Are Foriegners welcome? (Anchorage, Coldfoot: living in, law, land)

[kiwi crusader]

The images I have seen of Alaska remind me alot of home, (New Zealand) although Alaska is a lot colder. I have been living in Australia for the last 10 years, and I am really starting to miss the mountains. I work as a pilot in Australia and I know there is a lot of aviation in Alaska. My wife and I have been lucky enough to win green cards in the lottery and I am very keen to head up to Alaska in the near future. What I am wonderering is whether foriegners are welcome. Alot of places I have been the locals doen't like losing jobs to 'outsiders' and I was wonderering if that is the situation up there?
Any help would be most appreciated.

[FishTAxi]

Hi! I really wanted to go to New Zealand but chose Alaska because I'm American. My daughter spent many years in OZ and used to go back and forth. She's settling down and taking classes at UAF this winter.

Foreigners are most welcome here. Hell, BP is British, Shell is Dutch and the proposed Pebble Gold Mine is Canadian.

My town has OZ parties. Nobody plays rugby though!

[mal_flisk]

If foriegners aren't welcome, I'd be pretty surprised as the population of Anchorage is almost as cosmopolitan as most of the other big cities I've lived in.

[c.adam]

I think people are judged upon their actions, and treated accordingly. I would even venture to say there's more prejudice with folks from the Lower 48 than overseas.

[Glitch]

80% of the 800,000+ tourists who visit Alaska every year come from other countries, only 20% are from other states. This past June I was fishing for Kings between a group of Japanese tourists on one side, and bunch of Swiss truckers on the other side, and we had a great time.

Alaskans love the outdoors, the scenery, the wildlife, the environment, and are very friendly. We live in a land of extremes, so we look out for each other. If you get a flat-tire on the road, or get stuck in snow, you can be certain an Alaskan will stop to see if you need assistance.

[DannyL]

I believe we're the only state where it is against the law to intentionally by-pass a stranded motorist.

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by kiwi crusader

Alot of places I have been the locals doen't like losing jobs to 'outsiders' and I was wonderering if that is the situation up there?

It is true up here in a way, but a lot of that resentment is native-driven. And I can understand up to a point, but let's get real about this.
You're a pilot, I'm not. It's pretty childish of me to be resentfull of a job that was never mine, and wouldn't ever be mine for a very long time.
That's the way I try to explain it to them, but usually it doesn't work.

[missyM]

Let's see, I was there for 2 weeks in July; there were Norwegians, Italians, Filipinos, Russians, Africans, and even some folks from Boston.

[c.adam]

Originally Posted by DannyL

I believe we're the only state where it is against the law to intentionally by-pass a stranded motorist.

In the winter... yes. But don't expect me to stop on the haul road if you didn't pack a spare tire, or were dumb enough to leave Coldfoot with tires needing air, and you knew it. Sorry, but I'm 30 and know better.

[mal_flisk]

Yeah, you'd stop. If only to be able to tell your fellow truckers about the idiot you had to save.