Why do I feel so uncomfortable sometimes in the South?

Question

I am an Asian American guy in his 20s who was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Anyway, for some reason, I've never felt comfortable here...I always get the sense that Southern people really don't like anyone that's not White or Black and Christian...also, people seem to assume I'm a foreigner who just got off the boat two days ago. When I went to school in Philadelphia, I never felt out of place or odd, but when I come home, I really do feel like there's a lot of discrimination. I'm not sure if I'm just more sensitive to it bc of the South's history of being overtly racist and bigoted or if it's actually more real down here. I know people are racist everywhere, but I just sense it a lot more here. Why is that? Sometimes I think it's bc there's so little diversity here. I've met plenty of nice, wonderful people in Memphis...but when my family goes to restaurants or to the mall, we always get strange stares...like people think we don't belong in America bc we're not White or Black?

Answer 1

There isn't any kind of intermingling between races in the South. The schools might as well be segregated. The areas of town might as well be segregated.

I've been here 12 years after growing up in Wisconsin. It's still bizarre to me.

Answer 2

It's because they don't have a diverse population and they still assume that Asians are foreigners. However, take time to get to know the people. I have experienced more discrimination in the big eastern cities than I have in the south. Yes, I'm gonna go there with this issue. Southerners might not understand you because of your race as they see you as different. It often boils down to a lack of familiarity. But even the so called "rednecks" can be very nice people. You will see that they often go out of their way to be nice to you, unlike some of the phony northerners who pretend to be liberal but find a million ways to discriminate against you. Remember that the enslavement of Africans was very common in New York City many years ago. It's just that the south had a longer history of it. By the way, anyone who has never spent time in the south should not pass judgment since you have nothing to compare except for what you see on TV.
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GOODEVIL, your answer is very accurate and insightful.

Answer 3

Hey there, I'm from Memphis too and I know exactly what you're talking about. I am mixed race (African-American, Dominican, French, and Irish) and I get stared at all the time. It's kind of weird being from a blended family, we really stand out here. Blended families are really not that uncommon in many places, but they sure are here. I was out to a restaurant once with my Black dad and sister, mixed race brother, white sister-in-law and niece, Asian/Jamaican brother-in-law, and Black/Asian nephew, and I'm not even exaggerating, this one family tipped their chairs slightly to the right so they could get a better view of us! We're all kind of eccentric in appearance and demeanor too, so we attract alot of attention without doing anything! It's weird being from a blended family, especially in the South. Sometimes I get out pictures of my "white" niece or my "black" nephew and people go hogwild. It's insane being from the South sometimes. So trust me, we all get stared at sometimes. I've been in other parts of the country and I agree, it's a bit better. But nowhere's perfect. You find ignorance everywhere.

Answer 4

there really isn't that much diversity in the south. I'm from Clarksville, Tennessee and there is diversity here becaue this is a military city. But in other places in teh south most othes actually there isn't that much diversity..mostly only whites and blacks but you may be thinking...its wierd how blacks are more accepted then other races teh south.....there is an answer to that. Blacks and Whites share many of the same cultural backgrounds. Our skin tones may not be the same but we have the same views on many things. Blacks and whites been living in this country together for hundreds of years. We speak the same language with the same accents and there really isn't that much of a barrier. But when people who arn't white or black come into the picture there are many more barriers......

..thats why you may feel that way....

Answer 5

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Answer 6

I've never really liked being in the South either. I'm white, but combination of the over-familiarity people address you with and the sort of crass "redneck culture" that shows up in the South makes me cringe.

I prefer to live in places where in restaurants I am addressed as ma'am or miss rather than honey or darlin'.

Answer 7

Maybe you are influenced by the history of the country and maybe you are just calling it like it is. I can't relate as I happen to be in one of the 2 groups you mentioned.

If you feel more comfortable in the north, go there. If you feel more comfortable in the homeland of you folks, head there.

Part of me wants the south to retain some of their heritage, I wouldn't want them to loose their accents or cooking style or stuff like that. I think America is slowly loosing it's cultural identity.

Answer 8

Well the majority of individuals in the South or either white or black, it is not as common to see Asians. Don't assume they are discriminating against you, it's human nature to look longer at things/people you are not used to seeing.

Answer 9

You're right, the south is just behind by 15 or 20 years. I would recommend moving to the east coast or the midwest.

Answer 10

ohhh.....umm the south....yea i can kinda guess they might act that way. i dont know..maybe becuz they arent very diverse over there so their not used to seeing people of another race besides black and white. (surprise me how they can accept blacks but not other ethnicities??) maybe u should move to california. people in cali are more diverse. and new things arent that foreign to them.