Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: What is diversity really?

[Susan Hedgpeth (hedgpeth]

I agree with what Liz says below.  I'd like to add this:  I don't 
think the situation will change until we white folks have strong 
relationships in our personal lives (i.e., not just when we are 
forming a cohousing community) with people of color.   And it takes 
some effort to make those friendships, considering how much racism 
and division still exists in this country.   I think many people of 
color have to fight through a lot of old bad experiences with white 
people and white society to trust an individual white person who 
wants to be their friend.  It's heroic and hopeful when it happens.


At 07:24 PM 9/11/2008, you wrote:

> > I find that queer communities often create a strong support system
> > in the midst of a majority culture. Perhaps this leads to less
> > diversity in co-housing? Perhaps people of color are less likely to
> > seek co-housing community for these
> >  reasons?
>
> In my efforts to find out more about diversity in cohousing this is
> the most common reason given for the largely absent racial diversity.
>
> And there may be some truth to it. However, I'm uncomfortable as a
> white person pronouncing a guess as to why "they" don't join "us". I
> do believe we've created a society where white people and people of
> color don't often travel in the same circles, so creating a racially
> diverse community requires more than a group of whites saying "you
> are all welcome". It requires reaching out into places we don't often
> hang out.
>
> One data point I DO have is that the friends I have that are people
> of color are actually just like me in the striving to find community.
> The stereotype that all people of color have a strong support system
> among other people of color is just that... a stereotype. It may
> indeed be true for more people of color than for whites, but for each
> individual person it may not be true.
> And the stereotype then becomes a barrier for us... keeping us from
> inviting the people of color we know to join us, because we assume
> that they already have community.
>
> So I guess I'd say, I don't know. Perhaps we should ask more people.
> -Liz
> (The Rev.) Elizabeth M. Magill
> Mosaic Commons
> A few more homes available!
> Join us!
> www.sawyerhill.org
>
>
>
> On Sep 5, 2008, at 1:00 PM, naomi meyer wrote:
>
> >
> > As potential cohousers our multi-racial family considers ethnic
> > diversity a priority as we seek out a community. While visiting &
> > researching communities we've been pondering some theories as to
> > why there is not as much diversity in cohousing.
> >
> > The general aim of cohousing is to create community.  I think
> > minorities in a majority culture , specifically people of color,
> > do a better job of creating and maintaining community out of
> > necessity. In my experience it's not uncommon to have multi
> > generational families or even extended family (cousins, kinship,
> > etc) as a part of a person of color's close family community. I
> > think it is a strong cultural aspect of minority communities. In my
> > personal experience as a member of a minority group as a queer
> > person, I find that queer communities often create a strong support
> > system in the midst of a majority culture. Perhaps this leads to
> > less diversity in co-housing? Perhaps people of color are less
> > likely to seek co-housing community for these
> >  reasons?
> >
> > What do you think?
> >
> > Naomi
> > (Still narrowing down our cohousing community choices)
> >
> >
> >
> >
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>
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