Oppression and Privilege

One perception is that people view race relations in major cities as better than in small communities. The common wisdom is that in larger cities people become more accepting of those from different nationalities.

But the opposite also holds true. People can distance themselves easier in a larger city because neighborhoods and enclaves are often set up along racial boundaries. A person of another race crossing those lines might appear as foreign, as if they have come from another planet. Or worse, as in the Trayvon Martin case.