The Great White North

Isn't this what they call Canada? I think it applies to Massachusetts as well.

Earlier today, Dr. Bombay and I were discussing the weather. This is not as trivial as it seems. You see, the weather here today is pretty awful. I know, Boston in February. Who could have guessed? Let it be known that I've decided that several inches of snow topped with several inches of rain is one of my least favorite weather situations.

As the conversation then moved to warmer places that we would like to be or perhaps live (all aboard for Auckland, New Zealand!), Dr. Bombay wondered why on earth I left the Bay Area, home of vegetarian restaurants, 60-degree winter weather, and cultural diversity. Good question.

Normally, when asked these kinds of questions (which, incidentally, usually come up in the winter), I feel a pang for the weather. I felt that today as well, but I also have been really noticing lately how white it is in my neighborhood. And it's not just because people are February-pale. When I lived in Oakland, I was fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing amount of cultural diversity. I just took for granted that I would hear languages other than English on a regular basis and that there were thriving communities of color. Davis Square? Not so much.

The whiteness of where I live has often struck me while riding on the T. There seems to be a line that is drawn at about the JFK stop on the red line. North of that stop, there are mostly white people. South of that stop, there are way more people of color. This is the line that seems to extend throughout the city and it seems pretty segregated to me. Of course, this usually happens to some degree in cities -- I think about the differences between certain neighborhoods in Oakland, for instance -- but there is something about it that seems especially pronounced in Boston.

People who have lived here longer than me (and there are a bunch of 'em) might accuse me of stating the obvious, especially given Boston's history. But just because this is how it's been for a while doesn't mean that it's okay with me.

I'm just saying.