Hispanic/White couple considering Mountain Brook (Hoover, Homewood: fit in, 2013, apartments)

[adsj2013]

We moved to Alabaster 2 years ago from out of state for my husband's job. He is Hispanic and I am white. Our bi-racial children favor him in the complexion department, but are as All-American as they come. Unfortunately, they have had a miserable time here in Alabaster being accepted by their classmates and our oldest son (age 10) is tormented on a daily basis- told he isn't American, that his birth certificate is fake, is ugly, has a flat face, etc.... My husband also receives negative comments almost every time he is out and about in the area, in addition to being pulled over by the cops regularly for no other reason other than to present his birth certificate proving he is a legal (born in the US) citizen. The school system here in Alabaster is not nearly as good as the one we came from, and although we have met some nice people we are in need of a change. We know the schools in Mountain Brook are supposed to be the best in the area, and feel that our kids (3 of which are in the gifted program) would benefit. Would a bi-racial couple such as us fit in? Would our brown children be tormented as much there as they are here in Alabaster? Would my husband be harassed incessantly by the police just because of his skin color? Finances aren't an issue, we wouldn't be the richest but we can afford it. Brutal honesty and help please. Thanks!

[bluebeard]

I'm guessing Hoover or Homewood would be better given they are more diverse, but that's not 1st hand.

[jakabedy]

I think you'd fit in fine in Mt. Brook for two reasons. And I'll be brutally honest, too.

1) Just the fact that you are able to afford to live in Mt. Brook gives you sort of a "pass" once you're there. If you can afford to buy there and to pay the property taxes, the assumption would be that you're solid, hardworking, high-earning folks who want the best for your kids. Even renting in Mt. Brook is costly. There are very few apartments there and the rents are high. And I'll submit that it will never cross the minds of anyone in Mt. Brook to question your husband's status, because the assumption would be an "illegal" wouldn't/couldn't live there, anyway.

2) The Alabaster/Pelham area has a big hispanic population, and until the economy tanked and the construction jobs disappeared, a great number of them weren't legal. So that area of the metro has had an uneasy relationship with the hispanic population for some time. The population also simply doesn't have the sophistication of, say, Mt. Brook or Vestavia.

Now, this is not to say that all will be flowers and bunnies in Mt. Brook. Mt. Brook has its own issues with status, money (old vs. new), etc. But if your family or son is snubbed in Mt. Brook, it would likely be based on not having the right clothes or car -- not on skin color. Another area to consider might be Vestavia. As Bluebeard said, Hoover and Homewood are more diverse already, so those are options as well.

[adsj2013]

Thanks for the input. We are also considering Hoover, as we do most of our shopping there and feel much more at ease there there than we do here in Alabaster. I have heard that the schools in Hoover are terribly overcrowded and that the drug problem there is extreme. Jakabedy, you are right in that the Alabaster area has a high population of Hispanics, but they have (generally speaking of course) not managed to work their way in to main stream and kind of live off in the back ground. The Hispanics here do not accept our children- as they do not speak Spanish, nor my husband because he is not "Mexican" enough (being he is a professional rather than a laborer). The white kids don't accept our kids because they are too brown, and almost every time I enter the school, someone (even teachers and administration) ask if my children are adopted...apparently there is also a negative stigma here regarding adoption.

Again, we have met some super nice/welcoming people, but Alabaster schools are far from what our children need. We just do not want to set ourselves up for an even more difficult/tense situation if we make the short move up to Mountain Brook. Someone set me straight on Hoover schools if I am wrong, and fill me in on Homewood as I am less familiar with the schools there. Thanks again!

[cpg35223]

You'll be fine in Mountain Brook. Trust me. It's not as if we're a bunch of howling bigots.

[adsj2013]

I was hoping the more educated meant the more accepting/progressive...

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by adsj2013

I was hoping the more educated meant the more accepting/progressive...

You oughta be fine. I think people think that the Mountain Brook school system is solely the province of blue-eyed blondes, one notch above the Nuremberg Rally in terms of ethnic purity. However, there is a good bit of diversity there. Roughly 30% of the school system is Jewish. There are Latinos, Asians, and African Americans, too (To be honest, not nearly enough to be representative of the surrounding area). And if one my daughter's friends, a shador-wearing Muslim, has plenty of friends in the school system, then I'm pretty optimistic on your children's behalf.

The key is to simply get your children involved in activities. Mountain Brook parents are so uber-involved that they need co-dependency therapy. So if your kids have things that interest them, whether it's athletics, music, theater, whatever, get them into those areas as quickly as possible. Also, if you have elementary school children, I really recommend Brookwood Forest or Cherokee Bend. Those are the elementary schools where parents are a good deal more sane.

[adsj2013]

cpg35223, I appreciate your input very much. Sane parents are important to me!

[hlsess]

Also, if you have elementary school children, I really recommend Brookwood Forest or Cherokee Bend. Those are the elementary schools where parents are a good deal more sane


I live in Cresline and I think that I am sane- at least I hope that I am!

[guywithnointernet]

@adsj2013

I transferred into the Mountain Brook school system in 2002/3 and went to Brookwood Forest. Although I tried to "fit in" in elementary school, where I went was better than the other elementary schools in the school system. Hope this helps!