The limits of "diversity," Seattle-style

Diversity, unlike what the conventional wisdom dictates, means different things to different people. It does not have a fixed meaning.

Is it "true" diversity in an organization in which one racial or ethnic minority is the majority in a city which is 70% Caucasian?   Or is it evidence of budding segregation or ghettoization?

If one racial minority decries feeling like a second-class citizenship vis-a-vis another minority, will a city that prides itself on "tolerance" extend that tolerance to the first mentioned racial minority.   Will it allow individuals to express their opinion, or will it censor or even punish them for doing so?

Anglophilia is often taken as a code word for racism or white superiority, but afrophilia, widespread in Seattle and in the U.S. in general, is never decried as such.

In fact, so suggest that there is such a thing is considered racist.

Is muzzling opinion a manifestation of "diversity" and "tolerance" in Seattle rather than allowing for an open discussion of disagreement?




Here is my January 2015 review:

Ah, but underneath...up, close, and personal...from the inside

A 13-year member of the downtown YMCA--me--spills the beans.  The high incidence of theft (locker break-ins) correlates with the bullying, unspoken or explicit, that I experienced here from both members and staff.

A health club is only as good as the people that work there and the membership. 

You won't know this before you join, so I'll tell you:

PROBLEMS

(1) Cutting corners; lifeguard apathy

Lifeguards deciding that all along they had been "lenient" to swimmers over the past 8 years who swam up to the last minute before the lap session was "officially" over and that the rule all along was that swimmers had to be out of the pool area before (shower completed) that time.

I've been swimming in Seattle the last twenty years and have never had lifeguards decide that since they want to get "out of the joint" real quick, they will get everybody out of the pool before it is supposed to close (even if one of the lifeguards afterwards is supposed to be at the pool doing other things).

I've witnessed lifeguards shut down 25 minutes early because no was in the pool.

So I have complained, and occasionally something has been done.

This is what the current director calls "accomodating the special needs of individual members."  Plain weird.

(2) Tolerance of prejudice; Inequality; Ghettoization 

One of my shocking memories is taking an elevator with a fellow lap swimmer.  A lifeguard, an African-American woman, stepped in it as well.  The other swimmer, a Vietnamese-American, said "hello" to her, but the woman refused to acknowledge him and continued to talk to the white American staff person.

On the fifth floor, many white and black members form "buddy pairs" and osctracize members of other races.

When I first started going to the downtown YMCA in 2000, it looked more like Seattle:  70% white, 10% Asian, 5% black.  Now it is closer to 40% white, 40% black, 10% Asian, 5% Latino.

If you think it's cool to be around African-Americans--and many, many people do--even ones on welfare or with sketchy past histories, this gym might be an excellent fit for you.

In fact, it seems that the bigger a person's physical stature and blacker a member's skin is, the more s/he gets away with (South Asians, you don't count).  Rumour has it that a director who expelled an African-American for going on a 15-minute tirade against a man who simply asked if he could work in on a machine herself got walking papers.

Rules are selectively enforced; staff is reluctant, understandably, to confront someone much bigger than themselves and also face charges of "racism."

If you are small, unassertive or Asian-looking, and male, expect to be treated with less respect or even dumped on from low-level staff that find in you a valve for their frustrations.  If this sits well with you, this gym is for you then.  Women have it perhaps easier.

(3) Major security and safety issues

Rows and rows of storage lockers on all member floors:  regular lockers for clothes, smaller boxes for valuables, larger ones (just for gym clothes?), and still others for lab-tops on the main floor.   This, I guess, doesn't count the containers for needles in the dressing rooms.   Are we under siege?

These improvements all occurred after they brought in a new director three years ago.

I was harassed repeatedly here and all the staff could do was the next time I went to report an incident say to me, "Oh, yeah, ANOTHER incident?"

(4)  Selective application of rules.  Rules that keep getting posted for a few weeks, then taken down and replaced by new notices.  No one seems to have the same understanding of what those rules are.  The useful plaques reminding members to allow others work in on machines were inexplicably taken down a few years ago.  Most members don't know even what the rules are and many just don't care.  

(5) No water/energy conservation.  Some members take 30 minute showers (two nozzles at a time). And use a half dozen towels.

THE GOOD

(1) There are some really nice staff here (Becky, Jeff, Courtney, Sarah,...).  The loyalty of many members and, especially, volunteers (Well, if I have to shout-out, as is the contemporary custom:  Cheryl) is very commendable.  

Some wonderful teachers, too:

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, my teachers, Dean, Daniel, Bev, Debra, Bridgett...

(2) Great historic building, adequate facilities.


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