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Old 02-15-2010, 11:55 PM
 
11 posts, read 31,850 times
Reputation: 15

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Hi there,
First I would like to say that I don't hate Texas or even dislike it--It's just different from what I'm used to.
I moved to Dallas from the east coast. Been here for 7 months or so. I'm of European and Latino background.
People in the east coast not only accept, but they embrace ethnic diversity, which is very different from what I've experienced in Dallas.
Over here people are polite, which is great, I wouldn't even say they are racist at all, but they are just not embracing of other cultures--not interested in them, no effort to integrate or learn about them.
In the east coast people love others of different cultures. I felt very welcomed there. We always had festivals with food, dance and art from different countries and everyone would go--white, black, asian, latino.
Once in a while there are festivals in Dallas as well but they are much smaller and if it's for example, an Asian festival, 99% of people there are Asian. No one seems interested in other people's cultures.
This has hit me very hard as I had friends from all ethnic backgrounds back home. All of a sudden I've also become aware of my ethnicity and feel like I don't belong. I've tried hard to make friends but because I don't fit into any ethnic group since I'm very mixed, it's been hard to do so. Latinos stick with Latinos, Anglos stick with Anglos, etc.
To top it off, the culture here seems to be that, unless you are the cheerleader looking type (caucasian, blonde, blue eyes), you're considered ugly. In the east coast, once again, people love the exotic look and I'm afraid those are even favored over caucasian. So not only do I feel alone in Dallas, I feel ugly.
I've become so depressed that I'm taking anti-depressants just to make it through the day.
I don't have a choice to move to another state---I have to stay in Texas because of my husband's job. I was hoping, however, that Texas might have another city (Houston?) that is more ethnically diverse and culturally embracing than Dallas?
Please Dallas readers, don't get upset. I don't dislike Dallas. It's just different.

Thanks to anyone who helps.
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Old 02-16-2010, 12:05 AM
 
308 posts, read 633,960 times
Reputation: 667
Dang. Wish I could help. Just hang in there. Maybe as you get used to Dallas and Dallas gets used to you it will get better.

Houston is a much more diverse city. I don't know how much people anywhere will adapt to your culture until you teach them about it or they want to learn about it but Houston is definitely different.
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Old 02-16-2010, 12:39 AM
 
Location: League City
3,842 posts, read 8,217,690 times
Reputation: 5364
Yes Houston is very diverse. I can cite a lot of stats about that, too. There are 2 "Chinatowns." One of the big city festivals is called "Houston International Festival." Houston has been voted as being a top city for African Americans and Hispanics in business. I could go on. But I am surprised you have not experienced something similar in Dallas. You do know D-FW takes up a LOT of space, and you have to drive a lot to take in all the culture the cities have to offer. It is not compact like cities on the East Coast. And I am surprised I am defending Dallas But I digress... It also depends on where you live in Dallas, too. I believe some of the newer suburbs of Dallas are well... somewhat homogeneous. Try looking on meetup.com or a similar website to find where people are hanging out with similar cultural interests. I've never lived there, but I bet anything Dallas is way more diverse and accepting - you just have to find the right places to hang out and that can be a challenge.

Actually I experienced something similar when I moved from a very small town to Houston long ago. I felt uprooted because I had left all my close friends behind. Some things are going to be very different from home, even to the point of being unsettling and disturbing. Best thing to do is to continually try to meet new people with similar interests - take a class at a community college, join a church, meetup.com, etc. Eventually you will find a new niche and will fit in, but it does take a while because initially you are out of your element. I'm sure you can find what you seek even in Dallas with a little persistence

Last edited by DanielWayne; 02-16-2010 at 12:50 AM..
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Old 02-16-2010, 07:56 AM
 
Location: At your mama's house
965 posts, read 1,874,364 times
Reputation: 1148
Move to Houston. Dallas is bland, culture-less and racist.
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Old 02-16-2010, 11:07 AM
 
Location: Houston
2,023 posts, read 4,168,966 times
Reputation: 467
I think you might enjoy Houston more. I just moved here recently, and I've had almost the exact opposite experience here than what you have had in Dallas (well, except for the friendly part, I've always found Dallas to be the "least friendly" [still very friendly though] Texas city).
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Old 02-16-2010, 12:42 PM
 
Location: NE Atlanta Metro
3,197 posts, read 5,342,200 times
Reputation: 3195
Quote:
Originally Posted by LifesMetaphor View Post
Hi there,
First I would like to say that I don't hate Texas or even dislike it--It's just different from what I'm used to.
I moved to Dallas from the east coast. Been here for 7 months or so. I'm of European and Latino background.
People in the east coast not only accept, but they embrace ethnic diversity, which is very different from what I've experienced in Dallas.
Over here people are polite, which is great, I wouldn't even say they are racist at all, but they are just not embracing of other cultures--not interested in them, no effort to integrate or learn about them.
In the east coast people love others of different cultures. I felt very welcomed there. We always had festivals with food, dance and art from different countries and everyone would go--white, black, asian, latino.
Once in a while there are festivals in Dallas as well but they are much smaller and if it's for example, an Asian festival, 99% of people there are Asian. No one seems interested in other people's cultures.
This has hit me very hard as I had friends from all ethnic backgrounds back home. All of a sudden I've also become aware of my ethnicity and feel like I don't belong. I've tried hard to make friends but because I don't fit into any ethnic group since I'm very mixed, it's been hard to do so. Latinos stick with Latinos, Anglos stick with Anglos, etc.
To top it off, the culture here seems to be that, unless you are the cheerleader looking type (caucasian, blonde, blue eyes), you're considered ugly. In the east coast, once again, people love the exotic look and I'm afraid those are even favored over caucasian. So not only do I feel alone in Dallas, I feel ugly.
I've become so depressed that I'm taking anti-depressants just to make it through the day.
I don't have a choice to move to another state---I have to stay in Texas because of my husband's job. I was hoping, however, that Texas might have another city (Houston?) that is more ethnically diverse and culturally embracing than Dallas?
Please Dallas readers, don't get upset. I don't dislike Dallas. It's just different.

Thanks to anyone who helps.
Taking anti-depressants just to make it through the day? Really?

Sounds like there are emotional issues beyond that of not being happy with the city you live in.

Seriously, for now you should seek moving into a spiritual and/or professional psychiatric guidance program(s) with marriage counselling before moving to a new city.

Last edited by First24; 02-16-2010 at 12:52 PM..
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Old 02-16-2010, 01:33 PM
 
65 posts, read 178,850 times
Reputation: 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scout_972 View Post
Taking anti-depressants just to make it through the day? Really?

Sounds like there are emotional issues beyond that of not being happy with the city you live in.

Seriously, for now you should seek moving into a spiritual and/or professional psychiatric guidance program(s) with marriage counselling before moving to a new city.
+1 on that. I've found that people who complain about the "culture" issue in any city have other issues that are preventing them from being happy.
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Old 02-16-2010, 01:33 PM
 
9,418 posts, read 13,416,332 times
Reputation: 10304
This part of the country is newer and was settled differently than the east coast. When I was a kid we had Little Mexico and that was about the closest thing we had to an ethnic enclave. On the east coast, the major ethnic groups started arriving in the late 1800s, early 1900s and settled down in very segregated (IMO) neighborhoods. Many generations have lived in those same neighborhoods, whereas down here when Dallas was being established, we had <insert ethnic group here>... but they were pioneers just as the Anglos were. Our majorly segregated groups were African Americans, and Mexicans.
I understand how it's different to you, I lived in Boston for a long time. I don't think you're going to find what you're looking for in any one city in Texas. Despite people continuing to suggest Houston because it has "two Chinatowns", as someone who has lived on the east coast, it's just not the same.
Now, having said all that, if you like to take road trips you can experience some different ethnic groups in Texas by visting various towns and festivals. Both Czech and German communities can be found in Central Texas. South Texas is heavily Latino. We have Cajuns in Southeast Texas, you can visit the Chinatowns in Houston (about 4 hours away) and on and on.
As for how you are feeling about yourself, I don't think anyone here is going to be able to help you. I'm surprised you feel that the whole blue eyed/blonde caucasian thing still stands in Dallas, because the vast majority of beautiful women are not, its just not the case anymore!
Good luck!
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Old 02-16-2010, 01:38 PM
 
16,087 posts, read 41,006,064 times
Reputation: 6374
East Dallas is very diverse and all-embracing - the kids grow up with friends of all colors, ranges of income, wealth or lack thereof and ethnic backgrounds. Where, exactly do you live in "Dallas"?
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Old 02-16-2010, 04:36 PM
 
5,951 posts, read 13,034,471 times
Reputation: 4803
I'll most likely be moving to Texas later this year (Austin) and while I don't claim to be an expert on the Dallas by any means, I can reiterate what others have said, as well as my own brief visit.

Cities in Texas, as well as other parts of the south and west, grew up mostly during the last 50 years, so that means

A: they are more spread out, growing up in the auto age, so you have to look a bitter harder to find attractions, culture, etc. Honestly though I think Texas cities, as well as other southern and western cities are more "progressive" in terms of public transit, because they developed nice new light rail systems in the last 15-20 years. Whereas say Chicago, well they have the El, simply because its been around for 100 years, before the automobile, not because of anything anyone has done in modern times.

B: Because these cities are newer, many resident Texans (or other western/southern states) even in some metro areas, immigration from diverse parts of the world is a relatively new, and is not so ingrained in the culture. So people may indeed be genuinely friendly, even though there hasn't developed a "politically correct code of conduct" that has developed out of necessity and is expected in California, east coast, Chicago, etc. In cities in those areas, prejudice is much more likely to be "closet."

C: Texas has lots of culturally diversity, but it became diverse as rural settlers settled in different parts of the state, rather than in the segregated, ethnic enclaves of older industrial cities of the midwest and northeast. Which IMO, I think is fine. I think its cool that Texas is a state that you have to experience the WHOLE THING, to get a sense of diversity. This means that Austin has things that Houston doesn't, vice versa, San Antonio has things that Dallas doesn't.

D: Even though you have diversity in the older industrial east coast and midwest cities, the legacy of segregation means that you CAN find some clannish ethnic neighborhoods that have been there for sometime. IE: possible Staten Island, NY, or much of the far northwest and southwest sides of Chicago, etc.

Hopefully this answers your question.

Good luck!
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