Is arkansas really racist? (Fayetteville, Jonesboro: trip , work, houses)

[citydata2006]

Originally Posted by Joseph

I live in Fayetteville and I am racist. I recognize the differences between the races and, like virtually everyone else, I prefer to live amongst Whites.

I have a couple of questions for you:

1) If you HAVE to choose to live among certain groups other than whites, do you have a preference of one over another and why?

2) How do you differenciate someone who's 75% white, but don't look white as someone who's 50% white but look very white? Would it matter more how much percent white they are or would it matter more how white they look?

3) Would you accept someone like Hillary Clinton who's 1/16 black as a white person?

4) Do you know that one of you great grand mother could be like Hillary and has some black in her and you might have some black genes in you?

5) If you have a choice of lettting your daughter marry to a white guy who's a wife beater or a say Hispanic guy who will treat her well, which one would you choose.

I am just trying to see the degree of racism.

[winnie]

Originally Posted by billyboy2674

Well,be it how it may,as I study one thing and another,I can't get my mind off Arkansas,I'm just in love with it,to Arkansas I will be going.

What exactly do you love about the state?? I have been through there numerous times and am just curious..there are other places you can have lots of acerage and animals and be at peace!

NM for example - wonderful climate, lots of farms, more stuff to do, and there is a lot more culture than Arkansas...AND the best part is that they have a wonderful hispanic population who celebrate their heritage rather than worry about hiding it.

Quite frankly I would be more concerned about Arkansas that others are letting on here. I have been through there and through MS and AL. I had nasty comments made to me in that state because I stepped in front of a young african american girl to protect her from having a bottle smashed off her head. Some redneck thought it would be funny to throw a Snapple bottle at a 3 year old. The bottle broke over my leg instead of her face and someone in the crowd called me a n***** lover. That was 5 or so years ago - not 30.

I agree - when you are white you tend to not see half the racism that goes on in this country.

Northern AZ is also is quite the place to live if you want peace and tranquility. Have you checked either state I have mentioned out before??? They might be right up your alley!

[NC little foot]

Originally Posted by winnie

What exactly do you love about the state?? I have been through there numerous times and am just curious..there are other places you can have lots of acerage and animals and be at peace!

NM for example - wonderful climate, lots of farms, more stuff to do, and there is a lot more culture than Arkansas...AND the best part is that they have a wonderful hispanic population who celebrate their heritage rather than worry about hiding it.

Quite frankly I would be more concerned about Arkansas that others are letting on here. I have been through there and through MS and AL. I had nasty comments made to me in that state because I stepped in front of a young african american girl to protect her from having a bottle smashed off her head. Some redneck thought it would be funny to throw a Snapple bottle at a 3 year old. The bottle broke over my leg instead of her face and someone in the crowd called me a n***** lover. That was 5 or so years ago - not 30.

I agree - when you are white you tend to not see half the racism that goes on in this country.

Northern AZ is also is quite the place to live if you want peace and tranquility. Have you checked either state I have mentioned out before??? They might be right up your alley!

Unbelievable! I would have taken that bottle instead of the child also. Good for you. I'm white and not racist. There are Bad black, white, hispanic, and Asian people everywhere. Thank God we are not all this way. NJ is a very expensive state to live in but you would fit in here. Good Luck.

[winnie]

Originally Posted by citydata2006

I am just trying to see the degree of racism.

There is a fine line between wanting to continue a culture and being racist.

My family is Italian American. When my father was dating, it was always my grandfather's hope that he would bring home an Italian woman. Not that he hated other cultures, but he wanted him to find someone who understood the family and the traditions. He wound up marrying German

But that does not make my grandfather a racist in my book. There are people from all walks of life who want their kids to marry within the culture. This includes Russians, Europeans, African Americans, Latinos, Asians and the like. Now if you indulge in the name calling, segregating behavior, assault on people's body and property, disown your child for marrying the German??? Well...that is a whole nother issue.

A good friend of mine, African American, is a upper middle class, well dressed, well spoken, friendly guy. He was looking for homes in Southern NY. His realtor knew his price range (which could have bought him homes in some nice areas) and took him out house hunting. Would you believe that this realtor had the gall to take this young man to every cheap ghetto area in the city??? He wouldn't show him any of the nicer neighborhoods - not because he couldn't afford it, but because those neighborhoods were mostly white. It really opens your eyes when you hear things like this. And NY is such a diverse state too. You would think that I was talking 20-30 years ago. This was last summer.

[mlrfo4]

As I have stated in most my posts, come check it out for yourself. For some reason you people that have passed through or heard it from someone who heard it from someone, do not really have a clue about what your talking about. I am in Mountain Home and had my brother in law come back earlier this year. He is hispanic, dark skinned and he spent a week here with no problems. We went and ate in a bar/restaurant, played pool, had a few beers and people around us where talking with us having a good time. I have another friend here that his wife is Philipino and she has had no problems and has made many friends. Are there people here that I hear make comments about race......OF COURSE. You know what though.......I HEARD THE SAME THING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. I have not seen any crosses being burnt in peoples front yards. There are so many people in this area that have come here from different areas, Illinois, California, New York, Florida................ It's time you all wake up and reallize things change, the south has changed !!

[sweethome_NWA]

Bigoted remarks and comments have flourished here, but I am not call those comments racists. everybody has right to separate them selves from the rest of the society and to live with whom they want, and I don't call this people isolationists, but when those people start marginalizing and hating a specific group of our society that becomes racism. let me explain what the racism means in a short sentence. it is a hole inside the racists minds and hearts. Please remember in every country or state or culture there is a component of racism among its people. this is the human nature. Many people don't realize the extent of racism that white people are suffering from everyday. when a white owner restaurant/company etc hires only white people it is labeled "Racist" but in the other hand when a minority or other race owned company does the same it is a "cultural/pride" matter. We all have to admit that racism exist among all races and need to adress the problem and look beyond our racial, cultural, and religious differences. we are all from the human race. we have to learn the lesson from our soldiers, different colors, races, sexes and cultures in one body fighting side by side our enemies, won't you be proud of that?! We spend too much time talking about race and racism while we should recognise and celebrate our differences and diversities.
enjoy this great country!

[RCL]

Originally Posted by sweethome_NWA

Bigoted remarks and comments have flourished here, but I am not call those comments racists. everybody has right to separate them selves from the rest of the society and to live with whom they want, and I don't call this people isolationists, but when those people start marginalizing and hating a specific group of our society that becomes racism. let me explain what the racism means in a short sentence. it is a hole inside the racists minds and hearts. Please remember in every country or state or culture there is a component of racism among its people. this is the human nature. Many people don't realize the extent of racism that white people are suffering from everyday. when a white owner restaurant/company etc hires only white people it is labeled "Racist" but in the other hand when a minority or other race owned company does the same it is a "cultural/pride" matter. We all have to admit that racism exist among all races and need to adress the problem and look beyond our racial, cultural, and religious differences. we are all from the human race. we have to learn the lesson from our soldiers, different colors, races, sexes and cultures in one body fighting side by side our enemies, won't you be proud of that?! We spend too much time talking about race and racism while we should recognise and celebrate our differences and diversities.
enjoy this great country!

I agree with you, sweethome and many of the other posters here. I think the problem that's not being addressed is (1) inadequate law enforcement (both domestically and along the borders) and (2) law enforcement simply not doing their job when they see crimes or they are reported (whether apathetic or just plain corrupt), and (3) a prison system that does little, if anything, to actually re-habilitate people who have committed crimes.

I do believe that the reason there are more blacks in jail than whites is not because there are more black criminals, but because law enforcement is more inclined to be lenient with whites. If you have a white kid out on a drunken frenzy and he relieves himself on the front of the neighbor's house, and someone takes a pic or a video, right away that gets posted on the college humor sites...and the neighbor whose house it is may be upset about it, but they will just say "Kids will be kids" and then either clean it up themselves or make the kids come back (if they can find them).

But if it's a black, mexican or asian kid, watch out. All of a sudden the "kids will be kids" theory goes out the window and the mantra changes to "The neighborhood/State/Country is being taken over by these X, Y or Z type" and you have a big witch hunt.

That may sound like a simplistic opinion of the world, but I believe it's true of many places in this country. I have even seen this happen in CA.

The only thing that's going to change a place is growth by people moving in from other places, who are not entrenched in age old mentalities. However, uncontrolled growth can also be bad. What I hope to find is a place where they have what's called "smart growth" where the urban planners are forward-looking and willing to design their city/town smartly with the right lot sizes, traffic patterns, growth restrictions in certain areas for conservation of wildlands, etc...while still planning a reasonable level of urban density so that it's not one big sprawl. It's also nice when public transportation is in the design from the start, even if it's not implemented right away (for economic reasons or whatever), just as long as it's planned for. There are a lot of areas in this country where people thought they would never grow the way they have been growing over the past several years and a lack of planning for public transportation has created big problems.

Whether one can find this type of "smart growth" in Arkansas or not remains to be seen but there is a lot of natural beauty in Arkansas. I hope they take strides to protect and preserve it with smart growth measures.

And I hope (and would think) that growth and change will bring some remediation of the social issues as well.

[Marat]

Originally Posted by billyboy2674

I'm a single man living in chicago right now and thinking of possibly moving to arkansas in the near future,possibly Yellville or close to that area.I love country life and have lived in the country before.
I look white but am of hispanic origins and have heard some nasty things about southern states in general so I'm wondering if I would be trated fairly in a town like Yellville or nearabouts.
Wanna make sure I have a fair chance of that before I take further steps.
Any info welcome.

Hey Billyboy. I haven't read all the other posts, but wanted to respond. Unfortunately there are still racist attitudes around, including the Yellville area. I grew up in Flippin, which is just a few miles from Yellville. However, I don't feel the area is racist overall. You mention having hispanic background. One of my brothers and one of my sisters both married hispanics while living in Texas. They've been to the area many, many times, and have never had any problems. I've specifically asked them if they had, because of the small town stereotypes you mention. If you were a satanist, yes you would most probably be rejected and judged. Hispanic.. I really don't think you'll find anyone who cares, certainly not after they talk to you once or twice. That area is filled with some of the most awesome people you'll find anywhere.

[mandellin]

Is Arkansas Racist? Yes. I am a white girl with a google of hispanic friends (some who look it and some who do not). I lived in Mexico after my graduation and therefore know quite a bit of Spanish. The latinos/hispanics here love me because I am one of about seven people I can think of who can even help them translate.

If you are looking for a large hispanic population(I will say a safe haven since that is what my hispanic/latino friends call it or some days Mexico Chiquito) Conway is a great place. Also Danville right outside of Russelville. Mountain View is wonderful, but I have honestly never seen anyone of any other color/race there. Heads get turned alot around here when I am in a store or resturant with my hispanic friends..and alot of comments are made. People just assume that because my friends and I talk in Spanish that they don't understand English and I have spent many a night trying to stop fights from stupid comments made from going on.

I think it is shameful, personally..alot of people will not even give hispanics a chance around here. I mean, at least give them a chance to prove themselves! I dated a wonderful hispanic guy earlier who also did not look it...and people still talked when we went out..it just wasn't as frequent. I have also dated a very dark skinned Mexican guy and let me tell you - heads turned constantly. To be honest with you,even my family members were racist about the whole thing, but I gave them the if you don't accept who I am you will lose me as a family member speech and they have lightened up some..but not by much. It was to the point that my friends told me they would not go out with he and I because they felt embarrased that all these people were akwardly gawking at us.

Be very cautious of places like Marshall and Vilonia and Searcy..those are still hot and heavy with hate groups like the KKK.

I know it is sad,but it is the truth and I feel like since I have been in the position of listening to so many of the hispanics who live here I am giving you some solid reasoning.

I went and visited with my friend Marcos today in Clinton. That might be a place for you to look into..but be very particular where you look. There are several places there that hire alot of hispanics so the hispanic population is growing in leaps and bounds..but you would still have your country life as well. Of course,you can always go to the Chuckwagon Races on Labor Day for some fun.

Hope this helps,
Mandy

[tweety]

Originally Posted by billyboy2674

Thanks to both of you.
I've lived in the country before so the lifestyle change isn't much of a problem.
I had done some research on arkansas and just fell in love with it.
Yeah I'm light skinned and don't look hispanic at all.
Money is no issue,and I've been researching on yellville or sorrounding areas,with the intent of buying a house/farm and some acres of land so I can live at peace with the animals.
I love country life.So mindset won't be a concern.

As long as there's running water and electricity that is.

I don't think most Americans are racist against Hispanics unless they are here illegally in our country and it isn't actually racism anyway it is contempt for those who do not honor our borders and our laws. Unfortunately most illegals are Mexicans, therefore all Hispanics are being judged because many who are citizens are sticking up for them. One can be ones own worse enemy you know.