General Question about the San Diego area (Chula Vista, Vista: neighborhoods, gated)

[hcruz279]

Hello. I apologize, but I have a really stupid question. I just want to know, and I do not ask this to be rude, but are there any neighborhoods in the San Diego area, where you don't need to know an awful lot of Spanish, if at all, to get by? I understand it okay, but I don't speak it very well, and to be perfectly honest, I'd feel comfortable if I was somewhere, where I would feel less "obligated (for lack of a better term)," to speak Spanish to people.

[Spartanacus]

I would assume if you speak English you're fine everywhere, as I would also assume most Mexicans in the region also speak English.

[malcorub16]

San Diego is not El Paso, Miami or LA.

With the exception of perhaps San Ysidro which is right on the border, Spanish is not the primary language in any particular area, not even Barrio Logan, National City or west Chula Vista.

[kettlepot]

Malcorub nailed it. Barrio Logan, National City, and west Chula Vista are places I might say being bilingual would be helpful, but even in those neighborhoods it isn't necessary.

Is your concern that you appear Hispanic, and the local Hispanics would look down on you for not being Hispanic enough?

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by hcruz279

Hello. I apologize, but I have a really stupid question. I just want to know, and I do not ask this to be rude, but are there any neighborhoods in the San Diego area, where you don't need to know an awful lot of Spanish, if at all, to get by? I understand it okay, but I don't speak it very well, and to be perfectly honest, I'd feel comfortable if I was somewhere, where I would feel less "obligated (for lack of a better term)," to speak Spanish to people.

I've lived in the San Diego area for over 30 years. I've never felt "obligated" to speak Spanish to anyone. My knowledge of Spanish is limited to gracias and a few menu items and I get by just fine everywhere I go here.

I hear many different languages spoken in San Diego - not just Spanish, but also Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian, Tagalog, Somali, Arabic and Russian, among others.

Yet, no one here expects me to speak to them in those languages either.

So, no worries. You'll be fine.

[sdlife619]

San Diego isn’t very Hispanics of Latin feeling at all, even though the name of the city might make you think otherwise. San Diego is more of Middle America in terms of culture, and is extremely White on all levels. Sometimes I feel like I live in Texas or live in another state because San Diego’s culture and it’s people isn’t very international and whatever attempts it tries to be, is half assed and feels fake.

Sure we have some Hispanic areas, but they’re fairly small for a city and county our size and proximity to the border. If anything if you look Latino, and can’t speak Spanish in certain areas, you might get WTF stare from a clerk or waitress, but no you don’t need to speak Spanish at all in SD to get around.

L.A. on the other hand, is like you crossed the border, so you definitely need to know Spanish in many parts of town.

[GSR13]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

San Diego isn’t very Hispanics of Latin feeling at all, even though the name of the city might make you think otherwise. San Diego is more of Middle America in terms of culture, and is extremely White on all levels. Sometimes I feel like I live in Texas or live in another state because San Diego’s culture and it’s people isn’t very international and whatever attempts it tries to be, is half assed and feels fake.

San Diego is indeed provincial but the demographics aren't even majority white. There are about 6-7 different ethnic groups in large numbers in SD, as you well know with a name like "sdlife619". This isn't Boise or Omaha.

[GSR13]

OP, if it makes you feel any better, there are a decent number of hispanics in the Imperial County (next to SD County to the east) who speak very little to no spanish, even though it's a 90% hispanic area and many of the local hispanics don't speak any English.

[malcorub16]

^^ Yes, according to this 2011 county census data, whites were only 48% of the county population. 63% of households were English only with Spanish only comprising of 11%

http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/hhsa/p...rthCentral.pdf

I've said this before in other threads, if you want to see San Diego's diversity in action, I recommend visiting the Fashion Valley Mall, the Ikea or the Frys Electronics. As people have to leave their enclaves for these places, you will see people from all different backgrounds speaking many different languages here.

SAN DIEGO IS FAR FROM "MIDDLE AMERICA."

[sdlife619]

Originally Posted by malcorub16

^^ Yes, according to this 2011 county census data, whites were only 48% of the county population. 63% of households were English only with Spanish only comprising of 11%

http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/hhsa/p...rthCentral.pdf

I've said this before in other threads, if you want to see San Diego's diversity in action, I recommend visiting the Fashion Valley Mall, the Ikea or the Frys Electronics. As people have to leave their enclaves for these places, you will see people from all different backgrounds speaking many different languages here.

SAN DIEGO IS FAR FROM "MIDDLE AMERICA."

I really don’t trust what the census has to say. In my experience after living in SD for most of my life, and have been to every part of town, San Diego is still largely a White city and county. Even the local government officials aren’t all that diverse.

Sure we have some “spots” going to the malls don’t really count because it brings people in from far away places, we do have diversity, just not like other big cities and the segregation here is pretty bad. If you ever travel into most neighborhoods, SD doesn’t really have Hispanic majority neighborhoods besides for a few, but as the gentrification process ravages through those communities, soon we won’t have any majority Hispanic areas.

I factor this in relation to the high housing prices which is already pushing Hispanics out of the state and is only going to become worse.