Hispanic woman warned not to relocate to Seattle due to racism?

Question

I am a hispanic woman wanting to relocate with my 3 kids to Seattle, however, ppl here in Texas are telling me that it would not be a wise decision b/c there are not many hispanics there and I would be a target for racism. Does anyone know if it is true? If not, is there a certain part of town that maybe has more hispanics?

This is crazy! Im sitting here reading all your posts when I hear on the news that in Lewis county,just south of Seattle,A man posted on his bulletin board "No olympics teams in Mexico? All the runners and swimmers are here". Thats horrible!! I am not a Mexican from Mexico but rather a hispanic born and raised in the US however, I feel that this was uncalled for! I have no choice but to stay here in Tx b/c I dont want to subject my children to these types of ppl. Do you know what this can do to a childs self esteem?Who the hell does he think he is? Two of my childrens Drs are from Mexico and they are the best. They probably are more educated than this person and make him look like scum! I really hope and pray to God that this person burns in HELL!!!

Thank you to everyone who commented trying to make me feel better about Seattle, I really do appreciate your time. Thanks, but no thanks...:)

Answer 1

Statistically speaking, there is not a large hispanic population in Seattle (only about 5% according to demographics posted online). However, I would be surprised if you were to experience racism here. In general, I would say that the community of Seattle is open-minded, liberal, and accepting of many ethnicities, nationalities, religions, cultures, lifestyles, etc.

Too, we have several large festivals here each year at Seattle Center, including for Fiestas Patrias and Dias de Muertos.

I would definitely recommend visiting here before moving, maybe then you will understand why some of us are so surprised to hear that you were told this... :)

Answer 2

I think it is definitely a myth that your friend is trying to pass along to you about Seattle. Seattle definitely doesn't have as many Hispanic people living here as many parts of TX and other areas, but there also isn't a high level of racism here. Seattle is definitely a very liberal town and racists are 100x more likely to be chased out of town than any people due to their race. It might be the case in some smaller towns on the outskirts of the general Seattle area, but not Seattle so much. I think you would def want to come and pay a visit anyways, prior to moving, to get a feel of the more comfortable neighborhoods that you feel would be a good fit for you and your children before you move over here.

Answer 3

I'm a hispanic in Seattle and I disagree with the racism part. It is true though that there are not as many hispanics in this area as there are maybe in Texas, Florida or California. I am not sure if there's a specific area with more hispanics, but am sure you'll find some anywhere you go.

Answer 4

I live in the NW. Seattle is not a racist place. There are more and more hispanics showing up all the time. Seattle is just starting to see gangs cropping up in certain areas there, but still is mild in comparison to other parts of the country. If anything, Seattle is too liberal in their dealings with other nationalities. I know Bell Town has a lot of problems involved there, but that is about the only place that I would steer clear of. The University area would be a good place to look because there would be people from ALL nationalities there.

Hope that helps.

Answer 5

There is not a large hispanic community in Seattle but that doesn't automatically make you a target for racism. Sure, there are racists everywhere, but the population of Seattle (as with much of the Pacific Northwest) tends to be more liberal, more educated, and more tolerant than people in other parts of the country. There are also a lot of non-hispanic immigrants in and around Seattle, particularly Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian, so it's not like everyone in Seattle is lily-white. I think you would do just fine in Seattle and I think your sources in Texas are just misinformed.

Answer 6

That's totally not true! There's lots of Hispanics up here - mostly from Mexico. There's lots of grocery stores, restaurants, butchers, etc, geared towards the Hispanic community as well. Seattle's a very liberal town and I really haven't seen racism here - not like where I lived before in the South. I would do a search on line for a Hispanic group in the area that can give you more info.

Answer 7

hispanic woman warned relocate seattle due racism

Answer 8

That's a lie!! I don't want to scare you, but the fact of the matter is, there are ignorant people EVERYWHERE!! However, Seattle is regarded for it's rich, diverse communities and emphasis on appreciating other cultures. I love it here!!

I'm no stranger to discrimination, but I can also say that I've always experienced it outside of WA.

Answer 9

There is a lot of Latinos here, not as many as in TX though so that's the only lie about what you were told.

First of all let’s see how many people of the ones that answered are Latinos or Hispanics? If they are not, how the hell would they know what experiences Latinos/ Hispanics have in this area? There is racism in Seattle, but is the same racism that you will encounter everywhere you go in this country now, so don’t base your decision in whether you’ll be a victim of racism or not here.

I am a Mexican living in Seattle, and I have forcibly assimilated so I do speak ENGLISH just like racist Roaddogg over here suggests you to do, and let me tell you that does not make a difference. If you are going to have to deal with ignorant people and xenophobes it will NOT matter if you are assimilated or not, they’ll let you know they don’t like you because the color of your skin.
I think the silent racism is the one that is the most common here. The actions of silent racism are so subliminal that you can’t really point out and say “hey, you are a racist!” For example, not too long ago I got into a car accident, somebody hit my car, and the person that hit my car was totally accepting she was at fault and when the Seattle police arrived I had to practically beg them to write a report about the accident!! They were refusing to write a report saying that the damages on my car were not going to cost that much to repair, so that I shouldn’t make them waste their time on such a report. I don’t have to tell you what race the person was who hit me right? Of course white!
In school it’s the same, you have to be always on the lookout for racist teachers, faculty members etc. just be prepared to find people like them in every school district, university etc. People making rude, ignorant comments is not unusual… again just be prepared.

I have had many experiences dealing with racism in Seattle and all over WA, I work for a Latino Resource Center, and I have heard horrible experiences of so many people from all walks of life the only thing they had on common was their skin color.
Again racism is here alive and well just like it is in the rest of the US, but that’s not a reason to be afraid, on the contrary now more than ever have we have to fight for what its right. None has the right to limit you or your family from living and enjoying life however you want. Just be prepared as you would be anywhere in this country and don’t be afraid to call it racism when you see it.
FIGHT RACISM!

Answer 10

There is no way that this is true. Part of what makes Seattle a great place is the acceptance of others.
It's funny that you were told this in Texas, the most prejudice place I've ever had experience with.