From: clare@nynexst.com (Clare Chu)
Subject: Re: What's it like outside California?
Organization: Nynex Science and Technology
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 15:44:46 GMT

>In article <76084@apple.apple.COM> lin@Apple.COM (Judy Lin) writes:
>>Since moving to America as a child, I've always lived in the San Francisco
>>Bay Area. Except for short vacations, I really haven't been out of California.
>>I am curious about the Asian American experience in other parts of the
>>country.

  Well I can tell you about New York City...
>>
>>In California (at least in my experience),
>>one encounters very little overt prejudice or discrimination. 
>

  Actually I grew up in Southern California and had to wait for the
  ethnic composition of my neighborhood to change from mostly white
  to mostly Mexican and Filipino.  In the early days (mid-late 60's)
  there was a movement by white neighbors to get rid of the Chinks (us).
  There were kids beating up my brother, telling us to give them
  back their land (ha, as if they didn't take it from the Native
  Americans), keying of our cars, "Nip, Chink, Gook" name-calling,
  and kids pulling their eyes into slits and saying how can you
  see with those eyes.  My parents stood their ground and refused
  to move, even though some J-A friends suggested moving to Gardena.
  We were in Carson.  Gradually the whites moved out and more Mexican
  and Filipinos moved in (70's) and the racial problems abated for us. 
  Before then we used to have broken bottles thrown at our door, and 
  graffiti crayoned (thank God no spray paint) about us {Japs, Chinks, Gooks}.

>
>>There are also many businesses that cater to Asian Americans needs, ie.,
>>restaurants, book stores, groceries, theaters, etc.

  True... 
>
>
>>Are other areas in the country as amenable to Asian Americans?
>
  Probably Hawaii.  I don't think the Bronx has many AA restaurants, book
  stores, groceries, etc.  However I'm living here as a Puerto Rican 
  so it doesn't bother me.  There are plenty of PR groceries, and spices.
  No one has harrassed me or bothered me, in fact they treat me as
  one of them and are quite friendly (I'm not talking about the whites).

  There are other Asians that live here, East Asians as well as South
  Asians.  They seem to do all right, owning the real-estate businesses
  and groceries (although they don't sell Asian items).
>
  California has the best Mexican restaurants outside of Mexico.  That's
  something to keep in mind.  If you move, you'll regret it....
  We have ex-Californians here (including myself) drooling at the
  thought of chile verde.  You also have Trader Joe's.  We don't have
  anything like it here.  No natural food stores, except for a few
  vitamin stores with Joe Weider protein powder and high prices for
  crappy stuff.
>
>>How about attitudes toward inter-racial couples and mix-blood children?

  Everyone loves my son, half Puerto Rican/half Chinese.  They all think
  he's cute.  My mother-in-law took him to Hunt's Point Market and got
  mobbed by people saying, "Where did you get that baby?  He's so cute."
  Now some of my aunt-in-law's friends are looking for Chinese guys to
  marry so they can have a cute baby too!
>
>>What has your experience been like?

  Race-wise pretty good.  However I don't like New York City because of
  it's lack of amenities period!  Such things as parking spots, alternate
  side of the street parking, lack of parking near hospitals where you have
  to walk blocks through unsafe neighborhoods just to go get an ultrasound,
  or take the bus/subway even though you have a car...

  Again, notice I'm talking areas with little white presence.  So I can't
  tell you how the whites will react to you, as I assume your questions
  are mostly directed towards prejudice of Asians by whites.
>
>>If one were to contemplate relocation, where would one choose, and where
>>to avoid?

  I'd still choose California.  I grew up there, and want to go back.
  I'd avoid New York City, because of its griminess, roach problem,
  parking problems, and high city taxes.  I'd avoid Boston, because of
  the traffic, rude people, and general unfriendliness (gruffness).
  Both my sisters hated it.  In fact they only went for Harvard and got
  the hell out of there after 4 years, even though one was offered MD/PhD
  to stay on, and the other was offered a residency to stay on.
>

  My youngest sister likes Raleigh/Durham area in North Carolina.  She's
  not much of an AA though, since she pretty much is Anglocized and doesn't
  really care about Asian groceries and stuff.  She's also married to
  an Anglo-American and from what I can tell she's pretty much fits in
  with the locals.
>
>>Thanks in advance for your reply!

  Okay.
>