diversity? Racism? (Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale: real estate, car insurance, condo)

[cxray]

Phoenix is a part of the west coast as far as i'm concerned so it's much more liberal than Omaha, KC, Dallas, Houston, and Austin to name a few cities.

We have both conservatives and rednecks. Mormons are conservative but they are highly educated and respectful. They may not endorse your beliefs but they will treat you with respect. Mormons are not like Southern Baptists that you find in cities like Dallas and Houston.

We do have some white trash/redneck elements. Those people mostly congregate on the west side and east Mesa. In general, I would avoid the west side. People in the Phoenix metro (aka the valley) generally make fun of the west side because it can very white trash. The Arrowhead area is wealthy but it's mostly fully of rich retirees but the younger people in Arrowhead tend to be a little racist. So I wouldn't live in Goodyear, Suprise or Peoria if I could help it.

The most liberal and diverse area in the valley is South Tempe/Chandler/Ahwautukee area. Intel is located there and most of the engineers in the area are Indian or Pakastani. Little Asia is located in that area at the cross-streets of Warner and Dobson. Also, Scottsdale tends to be pretty wealthy and progressive.

However, compared to Omaha, the west side is pretty liberal!

[cxray]

Originally Posted by NanawaleJulie

If you think Boston is bad-moving here will be even worse. They do not like brown people here. As a matter of fact, this was the town that right after 9/11, someone killed a clerk at a gas station because he had a (can't remember the name- so forgive me) turbin? on his head. He was Indian for crying out loud! People don't even know the difference between an Indian and an Arab. They gunned him down in his store out of hatred for middle easterners. People haven't woken up here either as far as the 9/11 thing. They do not realize that the country was lied into a war-no an illegal occupation with a third world country. They don't even care or know that we have killed HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS. Many of whom are children. They don't want to know. They don't care.
When you see a map of the states that show which states are blue vs. red in elections-choose the blue states when choosing where to live if racism is your main issue. You will encounter it everywhere I am afraid as no place is truly red or truly blue (using these terms very loosely as there are kind "red" people and unkind "blue" people as well). Good luck to you.

Let me clarify Nana's post. This incident was very unfortunate but she isn't telling you the entire story. The victim was shot while working as a cashier in a run down gas station in east Mesa near Apache Junction, which just so happens to be the most racist and backward part of the valley. This incident was also right after 911. And to the untrained redneck eye, this Sikh reminded him of a member of the Taliban with his long beard and turban. This was an isolated incident and doesn't represent the valley by means. The local government also worked fast and sought the death penalty as a hate crime. I know in Texas and other parts of this country, they wouldn't seek the death penalty for a crime like this. I'm brown and I have never experienced racism here, but I have experienced racism in both Oklahoma City, Dallas and Houston so I know what it's like to be discriminated against.

Regarding the blue vs red state issue, this state will likely be a blue state in the next election. This state has progressively become more liberal as people from California and Chicago continue to move here.

[bigtallredhead]

Originally Posted by topjimmy

Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than individuals. Racists believe that all individuals who share superficial physical characteristics are alike: as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups. By encouraging Americans to adopt a group mentality, the advocates of so-called "diversity" actually perpetuate racism. Their obsession with racial group identity is inherently racist. - Ron Paul

Good quote and I agree 100%. Advocating EITHER diversity OR homogeneity of "race" as such is inherently racist. Advocating against discrimination based on physical characteristics in an even way is anti-racist.

Marten Luther King Jr. was a true anti racist as well as anti-war and anti-class bigotry/greed/corporatist etc... He led an interracial poor peoples march and of coarse shortly thereafter is when he was killed. As long as it was about black liberation he could be half tolerated, but when he became focused on true human unity and fairness, that was another matter. Sort of like Malcolm X was killed after he became a true muslim and began to preach human brotherhood, rather then being a black muslim. That is when both became truly dangerous to the powers that be. -Emil.

[cxray]

Originally Posted by lukeache

I truly believe that White supremacists and other human garbage hate groups from Idaho and the Pacific NW did not choose Phoenix randomly. It is obvious that they choose a place where they are going to find like minded people. I don't think such groups would have chosen a place like Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their BS simply would not fly there

There are white supremacists that protested in Manhattan too. Do you think NY is racist? Charles Barkley said Boston was a racist city. I'm brown and very sensitive to this type of thing and I've NEVER seen or heard anything about hate groups in the Phoenix metro. I know there are hate groups in Arizona but they stay away and fear the metro. And not all bikers are racist. Many of them are Hispanic or Native American. You can't just assume someone is racist because they look like big meatheads.

[bigtallredhead]

Originally Posted by cxray

Phoenix is a part of the west coast as far as i'm concerned so it's much more liberal than Omaha, KC, Dallas, Houston, and Austin to name a few cities.

We have both conservatives and rednecks. Mormons are conservative but they are highly educated and respectful. They may not endorse your beliefs but they will treat you with respect. Mormons are not like Southern Baptists that you find in cities like Dallas and Houston.

We do have some white trash/redneck elements. Those people mostly congregate on the west side and east Mesa. In general, I would avoid the west side. People in the Phoenix metro (aka the valley) generally make fun of the west side because it can very white trash. The Arrowhead area is wealthy but it's mostly fully of rich retirees but the younger people in Arrowhead tend to be a little racist. So I wouldn't live in Goodyear, Suprise or Peoria if I could help it.

The most liberal and diverse area in the valley is South Tempe/Chandler/Ahwautukee area. Intel is located there and most of the engineers in the area are Indian or Pakastani. Little Asia is located in that area at the cross-streets of Warner and Dobson. Also, Scottsdale tends to be pretty wealthy and progressive.

However, compared to Omaha, the west side is pretty liberal!

Of coarse, just keep in mind that working class whites are not necessarily "redneck" or "white trash" in the more negative sense of those words, even if they are related culturally to those that are. A lot are good people. And there are also many wealthy rednecks, as well as many well-to-do clean cut closet racists who will engage in and support plenty of discrimination even if they would never openly admit to being racist. -Emil.

[bigtallredhead]

Originally Posted by cxray

There are white supremacists that protested in Manhattan too. Do you think NY is racist? Charles Barkley said Boston was a racist city. I'm brown and very sensitive to this type of thing and I've NEVER seen or heard anything about hate groups in the Phoenix metro. I know there are hate groups in Arizona but they stay away and fear the metro. And not all bikers are racist. Many of them are Hispanic or Native American. You can't just assume someone is racist because they look like big meatheads.

Ok, I hadn't read this with my last post. I agree with your point here 100%!

[cxray]

Originally Posted by bigtallredhead

Of coarse, just keep in mind that working class whites are not necessarily "redneck" or "white trash" in the more negative sense of those words, even if they are related culturally to those that are. A lot are good people. And there are also many wealthy rednecks, as well as many well-to-do clean cut closet racists who will engage in and support plenty of discrimination even if they would never openly admit to being racist. -Emil.

Yes, I know there are wealthy and educated bigots but those people are not openly racist. I'm okay with closet racists. This is a free country. People have a right to believe whatever they way. If someone wants to hate me for the color of my skin so be it however, don't yell obscenities and don't assault me. Whatever someone says in their own home is their business.The problem with the working class variety of rednecks is that they tend to be openly racist which I have a problem with.

[pynkpanther]

Originally Posted by bigtallredhead

Marten Luther King Jr. was a true anti racist as well as anti-war and anti-class bigotry/greed/corporatist etc... He led an interracial poor peoples march and of coarse shortly thereafter is when he was killed. As long as it was about black liberation he could be half tolerated, but when he became focused on true human unity and fairness, that was another matter. Sort of like Malcolm X was killed after he became a true muslim and began to preach human brotherhood, rather then being a black muslim. That is when both became truly dangerous to the powers that be. -Emil.

actually, mlk took a pre-mecca malcolm x slant in the latter portion of his life whereas malcolm x became more like mlk's "turn the other cheek" persona...but i get where you are going with what you posted.

[bigtallredhead]

Originally Posted by Arizona Annie

Definitely! No question about it! We have a very large population of illegal immigrants from Mexico in our state. One of the complaints I have heard the most about this population (second only to the cost of supporting so many of them) is the requirement to know Spanish in order to obtain many of the jobs here, because a very big percentage of those here illegally do not have any interest in learning English. For this reason, documents of all types are printed in both English and Spanish. Another big issue was the carrying of the Mexican flag during demonstrations in the city. I truly believe if they made an effort and learned English and carried the American flag, the attitude towards them would be entirely different. The perception is that they have no respect whatsoever for American culture.

Well, I think that sometimes also causes problems for many Mexican americans as well who DO speak English, respect american culture (are part of it) etc... do to the ignorance/over generalization of some combined with an all to common reality. But to support your point yes assimilated Mexican americans do report less discrimination then spanish speaking immigrants in surveys. I see the illegal immigration issue as making that sort of thing worse, and that is one majore reason why I really think it is a problem, and want something done about it/start holding employers accountable/truly defending the border etc... -Emil.

[bigtallredhead]

Originally Posted by pynkpanther

actually, mlk took a pre-mecca malcolm x slant in the latter portion of his life whereas malcolm x became more like mlk's "turn the other cheek" persona...but i get where you are going with what you posted.

MLK became more confrontational with his beliefs yes, but emphasized more unity and a broader movement then just fighting against racism against blacks. He saw that the harm from racism would not be undone without addressing larger issues of human hierarchy and unfairness. I would hardly call that a pre Mecca Malcolm aproch, which was openly racist against whites. Not the same at all. -Emil.