Why do people in Hampton Roads stare at me so much? (Norfolk: money, tree)

[The Dissenter]

I think Randomdude and Erma hit it on the head. Yes, HR does have the military which brings diversity but you can't really fault someone from Hampton or Portsmouth for example for not having exposure to different cultures on a day-to-day basis. When I moved from Hampton Roads to NoVA in '04, I went from a sippy cup of diversity to a 3 liter bottle of diversity and this is from someone who went to Tabb High which had a sizable amount of people of color.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

I think Randomdude and Erma hit it on the head. Yes, HR does have the military which brings diversity but you can't really fault someone from Hampton or Portsmouth for example....

How much diversity does the military really bring? The military is disproportionatley made up of people from rural areas or extremely poor inner city "ghettos" neither of which has much diversity at all, and as a result does not reflect the general composition of the American population. In fact, some of the most racist and intolerant people I have ever met in Hampton Roads were members of the military.

[nycricanpapi]

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

Are there many Puerto Ricans in that area? In NoVA, there are a lot of Salvadoreans, Mexicans, Peruvians, and Jamaicans but not as many from PR. If not, people are simply not that exposed to the different mixes of PRicans and other Caribbean mixes.

Are you wearing the baggy pants with Ecko hoodies or shirts, Ed Hardy-esque clothing, trucker hats, Sean Jean clothing, etc.? Alot of that stuff isn't available in parts of NoVA so you're probably sticking out like a sore thumb.

The other thing I can think of is that the Virginia Indians (Powhatans, Mattaponi, Pawmunkey) are very mixed peoples -- indigenous, black, and white. They are originally from the southern parts of VA. They look very mixed so some people might think your a tribal member -- not so bad. I think Virginia favors their Indians (it's where it all "got started", you know Pocahontas, the English settlement, all that stuff).

You're just different - revel in it! The next time someone looks at you strangley, just say "Good morning" and smile at them!

Lol, yeah I am trying to smile at them and say hi, but sometimes is kinda tiring because I'm not used to that. Sometimes I get aggravated because people are too friendly lol.

Originally Posted by Randomdude

This reminds me of my fiance. She is from Miami and darker skinned Dominican, and she has the ability to identify most Carribean descendents by sight as to where they are from (and I guess from what you say, people in NYC have that ability as well).

However, here in Virginia, she has been identified as everything from Indian (as in from India) to African American, but not once has anyone entertained the possibility that she is Dominican at all. She has moved way beyond being offended, and now often laughs at the stuff she is mistaken for.

So, Ive definatley seen first hand what you probably deal with in that respect. The only thing I can say is that, Hampton Roads is a very long way from NYC or Miami. People are still very black and white, often backwards, and almost always have never been exposed to a rainbow of nationalities, races or creeds. I mean, most of the people here can only identify a person as "white", "black", "Indian","Mexican", "Asian (which often just gets grouped together as "Filipino")". If you dont fit in to one of those neat little boxes, you might flip someone out in this little burg!

Yeah this is true. People always think that all hispanics are Mexicans. Many people do not know that Puerto Ricans are the only Hispanic group that even though if they are born in Puerto Rico they are US citizens.

Originally Posted by sevenfiveseven

I guess Im cut from a different cloth, but I just dont understand these supposed staredowns? Your race? your clothes? Some of the theories I read on here are too funny! All I can say is instead of asking us why these people look @ you maybe should have asked them to their face. Also, if I hear a Northern accent I sometimes ask that person where they're from to be conversational (because us Southerners are supposed to be soo nosy/back stabbing/and friendly all-in-one right?) When I go to Boston to visit my fam, I get asked all the time where Im from, so I would have to say this is not rocket science.

LOL then I would be asking everybody, because many people tend to stare at me lol.

Originally Posted by SVTLightning

When i was stationed in HR I worked with a few Puerto Ricans, hung out almost daily with 2 of them and they dressed normal and acted normal, never got stared at by anyone that I noticed, nor did they ever mention anything like that.

I think HR is a big melting pot contrary to what someone else said. Any military town will have different ethnicities in abundance. If people are staring at you it is something you are doing or the way you are dressing, not simply because you are puerto rican. or you could just be paranoid lol

I lived in PR for 2 years and wasn't stared at by anyone.

Well the Puerto Ricans from PR tend to dress differently from the Puerto Ricans from the states. Also a lot of them "surfers" lol. So maybe they blend in, in how the people of VA Beach dress lol.

[Jesco White]

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[ellar]

I grew up in the Northeast and then went to the Midwest for college and the deeper south for my first job. I do remember being struck by how many people would try to look me in the eye when I would walk by in the Midwest. I found that those from small towns in particular would wait to see if I would look at them and smile, and if I did we we would say hi to each other and move on. If I didn't look right away, some of them would keep looking until I met their gaze. It didn't matter if it was a man or a woman, they just seemed accustomed to saying hi to people (rather than ignoring others) and would wait for opportunities to say hi. I came to really like it. I find here there is more of a mix of northerners and southerners. (I've run into tons of people from the northeast). So it could be hit or miss here, but it sounds to me like you may just be experiencing a different way of life among some of the locals here. I find when most people are scared of someone of a different ethnicity, they tend to do the opposite--They don't look at them.

[nycricanpapi]

Originally Posted by ellar

I grew up in the Northeast and then went to the Midwest for college and the deeper south for my first job. I do remember being struck by how many people would try to look me in the eye when I would walk by in the Midwest. I found that those from small towns in particular would wait to see if I would look at them and smile, and if I did we we would say hi to each other and move on. If I didn't look right away, some of them would keep looking until I met their gaze. It didn't matter if it was a man or a woman, they just seemed accustomed to saying hi to people (rather than ignoring others) and would wait for opportunities to say hi. I came to really like it. I find here there is more of a mix of northerners and southerners. (I've run into tons of people from the northeast). So it could be hit or miss here, but it sounds to me like you may just be experiencing a different way of life among some of the locals here. I find when most people are scared of someone of a different ethnicity, they tend to do the opposite--They don't look at them.

Oh that is very surprising lol.. So the people would keep staring at you until you say hi to them? LOL... That's funny. Yeah it is true what you are saying, because I am still getting used to the way of life here. I am always in a hurry lol. I go in and then I go out. Even the people drive too slow for me lol. I do not got patience, even though i'm trying to have patience lol.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by ellar

.....I find when most people are scared of someone of a different ethnicity, they tend to do the opposite--They don't look at them.

Who says they're scared? My fiance and I are stared at constantly, and I can guarantee you its not because someone wants to say "hi". I think there are very few people who fear a different ethnicity simply based on the color of their skin alone. If that were the case, they would visibly be uncomfortable working around them, and I havent seen that once.

However, there are many people who dislike or dissaprove of certain ethnicities doing certain things, acting certain ways, being in certain places, etc, and that will certainly be met with staring here in the good ol' South. Its even multiplied when people have difficulty identifying or incorrectly identifying your ethnicity.

[Erma]

Originally Posted by Randomdude

Who says they're scared? My fiance and I are stared at constantly, and I can guarantee you its not because someone wants to say "hi". I think there are very few people who fear a different ethnicity simply based on the color of their skin alone. If that were the case, they would visibly be uncomfortable working around them, and I havent seen that once.

However, there are many people who dislike or dissaprove of certain ethnicities doing certain things, acting certain ways, being in certain places, etc, and that will certainly be met with staring here in the good ol' South. Its even multiplied when people have difficulty identifying or incorrectly identifying your ethnicity.

I enjoy people watching, could sit in the mall for hours just watching people, different types of people or just observing their actions. I don't believe it has anything to do with disliking or disaproving. People in general are very curious.

[VA7cities]

Yall NY people kill me! Always want to feel special. But you could just have a very abnormally large head.

[nycricanpapi]

Originally Posted by Randomdude

Who says they're scared? My fiance and I are stared at constantly, and I can guarantee you its not because someone wants to say "hi". I think there are very few people who fear a different ethnicity simply based on the color of their skin alone. If that were the case, they would visibly be uncomfortable working around them, and I havent seen that once.

However, there are many people who dislike or dissaprove of certain ethnicities doing certain things, acting certain ways, being in certain places, etc, and that will certainly be met with staring here in the good ol' South. Its even multiplied when people have difficulty identifying or incorrectly identifying your ethnicity.

Wow you and your wife are stared constantly? Do you ignore them? Gee, because right now i am stared when im by myself... and I get vexed lol.. So how do you react when people stare at you constantly?