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I moved to West Virginia recently. Locals often ask me, "Why?"
I rehash a long answer each time, but a truthful part I bite my tongue on is . . they still speak English here.
I'm originally from Orlando, Florida . . Hispanic population there spiked from 20% to 30% in the first 4 years of the Bush administration (Brother of Bush was Governor at the time). Even as bankruptcies were filed one year at the rate of 1 every 6 minutes in the State of Florida -- this invasion was still allowed.
Like so many other cities lost across the country, it's digusting that you can not escape the Spanish language there. Don't know what the stats are now in Orlando, I'm sure higher . . 35%?, and eventually it will be 40%? Job applications went from bi-lingual "a plus" to bi-lingual "a must".
Racism practiced by Hispanics in the workforce circumvents our Constitution with that dual-language ruse . . call a spade a spade, it's predjudice. And it's not really a dual-language if English isn't involved, is it? This is all condoned by the politically corrupt (correct).
I'm well traveled, roughly 40 or more of the 50 states for personal and business. Certainly not a rascist . . but I don't like Spanish, especially because it's been forced upon me in my country, which is absurd. I don't like our borders being invaded either to the tune of 1+ million per year, and I certainly don't like the traitors in our government at all levels who allow it.
It's a hell of a reason to pick a place, but that's the short answer. West Virginia has less than a 5% Hispanic population.
I'm glad you enjoy WV but believe me what the state lacks in a hispanic, or any immigrant population, it more than makes up for with a bunch of insular "holler" people who love nothing more than to free load off of the government. They never hesitate to bash all of the illegal immigrants "invading" our country like it's some sort of problem in their backyard, WV needs to have a half way decent economy before immigrants will consider moving there.
I've heard several family members and or friends of family in WV that routinely bash hispanics for "taking American jobs" but all they do is sit on the couch day after day guzzling cases of cheap beer along with the occasional huntin' and fishin' trip. I never understood that, they hurt their back so bad they can't work yet they can drag deer out of the woods or cast a fishing pole. These same people also complain about immigrants not assimilating into our culture yet they can't even correctly speak the English language ("this is America by god, us speaks American").
Although the DC area has a huge illegal immigrant population, many are very honest, hard working individuals putting time in at 2+ jobs to keep their families afloat. I think many people in WV (and other parts of the nation) tend to forget that about the majority of the illegal immigrant population, they at least work rather than sit on their ass and cry in their beers about how the world is just so unfair to them. I'm in no way condoning illegal immigration and of course some indeed abuse the system and should be penalized, but let's not go overboard here. I would deport many of the lazy welfare abusing "holler" people I described above before a hard working illegal immigrant that is trying to provide a better life for his/her family.
Let's also have a little history lesson, unless you are a NATIVE American then at some point your family immigrated to this nation. Immigrants came to the US by the tens of millions in the late 1800s and early 1900s for the same reasons they come today, opportuniy. Obviously the INS didn't exist back then so there is no real data to verify but I can pretty much guarantee a fairly large number of our relatives were what we now consider illegal immigrants for at least a few years.
Last edited by NOVAmtneer82; 03-23-2008 at 07:18 PM..
WV has the least immigrant and the least non-white population in the US. I have no info about illegals. I like that I don't have to know spanish in order to work. They have to learn English like I did before I came here. I love the bumper sticker-"Why the hell do I have to press 1 for English?"
Personally I do not believe in "stealing jobs". It's a free market- work, move up, get what you want. People ask me too- Why WV? I tell them- beautiful people, nature, low real estate taxes, low cost of leaving and ability to make more money because of lower expenses.
I don't like the buzz about illegal immigrants and their "rights". What kind of rights could illegal have? Get here legally and american people will welcome you; if you get here- learn English and don't push your language. In Rome do what Romans do. Why is it too difficult to understand?
Charleston SC is set-up very nicely and most areas are pretty. However, humdity is horrible. The air gets so thick, it's just miserable. Charleston is home to 3 military posts and therefore the nightlife in certain sections of Charleston is non-stop. Strip Centers are the layout of most shopping and many of the centers might have 2 or so stores still open left in them. Lots and Lots of "old money", making it more difficult for "Transplants" to gain decent employment right from the start.
Charleston SC is a good choice if you're seeking a large town feel; spread out in all directions. If you have an appreciation for the arts and history then Charleston is excellent as well. Be prepared for the heat and the bugs and whereas you'll find in most "beach" towns a much more relaxed and slower environment, Charleston SC is the exception to the rule; extreme high-paced, very busy....no small town feel to it at all.
I am a big fan of Hampshire county...it is the only place I have lived in WV and I do like it a lot. We have 4 children, two of which attend school...they are both Honor roll and play sports. There isn't much as far as shopping, Winchester, Va, Keyser and Cumberland are all about 30-45 min away and would offer the malls and decent eating. Jobs are scarce here...and housing isn't too pricey. Fredricksburg is about 2 hours away.
Wow, I'm quite new to this board, and originally I was hoping to learn a little more about what West Virginia near Harper's Ferry is like for people of color, but the last two frankly racist rants make me wonder if its even worth pondering.
How sad and scary that the first gentleman, R601020, isn't self aware enough to realize that 'I don't like Spanish' is essentially a prejudiced statement. How sad that he felt marginalized and threatened by people who speak another language, that he allowed this fear to grow into anger and use up so much space in his life and emotions, that he gave his anger and fear control over his life, that he spent so much of his time pushing away 'other' rather than embracing the foods, tastes, sounds and new ideas of a culture he lived so close to for so long. Sad that his Latino neighbors weren't people to him, but interlopers and usurpers, sad that his life must have been hard to create such a hard man.
It's Scary because he could be anyone, anywhere and I would never know by looking at him how dark his thoughts are and how deep his hatred runs and so I am never completely safe from harm, and my children are not safe either. Scary because what they are actually doing is dehumanizing people making 'them' different from us and therefore less equal, less deserving of rights, less human. And when you stop seeing other people as human beings it stops being important not to hurt them, to listen to them, because after all, their not really people like you. That is when it becomes okay to set their churches on fire, to hang their children in the beautiful magnolia trees like some grisly human fruit, to round them up and keep them uneducated and ill fed for years in 'camps', to call them names and break their hearts and belief in humanity. Scary on so many levels I couldn't begin to recount all of them here. That is the door that hatred based on color, language, ethnicity and nationality opens. And worst of all, unless you are willing to judge all Caucasians the way he does Latinos (hispanic is a made up word) you can't protect yourself, but then again, that kind of protection takes the joy out of living. I'd rather assume the best of people I meet and be proven wrong than the other way around.
For as long as I can remember it has been my dream to live in the country, raise a few chickens, protect the land, practice herbalism and teach my kids to be self sufficient. When I was younger and more adventurous (or more oblivious) I might have just done it and be doggone what anyone else thinks, but now I'm married, to a wonderful man who happens to be pretty darn blond, and my boys are as diverse as I am, which is to say, SO not blond in many ways and yet a little blond and red haired too. For a while recently it seemed that WVA might be a good choice, I read some blogs, seems that there are fewer hate groups there than in MD. We need to be close to DC so my husband can commute, seemed perfect for that, but now I wonder, how safe would I be alone with 2 babies on a rural acreage, even with 3 dogs? People can't look at me or my kids and know I was born here, my parents were born here, that I am a good person, that I was a Waldorf kid. They just see brown skin, long brown curls (ok, with silvery glints, but basically brown) and think what? Its okay to be abusive or rude or worse? Is it like that everywhere? Martinsburg or Berkeley too? It's very discouraging. Does anyone have a different viewpoint or an idea of how safe it actually is? Like if I called the police would a klan member be wearing the badge? We're used to strange looks, though not in our area of course which is very forward thinking. Its almost always people of color who notice us here not white people.
Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I needed to speak up here.
I'm sorry about my previous post. I was expecting a welcoming place to talk and ask questions and was caught by surprise by the former post and reacted out of that feeling. It was a flinch reaction and my husband was right about it being more divisive and blaming than helpful. I can be a little impulsive and sensitive. I can totally understand why people would be angry about the many issues with immigration and language barriers. I realize that he was not saying that violent behaviors were okay, it is just where that fear takes me when I think about racism. I hope this clarifies things a little.
How sad and scary that the first gentleman, R601020, isn't self aware enough to realize that 'I don't like Spanish' is essentially a prejudiced statement. .
This gentleman didn't say "i don't like Spanish". the gentleman said he was glad he didn't have to learn Spanish in order to get a job in his native english-speaking country. This is NOT a prejudiced statement.
Try looking at Keyser, it is in Mineral County and less than 4 hours from Fredericksburg. There is a college there, Potomac State, so your plan of job counseling for college students would fit in. There are no huge shopping malls there, but it isn't far from Cumberland or Winchester for major shopping. I grew up there in one of the "hollers" , graduated from Keyser High School (the old building). I don't remember it being particularly rascist which you can often find in small towns. We integrated the schools in 1955 right after the Supreme Court Decision and there was no uproar of any kind. I was in 9th grade then (yes, I am older than dirt!) and remember the area very fondly. Beautiful country, low cost housing, cold winters and mild summers and good people.
I moved to West Virginia recently. Locals often ask me, "Why?"
I rehash a long answer each time, but a truthful part I bite my tongue on is . . they still speak English here.
I'm originally from Orlando, Florida . . Hispanic population there spiked from 20% to 30% in the first 4 years of the Bush administration (Brother of Bush was Governor at the time). Even as bankruptcies were filed one year at the rate of 1 every 6 minutes in the State of Florida -- this invasion was still allowed.
Like so many other cities lost across the country, it's digusting that you can not escape the Spanish language there. Don't know what the stats are now in Orlando, I'm sure higher . . 35%?, and eventually it will be 40%? Job applications went from bi-lingual "a plus" to bi-lingual "a must".
Racism practiced by Hispanics in the workforce circumvents our Constitution with that dual-language ruse . . call a spade a spade, it's predjudice. And it's not really a dual-language if English isn't involved, is it? This is all condoned by the politically corrupt (correct).
I'm well traveled, roughly 40 or more of the 50 states for personal and business. Certainly not a rascist . . but I don't like Spanish, especially because it's been forced upon me in my country, which is absurd. I don't like our borders being invaded either to the tune of 1+ million per year, and I certainly don't like the traitors in our government at all levels who allow it.
It's a hell of a reason to pick a place, but that's the short answer. West Virginia has less than a 5% Hispanic population.
It is a shame and disgrace what the illegal invasion has done to Texas, California, Arizona and the Carolinas. I am sick of when I make a call, and it's "press 1 for English" - I am sick of seeing stores and food products with English and Spanish. This is America and I, like you, can't stand the Spanish language here in the U.S. We also get some of those politically corrupt (correct) up here, lots from California, yuppies, who think they should try and make Alaska just like the place they left. West Va. is a very pretty State, I have some aunts and uncles who live there. Good luck with your move. It sounds like you are very happy there. What part did you move into if you don't mind my asking.
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