African-Americans in Lynden, Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale …? (Seattle, Bellevue: home, theater)

[Confused Relocator]

As an African-American family of six relocating to the PNW from Southern California, I am looking for honest feedback on how my family will be accepted moving to Bellingham, Lynden, Blaine, or Ferndale.

My husband has a job opportunity in Blaine, WA and we are looking to relocate in early 2012. We visited the Bellingham/Lynden area once with our children and everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly. We are in the process of narrowing down the search for a home and I was wondering if there are pockets of NW Washington that would be more or less accepting?

[Trail-Blazer]

Why wouldn't you be accepted anywhere???

[Vinylly]

Lynden is very much a 'dutch' farm community. It's rumored if your not dutch, you nobody and it is a tight little community. Ferndale is a scandinavian farm community. Mostly Swedes and Norwegian. Bellingham is a college town so it's more mixed. Not sure about Blaine. Most people who work there are border patrol and that's about all there is.

[Andy]

I had an AA friend in college from Ferndale. Ferndale is an accepting, tight knit community. The high school athletic program is pretty successful. One of the few schools not named Bellevue to win a AAA state football title in the last decade.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Vinylly

Ferndale is a scandinavian farm community. Mostly Swedes and Norwegian.

The oil refineries diversified Ferndale a bit.

[vandygirl]

Originally Posted by Confused Relocator

As an African-American family of six relocating to the PNW from Southern California, I am looking for honest feedback on how my family will be accepted moving to Bellingham, Lynden, Blaine, or Ferndale.

My husband has a job opportunity in Blaine, WA and we are looking to relocate in early 2012. We visited the Bellingham/Lynden area once with our children and everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly. We are in the process of narrowing down the search for a home and I was wondering if there are pockets of NW Washington that would be more or less accepting?

Take anything Vinylly says with a tablespoon of salt. He always tries to discourage any minority from moving to Washington state. In fact I don't think he even lives here anymore.

I'm black. You'll be fine just about anywhere you go, especially a midsize city like Bellingham. It is a college town with a reputation for being very liberal. To me another important question to ask is will your kids get bored? Some of the smaller towns up there don't have a lot of action. It can be dull to a teenager. You will have to make sure they are involved in plenty of positive activities.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by vandygirl

Take anything Vinylly says with a tablespoon of salt. He always tries to discourage any minority from moving to Washington state. In fact I don't think he even lives here anymore.

Well... to be fair, his assessment is spot on. Lynden is known to be a Dutch Reformer town and there's been people, even on this forum, who have complained about it (they too were outsiders).

Vinylly actually been a very positive and helpful poster recently... he was just espousing the Seattle positives, I was almost ajarred. And he also gave a very kind, interesting, inspiring and supportive post to that Chinese guy who was complaining about being lonely.

[Trail-Blazer]

Still asking the same question as before, why would a black family not be accepted anywhere??? Does a persons race, religion, ethnic origin make them get treated differently in the PNW???

Just asking.

[Bill Loney]

Of the towns mention, I would suggest Bellingham. It's about a 20 minute commute to Blaine. Good schools, excellent soccer programs and a great soccer complex including an indoor soccer arena, ice rink, public pool, etc. More shopping, theaters, and stuff for kids to do.

And as aforementioned, it's a tolerant liberal college town with a good school system.

Not many African Americans live here so you should be aware of that. However, there are almost none in all the other cities mentioned combined.

Avoid Lynden like the plague. The overt Dutch reform vibe is toxic.

[vandygirl]

Originally Posted by Trail-Blazer

Still asking the same question as before, why would a black family not be accepted anywhere??? Does a persons race, religion, ethnic origin make them get treated differently in the PNW???

Just asking.

That is a naive question but I take it that you genuinely are not aware that there are places where discrimination still exists. The PNW by and large is a very tolerate region but not everybody knows that. It behooves a minority who has been exposed to racism somewhere to wonder if they might experience it here.

Anybody, whether a racial or religious minority or an immigrant, or a person with disabilities, or an American moving to a foreign country where the locals don't speak English might decide to do a little research before they leap.