Best place for Mixed Family (rent, home, good schools)

[Xotik]

Hi everyone,

I am new here! Originally from New York, but now live in Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma with my husband and small puppy. We are a Black/Asian couple and are looking to move to start a family, where there is diversity. There is no real diversity in Cherokee Nation (Tahlequah) Oklahoma. The rest of Oklahoma won't be quite right for us either demographically speaking. I do not want to move back to NY, it's just waaaay too expensive to live comfortably there.

We are very open minded, spiritual (not religious) and would love to move to an area along on the east coast (to be closer to our family), however I am open to all suggestions. We want to raise our children in a more family oriented, diverse and accepting area, where the cost of living is comfortable.

I am a professional makeup artist/ hair stylist/ photographer and he is a graphics designer and also does computer repair part time.

I'm surprised that there was no post about mixed families yet, but I hope to read some greatly helpful responses here. We really aren't sure of where to begin this search of ours ... Thanx in advance

[dullnboring]

Have you taken a look at Howard County, Maryland? The city of Columbia in particular I think might be a good fit. It's diverse with lots of mixed children, family-friendly with good schools and pretty open-minded and nearly equidistant to DC and Baltimore, both of which have good economies. The cost of living might be a bit of a downer. It's not as expensive as New York (assuming you're from the NYC area as opposed to Upstate), but much moreso than Oklahoma obviously (although that goes without saying for pretty much anywhere on the East Coast), although for the DC-Baltimore area, it's not so bad.

[chiroptera]

Hi, Xotic.
Actually, if you look through the individual state forums - particularly the southern states - there's quite a few threads about living with mixed families, acceptance, school systems and such. I am not sure how well the search function on this forum works (look in the blue bar along the top of this page) but you might try that.
A friend of mine (she white, he black and two teenage daughters) just left yesterday for Greenville NC, from here in MI. I would imagine most college towns will be pretty accepting; I don't think mixed race couples are so rare any more and don't raise eyebrows and ire in most cities! At least one would hope not.

[Xotik]

Thank you both for your replies I will look into the places suggested by you both as well as try and navigate around this forum some more.

Yes, I grew up in the city area of New York and it's quite expensive there, but was living with my parents at the time, so I never had a taste of what it'd truly be like paying rent or mortgaging a home there personally, but I know how my highly educated friends (whom I figure would have it all together with their jobs) complain about pay as well as their living expenses (even looking for second jobs and so forth) and move to other areas of the south, and well that's too discouraging for me to want to want to attempt with my more "artistic" profession, which isn't as stable as their professions...lol

Here in Cherokee Nation and Tulsa, the people are quite friendly, but the staring is intense! I mean at times cars pause and so forth They just don't know what to do with themselves when they see a tall Black woman walking around with a tall Chinese man... it's unfathomable We don't want that for our children (although some may be inevitable) as intensely if we can help it, and the diversity and openmindness in general would just feel so much better! So I thank you again for your imput here

[Steel Man]

You might try south of Oklahoma in Texas. Try Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, or Houston. Personally, I prefer San Antonio as I live here with my mixed family (wife is Asian). San Antonio even celebrates its diverse cultures every year during the Folk Life Festival and Fiesta! Take a look at the Texas forum for more information.

[Xotik]

You know Steel, we were thinking Texas... and surprise, San Antonio to be exact but I was worried about all of the smoothering heat that I often hear is associated with Texas. I have a girlfriend living in Dallas, and she said she can't breathe sometimes although I know that the 2 places are different!

I hear that San Antonio is so beautiful. We'd like to take a trip, my husband has only been there once before. I like what you say about the diversity celebration, I think that's beautiful that it's recognized in that way! Thank you for your encouragement for that place, because you're the first person that I've spoken to that actually lives there and has a positive review