Are there any cities where minorities are more politically conservative than whites?

[Capsicum]

Not sure if in the US, there are any examples, but the closest I could think of would be a scenario like "Ford Nation" during the time of Rob Ford's Toronto, where non-white parts of the city were less left wing than the white, downtown Torontonians. However, that was only a municipal election that was more "downballot" and where Ford's appeal was most strong -- I don't think it was true when voting at other levels, provincial or federal.

I'm not sure though if it fully balances out across all minorities too, since some minorities in Toronto (eg. the Chinese Canadians) are more conservative than others (eg. South Asian or Black Canadians).

Maybe in an American case, it'd be in places where you have fiscally centrist or socially conservative minorities but where whites are both more socially liberally and also more left wing on economic issues (eg. pro-Bernie Sanders, democratic socialist types), where minorities were less so (eg. more Hillary supporters than Bernie supporters)?

[Crawford]

I think we need to distinguish between populism and conservatism. Ford seems more populist than conservative. That said, Cubans in South Florida and Vietnamese in SoCal were traditionally Republican conservative.

Not sure if they qualify as a "minority" but Hasidic Jews vote according to the wishes of their elders, and they currently vote almost 100% for Trump (though in other cases vote almost 100% for very liberal candidates).

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Not sure if in the US, there are any examples, but the closest I could think of would be a scenario like "Ford Nation" during the time of Rob Ford's Toronto, where non-white parts of the city were less left wing than the white, downtown Torontonians. However, that was only a municipal election that was more "downballot" and where Ford's appeal was most strong -- I don't think it was true when voting at other levels, provincial or federal.

I'm not sure though if it fully balances out across all minorities too, since some minorities in Toronto (eg. the Chinese Canadians) are more conservative than others (eg. South Asian or Black Canadians).

Maybe in an American case, it'd be in places where you have fiscally centrist or socially conservative minorities but where whites are both more socially liberally and also more left wing on economic issues (eg. pro-Bernie Sanders, democratic socialist types), where minorities were less so (eg. more Hillary supporters than Bernie supporters)?

Good question and nothing comes to mind immediately.

A lot of wealthy people are liberals and a lot of wealthy people are conservative, so with that said, I'm not sure if it's a class thing today. Maybe 10-20 years ago, you could safely say that wealthy minority enclaves would vote Republican, but it has become a little more muddied today.

I would make the assumption that recent immigrant arrivals are more likely conservative than liberal [they can't vote legally though, but their offspring do and they're typically liberal bc they buy the idea that they have been victimized]. The new immigrants left all that other governmental control and other B.S. behind to come to the land of opportunity to make a life here.

[eschaton]

Miami is the obvious answer here, considering the historically right wing politics of the Cubans, and whites in Miami being generally left of center.

Of course, Miami Cubans are mostly pretty effing white. And as Miami's Latino population has diversified, it's become less right wing. The Cuban Republican base is more in the suburbs than Little Havana these days.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Good question and nothing comes to mind immediately.

Hint:


https://www.pexels.com/search/san%20francisco/

The city's most conservative districts, the so-called "west of Twin Peaks" neighborhoods, are predominently Asian upper middle class homeowners, many of them small business owners.

The most "Progressive" areas are the whiter (with a sizeable admixture of African-American and Latino) more historic areas on the east and north sides of the city like Haight Ashbury, downtown (Tenderloin, South of Market), the Mission and so on.

Clearly in this very blue city, though, the differences are only relative.

[Commentariat]

Immigrants are often quite socially conservative, even if they vote for 'progressive' political parties. In Australia, we held a ballot on same-sex marriage last year. The 'yes' vote won in 133 out of the 150 Federal electoral districts. Of the 17 districts that voted 'no', 12 were in the hugely diverse western suburbs of Sydney (the others were two similarly diverse districts in Melbourne and three ultra-conservative districts in rural Queensland). The biggest 'no' vote of all (over 70%) was in a district called Grayndler, where 85% of the population are first or second generation immigrants, Islam is the most common religion and many people have refugee backgrounds. These 'no' voting electoral districts are also the heartland of the Labor Party, which is the 'progressive' side of Australian politics. Meanwhile, in wealthy, white Warringah on Sydney's northern beaches, the local conservative MP was the chief cheerleader for the 'no' vote, yet his electorate voted 'yes' by a 3:1 margin.

Socially conservative immigrant communities tend to vote for 'progressive' political parties for other reasons, such as immigration policies that favour family reunion, access to welfare benefits, or just longstanding political patronage ties.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Commentariat

Immigrants are often quite socially conservative, even if they vote for 'progressive' political parties. In Australia, we held a ballot on same-sex marriage last year. The 'yes' vote won in 133 out of the 150 Federal electoral districts. Of the 17 districts that voted 'no', 12 were in the hugely diverse western suburbs of Sydney (the others were two similarly diverse districts in Melbourne and three ultra-conservative districts in rural Queensland). The biggest 'no' vote of all (over 70%) was in a district called Grayndler, where 85% of the population are first or second generation immigrants, Islam is the most common religion and many people have refugee backgrounds. These 'no' voting electoral districts are also the heartland of the Labor Party, which is the 'progressive' side of Australian politics. Meanwhile, in wealthy, white Warringah on Sydney's northern beaches, the local conservative MP was the chief cheerleader for the 'no' vote, yet his electorate voted 'yes' by a 3:1 margin.

Socially conservative immigrant communities tend to vote for 'progressive' political parties for other reasons, such as immigration policies that favour family reunion, access to welfare benefits, or just longstanding political patronage ties.

Something similar happened regarding California's infamous Prop. 8--the ballot propostion banning same sex marriage that was ultimately tossed out by the courts. One difference, though, was America's large popuation of native born racial minorities, specifically African-Americans, also voted for the measure along with immigrants, especially Hispanics.

Statewide, Prop. 8 was approved -- the "yes" vote was in favor of eliminating same-sex marriage -- 52.3 percent to 47.7 percent. That number is even more remarkable when you consider that President Obama won California with 61.1 percent of the vote on the same day. (Worth noting: Then candidate Obama opposed same-sex marriage.)

All five of California's most populous counties -- Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernadino and San Diego -- voted in favor of Prop. 8 even as Obama was carrying four of the five in the presidential race.

Los Angeles County -- the state's most populous -- is particularly interesting to look at. In LA County, Prop. 8 won a narrow majority of 50.1 percent. But, President Obama carried the county with a whopping 69 percent.

The discrepancy? African American voters, who were overwhelmingly in favor of banning same sex marriage (70 percent supported Proposition 8) even as they supported Obama even more heavily (94 percent). And, to a lesser degree, Hispanic voters followed that same trend -- backing Prop. 8 by a 53 percent to 47 percent margin while giving President Obama 74 percent.

The explanation? Many largely black churches supported Prop. 8 while Hispanics, a heavily Catholic community, were more naturally inclined to side with their faith -- and against gay marriage . . . .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.4e4c9733d97d

[iheartthed]

If we're talking within the limits of a major municipality, I would think that in almost every major American city the white residents are more liberal than the racial minority residents.

[Metro-One]

Chinese in Vancouver tend to vote conservative more than the white population. This is most clearly evident in Richmond.

Hate to be that guy but much of the world is more socially conservative than the white dominated west.

That’s why I always laugh at the bizarre glee I sense from some on the left every time a report comes out stating when the US will be less than 50% white. Such a transition may be the end of the Republican Party (if it fails to evolve or quickly jump ship to the new majority conservative demogaphic) but it will not be the end of conservatism in the US. If anything some values may become more conservative again.

[isaidso]

Definitely in Toronto you'll find this phenomenon. Historically they've voted Liberal (a centrist party) but increasingly they're voting for the Conservatives. Canadians of Caribbean, African, and Asian descent are drawn to the Conservatives' tendency to be anti-abortion, anti-sex education, and anti-LGBTQ.

Many come from ultra religious cultures that aren't very progressive. They make strange bedfellows as the Conservatives are typically less tolerant of people different from themselves; code for 'not of European stock'.

[Docere]

First of all one needs to distinguish between nonpartisan municipal elections in Ontario and partisan provincial and federal ones (though Canadian partisan attachments are much more fluid than in the US or UK).

In the GTA, Chinese voters clearly voted to the right of whites in the last provincial election. I think the Conservatives took over 50% of the Chinese vote judging by riding results. However I don't think a plurality of South Asian and Black voters voted Conservative.

BTW Asian Americans voted to the right of whites until the 1990s but Republican xenophobia and the more liberal tendencies of native-born Asian Americans (and probably just heavy concentration in blue states like California) have moved the community leftward.

[Docere]

I don't think a Ford coalition is possible in cities like NYC. I just can't see Staten Island Italians and Blacks and Hispanics in the Bronx voting the same way under any circumstances. In fact the white ethnics are more likely to vote with affluent Manhattan social liberal/fiscal conservative types.

Maybe in cities like L.A. or DC where there's basically no WWC whatsoever and some sort of anti-gentrification conservative populist Democrat could win heavily with minorities against a more "culturally liberal" estabishment candidate?

[Crawford]

LA proper probably has a decent-sized community of conservative-leaning working class whites, especially in the western SFV and San Pedro. Places like Chatsworth are full of white cops/firefighters and the like.

DC, no way.

[bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Miami is the obvious answer here, considering the historically right wing politics of the Cubans, and whites in Miami being generally left of center.

Of course, Miami Cubans are mostly pretty effing white. And as Miami's Latino population has diversified, it's become less right wing. The Cuban Republican base is more in the suburbs than Little Havana these days.

Miami Cubans aren't really right wingers except for the fact that Reagan upon a visit to Little Havana in 1983 said "Cuba Si, Castro No" and his hate for communism & Castro at the time.

• Video Link

[Electric Lady]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Definitely in Toronto you'll find this phenomenon. Historically they've voted Liberal (a centrist party) but increasingly they're voting for the Conservatives. Canadians of Caribbean, African, and Asian descent are drawn to the Conservatives' tendency to be anti-abortion, anti-sex education, and anti-LGBTQ.

Many come from ultra religious cultures that aren't very progressive. They make strange bedfellows as the Conservatives are typically less tolerant of people different from themselves; code for 'not of European stock'.

I don't know about African Canadians, but the vast majority of Caribbean people are staunch Liberal party supporters.

[McBane]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Of course, Miami Cubans are mostly pretty effing white.

I'll take the bait. What does this mean? Skin tone? Or something else?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by McBane

I'll take the bait. What does this mean? Skin tone? Or something else?

I just meant skin tone basically.

Cuba received a lot of migration directly from Spain in the 19th century which significantly "whitened" the island, making it by far the most European-dominated Spanish-speaking country in the Americas north of the Southern Cone. Although not as hard and fast as in the U.S., there was a color line as well, with Cubans of the ruling class mostly or entirely of European heritage.

Cuban exiles who came to the U.S. - particularly the first wave who were associated with the Batista regime - were part of this very, very white ruling class. The Cuban community diversified a bit later after the Mariel boatlift, but it's still generally true that Cubans in the U.S. are much whiter today than Cubans in Cuba.

It is probably the case that most white Cubans fail to be white under "one-droppism" - they probably have something like 10% nonwhite ancestry - mostly black. But they don't fit the typical "look" people have when they think of Latinos. In the U.S. they would be socially accepted as white, hence they have white privilege.

[dave8721]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I just meant skin tone basically.

Cuba received a lot of migration directly from Spain in the 19th century which significantly "whitened" the island, making it by far the most European-dominated Spanish-speaking country in the Americas north of the Southern Cone. Although not as hard and fast as in the U.S., there was a color line as well, with Cubans of the ruling class mostly or entirely of European heritage.

Cuban exiles who came to the U.S. - particularly the first wave who were associated with the Batista regime - were part of this very, very white ruling class. The Cuban community diversified a bit later after the Mariel boatlift, but it's still generally true that Cubans in the U.S. are much whiter today than Cubans in Cuba.

It is probably the case that most white Cubans fail to be white under "one-droppism" - they probably have something like 10% nonwhite ancestry - mostly black. But they don't fit the typical "look" people have when they think of Latinos. In the U.S. they would be socially accepted as white, hence they have white privilege.

My wife's mother is a Cuban of 100% European descent (did one of those DNA kit things). Like you say, she immigrated in the 1960's and is way whiter (skin color, general features) than me yet I am "white", she is "hispanic".

[lio45]

Originally Posted by dave8721

My wife's mother is a Cuban of 100% European descent (did one of those DNA kit things). Like you say, she immigrated in the 1960's and is way whiter (skin color, general features) than me yet I am "white", she is "hispanic".

This "Hispanic" definition as racial rather than cultural is really strange. If you're an old stock local from Galicia or Asturias (Spain), you're as Hispanic as they come, by definition, yet your DNA testing would show you to be pure Celtic Continental Western European.

On the other hand, if you immigrated to the U.S. as the unilingual Spanish speaker you are, you'd be a much more natural fit in Latino neighborhoods, at least at first. (We have a semi-similar phenomenon here in Quebec with the "Anglo" label, which somewhat transcends race. Greeks, Italians, Jews, blacks, Eastern Europeans all qualify here - provided they speak English and little to no French.)

[yaletown_fella]

Toronto/Markham and Vancouver/Richmond's first and second generation Chinese are more solidly conservative than the white population.

So is Thornhill Ontario's Orthodox (and secular Russian) jews. Gila Martow is the mpp of the most conservative riding in the entire province, even a higher % voted Ford than rural ridings that have voted conservative for decades.