Prejudice & Racism existing in Arizona (Phoenix: home, to buy, to live in)

[Mercedes-Benz]

What kind of prejudice and racism have you witnessed or experienced in Arizona?

I'll start first by saying that when I was 18 I drove to Phoenix in my 1992 Saturn SL2 with 160,000 miles on the odometer in year 2000. I parked at a commercial strip mall parking lot in what looked like an alley way between two narrow single story buildings. I was looking through my trunk to find a map. A Caucasian woman walked by who was so obviously a local and spoke English. I said "Oh hello there". And what did she do? She hopelessly ignored me and looked at me like as if I was worthless. Then she continued walking like as if nothing just happened. That was my first impression of Phoenix in my life. From where she was standing she could not have seen my California license plates. So it was not that. It was me that she did not like.

But is Phoenix a racist city? It's a huge city. It grew really fast. And it is very diverse. Even if a place is as gigantic and diverse as Phoenix, can't it still be racist? Maybe there are people in that city who prefer to stay with their own kind on day to day activities. I do not know. That is why I am asking. I am not asking this in any way shape or form to be a "troll". I'm just looking for real personal experiences that people on this website might want to share with a sincere heart.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Mercedes-Benz

What kind of prejudice and racism have you witnessed or experienced in Arizona?

I'll start first by saying that when I was 18 I drove to Phoenix in my 1992 Saturn SL2 with 160,000 miles on the odometer in year 2000. I parked at a commercial strip mall parking lot in what looked like an alley way between two narrow single story buildings. I was looking through my trunk to find a map. A Caucasian woman walked by who was so obviously a local and spoke English. I said "Oh hello there". And what did she do? She hopelessly ignored me and looked at me like as if I was worthless. Then she continued walking like as if nothing just happened. That was my first impression of Phoenix in my life. From where she was standing she could not have seen my California license plates. So it was not that. It was me that she did not like.

But is Phoenix a racist city? It's a huge city. It grew really fast. And it is very diverse. Even if a place is as gigantic and diverse as Phoenix, can't it still be racist? Maybe there are people in that city who prefer to stay with their own kind on day to day activities. I do not know. That is why I am asking. I am not asking this in any way shape or form to be a "troll". I'm just looking for real personal experiences that people on this website might want to share with a sincere heart.

If that's your only example, I'd have to say that there are people here, and everywhere, who are just rude, not racist. As a Caucasian, I've said hello to Caucasian strangers here and in other places and had the same response you had from the woman you describe. So, I'm not sure your example goes with the topic.

[Mercedes-Benz]

Originally Posted by observer53

If that's your only example, I'd have to say that there are people here, and everywhere, who are just rude, not racist. As a Caucasian, I've said hello to Caucasian strangers here and in other places and had the same response you had from the woman you describe. So, I'm not sure your example goes with the topic.

What you are saying is right. That 25 year old woman might of been having a bad day. It is a crowded city and sometimes people want to be left alone. The problem with racism is that it is so well hidden. A racist Caucasian looks exactly like a non-racist Caucasian on the outside. There is no way to know who is who unless one can monitor their actions.

So as a minority citizen what am I to do? Am I to keep my mouth shut and not make any eye contact unless I know the person? Even saying hello to someone can get you killed or hurt.

In Orange County CA a black man said hello to a white woman at a food 4 less grocery store. The woman's boyfriend behind her then punched that black man real hard and this was all over the news. This was also back in around year 2000.

[cmist]

Maybe you were misled to believe all the reports of Phoenix being a friendly city? I can understand since posts in the forum report it as such due to their experiences at lavish resorts where people are paid to be nice.

I am caucasian as well and know better than to be extra friendly to strangers. No matter what your color or creed it comes off as strange. There's not just racial lines but also class lines. If you arrived to the parking lot in a Pinto and were saying hi to someone in a Mercedes, they probably dialed parking lot security to say someone was eyeballing their car.

Since I'm white I can't say much about racism, but I also think that when you are a minority, its possible to interpret things as racism that aren't. Without that explanation, you can't make sense of the rudeness in any other way...

Well, we caucasians can tell you it happens to us too but we just call it ignorance or snobbery rather than racism.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Mercedes-Benz

What you are saying is right. That 25 year old woman might of been having a bad day. It is a crowded city and sometimes people want to be left alone. The problem with racism is that it is so well hidden. A racist Caucasian looks exactly like a non-racist Caucasian on the outside. There is no way to know who is who unless one can monitor their actions.

So as a minority citizen what am I to do? Am I to keep my mouth shut and not make any eye contact unless I know the person? Even saying hello to someone can get you killed or hurt.

In Orange County CA a black man said hello to a white woman at a food 4 less grocery store. The woman's boyfriend behind her then punched that black man real hard and this was all over the news. This was also back in around year 2000.

That Orange County example is an extreme one, and I would think not very common at all. You are not going to get yourself hurt or killed here by nodding and smiling and/or saying hello or good morning or whatever to someone you pass on the street. (You don't say whether you are male or female, but that doesn't really matter, either) They may not respond, as that woman did not several years ago, but I would keep on doing as you have been doing. The failure to respond should not automatically be interpreted as racism. There are cold, unfriendly, rude people here just like everywhere else. You don't need to change your behavior to accommodate them.

[DewDropInn]

Here's the deal...

In Calif. you are standing in line at the supermarket to buy your usual bottle of Fiji Water. The White Lady in front of you is flipping through the National Enquirer. So you say, "Can you believe that Tiger Woods?" She puts down the magazine and says to you, "No I can't. And I've known him since he was a little kid in Cypress." And you say, "Yeah. I have a cousin who used to live in Cypress." White Lady says, "Really? What's his name?" You say, "Miguel Flores."

White Lady says, "The Miguel Flores who went to Long Beach State?" And you say, "Yeah, he's pre-med now at UCI." She says, "Pre-med!" and starts telling you about how her pancreas is acting up.

Check-out Clerk joins in and starts telling you about how her Uncle Rasheed had problems with his pancreas until he started drinking tea made from plumeria blossoms. You say, "I think I have one of those in my front yard."

You and White Lady are now walking out to your cars. You are loading her trunk and telling her about the garden center in Signal Hill. White Lady looks at your Saturn and asks how your mileage is. You tell her where you bought it.

White Lady is thrilled because her daughter needs a new car since she's starting at USC. You start talking about football.

White Lady goes home and tells her husband about plumeria tea.

This is just not going to happen in AZ. It happens every day in California.

[Finger Laker]

not for nothing, a single woman being cautious when spoken to by a young male going through the trunk of his beater which is parked in a narrow alleyway isn't going to garner warm responses the majority of the time

it's not racism - it's not even being rude - it's the fact that many single women feel vulnerable and would rather not engage when out on the street

[BecomingJane]

Originally Posted by observer53

The failure to respond should not automatically be interpreted as racism. There are cold, unfriendly, rude people here just like everywhere else. You don't need to change your behavior to accommodate them.

It should also not necessarily be interpreted as rude. You never know what life experience may have prompted this woman to avoid talking to a stranger parked in a narrow alley digging around in his trunk.

[BecomingJane]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

not for nothing, a single woman being cautious when spoken to by a young male going through the trunk of his beater which is parked in a narrow alleyway isn't going to garner warm responses the majority of the time

it's not racism - it's not even being rude - it's the fact that many single women feel vulnerable and would rather not engage when out on the street

Posted at the same time. Glad I'm not the only one who thought this.

[Ponderosa]

I'm pretty sure it was racism.