Any other Hispanics in NC other than Mexican? (Cary, Oriental: living in, club)

[belkysg]

I am from Venezuela my husband from Puerto Rico. Two teenagers ( boys) from Palm Beach FL. Moving from Weston, FL. looking for a better place. I hope we are making the right move. We will be there Nov.1st.
Can someone tell me more about Fuquay Varina?



Thanks!!

[miss kelly]

Its not easy to move to NC. I grew up in LA, then in San Francisco for 15 years (entire young adult life), and moved to Durham 2 1/2 years ago. So many things I love here, So many things I miss there.

I have yet to meet any Cubanos here. Mexicanos are by far the most prevelant. I am a musician almost finished putting together a Son de Cuba ensemble-- the goal is to capture Cuba in the 30's - 50's-- in energy, style, dress, & sound. I'm having a hell of a time finding a piano player and trumpet player versed in Son. The musicians interested in these spots are either Mariachi players or too new to Son de Cuba.

Where do you live in NC? Oh, and hey, do you play piano, trumpet or Tres guitar??? (joking)

Kelly

[Anyelina]

I`m Anyelina, live in Boca RAton, florida and I`m going to relocate to Asheville the next year! 2008.

I would like to know if in NC the people discriminate hispanics...don`t want to feel bad there for being hispanic!!

I am a licensed massage therapist in florida, I would highly appreciate any suggestions about my profession at this city, thankyou!

[River57]

Hi Belkysg,

I currently live in Fuquay Varina,NC. It has been a great town to live in and raise my boys, but is currently experiencing some growing pains as the roadways have not kept up with the development. It is a bedroom community about 20 miles south of Raleigh.

If your husband is transferring up this way to work in RTP (Research Triangle Park), he will have close to an hour commute each way to work.

Fuquay has done most of it's growing in the last 15 years or so, but still manages to retain some of it's southern charm despite the rapid influx of outsiders. It is not especially culturally diverse, though it does have a large Mexican/American component.

Cary, a town about 15 miles NW from here, though often referred to as suburban wasteland (a Starbucks on every corner), is significantly more diverse with a large Asian and Mid Eastern population and a sprinkling of Meditteranean and South American as well. It is larger than Fuquay, but has done a better job of managing it's traffic challenges, I think.

If you are buying a home, you are likely to get more for your money the further out from Raleigh that you go. You might want to look into Apex as well. It still has small pockets that are somewhat rural and it has a lovely downtown area.

It's hard for me to say more positive things about Fuquay, because it has just grown too big, too fast for me. As my husband and I near retirement age, we are beginning to look to less congested parts of the state and Virginia.

Good luck on your move from FL. We moved here 16 years ago from Boynton Beach FL, when our boys were 12 and 6. You may want to investigate the magnate school program when you get into Wake County. Though the regular school system seems to be okay, the magnate program made it possible to keep my boys in the same schools year after year and moving along with the a core group of kids. In an area such as this, that is growing faster than the school system can keep up, the boundary lines get changed frequently and kids get moved from one school to another after a year or two. I thope that helps.

[gypsychic]

This is an interesting thread! I am a native Floridian, recently purchased in Asheville where I live part time. I am a Spanish-American, ancestors came from northern Spain to Florida - many Latinos of different heritage in my native Tampa. I don't "look" "Hispanic" - which to me is a strange term to lump all Spanish-speaking peoples into, so it's quite possible there are many more Latinos than realized because many of us do not necessarily have an "exotic" or dark-skinned appearance.

Asheville seems to be attracting more and more people of different ethnic origins - I have met people from different countries, as well as people from all over the U.S. including larger cities in NY, California, the NE,etc., and they all just LOVE it here!. It has a cosmopolitan feel, and if I'm not mistaken has a couple of Cuban restaurants, along with Italian, French, Carribbean, Mediterranean, and many others. I think people of any culture or ethnicity will find acceptance here, it is wonderful.

[MrsBTA]

Well - only 1/2 Venezuelan, but it's definitely been a big part of my culture and upbringing. My mom now lives in Asheville, and she's met some other South Americans there too - her neighbor is Chilean. It's funny, I was out there when some of my aunts/uncles were visiting from Venezuela, and we all went out to lunch. The waitress heard us speaking spanish, but I guess we don't look "dark" enough to be Hispanic, so she thought maybe we were Greek!

I just moved to Cary, and I've definitely found that most people seem to think anyone who speaks Spanish is Mexican. And they don't realize just how different we can look (not all Hispanics are super dark!) - since my family is fairly light-skinned to begin with, and that the other 1/2 of me is white, I "pass" for white about 99.9999% of the time. Every once in a while, I'll meet someone who notices the undertones of my skin or certain features look "different" but they usually can't figure out what I am It goes the other way too - since I don't have blond hair/blue eyes/pale skin, when I'm in Venezeula, no one thinks I'm an American.

Anyway, I was extremely excited the other day when I walked into Harris Teeter and found Harina P.A.N. - I'll be making arepas tomorrow. So I can't be the only one here!!

[robeve310]

Count one more Cuban, and one more Puerto Rican on the way from FL to NC. We are moving to Kannapolis. My baby son is South Korean. My husband looks like one TALL mexican ;o) He is over 6FT tall.

I am a teacher and he works in the Computer industry.

Glad to see so many Cubans on the post.

Eve and Rob

[alice_61]

I believe our real estate agent in Raleigh, Alfredo Rodriguez, is Cuban. He moved to NC from Florida many years ago. His Spanish skills were vital to communicate with the seller, who was from El Salvador and didn't speak much English.

[Khayla007]

Originally Posted by i'minformed

There are hispanics in NC other than Mexicans, but they tend not to be immigrants, at least not recent immigrants. As pretty much said by everyone else on here, the majority of hispanics in NC are mexicans. And that's because the majority of them are either illegals or recent legal immigrants to the country. But there area also a significant number of puerto ricans and cubans who either immigrated first to New York or Florida (respectively) and then later moved to NC, or were actually born in NY or FL and ar citizens, and now live in NC. Also, there is a significant amount of mexicans who either first immigrated to or were born in Texas and the southwest and have moved to NC.

Puerto Ricans don't immigrate so to speak as they have American citizenship. Just don't vote on the island of PR

[Khayla007]

Originally Posted by cylenay

Nothing against the Mexicans but are there any other Hispanics here in NC? Just moved here a year ago and seems like Hispanic is synonym for Mexican! They aren't the only hispanics here, are they?????

Charlotte has a Hispanic population. I posted this somewhere else but can't seem to find it. The Mexican population is by far the largest here. Next would be Colombian, Central and South America, Dominican and then Puerto Rican. I haven't come across many Cubans except at the Latin Festival in October & calle cinco during the summer. There must be a Cuban population here because Charlotte,NC and Rock Hill, SC both have Cuban restaurants (the one in Rock Hill is very good if I may add). Also there seems to be a difference in the black Cuban and the white Cuban so to speak.

Before I moved here I have never seen or dealt with the Mexican population. People in NC (not all) seem to lump any Spanish speaking person as a Mexican & illegal. The Colombians, Dominicans and Puerto Rican population are apart of the mainstream. More of the Central Americans (NOT ALL) and Mexicans seem to stick to themselves