Racism in Corvallis, Oregon.

[Kalam]

That's bizarre. I've been in the South for most of my life and have never lived in a community as racist as the one you describe. There are quite a few Indians where I live and I've never seen them treated as anything less than equals, which is ironic given that I live in what used to be a bastion of slavery and racial segregation. Two of my best friends are Indians (I'm caucasian), both of them have dated or are dating people of different races. If I were you, I'd consider moving to another city or state...

 

[uscitizen]

Maybe your breath? Some do not like Curry.
I know I do not.

I don't know but suspect the problem is as much yours as anyones.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

I am a grad student from India studying at OSU, Corvallis. I have never felt more lonely in my life than the time I spent in Corvallis. People here, at best, smile at me and move on. Even if I go to a bar, people never look at me as another human being and speak spontaneously the way they do with other fellow Americans. I tried to find a girl, to date, using Match.com, Eharmony, Yahoo, OKCupid etc. Let alone dating me, they didn't even respond to my emails. I tried for like 2 years and they'd just not speak to me. I am 6'3" tall and I am not fat/unattractive. The American people in my lab, who are predominantly Caucasian, never talk to non-white immigrants and they have their own group into which, they carefully manage to exclude others. They speak with me ONLY if they NEED something from me. Otherwise, they'd N_ever go personal with me.

I have been to SF, Sand Diego, LA, Bakersfield, San Jose, Austin,.......White people spoke to me as though they were blind to my skin color. They spoke to me the way my Indian peers in India would. The story is different in Oregon and especially in Corvallis. I asked white people in the psychological counseling department and I asked white people who work in shops that I usually go to: They just won't admit that people here are racists.

I wish to know from people who know about Corvallis, Oregon, as to why this is happening to me. Please do not advise me the way you'd to a Fresh Off the Boat Indian. I do N_ot smell bad. I have an accent but people here can easily understand me without having to ask me to repeat what I said. I dress well. I do not pick my nose. I can go on with this list but the point is that from my side, there is nothing that could possibly repel an American. I know this for a fact because I hired a dating consultant and payed him to tell me if I was repulsive and on the contrary, he said I have quite an attractive personality.

Please help me with your honest opinion. I have absolutely nobody else to ask for help.

Maybe they're just unfriendly in Oregon.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Please do trust me when I say these things on a discussion forum. Everything I have said is true. I have been shouted at and people still do that here. It is unfortunate that I have to live in this hell-hole for some more time. What does it take for people here to talk to me while I am in a coffee shop after me having smiled at them with a "how's it goin" routine? Why wouldn't they ask me about stuff that is going on in India or with my gradschool? Why has that never happened, let alone the discussion maturing into an invitation to their party on Saturday night?

Why am I being treated as an alien and not as a human being?

With all due respect, you sound a little insecure.

 

[Sunni Man]

Maybe it's your breath.

Indians do eat alot of curry

 

[AkronGuy]

I don't think it's a racism thing, I think it's a confidence, social skills and cultural thing.

It is not. I have spoken to a lot of them and has nothing to do with confidence. The conversation goes well but it ends with a "nice talking to you" with a smile. Whenever I tried to ask them to hang out with me, they'd come up with a reason to avoid me.

This is called "passive racism". Look at you. I am asking for help and you are playing the blame game! I am telling you that professors here in the ethnic studies department (including the Caucasian ones who happen to be non-Oregonians) admit to the fact that this place is filled with freakin racists. It is very passive though.

I just expect people to talk to me as though they are not aware of my color or cultural background etc. If a white man talks to another, then obviously there is no scope for one person to show any prejudice of any kind. Why can't a white man here talk to me the
way he would with his fellow white men? They don't. They avoid me with a smile and that is termed as "passive racism". This place is filled with such people.

By reading this thread, you can also figure out that quite a few are racists. All of you who have cared to be nice and who have helped me are the ones who are not racists. Most of you who are telling me "It's not them , it is you" are racists because this is exactly what people here do as well. They avoid me and when I say "why are you avoiding me", you say "we are not but dude, you have issues". Simple escapist attitude.

For all of you who have not been of help and who who have been mean to me on this thread, its a shame on you. This is supposed to be a discussion forum where people are supposed to help each other with issues regarding racism and stuff. Look at what you are doing. The prof in the ethinc studies department was so right. She said "if you ask for help, they'll tell you that have issues just because they are trying to hide the fact that they are racists". I have been asking for help and people come back saying I have issues. How frustrating is that? I have made such a good name with my peers at work place and with my friends back home and when I try to be friends with people here, nob_ody wants to get personal.

For all of you who have been nice and friendly and who have said things like "I have a lot of Indian friends and it is different here", thank you very much. I wish to relocate to one such place as soon as possible and get the hell out of this freak town. For all of you who have said that I have issues, I believe you have to do a bit of self introspection. It is you who has issues and not me.

It isn't racism if they don't wanna hang out with you. You kind of sound like a whiney dick. I can kind'ah see why they don't.

 

[AkronGuy]

That's bizarre. I've been in the South for most of my life and have never lived in a community as racist as the one you describe. There are quite a few Indians where I live and I've never seen them treated as anything less than equals, which is ironic given that I live in what used to be a bastion of slavery and racial segregation. Two of my best friends are Indians (I'm caucasian), both of them have dated or are dating people of different races. If I were you, I'd consider moving to another city or state...

Kalam, it'd be the same no matter where he'd move. He's just got one of those whiney bitch personalities. And lacking social skills. Look at it this way, he's complaining about how other people are recieveing him, yet he blames it upon other people, which is rarely the case.

 

[Kalam]

That's bizarre. I've been in the South for most of my life and have never lived in a community as racist as the one you describe. There are quite a few Indians where I live and I've never seen them treated as anything less than equals, which is ironic given that I live in what used to be a bastion of slavery and racial segregation. Two of my best friends are Indians (I'm caucasian), both of them have dated or are dating people of different races. If I were you, I'd consider moving to another city or state...

Kalam, it'd be the same no matter where he'd move. He's just got one of those whiney bitch personalities. And lacking social skills. Look at it this way, he's complaining about how other people are recieveing him, yet he blames it upon other people, which is rarely the case.

Nah, I can empathize with him. Fitting in can't be easy for a foreigner, especially in a place where there is no community of his compatriots to help him establish social connections. Also, I think posting anonymously on the internet allows you to speak more openly about your problems. Even if nobody really helps you out or you come across as whiney, talking without reservation can be cathartic.

To the OP, I highly recommend moving somewhere where one of your friends lives if the opportunity to do so presents itself.

 

[WhatsTheAnswer?]

That's bizarre. I've been in the South for most of my life and have never lived in a community as racist as the one you describe. There are quite a few Indians where I live and I've never seen them treated as anything less than equals, which is ironic given that I live in what used to be a bastion of slavery and racial segregation. Two of my best friends are Indians (I'm caucasian), both of them have dated or are dating people of different races. If I were you, I'd consider moving to another city or state...

Kalam, it'd be the same no matter where he'd move. He's just got one of those whiney bitch personalities. And lacking social skills. Look at it this way, he's complaining about how other people are recieveing him, yet he blames it upon other people, which is rarely the case.

Nah, I can empathize with him. Fitting in can't be easy for a foreigner, especially in a place where there is no community of his compatriots to help him establish social connections. Also, I think posting anonymously on the internet allows you to speak more openly about your problems. Even if nobody really helps you out or you come across as whiney, talking without reservation can be cathartic.

To the OP, I highly recommend moving somewhere where one of your friends lives if the opportunity to do so presents itself.

I really feel like I am speaking to a bunch of kids with pubic hair! I am being obnoxious here only because you people have been making irrelevant comments. Whiney bitch? Whiney dick? You must live in Corvallis for four years and then we'll talk..... and he thinks I lack social skills......

Anyway. I moved to CA last week and I have been hanging out with a bunch of blue blooded white people who were strangers to me. Met them at a bar which was a part of a meetup.com activity. Feels great. Thanks to my lack of social skills.....I already found people to hang out with!

For people who still wonder about what is going on with Corvallis, type "Corvallis Racism" on google and click on the first link which is a part of Eric Stroller's blog. In particular, he says

In speaking about Corvallis as a place that is not free of racism, I feel that I am merely posting what many in Corvallis already know. Corvallis is not bereft of racism and white racists.

 

[hjmick]

Congratulations, WTA.

Sounds as if your experiences in Corvallis have not jaded your opinion of the rest of this country. Good for you.

 

[AllieBaba]

No kidding.

Oregon is one of the most liberal states on the planet. Hence the racism.

PS...the fools who go to school here do not necessarily represent the opinions of the rest of the state. Those of us who have lived in the rural areas outside of Corvallis, Eugene and Portland have actually mingled with people of other colors and have learned they aren't scary.

 

[Godboy]

I am a grad student from India studying at OSU, Corvallis. I have never felt more lonely in my life than the time I spent in Corvallis. People here, at best, smile at me and move on. Even if I go to a bar, people never look at me as another human being and speak spontaneously the way they do with other fellow Americans. I tried to find a girl, to date, using Match.com, Eharmony, Yahoo, OKCupid etc. Let alone dating me, they didn't even respond to my emails. I tried for like 2 years and they'd just not speak to me. I am 6'3" tall and I am not fat/unattractive. The American people in my lab, who are predominantly Caucasian, never talk to non-white immigrants and they have their own group into which, they carefully manage to exclude others. They speak with me ONLY if they NEED something from me. Otherwise, they'd N_ever go personal with me.

I have been to SF, Sand Diego, LA, Bakersfield, San Jose, Austin,.......White people spoke to me as though they were blind to my skin color. They spoke to me the way my Indian peers in India would. The story is different in Oregon and especially in Corvallis. I asked white people in the psychological counseling department and I asked white people who work in shops that I usually go to: They just won't admit that people here are racists.

I wish to know from people who know about Corvallis, Oregon, as to why this is happening to me. Please do not advise me the way you'd to a Fresh Off the Boat Indian. I do N_ot smell bad. I have an accent but people here can easily understand me without having to ask me to repeat what I said. I dress well. I do not pick my nose. I can go on with this list but the point is that from my side, there is nothing that could possibly repel an American. I know this for a fact because I hired a dating consultant and payed him to tell me if I was repulsive and on the contrary, he said I have quite an attractive personality.

Please help me with your honest opinion. I have absolutely nobody else to ask for help.

Dont take it personally. I think people in general are attracted to whats familiar to them. This doesnt make people racist, it just means they go for what they are used to. Maybe you have an accent that causes the problem for one person, while maybe the tone of your skin isnt what another person favors.

Being attracted to a specific look or skin color doesnt mean someone is racist towards people outside that preference, its just what they are attracted to. Some guiys like big tits, some small. Some guys like big asses, some like them small. Some people like bigger noses and others vice versa. Some people like skinny girls, while others like heavier ones. Some like blondes, some like brunettes. I can go on and on, but the point is, everyone has their preference, and its usually what theyve grown up their whole lives seeing.

You are from India, so you have a look/accent/culture that people in Colorado arent used to, so its natural that you might find difficulties in finding a partner. Im certain that the blonde haired blue eyed guy that lives in India has similar problems himself.

 

[WhatsTheAnswer?]

This thread was not about Racism in USA. It may exist in a lot of places but I am pretty sure that it is not so in majority of the west coast cities. I am talking about the small minded mentality of white people in Corvallis. Many have exposure to other cultures but majority of them haven't had any. People living on the hills are mostly from California who have sorta retired and are living a great life in Corvallis. They live a solitary life and are very happy not to be disturbed. They do not form the majority though.

Corvallis is surrounded by small towns like Lebanon. Lebanon. Man. Can it get anymore racist than that. My friend who lived in that town for 17 years was telling me that she moved out of that town not being able to bear the small town mentality of the people there. It is very passive. They smile and are very nice to you. It won't go any further than that. It is not because they do not understand my accent or anything. It is known. They are just racist deep inside.

Some of my best friends are whites. They are all from bigger cities who got "struck" in that shit-hole with me because they had a job there. My relatives have had a very good relationship with a lot of white people. My uncle was married to one. My distant aunt (cousin by age) knows Hillary Clinton personally and Hillary visits her often for dinner. I can keep going but the bottomline is that I am very grateful to the white community because unlike the hardcore racist European countries like Germany, people Inthe US have been welcomming and have given me the chance to be a part of their community.

Corvallis is far from a typical American city. It is highly racist. It's not just about cultural seggregation or lack of exposure to other cultures though they are also important factors. People are very racist. I have lived long enough there and have KNOWN white people who made me realize that fact. It is sad. But very true.

 

[hjmick]

The fact of the matter is this: Many small communities can be quite insular and not very accepting of outsiders, especially those who come from another country. Particularly an exotic country such as those found in Asia.

 

[Godboy]

This thread was not about Racism in USA. It may exist in a lot of places but I am pretty sure that it is not so in majority of the west coast cities. I am talking about the small minded mentality of white people in Corvallis. Many have exposure to other cultures but majority of them haven't had any. People living on the hills are mostly from California who have sorta retired and are living a great life in Corvallis. They live a solitary life and are very happy not to be disturbed. They do not form the majority though.

Corvallis is surrounded by small towns like Lebanon. Lebanon. Man. Can it get anymore racist than that. My friend who lived in that town for 17 years was telling me that she moved out of that town not being able to bear the small town mentality of the people there. It is very passive. They smile and are very nice to you. It won't go any further than that. It is not because they do not understand my accent or anything. It is known. They are just racist deep inside.

Some of my best friends are whites. They are all from bigger cities who got "struck" in that shit-hole with me because they had a job there. My relatives have had a very good relationship with a lot of white people. My uncle was married to one. My distant aunt (cousin by age) knows Hillary Clinton personally and Hillary visits her often for dinner. I can keep going but the bottomline is that I am very grateful to the white community because unlike the hardcore racist European countries like Germany, people Inthe US have been welcomming and have given me the chance to be a part of their community.

Corvallis is far from a typical American city. It is highly racist. It's not just about cultural seggregation or lack of exposure to other cultures though they are also important factors. People are very racist. I have lived long enough there and have KNOWN white people who made me realize that fact. It is sad. But very true.

You just have to learn to live with being different and all that comes with it. White guys in India deal with it, so i know Indian guys in the US can too.

 

[WhatsTheAnswer?]

After a long period of time, I am posting a new message here to inform you guys about my status. I have graduated now and I am in the Bay Area. I am going out with a blond white girl who lives in SF. California is indeed very liberal. Yes. Racism exists here as well but it is far less when compared to the way it is in Corvallis. Corvallis is a shithole. I can say that with confidence now. Racism is very hidden there and you can figure that out by just observing the people and their behavior. It is sad that I had to spend such a long time in that shithole.

I would definitely not encourage ANY Indian to immigrate to this part of US. Please don't go there. You will have such a culture shock that it will take forever to recover. California and New York/New Jersey are the only states where you wanna go. Please DO NOT GO ANYWHERE ELSE. US is still HIGHLY racist and you are bound to have a bad time.

 

[Sky Dancer]

I am a grad student from India studying at OSU, Corvallis. I have never felt more lonely in my life than the time I spent in Corvallis. People here, at best, smile at me and move on. Even if I go to a bar, people never look at me as another human being and speak spontaneously the way they do with other fellow Americans. I tried to find a girl, to date, using Match.com, Eharmony, Yahoo, OKCupid etc. Let alone dating me, they didn't even respond to my emails. I tried for like 2 years and they'd just not speak to me. I am 6'3" tall and I am not fat/unattractive. The American people in my lab, who are predominantly Caucasian, never talk to non-white immigrants and they have their own group into which, they carefully manage to exclude others. They speak with me ONLY if they NEED something from me. Otherwise, they'd N_ever go personal with me.

I have been to SF, Sand Diego, LA, Bakersfield, San Jose, Austin,.......White people spoke to me as though they were blind to my skin color. They spoke to me the way my Indian peers in India would. The story is different in Oregon and especially in Corvallis. I asked white people in the psychological counseling department and I asked white people who work in shops that I usually go to: They just won't admit that people here are racists.

I wish to know from people who know about Corvallis, Oregon, as to why this is happening to me. Please do not advise me the way you'd to a Fresh Off the Boat Indian. I do N_ot smell bad. I have an accent but people here can easily understand me without having to ask me to repeat what I said. I dress well. I do not pick my nose. I can go on with this list but the point is that from my side, there is nothing that could possibly repel an American. I know this for a fact because I hired a dating consultant and payed him to tell me if I was repulsive and on the contrary, he said I have quite an attractive personality.

Please help me with your honest opinion. I have absolutely nobody else to ask for help.

I've lived in Corvallis. I know exactly what you're talking about. If it's any help at all, I'm white and I felt the same alienation in Corvallis that you do. Corvallis is very provincial. I remember coming out of a theater with my partner and the two looking at each and saying "what the hell are we doing here?"

 

[WhatsTheAnswer?]

I have heard that from other white people too. I have heard from this white girl from california that she found it very hard to socialize because Oregonians tend to stick with their own group. Interesting. Whether it is racism or social segregation, one thing is for sure. It is a freak town. Big time. It is best to avoid living there.

 

[Tank]

Why do people of color cry for acceptance of whites?

 

[WhatsTheAnswer?]

it is a country of white people. Simple!