Racial segregation question?

Question

When the south had separate but equal facilities for blacks and whites, which facilities did people use if they were Asian, Indian, Native American, Mexican, etc.?

Answer 1

I never recalled seeing anything but White and Colored, nothing else. Colored usually referred specifically the black people. I lived in San Antonio back during the early 60s before desegregation laws and people of Mexican descent used the same restrooms as white people and went to the same schools.In Southeast Texas we had some guys from South America in our school. I graduated from High School in 1952. Actually, though, many of the Spanish speaking people in San Antonio ancestry did not come from Mexico. Texas was a Spanish colonial possession and Spain brought 15 families from the Canary Island back in the early 1700s. At one time, their descendants composed more than 60% of the
Spanish speaking population. They considered themselves Spanish, not Mexican. They are land grant families. Those land grants say who they are. The land grants have been considered invalid by the Texas government, rightly or wrongly. But they formed a group of their own. Actually, they wouldn't allow their daughters to marry Mestizos. They could only marry into another land grant family or an Anglo of good class. Spanish are caucasians. Mexicans usually are a mixture of what is now called "Native American" and Spanish.

The word Anglo specifically means English but there it meant anybody of European origin whose first language was English.

Edit: I live less than a half mile from Spindletop, maybe less than a quarter of a mile.
Asians were very rare when I went to school but what Hispanics (Mestizos) there were went to school with Caucasians. Actually there were 2 girls that were half Filipino that went to the same school as I did.

What happened in Mississippi I really don't know. However, it looks like California had its own problem and it isn't classified as the South.

We did have a small group of people of Japanese ancestry living in the area and they went to school with Caucasians. Actually some lived in Vidor which has a notorious reputation for prejudice against Blacks. They were not segregated from Whites. There was a road in rice farming area outside of Beaumont named Jap Road. It was named that long before the Pearl Harbor Invasion and was meant to honor the rice farmers of Japanese descent that had lived there. A woman moved here from California of Japanese descent and objected to it. Finally she caused enough stir that they changed the name of the road.
It is funny how a word can have different connotations to it at a different time and place.

John one thing I believe you think the world of yesterday was like it is today. Not too many Asians in the South. The Hispanics (Mestizos) were mostly in the areas bordering Mexico. I have a feeling in states like Georgia, North and South Carolina etc
they didn't have Hispanics then. Alabama might have had some around Mobile. I don't know. It has been since the 60s that the Asian immigration to the U. S. had really mushroomed due to so many Vietnamese coming here and our need for bright nerds in so many industries. California always had a large Japanese population and I understand bigotry against Japanese flourished there.

Answer 2

When I was very young I remember the black and white water fountains in the department stores. I remember black people. I never saw any Asian, Indian, Native American, or Mexican people, and I live in Texas. I think segregation-wise, everyone was "white" except black people. I only saw Mexican people when we visited my grandparents in El Paso.
But, I also remember that the rule was that one drop of black blood made you black, whatever that means.
I will add that I never heard anyone say anything bad about black people. I wasn't afraid of black people - they were all very nice. People REALLY thought that the races wanted to be separate.
We didn't have any great civil rights marches or problems. We still don't have any racial problems in the city I live in, so to speak. We don't have a gang problem. It's a rather big, well-known city, but not Dallas or Houston. It's more Western than Southern.
And I beg to differ with MISSISSIPPI.
We did not shoot Asians...although some WWII vets still hate "Japs," but that's another story. In Texas we have "hunting accidents," and get shot in the face by the Vice President.
The Mexicans were treated very well. Everyone worked together and got along in El Paso, Edna Ferber's "Giant" took place in the early 1900's, after 1917 - Spindletop - Oil - Black Gold - Texas T.... .

Answer 3

Whites ONLY - - - what does that say? An amusing side note - - - many Polynesians are dark brown, friends of mine were small children during the 1940's and their father's business took them to Missipipi - - - when their father heard that his sons had been placed in the 'Black' classroom, he stormed into the Principals' office and threatened Armageddon.. For the next year two little brown boys sat at the back of the White classroom.
Actually Mexicans were often denied even the black facilities. Whites had the nice restroom, the blacks had the cr^ppy restroom and the Mexicans squatted behind the trashcans...

As for Asians - - - must admit that some were 'begrudignly' allowed to use White Facilities - - - it varied from place to place but in many places where there were at best four or five Asians they were 'exotic' enough to be considered o-k to mingle with whites.... But as late as 1980 in places like Lousianna and Texas it was o-k to kill Asians for no particular reason...

And the Natives - - - lumped in with the Mexicans..

A final note about racial prejudie - - - my sainted Mother was a bit naive as a young woman during the early 1960 s in California. Mother struck up a pen pal relationship with a couple in Hawai'i back before pictures & Internet- - - words only, no images. This couple were from a sister Lutheran Church and so when they came to California my Mom was delighted to invite them to her church. When Mom first met the couple she did not see 'anything wrong.' Came Sunday and Mom happily brought her friends to Church. As soon as he could the Minister and his wife took Mom aside and angrilly demanded "why did you bring N^gg^rs into OUR Church." Needless to say my Mom abandoned the Lutheran faith...

Peace........... o o o p p p o o o p p p oo oo

PS Please read Edna Ferber's 'Giant' for Texas & how it treats (er ah treated) Mexicans... This is the book that spawn a movie with Liz Taylor & Rock Hudson and James Dean.....

Answer 4

If you weren't white, you used the "other" facilities.
By the way, they had separate but NOT equal facilities.
Those facilities for person's of colour were generally run down, out of order, seldom cleaned or repaired. Then of course, it was blamed on the persons using it for the lack of "decent" facilities. Terrible.

Answer 5

Following are some actual "Jim Crow Laws"...they should answer your question....
Arizona
Marriage
The marriage of a person of Caucasian blood with a *****, Mongolian, Malay, or Hindu shall be null and void.

Maryland
Marriage
All marriages between a white person and a *****, or between a white person and a person of ***** descent, to the third generation, inclusive, or between a white person and a member of the Malay race; or between the ***** and a member of the Malay race; or between a person of ***** descent, to the third generation, inclusive, and a member of the Malay race, are forever prohibited, and shall be void.

Wyoming
Marriage
All marriages of white persons with Negroes, Mulattos, Mongolians, or Malaya hereafter contracted in the State of Wyoming are and shall be illegal and void.

Native Americans are not mentioned in the laws, but this is because other laws pertained to them. They were "bound" onto the reservations. Thos who did have "lawful commerce" in a white town were limited to where and when they could go. They, also, used "colored" facilities.

Answer 6

I remember reading somewhere about how Chinese in some area of Mississippi went to white schools, white churches, white poltical/social organizations and all that sort of thing. I remember being surprised when I read that, but then again, skin color-wise they're usually a lot closer to whites than to blacks, in fact, some of them are really lily-white in complexion. Perhaps that was a factor in why they were accepted?

Answer 7

things were different back then. There were not many minorities around and they were concentrated in urban areas which were not segregated.

It all depends on where you lived too.

I would say that all were segregated except for white people.
Minorities were treated the same as blacks.

Answer 8

In those days, if u wernt FULLY white (and by fully i mean if your granparents were fully white) then you where considered black, and you were treated as though you were black. But back then there wasnt much of a multi-cultural society as there is now.

Answer 9

Well obviously they didn't use the ones for whites. They probably used the blacks..

Answer 10

just see in side it is the same blood.and same mankind from one tree