So is it really as bad as some posters say? (Des Moines: travel, job)

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by naughtychica

I hope that a 2 year period of living in a town with 98.9% white people won't be harmful to my kids. ?

Don't you think it's kind of racist to say that living around all of those white people will hurt your kids? Whites are human too. I think you need to open your mind a little and be more accepting. Look at people for what is on the inside, not the outside. Free your mind and your ass will follow. Be colorblind, don't be so shallow.


Oh, I'm sure virtually every school in Iowa offers Spanish. The school district I went to (Des Moines) offered Spanish, Italian, French, German (I took up to German 5. Good times), Japanese, Russian, Chinese and I think Arabic now. I'm sure most smaller districts offer Spanish though.


Who uses French? France. Quebec. Parts of Belgium and Austria. A few places in the Caribbean and Africa. I'll be attempting to use it in ten days when I'm in Paris. French is a good langauge to know. While you might not be able to boss around your landscapers with it, you can learn a lot about the English langauge through French, as well as better enjoy some great literature, art and music that has come out of the French speaking world.

[irvm]

In 2 years, the white will wear off onto your kids, who'll insist that you call them 'Buffy' and 'Chipper', and will expect 'dear mumsy' to come root for their lacrosse team.

[MarriedWithOutChildren]

irvm- HILARIOUS!!!

El Rhino- I interpeted what she wrote as that she wants her kids to learn diversity and experience other cultures' way of life.

[SharpHawkeye]

Your kids will be fine.

I'm not sure how long you've been away from Iowa, but it sounds like it's been a while. I would estimate that 90% of all schools in Iowa offer/require Spanish. At many of the smaller ones, it's the only option--at the larger schools, as has been said, there are a great many more.

The same goes for cultural opportunities--move to any of the larger cities in the state and you will find people from all over the world. Move to East Pole Bean and...well...you won't. Des Moines and Iowa City are especially good as far as offering cultural opportunities. It's especially remarkable how far Des Moines has come in the last decade or so! If you move to a larger city, you should have no problem making friends--especially with all those nursing school contacts you'll have.

[Riverbank]

You find what you look for. Californiabound! We have lived in Calif. for almost 50 years and are leaving having retired this year. Iowa is the place for us. Have we lived there, no. Will we love it, yes. You take your self and live with it. We have done our home work and the cost of living in NW Iowa appeals so much to us that we have already bought a home in Havelock and both our daughters have moved there already. We will be there as soon as we can sell our home in Riverbank The rent, utilities, expenses are very affordable and the school system is very good as my granddaughter is finding out (freshman in HS). So, California bound good luck whereever you end up. I would vote for Iowa. Paul

[metro223]

I lived in Keokuk until about 3 years ago, and agree the area is beautiful, but as far as i know Lee county (keokuk/f.m.) has the highest poverty rate in the state, as well as meth, maybe that was then. I enjoyed the area but i lived in a neighborhood that butted up with the country club, many areas of the town are in horrible shape, and crawl with druggies.

If you lived in Keokuk/Ft. Madison and liked it, I assure you, the Quad Cities will only be better, it's obviously on the mississippi as well, which is great, and yes there are bad areas, but thats easy to avoid.

Bettendorf and NE Davenport, Pleasent Valley are great newer areas, Davenport also has beautiful older neighborhoods that don't consist of too much crime. I hope you will consider this move.

[Not Iowa]

Originally Posted by Tek_Freek

Your acceptance usually depends on your acceptance.

You will be accepted as part of a community when you accept that community as yours and act accordingly.

Those that complain about lack of acceptance haven't seen or cannot see that simple truth.

This makes absolutely no sense. What are you saying here, conform? Could you please list the rules of conformity for all to adhere?

[Milliano]

Originally Posted by Not Iowa

This makes absolutely no sense. What are you saying here, conform? Could you please list the rules of conformity for all to adhere?

If you cannot understand the basics of community, sense of community, social capital, culture, etc etc and only understand extreme individualism, then you might have a problem in any place that has a shared culture. If you want to be an extreme individualist, then don't expect people to be accepting of you. After all, if you care so much about individualism, then such things like others acceptance shouldn't matter to you.

[Not Iowa]

Originally Posted by Milliano

If you cannot understand the basics of community, sense of community, social capital, culture, etc etc and only understand extreme individualism, then you might have a problem in any place that has a shared culture. If you want to be an extreme individualist, then don't expect people to be accepting of you. After all, if you care so much about individualism, then such things like others acceptance shouldn't matter to you.

I said nothing of indivualism - it was the "act accordingly" statement I would like clarification on. How, exactly, does one "act accordingly"?

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Listen Up!

Wow where to start... SouthSide Des Moines is dirty, smelly, ugly,... but the people there are proud to be a SouthSider. Same goes for the North, and East Side. You dont want to live by the fairgrounds... It smells like rotten pig flesh. You dont want to live in the South Side.. There is a bunch of racist rednecks. You dont want to live in the North Side... Its ghetto... Same goes for the SouthEastBottoms which is also ghetto... Meaning poor housing...Poor everything... Wow lets talk about the West Side... If you want yuppy, racist, ignorent white people go to Des Moines... That city is a safe haven for "excuse my language" RACIST ********!!! The city is only 8.5 percent black, 7.5 hispanic and 1 percent asian... Wow get some culture Des Moines!!! The time i was there i experienced the most open racisiom i have ever experienced... AND IM WHITE!!! White people in Des Moines only have 3 catagories a black male can be. A drug-dealer, a gang banger or a thug.. WTF is that!?!?!?!? If your hispanic you must be a gang banger a drug dealer or you dont understand english meaning its ok to say racist things to them cus they dont understand!?!?!? Asian must own a nail shop.. Because of profiling...What a sad experience.

Sounds like most places in America. I am trying to realize and accept the fact that the same racism in Iowa can be(and is) found in any other place. Almost every places has "yuppy racist". I live near Atlanta where there are racist yuppies, black and white. The difference is that no one is open about it.