Why are People in Dallas so unfriendly? (Fort Worth, Flower Mound: floor, shop)

[artsyguy]

And what's your point? I know they are rich.

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

No it's Southern Millionaires University

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Roll your eyes if you wish, but overall Methodist arent really overzealous.

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

And what's your point? I know they are rich.

My point is we always laugh when we say that!

[a75206]

Originally Posted by LAnative10

Roll your eyes if you wish, but overall Methodist arent really overzealous.

nope, just zealous enough.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by zox

Azriverfan is clearly exaggerating and is wrong with regards to his statistics, but I agree with some of his points. My family and I spent my early childhood in Wisconsin (Osh Kosh in case there are fellow cheeseheads here) and we moved to Dallas at the start of middle school. I spent my middle school and high school years in Dallas. I went to Greenhill academy. I then attended Northwestern University in Evanston (Chicago) and worked in San Jose and Phoenix. I'm also Indian and Hindu so I might be able share a different perspective on this issue. There are not more Southern Baptists than Catholics in Dallas. However, Dallas has a much higher percentage of Baptists than other cities. In Phoenix, for example, Baptists constitute 3% of the population, but in Dallas they constitute 13%. In Chicago, Baptists constitutes 1.9% of the population. In San Jose, it was 1.5%. Something else of note is that the percentage of the population that declared they were religious in Dallas was 55% whereas in Phoenix it was 39%. In San Jose, it was 43%. The point of whether Dallas more Southern Baptists than Catholics is moot. What matters is that Dallas has a sizable percentage of Baptists among its population and is roughly 20% of its religious population. It was also interesting to note the large number of evangelical Christian organizations in Dallas. Having gone to Greenhill, I didn't experience much of this evangelical presence. Most of the students were like me and trying to attend top universities outside of Texas. However, my Indian friends who attended public schools in the area definitely told me stories of being harassed for being Hindu. Even some of my friends who attended Ft. Worth Country Day high school told me similar stories. I was asked to attend someone's church on a few occasions and people were very curious about my background but I can't honestly say that I was offended by their questions. They just seemed very curious but I agree that I've never really experienced this anywhere else I've lived. Overall, I would agree there is a conservative tone to Dallas in light of some of the other cities I've lived in. Dallas has a large Desi(Indian-Pakistani) population and I believe it's either the 5th or 6th largest in the country. I can also tell you from personal experience and from observing friends in Dallas, I had very little non-Indian friends growing up there. I think it's a combination of the Indian community being so strong and a lack of being embraced by the surrounding community. I almost felt at times that they begrudged us. We owned a motel and I would receive a lot of jokes about Indians and motels particularly that we were greedy and cheap. I remember the competition would often post signs claiming "American owned" to inform travelers that they were not an Indian owned motel which I felt was a little racist. With all of this said, I would settle down in Dallas. I think it's a great city. I wouldn't call Dallas an evangelical city but I would definitely agree there is a significant evangelical population and conservative tone relative to other cities.

This is a much more respectable way to say that DFW is more conservative/religous than the averge major metro area. Of the top 10 metro areas, it actually isnt the most religious. Atlanta is, but I think DFW is 2nd, closely followed by Houston. Then there is a gap. It has to be a southern thing. Even then, statistically its not overwhelming in Dallas county anyway. 55% of Dallas county say they identify with a religion. Thats little more than half. Every other person here isnt religious at all. It may be above average, but even the city of Los Angeles identified at 58% religious (mostly Catholic).

I understand what you are saying about the Indian community sticking together. My wife works at a Pharmacy in Carrollton. Of her 11 co-workers, 8 are Indian/Pakistani. My wife really liked one of them and thought it would be fun to hang out. However, the girl didnt have much of an interest because "all of my friends are brown, you would feel wired.". She was crushed because she didnt see that as a big deal. Needless to say its a two way street. Even in Houston (which some would call a big melting pot) or LA (which is too), the desi community sticks together hard. Maybe its a matter of preference. Especially in a city like Dallas where the South Asian population is downright HUGE! If youre South Asian in DFW and only want to be around other South Asians, you have that option in spades.

Im curious too about the racist remarks. You mentioned that your family owned a hotel somewhere in DFW and that patrons made remarks. Does that really reflect on DFW? If they are staying at a hotel there, that would imply that they arent from there, right?

Another thing to remember is that the South Asian population in DFW didnt gradually build up, it exploded. So I can imagine people being curious about your background. Ive heard similar stories out of Atlanta. The reason being is that diversity happend really fast here. Its not like Chicago or New York which have diversity since the beginning. I think sometimes it takes people time to get used to it. Even LA had problems getting used to it (ala Rodney King, Watts Riot, Latasha Harlins, OJ Simpson, etc.). But now it seems to be all good out there. Its just growing pains. But places like DFW and Atlanta will get used to it and grow out of them.

[Overcooked_Oatmeal]

Originally Posted by LAnative10

Another thing to remember is that the South Asian population in DFW didnt gradually build up, it exploded. So I can imagine people being curious about your background. Ive heard similar stories out of Atlanta. The reason being is that diversity happend really fast here. Its not like Chicago or New York which have diversity since the beginning. I think sometimes it takes people time to get used to it. Even LA had problems getting used to it (ala Rodney King, Watts Riot, Latasha Harlins, OJ Simpson, etc.). But now it seems to be all good out there. Its just growing pains. But places like DFW and Atlanta will get used to it and grow out of them.

It's not "all well and good" out in LA for all blacks. I grew up in South Central and Baldwin Hills, so I should know.

Most of them have been driven out (parents wound up moving to Vegas), or killed from violence from the race war that the Mexicans gangs have waged on them. But hey, that's less black people for the powers that be to worry about. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar were to occur in other cities.

[a75206]

Originally Posted by zox

Azriverfan is clearly exaggerating and is wrong with regards to his statistics, but I agree with some of his points. My family and I spent my early childhood in Wisconsin (Osh Kosh in case there are fellow cheeseheads here) and we moved to Dallas at the start of middle school. I spent my middle school and high school years in Dallas. I went to Greenhill academy. I then attended Northwestern University in Evanston (Chicago) and worked in San Jose and Phoenix. I'm also Indian and Hindu so I might be able share a different perspective on this issue. There are not more Southern Baptists than Catholics in Dallas. However, Dallas has a much higher percentage of Baptists than other cities. In Phoenix, for example, Baptists constitute 3% of the population, but in Dallas they constitute 13%. In Chicago, Baptists constitutes 1.9% of the population. In San Jose, it was 1.5%. Something else of note is that the percentage of the population that declared they were religious in Dallas was 55% whereas in Phoenix it was 39%. In San Jose, it was 43%. The point of whether Dallas more Southern Baptists than Catholics is moot. What matters is that Dallas has a sizable percentage of Baptists among its population and is roughly 20% of its religious population. It was also interesting to note the large number of evangelical Christian organizations in Dallas. Having gone to Greenhill, I didn't experience much of this evangelical presence. Most of the students were like me and trying to attend top universities outside of Texas. However, my Indian friends who attended public schools in the area definitely told me stories of being harassed for being Hindu. Even some of my friends who attended Ft. Worth Country Day high school told me similar stories. I was asked to attend someone's church on a few occasions and people were very curious about my background but I can't honestly say that I was offended by their questions. They just seemed very curious but I agree that I've never really experienced this anywhere else I've lived. Overall, I would agree there is a conservative tone to Dallas in light of some of the other cities I've lived in. Dallas has a large Desi(Indian-Pakistani) population and I believe it's either the 5th or 6th largest in the country. I can also tell you from personal experience and from observing friends in Dallas, I had very little non-Indian friends growing up there. I think it's a combination of the Indian community being so strong and a lack of being embraced by the surrounding community. I almost felt at times that they begrudged us. We owned a motel and I would receive a lot of jokes about Indians and motels particularly that we were greedy and cheap. I remember the competition would often post signs claiming "American owned" to inform travelers that they were not an Indian owned motel which I felt was a little racist. With all of this said, I would settle down in Dallas. I think it's a great city. I wouldn't call Dallas an evangelical city but I would definitely agree there is a significant evangelical population and conservative tone relative to other cities.

Good to see a fellow desi perspective; I agree (thru experience) with almost everything you have mentioned. And I would certainly term "American owned/operated" quite racist; the Indian-Americans aren't Americans, only whites are?! Although when you say that "Dallas" has a huge desi population, I would have to disagree; the Indians/South Asians are way out in the suburbs, usually in Plano, Carrolton, and Las Colinas, and elsewhere. In Dallas itself, few Indians-- there aren't even very many Indian restaurants within Dallas proper, certainly none of high caliber.

Anyways, I'm surprised that after living elsewhere, you came back and wouldn't mind living in Dallas (or, rather, the suburbs with more desi population). I, for one, am ready to try out other places (I'm not even from Dallas but have lived in this area for many years now). Who knows? Perhaps I might return. Dallas certainly has the cheap, and business-friendly thing going for it.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by a75206

Good to see a fellow desi perspective; I agree (thru experience) with almost everything you have mentioned. And I would certainly term "American owned/operated" quite racist; the Indian-Americans aren't Americans, only whites are?! Although when you say that "Dallas" has a huge desi population, I would have to disagree; the Indians/South Asians are way out in the suburbs, usually in Plano, Carrolton, and Las Colinas, and elsewhere. In Dallas itself, few Indians-- there aren't even very many Indian restaurants within Dallas proper, certainly none of high caliber.

DFW has the 6th largest Indian population in the US after NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, LA, and DC.

[a75206]

Originally Posted by LAnative10

DFW has the 6th largest Indian population in the US after NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, LA, and DC.

Cool; nice to know where the metro area stands.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by a75206

Cool; nice to know where the metro area stands.

I feel like we stand on the same page in that its my personal opinion that some of the best stuff about DFW isnt in Dallas at all.

Fort Worth is a 2nd to none city in my opinion.