Why is Vancouver's homeless/drug abuse community composed mainly of Caucasian?

[urbandreamer]

^Why is Japan's homeless comprised mostly of Japanese?

It's the same thing in Vancouver--the white folk have been there longer, and had more chances to screw up. Give the new comers (meaning those arriving since the 1980's) a few generations to trickle down and you'll see a greater reflection of contemporary Vancouverites.

[flight_from_kamakura]

^ agree 100%. it's simple history. white people have been there the longest. just last night down here in sf, some asian-descended crackhead tried to grab the phone out of my hand. it has nothing to do with entitlements or any of that right-wing fantasyland bullshit.

[djmk]

i've seen all types in the DTES, however, i think by %'s, i believe the natives are over represented.

[ozonemania]

Asians have been in Vancouver as long as caucasians have. In fact, Chinese and Japanese were the first 'bums' of Vancouver having been sequestered into ghettos.

[urbandreamer]

^Yes, however those Chinese were a tiny minority. Perhaps 5000 people today can say they were descended from those people. If there were 5,000,000 descendants, we'd have a more equal representation.

Also, I'd argue many of the white homeless are from back east--how many Chinese lived in the Maritimes 150 years ago?

Finally, having known quite a few of these homeless or des types, I'd say a fair number of the "white" men were metis.

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

^Yes, however those Chinese were a tiny minority. Perhaps 5000 people today can say they were descended from those people. If there were 5,000,000 descendants, we'd have a more equal representation.

Also, I'd argue many of the white homeless are from back east--how many Chinese lived in the Maritimes 150 years ago?

Finally, having known quite a few of these homeless or des types, I'd say a fair number of the "white" men were metis.

If someone asked me to say of the top of my head what percentage of homeless in Vancouver are either meti or native I would say over 50%, and I think I wouldn't be far off. One thing I also noticed is that there is a huge over representation of homeless from rural BC towns and outside of Vancouver. My guess would be the lack of social services in rural cities at all points of life that are to blame for this, and all these extra people that fall through the cracks because of this end up in Vancouver or Victoria.

[Pinion]

This thread is pretty horrible, and getting very repetitive. I'm surprised mods will lock a thread on the Canada line for no reason but leave this shit open.