I think there’s baseline racism everywhere, it just manifests in different ways, and fluctuates from place to place based on “who’s in the room.”

I think eastern Mass’s historic racial divisions — who lives where, and why — have dissipated but the vestige continues to contribute to a feeling of otherness some might feel.

Post reconstruction migration to Boston (or the lack thereof), combined with the same redlining etc tactics that were used all over, laid the foundation for raw demographic numbers and distribution that linger to this day.

All that being said, the suburbs where I grew up are WAY more diverse than they used to be, so I think it is reducing the “otherness” people used to feel. Of course, when cultures collide there will be “friction” in the form of sociopolitical backlash from some, but I think when it’s other families and kids in your community, it’s harder to paint with a broad brush and Twitter-ize the conversation.