After DanThePeoplesBlogger, his wife, my wife and I (business partners) finished our project of rehabbing an entire three flat brick building (which my wife and I decided to buy and keep), we set off to rent the two remaining apartments (we lived on the top floor).
Amongst many other people, we had an African American lady call and set up an appointment. My wife and I met with her and showed her both available floors. She liked the lower level and we indicated we would call her as soon as we made a decision, shook hands and she left.
Two minutes after she had left, our new neighbor Isabel, from across the street, came pounding on our door, "DON'T RENT TO BLACK ANTS!!! DON'T RENT TO BLACK ANTS!!" she was out of breath and seemed startled. We stared at her confused, not fully understanding what she meant.
Isabel: "Don't rent to ants, they will ruin your building, trust me, I know what I am telling you!!".
Us: "What do you mean? The ants will ruin our building?".
Isabel: "I mean don't rent to Black People, if you rent to black people, the WHITE people in the neighborhood will ruin your building! They will break all your windows, throw acid on your building, they might even burn your garage. I am not kidding, they will. DO NOT RENT TO BLACK ANTS!!! I will show you proof that I am not lying. I have lived in this neighborhood for almost thirty years, I have seen it all and I know what I am talking about!"
Isabel leaves just as quickly as she arrived. We just stood there scratching our heads.... HUH?
We decided to rent the apartment to the African American lady. She seemed to be the best candidate for the apartment.
Shortly after, I came home from work one day and found Hate-Mail in our mailbox. There was a letter which talked about not wanting Mexicans in their neighborhood, and how they were going to give us a deadline to leave.
When I read the mail, I felt furious, my heart started beating rapidly, I started sweating and my mind started racing. Who could have left such hateful mail? I closed the living room curtains and started pacing back and forth trying to figure out my next step. Should I call the cops? Should I stand in the front of my house and wait for the person who left the letter, and see if he, she or they, would have the courage to say something to my face? What do I do?
I showed the letter to my wife, and she did not seem as bent out of shape as I was. I was livid and felt like David Banner in the middle of his transformation. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!??!?
Then I remembered Isabel.
She left the letter in my mailbox, it must of been her. I read the letter once again, and this time I noticed the dates, which I overlooked my first time reading as I keyed into specific "hate" words, the letter was sent May 1980. This was Isabel's proof. This is what she went through when she moved into the neighborhood. I also noticed the address on the envelope, it was sent to Isabel's home 28 years ago. Isabel is Mexican, but when I spoke to her, she always chose to speak English even though her English was not that great, and I responded in Spanish. I guess I can understand why she tried so hard to lose her Spanish and fit in.
The next day I met with Isabel and she told me the horror stories and everything she went through just trying to fit in and be accepted, stories I might publish (with her permission) at a later time. I tried explaining that it would be unfair for us as a minority to discriminate against another minority, African Americans. I told her that her remarks were discriminatory and told her she was treating African Americans the same way White people treated her, but she would not have it. According to her, her concern was our safety, and that it would be at risk if we brought black people into our building.
I do not see her behaviour towards African Americans acceptable, but I understand her feelings, and understand she was just trying to protect us from harm.
That was the world she lived in, a world that needed fences, with anger, fear and uncertainty. Although times have changed, this is the still the same world, I can still see the generation that hates me because of who I am or what I have done. That generation has not died, and some continue to instill their beliefs from generation to generation, it is their inheritance. Hate.
This is my world, and and that is the truth.
TTRH
I will type and post the contents of the actual letter, tomorrow or at a later time.
14 comments:
I agree man. Its easy to hate and harder to build foundations of justice and good. No one wants 'ghetto' people living next door. However their are all types of 'ghetto people'. THis includes white, black, asian and all between. If the African American lady was your best fit then she was your best fit and be allowed to live where she pleases. Its unfortunate fear and ignorance still dominates many peoples thinking. Good for you though and standing up for what you believe even when its not easy.
Good for you. Old habits die hard, and that goes for cultural things too. I remember my parents being the same way against anything Japanese--back in the 1980s, they would not buy anything Japanese made, insisting on American cars, American housewares, American everything--all because to her, World War II was still very fresh in her mind. Heck, my parents wouldn't even eat sushi until the '90s, until they were convicted themselves that the everyday Japanese person had nothing to do with the war, and they were as much human as they were and deserved the dignity and respect that any created human deserves. Good for you, standing up for what you know is right.
I would like to think that I am a good person that is above such feelings, but I am not sure. I enjoy the diversity that Chicago has to offer, but at the end of the day, I go home to my predominantly white neighborhood were people are more like me.
For example, I like Asian people and some of their food, but I don't want to live next to an Asian family whose cooking forces me to close my windows and stay inside. Does this mean I am prejudice? I hate the smell, not the people, but does that really matter? After all, I still don't want to live next to them.
El Pelo Rojo
Milan,
Thanks for your comment, very well put. I always appreciate your comments as they are usually dead on, and you express yourself in a very respectful manner.
DynDragon,
Thank you for your comment too.
I am not sure if we can take credit for doing the right thing though. We picked the AA lady because she was single and had no children, so the reality is we chose her over a family of 2 or 3 kids who could possibly cause more damage to the apartment than a single person, so that in itself is discriminating right? Or do I have the right to protect my building and chose the person or persons who I believe will take better care of the apartment?
Anonymous,
Thank you for your honesty, and I truly believe we all discriminate at some point. It has more to do with wanting to live in peace more than anything.
TTRH
I've read all of your posts and find them quite interesting yet I have not felt the need to reply until now. I grew up in a predominantly African American neighborhood in the back of the yards area of Chicago. Growing up in such a tough area created the prejudices I now have. I saw the destruction, racism and violence all around me and even targeted towards us. Being a 10 year old and having bikes stolen from you while you are on them will create lasting memories. Anyway, I recently had an apartment for rent and I had several African American families view it and even showed interest in renting. Aside from their credit being horrible, I could not bring myself to rent to them. I had flashbacks of the devastation in the neighborhood I grew up in. Not all African American people are ghetto or low-class yet the ones that are have ruined the race in my opinion. At the end of the day, I like going home to my predominantly white neighborhood as this gives me a sense of tranquility. Something I never felt as a child!
Anonymous II,
I understand how you feel, however, I'd like to think that bad people are just bad people, regardless of the skin color.
Thanks for finally posting!
TTRH
Everyone seems to agree that "bad/ghetto/fill in the blank" people are everywhere and do come in all colors. The bigger pains in the ass were the white people (I think there is a post about them) that lived there--not the black lady, not the Chinese people. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to really see who you are renting to in just one or two short visits. You basically have your gut feeling to go with and sometimes that doesn't even work out. Having a person fill out all kinds of applications doesn't guarantee that they'll be good tenants either.
Maybe being a landlord has more cons than pros...
"Can't we all just get along"....together?
M
Reporting from the south......
This area is very racial.
You have your die hard white trash rednecks who are borderline KKK.
And you have the invasion of anything latinos who relate to rabbits also againts African Americans.
My point is that in this whole town there are probably less than 100 African American families.
When these families go to say the Wal-Mart (which by the way is this towns highlight) people will stop stare then start whispering.
No Joke.
Imagine being black in this town.
It's a wonder they foung anywhere to live.
M
I rented to Black people and they were great. But I did think twice about it and felt terrible for it, not because I have anything against them but what if someone in the area does and decided to graffti my house?
I do think Isabella was just trying to watch your back.
Nothing wrong with not renting to people with kids.
My wife and I considered buying a three-flat in the past as an investment, but decided against it because we new we wouldn't be good landlords in the business sense. My wife would be too picky as to who she would rent to and I would not have the heart to through someone out that is down on their luck. Renting is a business and like any business, you have to protect your assets and turn a profit. I don't see how you can not descriminate to some degree. It is not necessarily a race issue. Say you have to choose between a scary looking white biker guy that makes $100K and an attractive woman that makes 40K. While the biker guy is more likely to pay on time, I would choose the woman because she would be less likely to do damage and it would be easier to rent out the other units.
El Pelo Rojo
Yaya,
I agree with you, being a landlord sucks. The word "landlord" itself is kind of weird. Lord?
M
I can imagine just how tough it is on those families considering there are a ton of people in GA, still driving around with the confederate flag. Scary!
Dan the Man,
I agree with you, but fortunately, as with you, we never had any issues with our AA tenant.
Pelo Rojo,
I would have definitely rented to the attractive young lady! Just kidding, but actually not, that is another story for another time.
Thanks for posting friends and family.
TTRH
Of course you have the right to protect your property. There are friends that I let drive my car, and there are friends that I'll never loan my car to. When you've started making decisions based on a person's in-built properties (not just race) is when you've crossed into dangerous territory.
Skin color is just that, color. Crap, you could call me racist against assholes, but that's about it. I'm Caucasian and some of my best friends are African American, it has nothing to do with skin color, but what's inside. I know there are racist losers out there that will never drop it, but let those narrow minded fools burn in their own little hell. Being part of the USA means being part of the great American melting pot of races and cultures. People need to learn and grow from other races, not frown against them!
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