Moving to McAllen Texas from Indiana (Dallas, Harlingen: real estate, apartment, renting)

[RGV]

Wait, so Bellestar who is a loud critic of the RGV has never even been there before?

From what I gather, she use to live in Kingsville for about a year. For some reason others think she is an authority on the people and culture in all of South Texas; as if there is no difference between Kingsville, and McAllen, Brownsville and Laredo.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by InMcAllen

I currently reside in McAllen and run a couple of businesses here. While some of the outlandish generalizations listed before contain threads of truth it is not quiet as bad as they are painting it. McAllen is far better than your run-of-the-mill border town. No, we're not Houston, but we are what we are.

Parts of the McAllen area dont feel too different from certain parts of Houston.

Originally Posted by InMcAllen

I do have a complaint about the language thing. Too many business owners employee people that only speak spanish and when you speak English to them they answer in Spanish. I consider that incredibly rude.

Not sure if they're trying to be rude. They're just speaking the way they speak at home, and no one has taught them how to act in public. But a random English-Spanish mix in speech is pretty common even here, even on the radio stations. It can throw your mind for a loop even if you understand both.

On a different note, if I lived there I'd have a few of those Rio Grande Valley grapefruit trees in my yard. You can't beat an RGV grapefruit!

[RGV]

If you look at the numbers, you are definitely the exception.

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Mock U.N. vote takes Iran to task
By GARY LONG — The Brownsville Herald
October 24, 2007 - 11:47PM



The Brownsville Herald Hanna high school student Stephen Montalvo was in the role of the President of Ghana and directed the United Nations Security Council, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007. Brownsville high school students took part in United Nations Day at UTB-TSC on Wednesday.
The deliberations were authentic, even if the United Nations Security Council vote Wednesday was only an exercise by high school students.

“They were well prepared,” said Delilah Sanchez, a UTB-TSC graduate student in public policy and management who helped judge the Hanna High School team. “The people that spoke, spoke in the language of the country they were representing. It was like a mock U.N. meeting.”

Indeed. One could hear French being spoken. Delegates came dressed in the attire of the country they were representing — right down to African saris.

The event at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College marked United Nations Day, which celebrates the entry into force of the United Nations Charter on Oct. 24, 1945.

Teams from each of Brownsville’s five public high schools debated a proposal currently before the U.N. Security Council by the United States and Great Britain to authorize the use of force to neutralize the purported threat of Iran possessing nuclear weapons.

Judges voted Hanna’s presentation the best, and the team’s decision will be forwarded to the United Nations in New York for consideration in the continuing debate on Iran and its suspected nuclear ambitions.


Top Story: Mock U.N. vote takes Iran to task | iran, nations, united - Brownsville Herald

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Apparently, there are quite a few exceptions to the rule. Perhaps they forgot to tell these fine public school students of Brownsville that they are not suppose to be acting this way.

On another note, elementary chess teams from Brownsville Public schools do extremely well in State competitions. How can this be, isn't this in South Texas which many here consider to be just part of Mexico?

[RGValleyite]

Originally Posted by Insomniac

Could you explain this sentence?

Sure. I attend Trinity University. So going from a school with 75% hispanic to a college with 75% non-hispanic was a cultural shock for me...haha.

Anyway, So acouple of different times this year, i have had people come up to me and ask for directions in spanish. I think that San Antonio is now about 61% Hispanic. What I meant by Getting bad to, is that the immigrants are moving north from the valley. I didn't mean anything bad about it. I am just saying that they are now moving north.

[RGV]

"immigrants moving north from the Valley"


What?

[Insomniac]

Originally Posted by RGValleyite

I think that San Antonio is now about 61% Hispanic.

Actually, the city is 56 percent Hispanic while the metro is in the low 50 percent.

What I meant by Getting bad to, is that the immigrants are moving north from the valley. I didn't mean anything bad about it. I am just saying that they are now moving north.

Immigrants? Are we talking illegal or legal? And how exactly would you tell the difference? Also, if you think (illegal immigration) it's getting bad in SA, go look at Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, San Diego.

[RGV]

If a person moves from Houston to San Antonio, is that person an immigrant?

[valleymom]

Do your own research:

McAllen Economic Development Corporation

McAllen Convention Center enrich your senses

Sharyland Plantation

Idea Public Schools (Excellent charter): Idea Public Schools

McAllen ISD: McAllen ISD - Home

South Texas ISD: South Texas ISD

2 High schools in the South Texas ISD are ranked best in the nation (21st & 52nd):
News: The top of the class - again | high, students, schools : Mid Valley Town Crier

A lot of the people here posting negative comments about McAllen left this area 10 years ago.

You will be OK. This area has changed a lot in the last 3 years, let alone the last 10! If you have any specific questions I would be happy to answer them.

[rgv17_956]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

i personally feel very very uncomfortable in South Texas, being a blonde blue eyed anglo female...definitely dont feel like i could ever "mesh" with the community, get involved with civic activities etc....it is just overwhelmingly hispanic, and for the most part, they keep to themselves, from my experience.
however, i DO want to say ONE thing about McAllen, that i KNOW of, being in the medical field-their hospitals are some of the best, esp the Heart Hospital.

as a North Texan, i have lived in South Texas just about a year now, and it took less than one month to realize that this was not going to be the place i would hang my hat, buy a house. and i am 2 hours north of the border! i cant even IMAGINE what a culture shock it would be to be in McAllen and the border cities/towns. i dont even want to know

i hate to say this, but i think yall would be in for a VERY VERY big culture shock from where yall are coming from. the only reason i have even been able to somewhat tolerate it, survive it, is that it is my home state....but if i were coming from let's say New England or Midwest, oh heck no.
have you even VISITED McAllen? i am willing to bet that if yall do, your husband and family will reconsider strongly............
no offense to those who love the Rio Grande Valley, but it just aint for everyone, thats all. life is difficult enough, but when you are a very small minority, even little things can be a challenge............

i'm sorry but isnt it the same if a hispanic/minority person would to move to a community where whites dominate their population in their community (which is most of US towns)? Of course it's a "culture shock" but you'll get use to it. Its completely different for a hispanic to move to, a lets say 90% white community, because they will have to deal with some or little racisim.... but if a white would to move to a 90% hispanic community they won't get any negative remarks. And the valley is changing, it's becoming more urbanized and a growing metropolitan area, so i think in a few year the valley will see more diverity. So don't worry if you decide to move here then do it. It's an area with a small town feel and big city life.

[NOTAM]

whites are NOT a minority in all of Texas. i havent even looked at the statistics, but i have hung around Lampasas and Gatesville enough to know that me, being, white, am in the majority.
the small towns where i spent most of my life, in North Texas (between Wichita Falls and Ft Worth) e.g. Jack/Young/Wise/Throckmorton/Archer counties, are predominantly white
and these are not just "small pockets" of Texas, or rare exceptions. i have spent time in MANY communities in North, West, and Central Texas where it was obvious that caucasians were in the majority.

Originally Posted by RGValleyite

I have lived in the Valley all my life. It is a great place to be. I grew up on a farm and after college I will return to the Valley with my wife and work on the fields. I am white, blue eyed...i had no problem getting into college. I was #28 of my class of close to 500. Scored really well on my SAT's. I went to Sharyland. It was a good school when I went there. The problem is that people associate the valley with Mexico. But Whites are the Minority in ALL of TEXAS. San Antonio is getting bad as well. El Paso...Basically that is Mexico. Yeah, the RGV is 90% Hispanic, but that is a great culture. We have great banks, hospitals, and are attracting many businesses to the valley. I love the weather (95 during summer/humid), going to the beach and fishing, hunting, shopping in Mexico. There is so much stuff to do. My Fiance is from McAllen and she can't wait to move back either to teach. She is also white and green eyed.

And all this you hear about violence on the border. Media...takes it TOOOOO far.

But def., move to the valley. It is a great place. You will not regret it at all.