This might be too shocking for some, people should not read this...planning to move to AZ within 2 years. (Phoenix: HOA, neighborhoods)

[jerseyexpat]

Hi I am new to the forums but have been following City-Data.com for over 3 years now.

I am American born and American raised. Never set foot outside america till I was 20, but I did go
to Canada when I was 10. I went to An American FOUR-YEAR college and I am in my mid-thirties. I mention this because later it might come in to play when or if any of you choose to answer my post.

I always find people always ask similar questions, such as:

I am black and want to move to this state, will they like me?
I am asian and want to move here, will they like me?
I am Hispanic and want to move here, will they like me?

ETC, ETC.

I am American, I am Four-Year college educated, my favorite sport is tennis, when I was younger I used to follow the EAGLES, the NFL team, NOW I like the 49ers and the SF GIANTS, the baseball team. I used to be in little league playing baseball. I grew up eating all types of food, so nothing surprises me. I grew up around all ethnicities so people of different ethnicities don't surprise me. Growing up I was fortunate to have braces because my IMMIGRANT Father was smart and worked for a DOW company. I mean NONE of this to brag.

The Conundrum for me and NOT for you, is that I am not white. I am American even though others will dispute me. I do not welcome comments such as "you think you are white, or american, but you are not...blah blah blah."

I lived in New Jersey ALL my life, but it has become something I don't like. It's one big lie, always has been. I can't begin to express how many times "MY OWN people" hated me without knowing me. Or how many times someone that "looked like" me hated me because I wasn't "One of their own people."

I MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, find that it is the new IMMIGRANTS that hate me the most and are always judgemental. And it is the people like me, the AMERICAN BORN, that sympathize, and were nice to me. And yes I am aware that some still consider Americans to be "white people" so you don't need to "SCHOOL" me on all that bull crap.

MY POINT:

I want to leave this CULTURE of segragation that we have here in the EAST COAST. Because it's a lie. It's liberal in politics but it's a lie. The East Coast is segregated as anything, and "I'm out!"
Don't want to have kids here.

Are there anymore Americans that will welcome someone that is American, just that he/she is not of the same race? I choose Arizona because even though the media here in New Jersey hates on Arizona, I have heard that "my own People" that have moved down there Like it there. Though transportation is another issue.

I want to live next to smart, loving, kind, Americans. I don't give a rat's ass if I ever live next to people that are my "own people" or next to people that "look like me." And I don't give a rat's ass if I ever go to a restaurant that serves "my peoples food."

Are there places in Arizona where they think progressively and welcome American's that may not be their stereotypical definition of what an American should look like???

Thank you for reading, and if you do, thanks for answering.

[goolsbyjazz]

Honestly, I have found that wherever I lived out here. Don't think you will have any problems here. However, cities like Tucson and Tempe tend to be a bit more liberal.

[Finger Laker]

Yeah .... Phoenix didn't develop as some of the other cities ...... our "various ethnic town" neighborhoods are well gone

Some will move and complain that they lose that sense of community or support from "their people" ... but if you are looking to leave that then it's not a complaint that will hit you

Phoenix is mainly divided by class/income with racial/ethnic issues coming well behind ..... in fact, you may have a religious pocket before an ethnic pocket

If you are a college educated person and get a good job then you are going to typically live around other college educated people with good jobs

If you like baseball I'm not sure if there is a better city to watch the game then here .... the Giants have their spring training in Scottsdale ...... Surprise has a large tennis center and they occasionally put on a "legends" type event out there ..... for a tour stop the closest would be Indian Wells in CA ..... typically 3-4 hour drive

If you can fly out and check it out ..... I think the segregation/ethnic isolation that you are looking to avoid will fit what you want ..... there is more to a city than just that though

[azdr0710]

maybe I'm totally wrong, but, gee, you sound angry.....

maybe it's time for my periodic reminder:

don't forget that when you move, you have to take yourself with you

all kinds of people everywhere.....before you even step foot outside of the Garden State, you'll first have to work on this "poor me" stuff and not let what other people think bother you....you're a four-year college grad from the mean streets of Jersey; surely, you know the deal

[snip--not in the forums]

[jerseyexpat]

Many of America's most segregated cities are on the Eastern part of the US. I am merely stating my
disapproval of this. When I move to a new city it will not be to live where people "look like me." Hopefully I will find nice, loving, caring people as neighbors.

[corydon]

Always lived by this little simple thought.
Don't look at the color of someone's skin, look at the color of their heart.

Just be yourself, I have worked/met all kinds of folks, as long as they make their money honest, they are OK.
Maybe easy to say for a white, formerly blond, blue eyed person.... I do speak up when their is hatred in somebody.
Enjoy life, enjoy AZ.

[observer53]

Let's keep this thread on topic for the Arizona related questions, please. Thank you.

[cactusland]

I signed up finally to comment on this post after lurking quite a bit, much like you, OP, have.

I moved to AZ from Pennsylvania four years ago.

The tri-state area is one of the most hostile places I have ever visited in my experience across the united states. Arizona, like other posters have mentioned, has grown more organically than other states. It is not uncommon to see white people with hispanic neighbors or black neighbors and everyone seems to tolerate each other well. If communities want certain lawns or structures to work a certain way, those communities have an HOA. While there is a great deal of white flight to certain parts of this state it seems, I have seen HOA communities full of mixed-race occupants.

I think Arizona gets a lot of flack from other states where people think we want to "keep the mexicans out" no, we just want to keep the criminals out. Which do come over the border, because they know they can. We have a really mixed group here, especially in some cities like Tucson, which I found out that companies often advertise to the first because of how many mixed groups live there. I also grew up entrenched in Liberal politics. I have found after living in a deep red state that BOTH sides lie. Politics is politics. Move here, or visit, and make your own decisions.

People are absolutely friendlier down here. How can you not be? The weather is great half or more of the year. In many places in NJ/NYC/Philadelphia you can't talk to people, because of how the community has been brought up. We don't have nearly the segregation we have elsewhere. While I think we DO have pockets of one specific culture over another, you can find Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Mexican, and more sort of places dotted all over the valley in the Phoenix area and its outlying cities.

Feel free to toss me a PM if you want more specific answers. I wish you luck.

[Packard fan]

Parts of Arizona DO have problems with racism but it's mostly between some anglo whites and some "brown" Hispanics. They're not enough Black people here to even have a "ghetto" and MOST of them live in "anglo white" areas. American Indians: most are Ok tho there are some who are fools but those kind look the gangster part.

[corydon]

There are hardly any black folks in AZ, and some towns there are none.
I think it is because two reasons, many live in the south, so why move to a warmer climate, and money.