Top 10 reasons not to move to PHX (Tucson: legal, shop)

[EnicAZ]

mistygrl092 \

"I try to avoid this stuff, but let me tell you a real story. I am a white woman who dated an Hispanic man. One day, while at lunch, a stranger looked in the window at us. He walked in the door and said to us "did you know he was here with a black woman last night?" OMG! It took me six hours to figure that out. I saw this guy as a person with black hair, olive skin and brown eyes - that is it. And I was shocked a stranger would say such an odd thing to two people he'd never met in his life.

I have brown hair, green eyes and of very Northern European descent. Why some stranger would walk in off the street and make this comment, I will NEVER get. Oh, this was either on 7th Street or 7th Ave in Phoenix.

Yeah, racism exists, even if I am color blind."

misty,

It is unfortuante, but Southern states such as Arizona still maintain a lot of the former age outlooks. I hope your fortunes do not worsen.

[shiphead]

Originally Posted by EnicAZ

mistygrl092 \

"I try to avoid this stuff, but let me tell you a real story. I am a white woman who dated an Hispanic man. One day, while at lunch, a stranger looked in the window at us. He walked in the door and said to us "did you know he was here with a black woman last night?" OMG! It took me six hours to figure that out. I saw this guy as a person with black hair, olive skin and brown eyes - that is it. And I was shocked a stranger would say such an odd thing to two people he'd never met in his life.

I have brown hair, green eyes and of very Northern European descent. Why some stranger would walk in off the street and make this comment, I will NEVER get. Oh, this was either on 7th Street or 7th Ave in Phoenix.

Yeah, racism exists, even if I am color blind."

misty,

It is unfortuante, but Southern states such as Arizona still maintain a lot of the former age outlooks. I hope your fortunes do not worsen.

Finally someone brings up the racism in this state. I am so damn tired of people saying " its class divided" oh please. The best phrase to describe racism in this state is "closet racists." When it's comfortable they'll come out..

I too am exposed to ridiculous racism on a constant basis from both men and women. People don't realize my heritage and speak such hate in my face thinking it's funny or don't realize what I truly am.

In the end, the entire country is full of racists, it's not just Arizona or Phoenix.

[Ritchie_az]

Originally Posted by EnicAZ

mistygrl092 \

It is unfortuante, but Southern states such as Arizona still maintain a lot of the former age outlooks. I hope your fortunes do not worsen.

Arizona is pretty much universally considered a "western state" and not a "southern state". Arizona has far more in common with it's "western" neighbors of CA, NV, UT, NM, and CO than it does any of the states in the southeast U.S.

[rjrcm]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

actinic,

"Given time I suppose they'll eventually be correct, after all a broken clock is right twice a day."

You are so right that things will eventually get better. Your optimism is well founded. All the signs these days, from strong job growth to near record pace in home sales show improvement is already here and the good economic times we all associate with Phoenix are just around the corner.

- taking style lessons from EnicAZ?

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by rjrcm

- taking style lessons from EnicAZ?

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by shiphead

Finally someone brings up the racism in this state. I am so damn tired of people saying " its class divided" oh please. The best phrase to describe racism in this state is "closet racists." When it's comfortable they'll come out..

I too am exposed to ridiculous racism on a constant basis from both men and women. People don't realize my heritage and speak such hate in my face thinking it's funny or don't realize what I truly am.

In the end, the entire country is full of racists, it's not just Arizona or Phoenix.

Well, you may be right about that, but most are pretty low key and polite in AZ. Most (not all, of course) people in this state don't give a hoot about race, ethnicity or, even if they do their prejudices are not deeply held and they quickly adapt and accept people of other ethnic groups once they meet them and get over the "fear". They have that midwest superficial kind of prejudice they get from lack of experience with people of other races.

I found the remark that a poster's father feared for his daughter moving to AZ as hilarious, because I seriously doubt I would even consider moving my mixed-race bunch to the state she came from yet we have lived in peace, harmony with friends, and never a hint of ill will in AZ for decades.

You can say what you want and you have your own experiences. But in my case, I have been around enough and been in a "situation" for a long time and found that AZ is among the most accepting places I have ever lived or visited. For people of color, and maybe even more so for us whites who love them, it seems wide areas the US are "off-limits" to us if we want to be accepted everywhere and treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else. AZ is a place where we have never had to worry about it as we lived and traveled the state.

[EnicAZ]

shiphead:

"Finally someone brings up the racism in this state. I am so damn tired of people saying " its class divided" oh please. The best phrase to describe racism in this state is "closet racists." When it's comfortable they'll come out..

I too am exposed to ridiculous racism on a constant basis from both men and women. People don't realize my heritage and speak such hate in my face thinking it's funny or don't realize what I truly am.

In the end, the entire country is full of racists, it's not just Arizona or Phoenix. "

It's a big problem, and it's really too bad. There shouldn't be any of this going on, but it is here in Arizona.

[PhoenixAirConcerns]

Originally Posted by shiphead

Finally someone brings up the racism in this state. I am so damn tired of people saying " its class divided" oh please. The best phrase to describe racism in this state is "closet racists." When it's comfortable they'll come out..

I too am exposed to ridiculous racism on a constant basis from both men and women. People don't realize my heritage and speak such hate in my face thinking it's funny or don't realize what I truly am.

I've heard and seen it many times. Try not to feel bad, just keep going and keep your mind occupied with what you need to do until you can leave the area.

[Ritchie_az]

For those wanting out of Phoenix, I saw this:
7 Towns Where Land is Free - Yahoo! Real Estate
Sounds like a fresh start....

[Ritchie_az]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Well, you may be right about that, but most are pretty low key and polite in AZ. Most (not all, of course) people in this state don't give a hoot about race, ethnicity or, even if they do their prejudices are not deeply held and they quickly adapt and accept people of other ethnic groups once they meet them and get over the "fear". They have that midwest superficial kind of prejudice they get from lack of experience with people of other races.

I found the remark that a poster's father feared for his daughter moving to AZ as hilarious, because I seriously doubt I would even consider moving my mixed-race bunch to the state she came from yet we have lived in peace, harmony with friends, and never a hint of ill will in AZ for decades.

You can say what you want and you have your own experiences. But in my case, I have been around enough and been in a "situation" for a long time and found that AZ is among the most accepting places I have ever lived or visited. For people of color, and maybe even more so for us whites who love them, it seems wide areas the US are "off-limits" to us if we want to be accepted everywhere and treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else. AZ is a place where we have never had to worry about it as we lived and traveled the state.

Very well said, Ponderosa. I tried to "Rep" you, but I guess I've got to spread it around a little first....