This is a license plate they want in Florida.
I am 38 years old, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Every neighborhood I lived in, there were kids playing in front of their houses, jump rope, hop scotch, stoop ball, etc. Everyone knew everyone. If you got yelled at from a friends mother 4 blocks away for being disrespectful, when you got home, you were getting it (even if your friends mother didn’t know your mother, it got around and fast!) Kids that were trouble makers and thieves, robbed houses in another part of Brooklyn and hardly ever got caught. The schools were somewhat mixed, but everyone got along and walked to school together. Stores on every corner, not having a car wasn’t a hinderance. If you walked to go food shopping and the load was too big to carry, the stores had people who would deliver the food to your house- very convenient!
Growing up in New York had its ups and downs, like everywhere, but everyone had respect for each other. No one ever “knew” or “saw” anything. No one wanted to get anyone in trouble and NO ONE was a rat!
A year and a half ago we relocated to the west coast of Florida. We bought our first house, kids all over the block and in the neighborhood, affordable living, very do-able mortgage and everyone was friendly and waved. Time goes on, you see more and more…drugs, robberies, sheriff cars patrolling, You start to wonder but, hey, it’s like it was in Brooklyn, kids all over the place!! Then the bomb hits!
Your teenage sons start hearing things the kids are saying, people ask you your last name and start treating you differently, you talk to other people and everyone knows everything about everyone and they are all judgemental and snide. Your son starts getting called a racial name (all in fun, of course). All the teenagers are going out with each other, but your sons seems to be standing out. You apply for jobs and they look at your last name before hiring you.
As I have come to see, Florida is a VERY racial and discriminative state. If your last name is not White, Brown, Black, Smith, Doe, your immediately discarded and picked on. The kids here are openly drug addicts, they sit in front of their parents and smoke pot – some kids actually have their parents permission to smoke it…at 13! The teenagers here are also all thieves. But, unlike Brooklyn, they don’t go to another part to rob your house, they make friends with your kids to get in and see what you have. Then, when your gone, rob you and run home..ACROSS THE STREET OR 2 HOUSES AWAY!
Looking for a place to rent? Call a listing for a house to rent, they ask you your last name, you tell them, then they tell you they don’t want kids! It’s a 3 bedroom house!
If you want to get along, have friends and have a job in Florida, here are the requirements:
- Blond hair
- Blue Eyes
- Served your Country
- Last name has NO ethnicity
- Do drugs
- Agree to have your teenage kids brawling in backyards (and breaking noses, etc..WITH the parents knowing!)
- And have no respect for other people’s backyards, property or elders
- Just be all around white trash
Follow these requirements and you’ll get along great. But if you have respect, sauce on Sundays, no racial tension and be normal…then Florida is NOT for you.
But hey, this is MY opinion of Florida. This is what I’ve seen, felt and know. Maybe other parts of this state aren’t like this, but where I live it is. To me and my family, Florida sucks and should sink! I feel like my beautiful home is in a snake pit of shit. How sad is that?
If anyone reading this blog is from another part of Florida, please comment below. I’d love to know if it’s a “statewide thing” or a “county thing.”
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Jeanine's Opinion 
I was recommended this blog by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my trouble. You are incredible! Thanks!
Hi Lisha, no it’s not your cousins blog, but thanks for reading and being a part of it! There’s alot of discrimination everywhere- unfortunately, some worse then others.
Define a “minority” here in Florida…everyone’s a minority here in Florida (possible all of the South, I don’t know) if you don’t think like they do.
This may sound ridiculous, but not just in Florida but the South in general, there is still a kind of grudge held from the Civil War. While newer generations simply don’t care, the older ones still do. To this day, speaking of the civil war in front of a Southerner is considered Taboo. You will get responses like: “There was nothing Civil about it” or “The south was tricked we should have won”. Florida is a tourist destination as well so throw in century old grudges and old people trying to escape bigger cities and it’s a nightmare for minorities.
i mean, to me, stereotyping certain people is racist as well. i agree that what you’ve had to deal with/been through has been tough and horrible and nobody should have to deal with it but..i’m white, brown hair and green eyes. i used to live in NY and had all cultures and ethnicities surrounding us. i personally have friends here that are all different ethnicities and from all walks of life and i’ve never heard from them about them getting walked on or disrespected for just being them. not saying it doesn’t happen but i personally don’t see much difference growing up where i did in NY and here.
i personally don’t see colors, i see people. but to say that you can only survive here as a blonde hair, blue eyed female is a bit racist to me. racism comes in all shapes and sizes, just like people. it may not be the obvious racism but that’s just my opinion. times have been a little tough for me down here compared to NY (jobwise at least but i just blame the economy) but at my current job there are all walks of life, no discrimination whatsoever. i guess it just depends on what city you live in.
again, wasn’t trying to say anything bad but with the list of the type of people that will survive in florida, i match none of them.
blond hair — nope
Blue Eyes — nope
Served your Country — nope
Last name has NO ethnicity — okay this one matched
Do drugs — nope
Agree to have your teenage kids brawling in backyards (and breaking noses, etc..WITH the parents knowing!) — have no kids
And have no respect for other people’s backyards, property or elders — total respect for people that respect me.
Just be all around white trash — nope
see, for me, to get respect, you give respect. as long as you respect me and my things, i’ll respect you. i just think if you moved to a different city in florida you’d probably see a difference! i hope things get better for you and keep your chin up. not all of florida are like the lowlifes that try to muddy up florida’s name! ❤
Donna…Wow!That’s really a horrible story and I’m sorry you had to go through that! But it does show you, racism DOES exist! The KKK is still alive in the South (I haven’t heard of it in the North), and because they are still growing strong, yes, they do pass it down through generations. Racism is everywhere, in NY too, but it’s basically a black and white thing. Here, I noticed, it goes further- what you look like, where you came from and the accent you have when you speak.
Brad…I have nothing against veterans. Florida is a “Right to work state”- which is fine! The problem that I have with it is that this state asks if you are a veteran or not TO GET A MONEY ORDER! I don’t see the significance of it. But we, I, appreciate all veterans and what they do, did and stand for!
We moved from NY totally blind. We thought of Florida as just another state. We didn’t know the way of life was so different. I have never disrespected anyone here and I didn’t judge..I was judged, my kids were judged. We didn’t come to your state and make a mockery of anyone “in their backyard”. We tried to get along, but only wound up standing out as the “different ones”. My sons tried to fit in, I had neighbors here everyday talking and having coffee. THEY were the ones who ran home and talked behind OUR backs. We opened our door and home to everyone, fed the kids on our block and had friendly relationships with everyone. THEY didn’t like something about us and started the racial slurs against my sons and my family.
Rob..That’s very true! There are places in NY and everywhere where the neighborhoods are bad- we just know NOT to walk through them. Your story brought a saying to mind, “I’m not Racist, I hate everyone!” Were your kids ok???
I agree with Donna and Rob- people who come to this country SHOULD learn English and our way of life. In other countries, if you say your a Christian, you get stoned. Here in America, we try to make everyone happy and bend our rules. They try to take God out of everything- from the money to the Pledge of Allegience”. When do WE say enough is enough? When do we close our borders and try to learn about each other and get along with each other? It’s time to accept people for who they are, whatever they are-ALL RACES!
ok this is what bothered me.There are also laws against racial slurs..(jeanine).ok heres why,freedom of speech didint your parents and very one elses teack you sticks an stones thats why the north sucks now.and its one sided every raise can bash white but god for bid we get sick of it.example ,i went to nork to see family well i felt like a piece of salt in a pepper shaker,any way every corner theres a nig or a wet back and they all say one of the following when refering to a white person,cracker gringgo pinky well i call the nig spick and jungle bunny ,im crazy lke that i got my gun permits unlike them ya they got guns but any way i shoot one in the face because he tryed to rob me and atemped to rape my girl every nig for 3 blocks mut of been there in a few mins and they were all saying the same thing that crack shot that boy ,the good boy who pulled a gun put it to my head then grabed my girl and thought he could walk away so thats why i hate niggers not all blacks are bad but 80% are on welfare,selling drugs,in jail,or dead as for mexican they need to lean eglish or go home theres no reason in this world aside from being lazy hy there kids gota have a translator in schools rather then just speak english mexicans are the roaches of this contry because they all seem to think by cutting my throat for work that its going to get them further well i got 3 letters for every time that happens INS and im not racist i hate every one who gives me a reason i judge a person by how they carrie them self and most carrie them selfs like shit
I have to disagree, I too have lived all over this country and the world and Florida is no more racist than any other area I have lived. I grew up in Central Florida, small town named Winter Haven (between Tampa and Orlando). The racism goes both ways, white people are just as discriminated against as blacks (I too do not agree with “African-American” unless you are an immigrant from Africa) and hispanics and other races. To go right along with that, having served one’s country does nothing more than get a hiring preference for government jobs (rightfully so) as I fought and bled for this country and have NEVER recieved preferential treatment based on my service! I take personal offense to the fact that you assert preferential treatment for veterans!
Having spent time in NYC, there was definitely more racism, especially in Brooklyn. If I walk into the “wrong area” of Brooklyn, day or night, I will be attacked, verbally or physically. That is racism. Being called a cracker, or whitie, or any other racially demeaning name by anyone is racist, the difference is that I don’t shoot someone for opening their ignorant mouth. On the contrary, if I call a black person a nigger or a hispanic person a beaner, chances are I will get shot or stabbed or attacked in some way.
You live in America, people do still have a freedom of speech and can say what they want, just as you do. What pisses everyone off that likes their life here in Florida is when those of you who move here and try to change our way of life to be like your way of life wherever you come from. This is OUR way of life, if you don’t like OUR way then you should go back to NY. No one forced you to come here but we do expect you to accept our way of life and not try to change it. I know the argument that comes back at this, it’s a free country and you can live where you want. Your right, but that is a two-way street, it’s a free country and if you choose to move in to my backyard, expect that you will accept my way of life or leave.
And yes, we are all connected here, we take care of each other just like in NY or anywhere else. Life is all about networking, that is what makes the world go around. Again, if you don’t like the fact that being politically connected gets you places, then go back to NY or wherever and try to get anything accomplished there without connections. Same result, impossible!
Now, all of that being said, I don’t have a problem with people moving here and enjoying the Florida lifestyle, however, you should respect it as a lifestyle that we have here and not try to make it your own. At the end of the day, if you were successful in changing it then you will leave just like you did the life before.
We aren’t any more racist than anywhere else. But then again, it seems like the only people that are considered racist is white people. Being proud of being white is something we are entitled to just as you are with being black or hispanic or of another race. So in the end, your post is just as racist as the events you are complaining about.
First I would like to say that most of your supporters must have gone to school in the north . They have big problems with their spelling and punctuation ,but of course this isn`t taught in northern schools . As far as being racist there is no real front runner in this debate . In the south we have some who have never learned history and in the north we have those who chose to rewrite it . i have found that the most racist people in the south are hispanic . Why you ask ? If you notice they have their own stores and demand that everything be in spanish also they prefer not to mix with other races . Second would be Blacks ( notice I didn`t use the term Afrcan-American because I dont apporve of it . If your born here your American ) because they look for excuses for their condition . There are plenty Black people who have pride in their country and themselves but it is the lowerclass that get all the attention . Then there are the lowclas Whites ( both north and south ) who think fying the confederate flag means that you have a right to hate people . Just like you and your Fl tag with the Klan member isnt that showing the hatred that you seem to be against ? I was raised in a small southern town where we had no race problems until a group of New Yorkers moved there and started complaining about how it wasn`t like New York . Well I am proud to say that I have never been there and will never go there because of the people from there I have met and their attutdes towards others . So as they say her ; If you dont like it move back north and take a couple of yankees back with you .
Interesting thread. I am a 49 year old white woman who was born in and grew up in Tampa, with relatives in north Florida (rural) and Lakeland (also rural) as well as North Carolina (also rural),. We visited several times a year these relatives and in so doing, got to meet a lot of the locals. Tampa was considered the big city then and we got treated like “city folks” which was not always pleasant. I heard many, many racial things being discussed, again, not pleasant. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s which were very racially charged times in America. MLK was doing his thing and look what it got him.
It was during that time, Tampa implemented a new policy of bussing kids away from our own neighborhood schools to schools across town….and kids from across town were bussed to our schools. EVERYONE hated that…black and white alike. Some days we would have to run to the bus in the afternoon because the black kids in the school neighborhood would line up and throw rocks at us! Stupid shit. Parents were always up at arms and life in general became black vs. white. It was just the times we were living in.
As I grew up and matured, I found myself attracted to black boys and later on black men. Was it the taboo-ness? I have no idea. I just accepted it as “well, everyone has some sort of preference and this is mine.” After having relationships of this nature and meeting families and not welcomed, etc., I still didn’t change. Now we are in the 80’s and things are more relaxed, even here in the south.
I met a man from Jamaica, very dark skinned and he talked funny too! lol We hit it off and although we never married in a ceremony, we were married in our hearts and we had 3 beautiful mixed daughters together. I often got looked at carrying around a light brown baby, I will admit. Yes, even into the 90’s now, people still had something to say.
In 1994, after their father passed away (illness), my girls and I moved out to Odessa, which is a rural area NW of Tampa. We had a chance to “escape” the inner city and got 10 acres out there. It was so beautiful, so peaceful and nice…..at first.
Long and short, we moved next door to a KKK member and for the next 6 years, he made my life a living hell. He harrassed us, killed our animals, threatened to drown my nigger bastards, damaged property, made hundreds of bogus complaints to any county agency that would listen to him, and they were all dismissed. And guess what? NO law enforcement would help me. I went to the sheriff, to the state attorney, to the FBI even because it was clearly hate crimes. NO ONE would help me. Finally, I just gave up trying to do things the right way, and abandoned my property and moved. We are now in a normal subdivision, with a mix of white, latin and a few black, and it is truly another world. I can sleep again without worrying about what will happen next.
I have firsthand knowledge and experience about the backwoods mentality so prevalent down here. It exists and is live and well. Old people pass it right on down to their young and that’s how the mentality lives on. All anyone has to do is read Craigslist rants and raves section on any given day to see it.
Oh and before anyone starts with the “nigger loving white trash getting food stamps and welfare” crap, I am a college educated professional earning over $60k annually and take care of myself and my kids pretty well. So don’t judge.
Now, all of that said, I am against the free flow of immigrants into the US. I think our country’s policies should be more restrictive, not based on race, but ideologies. It used to be when immigrants came to America (think Ellis Island back in the day) they came because they wanted to BE Americans. Now, they want to come and BE Mexican, BE Arab, BE whatever IN America. Whole different ballgame. They don’t want to learn English or assimilate. Instead of becoming Americans they want to remain what they are, keep their ways of life …..which is what drove them from their own country I might add…..just do it here. And that is something both black and white Americans don’t like.
Sorry for the rambling post. 🙂 Have a great day.
what a bunch of crap the town i live in is 60%hispanic.and no body cares what you are.my kids that are 6 and 7 best friend is hispanic.
Dave, yes, you have been around 🙂 So I give Pinellas county a thumbs up! So far, it seems like it’s been everywhere else in and out of Florida.
@ Erin, I think it’s important also. An open discussion is the best way to figure things out and to know that your not alone, when you think you are.
As a parent, we try to raise our children right and protect them from everything. I guess the world is changing. It’s getting harder to do- hate is everywhere! No matter how many people say, “I’m not a racist!” it’s really not true. People think of racism and you think the color of your skin, unfortunately, it goes beyond that. It’s color, ethnicity, physical appearance, your accent..everything that makes a person what they are..Sad.
To answer your question many people say I look Italian but I am actually a mix of Scotish,Irish,Welsh and french canadian. I am turning 47 years old in 2 weeks and have lived many places icluding New Jersey, New York Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Virginia, Georgia , Missisippi and Florida.So as you can see I am no spring chicken. I have seen and heard alot. Racism is everywhere and the places I have probably seen it the most are Virginia and Missisisippi. My father is an electricle engineer and our house regularly had guests from all over the world so I think I can recognize racism when I se it.
This is neat how you’ve opened a discussion on this subject. I think it’s a very important one, not only for FL but for the entire country.
Hate mail? Stalkers? That’s ridiculous! I also believe that it IS everywhere, but it seems more prominent here. Erin, you did bring out a point, it can be because of where your from also. Like Dave said, alot of people don’t like northerners. But growing up in the North, you always think life in the South is much easier, nicer and more hospitable (Southern hospitality). I think people’s ideas of Florida are more of a media vision then actual real life.
@ Nada, actions like you describe are illegal up North. Anyone touches your child, they go to jail! There are also laws against racial slurs..Once again, here it is different.
Thank you all SO much for all your coments and opinions!! 🙂
Nope your not lying Florida is full of dumb racist fool’s! I’m from Tampa Florida born here and have lived ofter places,(NY, GA, & KY) Yes racism is everywhere but Florida in eye’s takes the cake. I can tell you I had always had a problems when it comes to job’s and my name here in FL. I know first hand how that feels, too have someone during a interview hole demeanor change once they find out your name. I and my husband have receive Hate mail from posting ad’s on craigslist (nigger this nigger that, nigger lover, sand nigger, and mutt puppy) to cop’s illegally barking into our home!!! I also had a another parent aka (crazy stalker )from my child school gab her by the arm, trying to find out were we live at. While my child was at school. The school and cop’s did nothing to that woman and I had to have my child transfer.
My parents moved our family from Rhode Island to Melbourne, FL in 1993. Being 9 years old at the time, I thought Southern accents were made-up, soley for use on The Beverly Hillbillys. As a former popular kid, you can imagine my surprise when I was ostracized by my 3rd grade class due to my heavy New England accent; and it wasn’t just the children against me, but the teachers and principal as well.
While I never saw an issue due to race in Melbourne – my best friend’s surnames were Giglio, Schwartz, and Diaz – there is definitely a “go back to where you came from” mentality, as Rob pointed out. This became especially evident when I moved to Tallahassee, where “Southern Hospitality” is a supposed way of life. Don’t get me wrong, there are nice people in the South, but I find the North much more welcoming as you described.
While people like me are rarely racially profiled, (I’m a blue-eyed brunette with a very common surname) I think the judgement has more to do with where you lived before you moved to FL and not your ethnic background. I know I may be wrong, but I’ve been ridiculed for not being “country” enough since I’ve lived here, and my ethnicity was definitely not a factor.
Hey Dave, thanks for your honest opinion! lol Do you have an ethnic look or an ethnic last name? If not, maybe that’s why you haven’t experienced any racism or distain from others. Is that possible?
I have live all over the east coast and the midwest. You find racism everywhere and in the 4 years I have been in pinellas county just west of Tampa I have actually been very impressed in witnessing very little racism in this area. Unfortunately there are too many old people and Aholes from up north. Nothing against you personally but in general New Yorkers suck.
Rob, what part of FL are you from? East, West, North or South? Just curious because I’d like to know about other parts too. I think racism here is worse because in NY it’s basically black and white- if you were raised that way. Here, you have to be blond haired and blue eyed, black is fine here too- but Italian, Jewish, Spanish, ect, is no good.
well you see ill put this the best i can if your from ny and bring your ny ways with you we hate you because this is not the city im from nj nork and id say theres more racism in the north just flip flopped blacks can call a white a cracker yet if a white drops the N bomb he gets jumped .down here nun of that flys if you call a white a cracker you get delt with you call a black a nigger you get delt with id say thats fare and you know what when i was younger down here every one knew each other the every one in ny and nj must of noticed that 4 familys came to this town and like flys to poo they followed so stfu with the FL people are racist every one is its just some are better at hiding it
What part of Florida are you in, Brian? Thanks for your comment 🙂
Yeah, I’m having the same problems. It’s not just you and your family, it’s every where in Florida.