Claremont Racism? (Los Angeles, Riverside, Pomona: crime rate, neighborhood, high school)

[EffNine]

Greetings,

My wife is currently thinking of attending the Claremont Graduate University. We currently live in upstate NY; Rochester, NY to be specific. I have read wonderful things here about Claremont, CA and we are excited about the possibility of getting away from 7 months of winter! I have always wanted to live on the west coast and would love to be there for the next 5-7 years while she gets her PhD. Now, I am hispanic and she is white, I highly doubt that would be a problem in a small college town, but there were a few posts on here that mentioned things like the KKK and blatant racism in Claremont. While she is in school I would have to get a job and would like to work in Claremont to support her and although I doubt the situation is as bleak as the poster who suggested this I couldn't help but ask. so feel free to comment on the situation.

[VLWH]

Here is a breakdown of the race demographics for 2008 for Claremont:


White Non-Hispanic (65.0%)
Hispanic (15.4%)
Other race (5.2%)
Black (5.0%)
Chinese (4.4%)
Two or more races (4.1%)
Korean (1.5%)
Other Asian (1.5%)
Asian Indian (1.4%)
American Indian (1.3%)
Japanese (1.0%)
Filipino (0.9%)
Vietnamese (0.9%)

Source city data: City-data

Alos to mention, the crime rate index (also from the site) for 2007 shows that Claremonts crime rate much lower than the national average. Claremont is in the Eastern end of the Los Angeles county and surrounded by many other cities, so you will not have that small town isolated feel there. Quite a large hispanic population in the area in Claremont and in the surrounding communities. interacial couples is not unique to the Los Angeles area and I don't think you will have a problem at all.

[MIKEETC]

I will be very surprised if you are subjected to any racism in Claremont. I've never felt any discomfort of any kind in that city - well, there was the time I received a speeding ticket...hee...hee.

I think you will be okay. And if you like meatloaf, go to Heroes. That place has the meanest meatloaf...

[NickelDime]

Claremont? Racism? I'm sure the incident in the post was an outlier (or out liar ?). I grew up in that area and there are plenty of minorities represented (in some cases, no longer considered 'minorities'); relations are very good. The Claremont Colleges are nestled in a mecca of schools - beyond the Colleges, you have Univ of La Verne, Cal Poly Pomona, Mt. Sac & Citrus jr colleges and DeVry. There are young people all over the place. Come for a visit and judge for yourself - I can't imagine you'd feel the least bit uncomfortable.

[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by EffNine

Greetings,

My wife is currently thinking of attending the Claremont Graduate University. We currently live in upstate NY; Rochester, NY to be specific. I have read wonderful things here about Claremont, CA and we are excited about the possibility of getting away from 7 months of winter! I have always wanted to live on the west coast and would love to be there for the next 5-7 years while she gets her PhD. Now, I am hispanic and she is white, I highly doubt that would be a problem in a small college town, but there were a few posts on here that mentioned things like the KKK and blatant racism in Claremont. While she is in school I would have to get a job and would like to work in Claremont to support her and although I doubt the situation is as bleak as the poster who suggested this I couldn't help but ask. so feel free to comment on the situation.

You've got to be kidding. No one in Southern California cares. Besides, its not like Claremont is a self contained town. Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernadino, and Riverside Counties are like one giant city. I'm guessing whereever you live in Claremont, you will be a 10 minute drive from no less than 5 other cities.

[EffNine]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

You've got to be kidding. No one in Southern California cares. Besides, its not like Claremont is a self contained town. Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernadino, and Riverside Counties are like one giant city. I'm guessing whereever you live in Claremont, you will be a 10 minute drive from no less than 5 other cities.

That is what I suspected. I was just thrown so off guard by the comment that I couldn't help but to ask. no student has made any comment of the like, but that one post just threw me for a loop.

[RobE]

Dude, as long as your laidback and friendly like most other folks in SoCal, you will be fine.
You're from New York? If you get any racial guff it will most likely be from other hispanics (most of the CA hispanics are from Mexico and Central America) who don't like Puerto Ricans (in my teenage years heard a lot of dissing of Puerto Ricans from the Mexicans, especially the gang members, in my neighborhood). I don't know how hispanics here feel about Dominicanos. If you're Mexican-American, though, no worries.

As far as whites go, there are nutbars everywhere who don't like minorities. But that is not even close to being the majority (or even a significant minority) attitude in Claremont or anywhere else in CA. And, to be frank, cretins who go spouting that white supremacist stuff are considered white trash by just about everybody, so feel free to look down on them since everyone else does. Most of them are drug addicts who flunked out of high school anyway.

[warduria]

HMM, that's horrible.

[Forever Blue]

I live about 20 min away from Claremont & I've never heard about any racism. It has that old town feel, so if you like that, you shoud like it there. I personally have no reaosn to go to Claremont myself.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by EffNine

Greetings,

My wife is currently thinking of attending the Claremont Graduate University. We currently live in upstate NY; Rochester, NY to be specific. I have read wonderful things here about Claremont, CA and we are excited about the possibility of getting away from 7 months of winter! I have always wanted to live on the west coast and would love to be there for the next 5-7 years while she gets her PhD. Now, I am hispanic and she is white, I highly doubt that would be a problem in a small college town, but there were a few posts on here that mentioned things like the KKK and blatant racism in Claremont. While she is in school I would have to get a job and would like to work in Claremont to support her and although I doubt the situation is as bleak as the poster who suggested this I couldn't help but ask. so feel free to comment on the situation.

Believe you will have no problems with your mixed relationship. This is very common all throughout So Ca. The problem you may have is finding employment. Yes, it is bad, probably much worse than you can imagine. This does not mean you will not be able to find work, but be prepared.

I have never heard of any KKK activities in Claremont, someone would ahve to prove that to me...It is a small college town, with lots of trees and a very liberal, progressive feeling. It would remind you in many ways of the east coast except for the weather. I mention liberal. the entire area surrounding Claremont leans conservative so when I say liberal, I do not mean completely so as in some college towns, but certainly more than OC or some of San Gabriel Valley.

Nita