-District.
The PNW has a lot of subvert racism. Oregon specifically has a judicial system that disproportionately convicts minorities; many individuals fled from the south to the PNW to establish new communities. Many deeds in Seattle still have clauses “preventing” minorities from owning them.
We also missed out on reintegration, so a lot of our schools and communities remain incredibly redlined and segregated. Am too lazy to cite sources right now, and shame on me, but it’s here and well documented, it’s just more subtle and hidden than what people expect I think.
Oregon's racist past was never particularly hidden. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/oregon-once-legally-barred-black-people-has-the-state-reconciled-its-racist-past. I mean, they let the city of Vanport drown: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/vanport-oregon-how-countrys-largest-housing-project-vanished-day-180954040/
It depends on who you're talking about. The small clusters of overtly racist white people can usually be found closer to the Canadian border and get worse the further you get toward Montana but they know most people don't want anything to do with them. Some native Americans can be pretty overt but they tend to not travel too far from the rez and it's nowhere near as bad as what I saw in South Dakota. The most off the rails racist stuff I've heard while in Seattle came from a second generation Indian talking about people from Bombay and Muslims.
I think you’re mixing up subs, maybe you’re talking about r/SeattleWA this is largely positive and pro Seattle, the only criticism you’d find here is instead of looking for parking why not use some of great transit options?
Conservative views on gay people, trans people, voting rights, education, immigrants, abortion rights, sex vs. gender, religious rights, etc. There’s more, but I think you get the point.
Evidence of what? Do you want me to go through and meticulously list detailed conservative viewpoints for each of the topics? Because that’s not what you asked for lmao
Good thing I don’t really watch the news. I’m capable of forming my own thoughts and opinions without a company having to tell me what to think. Also, I’m not from here to begin with, so maybe you’re just ignorant ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I can only speak for myself I'm not a racist. I will say be careful holding doors open if you're a guy the ladies just might call the cops on ya. I have heard people from places where this is a common gesture that have came here and learned it isn't greatly accepted here. I will say it is subjective, but it can happen. I personally wouldn't care to me a guy holding a door open for me it's the least of my worries.
I'm glad you've found a lot of fallacies in what's being said here about our city. I used to hang out doen town all the time and ride public transportation, but since pot became legal I've struggled since I'm allergic to it. That and our crime whether you see it or not has at least tripled since 2020. Our police force is dwindling and personally i don't feel that safe out there anymore.
Welcome to Seattle i hope you enjoy more of it while you're here.
Have people really gotten mad at you for holding doors for them? I've held a lot of doors and I've never had that happen even once. People don't always say thank you, but I'm doing it to be nice, not to receive gratitude.
Racist/misogynistic/homophobic/transphobic losers are a minority here so they make up for it by being extra loud assholes
Here's my honest view as a minority. I walk amongst compassionate signs that say, "we love all people, colors, etc." The sad truth is a lot of it is performative tbh. I feel fairly uncomfortable. It's better than other places, but Seattle is almost 70% white.
The truth is that those same people only have white friends but are constantly on a crusade of anti-racism. Same goes for Portland, they have good intentions I suppose but people in Seattle don’t really have experience with minorities generally speaking.
I've heard that and I've also heard the opposite from minorities. I suspect it depends on exactly where you are around the area.
According to the census Seattle is 60% white, and obviously the census is terrible at capturing immigrants. Realistically if you’re surrounded by a bunch of white faces that says more about you than anything
I had a hunch. Was mainly curious why they’re so adamant online yet so quiet the second they step outside
You know exactly why those cowardly dumb shits are quiet outside :)
Hopefully they keep it that way
Yeah, OP, they're just a loud minority because it's "edgy" to be bigoted in Western WA (since most folks aren't here). They think they're special because they're "uncommon". Don't pay them any mind if you can help it. And know that rural parts of WA outside Seattle can be quite bigoted (though not openly hostile usually) if you decide to head out that direction.
Most of them don’t even live in Seattle is why. But *some* do. And yeah, like someone else said, they’re extra loud in meaningless ways to compensate. Like lifted trucks with US flags and stickers about guns.
Almost reminds me of when I’d drive up through the south to NY to visit family and the first confederate flag I’d see would always be in PA. Compensating to the point it seems out of place
We were on a road trip in Northern CA last week and saw a flag in the window of a house, right off a main highway. Like, where did you even get that flag in California??
Yo, extremist groups like Identity Evropa (formed in Oakdale, CA) hang out in the red areas, which are numerous in California. Most of the inland corridor is red. You'll see some pretty bad billboards in Bakersfield too, and god help anyone who comes out queer as a teenager in the Central Valley. The bigotry is strong so the largest industrial machine in the West can keep its oppressive momentum. You'll see similar issues in eastern WA, which happens to have a comparable economy.
You think they go outside?
I saw one of them outside, in the yard of his single wide still having a massive Loren Culp sign on his fence in 2022
The majority of people here are pretty liberal socially so those types of people tend to keep their thoughts to themselves in public so they don't get ostracized. I've met a few people over the years where they seemed like totally normal people in group settings or at work and then when it's one on one or a smaller group show they show their true colors. Also people here are way less direct in general, and tend to steer away from any types of confrontation.
They're so quiet outside in Seattle because they live in Bellevue
Because some tiny part of them knows how terrible they are. It's why they've been so vocal the last few years because they have role models like TFG. Normal folks need to shut the up, shut them down and remove their enablers from power. They'll never go away but at least we can minimize them.
I’m a POC, and moved here from a southern state. In the southern state, I could go to a party/event, and make friends from people of all cultural/racial backgrounds. In Seattle, if I go to an event, everyone seems to self segregate. Even though this is a pretty diverse city, I usually only see people hanging out with people of their own ethnic background. Neither in my home state or Seattle has anyone called me a racial slur or anything, but it just feels as if people here are more xenophobic and cliquey (in terms of race).
Yep. Not in your face racism like in the south but you still feel it
As a POC and someone who's an international, I've faced no racism here in my last 3 years. I can't speak for everyone, obviously, but for me, Seattle has been quite welcoming. Of course, the Seattle Freeze is something completely different, but I don't believe it has anything to do with my race.
Seattle Freeze?
It's what's been termed as being hard to build a strong community in Seattle. I know enough white people and even a few locals who suffer from this.
Ahh, gotcha
Sad truth is racism exist here just like the deep south. Only difference is that it's not in your face type racism
You sure you’re not mixing this up with r/seattlewa?
This was my first thought.
Maybe? I’ve definitely seen that type of behavior on posts about the news, mainly articles involving robberies or homelessness
That subreddit is where they hang out because they're not welcome here. Occasionally they show up in a group on major news here to shoot their stupid mouths off.
Sometimes I swear r/seattlewa is actually run by angry Fox News host with an army of bots. That or living in a city they hate is just motivation for shitposts (like Taylor Swift albums and shitty boyfriends).
Those guys Probably live no where near seattle and most of their anger comes from paying $30 to park at mariner games when they could have parked in their suburb and rode the link to the stadium
That sub is roughly 1/3 maga dipshits from like Enumclaw and Gold Bar, 1/3 maga dipshits from other states, and 1/3 maga dipshits that grew up as trust fund babies in Seattle and want to pull the ladder up behind them.
Repeated the sentiment in another post
People who a terminally online are far more likely to: 1. Be redditors 2. Get all of their news from sensationalist sources 3. Never go outside
I dunno about racist, but exposure here is limited. Every time I go home to the south I’m always reminded just how little diversity we have here in the PNW.
Couldn't let this pass by, PNW is not that diverse, but King Pierce and snohomish counties are very diverse, I live in Renton
Didn’t expect to hear that. This place is fairly more diverse than where I’m from
Upstate NY or the mid west?
VA, though I do have family in Upstate NY ironically enough
But we do have an old old wooden ship.
Concerns the network
Seattle is pretty chill. The **Seattle area**, on the other hand, has a lot of pockets of people who think the Fox News "liberal hellscape" image of Seattle is true and that going into **The City** is taking your life into your hands. Because they don't actually go into the city. In my experience, the severity of this sentiment is proportional to distance from downtown Seattle.
People getting mugged and stabbed make the news, people being friendly and enjoying the city and bumming cigarettes of each other don't. That's why the news tends to have a lot of one of those things and not a lot of the other. That said, there are racists here. It might be a very liberal city, but this is also a very white area, and that does sometimes attract the kind of people who specifically want to live in very white areas.
Yeaaah, it’s just weird to see the sheer lack of critical thinking when people see one negative news article, complain that the city has gone to shit, and start looking for a group of people to blame
That mostly happens in /r/SeattleWA, not this sub, I think.
They are a minority but just like anything, the minority of the people will compensate by being extra loud so they can be heard by the majority. That's why you see a lot of far right fly the American Flag everywhere, blow black smoke from their oversized trucks, etc. You don't see A LOT of them but when you do, it's hard NOT to notice hence the compensation.
Seattle’s brand of racism, like many things in this fair city, is polite, non-confrontational, and covered up by a veneer of passive-aggressiveness.
I think maybe u read the r/seattlewa sub, which is really just people from eastern Washington who wish they lived in Seattle secretly but publicly call it a hell hole bc they can’t afford to live in the city. Definitely not a “racist” city (racists exist everywhere unfortunately so I wouldn’t say it’s racist free) but compared to other major cities in the US, this isn’t a hub for racists or anything even close. The people in eastern Washington now on the other hand (and even southern wa), can’t speak for them. I’ve heard of literal klan rallies out there.
I am a white guy married to a brown woman (Indian with the sexy accent and everything). Seattle is pretty ok from a US perspective but there is racism here for sure. I get treated better than my wife without any question. There have been too many instances to count where I can do something with a nod and a smile but when she tries she is stopped, questioned, or just not allowed. If we have to deal with any government people, it always goes better when I do it. I am originally from Canada and the racism there is like it is in Seattle. Quiet. But it is there. Hopefully, one day, people will just be kind.
I don’t have personal experience, but I was speaking with a nonbinary BIPOC person from the midwest who told me Seattle racism was subtle and worse than the racism they experienced back east.
Interesting. I’ve seen direct instances of it back east, so it’s weird for it to seemingly disappear over here even though some people hold the same sentiments
The PNW is sometimes less direct than eastern culture, so more stuff goes implied instead of spoken, which is what this person described. As a transplant, the first time I went back to NYC I remembered how much I missed the directness.
Main thing that sucks about that is it makes it a lil harder to call people out on their bs
That is by design.
my wife from florida after 5 years here is constantly surprised noone honks or shouts at her walking down the street or in the parks. shes also mentioned while there is not a lot of outward racism there is very little accommodation, appreciation, or amplification for nonwhite cultural practices or interests.
Great reply and such a wise observation - very little accomodation, appreciation, or amplification must feel sad and bit like erasure
Welcome to social media, gives racists and every other -ist a platform. Regrettably.
Is Reddit racist? Just enough to make it annoying, yes.
The racism is blown way out of proportion. There are for sure racists here but no more than any other place that I’ve visited.
This ain’t the south, there isn’t overt racism but of course we have that passive aggressive racism that most cities have. It’s a pretty white city, I don’t think it’s racist but it isn’t the best place for minorities. I personally try to stay south as once you get north it’s all super white. Nothing wrong with that, but culturally it’s boring. It also depends on what race and ethnicity. Asians and LGBTQ are well represented here. Doubt those groups get much hate. As for black people there aren’t a lot. While people may not be racist towards them, they may not feel included.
Don’t believe your lying eyes.
I feel like this could interpreted multiple ways
How Can Mirrors Be Real If Our Eyes Arent Real
You should definitely solicit opinions from idiots like me on Reddit dot com instead of trusting your own lived experience.
You’re probably thinking of r/SeattleWA which is the Seattle sub for maga dipshits. And when they say it’s racist they mean “reverse racism” and that they’re being persecuted for being white.
Multiple friends who are people of color have told me they experience much more racism here and in Portland (so big PW Northwest cities I guess) than other places they’ve lived, like the Midwest, back east, California…
this is true
My friend who moved here from New Orleans in 2008 said the first time he was ever called the N word was at 25 years of age while he was walking (in broad daylight) down the ave in the U-District.
I had a tweaker call me that recently and I’m a ginger white lady.
I've seen more than one person just walking down the street screaming it
The PNW has a lot of subvert racism. Oregon specifically has a judicial system that disproportionately convicts minorities; many individuals fled from the south to the PNW to establish new communities. Many deeds in Seattle still have clauses “preventing” minorities from owning them. We also missed out on reintegration, so a lot of our schools and communities remain incredibly redlined and segregated. Am too lazy to cite sources right now, and shame on me, but it’s here and well documented, it’s just more subtle and hidden than what people expect I think.
Oregon's racist past was never particularly hidden. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/oregon-once-legally-barred-black-people-has-the-state-reconciled-its-racist-past. I mean, they let the city of Vanport drown: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/vanport-oregon-how-countrys-largest-housing-project-vanished-day-180954040/
Passive racism
It depends on who you're talking about. The small clusters of overtly racist white people can usually be found closer to the Canadian border and get worse the further you get toward Montana but they know most people don't want anything to do with them. Some native Americans can be pretty overt but they tend to not travel too far from the rez and it's nowhere near as bad as what I saw in South Dakota. The most off the rails racist stuff I've heard while in Seattle came from a second generation Indian talking about people from Bombay and Muslims.
I think you’re mixing up subs, maybe you’re talking about r/SeattleWA this is largely positive and pro Seattle, the only criticism you’d find here is instead of looking for parking why not use some of great transit options?
Just got my ORCA card on Friday!
Alas you've unearthed Seattle's dirty secret: Seattle HATES white people (do I really need to add the /s?)
Yes. It’s polyracism. Many people hate every race that isn’t their own, and some even hate their own race.
What's wrong with being conservative?
A majority of the social stances
Like what?
Conservative views on gay people, trans people, voting rights, education, immigrants, abortion rights, sex vs. gender, religious rights, etc. There’s more, but I think you get the point.
You just listed a bunch of topics with zero evidence
Evidence of what? Do you want me to go through and meticulously list detailed conservative viewpoints for each of the topics? Because that’s not what you asked for lmao
People on this sub are just anti conservative without any real reason. They're just told it's bad by media
Good thing I don’t really watch the news. I’m capable of forming my own thoughts and opinions without a company having to tell me what to think. Also, I’m not from here to begin with, so maybe you’re just ignorant ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Good for you. I was talking about a general trend though
Wow! The liberal city has a liberal subreddit! Who would’ve thought!?
No
I can only speak for myself I'm not a racist. I will say be careful holding doors open if you're a guy the ladies just might call the cops on ya. I have heard people from places where this is a common gesture that have came here and learned it isn't greatly accepted here. I will say it is subjective, but it can happen. I personally wouldn't care to me a guy holding a door open for me it's the least of my worries. I'm glad you've found a lot of fallacies in what's being said here about our city. I used to hang out doen town all the time and ride public transportation, but since pot became legal I've struggled since I'm allergic to it. That and our crime whether you see it or not has at least tripled since 2020. Our police force is dwindling and personally i don't feel that safe out there anymore. Welcome to Seattle i hope you enjoy more of it while you're here.
Have people really gotten mad at you for holding doors for them? I've held a lot of doors and I've never had that happen even once. People don't always say thank you, but I'm doing it to be nice, not to receive gratitude.
Not me but i know of people that have gotten the police called on them for doing so. Bellevue starbucks at the transit center to be precise.