Anyone been to Brownsville, Laredo, McAllen?

[cantlv2soon]

Originally Posted by johnrex62

There is, however, a new and growing movement on the Mexican side that views the US side as less of a renewable resource and more of a short term resource and long term conquest. Their views are not as compatible with the majority of the Mexican citizenry, but is backed by money and drugs in their violent activities.

I believe there are many areas in many border towns that are still safe and quiet, but they are fewer and fewer each month or year. The mentality of the region has moved from a mixed heritage community to one at war with gangsters and unwilling to risk their own safety for a neighbor anylonger.

You are correct, JohnRex. As a well traveled "anglo" family, we came here after being transferred by my husband's employer a little less than 2 yrs ago. We started out in McAllen and then were moved to Brownsville. 1 of our family members is conversant in Spanish, and 1 speaks some Spanish. Of the two, I'd definitely vote for McAllen, though it has changed as well. There's more places to go and things to do in McAllen than in Brownsville. If you are all anglo with no family in "the Valley", it can be a very lonely place. We didn't get the memo about living in Sharyland, though we did live in N.McAllen. It was tolerable at first, but we learned quickly not to use any public restroom facilities (like at WalMart) with piles of nasty toilet paper on the floor in the corner, urine and feces smeared all over. Hordes of shoppers in stores every day...there was no such thing as running out to get a few things. NEVER go to a sale of any kind without hours to burn. Apparently, the situation was already changing, but there were some few nice people. Many people were just hostile, and I learned not to smile or look anyone in the eye. By the time we left there last March, our blonde elementary school age son was being bullied for being "anglo, americano, white, cotton top", and the teachers thought it was funny. He went from being an outgoing, happy kid to crying every morning and begging not to go to school.

We were relieved to get to N. Brownsville, where people were actually friendlier. We actually got to know our neighbors a little bit. Well, that lasted until this past fall when school started again. Suddenly, the school increased its enrollment by 50%, and most of them travel over from Mexico each day. Sickness has become rampant, due to lack of basic hygiene education. You can't go shopping without feeling like you're in a herd, and of course, the bathroom situation is sadly familiar The neighborhood park area has become a scary place, and gang signs are around. Everyone stays in their houses for the most part now, and joyriding gunfire has become commonplace enough that while we remark on it, there's nothing we can do about it. The racial bullying has started at school (not just our kid), and our Latino neighbors are steadily moving away. I would like to emphasize here that there are some wonderful people here in the Valley. Some families have been here for generations, and they are just as upset as we are about the way things are going.

I don't know what the Valley used to be like. I hear stories, and I see the distress, so I know it must not always have been this way. I can only speak to how it is now for an anglo family with no family in the Valley. We can't wait to leave, and my husband has asked for a transfer ANYWHERE outside of the Valleym ANYWHERE that's not a bordertown so that we can return to a normal life.

[lowviolette]

Originally Posted by cantlv2soon

You are correct, JohnRex. As a well traveled "anglo" family, we came here after being transferred by my husband's employer a little less than 2 yrs ago. We started out in McAllen and then were moved to Brownsville. 1 of our family members is conversant in Spanish, and 1 speaks some Spanish. Of the two, I'd definitely vote for McAllen, though it has changed as well. There's more places to go and things to do in McAllen than in Brownsville. If you are all anglo with no family in "the Valley", it can be a very lonely place. We didn't get the memo about living in Sharyland, though we did live in N.McAllen. It was tolerable at first, but we learned quickly not to use any public restroom facilities (like at WalMart) with piles of nasty toilet paper on the floor in the corner, urine and feces smeared all over. Hordes of shoppers in stores every day...there was no such thing as running out to get a few things. NEVER go to a sale of any kind without hours to burn. Apparently, the situation was already changing, but there were some few nice people. Many people were just hostile, and I learned not to smile or look anyone in the eye. By the time we left there last March, our blonde elementary school age son was being bullied for being "anglo, americano, white, cotton top", and the teachers thought it was funny. He went from being an outgoing, happy kid to crying every morning and begging not to go to school.

We were relieved to get to N. Brownsville, where people were actually friendlier. We actually got to know our neighbors a little bit. Well, that lasted until this past fall when school started again. Suddenly, the school increased its enrollment by 50%, and most of them travel over from Mexico each day. Sickness has become rampant, due to lack of basic hygiene education. You can't go shopping without feeling like you're in a herd, and of course, the bathroom situation is sadly familiar The neighborhood park area has become a scary place, and gang signs are around. Everyone stays in their houses for the most part now, and joyriding gunfire has become commonplace enough that while we remark on it, there's nothing we can do about it. The racial bullying has started at school (not just our kid), and our Latino neighbors are steadily moving away. I would like to emphasize here that there are some wonderful people here in the Valley. Some families have been here for generations, and they are just as upset as we are about the way things are going.

I don't know what the Valley used to be like. I hear stories, and I see the distress, so I know it must not always have been this way. I can only speak to how it is now for an anglo family with no family in the Valley. We can't wait to leave, and my husband has asked for a transfer ANYWHERE outside of the Valleym ANYWHERE that's not a bordertown so that we can return to a normal life.

i feel just as you do...and that is because i am hispanic. i also live in a border town (laredo a.k.a the armpit of so. texas) and i cant wait to get away from the Mexican/US border. i think i have figured out the border town mentality..Most normal people in normal American towns will always say they are american first then followed by their ethnic background, creed, religion, and so forth. but not along the border towns. its as if they have a disdain for america...just my opinion.

[texan55]

Originally Posted by ironmancoachjay

texan55 I am not upset nor do I take offence to your statement. I am also not trying to discredit your statement. I am simply stating that the cultures are a lot alike.

oh alright.

makes sense considering creoles/cajuns were some of the first settlers in the area around the early 1800s.

[texan55]

Originally Posted by lowviolette

i feel just as you do...and that is because i am hispanic. i also live in a border town (laredo a.k.a the armpit of so. texas) and i cant wait to get away from the Mexican/US border. i think i have figured out the border town mentality..Most normal people in normal American towns will always say they are american first then followed by their ethnic background, creed, religion, and so forth. but not along the border towns. its as if they have a disdain for america...just my opinion.

um... i think most people put their ethnicity ahead of saying american.

african american...
irish american...
native american

[lowviolette]

Originally Posted by texan55

um... i think most people put their ethnicity ahead of saying american.

african american...
irish american...
native american

you are a prime example of the border mentality... i am an american before i am anything else

[ironmancoachjay]

Originally Posted by texan55

oh alright.

makes sense considering creoles/cajuns were some of the first settlers in the area around the early 1800s.

I am 100% Creole/Cajun 50% French and 50% Spanish from the Canary Islands. Here is a little bit about my heritage. I grew up on the bayou in Delecroix Island (pronounced Del-le-crow).

Its sad to say that spanish is no longer the dominate language spoken there. When we were growing up our parents and grand parents did not want to teach us how to speak spanish (but when we were in trouble they sure did yell at us in spanish) because they were afraid we would not mix into society...funny now that spanish is one of the most spoken languages in this country.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMD4KbDQyG4

Delacroix Island, Louisiana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[texan55]

Originally Posted by lowviolette

you are a prime example of the border mentality... i am an american before i am anything else

canadians are american. so are mexicans. hondurans. brazilians. etc etc.

no borders.

[thenewtexan]

OK, the RGV is not for everyone. Cntlv2soon: I'm sorry you and your family had such a negative experience in the RGV.

Living here in SA, I know many people from the valley, mostly Hispanic and some Anglo. I have a coworker who, in high school, transferred from upstate NY to Brownsville back in the early 90s, and he told me he would get into fights almost everyday without prevocation because he was anglo. He also told me so me of the best friends he ever made were from that same school. All of these kids were Mexican-American. I guess the point here is that a few bad apples would spoil the bunch. Most people I know from there say that most of the tension in the RGV is not between Hispanics and Anglos, but between light skinned Hispanics and dark skinned Hispanics.

Back to the original poster, McAllen would be the most diverse place. I cant speak for Laredo, as I have never heard anything positive or negative about the place. Although I can tell you that it's better further away from downtown Bville and Laredo as they straddle the border. McAllen is actually not a border town, and crime overall there would be the lowest.