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Ghetto

fitzy24

By fitzy24
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crunchtastic

crunchtastic

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The third ward, on Alabama b/w Dowling and TSU.

Cullen Blvd past the bayou heading toward the south loop.

Long stretches of Bellfort.

This is an interesting topic to me--I'm a born and bred white girly Houston suburbanite. "ghetto" always meant "black". I recently moved back after 11 years in San Antonio/some time in the Valley, and I'm struck at my own reaction to the question. Am I falling back on old east texas habits when I still think of ghetto as black, and not mexican? I mean hell, I drive through my own end of town, down Navigation, Canal, Harrisburg; but I don't don't immediately think ghetto, despite knowing better. Just questioning my own whitey-mess, I guess. Does this resonate with any of you?

My mid-60s parents come over every couple of weeks from their mini-mansion in Katy and they never comment on ghetto-ness. But then again they're both from working class east and central Texas, respectively. Weird. I've starting noticing how many of the 'new loopers' , the ones in the civic associations anyway, are not partilcularly young, or big earners, but are late 30s and 40s people who are native Houston suburbanites.

Is this textbook gentrification, or something a little more going on?

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RedScare

RedScare

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Posted
This is an interesting topic to me--I'm a born and bred white girly Houston suburbanite. "ghetto" always meant "black". I recently moved back after 11 years in San Antonio/some time in the Valley, and I'm struck at my own reaction to the question. Am I falling back on old east texas habits when I still think of ghetto as black, and not mexican? I mean hell, I drive through my own end of town, down Navigation, Canal, Harrisburg; but I don't don't immediately think ghetto, despite knowing better. Just questioning my own whitey-mess, I guess. Does this resonate with any of you?

My mid-60s parents come over every couple of weeks from their mini-mansion in Katy and they never comment on ghetto-ness. But then again they're both from working class east and central Texas, respectively. Weird. I've starting noticing how many of the 'new loopers' , the ones in the civic associations anyway, are not partilcularly young, or big earners, but are late 30s and 40s people who are native Houston suburbanites.

Is this textbook gentrification, or something a little more going on?

While "ghetto" may mean different things to different people, conjuring up an image of poor Blacks in a tenement is not automatically due to your East Texas upbringing, nor does it make you prejudiced. I don't know your age, but if you are anywhere near my age of 47, you likely grew up reading about the civil rights movement. Accompanying those articles were often photos depicting Black Americans living in ghettos. Having seen so many of those photos, all depicting life in the ghetto, the term "ghetto" would naturally trigger your memory of those photos. Since Blacks were always in the photos, subconsciously you associate "ghetto" with poor Blacks. Likewise, the term "barrio" will conjure up images of Hispanics in slums, both for the fact that the word is Spanish and articles and photos one may recall about East LA or New York barrios. Similarly, the term "trailer park" will always evoke an image of poor, uneducated whites, usually Southern, as that is how most people remember them.

Younger age groups may not have these same memories, as other uses for these terms may be more prevalent. Certainly, on this forum, the term "ghetto" is used to describe any unkempt or unpleasant area or structure, not just poor neighborhoods. And, of course, "ghetto fabulous" (one of my favorite terms) is often used to describe poor persons of any ethnicity who wear gaudy clothes or jewelry, usually costume, thinking it makes them look sophisticated. It may also describe cheap architectural features on an otherwise mundane home, added for the same purpose.

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musicman

musicman

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And, of course, "ghetto fabulous" (one of my favorite terms) is often used to describe poor persons of any ethnicity who wear gaudy clothes or jewelry, usually costume, thinking it makes them look sophisticated.

remove poor from the above sentence and i'll concur

i believe ghetto was a neighborhood where the jewish were segregated

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rps324

rps324

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I have seen at least one discussion on a different board concerning use of the term. Some people definitely find it offensive. Unlike the term "barrio," which I have always considered a term for a lower income Hispanic/Latino neighborood, I personally never associated the term "Ghetto" with any ethnic group, such as referring to an African-American neighborhood. I have heard the term used in other contexts such as "gay ghetto" so maybe that is why I don't make the association.

I know I have tossed the term around to refer to an area that is run-down or generally "tacky" looking without ever realizing how a lot of people interpret the word. I never considered it a tie-in with any minority group, just strictly a description about being "run-down."

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Mister X

Mister X

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The ghetto is where James, Florida, J.J., Thelma, and Michael Evans and their dy-no-mite next door neighbors Wilona and her adopted, and formally abused daughter Janet Jackson (who frequently got it up-side the head with a hot iron by her natural, mentally disturbed mother) tried to leave for 6 or 7 seasons but always failed, except for the last episode when they all moved to a fancy apartment building on the nice side of Chicago because Thelma's husband Keith got a job with the Chicago Bears after the injury he received on his wedding day healed. But poor James never made it out of the ghetto - he died in a horrific car crash while working down in Mississippi. Damn! Damn! Damn! Coincidentally, Wilona and Janet Jackson moved to that same fancy apartment building on the nice side of town too where they all lived happily ever after. Years later, Janet Jackson made it big time with about 2 dozen top 40 hit records. Right on! Unfortunately, the rest were never heard from again.

I think Arnold and Willis originally came from the ghetto too.

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MidtownCoog

MidtownCoog

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My Mom was at a home owners meeting a few years back. She made the comment that certain streets were starting to look Ghetto (Southbelt Area).

The blacks in attendance started to hooping and a hollerin, like she has just called them the N-word or said "you people".

Pretty damn funny. Things that make you go hmm......

In Houston, Ghetto can be anywhere.

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houstonmacbro

houstonmacbro

Posted
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The third ward, on Alabama b/w Dowling and TSU.Cullen Blvd past the bayou heading toward the south loop.Long stretches of Bellfort.This is an interesting topic to me--I'm a born and bred white girly Houston suburbanite. "ghetto" always meant "black". I recently moved back after 11 years in San Antonio/some time in the Valley, and I'm struck at my own reaction to the question. Am I falling back on old east texas habits when I still think of ghetto as black, and not mexican? I mean hell, I drive through my own end of town, down Navigation, Canal, Harrisburg; but I don't don't immediately think ghetto, despite knowing better. Just questioning my own whitey-mess, I guess. Does this resonate with any of you? My mid-60s parents come over every couple of weeks from their mini-mansion in Katy and they never comment on ghetto-ness. But then again they're both from working class east and central Texas, respectively. Weird. I've starting noticing how many of the 'new loopers' , the ones in the civic associations anyway, are not partilcularly young, or big earners, but are late 30s and 40s people who are native Houston suburbanites. Is this textbook gentrification, or something a little more going on?
Well, I am African American and I think of ghettos as black too (indoctrination I guess on my part too). However, I also have the unique ability to see ghettos as being more about class and socio-economic ability than about race. Heck, there are vast stretches of soon-to-be ghettos out in the 1960s area as well as portions of Spring and such. They are white, black, and Hispanic.So, let's all repeat "Ghettos are not just for blacks anymore"
The ghetto is where James, Florida, J.J., Thelma, and Michael Evans and their dy-no-mite next door neighbors Wilona and her adopted, and formally abused daughter Janet Jackson (who frequently got it up-side the head with a hot iron by her natural, mentally disturbed mother) tried to leave for 6 or 7 seasons but always failed, except for the last episode when they all moved to a fancy apartment building on the nice side of Chicago because Thelma's husband Keith got a job with the Chicago Bears after the injury he received on his wedding day healed. But poor James never made it out of the ghetto - he died in a horrific car crash while working down in Mississippi. Damn! Damn! Damn! Coincidentally, Wilona and Janet Jackson moved to that same fancy apartment building on the nice side of town too where they all lived happily ever after. Years later, Janet Jackson made it big time with about 2 dozen top 40 hit records. Right on! Unfortunately, the rest were never heard from again.I think Arnold and Willis originally came from the ghetto too.
I saw Thelma on an episode of Girlfriends. She was being wooed by William.
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houstonmacbro

houstonmacbro

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So if blacks live in the ghetto, and Mexicans live in the barrio, where do the white trash live?

Trailer parks?

You said it, not me. While we're one it, I was looking at neighborhoods today and drove down Imperial Valley Drive. I forget the name of this subdivision, but when I drove up in there, it was TRAILER HOMES. An entire subdivision of trailer homes!

They were all up (oon slabs?) and had a few trees, but it was unmistakably a trailer park. I didn't know they were still building these things? They did have the good sense to wall it off from society though. (Just kidding about the last comment).

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sevfiv

sevfiv

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Posted

historically: a section of a city inhabited mostly by lower income minorities of any type

now: like RedScare described...for example...accessories on a car worth more than the car itself :rolleyes:

there is still a small trailer park on 11th St. near Studewood:

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&amp...1&encType=1

even the FLW Foundation designed a Prairie-Style mobile home at one point (and FLW designed a mobile home park, too)

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Guest danax

Guest danax

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You said it, not me. While we're one it, I was looking at neighborhoods today and drove down Imperial Valley Drive. I forget the name of this subdivision, but when I drove up in there, it was TRAILER HOMES. An entire subdivision of trailer homes!

They were all up (oon slabs?) and had a few trees, but it was unmistakably a trailer park. I didn't know they were still building these things? They did have the good sense to wall it off from society though. (Just kidding about the last comment).

I know which place you're talking about and it looks bad. There were a bunch of those subdivisions thrown up (pun intended) around 1998-2002 or so on the outside of Houston (where they're not allowed). They offered 100% financing and looked sort of nice to someone with "ghetto" taste; the interiors had island kitchens (ooo...ahh) and it looked like a "house" inside. There's another one festering in a small county island east of 45 and West Mount Houston called Pine Valley. The homes originally sold for up to $120K and the HCAD values are now around 40-60K for most of them. The vast majority went into foreclosure as the people had no money into the purchases and just walked away, sometimes taking the cabinets, appliances and AC. We could do another topic on that one alone.

As for the current use of the term ghetto, the noun has become an adjective, not just for a run down urban nabe, but for a way of thinking that reflects a "lack of class" or an attempt to impress one's peers and pretend to be in a better economic state by displaying material items. Like the guy next door to me who had a late model BMW and lived in a garage apt.

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bachanon

bachanon

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my nephew claims to be from the ghetto. he spent a few years in a poor, run down, high crime area in pasadena. occassionally, he uses it as a term of endearment and other times as a point from which he has progressed, depends on who he's with.

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houstonmacbro

houstonmacbro

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I know which place you're talking about and it looks bad. There were a bunch of those subdivisions thrown up (pun intended) around 1998-2002 or so on the outside of Houston (where they're not allowed). They offered 100% financing and looked sort of nice to someone with "ghetto" taste; the interiors had island kitchens (ooo...ahh) and it looked like a "house" inside. There's another one festering in a small county island east of 45 and West Mount Houston called Pine Valley. The homes originally sold for up to $120K and the HCAD values are now around 40-60K for most of them. The vast majority went into foreclosure as the people had no money into the purchases and just walked away, sometimes taking the cabinets, appliances and AC. We could do another topic on that one alone.

As for the current use of the term ghetto, the noun has become an adjective, not just for a run down urban nabe, but for a way of thinking that reflects a "lack of class" or an attempt to impress one's peers and pretend to be in a better economic state by displaying material items. Like the guy next door to me who had a late model BMW and lived in a garage apt.

That would be Ghetto-fab(ulous).

Ick.

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