Mexican population in Research Triangle (Charlotte, Raleigh: chapel, how much, home)

[Clairezva]

Hello I am a college student finishing my Medical Technologist degree in NJ, but thinking about where me and my husband will move after we finish school. I've been eyeing North Carolina due to it's fast growth in both the research triangle and Charlotte but I'm worried about the diversity. My husband is Mexican and he gets very home sick because he rarely, if ever sees Mexicans where we live in NJ. I really want to move somewhere with a sizable Mexican population that is NOT the southwest. Why do I hate the southwest? It's just not my style. I hated southern California but he loves it. I was curious about Texas but he hates that. We're trying to compromise. I'm wondering if the search triangle is a compromise? Are there Mexicans there? I wanna take a road trip down there someday to see for myself but I'd like to know if we should even bother.

[tompope]

It's all relative, of course. There is a substantial and growing population of people of Mexican and other Latino ancestries in the Triangle, but it goes without saying, far, far, far less than in places in the border states like California or Texas, or the bigger, older cities up North. On the other hand, I have consistently heard people from other parts of the country with little Mexican influence comment about how many Hispanic people and how much Hispanic culture there is in the Triangle. So, again, it's all relative. Is it '"Mexican enough" for your husband? It's hard to say. Frankly, from what you've described, I wouldn't be surprised either way, whether he would or would not be satisfied with the Mexican-ness of the Triangle. A thorough scouting visit may be the best thing.

[saturnfan]

If you want a Hispanic area in Raleigh, check out the Walmart on New Hope Church Road. The area around there has numerous Hispanic businesses.

[librarySue]

I work at a school in Northeast Raleigh and our student population is about 65% hispanic. How many of those are Mexican? I have no idea, we don't officially ask. And the school 2 miles down the road has more like 80% hispanic.

Will he have a hard time finding kindred spirits here? I doubt it. There are many such neighborhoods like the one Saturnfan mentions. Come on down and visit!

[poppydog]

I think there are plenty of Mexicans here. Most are more recent first or second generation immigrants. I hear lots of Spanish when I'm out and about in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

It doesn't sound like you have kids yet, but there are two elementary schools in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools that have Spanish dual language programs (newly converted to magnet programs). My 3rd grader goes to Carrboro Elementary which is one of them and about half the school is dual language spanish, the other half is traditional english. Of the half that is dual language about half the kids in the program are native Spanish speakers, so about 1/4 of the school is Hispanic. Some of the parents get together every year and make a Mexican feast for the school fair and there's a parent group similar to the PTA for Hispanic parents (Padres Unidos). The Ballet Folklórico de México came to the school and put on a performance. There's also a low power community radio station that has a Hispanic music show.

The Mexican and Hispanic population has really boomed in NC as well as much of the country in the past 20 years or so. But prior to that there were very few Mexican families in the area, so the Mexican families that are here tend to be more newly arrived and w/o the history of Mexican-American culture that you find in Texas or Southern California where there are generations of families who have been in the states for many years. I have the impression from talking with Mexican friends and acquaintances that most of the Mexican folks living in NC still have family back in Mexico, so I don't know if that appeals to him or if he's looking for more of a long-standing Mexican-American tradition.

[Jkgourmet]

We just moved here from Phoenix last June. There is definitely a Hispanic/Latino community here - and plenty of shops, groceries, tienda's, etc. that cater to that community. And we've noticed it with the building and landscaping workers we have had at our home nearly constantly.

However, what I have noticed is that it isn't largely Mexican, which is what I was used to in Phoenix. The Hispanic community here seems much more mixed. We've met folks from all over Latin America and South America. AND Mexico.

I noticed it also at the larger Hispanic markets. In Phoenix, I saw the shelves stocked with almost the same items I could buy in Mexico (we lived south of Guadalajara part time for two years). The largest of the Hispanic grocery stores here is in Raleigh, and it stocks less of the Mexican items, but lots of other stuff, especially Salvadorian, Guatamalan and Cuban.

In comparison, I'd also say that the Hispanic community is not living in the higher end housing as much as I was accustomed to in Phoenix. What I have seen is limited, I admit, but appears to be the less expensive areas.

Hope that helps.

[CAbornNClivin]

I'm from Southern California and compared to NC it is quite different. In CA, there are Mexican Americans who have been there for a few generations, whereas here, there are a lot of 1st generation Mexicans who maybe came here with kids or have had kids here. Not as many speak English, some men are only here working (with their families back in Mexico). It's just different. As far as Latinos go, I think there is more diversity here--Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Peruvians, etc. There is a HUGE international supermarket near S.Saunders in Raleigh, located in a strip mall with lots of hispanic vendors and we recently ate at the taqueria around the corner--it was great. The place was packed and hardly any white people..ha!

Curious where you both are from?

[poppydog]

Yup to what CAbornNClivin said. Lots of Mexicans and other Hispanics, but the majority of them have come in the last 20 yrs. We have a lot of Mexican food, but not Tex-Mex or Cali-Mex. We don't have generations and generations of Mexican-Americans with an established NC-Mexican culture. That's still being created.

[Mirabella]

If you want to move to a place with cheap cost of living, on the upswing with jobs and a large Hispanic population, you need to move to Atlanta.

[siameseifyoupls]

Originally Posted by poppydog

Yup to what CAbornNClivin said. Lots of Mexicans and other Hispanics, but the majority of them have come in the last 20 yrs. We have a lot of Mexican food, but not Tex-Mex or Cali-Mex. We don't have generations and generations of Mexican-Americans with an established NC-Mexican culture. That's still being created.

Yes, there has been a lot of illegal immigration into the area.