African-American family searching for the "Good Life" (Houston: hoa, gated)

[somersetsoccermom]

MY husband is coming to Houston next week, with a day trip planned to visit Austin. As for why race is important? Well, lets just say that I have young children who have never been called or spoken to in a derogatory way, and I would like to keep it that way. Besides, I think it's funny how when AA kids are little, other nationalities will stop and want to pinch there cheeks and say how cute they are. But, let them get to be about 12 or 13 and those same people are crossing the street and clutching their purses and driving thru red traffic lights to avoid a group of AA male youths. Plus I've heard all the negative news surrounding "The Great Katrina Debacle". My husband and I are very hard working Professionals, who are raising our children to be conscientious citizens of society and the world. But I also want to protect them from the JUDGEMENT society places on them, solely based on the color of their skin. As a side bar, one of our children is a cancer survivor, and we were wondering about the poor air, and water quality. Has it impacted anyone's health adversly?

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by somersetsoccermom

MY husband is coming to Houston next week, with a day trip planned to visit Austin. As for why race is important? Well, lets just say that I have young children who have never been called or spoken to in a derogatory way, and I would like to keep it that way. Besides, I think it's funny how when AA kids are little, other nationalities will stop and want to pinch there cheeks and say how cute they are. But, let them get to be about 12 or 13 and those same people are crossing the street and clutching their purses and driving thru red traffic lights to avoid a group of AA male youths. Plus I've heard all the negative news surrounding "The Great Katrina Debacle". My husband and I are very hard working Professionals, who are raising our children to be conscientious citizens of society and the world. But I also want to protect them from the JUDGEMENT society places on them, solely based on the color of their skin. As a side bar, one of our children is a cancer survivor, and we were wondering about the poor air, and water quality. Has it impacted anyone's health adversly?

I've heard that the air is not best for people with asthma, but as for cancer I am not sure. You may want your husband to look into that with a professional on his trip here.

Now as far as Texas' race relations, from my experience, they are very good. Especially in the cities with a 100,000< population. In fact, I found it to be worse in even New York. Since Houston is generally more cosmo sophisticated than the rest of the south, I would imagine that racism is at its lowest here. So your children shouldn't have any problems.

[CT1913]

Houston is a Wonderful city for African Americans; Very Diverse. For African-Americans seeking the "Good Life".. I recommend Missouri City (Mo City). I currently live in the 77459 part of the Mo & i wouldnt live anywhere else!!!

[miwi1228]

Originally Posted by mpope409

I've heard that the air is not best for people with asthma, but as for cancer I am not sure. You may want your husband to look into that with a professional on his trip here.

Now as far as Texas' race relations, from my experience, they are very good. Especially in the cities with a 100,000< population. In fact, I found it to be worse in even New York. Since Houston is generally more cosmo sophisticated than the rest of the south, I would imagine that racism is at its lowest here. So your children shouldn't have any problems.

You are so right about race relations in TX compared to NY. I grew up in San Antonio. Our neighborhood was so diverse. Our neighbors were white, Mexican, black, Puerto Rican, Panamanian, mixed race, everybody. And we all knew and interacted with each other. When I moved to DC I couldn't beleive how segregated the city was. And then when I moved to NY?!!!!!!! Yes NY is the great melting pot but everbody has their place. Blacks live in one area, Muslims, Jews, Hispanics, Asians all live in their own little niches with very little contact with other groups. And don't think that you're going to move into a neighborhood of people that don't look like you. I hate that. When I moved to NY I wanted my kids to get to know, learn, and appreciate other cultures, but most don't want to deal with you unless you're buying from or providing a service to them. That's one of the main reasons that we're headed back to TX. NY has such a false claim of diversity and inclusion. I think that my kids will benefit more from a community similar to where I grew up. I hope we can find that in Houston.

[AKRE]

1. Do both of you plan to work in Houston, and if so, do you have a job lined-up? (Public transportation in Houston is very, well, lets call it bad. If you plan to work, you really do not want to live too far. Our highways are super-crowded, and most of the sub-urban homes are 1.5h-sitting-in-traffic-away.
2. When it comes to diversity and school ranks, I would suggest going to http://www.har.com/cs_products.htm There, you can find information about schools, neighborhoods, home values, etc.
3. When it comes to children hockey, please go to http://www.ishl.org/
4. We don’t have that many ice-skating rinks (8-10 http://www.yellowpages.com/sp/ypbrow...m=qpiCityState ) but some of them are really good (http://www.polaricegalleria.com/ (broken link))
5. Men’s amateur basketball leagues can be found all over Houston, and I am positive he will have no problem finding a place to play (and like-minders)
6. There are enough parks and sport facilities, even excellent museums in Houston, to keep you very active/busy… it’s just, that most of the year it’s too hot and humid to do anything (well, at least when you’re here for a couple of years)
Let me know if you need more info

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by AKRE

it’s just, that most of the year it’s too hot and humid to do anything (well, at least when you’re here for a couple of years)
Let me know if you need more info

To me, it's only "too hot" from June to September. The rest of the year is okay for me.

[houguy1087]

Originally Posted by Visitor2007

Based on what I have seen on this board, Houston doens't seem as black friendly as other areas such as DC, Northeast, and Atlanta.

Not true. I go to school in Boston now and have been treated worse.

[$how Me $tate Bred]

Originally Posted by Visitor2007

Based on what I have seen on this board, Houston doens't seem as black friendly as other areas such as DC, Northeast, and Atlanta.

What are you talking about. It is pretty common knowledge that Houston is great city for African Americans and anyone else. The only negative thing that I have heard from Houston inhabitants is their distaste for the Katrina evacuees who obviously mostly black. But it is not just caucasians and ethnicities other than black who share this sentiment toward the Katrina evacuees. I have family in Houston and from what I have observed in Houston is that the quality of life for AA in Houston is very good compared to other cities with a large AA population even though there is also a lot of poverty but no place is perfect. Houston always makes the top 10 for cities that have large AA populations.

[TXTrakah]

Originally Posted by somersetsoccermom

MY husband is coming to Houston next week, with a day trip planned to visit Austin. As for why race is important? Well, lets just say that I have young children who have never been called or spoken to in a derogatory way, and I would like to keep it that way. Besides, I think it's funny how when AA kids are little, other nationalities will stop and want to pinch there cheeks and say how cute they are. But, let them get to be about 12 or 13 and those same people are crossing the street and clutching their purses and driving thru red traffic lights to avoid a group of AA male youths. Plus I've heard all the negative news surrounding "The Great Katrina Debacle". My husband and I are very hard working Professionals, who are raising our children to be conscientious citizens of society and the world. But I also want to protect them from the JUDGEMENT society places on them, solely based on the color of their skin. As a side bar, one of our children is a cancer survivor, and we were wondering about the poor air, and water quality. Has it impacted anyone's health adversly?

Yes, but by segregating yourselves your not allowing white America to see that the stereotypes aren't true. It's the lack of interaction between ethnicities that perpetuates ignorance and fear. I swear I live for the day that someone doesn't have to choose where they live based on the ethnicity of the neighborhood, but rather by the beauty of the surroundings. As a white person, it deeply saddens me that you wouldn't feel comfortable living in a predominately white neighborhood. Personally, I lived in the fruitvale section of Oakland,CA for a couple years. That neighborhood is predominately black yet I never felt threatened or unwelcome.

[nooneknowsmyname]

Originally Posted by TXTrakah

Yes, but by segregating yourselves your not allowing white America to see that the stereotypes aren't true. It's the lack of interaction between ethnicities that perpetuates ignorance and fear. I swear I live for the day that someone doesn't have to choose where they live based on the ethnicity of the neighborhood, but rather by the beauty of the surroundings. As a white person, it deeply saddens me that you wouldn't feel comfortable living in a predominately white neighborhood. Personally, I lived in the fruitvale section of Oakland,CA for a couple years. That neighborhood is predominately black yet I never felt threatened or unwelcome.

A lot of us live for the day when people will be able to live in a neighborhood based soley on the beauty of the surroundings and not based the ethnic composition of the neighborhood. However, that day hasn't arrived yet and I understand completely why somersetsoccermom wants to protect her children "from the JUDGEMENT society places on them, solely based on the color of their skin."
When I had children at home, I felt exactly the same way.

As an African American professional who has lived in predominantly African American neighborhoods and predominantly white neighborhoods (I currently live in the SF Bay area in a predominantly white neighborhood), living in a predominantly white neighborhood is a challenge. While laudable, the idea that if well-educated, middle-class African Americans live and interact with whites, white Americans will realize the stereotypes is somewhat naive and Pollyannaish.

Sometimes this cross-racial interaction is productive but occasionally it backfires. When it is positive, white Americans can learn to appreciate and value their African American neighbors and colleagues and realize that their stereotypes do not apply to those particular neighbors or colleagues. Unfortunately, those insights are rarely extended to other African Americans. In other words, white Americans come to view these particularly African Americans as a special case, as exceptions to the rule, but their attitudes and views of other African Americans remain unchanged. And there are many instances where contact with African Americans, produces even more hostility among whites, particularly if the African Americans have more education and status. Personally, I've experienced both situations.

There is an extensive body research in social psychology that examines these issues and shows that mere interracial contact isn't enough to change the dominant group's ideas about other groups, particularly those the society considers to be of lower status. Dr. John Dovidio & Dr. Samuel Gaertner are two of the many individuals who have published articles on this topic. Things do need to change, but I reject the idea that African Americans are responsible for educating white people to unlearn their prejudices and stereotypes. somersetsoccermom is looking out for her children's well-being, something I believe African Americans must do in order to protect our children from the prejudices and stereotypes of the larger society.