Mondo Lizzie Borden

Another new report has come out concerning the most and least segregated cities in regards to Latinos (the last report was concerning blacks). This new report, culled from the latest census records, lists Fall River as #2 on a top ten list of most segregated cities for Latinos.

Overal Most Segregated (Averaging ranks for all 5 major dimensions) Drumroll…..

New York
Providence, Fall River, Warwick
Pheonix, Mesa
Los Angeles
Newark and Chicago (tie)
Denver
Houston and Riverside, San Bernadino (tie)
Dallas
San Antonio
Milwaukee, Waukesha

A few points for discussion:

The high scores for northeastern cities reflect the high levels of segregation for Puerto Ricans, and to a lesser extent Dominicans. I don’t know the exact data for this, but my suspicion is that Puerto Ricans and Domincans have segregation levels that are closer to blacks than Mexican Americans and other Central and South Americans. In fact, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans often live in close proximity to blacks, and the demographics that I am aware of for Puerto Ricans are often more similar to Blacks than they are to other Latino groups.

Latinos tend to be most segregated in metro areas in the northeast (more Puerto Ricans) and the southwest (more Mexican Americans and Central Americans).

Finally, these numbers tend to reflect much lower levels of segregation than blacks, and higher levels than Asians and Native Americans.

So what does this mean to the topic at hand? Practically nothing. Just because Fall River has a higher density of Latinos living in close proximity to one another does not a ghetto make.

The original question on that Officer.com site that started this line of postings by me has had another response:

RIBlue
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 4

absolutely Fall River is a slum.. I would not live there. I live in Swansea 10 minutes from Fall River much nicer. I work in RI but live in Mass because its cheaper. Look at Somerset, Swansea, Westport, Seekonk, Rehoboth before you go to Fall River. There are lots of nice small towns near Fall River.

Is it just me or does it feel wrong to have police officers, whose job it is to protect and to serve, publicly calling the place where they work, where they get their paycheck, where their job is to make the community a better place, give up on the city and advise against a family living here? What kind of public servants do we have here? Maybe it is this kind of attitude that makes this fair city less desirable overall. Maybe it is this kind of attitude that quietly betrays a silent bigotry against a city that has every chance of reclaiming its lost grandeur if only its residents and city employees found the spirit to make it happen. “We’ll Try” is probably not these guys’ motto for the city. More like “We Give Up.”

Does it take an outsider like myself to see the danger of such thinking? Wake up Fall River! Your reputation is at stake, and, consequently, your livelihoods.

On the heels of my post on police officers advising a fellow cop not to move to Fall River because it is a “Ghetto,” came this report culled from census records that gives Fall River the distinction to be one of the least segregated cities for blacks in the United States.

Now what does that say about the community?

The 10 Least Segregated Cities (Averaging all five dimensions of segregation)

Orange County California
San Jose
Norfolk-Virginia Beach
Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater
San Diego
Providence, Fall River, Warwick
Seattle, Bellevue, Everett
San Antonio
Oakland, CA
San Francisco

BTW, the word Ghetto is at odds with the census findings:
ghetto |ˈgetō|
noun ( pl. -tos or -toes)
a part of a city, esp. a slum area, occupied by a minority group or groups.
• historical the Jewish quarter in a city : the Warsaw Ghetto.
• an isolated or segregated group or area : the relative security of the gay ghetto.

Fall River cannot be both “least segregated” and a “ghetto” at the same time. Isn’t it a shame that the those two cops advised the man to move elsewhere, instead of answering his real question about what parts of the city are the best to live in? Let’s stereotype a city and ruin an ideal all at once. Makes you wonder what those two cops would think about these cities, designated as the MOST segregated:

Overal Most Segregated (Averaging ranks for all 5 major dimensions) Drumroll…..
Milwaukee
Detroit
Cleveland
St. Louis
Newark
Cincinnati
Buffalo-Niagara Falls
New York
Chicago
Philadelphia
(tie) New Orleans and Kansas City

I found a question posted on a site called Officer.com from a man who was thinking of relocating to the east coast and wondered about living in Fall River. The responses he got from contributors on the site’s forum was surprising to say the least.

Officer.com seems to be a catch all site for law enforcement people that need info on news, agencies, products, jobs, events, and matters relating to such careers. Their forum area is quite active and very interesting to read.

So what was so surprising? This:

07-05-2007, 09:10 AM
#1
just joe
Forum Member

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: ohio
Posts: 354

Living in Fall River?

My wife and I are thinking about moving to New England. Would like to live in RI, but Mass looks a little cheaper. Is this correct? What about Fall River. I am not familiar with the neighborhoods, but I see North Side, South Side, Highlands, St. Anne, etc. What’s good and what’s bad? Thanks.

Yesterday, 09:47 AM
#2
george4
Forum Member

Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 60

Fall River

Fall River = GHETTO, look elsewhere if possible..

Yesterday, 08:02 PM
#3
BlueLineCop
Forum Member

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NH
Posts: 13

I second the ghetto comment. You should look outside of Fall River

I like Fall River. A lot. It is very close to the ocean. The weather is rather mild. The city is located nearby several great cities (NY and Boston). The rental prices of apartments are slightly lower than Orlando, FL, my home state. There is a TON of history here, and not just Lizzie Borden stuff.

Now I am sure there are lots of reasons not to like it here, but that can be said of anyplace. A ghetto? I don’t think so. Not by a long shot.

Link.

Completely off topic, but fascinating to me, is this odd little find. While out taking photos I came across this Barbie doll garden in Mattapoisett, MA. At first I thought it was some sort of play area for a child, but then I saw the stone marker that designated this as an “official” Barbie Garden. Kewl!

I had been visiting the little lighthouse there in Ned’s Point.

If only this state had a Weird Massachusetts like New Jersey has! (BTW, I subscribe to Weird New Jersey and LOVE it!)

Mattapoisett, MA. Home of Ned’s Point Lighthouse and the Barbie Garden!

In a recent thread on the Lizzie Borden Society Forum, FairhavenGuy reported that 132 Green Street, in Fairhaven, the house where Emma Borden was staying on August 4, 1892, when the murders took place in Fall River, has fallen further into disrepair and a notice had gone up outside stating that.

Here are photos taken on the 3rd of July that confirm the sad truth that the building inspector has deemed the place unfit for human habitation.

It is also sad that Mr. Bruce is being thrown out of his house by the city of Fairhaven. I am of two minds here. On the one hand I say that a person should be allowed to let his house rot if he feels like it, for after all, it is his house, and last time I checked this was the United States of American, home of the free. And on the other hand, since I do not know the owner or his condition or particular eccentricities, I worry a bit that he might not have the means nor the inclination to fix the property.

I don’t know if the entire house, inside and out, is in as bad a shape as the front of the place, but it is a shame that it has come to this. And since we do not know the whole story, we might reserve judgment on the man and give him the benefit of the doubt.

I do know that this house has been slowly decaying on the front for some number of years. So I wonder how much notice the owner had to vacate and if the city truly has an ordinance or law about upkeep of properties. Perhaps FairhavenGuy will investigate further.

For those interested, here is a history of the town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

I came across a kewl blog titled A VIEW FROM BATTLESHIP COVE OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTARY FROM FALL RIVER, MA - THE “WE’LL TRY” CITY, with posts by “Lefty”. MondoLizzie is referenced here (thanks Lefty!) as are other sites connected to Fall River.

I like to read about Fall River, even if there isn’t a Lizzie mention. So here I get two mints in one!

I especially like the post on The Quequechan and its disappearance under the city.

AND, Lefty links to a SIMS2 video gamer who created a virtual Maplecroft! WOW!

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