What's going on, Albuquerque?
Diversity and general attitude in Albuquerque?
I have never been to Albuquerque but am considering moving there for Uni...I had a few questions regarding diversity and people's attitudes. (Please serious answers/no trolling :P)
How diverse is Albuquerque? I have heard there is a high population of American Indians (politically correct term?) and people of Hispanic descent. I looked up the demographics but those often do not give an accurate representation of the city...where I currently live (Southwest Florida) it says we have reportedly have a 20% population of African-Americans in my city, and yet from what I have seen it seems more like 5%...I do go all over the city for grocery shopping, visiting friends, playing baseball, or going to the beach and there are not any generally African Americans areas in my city.
I <3 diversity because while I was doing study abroad in Thailand and Japan, I was part of the minority and my school consisted of people from all over the world.
Next is how friendly is the population in general? I know every place has nice people and not-so-nice people...like how is the general feel of the city? Friendly? By friendly I mean like people are not completely self involved like in larger cities. It's hard to explain friendly, but you probably know what I mean, haha. Like, New Hampshire always had a friendly feel to it for me, but Mass seemed a little less friendly in general due to drivers, and people were generally distanced...in Japan, I always felt it was friendlier in Osaka then in Tokyo.
Responses are appreciated! Thanks :)
Views: 464
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Krista on -
Well, NM does hold tight to the myth of tricultural harmony. It's for sure better than TX or AZ, but we have a long way to go. You would just have to come here and figure things out for yourself. Based on how many questions you have, you should visit both places first and see what strikes your interest. I know it's expensive, but so is moving.
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Permalink Reply by JeSais on -
I agree with Krista regarding the myth of tricultural harmony-- makes for a nice marketing campaign, but the fact is there are real underlying issues that have never been resolved.... but that can be said of just about anywhere in the U.S. if you're sensitive and alert.
Also, I think you need to define "diversity" and what it is that you're looking for specifically... Albuquerque is not especially international, but in terms of "diversity" we do have Native Americans, Mexican Americans, Hispanos, African-Americans, Anglos... and (from my experience) a little bit of everything else.
In general I would say this is a fairly friendly place, in fact, I like to joke that New Mexico is the biggest small town I've ever lived in. I always run into someone I know--even if I'm on the other side of town.
Finally, if you're considering a move to attend school.... keep in mind that you don't have to stay after you graduate :-) even though they call this the "Land of Entrapment" and the quality of whatever program you are enrolling in may be a more important consideration.
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Permalink Reply by Phil_0 on -
It's worth mentioning that there are well-established and growing Southeast Asian and Cuban communities here as well.
Also, here's a strong second to Krista's suggestion that you visit before you make any decisions...making a multi-year relocation decision based on a couple blog conversations seems a bit unwise, perhaps.
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Permalink Reply by Matt C on -
I made a decision to spend over a year in Japan and Thailand without visiting so I don't have any problems with making informed decisions :D I do a lot of research and generally ask the same question on different forums for different perspectives and then a lot of research. haha...if I only ask the question once to one person, I only get one perspective.
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Permalink Reply by Krista on
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Also, if you're going to be a student, go where the money is! Which institution is offering you scholarships or support in some fashion? Which program is better? I'm with Phil_0, get the education you want and move to where you want to live after that.
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Permalink Reply by Matt C on
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Albuquerque compared to my last university is dirt cheap...won't be wasting $50,000 a year. After I graduate I plan on moving back to Asia full time.
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Permalink Reply by Barelas Babe on -
Albuquerque doesn't have the international flavor of NYC or LA or even Washington DC, but for some reason about a third of my friends are international...so it may depend on who you hang out with. I'm tied to UNM which is where most of my international connections come from, but there are a fair number of internationals/immigrants in my neighborhood (Germany, Colombia, Mexico, Belgium, Spain, Peru, Chile, Cuba,...)
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Permalink Reply by Lynn Ambrosino on
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When it comes down to it, the population is essentially half White and half Hispanic.
I think people can be friendly here. If you've lived in a real city, you'll see that it feels like a small town here in a lot of ways. People are more "folksy" here than in Boston or New York. But, I personally find that there are A LOT of sketchy people here as compared with the general population of larger cities. I feel more wary of people here than I do anywhere else I've ever lived.
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Permalink Reply by Phil_0 on
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Hmmm...don't forget about the 10% of ABQ's population that is Native American - this number is even higher in rural areas in the northern part of the state.
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Permalink Reply by Edith Grove on -
I've found NM as a whole to be a very friendly state. There is also a general live and let live attitude. I talk to all my neighbors. I lived in the LA area for a year before moving here. I found LA to be very unfriendly and stressed. Albuquerque has been a refreshing change from that sort of lifestyle. I've been here 11 years now and I like the small-big-city vibe.
The diversity of the state is a big plus. As others have mentioned, it is largely Hispanic, Caucasian and Native American. But you can also find an engaged community of African-Americans in the city as well as Asian cultures. I study a Japanese martial art and patronize the wonderful Vietnamese restaurants that we have here.
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Permalink Reply by Donald E. George on
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The tri-culture is what make New Mexico different from any other state. Growing up there in the WWll and Korea years, my friends were Spanish,Italians and Angloes and I can't ever remember that what we were mattered at all. Albuquere had its own school for Native Americans and I never was around them until college.I would like to move home but can't sell my home in the land of corn and Cornhuskers.
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