bi racial family in baton rouge (Zachary: houses, transfer, neighborhoods)

[sockmonkey70]

I think IR couples are a mixed issue anywhere you go, including Louisiana. I know it is something I wouldn't think twice about, but there are lots of ignorant people EVERYWHERE. I was from a small town, and IR couples happened in secrecy. Friends of mine in interacial relationships couldn't really be open about it until they moved to larger cities.

I won't lie, there will be people that stare at you. But I doubt you would be the victim of any hate crime or violence just because you are an interacial couple.

[junkintrunk]

Im in a IR relationship and I lived in Walker .. Any place around Denham or walker is racist !

LIVINGSTON parish still has a grand wizard ! Stay away !

[lululed]

you will get looked at for sure but people will probably be to "scared" to say anything....it is not excepted here. That is just honesty.

[southland]

You are probably OK in Baton Rouge. Livingston is a place I'd avoid if you are not middle income traditional family. If you are looking at the suburbs, Zachary and Ascension have affordable homes with good schools. They are more accepting than Livingston of non traditional couples.

Baton Rouge is a mix of all different types of people. Cajuns have a history of being "poor white people" and are typically not racist. They are mostly of french descent and their ancestors were too poor to own slaves. They are decendants of business people, trappers, fishers, and hunters.

There are, however, a lot of what some people call "rednecks" to the east of town towards Livingston, who are not always educated nor accepting. They are mostly decendants of the old south that most people associate with Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

There are also the occasional black political leader with too much influence who still thinks that it is 1960. Mayor Holden is NOT one of those types and shouldn't be confused with the Cleo Fields string of political leaders. I am very proud of him and what he is doing with our city. Keep in mind that EBR is about 70% white. Holden won in a runoff by appealing to working class whites and blacks who were tired of traffic, crime, and a joke of a public school system. Things are getting better because of Holden and the voters he represents. He isn't Rudy Gulliani, but he is at least trying to improve Baton Rouge.

That being said, Baton Rouge has probably got more younger proffesionals from every part of the world than any city in Louisiana. Keep in mind that it is the south....Mind your manners, use words like "mam" and "sir", respect your elders, keep your home clean, and be friendly and you will be accepted. Accept your neighbors and good people if they are old bible thumpers, gay, white, black, or even arrogant yankees.

Please try not to be offended by the LSU's southern pride and our hot weather. Definately go the the Spanish Town mardi gras (more bearable than New Orleans parades) and LSU Tiger Football games. If it gets boring, New Orleans and Lafayette are great entertainment destinations that are not far away.

Welcome to town.

[LaPlace,Women]

I don't think it is a real problem I have cousins that have mixed children and it is not a problem, some lives outside of baton rouge in Baker,not a problem then i have some that live in Bell Rose,La (small town where sugar cane is a way of life) not a problem. I really don't know where the people live that are having stares and comments but it's more widely accepted. My teenage daughter was dating a black man we did not have problems and we live in between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

[hdevincent]

Wow after reading these messages, I am still unsure. I am white my husband is black, we live in Seattle, everyone is mixed here, we have 3 small kids, and never have dealt with any type of crazy racism, my kids are many of the kids mixed in the area, not just black and white, but all kinds of mixed races. Now, my husband is from monroe louisiana, and really would like to go home, when I went to visit, I felt soooo out of place, and the looks and comments were just messed up, he says that there are other parts of monroe that are mixed, and I am trying to be supportive- but am afraid of all this, especially with my kids, being mixed. Any thoughts?

[Shino306]

SO to piggy-back off a post I started, what about an Asian and White being together? Will that illict stares and rude behavior too or is it complicated feelings towards white/black relationships only?
Thoughts?

[fbbertusa]

Well why did You go marry a white person for anyway?LOL!!! Just joking around Trying to living things up.Ya'll just come on Baton Rouge is big enough You can fit in and welcome.It is getting to where nobody really cares it not there business.

[CuriousLindsey]

I guess I don't have any first hand experience since I married another white person, but I don't think anyone would actually bother you about it. People might stare, but that's just because it's not the norm, not because they dissapprove. I find myself staring more at people I find interesting than people I find offensive...but that's just me. Also, I pretty much split my time between LSU and the public library, where I work, so maybe I'm just around more open-minded, educated people.

[kindafedup]

Alot of people will say that it is accepted here and there's no harm. I can partially agree. Having dated IR here before, I'll state my opinion on the matter. I doubt that you will be in physical danger. I feel that it's more mental assault than physical.

As always, depending where you are, a few people might give obvious disapproving scowls. They will be too PC to SAY anything but they may express it in other ways. It will be so subtle, that you won't be sure if it's because of your lifestyle or personality. If you are not a confrontational person, you will tire of it quickly. If you are, you will get alot off of your chest, but will likely be perceived as a big defensive bully.


The people against your lifestyle will never give you a 'reason' to legitimately defend yourself (i,e. saying something hateful directly to you, hanging nooses, beating you up, refusing to marry you--with the exception of) but they will send annoying hints that they disagree.


These are the kinds of things that I know CAN happen because they have happened to me.

Two or more people who know that you are in an IR relationship will sit near you and deliberately start a conversation, so that you can hear them say really negative things about another IR couple. They may never say slurs but it might be demeaning things about their class, and how they're just not right, etc... YOU can choose to butt in and be the defensive bully or you can keep to your own business and ignore it. This happened to me ALOT. I just chose to walk away.


Someone who does not agree with your lifestyle will target you and spread rumors you have to deal with (that have nothing to do with IR). It will be something slanderous and offensive to outcast you. So while no one hates you for the IR relationship, they hate you based on lies and still outcast you. If you don't know what's going on, it's easy to mistake that they are anti-IR. But either way, someone could try to taint your reputation, just because they don't like you. But these kind of highschool games happen to anybody- IR aside. This only happened to me once in an IR romance.


Someone will try to interfere with your relationship. Whether it's someone seducing your lover (which happens in any romance) or your lovers' friends/family that disapprove and warn him of how hard it will be on the kids (they always use that one for the guilt trip). This happened to me numerous times.

All that said, you likely will be safe from physical danger, but some disapproving people will try to 'send you a message'. If you can deal with occasional mindgames, you'll be OK.

Ending it on a better note, even though I've experienced those things it's not like they were happening every day of my life. They were happening more than once a month, which was more than necessary but it got blended in with the rest of things I could care less about. Life deals you drama.

I should also add that I am a very perceptive person so I picked up on subtleties that likely will go unnoticed from a less eccentric person.
That said, I blamed my eccentric personality for a very long time before finally accepting it was because of my lifestyle. My bff and I noticed that when not in IR relationships, it happens not, because we just don't stand out.