Democrat in interracial relationship moving to Phoenix... (Tucson, Tempe: transplants, gated)

[eastcoastlady]

I know there are a lot of transplants here in Phoenix (visiting now) but so far it has struck me that there aren't many black people here. I'll be moving here with my boyfriend who is black and I wonder if there is a lot of racism here? Will we have trouble when we go to look at rentals? I know it is illegal to discriminate- but that doesn't stop small-minded people.
Frankly, I think anyone who can't see through the falseness of McCain (current incarnation) and Palin (scary, scary, scary) must be pretty darn backwards and uninformed in their thinking. I'm a live and let live kind of gal. If people want to carry guns and thump their bibles that's fine, just don't try to impose your views on me. Similarly, if you want to be a vegetarian, ride your bike to work and wear healing crystals that's fine, but don't tell me not to eat meat and drive. Around here so far I've seen a ton of McCain bumperstickers and no Obama ones, so I wonder if other liberal-minded folks feel out of place here or if it really doesn't matter?
Are any North Phoenix areas more or less conservative than others?

[FireBreeze]

Majority of the people I work with are Republicans. I'm a Democrat. We have healthy discussions at work. I don't bother arguing with people regarding their political beliefs, and they don't try to persuade me to follow theirs, either.
I'm in an inter-racial relationship and we don't get stared at whenever we go out. My hubby and I used to live in North Florida/lower Alabama area and we did not get weird looks there either.
What other people think does not matter when you are happy with the person you are with.

[MotleyCrew]

Originally Posted by eastcoastlady

I know there are a lot of transplants here in Phoenix (visiting now) but so far it has struck me that there aren't many black people here. I'll be moving here with my boyfriend who is black and I wonder if there is a lot of racism here? Will we have trouble when we go to look at rentals? I know it is illegal to discriminate- but that doesn't stop small-minded people.
Frankly, I think anyone who can't see through the falseness of McCain (current incarnation) and Palin (scary, scary, scary) must be pretty darn backwards and uninformed in their thinking. I'm a live and let live kind of gal. If people want to carry guns and thump their bibles that's fine, just don't try to impose your views on me. Similarly, if you want to be a vegetarian, ride your bike to work and wear healing crystals that's fine, but don't tell me not to eat meat and drive. Around here so far I've seen a ton of McCain bumperstickers and no Obama ones, so I wonder if other liberal-minded folks feel out of place here or if it really doesn't matter?
Are any North Phoenix areas more or less conservative than others?

It seem that a "divirse" city would make you uncomfortable and I am not sure you will find your bastion of liberals in the metro Phoenix area. Perhaps Bisbee or parts of Tempe if you wish to interact with only liberals. You may wish to wear a T-shirt warning McCain supporters to ignore you and avoid all eye contact.

[MotleyCrew]

Originally Posted by FireBreeze

Majority of the people I work with are Republicans. I'm a Democrat. We have healthy discussions at work. I don't bother arguing with people regarding their political beliefs, and they don't try to persuade me to follow theirs, either.
I'm in an inter-racial relationship and we don't get stared at whenever we go out. My hubby and I used to live in North Florida/lower Alabama area and we did not get weird looks there either.
What other people think does not matter when you are happy with the person you are with.

What a nice addition to AZ this couple is. Glad you can function here with so many conservatives. Welcome. Funny thing is, in the development where we moved we have so many different points of view. We all break bread with each other and get along very well. Maybe that comes with age, who knows.

[dre71]

I dont think you will have any problems being a liberal or in a interracial couple in phoenix you wont be the only one. But calling people backwards thinking just because they like mccain?come on? I dont like him neither but look at obama and his friends(ayers,wright,farrakhan,etc.) do you blame people for not voting for him. How many times has he lied about his voting record and stuff he said.
But anyways good luck with your move.

[sablebaby]

I think there's a fairly good mix of both republicans and democrats, though some days I think there are many more republicans (W and McCain stickers). Anymore, I can't decide which one I am.

You're right, there are not that many black people here, but you will find them. We are segregated mostly by financial lines than ethnicity.

[xenourtv]

Eastcoastlady, do not move here. I am almost certain your boyfriend will not like it here as time goes by. If there is another option other than the Phoenix area please go with the alternative.

When I moved here to take a better position within my company, I thought it was going to be a good change of pace, you know nice weather, good looking women. I went with what I heard. However my biggest blunder was not checking the demographics and the cultural views. I was surprised to see that there were many white people living here and not many black people. That was not the problem because I stayed in Iowa and enjoyed my time there briefly. Iowa a place that is overwhelmingly white and I felt more comfortable there.

My biggest shock was how ignorant people can be here. After a month went by I quickly found out through observation and experience that many of the people here are just not intelligent and lack common sense. Most of the women here have absolutely no substance and seem uneducated...like talking to naive teenager. You said it correctly, this place is backwards...and quite arguably the most backwards place I have ever been in so far. The incompetence that I have experienced here over a short period of time, makes me wonder if it is driven by the color of a persons skin. Thankfully my experience in Arizona will be over very soon.

[ivanabacowboy]

I believe another reason you see all those bumper stickers is McCain is originally either from or represented Arizona in the past if I am not mistaken.

I moved here from Cleveland and can definitely tell you the demographics are much different. There may not be a ton of black folks, but I dont think there is a lot of racism here towards them per se. Cleveland on the other hand was very polarized when it came to white/black. Arizona doesn't appear to be like that. Out here, the closest to "racism" appears focused more focused on the illegal immigrants.

[Afterburn]

Originally Posted by ivanabacowboy

I believe another reason you see all those bumper stickers is McCain is originally either from or represented Arizona in the past if I am not mistaken.

I moved here from Cleveland and can definitely tell you the demographics are much different. There may not be a ton of black folks, but I dont think there is a lot of racism here towards them per se. Cleveland on the other hand was very polarized when it came to white/black. Arizona doesn't appear to be like that. Out here, the closest to "racism" appears focused more focused on the illegal immigrants.

'Senator' McCain is a Republican currently representing AZ - well, when he's not campaigning to be president....

As to the original poster - there are lots of bi-racial couples in the Valley. And they live and work and interact with non bi-racial couples on a regular basis - imagine that. I don't know where here you are "visiting", but this is the sixth largest city in the US, so there is no way you could have covered all neighborhoods/communities to make an unbiased assessment - I've lived here for several years, and I still haven't been to 1/10th of the areas around here.

[Howard Roark]

Oh please!

I'm a liberal myself but certainly no Democrat. I've had interracial relationships and know people in interracial relationships. I've had a steady Kuwaiti girlfriend for 3 years, and in my opinioon, the most honest woman I ever met. Olive skinned - one day she and I went swimming at her apartment pool in Tucson and she turned black - no kidding! Had that tan for months and months!

Note: Many Republicans are liberal and own guns, are for the free market instead of having their neighbor responsible for their failures (no class warfare).

Ditch the Dumbocrap party and be a true liberal. Free minds, free bodies, and free markets. By the way: Madonna, Gore, Bono, and Obama are very conservative: They want to conserve the province of wealth to themselves and prevent low income people from achieving the American Dream.

Originally Posted by eastcoastlady

I know there are a lot of transplants here in Phoenix (visiting now) but so far it has struck me that there aren't many black people here. I'll be moving here with my boyfriend who is black and I wonder if there is a lot of racism here? Will we have trouble when we go to look at rentals? I know it is illegal to discriminate- but that doesn't stop small-minded people.
Frankly, I think anyone who can't see through the falseness of McCain (current incarnation) and Palin (scary, scary, scary) must be pretty darn backwards and uninformed in their thinking. I'm a live and let live kind of gal. If people want to carry guns and thump their bibles that's fine, just don't try to impose your views on me. Similarly, if you want to be a vegetarian, ride your bike to work and wear healing crystals that's fine, but don't tell me not to eat meat and drive. Around here so far I've seen a ton of McCain bumperstickers and no Obama ones, so I wonder if other liberal-minded folks feel out of place here or if it really doesn't matter?
Are any North Phoenix areas more or less conservative than others?