Ask ARP: What’s the best neighborhood for a transracial family?
Dear Anti-Racist Parent,
My American family is transracial: my husband and I are white, and our kids, who were adopted from Ethiopia, are black. We are now living in Egypt, but we always think about where we’d like to live once we move back to the US. Where is the best place for a transracial family to live?
We want someplace with good public schools, where we can afford to live in an integrated or black neighborhood (it’s okay if my husband and I are in the minority), and preferably someplace where we’d interact with a range of people on a daily basis. I’d love to hear about particular neighborhoods in particular cities, not just cities themselves. Thanks!
From egypt4 in Egypt
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DWS wrote:
Things may have changed, but when I lived in Northern Virginia (Alexandria specifically) the thing I loved most about it was the diversity. My classmates and later my co-workers were from all around the world so it was a wonderful experience for me.
At the time, Alexandria had the largest population of Ethiopians so I am sure that had something to do with my interest in the country as well. The schools seem to be an issue now but as I recall people always tried to make the high school an issue (”Remember the Titans”) due to the large black population but Alexandria made sure they only had one high school in order to make sure desegregation actually took place.
As for neighborhoods, Del-Ray, Beverly Hills and the West End have been mentioned favorably on city-data.com but I have been gone too long to address that more specifically. As you know, every community has its issues, but I have not lived in an area like the metro DC area since and I miss it.
Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 10:19 am ¶
Anita wrote:
Shaker Heights, OH is an inner ring suburb of Cleveland that is very integrated and also has very good public schools and other city services. The city has been the subject of national media attention because of how unique it is in the respect.
http://www.detnews.com/specialreports/2002/segregation3/b07-401270.htm
We are also white adoptive parents of two black children and specifically chose Shaker Heights when moving to Cleveland because of the racial and cultural diversity that is encouraged and celebrated in the area.
Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 10:36 am ¶
Tracey wrote:
I live in Silver Spring, MD, just outside Washington, DC. I live in a very diverse neighborhood with good schools. Silver Spring has a large Ethiopian population, as well as many latinos, African Americans, Asians and caucasians. It is probably the most integrated place I have ever lived. I am happy to be raising my Ethiopian daughter here.
Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 10:36 am ¶
Susannah wrote:
I second Shaker Heights, OH. I grew up in Cleveland Heights (right next door), and didn’t realize until I was in college how special it was. Shaker has a better school system, which is why I would recommend it over Cleveland Heights. It is liberal, very green (as in full of trees), and just quick car or train ride away from downtown Cleveland.
Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 11:12 am ¶
Erin wrote:
The East Atlanta neighborhood outside of Atlanta, GA is wonderful for diverse families. It’s a beautiful neighborhood, lots of trees and parks and very family-friendly. There are a huge number of people from all different backgrounds and they’re very welcoming and open of more families. Atlanta also has a large Ethiopian community in general (30,000+). As a PAP from Ethiopia (waiting on referral for 2 months), we’ve gotten to know many native Ethiopians as well as the large group of families from all around Atlanta who have adopted or will be adopting from Ethiopia.
Best of luck in making your decision!
Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 1:40 pm ¶
Psychobabbler wrote:
There were a couple of posts a while back that addressed this a bit in the comments section:
http://www.antiracistparent.com/2007/04/18/from-trinidad-to-houston/#comments
http://www.antiracistparent.com/2007/06/06/finding-a-kindergarten-for-a-multiracial-family/
We have found the South Orange/Maplewood NJ area to be a comfortable place for our multiracial family. But, as noted above, no community is issue-free - as discussed in this later post:
http://www.antiracistparent.com/2007/07/11/still-maplewood-wrong-side-of-the-tracks/
Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 2:59 pm ¶
DWS wrote:
Psychobabbler,
I knew someone would not let me overlook my current home.
Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 3:10 pm ¶
Wendy wrote:
In the Chicago area, I would recommend Hyde Park–pretty diverse racially with a mix of whites, Blacks and Asians, though not many Latino families. It’s pretty upper middle class because it’s become expensive. For suburbs, I would suggest Oak Park or Evanston, although there is some segregation in those areas, but they’re much more diverse than Chicago overall.
Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 7:32 pm ¶
Psychobabbler wrote:
Waving right back at ya DWS…look for me in your in-box in the next couple of days…
Posted 08 Nov 2007 at 11:59 am ¶
Ka_Jun wrote:
The South Oakland neighborhood, in Pittsburgh, PA.
Posted 08 Nov 2007 at 3:33 pm ¶
Mireille wrote:
I’d recommend Northern Virginia in general. I grew up in Fairfax County, which has some of the best public schools in the country. There definitely some areas that are less diverse than others, but even at my “rich white kid” high school, there was more diversity than most affluent suburbs would ever dare dream. I currently live in Alexandria and live in an apartment complex populated many of Ethiopians. There are a lot of Ethiopian shops and restaurants around too. NOVA isn’t perfect in its diversity, but it’s comfortable and there is a lot of wonderful free cultural offerings.
The major draw back is that housing is expensive.
Posted 13 Nov 2007 at 9:27 pm ¶
Ryan wrote:
Northern Virginia BY FAR!!! I’ve lived here my WHOLE LIFE and the one thing I live about Fairfax County (a big section of Northern VA) is that the schools are good, lots of people are highly educated, and there is a GREAT mix of ethnicity. There is so much support for all groups of people. Also, it’s so close to so many great thigs: DC, Williamsburg, the beach… Check it out!!
Ryan
Posted 14 Nov 2007 at 8:38 pm ¶
Anya wrote:
In my city (NYC) there are some very well mixed & affordable neighborhoods. Roughly in order from most to least affordable, some I would suggest looking at are Flatbush in Brooklyn, St. George in Staten Island, Sunset Park in Brooklyn, Jackson Heights in Queens, Fort Greene in Brooklyn, Astoria in Queens, Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, and West Harlem in Manhattan.
Posted 07 Dec 2007 at 1:51 am ¶
LBellatrix wrote:
Co-signing on the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights (like Susannah, I grew up in Cleveland Heights) and the Chicago suburbs of Oak Park (1st choice) and Evanston (2nd choice).
I lived in Hyde Park in the mid 1990s but I found a real division between the university community (mostly white/Asian) and the “townies” (mostly black). Maybe things have changed since then.
Posted 10 Dec 2007 at 6:09 pm ¶
Anonymous wrote:
i find that a lot of the fairfax county schools may be diverse however they do not promote/encourage/motivate its diverse ethnic groups they tend to only help those who are the typical “white IB” students. I personally have experienced it at Marshall Highschool in Falls Church, VA. Does anyone know of a school that puts forth more effort in reaching out to the students who come from diverse ethnic groups who not only want an excellent education but a great learning enviroment…where they are not looked down upon??? Thank you!.. I have a younger sister going through the same situation and would like to enroll her in another highschool
Posted 07 Feb 2008 at 10:01 pm ¶