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As an Asian, you'll be able to slip right through the cultural games that's played here.
Yes, there's racism.. but like someone else has pointed out, it's not directed at Asians.
You wouldn't even be expected to participate in the superficial and hypocritical "religion" they have down here. Greensboro is growing ... but not as fast as Durham and Raleigh. Most of these folks have very "local" mind-sets and don't know what they don't know. They just have this LONG list of "Shoulds" that they expect OTHER people to comply to ... but not themselves.
There's a culture of voyeurism, and (malicious) gossip here. As a person of Asian decent, you wouldn't have to participate unless you wanted to. My suggestion is to strongly NOT join in and you'll enjoy your stay.
If I'm understanding what you mean by the "local" mindset, I take this to mean more people in Greensboro are more likely to have grown up there than Raleigh and Durham, because as you mention, the Triangle area has been growing more rapidly. Therefore, on average (but of course not in every neighborhood or part of the region), people in Greensboro may be a little more "established" and set in their ways with social connections than in Raleigh and Durham because the constant churning of new people moving in isn't quite as rapid. But this doesn't equate to racism; it's more about how much someone "new" sticks out or doesn't.
Nor do I think Greensboro necessarily stands out as gossipy, although certain smaller towns in the area are more likely to have nosier people than Greensboro and certainly more than Los Angeles where the OP is from. And of course, just like racism, this varies from person to person and can exist (or not) anywhere.
1. My experience as someone who was born in the South but had a childhood in California and the Midwest is that folks outside of the South think life here is like it is portrayed in movies set in the 1960s. Certainly there is still a long ways to go, but places like Greensboro are quite diverse and not at all the places they were fifty years ago.
2. There is definitely a "local" culture in Greensboro that is more small-town than you'd expect on first glance. However, and this is especially true of the UNCG area, you really don't notice those connections until you've lived here a while. There is a vibrant college community here, so all that small town gossip stuff shouldn't affect you.
3. I don't know what they mean by voyeurism??? I suppose whatever social group you form will determine what kind of gossip you'll encounter. Also this nosiness business - the south is very social and people will try to make conversation with you out of the blue. I know from my own experiences in California that strangers tend to keep to themselves in public. You're not going to see that happening the same way here - don't be scared if someone talks to you, it's not abnormal here the way it was in CA.
Most likely your friends are just saying some bs based off preconceptions versus actual knowledge. I don't know what it is but many people whether its just TV or just not letting go of old stereotypes, come here with silliest unfounded thoughts. I've noticed for some reason people on the west coast just believe that if the place is in the south, then it's racist. 99% of time coming to this conclusion with out stepping foot any where near here. That is a dumb assumption. Also Greensboro does not lack diversity. Does it have the same Asian population as LA, no, but there is a good sizable population for a city it's size. I'm positive race won't be a issue for you, more so just the natural issues that occur of moving from one place to another, culture, food, meeting people, etc etc, all that comes to moving to some place different.
Man I hate to say this but guys, please take veganwriter's post with a grain of salt, I honestly think her/his issues are not the place but issues she/he would have any where. sometimes it's not where you are at, it's you.
1. My experience as someone who was born in the South but had a childhood in California and the Midwest is that folks outside of the South think life here is like it is portrayed in movies set in the 1960s. Certainly there is still a long ways to go, but places like Greensboro are quite diverse and not at all the places they were fifty years ago.
I totally agree...I've lived in places outside the South too and it's not significantly different like it was half a century ago. It's pretty common knowledge that the world is much smaller than it used to be and we're more connected with each other across regional boundaries. This makes for more of an American rather than a regional way of thinking. But some people just can't understand this and want to view the South from a historical perspective that just does not exist anymore. I hope that one day those people can wake up and actually see how much things have changed for the better - not just in the South but throughout the US.
Man I hate to say this but guys, please take veganwriter's post with a grain of salt, I honestly think her/his issues are not the place but issues she/he would have any where. sometimes it's not where you are at, it's you.
You are exactly right...this person obviously didn't come to NC with an open mind ready for a new adventure, but with a pile of stereotypes ready to place them on the "people" in the area. So sad.
Is Greensboro better than Winston Salem in cultural acceptability?
The two cities are thirty minutes apart and basically the same size, so there isn't really any difference between the two. You won't find much difference in any good-sized NC city...they are all generally known to be friendly places with good people living in them.
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Some folks just try to sound like they know more than they do.
