Racial Interaction Between Groups

Outsiders' Views

Outsiders, when asked to describe racial interactions in Fuquay-Varina, expressed conflicting views. Some insist that most groups "stick to themselves, and Latinos stay with Latinos". This opinion was reiterated by another outsider who said, "Most people stick to themselves and don't even say 'hi' to each other". In contrast, another outsider said that "the groups are segregated but [are] family in a lot of ways. They take care of each other and their needs, and it doesn't matter what their race is."

In addition to limited interaction between people of different races and ethnicities, negative perceptions of Latino community members are reportedly held by both African-American and Caucasian community members. Some outsiders stated, "African-Americans have a bad attitude toward Latinos, while Caucasians and Latinos try to work together, try to understand [each other]." A similar opinion claimed, "I think there is a lot of, 'those Mexicans get everything…we [African-Americans] don't get anything' being said out there." In the words of another outsider, Latinos are "taking all the jobs and using up all the resources."

Most positive perceptions of Latino community members were job-related; Latinos are admired for their "work ethic." One perception expressed frequently was, "Those Mexicans are hard workers; there's not a lazy one in the bunch." However, some employers feel that while Latinos are good workers, they can be unreliable, because they do not always show up to work and do not always have a vested interest in staying in Fuquay-Varina.

Insiders' Views

Insiders hold differing views of racial interactions between groups. Some Latinos express satisfaction with the degree of their interaction with Caucasians at church or work. Others have experienced acts of kindness by African-American community members, one of which occurred when a Latino was trying to repair his car with a friend on the side of the highway, and a car stopped. Two African-Americans got out and offered the two Latinos a soda. A focus group with Latino men revealed that, "[Latinos] are used to living with other races." Other insiders however, believe that there is very little interaction between groups. One said, "I only interact with other races at work."

Perceptions that Latinos hold about Caucasians are often positive, and common reference is made to the helping relationship that has developed between Caucasians and Latinos, especially in church settings. Perceptions held by Latinos of African-Americans tend to be more strained and reveal a degree of tension between the two groups. One insider shared a story in which he was in the parking lot of Food Lion after buying groceries and overheard a group of African-Americans say, "There go the Mexicans buying up the entire store. Pretty soon they'll take everything." Though tension between Latinos and Native Americans was not a prevalent theme in the interviews or focus groups, there was reference to an incident involving a Native American who said, "You guys (Latinos) come to rob our money. You work for nothing and take jobs away from us."

Comparison

Amidst these conflicting views, the primary conclusion drawn by team members on this issue is that there is very little interaction between groups, and there is a need for increased interaction. Views on the degree of racial interaction tend to be inconsistent; however, there is more consensus regarding the perceptions that groups hold toward each other. Latino and Caucasian perceptions of each other demonstrate a willingness to help each other out. With regard to work, Caucasian perceptions of Latinos are usually complimentary; Latinos are viewed as hard-working and resourceful. Latino and African-American perceptions of one another are often negative and point toward an underlying tension between the two groups. In some cases, it seems as though these two races are in competition with one another to define their identities and roles as the ethnic climate of Fuquay-Varina evolves.

Employment

Methods