Asian acceptance in Berea (Lexington, Richmond: travel, hospital, homes)

[LTT]

I am Asian and my wife is american; we have a 3 month old baby, and we are thinking about moving to Berea. Will we be accepted okay or should we worry about any racism there?

[kimmieyky]

LTT - I honestly do not believe you are going to have any problems at ALL.
Berea is a college town - people come from all over. It is known for it's arts and crafts, hospitality and wonderful hills and scenery.

I would fall over if there was an ounce of racism toward your family.

I have sent a message to suncoastman- a friend of mine here on the board who is moving to Berea himself (maybe in the process right now) - hopefully he will be able to answer you question better than I.

In the meantime - contact http://bereachamber.com/ - and just flat ask how the racism is. I would expect the answer you get to be honset - as they are very open to new neighbors - but they will be truthful about the info you seek.

Good luck to you- and I do believe you are going to love the town. A google search will bring up all the arts and crafts, festivals, etc. - I hope you find it helpful.

Kimmiey

[suncoastman]

Originally Posted by LTT

I am Asian and my wife is american; we have a 3 month old baby, and we are thinking about moving to Berea. Will we be accepted okay or should we worry about any racism there?

Hi LTT.....

As Kimmie said in her post, Donna & I are moving to the Berea area soon ourselves (from Florida). We will be there soon to look at some additional homes. This will be our 4th.trip there.

Never once in all our trips have we found 1 iota of racism from anyone we encountered, & although we are not Asian ourselves, we observe people very well wherever we travel.

With Berea being a college town, there are a diverse group of people attending the college & living in the area. I think you will be fine & will really fall in love with all that Berea & the surrouding area has to offer.....we have.

I firmy believe if you treat people as you want to be treated, are fair & honest with those you come in contact with....you will have no problems. Go to the Chamber of Commerce & also to the L & N Train Station - The official Welcome Center. You will find everyone to be genuinely friendly & helpful.

Joe

[Kichenwich]

G' Morning LTT! I have to agree with Joe, Berea is a very friendly area. There are several kids in my daughter's school who are Asian, and as far as I know, there has never been a problem. Plus, I substitute teach for the Madison County Schools, and have never seen racism or bias towards Asians. So, pack up ya stuff and head on in-we'll be glad to have ya! ~joanna~

[boggsbj]

I am African American and my father lives in Berea, KY. I grew up in the area. It has always been a racially and culturally diverse area. Berea College has provided the opportunity for the community's diverse heritage. The college has always had a large population of international students. I attended Eastern KY University in Richmond a few miles from Berea and had many friends at Berea College. I believe the college has a couple of graduates that became U.S Supreme Court justices and other prominent Americans. Also from what I understand the college closed its doors during the Civil War years and moved to Cincinnati, OH because blacks were not allowed to attend the college. In Cincinnati, blacks were allowed to attend. They returned and opened their doors after the war. The college is also very wealthy; they own lots of land and some utility companies. The bought land from my father a few years back just to keep open spaces in the area. When I was growing up there in the 70's and when "mixed" marriages became more common, couples often moved to Berea from other small town because they were accepted there. Berea is not a wealthy community. There are many poor folks there, but the college makes the community more diverse. Be sure to eat at Boone Tavern, the college-owned restaurant, and try the spoon bread, a Kentucky classic. Lexington, KY, about 40 minutes away has a Japanese population due to the Toyota Plant in Georgetown,KY. KY is a friendly place and a beautiful state; get out, meet people and enjoy. I live in Illinois now and it's always great to get back to KY and experience that southern hospitality.

[Off Topic]

If I had to select one small town where racism was the least problem, it would probably be Berea.