White people make good neighbors?

Joe Whisman · Post by **Joe Whisman** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:38 pm

Last week, I opened my mailbox to find a full color glossy book on how to be a good neighbor from the City of Lakewood. I really did need to read that it is not ok to park on the lawn, and that I should not mow before 8:00am. However, I looked closely at every photo. Everyone in the book is white! I think there may be one boy who is tan and possibly an Italian city worker. I see people of all types in my city and I am proud to call them neighbors.
The city really needs to try just a little. I am not trying to be petty here, but please think about the message this is sending.

c. dawson · Post by **c. dawson** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:43 pm

Darn, I haven't gotten my copy yet ... maybe my neighbors, who tune up their cars long after 11pm, or toss empty pop cans in my yard, have taken my copy, so that I don't think they're bad neighbors.

Joe Whisman · Post by **Joe Whisman** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:49 pm

We must have gotten one because we live on the East End.

Valerie Molinski · Post by **Valerie Molinski** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:57 pm

Joe Whisman wrote:We must have gotten one because we live on the East End.

I got one of these when we first moved to Lakewood and then I got another one this weekend.

I noticed the same exact thing as far as the people pictured in the pamplet. Some of the wording in the actual text was quite Draconian as well.

Colleen Wing · Post by **Colleen Wing** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:35 pm

I actually liked the packet and the brochure.

Lakewood is 93% white and althought there could have been pictures of our ethnically diversity, I don't think it implied anything.

Shawn Juris · Post by **Shawn Juris** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:55 pm

It'll be interesting to see the changes in the next census but maybe all the people in the pictures were white to reflect the historical "diversity" of Lakewood. I know that is sounds all PC to say that the city is diverse, family oriented and progressive but 91.6% white does not sound very diverse and a 2.0 household average doesn't sound like a lot of families are around. If this has changed that dramatically since the 2000 I'd be surprised. By Lakewood standards there seem to be a smaller percentage of white and particularly eastern european families but I suspect that we're fooling ourselves to believe that racially diverse is a true statement. It always seems a bit too staged when I see the marketing pictures of a diverse group of models. To do so seems like tokenism to me.
I'm curious though on what else the representation the flyer would indicate about our fair city. Did the photos show families or seemingly single individuals? If anything showing families would be a greater misrepresentation than only showing white people. If we're going to be honest about it then let's forget the image that we pretend and get to what is real. Again, maybe there has been a dramatic swing in 7 years, we'll see.
I think it would be great if the city could really market itself for what it is and not for what it thinks the public wants to hear or what it used to be.

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:59 pm

Colleen I agree with you, I don't think it implied anything at all.

Maybe that was the stock photographers fault.

John Guscott · Post by **John Guscott** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:07 pm

For those who haven't received a copy, you can get it online: http://www.ci.lakewood.oh.us/pdf/2007_G ... _Guide.pdf

Photo selection aside, I think the brochure is a good idea and it should be made more widely available.

Valerie Molinski · Post by **Valerie Molinski** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:12 pm

Colleen Wing wrote:I actually liked the packet and the brochure.

Lakewood is 93% white and althought there could have been pictures of our ethnically diversity, I don't think it implied anything.

I am not saying that it implied anything, just that it was something I noticed.

It is decently put together and some of it is very useful. SOME of it.

Paul Schrimpf · Post by **Paul Schrimpf** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:27 pm

It's a noble effort, but it's not likely that the "worst 2 percent" that plague us will have an epiphany over it.

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:27 pm

I think that some of the remarks on here are appalling - I have black neighbors to my left and black neighbors to my right. I don't know where you are getting the racial breakdown - but that doesn't represent the city the way it really is.

How many Arabic people live here? How many people have not checked a box on the survey they filled out. Did someone go around and eyball it?

Surprise, we even have Hispanic people who live here. We have a long way to go - but I challenge these figures.

Stephen Eisel · Post by **Stephen Eisel** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:31 pm

http://www.city-data.com/zips/44107.html
Males: 27,306 (48.2%)
Females: 29,404 (51.8%)

White population: 52,783
Black population: 1,117
American Indian population: 139
Asian population: 801
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population: 15
Some other race population: 350
Two or more races population: 1,505

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:35 pm

So do these statistics count Arabic people as white or as other?

If the Arabic population is counted as other, then the figure is way too low.

Maybe the Arabic population is counted as White?

If they are, then this would not be an accurate account.

Stephen Eisel · Post by **Stephen Eisel** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 4:07 pm

sharon kinsella wrote:So do these statistics count Arabic people as white or as other?

If the Arabic population is counted as other, then the figure is way too low.

Maybe the Arabic population is counted as White?

If they are, then this would not be an accurate account.

I do not know.. I would tend think that they are included in the white count..

Shawn Juris · Post by **Shawn Juris** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 4:08 pm

Looks like a nice product. Thanks for posting John.

Sharon,
I know that I'm going to kick myself for actually asking this but you make some bold statements about the "right" numbers. Are you basing your opinion on anything other than who your neighbors are? Everything that I've found has been based off of the 2000 census. Interesting dilema though. If the next census comes out and a huge shift has occured then wouldn't that support the statement that Lakewood is changing? Odd how there's been an effort for some time now to promote Lakewood as diverse but so far the numbers haven't really supported it. Same with the buzzwords of progressive or family friendly. For some reason I guess affordable, close to the bars, plenty of young singles and old retirees just didn't have the same zing.
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