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Observations about North Carolina/Raleigh, low home prices, low cost of living, friendly polite residents, central location to beaches, mountains, slow paced
Maybe so but I was not there. I only heard her side of the story. Regardless, it's a bad situation to be in although she put herself in it. Thankfully, I was not in the car too and I only had one beer. I could not have been the designated driver regardless because I don't live anywhere near Wake Forest and I don't have a NC drivers licsence. I still have my NY license and won't drive with it that is why I don't have a car much less a job to pay for it. I am more focused right now on returning to NY.
Although she put herself in a bad situation I feel badly for her. Thankfully, I was not the designated driver because I only had one beer. She lives too far and I have a NY license not a NC licsence. I have only been in NC 6mths and I want to go back to NY. It's harder to return than it is to leave since I don't have any family. They have passed away. However, I am anxious to return bad weather and all.
It amazes me but the same folks who Moderator cut: removed about all the yankees and folks moving to the area, will be Moderator cut: removed even more when the growth stops and their property values decline. Growth, jobs, outsiders moving in, property values, etc, usually always go hand in hand. Can't have one without the others.
Last I checked we still reside in a free country. I'll move anyhere in this coutry I Moderator cut: removed well please. I'm polite, friendly, contribute to my community, work hard and so on and if you still wish to call me a darn Yankee, in a negative manor, then this is your loss.
This all being said, fact is about 95% of all folks I've met, done business with etc; are super friendly in the area. This seems to erk the predjudice most off all, as they get even angrier when a native is treating new commers nicely.
Also, jobs, what type of jobs are you people trying to get that it takes 5-6 months and still no position? Most people I know had good jobs within a week or less of relocating. Are you all engineers, business executives or what? Average, every day jobs in the Triangle area are everywhere.
Last edited by autumngal; 02-20-2008 at 07:47 AM..
How long did you live in NYC? If it was your whole life or decades, then you may be experiencing culture shock or maybe even severe culture shock. Since NYC and NC are so different, it's like moving to a foreign country. Right now you are still adjusting, it takes at least 6 months to do this, maybe longer depending on the person and situation.
After the serious adjustment happens, then it becomes a lot easier to deal with the things that bother you, etc. If you move back to NYC now, you haven't given yourself that option of reaching that point and seeing things get better. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best.
Also, jobs, what type of jobs are you people trying to get that it takes 5-6 months and still no position? Most people I know had good jobs within a week or less of relocating. Are you all engineers, business executives or what? Average, every day jobs in the Triangle area are everywhere.
These people you know - when were they job-hunting? Was it within the last few months? And what sort of jobs were they looking for?
I hear mixed stories about jobs here. I wish there was a way to know how long it takes the average person to get a job in various fields in this area. Most people I know had a job before they moved here, so I don't have much anecdotal evidence to go by. Not that anecdotes are 100% reliable, of course!
The present Mexican immigration is unprecedented, and larger than any other immigration in the past 100 years. They total 30% of the immigration into this country.
Illegal immigration from Mexico is responsible for about 65% of NC's Latino population - estimates run 300,000 - 400,000 (some estimates put the figure over 500,000) illegal aliens living in NC, depending on were you get your information. I got mine from the Pew Hispanic Center.
Illegal immigration is a constant issue in crime and gang violence, education, health care, housing, politics and jobs, so most people are very aware of this issue. Especially in NC where it's resources are feeling the strain of heavy immigration into the state - both legal and illegal.
Arriving in this country undereducated, speaking little to no English, poor job skills, living in poverty ... You would have to be very naive not to recognize the obvious signs of the plight of these people.
I guess most people do not want to address my original question, which is:
How common is this attitude towards Hispanics?
I do not want to move my family to an area where my children will be subjected to prejudice because of the color of their skin. I have many students who are Hispanic and were born in NC. That makes them just as American as everyone else with lighter and darker skin tones. MOST of them have parents who became "legal" in the 1990s and are now Resident Aliens. For those of you who don't know immigration-speak, that is what Americans commonly call a "green card."
And just to defend myself, I am certainly not ignorant to the "plight" of Mexican immigrants, as my husband is Mexican and I have spent a great deal of time in Mexico and teaching both Mexican immigrant children and first-generation Mexican-Americans.
I want to really know how my family might be treated in NC. I do not wish to cause pain for my children or my spouse and I would like an honest answer to this question. I was not trying to stir up an immigration debate.
I guess most people do not want to address my original question, which is:
How common is this attitude towards Hispanics?
I do not want to move my family to an area where my children will be subjected to prejudice because of the color of their skin. I have many students who are Hispanic and were born in NC. That makes them just as American as everyone else with lighter and darker skin tones. MOST of them have parents who became "legal" in the 1990s and are now Resident Aliens. For those of you who don't know immigration-speak, that is what Americans commonly call a "green card."
And just to defend myself, I am certainly not ignorant to the "plight" of Mexican immigrants, as my husband is Mexican and I have spent a great deal of time in Mexico and teaching both Mexican immigrant children and first-generation Mexican-Americans.
I want to really know how my family might be treated in NC. I do not wish to cause pain for my children or my spouse and I would like an honest answer to this question. I was not trying to stir up an immigration debate.
My wife is 50% Puerto Rican and she is not treated any different than anyone else. We are friends with a Mexican couple who do very well for themselves and they love it here. They've never mentioned to us about any prejeduce they have experienced here.
I'm not sure how we got off my topic, but it certainly is a digression. I was attempting to stay positive, topical, and informative for those like myself who moved here recently or those considering moving here in the future. I would really like to hear some other newbie observations. I may have missed something pertinent that would be HELPFUL to others. Thanks.
**Please stay on topic as the OP is requesting. Any further off topic posts will be removed. So please start a new thread should you wish to continue topics that are considered off topic for this thread.
Last edited by autumngal; 02-20-2008 at 08:14 AM..
I was attempting to stay positive, topical, and informative for those like myself who moved here recently or those considering moving here in the future.
How about we strive to stay honest, topical and informative? Granted, a lot of the honest information on this area is positive, but it helps no one if we give only the positive news & none of the negatives.
I moved here almost 2 years ago & for me the hardest thing to get used to was the roads. Nope, it has nothing to do with the drivers. I came from an area where the roads were on a grid system. The roads here are like a big, confusing bowl of spaghetti compared to that. I got lost a few times (unsettling to say the least!), so I got a GPS. What a lifesaver! It isn't always able to find locations for me (there's a lot of growth here that doesn't appear on their system yet), but I always know that I can get home, no matter how lost I get. That's a HUGE relief!
I was with a bunch of girlfriends last weekend and we started discussing the recent weather. It came to light that most of us don't even own window scrapers for our cars. Sometimes we encounter a little frost, but most of us just let the car defroster take care of it. The story may be different for those who have to leave for work before sunrise. Still, it's pretty different from where most of us came from!
Weather-wise, the worst thing is obviously the summers. We had record heat this past summer with many days of heat over 100F. The ozone levels that came along with that heat was bad, too. On the news they suggested that the young & elderly should stay indoors. It was pretty brutal. But in my mind, that's why we have air conditioning. Hooray for technology!
As for the ire of the natives ... well, different people have different experiences with that. The only natives who have voiced their displeasure over transplants in my presence are people who've come to know me over time & consider me a friend. So yes, maybe they aren't happy with all of the changes, but not so much that they would refuse to befriend a transplant. Frankly, I don't blame them for their frustrations. Anyone who has lived in one place for a signifigant amount of time has seen it change - sometimes in ways one doesn't like. The Triangle has seen a LOT of growth in recent years & people are bound to develop strong opinions about it. It's good to be aware that this is a sensitive topic, so be courteous when it arises.
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