Comments

1. atlasien wrote:

   They will actually be in a better environment in some places in the South simply because there are a lot of black people living there, compared to very few in Vermont. I don’t mean to dog your current home state, but I wouldn’t want to live there since I’d not only stick out like a sore thumb, but it’s also very cold!

   It totally depends on your location in the South. I would not recommend moving to a small town or rural area. However, Atlanta, or Athens in Georgia, or the Research Triangle area in North Carolina, are extremely diverse. Any large city or college town is going to be a pretty friendly environment. Atlanta is a majority minority city with a a huge immigrant population.

   Check http://www.city-data.com for demographics on any city or area code.

   Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 8:26 am ¶

2. Jeremy Pierce wrote:

   Northeasterners have issues too, but they manifest them in different ways, often by simply ignoring them and pretending they’re not there.

   Even in the northeast, university areas tend to be better than anywhere else. I live in one, and we’ve got a handful of interracial couples within a few houses. My son’s kindergarten class had a little under 50% white kids, and those who were not white were about half mixed and about half monoracial (but including several different backgrounds).

   Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 9:41 am ¶

3. Kohana wrote:

   We live in the South and in my experience, our city is “technically” diverse if you look at the population numbers. In actuality, people live very segregated lives. Once children are in school that changes somewhat, but most of the places that I know of that celebrate diversity are doing it intentionally, like interracial churches or interracially focused preschool programs. In my experience people don’t just mix. This is one of the main reasons we’re planning to leave as soon as possible.

   Like others have said, I love Atlanta. I don’t think all of the South is this way, it’s just been my experience here in Nashville. I’d definetly plan a prolonged visit to any city before moving there, if that’s possible. I’m not following my own advice; we’re moving to another country without having visited, but that’s another story…

   Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 10:38 am ¶

4. Dawn wrote:

   I have lived in Virginia and now I live in the Northeast. Honestly, I have encountered much more unwelcoming behavior here than I ever encountered in the south. However, I am told it’s socio-economic. Given the fact individuals have no idea what my husband and I earn, I personally think that is a smokescreen. I think your sister will be fine. Cities tend to be more welcoming than rural areas but racism is everywhere.

   Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 12:04 pm ¶

5. daisy wrote:

   Ugh, I hate it when people lump the “south” as one place. Where in Vermonth? And where in NC or Georgia? Are you talking about rural Vermont versus Atlanta and Durham?

   Metropolitan areas in NC and Georgia probably have more in common with metropolitan areas in the northeast than with rural areas in NC. Many people in NC and Georgia are transplants from the northeast, and if you are in a city or college town, you’ll find the same liberal values you’d find elsewhere in similar cities.

   I grew up in the northeast (northern Connecticute, western MA, and then upstate NY) and now live in NC in the Triangle area. I’d much rather live here with my African-born sons than in mostly white Vermont. There are many opportunities here for my sons to interact with people of color. We can drive or bike less than a mile to get to the black barber. The local schools have kids from a range of racial and socioeconomic groups.

   Really it depends more on the specific areas the sister is considering. I certainly wouldn’t want my sibling make grand assumptions about the “south” based on prejudice and stereotypes.

   Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 12:42 pm ¶

6. Cathy wrote:

   I agree with the previous posters that the South is too diverse to lump into one catagory. I lived in SE Virginia, home to many military bases and there was a great deal of diversity in this area. The kids would be part of the picture there. Not so in SW Virginia. So by all means, move South, but choose with care!

   Good luck!

   Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 1:20 pm ¶

7. Anonymous wrote:

   We are a multiracial family (including African American family members) and we live in Vermont. And we are moving out of state because we have found lots of semi-underground racism against our family and other people of color.

   The schools are very racist, especially. Have you read the Federal Human Rights Commision reports (1999 and 2003) on racial harrassment in the Vermont schools?

   The current politics are progressive, but racism (especially aversive racism) is still a HUGE issue here in Vermont.

   Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 1:23 pm ¶

8. wendi muse wrote:

   i agree with daisy. i hate the lumping of the south as one big scary racist unit as well. i was born and raised in the south and experienced more racism in major cities in the northeast than i did down south, ironically enough, from other people of color. SO i think it’s unfair to just smash 1/4th of the country into a tiny little box because of what (surprise) we see on tv or read in the paper and ultimately use as ammunition against the south and a blue ribbon for the north (thus sweeping problems elsewhere under the carpet).

   another thing you may want to consider is, while i don’t recommend jumping into the lion’s den so to speak, i think it’s important for children to grow up in environments that help them grow as human beings, and sometimes, adversity does just that. as people of color, the children will, most likely, at some point in their lives, experience racism and/or discrimination, so picking the northeast over the south is not going to shield them from that.

   as a black woman growing up in memphis, tennessee (which is about half white and half black), i did just fine. the biggest divide i witnessed was one of class (of course, this was also connected to race), which seems to be a universal issue… so i guess it’s just a matter of picking and choosing your battles and when you want to fight them.

   Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 1:29 pm ¶

9. wendi muse wrote:

   on another side note, i tend to see a lot of biracial children (mainly black/white) whenever I go down south… so it’s not like the children will be the only biracial people for miles…

   Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 1:31 pm ¶

10. Stef wrote:

    I also live in the South (I was born here) and hate how the South seems to be percieved by non-Southerners sometimes. I live in a suburb of Atlanta, and in our town, when my husband and I are out and about, we will see lots of interracial couples and families, and lots of mixed kids. It’s pretty great! Also, the first college I attended (also in ATL suburbs) was supposed to be in one of the most racially and culturally diverse areas in the country, as there was a really good mix of blacks, whites, latinos, and asians.

    Even though, as Wendi pointed out, you can’t shield your kids from everything life will bring their way, I understand the desire to raise your kids in an accepting or diverse environment, if possible. If my husband and I ever have kids (who will be multiracial), we will have the same concern for them, I’m sure.

    Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 3:24 pm ¶

11. Jessalyn Anglin wrote:

    I have to agree with atlasien and Kohana. My family is a multiracial family living in Metro Atlanta and we don’t meet resistance on a regular basis. In the 12 years I’ve been with my husband, I remember being glared at only a few times. I think that is pretty good.

    Like Kohana said, unfortunately voluntary segregation runs rampant here. It can be difficult for a multiracial family with young children (younger than school age) to find a diverse group of friends.

    Posted 09 Jul 2007 at 7:30 pm ¶

12. J wrote:

    Hey all. Thanks so much for the great feedback. I found so much useful info in what you all wrote.

    I certainly agree with the point that Daisy made. It was very important - “Which part of the state” does one live in. Personally, I live in Burlington, Vermont and I feel that it certainly makes a difference, as far as acceptance goes, to be the largest “city” and have the University here, and probably that larges mix of peoples in this small, small state.

    If my original statement comes across as biased again the South, you must remember that my experience is based mostly on history and from observing as a third party while living in Atlanta for Ten months. Of course I can only formulate my opinion by watching the behavior of others, never having experienced this type of racism first hand (anti-African-American racism). As an aside, I suppose the concept of voluntary segregation can’t even be an issue in Vermont, as there are just too few people of color.

    I mention history, because I feel that any logical assessment of any geography would be amiss if one did not count historic factors into their formulation of an opinion. It was only about 51 years ago that the Montgomery buses were integrated. While I know that the South has moved forward exponentially since then, 51 years isn’t that long in the scheme of things (at least not as far as history is concerned).

    I suppose all that really matters is the state of things there today, and from what you are all telling me, it sounds like that there are some great places in the South to raise a multiracial family.

    You’ve all convinced me that certain areas of the South should definitely be one option for my sister and her boys.

    Thanks so much,

    Posted 10 Jul 2007 at 12:59 am ¶

13. Miss Profe wrote:

    I agree with the comments which state that the South cannot be painted with the proverbial broad brush. Even for my parents, who grew up in a segregated South Carolina in the 1930s-1950s had a very different experience from, say, Black Americans who lived in Mississsippi, Georgia, etc. during the same time period. I think it’s a matter of asking a lot of questions re: race relations in the areas in which you plan to live. I do believe that the South as a region has done far more in dealing with its race problem than any other region of the United States.

    Posted 10 Jul 2007 at 2:39 am ¶

14. Elizabeth wrote:

    I totally agree with the comments that have said to avoid more rural areas and choose larger cities that are more diverse. (Not only diverse in skin color, but in backgrounds and levels of education, etc…) I live in NC, and have lived in several cities/towns of this state. There is still a whispered prejudice among white people. I know, b/c I am white. I am not racist, but other white people not knowing this make comments to me in the “whispered tone” that totally pisses me off. I have found it to be more common in rural areas despite that fact that in my city AA are the majority! I live in Rocky Mount, NC and it is 62% or so black. Good Luck to you! Choose wisely.

    Posted 10 Jul 2007 at 9:42 pm ¶

15. Rachel S. wrote:

    J,
    I understand what you are saying about history, but while New England may have been a racially progressive area (relative to the south) in the 1800s this is no longer the case.

    Think about it like this–the south was fighting for racial integration in the 1950s and 1960s, but in Boston they were battling over school integration in the 1980s. Moreover, several of the whitest states in the United States of American are located in New England-New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.

    I personally think most areas of the south would be more welcoming for a person with African ancestry than areas of northern New England.
    Just some food for thought…

    Posted 23 Jul 2007 at 9:44 pm ¶

16. Kit wrote:

    I certainly agree with the point that Daisy made. It was very important - “Which part of the state” does one live in. Personally, I live in Burlington, Vermont and I feel that it certainly makes a difference, as far as acceptance goes, to be the largest “city” and have the University here, and probably that larges mix of peoples in this small, small state.

    I find Burlington to be incredibly racially problematic (as a Black person) and while I’m sure it’s better for white parents raising black children (as in people often are surprised that my children are MINE since most of the time people who parent black children in these parts usually are white.)

    Much of VT is much more racially problematic than any area of the south I’ve ever been to/lived in. I don’t know why VT keeps getting this reputation of being so “liberal”. It’s quite backward. That notion needs to DIE. It’s not true and the racism here can be so scary at times because it comes from people who think they are not racially problematic. There is NO diversity here. Most black people are assumed to be poor, uneducated and most Vermonters are unaware of something called THE BLACK MIDDLE/UPPER CLASS. My father is a doctor and so is my mother. (Both are black.)

    When my parents used to come to events at my college people were often surprised at how “well spoken” they appeared. Many assumed I was a scholarship kid, when in fact I was raised in an extremely affluent family.

    Because of the very racist and restrictive lens in which many Vermonters use to frame race it can be quite upsetting to those of us who are not used to being around folks who don’t come across much diversity.

    The south is not a monolithic place. Asheville (for example) is basically Burlington of the south. It is nothing like Atlanta or Charlotte or Baton Rouge.

    Posted 24 Sep 2007 at 2:44 pm ¶

17. Debbie Triplett wrote:

    We are an interracial couple with two biracial children. After spending 10 years in California we moved to the South. We believe that location makes a difference wherever one lives. The rural areas tend to be populated with more narrow-minded people. We currently live in Mobile AL. We have found very real and disturbing pockets of bigotry in my son’s high school. There is seemingly no thought given at all by school officials that maybe some tolerance classes would be helpful. Parents, you may think that people (bigots) can think what they want, that this is their problem, but I can tell you that the children may experience very real difficulties that can be painful and life altering.

    Posted 26 Nov 2007 at 10:26 pm ¶

18. Phil R. wrote:

    Interesting question… Here’s my take as a social worker having lived in a big city and worked in rural parts of the South. First, racism, classism, and sexism combine in America–no matter where you are from. The more white, upper-class, and male, the less you’ll experience inequities, such as income or opportunity discrimination. Second, beware of colorblindness. Many whites have not experienced the subtle and overt effects of racism. It’s easy to think that racism is a thing of the past, but in reality, it alive and well. In fact, it is embedded in our culture. I know this may sound radical to some, but ask white people if they would move to the inner city and a majority will say “heck no.” The bottom line is that many areas in the South are conservative. So, if you combine a history of turbulent race relations, lack of education, traditionalism, familiasm, xenopohobia, evangelism, economic hardship, rugged individualism, then you can see what the rural South might hold. Now, this is a generalization, but these are deeply held convictions by many who reside in rural areas. People in “the city” are in a separate category, but many of those living in the smaller cities have deep connections to the less educated rural mentality. That’s not to say that rural people don’t have lots of positives. It does, however, place an extra burden on you to change perception. This is hard work and having few role models creates indentity issues. So, like others have said, research the demographics. The bigger the city, the better. Then, there would be the issue of classism. Urghh

    Posted 10 Feb 2008 at 2:58 pm ¶

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