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Old 01-23-2011, 01:42 AM
 
2 posts, read 20,024 times
Reputation: 29

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I have been out of the Navy for alittle over a year now. I moved to AZ to go to school, but I realized that this was a mistake. I have been called the N word on four different occasions. Scottsdale area has this good old boys way of thinking. I don't recommend this city to anyone who is black or of any other race other than white. I am getting out of this city the first chance I get.

 
Old 01-23-2011, 01:48 AM
 
Location: Tempe
1,832 posts, read 5,738,547 times
Reputation: 1738
Naw those are just the 30k millionaires who go around thinking they are black.
 
Old 01-23-2011, 02:11 AM
 
Location: SoCal/PHX/HHI
4,125 posts, read 2,807,333 times
Reputation: 2873
People in Scottsdale don't even know who they are, if you let them get to you, then sadly, there's probably no place you can go.
Quick question, what are you going to do when you face real racism, and not some bass ackwards name calling in Scottsdale? You gonna run away then also? and before you fly off the handle, I'm Black and I lived in AZ for 6 years, and still work there.
 
Old 01-23-2011, 08:16 AM
 
2,942 posts, read 6,489,330 times
Reputation: 1214
There is some racism in every city and every town in America and in much of the world. I have said a number of times that I'm in a mixed race family and have experienced less racism here (Phoenix metro, not Scottsdale specifically) than anywhere else I've lived. Does that mean one won't encounter it? No. But it's not embedded into the daily lives of folks here. Live in Houston for a while. Or better, Mississippi. Even the places in California and Washington I've lived seemed to have more.
Does that excuse the ignorant folks who said those words to you? No! They're morons. And I believe "what comes around goes around" and "you reap what you sow".
But I think overall there is very little actual racism here.
Sorry you had some bad experiences.
 
Old 01-23-2011, 10:57 AM
 
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
44 posts, read 122,883 times
Reputation: 36
there is racism everywhere. There are closed minded bigots everywhere. There are "good ol' boys" everywhere. Does that excuse being called a name? Never. It hurts and it's scary and it's inexcusable. But it's not going to stop. sad but true.

My husband is black and his family was the first black family to live in a small town back in the late 60s. The stories he has are sick from his childhood about the way they were treated. People yelling the "n" word at them as they walked home from school. nice! And this is the west coast! Despite that, he has never been afraid to go anywhere or let someone intimidate him. ever. My husband may have more self confidence than anyone I know.

We were approached by some skin heads while we were visiting Austin, TX and that was scary BUT we will go back because business takes us there.

My point? don't let others affect you and what you do and where you go. Be stronger than that. Coincidentally we know several black people that live around Scottsdale and PHX that have not had any trouble and love it there.

I'm sorry that some asshats have ruined AZ for you.
 
Old 01-24-2011, 02:04 AM
 
1 posts, read 15,759 times
Reputation: 16
You know I have never been one to cry racism. Having grown up in the deep south, lived in the east and west. Less than a year ago I relocated to Scottsdale, AZ for a job, at first we noticed the difference where we previously resided was a largely good mix of people, this was not. On one trip to the grocery store we stood out as the only black family shopping there. That wasn't a deal breaker. We even started looking to buy a home in the area, love the mountains. Then one day while jogging with my wife a passenger in a passing car yelled the N word needless to say it was our last jog. In Dec while shopping for Christmas in a local mall this store manager and sales associate kept following us around as if we stole something and when we got to the register she demanded my wife open her bag to be checked, deeply insulted we didn't buy anything and gave the corporate office an earful the next day. Couple of nights ago while heading home from a visit to friends in Chandler this Scottsdale police officer stopped us, was driving within the speed limit since my two kids in the car. The officer got out and asked if this was my vehicle and it looks nice( implying maybe too nice for a black guy at 9:30pm in Scottsdale) officer then stated the reason for the stop was the tag on my car looks like a one that was reported missing, asked for DL, insurance and registration. I complied. Within few seconds three more police cruisers showed up, thinking to myself it must be a slow crime night for the SPD. The other officer walked over to the car hand on the gun, I informed him there are children in the back, he smiled and said he is here to make sure no one gets hurt. After this last episode we are regretting having taken this job which pays more and moving to this place. Am sure people are not the same, there're good and bad everywhere. However, I can't risk leaving my family in a hostile environment. That's why we are moving to Chandler. So the answer to the OP is live where feel free from fear. I googled and got this link, thought I share my not so pleasant experience here hopefully it'll help.
 
Old 01-24-2011, 02:29 AM
 
Location: San Francisco, CA
14 posts, read 67,284 times
Reputation: 24
This sounds about right. I was visiting the area for about a week and noticed a lot of this sort of thing. While it may not be correlated, it just seems everyone has a staring problem.

I watched groups of women make comments about a hispanic family that walked by and then laugh about how they should have asked him to fix the garden in front of the shopping center. On another day I saw store staff stalking an African American family that could clearly afford the clothes at Dillards for no apparent reason. And while this isn't racism, and I don't consider myself a flaming homosexual, being called a "******" at least three times certainly was the frosting on the cake. I was disappointed, I was simply visiting, and if anything helping the economy.

I haven't seen that many white people in a long time, it certainly felt good to be back in San Francisco after that trip. Mind you I'm white. I'm very sorry that these sorts of attitudes and treatment are happening to you folks. It's certainly not appropriate. And to those saying "it happens everywhere" does not excuse the fact it's happening at all. There is definitely different attitudes and values in this area than others of the United States. I have never observed such treatment of other people, not even in small town highly conservative christian reformed West Michigan where I grew up.

Jeremy
 
Old 01-24-2011, 06:48 AM
 
141 posts, read 398,822 times
Reputation: 80
I can't help but notice that these horror stories are coming from people with only 1 post. I hope that isn't a coincidence...
 
Old 01-24-2011, 06:56 AM
 
Location: Metro Phoenix, AZ USA
17,914 posts, read 43,184,047 times
Reputation: 10719
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremy_david View Post
I haven't seen that many white people in a long time, it certainly felt good to be back in San Francisco after that trip. Mind you I'm white. I'm very sorry that these sorts of attitudes and treatment are happening to you folks. It's certainly not appropriate. And to those saying "it happens everywhere" does not excuse the fact it's happening at all. There is definitely different attitudes and values in this area than others of the United States. I have never observed such treatment of other people, not even in small town highly conservative christian reformed West Michigan where I grew up.

Jeremy
I don't think the attitudes of SOME people here are any different than those of SOME people in every other area of the United States. No, it shouldn't happen at all, but it does, and it can, happen anywhere. I would not make such broad judgments of a place after being here a week.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce1981 View Post
You know I have never been one to cry racism. Having grown up in the deep south, lived in the east and west. Less than a year ago I relocated to Scottsdale, AZ for a job, at first we noticed the difference where we previously resided was a largely good mix of people, this was not. On one trip to the grocery store we stood out as the only black family shopping there. That wasn't a deal breaker. We even started looking to buy a home in the area, love the mountains. Then one day while jogging with my wife a passenger in a passing car yelled the N word needless to say it was our last jog. In Dec while shopping for Christmas in a local mall this store manager and sales associate kept following us around as if we stole something and when we got to the register she demanded my wife open her bag to be checked, deeply insulted we didn't buy anything and gave the corporate office an earful the next day. Couple of nights ago while heading home from a visit to friends in Chandler this Scottsdale police officer stopped us, was driving within the speed limit since my two kids in the car. The officer got out and asked if this was my vehicle and it looks nice( implying maybe too nice for a black guy at 9:30pm in Scottsdale) officer then stated the reason for the stop was the tag on my car looks like a one that was reported missing, asked for DL, insurance and registration. I complied. Within few seconds three more police cruisers showed up, thinking to myself it must be a slow crime night for the SPD. The other officer walked over to the car hand on the gun, I informed him there are children in the back, he smiled and said he is here to make sure no one gets hurt. After this last episode we are regretting having taken this job which pays more and moving to this place. Am sure people are not the same, there're good and bad everywhere. However, I can't risk leaving my family in a hostile environment. That's why we are moving to Chandler. So the answer to the OP is live where feel free from fear. I googled and got this link, thought I share my not so pleasant experience here hopefully it'll help.
I hope you got badge numbers and reported that last incident. I hope Chandler works out better for you.

Quote:
Originally Posted by friggsdottir View Post
I can't help but notice that these horror stories are coming from people with only 1 post. I hope that isn't a coincidence...

I hope so, too.
 
Old 01-25-2011, 02:36 AM
 
594 posts, read 693,445 times
Reputation: 761
I guess white people never got a traffic ticket from Scottsdale SPD, I supposed those aren't white people I saw on the " Dirty Scottsdale " website with DUIs, sounds like no white people in Scottsdale have been picked up for " shoplifting " or anything else, I wonder if any white people been called out of their " name " in Scottsdale...????
How can you generalize or categorize a whole city anyway ? Is Arizona devoid of racism ? Is any city racism free ? of course not. If anyone has the credentials to speak on racism in this town, I would think its our Latino brothers and sisters, or our Native American sons and daughters...The only thing we as Blacks have to fear is...........being a city councilman and slapping a police officers hand down, when told not enter a restricted area ( FYI this is Arizona family business, you have to be a resident to understand ) other than that, this is the most laid back state I've Evered lived in....

P.S. To all future Black residents, DON'T COME TO ARIZONA. I love being a novelty here, I HAVE IT MADE....DON'T SPOIL IT FOR ME. And if you do decide to move here, do what I do and tell everyone who inquires about Arizona that its too hot, too crowed, to racist, too anything you can think of....DON'T SPOIL IT FOR ME.
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