Have a job offer in McAllen (Houston, Dallas: fit in, neighborhoods, school district)

[c450]

Hello friends,

We are an asian family looking to relocate to McAllen from Dallas. We have 2 little ones, one is in grade school. We would like some recommendations on where to live, which school district, if we can even fit in culturally? Wife is scared since everyone we have talked to who has lived there hated it. I have done a little bit of research, but could not find any helpful information.


Please advise.

[gguerra]

North Mcallen is nice, there are upscale neighborhoods and nice schools. There are other Asians here, Koreans, Filipinos, Chinese, a few Japanese. Many own businesses. They even have their own places of worship. There are also various private schools. Idea is a good one. The economy is looking up here. I may be biased but most people that have problems here have problems with Hispanics. They are the majority. Many non-hispanics get along just fine. Mcallen is a contemporary city compared to some others here. The biggest drawback is the hot weather in the summer. It's not much better in other areas in the summer, even up north it gets plenty hot. The difference is that we get fewer cold fronts, so many times it stays warm even in the winter. The weather is similar to Miami but a bit hotter. That is where air conditioning comes in. It is pretty much a requirement. Traffic is light when comparing to larger cities. Hidalgo county, where Mcallen is located has a population of about 900k but it is spread out. This was a rural area some years back, some of it is now quite urban. If you can adapt, I think you will be fine.

May I ask what kind of job you are looking at?

[c450]

Originally Posted by gguerra

North Mcallen is nice, there are upscale neighborhoods and nice schools. There are other Asians here, Koreans, Filipinos, Chinese, a few Japanese. Many own businesses. They even have their own places of worship. There are also various private schools. Idea is a good one. The economy is looking up here. I may be biased but most people that have problems here have problems with Hispanics. They are the majority. Many non-hispanics get along just fine. Mcallen is a contemporary city compared to some others here. The biggest drawback is the hot weather in the summer. It's not much better in other areas in the summer, even up north it gets plenty hot. The difference is that we get fewer cold fronts, so many times it stays warm even in the winter. The weather is similar to Miami but a bit hotter. That is where air conditioning comes in. It is pretty much a requirement. Traffic is light when comparing to larger cities. Hidalgo county, where Mcallen is located has a population of about 900k but it is spread out. This was a rural area some years back, some of it is now quite urban. If you can adapt, I think you will be fine.

May I ask what kind of job you are looking at?

Thanks for the response. I am in the medical field.

I have lived in Miami for various years, never had issues with any Hispanics there. There were definitely times were I felt like I was discriminated cause of my race though. I personally do not want my kids to be in those situations that I have encountered in my past.

Also, one of my biggest concerns is safety. Can you elaborate on that?

Thanks again

[RSTX]

Have you visited McAllen?

I would suggest staying there for 3 or 4 days and visiting the places you would normally go to (ie: grocery store, shopping, park, etc).

From your posts, I'm getting a negative feel. If you wife is scared right now, she is going to see every negative experience as a threat. I get the feeling that this would not be a good move for you.

Look at some of the college towns like College Station, Austin, Houston, and maybe Lubbock. The cultural diversity is usually a little better around a major university.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by c450

Thanks for the response. I am in the medical field.

I have lived in Miami for various years, never had issues with any Hispanics there. There were definitely times were I felt like I was discriminated cause of my race though. I personally do not want my kids to be in those situations that I have encountered in my past.

Also, one of my biggest concerns is safety. Can you elaborate on that?

Thanks again

I second the idea that you need to spend three to four days there before thinking about taking a job there.

If safety is a concern, don’t let it be. Yes there are dangerous places in the valley. McAllen isn’t one of them. You might also consider Edinburg for living. It’s quite nice and I believe it has the best public schools in the Valley.

[ChristieP]

Do a search here about the medical field in the RGV. There are some very important things you need to know about working in that industry there. It is a medically underserved area, so hospitals are always desperate to hire good employees.

Do you speak Spanish? Even a little?

[aab7855]

The RGV has a small Asian community, mostly Filipinos in the medical field. Their children tend to congregate in the South Texas ISD, which is an all-magnet district spanning 3 counties (including Hidalgo). It´s an amazingly good district, and conventional ISDs like McAllen and Edinburg are pretty good as well (they´re "A" rated this year in the latest accountability findings).

McAllen should be diverse and nice enough to keep your attention. Like previous posters said, it´s overwhelmingly Hispanic (about 85% in McAllen and moreso in smaller towns and other cities like Brownsville) and bilingualism is the norm. You might feel snubbed by a few established families down there who think they´re REALLY something (rolls eyes), but to hell with them...you´ve got a small but diverse community in the medical field, well-off legal Mexican immigrants who have settled there and would probably be open to getting to know you...among others.

Get ready for the heat...and try your best to learn Spanish, at least enough to understand.

[supfromthesite]

North McAllen or Sharyland

[c450]

Thanks for all the comments. I speak a little Spanish but not enough to carry a conversation. I will be spending a few days there.

Can anyone recommend any family recreational areas?

[gguerra]

Originally Posted by c450

Thanks for all the comments. I speak a little Spanish but not enough to carry a conversation. I will be spending a few days there.

Can anyone recommend any family recreational areas?

Contrary to some beliefs, Spanish is not a requirement, you will get along just fine. You will pick up a little along the way. Most Hispanics from the RGV speak English, even many Mexicans from Mexico speak some. Every now and then you may encounter someone that speaks no English but that is their problem, not yours. I wouldn't let it concern you.

As for recreational areas, you can try the beach at South Padre Island for one, it's about 1.5 hours from Mcallen.