Sensitive question about relocating to Virginia (Roanoke, Cave Spring: high school, gated, to live)

[NOVAnative]

Move to Northern Virginia and you will be fine. Northern Virginia is very diverse and Fairfax County in particular is the most diverse county in the Nation outside of New York City's bouroughs. The Washington DC Area is very liberal.

[dgtlsunshine]

Close friends of hours are an interracial couple and I have never heard them complain about living in northern virginia. The wife is black and the husband is white by the way.

[ashbrn4]

I personally don't think you'll have any problem. Northern VA is extremely diverse and most people here are more concerned with illegal aliens and dealing with people who refuse to learn english or use it.

Like any large metropolitan area, not just NY or DC, it's a mix of many races and ethnicities and interracial marriage and dating is very, very common. And the idea of southerners being more racist anymore is very overblown. My own family in the south has almost done a 180 in the last 20+ years. I've known plenty of northerners, both black and white who are racist.

[roanoker 4]

In my opinion, it would be wise to seek out a place to live that is larger such as DC, LA, NY. I think interracial couples tend to blend in better when there are more people around. When I lived in the LA area, you are a minority if you are white, straight and protestant. It seems like everyone in California is a product of a diverse racial, ethnic or national origin. As they say, what starts in California usually makes it way to the rest of the nation. I think life in Roanoke is very predictable and refreshing from life in L.A. It is a very different place than California in most ways. I would urge all Californians before they move here to visit first and see the place and then decide. The beauty of America is that is such a diverse place. We all have a hard time sometimes in accepting diversity as if we all must be the same. I would one day like the U.S. to be called the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA once more.

[mccamp]

Originally Posted by racisminva

Please donot move to Roanoke, Va. I was suckered here by the mountains and most of the people that I have met who arent from here regret moving here. The only people who are happy are the one's that met their spouse here and are taking their other half out of this racist town.

Racism is alive and well here in Roanoke please donot move here. Please note that Roanoke is one of the most racist cities in the south google and find out more before you make that move! Email me and I will tell you about Roanoke racisminva@yahoo.com

You have got to be kidding me. Roanoke is NOT a racist city. Believe me, I would know. My family is white, black and hispanic. My boys are black teenagers (adopted from Haiti) and are thrilled with living in Roanoke. For the first time, they are accepted and our family is accepted. No questions asked.

And oh, by the way, we moved here from BOSTON. Boston! The most liberal, accept-all-who-comes city. We faced racism daily in our old city.

I have no idea why you hate Roanoke so much. I guess this isn't the place you're supposed to be. I hope you find a home where you feel welcome and that you love. Life is too short to live somewhere you dislike.

Personally, I don't think the OP would have an issue living in Roanoke. I'm speaking from personal experience.

[JadedInk]

I am new to these forums and just read through this one and was thinking, I hope this lady did move to Roanoke (it's a fairly older post). Then I get to the racism in VA's post and my mouth hit my computer desk.
I have lived here all my life. I am biracial. I am Native American and white. So, I get the pleasure of people not knowing "what" I am. BUT NEVER ONCE has anyone ever asked me, treated me different or said something out of the way to me in Roanoke or Botetourt. I have went to several other counties in VA and got some snooty remarks. But never here.
I am proud of my heritage, in fact, my father is in town this week, we went to the local stores and people were stopping us to ask what tribe we were from and to get more information from him.

I think it may be racisminva's attitude towards people that makes them treat him/her different. If you act as if people owe you something for being from a different culture, immediate turn off. You will be treated differently. This is 2009, we are all humans and should accept each other as such, not be broken down into the caste system, that went away with the dark ages. Maybe you should rethink if it is you...no offense intended...just my humble opinion

[roanoker 4]

Originally Posted by NOVAnative

Move to Northern Virginia and you will be fine. Northern Virginia is very diverse and Fairfax County in particular is the most diverse county in the Nation outside of New York City's bouroughs. The Washington DC Area is very liberal.

That is the most absurd comment I have ever read. I guess if one just moves to NoVa the issue of racism will just go away like in the land of Oz? I suppose since there is so much diversity in NoVa none really notices ones' race?
Racism exists in Roanoke and Northern Virginia. For that matter so does sexism and homophobia.

[vixter9]

Originally Posted by kmflan

Do you currently live in the UK? Do you want to live coastal or inland. Roanoke is beautiful, but about 5 hours to the ocean.
Northern VA is very pretty, more liberal, but insanely expensive and congested. I am not sure about Richmond having good race relations. My sister has lived there 20 years. I will ask her, but I don't remember Richmond being known for that. Richmond is very cultural and progressive with lots of various ethnic groups present so maybe they do have good race relations.

I grew up in the Hampton/Newport News area. The races have civil relations, are accepting, work together in government, etc., but I don't sense that they embrace each other. I hope I don't get slammed for this, but in my opinion, blacks and whites in southeastern va seem stuck. I just can't put my finger on it. But the culture just doesn't seem like it has progressed much since I was a highschooler decades ago. Whites talk about blacks and blacks talk about whites. It's just sad. I don't live there anymore, but we visit my in-laws for 2 weeks annually.

I moved away to the midwest years ago and it is very different here. Lots of interracial couples, mixed nationality couples. Very open, very accepting. Very warm. My neighborhood, heck, my street is integrated with different races and interracial couples- hispanics, blacks, whites, and a russian! And everyone just treats everyone else like people. It is so different from what I sense in southeastern Va.

I know I just made a gross generalization, and frankly, I would love to be proven wrong. But race relations is one of the biggest reasons we don't want to move back, even to be near our families. Out here, my kids are growing up with a completely different perspective than I had. They play with friends of all different backgrounds on an almost daily basis.

Hopefully, others here can debunk my observations and be more helpful.
In the meantime, Richmond gets my vote because location is good for mountains or beach and lots of ethnicity. But I must bow humbly to "The Mayor" Seanpecor, who keeps me searching Franklin county just in case....

Thank you for speaking up. I agree although others seem to be in denial. It's not a pretty picture but it's more accurate.

[racisminva]

Originally Posted by jaymesma

My husband and I are thinking of moving to the US and are interested in Virginia in general and the Roanoke area in particular. I am American and black, he is English and white. We are in our late fifties and this will be our retirement home so employment is not an issue. Can anyone discuss what if any problems we might encounter because of being inter-racial and him being English. I like to think that any problems might be minimal but I am also a realist and know that race is still an issue in America.

Thanks for any input.

I would never advise anyone to relocate to Roanoke. I sent a reply yesterday but the truth was denied. Please stay out of Roanoke, Va.

[j1n]

let me throw a different spin on this...

Please do not move to Roanoke, VA unless you want to live somewhere beautiful, with excellent scenery, tons of nature and outdoor activities, four real seasons, and a non-prohibitive cost of living.
I was suckered here by the mountains and most of the people that I have met who aren't from here love it here.

I'm sure that racism is alive and well here in Roanoke just like every other place in the entire world.
Please note that Roanoke is not one of the most racist cities in the (barely) south.
Definitely google and find out more before you make that move to anywhere!