I never knew that the locals in the midwest could be so anti-social towards minority people. I don't know if each midwestern states differ in terms of hospitality. But I'm a current grad student at Indiana Univ., and the white students are not only the majority of my class, but a good handful of them don't even socialize with minorities, and many don't even say hi to me. Indiana is supposingly supposed to be a "hospitable" place in the midwest. My foot.

During lunchtime, the white students just sit with each other at tables and chat. When I sit with them, some of them say hi, but the others just carry on with their conversation. When i ask some of them a question, such as how was their day, or how was the exam we took yesterday, they would not answer me.

So I usually hang out only with the small pinch-full of Asian students in my program, along with a few white students who don't mind interacting with minority students.

Heck, even this black Jamaican foreign student seems to get left out of the group he's working with. We have lab sessions where the instructor, or somebody, grouped students randomly together.
Whenever we work on a project, it seems that the white students do most of the work, and us minority students just have to stand on the side.

So I got upset, and sent all my group members email about how horrible their attitudes are, and how they shouldn't discriminate against me. I warned them that I will go to the dean if this behavior continues. The other Asian buddies of mine, and that Jamaican student, don't really care much about being "on the sideline." But for me, I just can't stand the anti-social behavior white midwestern people have towards us Asians and other minorities. Just my rant of the day.

fob
i go to northern illinois university
it's just white people acting white black peopel acting black and if you're an asian that acts white you'll fit in with white people etc

Some college students are pretty snobby toward anyone different. Actually people (in general) are snobby to strange people.



Life's tough. Racism is a worldwide problem. A problem in America and in South Korea.



If things are tough now imagine what they were like before the 1960's.

keke, Indiana is probably the most racist state in the midwest. The people in Minnesota and Dakotas are great, Wisconsim is ok if you aren't black or a fob. The fob part probably applies to the Dakotas as well. The sad thing is that if you're black,and don't act oreo white, or a fob you're generally screwed anywhere you go.

did you know indiana has 2 million ku klux klan members in 1915?


yea, indiana is pretty hick.



anyways michigan is alot better place to live, aside from our horrible economy.

act like a redneck and you'll be good to go

Maybe they do not know you

This could be an irritating experience for anyone. Do not be afraid to be assertive. That's the only way you can voice your opinion.

I would express my concerns to the authorities there. Also I wonder if your school has any groups for minorities on campus. Like a legit group sponsored by the school.

i've seen a couple of the original posters post, you just lack social skills.

duh

Maybe you're pulling the race card too much... your jamaican friend and you probably do not look very presentable and thus people don't care to socialize with you two. If you don't look cool, it's hard to get people to want to talk to you period. I don't know man, I've lived in Washington state for 7 years and in Oregon for a bit... and I never had a hard time meeting people.

But then again, I grew up around 100% white people so that's probably why I blend in so well. I think I act different from most asians b/c I used to constantly be called a banana and whitewash after moving to houston. So I think the problem with you is mostly b/c of lack of social skills and not racism.

STFU??


To OP, I really like your attitude that you want to particpate. I think you have a good social attitude by asking people how's their day as well. But in terms of dealing with the white students, I think you should not email the group directly, but go over their heads and ask your instructor to reassign you.

White people are like that, the more you ask them to consider you, the more they think you're unworthy. you have to embarass them before the instructor, then they will have some respect for you!

Indiana is by far the most hickish redneck prejudice state in the midwest! Ewwww I hate Indiana lol I'm not saying that it would be any easier in Illinois either but at least I know I went to an extremely diverse high school and I literally had friends from everywhere including straight from a lot of European countries, asian friends, black friends, mexican ect... and for the most part we all pretty much just got along with eachother. Indiana is just bad news to begin with.. ick

Dude, I'm not talking about Washington State. I'm from washington State, the Seattle area, but I'm studying medicine in Indiana.

YOu must have not been to the midwest pal. I have met many other transplants who say that midwest people lack emotions, don't know how to smile and joke, are plain, boring, conservative (esp. the folks here in Indiana), etc. My friend studying in Wisconsin area, I think he's at Marquette, also says the same thing. Except some of the things he described seems to be worse than Indiana.

Hello Rinni, nice to meet you. Yes, thank you for understanding what I was stating. This is actually and old thread of mine, and I have adjusted to my new life in Indiana. I am currently a grad student at IU bloomington, but am moving to Indianapolis for med school starting this summer.

All I was stating was that the people here really lack emotion. You try to joke with them, laugh, but they don't laugh back or even smile back. Some of them are very cold and even don't say hi to you in the hallway just because you're not white. I hate to whine and play the race card, but a lot of people who diss me in this post have never been to Indiana. So they don't know how "backward" this state is compared to Illinois, New York, Washington State, California, etc. But all in all, I'd rather be here in Indiana than say, Wyoming or Montana.

And lastly, if that's your picture in your signature section, you're one damn pretty chick! xoxoxo!!

Wow, mister "I live in East London"! Try coming to Indiana and living here. I hope you're an Asian person, or at least a minority. The whites here in general, I'm not saying all of them are like this, but they usually interact amongst themselves, and form their own social/study groups (which is why the top students in the class tend to be whites, LOL, yeah pfft, I'd like to see them compete academically with Asians attending Harvard, MIT, Yale). Some of them are cool. But I usually don't like to interact with the white students from Indiana. My only white friend is this jew-Canadian guy from Toronto. I also like this Italian guy from northern Indiana where it's more liberal there.

Anyhow, this is an old old thread I started up when I first moved to Indiana. I'm moving up to Indianapolis in June to attend med school at IUPUI. Woo hoo!! Get away from dirty old "liberal" gay bloomington!

IUPUI has med school?

Yea I saw that it was old but it popped back up so I thought I'd at least give my opinion as well lol... besides i really don't like Indiana lol... But I think that usually goes for most of us from Illinois. I had to live out there for 2 weeks once for work and I felt like I was in another world. And its definitely not whining or playing the race card, everything you stated is absolutely true out there. I'm glad that you are adjusting to it though. And once you get started with med school and then your residency you won't hardly have any time to notice the racist backwards people out there anyways. Good luck in med school btw, it'll be hard but definitely worth it. My bf is now finishing up his residency now... only a little over a year for him now.

Hey man. I am also a transplant student like you from California studying here at U Michigan. I don't really consider Michigan to be a midwestern state. But you are darn right on the ball when you state that people in the midwest are plain, boring, have no emotions (like they never smile, etc) and even racist. When I say racist, the white people tend to mingle with one another, but the minorities are left outside their social network/groups.

The same thing happens in my law school. The Asians tend to study together, the white students tend to form their own unique little study groups. So sad. But heck, this is the midwest.

The neighborhoods in detroit are also segregated. You have you hispanic store at one corner, you have a black ghetto community in another part of Detroit, then you have th white suburban areas outisde of Detroit where the white collar workers tend to live. Detroit's segregated life style tends to remind me of L.A.

Anyhow, I understand your points and feelings and opinions of the midwest people in general. Perhaps, you might also consider the fact that Indiana is a conservative state. So the white people there are not used to interacting with minority students?

Good luck with your program and studies.

I am glad that I'm finishing up my grad program this year. I'm moving up to Indianapolis with my friend. At least there seems to be more Asians living in areas like Carmel. But Chicago, Illinois and Indiana, is like comparing grapes to a watermelon.

BTW rinni, what part of Illinois are you from? And where in Indiana did you have to work?


I am currently living in bloomington, where the main IU campus is located.

I heard the northern Indiana area is more liberal. Like the Valpraiso area and South Bend.
They all try to act like Californians like saying "dude," etc..

I like Illinois people in general. There are white people from Illinois in my class, and they are very nice to me. COmpared to the white kids from Indiana who don't even say hi to me or even talk to me. fu-k them. After I finish med school, I'm going back to Seattle.

It's not like that in Kansas especially at KU. It's really diverse there and you'll see everyone speaking withe everyone. Come to KU haha

Why don't you move to Texas?

To OP...How did you handle the situation?



That's the worst advice you could give...to call someone out infront of a superior will only make them want to retaliate. I don't see it getting any respect...at best they would completely ignore her. Truthly, it would probably make things even worse.







C'mon, they're at IU...of course they can't compete with Ivy Leaguers of any race! I grew up in Missouri, and you're right, we usually kept to our bible-belt, white-bread selves. It's what we were comfortable with. I'm trying to remember, I don't think I had much if any interaction with asians in college...not because I was trying to avoid them, just different social circles and such. My limited exposure came through my Filipino friend who was involved in the campus Asian American Association...I went to a few parties. I can only speak of my own experiences, and I can tell through your posts that you're intelligent enough to tell when you're being shunned...I just wanted to give you the perspective of 1 white guy who grew up and went to school in the midwest.

By the way, enjoy your time in Indy...I spent a few days there when we drove to watch the NCAA tournament one year (I got on TV!). The downtown has been revitalized, lots of bars and galleries to waste time in.



You sound like the brouchures I threw away when I was a Sr. in HS. Typical ku BS propaganda. ku is as backwards as any college in the midwest, only with more hippies that got lost on the way to Berkeley in the 60s and became professors.

damn right~!

Not surprising actually.

The reason Midwestern USA hate Asian because of Lao-Hmong people caused a stir in the area.
This happen a few years back where "Chai Vang" killed 6-7 white hunters. The incident occurred because there are many cases where Hmong people poaching and illegally hunting on private lands. Hmong people knowingly and PURPOSELY hunt on these private lands, and so the white people pissed off because it kept repeated and didn't know how to kick them out.

Well here in Ohio it's a mixed bag. Where I am from there are not many minorities, but the few I do know have not struggled at all...that's not to say there are not racist or unwelcoming people in my hometown, there are quite a bit of conservative rednecks here...but I'd say its getting better, I have quite a few of close-minded friends but my youngest sisters friends seem a lot more liberal, so it is my hope that my town is getting better =)

bigger cities it's not so bad though. Columbus/Franklin County is pretty liberal and diverse and the campuses I have visited, the people seem friendly enough.



TIP: if you ever move to central Ohio, just become a OSU fan, you'll be embraced and welcomed immediately

I'll just tell the rednecks that I'm a Michigan fan to piss them off!

Im in Indianapolis, and yes Indiana sucks for diversity, even on a college campus as big as IU, which generally has alot of asians due to its medical program.
Im moving back to Chicago at the end of January for this very reason.

and really its not that indiana "HATES" asians its more of a mild neglect. they just stick to there own because thats what they know and thats whats comfortable.

and honestly, who wants to hang out with people like that anyway?

Im only like 30 minutes from bloomington, i you want to hang out with an awesome half Japanese guy sometime let me know


EDIT: just realized your in Indy now, the offer still stands, your just closer now haha.

While i don't like to make sweeping generalizations; i tend to agree with you that the midwest is not exactly a "welcoming" place to Asians.


but then again; we should not expect much from a region where people still believe that "god" "made" man and that Darwin is dead wrong...or that the earth was created in 4000BC )


if i were you; ill stick with the folks who are good to you and just iggy those who iggy you. I bet the main reason that they do not like you(or any outsiders for that matter) is not because of your perceived(by some in this thread!) lack of social/linguistic skills but because of fear. fear of the unknown. fear of their house of cards built on centuries of religious/social fundamentalism would come crashing down when new people with new* (insert scientific,logical,anti-fundemental ) ideas come to town.


rem; we don't lose until we give up!

C'mon you think people are still thinking about that....Maybe from the midwest area your from but in the midwest around MI at least that's as far from our minds as could be.

fob@fob.com

i dont see much asians where i live in the midwest. It sucks...i wished it was a little bit more diversed. Because of it..i dont know much asian people..most friends are black/white..thats why im on AF lol..to chat it up with some cool asian folks

while i've never lived in IN and live in chicago, based on how you described your interaction with people.....it's really not that hard to believe, probably like that anywhere.

Comparing the midwest to the East Coast - it's much more diverse and more comfortable around where I am now. I went to school in Urbana, IL, which was probably a lot more diverse than where you are, but I still noticed the same tendencies, to a smaller degree. In the East Coast, people don't really seem to care as long as you can talk on the same level.

For real?



I've still got the 217 area code

atleast you aren't the only asian family in your town like me.
now that sucks.
i have to drive an hour to get to an Asian store.

trust me..i live pretty much in hillbilly land..
i doubt your the "only" asian family too if you include chinese restaurants etc..

we don't have chinese restaurants.
i know for a fact we are.

so youre telling me..out of all your neighbors in your neighborhood you know for a fact that none of them are asian?
Unless you live out in the country..and is the only house in the neighborhood..then you probably stand correct.
Im just saying...maybe there's some asian families in your area that you are unaware of.
Dont get me wrong i live in the country..but there's asian people in my town..a few..and i have to go to the comisary or pxtra to see them.
Whites/blacks mostly are in my area. Not a problem at all since i fish, hunt, etc and get along with them..id just rather would like
the experience to be around a more asian friendly community.

i live in the middle of no where...lol.
im not kidding. my neighbors are cows...im surrounded my cow fields.
my dad drives like an hour to work every morning.

ok..well...

Not accusing anyone of using race to blame anyone for anything and I agree with much of what is said here but it just makes me wonder, if America is so "white" and racist, how is it that there is a Black President (and before that I wondered uber-successful blacks in the 'white world' as well such as Oprah, hate to say it- Michael, etc) where success has a lot to do with who is buying, voting or tuning into your material? Perhaps some attempted conspiracy by the white community......???lolz

you've obviously never lived in a small all white town like i do...

^Any isolated community is going to have that problem though, irregardless of race.

In case you did not paid close attention to the election results, the majority of the Midwest and all of the conservative Southern states did not vote for Obama.

Obama won the election by capturing all of the "liberal" states and "swing" (i.e., moderate) states.

White racism in America is distributed according to geography.

The Midwest and Southern states remained to be racist -- they certainly did not vote for a Black man to be their president. The White people living in those places remain to be the racists as they are.

It's the other more open-minded states, the liberal and moderate states, that put Obama into the White house.

just to let you know, not everyone voted against him because he was black.
My family voted for McCain/Palin because they better represented what we believe. (but is should of voted for Ron Paul)

also, LOTS of people voted for him just because he was black.
whats that say about those people?

Obama got 98 percent of the black vote. Thats what obviously put him over the top and won him the election. By winning almost ALL of 14 percent of the population's vote, Obama has a HUGE advantage. I think Obama only won like 39 percent of the white vote... while asians were pretty evenly split between the two candidates

I didn't vote last year. I didn't like the Obama mania...and feel like the election was some type of popularity contest.
I'll vote for Sarah palin for 2012.

Welcome to the real world. You should just move to a place with more Asians. If you think that was bad, wait until America becomes a poor country. Then you will experience something that would make what you described above look like paradise.

very true. it gets worse in smaller cities/town. most noticeably the upper midwest region -- the whites are very of void and they usually put on a fending attitude. my own experiences in college was unlikable also. whites tend to look at Asians like we are kids and nothing more, and in many of my groups in collegiate projects were all whites where I received little to no credit and zero acknowledgment for the good work and effort I put in -- there were also very little communication from their part and usually they will go in details within their own people, even when I'm in the same group as them! they disregard most of my opinions and advices and make conclusions on their own. it's very belittling and that's exactly the view they have of us -- thinking we have very little worth to add to the group.