Possibly moving to Tuscon (Tucson: how much, new home, employment)

[howardc69]

I am considering employment in the Tuscon area and my question is I am a mixed couple, me white wife black and children black, I've heard that Tuscon was an area with racial issues, is this true? For me and wife not to big of an issue but i want to be comfortable with kids in school so that it is a good move for them as well, can anyone give me an honest opinion of the area?

[madnomad]

Hi howardc69...my wife and i feel more like Tucsonians now that we've spent some time and talked with lots of people there. We've decided to move there and are awaiting closing of our mortgage. We are moving out of Buffalo, NY which i consider to be a pretty much racially divided and prejudiced town. Most caucasians around here won't admit to that publicly, but Buffalo has seen "white flight" to the 'burbs where the "better" school districts are. I hadn't heard ANY talk of a prejudicial nature while in Tucson...there is a Spanish "barrio" neighborhood closer to downtown that is more ethnic Mexican than what i see as your typical run-down ghetto area back East "reserved" for slums inhabited by people of color. Tucson seemed very alive and bustling, you might say "healthy" in its activity. Actually, before experiencing the town first-hand i thought there might be more prejudice against white people by the original Native and Hispanic folks there, but i felt none of that whatsoever. I hope you'll have a chance to visit and experience the city first-hand. It's a great place to live and raise a family from what i've seen. Good luck to you!

[visitor21]

No place in the universe is perfect but I wouldn't worry about racial issues with your mixed race family. Your family will do fine in Tucson. Welcome, if you do live in the Old Pueblo ... it's Tucson not Tuscon, btw

[tom4416]

I come to Tucson from the DC area where the black population was in the majority and so was shocked when I saw few blacks in Tucson. I don't think it has anything to do with discrimination, just hasn't been an area attractive to that particular ethnic group. It however has a lot of people of color, Hispanic and Native American being the two dominant groups. I think the west in general developed with a MUCH more tolerant attitude than the east coast. You didn't have all that came over on the Mayflower crap going on although the treatment of the Chinese labor was less than good.

I don't think people look on mixed race marriage any differently any longer. After all, how much pure ethnicity is left anyway? I think we've all gotten to the point where we have some percentage of black, hispanic, NA, Asian and European blood in us now anyway.

I think you'll find Tucson a very accepting community and a great place to raise a family.

[howardc69]

I am considering employment in the Tucson area and my question is I am a mixed couple, me white wife black and children black, I've heard that Tucson was an area with racial issues, is this true? For me and wife not to big of an issue but i want to be comfortable with kids in school so that it is a good move for them as well, can anyone give me an honest opinion of the area? Updated with correct spelling of city, thank you for all the replies so fR. It's important for my whole family to thrive

[Jukesgrrl]

In the development I live in (NW suburb) we have every race I can think of. We have retirees and working families. The only critical comments I every hear are about people who don't take care of their property. Nobody cares where you came from ... just don't drag down their property values with bad landscaping!

[Salpointe59]

Never been to Tuscon. I do live often in Tucson. Spelling your new home is important or you will get lost.

[madnomad]

Originally Posted by Salpointe59

Never been to Tuscon. I do live often in Tucson. Spelling your new home is important or you will get lost.

Good point, Salpointe!! I don't think there's anything "ordinary" about Tucson...that's probably why it's NOT spelled Tuscon or even Twosahn, eh?