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"White Flight" in Gwinnett?

Andrea

By Andrea
in Atlanta

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Andrea Burg

Andrea

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"White Flight" in Gwinnett?

The number of Hispanics in Gwinnett is now more than 12 times what it was in 1990, according to the latest census estimates. The Asian population has increased more than sixfold. And the black population has grown sevenfold. Until recently, the white population was growing, too, just not as fast. The county is now 57 percent white, down from 90 percent in 1990.

Louise Radloff, a member of the Gwinnett County school board for more than 30 years, said the additions have enriched her district between Norcross and Lilburn. It's the subtractions that hurt. Many schools in the area are now less than 10 percent white.

"It's called white flight," Radloff said. " There is a perception that with the diversity, there is low-income and there is crime. We need to learn to cope with these issues and decide that all men are created equal."

Bart Lewis, chief of the research division at the Atlanta Regional Commission, said any "white flight" from Gwinnett is limited. It's a far cry, he said, from what happened a generation ago in parts of Atlanta and DeKalb County, where neighborhoods changed practically overnight as white families moved to outlying areas such as Gwinnett.

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Martinman Burg

Martinman

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I'm glad you started this thread because I read that story and thought it was quite interesting. Of course these are estimates and we can't be sure if the white popluation of Gwinnett has actually decreased at all but to go form 90% white in 1990 to probably majority minority in 2010 is astonishing. Who would have thought that Gwinnett would turn out this way so fast?

I can tell you from a recent visit to the area where I used to live that it is amazing how where there were once Winn-Dixie and Target there are now International Farmers Markets and Super H mart (high-end asian grocery). And there are entire newly constructed shopping centers with signage all in asian(or spanish). I live in GA but this area always reminds me more of California than Ga.

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charlotte_bon_vivant Whistle-Stop

charlotte_bon_vivant

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Does the story offer any stats on where whitey is moving to? Probably Forsyth...What I want to know is what happens when Forsyth turns majority minority in the future? Will they move to Lumpkin? When does the madness end?

No stats. They only mentioned the areas. And you're right. They're moving to Forsthy, Henry and Cherokee counties. A freind of mine just moved from Gwinnett to Woodstock. She says it was because the commute was better (her husband works for Weather Channel), but I really doubt it. She lived in an upper middle class neighborhood in Gwinnett and was able to find a house in a similar neighborhood for nearly half the price of the other house. That will certainly pull people out of Gwinnett and into "whiter" metro areas. Nothing like cheap housing to justify cocktail racists.

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Newnan Hamlet

Newnan

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I think this will only make Gwinnett Better. I've always been very drawn to racially diverse areas. As long as the new minorites obey the laws and represent their culture in an appealing and exciting way, Gwinnet will only prosper. Screw those rich white racists! JK

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Andrea Burg

Andrea

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Does the story offer any stats on where whitey is moving to? Probably Forsyth...What I want to know is what happens when Forsyth turns majority minority in the future? Will they move to Lumpkin? When does the madness end?
Oh, come on, everybody. This has nothing whatsoever to do with race, it's just that folks would like have a little breathing room. Now if we could just get that Northern Arc built, and add more lanes to GA 400, I-85, I-985, 316, 1-75 and I-575, etc., and get started on that maglev train to Chattanooga....
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LizellaJacket Whistle-Stop

LizellaJacket

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Here to play Devils Advocate:

Aren't the minorities doing the same thing you are accusing the whites of doing? Aren't they moving to areas that are already heavily Lationo or Asian? Seems so to me. My personal feelings. I interned in Duluth this summer and I cannot see myself living there. I would feel like I was in a different country. It was very tough for me to order food at the local Burger King because I could not understand what was being said. Does that make someone a bad person? Whats the point of being in a community if you can't communicate with the people who are your neighbors? Like the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.

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Lady Celeste Burg

Lady Celeste

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I tried to avoid this topic like the Bubonic plague but I could not resist.

I fail to see how Gwinett becoming a county with signs in Spanish and Asian languages is making it a "better" place. How did Americans become so weak as to welcome the destruction of their own culture?

Riverside, I would be curious as to which culture do you think is American. The United States was started by a collection of cultures coming together. New Yor City has exisited for hundreds of years with many different cultures living side by side. To recognize someone else's culture in no way shape or form threaten the person who I am. To me northern Dekalb county is so very interesting because you can have such a diverse culture all living side by side.

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RiversideGator Burg

RiversideGator

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Riverside, I would be curious as to which culture do you think is American. The United States was started by a collection of cultures coming together. New Yor City has exisited for hundreds of years with many different cultures living side by side.

America was founded, for the most part, by people of British descent and thus the original American culture reflects this. For example, our language is English, we have a free market and our laws are based on the old English Common Law. Were there other cultures? Yes. Were they ever allowed to become predominate? No. This is just historical reality.

As for the mass immigration from Latin America, I really fail to see how this is making Gwinett a better place. For all of those who want to now repeat what they heard at their company's diversity training classes, I would urge you to visit Mexico first (for example; I have been there 3 times) before you wish that we import more Latin Americans.

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atlrvr Metropolitan Area

atlrvr

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This type of socio-based development and living patterns will scar the landscape indefinetly.....look at Detroit.

What's worse is that in places like Gwinnett (and really any new suburban area post WWII) have low quality (doesn't mean inexpensive) houses with little architectual merit.

Whereas intown neighborhoods usually have well built houses, proximity to employment, architectual uniqueness, and a interesting mix of uses.....these suburban areas have little to lure higher-income people back for reinvestment in the future.

Not that an area needs to attract high-income households to be a viable area, but once an area loses its desireability among the middle class, then its usually a downward spiral....retailers leave, home prices fall, foreclosures increase, public schools began producing lower testing scores, crime increases, property tax collections plummet, municipalities have to cut services, etc. etc. etc.....

Imagine if College Park had cookie-cutter vinyl sided houses, and all the retail were in suburban style strip centers....I don't think we'd be seeing the same turn around.

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Lady Celeste Burg

Lady Celeste

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Not that an area needs to attract high-income households to be a viable area, but once an area loses its desireability among the middle class, then its usually a downward spiral....retailers leave, home prices fall, foreclosures increase, public schools began producing lower testing scores, crime increases, property tax collections plummet, municipalities have to cut services, etc. etc. etc.....

And this Atlrvr is why I asked about all this talk about fusion of cultures. I personally think that the flight has less to do with culture clash as opposed to the issues you mentioned above. In my own personal life, I have been guilty of doing the same exact thing that this article spoke of. My husband is not as diversity sensitive as I would hope him to be....yet his lack of wanting for diversity has less to do with culture differences or other races and more so to do with socio-economics. He grew up in the Pittsburgh so he is culturally very sensitive and prefers a mixture of people but not a mixture of incomes. Maybe this is what some in Gwinnett are doing. I can go as far to say that there are upper middle class blacks in Gwinnett who are fleeing southern Gwinnett for areas like Suwanee and Buford because they too aren't to thrilled with the demographic shift.

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Newnan Hamlet

Newnan

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Here to play Devils Advocate:

Aren't the minorities doing the same thing you are accusing the whites of doing? Aren't they moving to areas that are already heavily Lationo or Asian? Seems so to me. My personal feelings. I interned in Duluth this summer and I cannot see myself living there. I would feel like I was in a different country. It was very tough for me to order food at the local Burger King because I could not understand what was being said. Does that make someone a bad person? Whats the point of being in a community if you can't communicate with the people who are your neighbors? Like the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.

I agree with that first part; I think all people, not just white people, want to be with their own kind. It's just human nature, but it doesn't mean that it's right.

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Martinman Burg

Martinman

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I should point out that the '04 estimate shows only a slight decrease in white population for the first time so we're not even sure if there actually is any significant white flight. Its just that ALL THREE minority groups have been growing at phenominal rates.

Also, Gwinnett has a sizable job market and is far from losing its desirability to the middle class or declining in any way. Most minorities that are moving there ARE middle class.

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Hotlanta Hamlet

Hotlanta

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Why do middle-class white people move away when minorities move into their neighborhoods?

because sometimes white people assosciate minorities (especially black and hispanci) with having loud music and not taking care of their own personal property. That's not always the case, but people think it is. It's a tricky topic.

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Promia Unincorporated Area

Promia

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Why do middle-class white people move away when minorities move into their neighborhoods?

These are the type of questions that we should already know the answers too and keep off this website. You see, questions like this lead to very "heated discussions" and possibly racial views! Same with our fellow forumer who decided to discuss religion on a METRO ATLANTA GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT FORUM??

because sometimes white people assosciate minorities (especially black and hispanci) with having loud music and not taking care of their own personal property. That's not always the case, but people think it is. It's a tricky topic.

I think in might be a "little more complicated than that"!

P.S. No, I'm not a racist!!

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Newnan Hamlet

Newnan

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I just had the most amazing thought. Here is the rule that will settle this whole dispute about race relations, not just on this thread but on all threads that deal with race issues.

You should always give everyone a fair chance and not judge them by race, creed, gender, or orientation. But.. if that person turns out to be a total jerk, then don't feel obligated to overly respect and admire them just because they're a minority.

I hope that made sense.

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