Safety Concerns
 

My daughter, a young PhD, has been offered a position at Alabama State University. She is my adopted daughter and is Chinese. I don't know how else to ask this, but do you think she would be safe? What are some safe place to live that wouldn't be too far a drive for her to campus. She is my only daughter. Thanks, Nancy

She is a grown woman and obviously intelligent. She will be safe.

There may be cultural adjustments to make, and these can be easier or harder depending on where she has grown up and been educated.

In the Deep South, for example, religion, Protestant and evangelical religion, is far more important than in some other parts of the country. The foods people eat, the way they spend their time, and what they value in life differ significantly from one part of the country to another. This will require adjustment on the part of anyone who moves in from outside, whether they are New Englanders moving to Southern California or Oregonians moving to Delaware.

Alabama State is an historically African-American university. These institutions have a great deal of justifiable pride in their heritage. Non-African-American faculty, of which there are likely to be quite a few, will find their experience rewarding if they recognize and affirm this legacy.

I suspect that she has had to do a lot of adjusting in her life to being an ethnic minority who is part of the cultural majority. This experience will be a great asset in this job and throughout her life.

Advice: support her when she feels overwhelmed, and ever new professor does, but don't worry!

Has she ever lived in Alabama? Whole different culture imo. I live in Fl. I am from the northeast and I cried the first 6 months. It is different in the south. It is probably safe if she is in a decent neighborhood but the cultural difference might be a shock to her.

Don't rent a ground floor apartment or one that is without a washer and dryer.

HTtY

"She is my only daughter"

and if you had loads to spare you wouldn't care?

vjpblovesitaly, that was very rude.

I'm wondering why she wouldn't be safe in Alabama. Unless there is latent anti-Southern sentiment from the OP imputing some sort of racism to the people of Montgomery . . .

Montgomery's overall crime rate is LOW - less than 400 violent crimes per 100,000 population. It compares with low-crime cities like Austin, Raleigh, and San Diego. Its crime rate is about 70% LOWER than Birmingham.

The lone exception is Montgomery's homicide rate, which is fairly high. The majority of those crimes are black-on-black - and black males are the most common victim (this is no different from many other cities in the USA - the CDC has previously noted that the leading cause of death for black men between 15 and 34 is homicide by another black male). Your Chinese daughter doesn't fit this tragic demographic.

I am far from an expert about Alabama, but I have been there several times and know quite a few people there, including several Asians - both immigrants and native-born Americans. None of my Asian friends have ever mentioned anything about danger in Alabama - no racial issues or anything like that. Sure, there are bigots around, but it really doesn't seem to be as much of a problem as people outside the south seem to think. And she'll be in a city, at a university with educated people - not a backwoods kind of place where outsiders are uncommon - even in a backwoods kind of place, I can't imagine that she'd be in danger, just maybe have a harder time breaking into the social structure of the area. I haven't spent much time in Montgomery specifically, but I have spent time in Birmingham and in some smaller cities, like Dothan.

I worked with a Black guy and Chinese woman and they did not feel comfortable in the South when traveling on business. Both are highly educated and have wonderful personal skills.

When I asked if there was a specific incident or reason they could cite none, it was instinctual.

The operative word is comfortable not unsafe. The Black guy played college basketball and was a big fellow.

Okay, I am NOT from the South. I work the graveyard shift in NYC. The things that I think that would be common sense are things that 'victims' constantly do (please, I am not blaming the victims)

1. Walk with a purpose.
2. Have your eyes moving.
3. DO NOT bury your head in your cellphone.
4. DO NOT think that because you are on the phone that
someone will leave you alone.
5. DO NOT display any jewelry or electronics
6. Travel in well lit areas.
7. Before moving into the area, stay at a hotel and check out the area both
during the day and night. Look for the 'bad' things, (alleys, missing
streetlights, look also for cars -abandoned, broken windows, etc...broken
windows on buildings (shows you if the community really is concerned for
their own neighborhood)
8. You can also search on-line for "crime stats per zip code" there are many
sites that will give you a hint of how the area is on crime.
9. Visit the local police precinct.

Things that I can think of while on my coffee break.

I wish you and your child the best. Stay Safe

If you parse this

"I worked with a Black guy and Chinese woman and they did not feel comfortable in the South when traveling on business. Both are highly educated and have wonderful personal skills.

When I asked if there was a specific incident or reason they could cite none, it was instinctual."

You will see that their comfort problem is in THEIR OWN heads.

When we went South to graduate school, our friends all thought we would be put on chain gangs by fat deputy sheriffs wearing mirror sunglasses.

When we moved to Boston from Mississippi, my wife's colleagues all brought pistols to work to help her select one to keep in her purse, since no woman in a Northern city could possibly walk down the street without being armed.

Neither turned out to be true. The problems were in THEIR OWN heads.

There is good advice here on selecting safe neighborhoods, and on walking safely at night.

She is very lucky to have a good position right out of a Ph.D. program.

You will see that their comfort problem is in THEIR OWN heads.
_______________
While this true, why did they both get this feeling from people who ordinarily do not?

Haven't you ever said to yourself or others, "There is something weird going on," without being specific?

I used to go Texas on business, and once they got past "howdy" they did not like me because I was a Yankee. I can understand not liking me because of who I am, but that was not the case. I hated going down there.

>>While this true, why did they both get this feeling from people who ordinarily do not? <<

Possibly/Probably had a preconceived idea about how they would be treated in South - self fulfilling prophesy. People expecting certain things often get (or think they get) those things.

< I can understand not liking me because of who I am, but that was not the case. >
I somehow doubt that.

To elaborate on Solo's point number 7, if possible before making a decision go there and stay in a hotel for a few days or a week. See what the place and people are actually like and listen to her gut on how she feels about it.

I can understand not liking me because of who I am, but that was not the case. >
I somehow doubt that.
_______________
Ah, the passive/aggressive child who only wants to create a fight to affirm her existence.

Ah, the angry old white man, perpetually yelling Get Off My Lawn, and Why Does No One Like Me, sob???
:-D

I'm outa here.

I think the OP has long since gone as well.