So, I went to Bethesda yesterday

[Anonymous]

DD asked me where all the brown people (like her) are. I mean, I knew Bethesda was white, but I didn't realize how WHITE it was until she pointed it out. We were downtown (for hours) and only saw one Asian man and one Asian woman, who were not together.

If you live in such a non diverse area, why? How do you justify it?

[Anonymous]

I *so* know what you mean. We live in Chevy Chase, DC, and I was really concerned when I visited the local preschool options and discovered that my DD would be a real minority. Fortunately she ended up in Georgetown where her class is much more diverse... but yikes: it sure is white around here.

[Anonymous]

I hope this post is a joke?

[Anonymous]

I went to Anacostia today and
"DD asked me where all the white people (like her) are. I mean, I knew Anacostia was black, but I didn't realize how BLACK it was until she pointed it out. We were downtown (for hours) and only saw one Asian man and one Asian woman, who were not together. "

Do you realize now how absurd and needlessly antagonistic your original post was?

[Anonymous]

I moved to Bethesda from a very "diverse" area in DC, and I couldn't be happier. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

What I don't miss about "diverse" DC:
car being broken into more times than I can count
house being broken into 3 times
dysfunctional city services
cat calls and unpleasant comments
loud music, fights and gunfire in the night
the mother next door screaming at her 7 children running wild 24 hours a day
drunk and drugged up people staggering around at all hours scaring my children
dysfunctional schools
general constant low-level hostility from some of the residents

bethesda is an incredibly international place with people from all over the world living here, including many from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It is true it lacks a certain gritty underclass of crack-whores, pimps, gangstas and drug-addled ex-convicts, but hey, that is a diversity I can do without.

But lets be clear about one thing - I don't actually need to justify my decision, and certainly not to some self-righteous cow on DCUMs. I don't ask how you justify spending hours downtown monitoring the race of everyone you see.

[Anonymous]

Wow where in DC did you live? I lived in DC for 20 years and never saw any of this.

[Anonymous]

Also, I would note that a real measure of how well people are mixing - the percentage of people of two or more races - Bethesda is significantly better than DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow where in DC did you live? I lived in DC for 20 years and never saw any of this.

columbia heights.

[Anonymous]

OP, I grew up in Bethesda, and I am black. Yes, I wished there was more diversity. Not so much WRT class, but WRT race. The community is multicultural, but still mostly white.

[Anonymous]

I don't get the Anacostia comparison. It,s just as bad. OP probably doesn't understand wanting to live in such a homogenous area regardless of what the race is. I agree. It's the exact reason why I love NOVA. And BTW 17:14 you are an ass. The problems you mention aren't a result of racial diversity. It's much more a class issue. And I don't even have words for the comment about Bethesda being a success because races don't mix.

[Anonymous]

I live in Bethesda and the vast -- VAST -- majority of people here are white, but I don't pass one single day without seeing people of color, including the black and asian families who live on my block. I don't believe you were in Bethesda for an entire day and saw only whites. The diverse student population of BCC alone, which traipses through downtown Bethesda for lunch during the school year, would throw that off once school starts again anyway, and that should be some indication to you of the kinds of families that are in the BCC cluster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the Anacostia comparison. It,s just as bad. OP probably doesn't understand wanting to live in such a homogenous area regardless of what the race is. I agree. It's the exact reason why I love NOVA. And BTW 17:14 you are an ass. The problems you mention aren't a result of racial diversity. It's much more a class issue. And I don't even have words for the comment about Bethesda being a success because races don't mix.

she said races mix better in bethesda than in dc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Bethesda and the vast -- VAST -- majority of people here are white, but I don't pass one single day without seeing people of color, including the black and asian families who live on my block. I don't believe you were in Bethesda for an entire day and saw only whites. The diverse student population of BCC alone, which traipses through downtown Bethesda for lunch during the school year, would throw that off once school starts again anyway, and that should be some indication to you of the kinds of families that are in the BCC cluster.

How many houses are on your block? If there are twenty then one house with a Black family, and one house with an Asian family, really isn't' diverse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Bethesda and the vast -- VAST -- majority of people here are white, but I don't pass one single day without seeing people of color, including the black and asian families who live on my block. I don't believe you were in Bethesda for an entire day and saw only whites. The diverse student population of BCC alone, which traipses through downtown Bethesda for lunch during the school year, would throw that off once school starts again anyway, and that should be some indication to you of the kinds of families that are in the BCC cluster.

How many houses are on your block? If there are twenty then one house with a Black family, and one house with an Asian family, really isn't' diverse.

It's indisputable that Bethesda is mostly white. That's why I wrote "the vast -- VAST -- majority of people here are white." But the OP said she spent the entire day in downtown Bethesda and didn't see anyone that wasn't white. As someone who lives in Bethesda, I think that is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Bethesda and the vast -- VAST -- majority of people here are white, but I don't pass one single day without seeing people of color, including the black and asian families who live on my block. I don't believe you were in Bethesda for an entire day and saw only whites. The diverse student population of BCC alone, which traipses through downtown Bethesda for lunch during the school year, would throw that off once school starts again anyway, and that should be some indication to you of the kinds of families that are in the BCC cluster.

How many houses are on your block? If there are twenty then one house with a Black family, and one house with an Asian family, really isn't' diverse.

It's indisputable that Bethesda is mostly white. That's why I wrote "the vast -- VAST -- majority of people here are white." But the OP said she spent the entire day in downtown Bethesda and didn't see anyone that wasn't white. As someone who lives in Bethesda, I think that is

Sorry, my DC hit "Submit." I was going to say, I think that is bullshit.