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So I'm a mix of Cuban, Spanish, and American Indian. I don't speak Spanish and to be honest have friends of all shapes, sizes, colors, and income brackets (ghetto to millionaires). I tend to show up at local dirt tracks and other motorsports events where as some of you may know it's not normal for Hispanics to show up at. Not on a weekly basis anyway. I also have a white girlfriend. My political views tend to lean slightly toward the left (not all the way but yes more so than the right).
Anyway here is my question. Should I have any concern at all with any of these issues? Keep in mind I have no idea what part of town I'll want to move to but I could end up anyplace with any class of people. And this question isn’t directed toward just being accepted by the white people in the area because I know black and hispanic people can give off bad vibes regarding these issues as well. I’m just trying to make sure I fully understand the Syracuse area when it comes to these issues. These things are not too big of an issue in Arizona (where I live now) but while I was living in Portland Oregon I had quite a few issues in regards to cops profiling me. I also had conflicts every now and again with strangers within the black neighborhoods being slightly confrontational when I would walk their neighborhoods.
Please be strait up and honest about this. I’m not looking to stir up any forum fights I just want to know my place. I’m a grown man with a family and don’t need to land myself in any stupid confrontations regarding any of these issues.
My closest friend is your typical white, raised upper class girl... blonde hair, blue eyes, dolls herself up. lol. She's married to a native Columbian, who's almost finished getting his doctorate at SU... his family moved to NYC when he was about 13. My friend and her husband have a little girl who very much takes after her Papa and they're expecting a son in the spring.
They never have problems among middle to upper class and middle-upper working class people, even not being upperclass themselves. (Broke college students would well describe their economic situation. lol) When with lower class/working people though, there's almost always tension, if not nasty comments made.
I'm *really* not familiar with tracks but my uncle is a very dark Cuban and has never had problems going to things with my aunt, another blonde-haired, blue eyed woman. lol - but that may also have to do with the fact that he is a very LARGE Cuban. *I* sure wouldn't choose him, to pick a fight with. haha
I don't think you would have too many issues around here in regards to your relationship with your gf or political views. Syracuse seems to be pretty middle of the road in regards to things like that. So, it most likely wouldn't be a big deal either way.
You will see interracial relationships in the area of various combinations and in terms of politics, the area is actually moderate.
I don't think you would have any issues if you go to the Oswego Speedway or the races at the Cayuga County Fairgrounds. I've been to the latter and I didn't have any problems when I went there.
Also, Syracuse has an above average Native American community due to having the Onondaga Nation Reservation nearby and was a spot for attracting other Native groups into the city. Many of the Native Americans that live in the area outside of the reservation live in the Valley and the West Side of the city, Nedrow, LaFayette and a few out in East Syracuse and North Syracuse.
A few Cuban refugees have been coming to the area within the last 5-10 years too. Most of the "Hispanic" community in the area is Puerto Rican, btw.
Another thing is that in Upstate NY, there are some other communities with relatively noticeable to high percentages of Hispanics like Amsterdam, Dunkirk, Geneva, Rochester, Newark, Utica, Albion and some sections of the other major cities, among some others.
I'm *really* not familiar with tracks but my uncle is a very dark Cuban and has never had problems going to things with my aunt, another blonde-haired, blue eyed woman. lol - but that may also have to do with the fact that he is a very LARGE Cuban. *I* sure wouldn't choose him, to pick a fight with. haha
Maybe this will help me. I'm 6'1" 265lbs? lol
Thanks all of you for giving me some feedback. I hope I can get a frew more people to give me their thoughts too.
One more thing... What nationality are all of you?
White/Caucasian- or, as I like to write when I'm feeling particularly feisty, Euro-American. haha- a mix of Scottish, German, Polish, Cherokee Indian and English. One of those white people who don't burn in the sun. lol
Just a random though. I'm going to have to get use to that fact that you guys have a town called Mexico in the area given that I come from Arizona lol.
I don't think you would have any issues if you go to the Oswego Speedway or the races at the Cayuga County Fairgrounds. I've been to the latter and I didn't have any problems when I went there.
Do you frequent the races at those tracks? I looked up the dirt tracks within the state of NY and was shocked to see that you guys have over 30 tracks. We have 4 in the whole state of AZ and they can't seem to do anything right or work together lol. I'm a photographer and I shot this form of motorsports out here for the last 4 years. This year I had to call it quits because the money just isn't there. Too much work for so little return. But I'm still a big fan of the sports and was pretty excided about the idea of having so many tracks to choose from.
Thanks all of you for giving me some feedback. I hope I can get a few more people to give me their thoughts too.
One more thing... What nationality are all of you?
I happen to be mostly Irish with a bit of German thrown in. My closest male friend happens to be African-American and the majority of the women I have dated and one I have in long term relationship with since I was in my early 30's (now age 54) are African-American. In all of my public forays with my male friend or the women in my life I have almost never run into any open hostility and only very rarely encountered a more subtle lack of acceptance or weird stares.
If you're not a confrontational person, are open and friendly... your dress and public demeanor are more or less mainstream (i.e. you don't look and act as though you just stepped off a gangsta rapper's tour bus as part of the entourage)... and you don't have a chip on your shoulder.... you'll be fine.
When it comes to things like dirt track racing etc. I think people in this region accept and relate to people who appreciate the same type of thing. I doubt that race or cultural background is much of an issue of at all.
The only notable local issue with cultural /racial friction that has had any publicity in many years is in regards to some of our newest local immigrants. Many are from Somalia and other African or East Asian nations where poverty and political persecution have driven them from their homes. In many cases these are people who speak little to no English and wear the traditional dress of their homeland - making them stand out dramatically from the mainstream. It's alleged that in some cases they have been bullied, persecuted or taunted by a small number of local youths (themselves all technically members of minority groups). It's an isolated set of incidents, localized to one small area on the city's north side, and in no way representative of the attitudes and action of the larger community in the city and the region.
Interesting fact to note: although the Hispanic community in Syracuse has historically been Puerto Rican with a more recent increase in citizens with Dominican backgrounds, there is now a small but growing Mexican population further to the north and noerthwest in rural areas. These are dairy farm workers who originally came to the area for seasonal farm work but ended up staying to work in the dairy industry. The importance of these workers in helping independent local dairy farms stay afloat is well recognized and I suspect (just a guess as I live in the city) that this fact leads to a general acceptance and lack of cultural friction with the local population.
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