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LibraryThing member joemmama
I received this book on Friday, and fully intended to put it on the bottom of my TBR pile, since I have a few books to review first, but I found that after reading the blurbs, and the above quote, I just fell into this book. Rich Benjamin, is a black journalist who ventured into the wilds of
From the sounds of the huge and expensive houses, many on golf courses, Benjamin visited, most folks could not afford to live there, black, brown or white.
As someone who lives in a "Stepford" community, I was so surprised to discover the lack of diversity, that I wanted to move back to my old urban neighborhood. No older folks, few Blacks, or Hispanics or openly Gay folks to be found. I thought I was just getting a larger house, with a whole bunch of strings attached (covenants). I was not shocked to see my county listed as a very white area.
Rich Benjamin heads where few black men would fear to tread, the whitest of the white communities, to determine just why/what they are running from/to. Very well written, and full of scary facts, this book made me ashamed of my race (white), and some of the folks that share my skin color (you know who you are). I must be living in some sort of bubble, since I had no idea some of these things were still happening. Shame on us!
This is a book that will make you think, and maybe make you feel a little uncomfortable. It is worth a read, no matter what feelings it invokes. We need to be reminded that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Thanks to Caitlin Price at FSB Associates for sending me this book.
reviewed at Life Happens While Books are Waiting
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"Whitopia" where white folks seem to be escaping the problems found in a more urban setting.From the sounds of the huge and expensive houses, many on golf courses, Benjamin visited, most folks could not afford to live there, black, brown or white.
As someone who lives in a "Stepford" community, I was so surprised to discover the lack of diversity, that I wanted to move back to my old urban neighborhood. No older folks, few Blacks, or Hispanics or openly Gay folks to be found. I thought I was just getting a larger house, with a whole bunch of strings attached (covenants). I was not shocked to see my county listed as a very white area.
Rich Benjamin heads where few black men would fear to tread, the whitest of the white communities, to determine just why/what they are running from/to. Very well written, and full of scary facts, this book made me ashamed of my race (white), and some of the folks that share my skin color (you know who you are). I must be living in some sort of bubble, since I had no idea some of these things were still happening. Shame on us!
This is a book that will make you think, and maybe make you feel a little uncomfortable. It is worth a read, no matter what feelings it invokes. We need to be reminded that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Thanks to Caitlin Price at FSB Associates for sending me this book.
reviewed at Life Happens While Books are Waiting
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LibraryThing member scentednights2002
Rich Benjamin writes about his travels through White America. During his travels, he pretends to be interested in purchasing a home in three of the whitest areas in America. He lives in these areas and gets to know the people who live there and their opinions and ideas.
The areas he visits include a
The author has a wonderful personality that comes through in the book. That’s probably part of why he’s so easily accepted in all three of these areas. He seems equally at ease at a formal dinner in a gated community and a poker game with the boys. He rubs elbows with politicians and the homeless and all seem to accept with openly.
While this book is necessarily about race relations, Rich also touches on the topics of politics, immigration and neighborhood values. Rich predicts that by 2042, America will no longer be a white majority country. He touches on how the influx of immigrants is changing the political make up of the country. Immigrants tend to vote for the Democratic party due to its liberal welfare benefit policies.
He takes the racism that he sees in stride. He makes no comment about the black ‘sambo’ statue in the backyard of a gated community. He sits side by side in church with white supremacists and white separatists. He writes about the racist remarks he hears without bitterness or anger.
Many of the people he interviewed spoke of moving to these Whitopias because they were searching for a safer place to live or a community more like the typical 1950s neighborhood. They were looking for a return of more traditional values not necessarily a “white” neighborhood. The book showed droves of rich white people leaving cities to move to what he called “exurbs”. It also showed the anger of the original residents of the town when their town was suddenly filled with rich outsiders.
I found this to be a very interesting read. Coming from rural Vermont, I am in a very white state and a very white town. We have a large number of rich people who move here looking for something they can’t find in the cities they previously lived in. This book provided a brand new insight into why people are leaving the cities and what they are looking for when they relocate. I think that there’s so much more to this issue than race and I highly recommend you read it and make your own decision.
The areas he visits include a
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gated community in Utah, a separatist retreat in Northern Idaho and an exclusive area north of Atlanta, Georgia. All are white dominant areas that are growing more white despite the tendency toward growth of minority populations in suburbs and cities.The author has a wonderful personality that comes through in the book. That’s probably part of why he’s so easily accepted in all three of these areas. He seems equally at ease at a formal dinner in a gated community and a poker game with the boys. He rubs elbows with politicians and the homeless and all seem to accept with openly.
While this book is necessarily about race relations, Rich also touches on the topics of politics, immigration and neighborhood values. Rich predicts that by 2042, America will no longer be a white majority country. He touches on how the influx of immigrants is changing the political make up of the country. Immigrants tend to vote for the Democratic party due to its liberal welfare benefit policies.
He takes the racism that he sees in stride. He makes no comment about the black ‘sambo’ statue in the backyard of a gated community. He sits side by side in church with white supremacists and white separatists. He writes about the racist remarks he hears without bitterness or anger.
Many of the people he interviewed spoke of moving to these Whitopias because they were searching for a safer place to live or a community more like the typical 1950s neighborhood. They were looking for a return of more traditional values not necessarily a “white” neighborhood. The book showed droves of rich white people leaving cities to move to what he called “exurbs”. It also showed the anger of the original residents of the town when their town was suddenly filled with rich outsiders.
I found this to be a very interesting read. Coming from rural Vermont, I am in a very white state and a very white town. We have a large number of rich people who move here looking for something they can’t find in the cities they previously lived in. This book provided a brand new insight into why people are leaving the cities and what they are looking for when they relocate. I think that there’s so much more to this issue than race and I highly recommend you read it and make your own decision.
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LibraryThing member VickiLN
I loved this book and I'm so glad Rich Benjamin was brave enough to go on this journey and then write about it, he even threw some humor in. This is truly a must read for everyone. It may change the way you think.
LibraryThing member thisismebecca
It is a book about one big nasty prejudice- Racism.
In Searching for Whitopia, Rich Benjamin relates the two-year journey he took across what he calls "white America." He lists every city in the U.S. that is "whiter than the nation, its respective region, and its state," and he lives in three of
So the question I most wanted answered by reading this book is why are people moving towards whitopias and not away from them like I am inclined to do. Well, Benjamin discovers the reasons are not cut and dry.
"Most whites are not drawn to a place explicitly because it teems with other white people. Rather, the place's very whiteness implies other perceived qualities. Americans associate a homogenous white neighborhood with higher property values, friendliness, orderliness, hospitability, cleanliness, safety, and comfort. These seemingly race-neutral qualities are subconsciously inseparable from race and class in many whites' minds. Race is often used as a proxy for those neighborhood traits. And, if a neighborhood is known to have those traits, many whites presume--without giving it a thought--that the neighborhood will be majority white."
This is absolutely fascinating to me. Because in my line of work I have met just as many whites that I wouldn't touch with a pole vault pole than people of any other race. If I am prejudice in any way it is probably against lazy people (lazy by choice, not because they are physically or mentally unable to do something) and dirty people (don't mistake this for homeless- they are not interchangable)- no matter if they are rich or poor, black or white or purple. In fact, I am repulsed by the idea of Whitopias. Perhaps because of my age or my life experiences or where I was raised or went to school or the fact my family is now racially diverse, but people who are all the same bore me to tears. I didn't even enjoy working in a small town that was right outside of a city because everyone thought the same way and mostly acted the same way. I could never live in a small town away from a large urban area or out in the country and be truly happy. But that is just me.
If you are looking for a truly engaging look at this new sociological phenomenon, then I really recommend Benjamin's book. It is very enlightening and will have you re-evaluating your own sets of prejudices.
So what about you, readers? What do you think of these "whitopias?" Do you live in a predominately white area? What do you like or not like about it? (In case you are wondering whether you live in what is considered to be a "whitopia", click here to visit Benjamin's website where he offers up a short list. A longer list is available at the back of the book.)
In Searching for Whitopia, Rich Benjamin relates the two-year journey he took across what he calls "white America." He lists every city in the U.S. that is "whiter than the nation, its respective region, and its state," and he lives in three of
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them for roughly three months apiece- St. George in Utah, Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, and Forsyth County in Georgia. He shows what these places, "Whitopias" he calls them, are like, why they are actually growing not shrinking (as I naively expected) and he explains the implications of this phenomenon. What makes this all the more interesting? Benjamin is African American.So the question I most wanted answered by reading this book is why are people moving towards whitopias and not away from them like I am inclined to do. Well, Benjamin discovers the reasons are not cut and dry.
"Most whites are not drawn to a place explicitly because it teems with other white people. Rather, the place's very whiteness implies other perceived qualities. Americans associate a homogenous white neighborhood with higher property values, friendliness, orderliness, hospitability, cleanliness, safety, and comfort. These seemingly race-neutral qualities are subconsciously inseparable from race and class in many whites' minds. Race is often used as a proxy for those neighborhood traits. And, if a neighborhood is known to have those traits, many whites presume--without giving it a thought--that the neighborhood will be majority white."
This is absolutely fascinating to me. Because in my line of work I have met just as many whites that I wouldn't touch with a pole vault pole than people of any other race. If I am prejudice in any way it is probably against lazy people (lazy by choice, not because they are physically or mentally unable to do something) and dirty people (don't mistake this for homeless- they are not interchangable)- no matter if they are rich or poor, black or white or purple. In fact, I am repulsed by the idea of Whitopias. Perhaps because of my age or my life experiences or where I was raised or went to school or the fact my family is now racially diverse, but people who are all the same bore me to tears. I didn't even enjoy working in a small town that was right outside of a city because everyone thought the same way and mostly acted the same way. I could never live in a small town away from a large urban area or out in the country and be truly happy. But that is just me.
If you are looking for a truly engaging look at this new sociological phenomenon, then I really recommend Benjamin's book. It is very enlightening and will have you re-evaluating your own sets of prejudices.
So what about you, readers? What do you think of these "whitopias?" Do you live in a predominately white area? What do you like or not like about it? (In case you are wondering whether you live in what is considered to be a "whitopia", click here to visit Benjamin's website where he offers up a short list. A longer list is available at the back of the book.)
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LibraryThing member booksandwine
Searching for Whitopia by Rich Benjamin is not about the interactions between blacks and whites. It is about the phenomenon of white flight. White Flight occurs when white people move out of a neighborhood because people of color are moving in. What Rich Benjamin did was move into predominately
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white neighborhoods (97% white) to see what it's like.I felt that Searching for Whitopia was very thought-provoking. I actually had to have a conversation with my boyfriend about it since I no longer have traditional college classes to fill that void. We spoke of race and our perceptions, since we were both raised in Whitopias. I know, I know, who cares I had a convo with my lover, big deal. Well, normally Tony and I normally talk about our roommate (he's a pain in the ass), our days at work, and the Simpsons, not serious things. For a book to inspire conversation between my boyfriend and I about social justice is pretty big.I found the people Rich met to be fairly interesting. He met some fairly diverse people, rich people, poor people, Democrats, Republicans. Skin color is not the only means of diversity. I liked his anecdotes about the people he came across.Searching For Whitopia wasn't too politcizing. I won't state my political leanings, as this is not a politics blog, but it was nice to see some kindness portrayed on both sides of the two main political parties.I thought Rich Benjamin's conclusions definitely made sense. Life is enriched after living near and interacting with people of different backgrounds. Those of you who have been to college should know exactly what I am talking about, when you share a dorm with people from all over the world, it absolutely broadens your horizons and I think you become a better person for it. I think he is correct in concluding that white flight truly is bad for the communities, as that takes much needed tax dollars out of a community, plus certain opportunities to learn are missed out on.I would say read this book if you are interested in social justice issues. Personally, social justice is a bit of a pet topic to me, I've taken a few courses on diversity, women's studies, and poverty. I love learning about this sort of thing. This book is non-fiction. If you enjoyed Nickel and Dimed, you'd most likely find this book interesting too! Show Less
LibraryThing member froxgirl
Until this book, I didn't realize how critical it is to check publication date before you start reading! This one came out in 2009 and already seems very dated. However, the premise still works: some white people find their needs met only in all-white communities. The timing of the author’s
Quotes:
"In Dixie, people essentially ask of community outsiders, "Why can't you be more like ME?" Ostracism doubles as self-congratulation."
"The headline was "By 2050, White People Will No Longer Be the Majority." Why not: "by 2050, People of Color Will be a Majority."?
"When, at last, did I realize what explosive emotions Latino immigration triggers?"
"Our only endangered species is the white Christian landowning male", said Idaho Representative Helen Chenoweth-Hage. "
"The tenderhooks latching millions of white to subdivisions depend on two things: backward-looking nostalgia and forward-looking aspiration."
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research into these “Whitopias” is kind of terrible too, re: the Great Recession and the election of Barack Obama. Benjamin, black and a Stanford PhD, visited a bunch of racially isolated locales, including - surprisingly enough - Carnegie Hill in NYC. Where he found common ground in most of the communities, exurb or small city, was 1. golf love 2. no blatantly racist words spoken, though plenty of what we now call "dog whistling". No surprise that the author also found enmity towards Latinx immigrants particularly strong in California, resulting in an influx of former LA area police officers to the whitelands of Utah and Idaho. Now, of course, Trump has enabled racists to parade around with tiki torches set to white supremacy, where during the late Bush 2/Obama years that was hardly acceptable. It would be interesting to see what Benjamin would find in these insular communities now.Quotes:
"In Dixie, people essentially ask of community outsiders, "Why can't you be more like ME?" Ostracism doubles as self-congratulation."
"The headline was "By 2050, White People Will No Longer Be the Majority." Why not: "by 2050, People of Color Will be a Majority."?
"When, at last, did I realize what explosive emotions Latino immigration triggers?"
"Our only endangered species is the white Christian landowning male", said Idaho Representative Helen Chenoweth-Hage. "
"The tenderhooks latching millions of white to subdivisions depend on two things: backward-looking nostalgia and forward-looking aspiration."
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Publication
Hachette Books (2009), Edition: First Edition, 368 pages
Description
An examination of a recent migration of white Americans to small, predominantly white cities describes the author's visits to "whitopias" throughout the country, where he met white citizens from myriad walks of life, learned the causes of the migration, and familiarized himself with each neighborhood's landscapes and social structures.
Awards
Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (Social Sciences — 2009)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
368 p.; 5.88 inches
ISBN
1401322689 / 9781401322687