May be moving to Phoenix but my research has me worried

[Montanama]

(Mod cut- orphaned, off topic)

For the OP, know that Phoenix & its suburbs is pretty huge and rambling, and if you are trying to do all you listed above on a tight budget, it's going to probably come at a price of a longer commute at the very least. There are certainly some areas where you wouldn't choose to raise a family if you could avoid it, but there's a LOT of real estate between those places and the high end subdivisions. If you will be gaining a pay raise, I think housing costs in Phoenix will compare favorably with almost any metro area outside of Texas. in general, the further out you go from the city center, the lower the housing costs will be. I'd spend more time looking into that and less time worrying that Arizonans are a bunch of gang-bangers and racists. It's a friendly place. I think it's the sunshine that does it .

[Readytomove2011]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

. (Mod cut- personal) There is not a lot of racism about Phoenix on the net It's just lazy to perceive anti-immigration sentiment as racism toward all people. Those are totally different issues and the issue in Phoenix is more political than racial. And in my experience, a lot of the people who are pro immigration reform are African Americans in the Valley. Also, you're from the Deep South, compared to that place, Phoenix feels like NYC.

I see a lot of mixed race couples and no one flinches here. It's not a big deal. But I remember in places like Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans and Houston mixed race couplers were a big deal and people particularly women in those areas did not date outside their race. Even if someone wasn't being racist, it just piqued their interest. I'm Mexican American and my wife is White. I've never experienced any type of racism here.



I know this is comical The OP acts like he is moving from D.C. No one coming from a conservative rural area should be starting this thread

I know I asked the question but allow me to defend myself. First of there is a huge population of Latino and Kurdish culture here so its not as one sided as one would imagine. Quite frankly when I see YouTube videos of white supremists having a rally in the city I'm going to be concerned. Yup I grew up in the deep south in the late 80's early 90's so excuse me if I don't want my kids to watch KKK rally's like I did. I'm a husband and a father with a responsibility to protect my family but if I'm wrong for asking my bad. And as for all the other stuff posted here I've got nothing to do with that. My question was about gangs and possible very overt racism in the area as that's what I saw on a few other places on the web. The rest of that stuff is other peoples baggage. At any rate thanks for the input and info for all who had productive feedback.

[Readytomove2011]

Originally Posted by Montanama

For the OP, know that Phoenix & its suburbs is pretty huge and rambling, and if you are trying to do all you listed above on a tight budget, it's going to probably come at a price of a longer commute at the very least. There are certainly some areas where you wouldn't choose to raise a family if you could avoid it, but there's a LOT of real estate between those places and the high end subdivisions. If you will be gaining a pay raise, I think housing costs in Phoenix will compare favorably with almost any metro area outside of Texas. in general, the further out you go from the city center, the lower the housing costs will be. I'd spend more time looking into that and less time worrying that Arizonans are a bunch of gang-bangers and racists. It's a friendly place. I think it's the sunshine that does it .

Awesome input. Thanks so much!

[HTY483]

I dont think there's much racism here, at least not like in the south. About half of my high school was white and the other half was hispanic but none of that really mattered. It was all about character. That being said, there are very few african americans in the Valley. Regardless, I wouldnt worry much about it.

[observer53]

Again, for those of you who missed my earlier post, stick to the OP's question, please.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Readytomove2011

I know I asked the question but allow me to defend myself. First of there is a huge population of Latino and Kurdish culture here so its not as one sided as one would imagine. Quite frankly when I see YouTube videos of white supremists having a rally in the city I'm going to be concerned. Yup I grew up in the deep south in the late 80's early 90's so excuse me if I don't want my kids to watch KKK rally's like I did. I'm a husband and a father with a responsibility to protect my family but if I'm wrong for asking my bad. And as for all the other stuff posted here I've got nothing to do with that. My question was about gangs and possible very overt racism in the area as that's what I saw on a few other places on the web. The rest of that stuff is other peoples baggage. At any rate thanks for the input and info for all who had productive feedback.

There are KKK rallies everywhere in the country including New York City and Washington D.C. Are you going to say those cities are racist? I've never witnessed a Klan rally. I'm not saying they haven't occurred here because I'm sure they have like they have all over the country. However, you would really have to go out of your way to see one. You do realize that nearly 1/3 of the Phoenix metropolitan area is Hispanic. Trust me, the Klan has more to worry about than a person fearing them. You have to nothing to worry about.

To be honest, this is one of the friendliest places toward African Americans. This isn't the South. Arizona wasn't a member of the Confederacy. Our economy didn't depend upon slaves. We don't have hundreds of years of racial strife like you see in the South. There are not many African Americans here. I see mixed race couples routinely in Phoenix. It's not a big deal. You don't have the whole "My family will disown me if I date a Black person" that I witnessed in the South. Yeah, in the South, I used to hear people openly make that comment all the time. There is nothing remotely close to that here. Contrary to the opinion of the forum, Phoenix has a west coast vibe and people are laid back. I think you will see that too. I agree that we have really moronic conservative politicians but that's due to voter apathy and not because AZ is some conservative redneck place. If our residents simply voted, those guys would not be in office, but that's a rant for a different time.

[Readytomove2011]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

There are KKK rallies everywhere in the country including New York City and Washington D.C. Are you going to say those cities are racist? I've never witnessed a Klan rally. I'm not saying they haven't occurred here because I'm sure they have like they have all over the country. However, you would really have to go out of your way to see one. You do realize that nearly 1/3 of the Phoenix metropolitan area is Hispanic. Trust me, the Klan has more to worry about than a person fearing them. You have to nothing to worry about.

To be honest, this is one of the friendliest places toward African Americans. This isn't the South. Arizona wasn't a member of the Confederacy. Our economy didn't depend upon slaves. We don't have hundreds of years of racial strife like you see in the South. There are not many African Americans here. I see mixed race couples routinely in Phoenix. It's not a big deal. You don't have the whole "My family will disown me if I date a Black person" that I witnessed in the South. Yeah, in the South, I used to hear people openly make that comment all the time. There is nothing remotely close to that here. Contrary to the opinion of the forum, Phoenix has a west coast vibe and people are laid back. I think you will see that too. I agree that we have really moronic conservative politicians but that's due to voter apathy and not because AZ is some conservative redneck place. If our residents simply voted, those guys would not be in office, but that's a rant for a different time.

Thanks so much for the feedback. I appreciate the information.

[KurtAZ]

As has been stated in so many posts before: No one really cares what race you are. You will be judged on your personality and how you treat people. I have lived here for 20+ years and besides that Mormon wanna-be gang of straight edgers a decade or so ago in Mesa/Gilbert and the "silver spoon in their mouths" Scottsdale types...not much of a gang presence. Now that isn't to say there aren't Mexican gangs here...they are moving illegal immigrants (see Coyotes) and drugs through AZ. For the most part they stick to themselves.

[sunluv]

Originally Posted by Readytomove2011

I'm up for promotion and will possibly be relocating from Northern VA to Phoenix. Of course I'm putting in extensive research before I make a decision and I see lots of stuff about the area that appeals to me. However one theme stands out to me. Gangs and racist groups seem prevelant in the area. I'm black, my wife is white and we have two boys 6 and 3 years old. I know racism exists everywhere and I am politically fairly conservative and not thin skinned or hypersensitive but some of the stuff I have seen is a bit disturbing. I don't want to move my family to a place to be a target of violence or hatred. I grew up in the deep south but the issues I've seen on the net make me wary of Arizona in general so I figured I'd ask the experts who actually live there. Is it really that prevelant or am I falling victim to google exaggeration. Any help would be appreciated.

No offense but your biggest concern should be how you managed to come up with the absurd notions you've accumulated, and how you came to these conclusions. 7 years here and still alive, never concerned, still breathing...