Are there any black people in Ventura County? (Oxnard, Thousand Oaks: live, move to)

[cocytus]

Originally Posted by HoustonTexas1

I'm African American and me and my family are moving to the area in a couple of months. If there are and black people where do most of them live? Just Curious!!

There are Black people in every county in California.
There's a military base in Pt Hueneme so,of course, there would be Black people there.

No offense,OP, but a simple Wikipedia search would have given this answer much,much faster.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by fatmancomics

What part of the San Fernando Valley have you been to? North Hollywood has plenty of black people and Winnetka...

The whole valley. The San Fernando Valley only has around 5% blacks.

Originally Posted by fatmancomics

I'm not black but I am Salvadoran and it's been explained to me that I wouldn't be welcomed there.

Simi Valley has a pretty large Hispanic population, of course its mostly Mexican but the same can be said of the San Fernando Valley. I don't see why you would not be welcome there.

[fatmancomics]

Originally Posted by user_id

The whole valley. The San Fernando Valley only has around 5% blacks.


Simi Valley has a pretty large Hispanic population, of course its mostly Mexican but the same can be said of the San Fernando Valley. I don't see why you would not be welcome there.

Well, like I said, the two areas of the SFV that I mentioned has plenty of black people.

I overheard someone talking about how his street is "full of angry white people" (the guy himself was white) while telling someone else (also white) an anicdote about scolding a hispanic guy who worked for the gas company for going into his back yard to read the meter after he (the story teller) didn't asnwer the door. Just because there is a large hispanic population somewhere doesn't mean I would be welcomed there. Keep in mind that I'm married to a black woman as well and hispanics are quite racist against black people themselves.

Going back to the OP: I was in Oxnard yesterday and saw lots of black folks during lunch. There were two professionaly dressed ladies and a guy who looked like a blue collar worker at the Pollo Loco where I had lunch. They were all friendly and said hello as our gazes met. It reminded me of this thread.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by fatmancomics

I overheard someone talking about how his street is "full of angry white people" (the guy himself was white) while telling someone else (also white) an anicdote about scolding a hispanic guy who worked for the gas company for going into his back yard to read the meter after he (the story teller) didn't asnwer the door.

I think you can find stories like this just about anywhere, if you are a minority in an area I think its unrealistic to expect to never hear a racial comment regardless of your race. When I lived on the east coast and I would often shop in the black community and at times people would make racial comments towards me. Usually it was mild underhanded stuff, but there was at least once it was a bit extreme.

Originally Posted by fatmancomics

Just because there is a large hispanic population somewhere doesn't mean I would be welcomed there. Keep in mind that I'm married to a black woman as well and hispanics are quite racist against black people themselves.

If there was systematic racism against Hispanics in Simi Valley you would not see such a high Hispanic population. I don't think there is systemic racism in Simi Valley towards any race, but there are some white supremacist elements in the Simi Hills which effects both Simi Valley and Chatsworth.

I have no idea how people would feel about a Hispanic/black couple, you rarely see that here.

Anyhow, my comment about the San Fernando Valley was just to note that the entire area is primarily white and Hispanic. You have to go into the LA basin to see anything that resembles a real black community. I'm not sure whether the OP is concerned with potential racism or would just like to live in or near a black community though.

[LadyKLO]

I'm black and I'm in Ventura County...lol!!!! Seriously though, not many of us here in this county. Most of the people I know are transplants like myself..not originally from here..moved here for work or whatever reason...

[Cyanna]

Simi Valley population by race, circa 2008


Population by Race
White 81%
African American 1%
Native American 1%
Asian 6%
Hawaiian 0%
Other/Mixed 11%

However, this is NOT because African-Americans are not welcomed in Simi Valley, for some reason not very many of them choose Simi to live in. I believe the town got an undeserved bad rap after the Rodney King trial. Before then I had never heard about Simi being a town full of racists, and I grew up in Simi from the age of 4 years old. I grew up with African-Americans in my schools and in my neighborhood. Matter of fact, it was an African-American neighbor who was also lead officer of juvenile division at the police station who helped to keep my trouble-making butt out of jail, LOL!

[runnergrl]

to the OP....

There are not many blacks here and do not know of a community in ventura county where there is that population is well represented. We have one black family I know of at our UMC church in westlake village and they are professionals relocated from TX and raised their kids in Newbury park. In my kids' school( oak park)....in their grade, one black child...in the whole school k-5th....maybe 3-4 kids. In my bible study out of newbury park, my bible study teacher is black ( she lives in Moorpark) and there are at least 4-5 ladies out of like 40-50 that are black.

I notice more black families in Moorpark....just when the kids play sports up there. That's my experience in the near 5 yrs I have been here.

Hope that helps.

[Crystal is a mess]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

I grew up in Port Hueneme and it is 6% African American. That seems to be a lot for the area.

When you talk of Ventura County though what part? The Oxnard plain which is West of the Conejo Grade has the cities of Camarillo, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and Ventura. It also includes several county areas such as El Rio next to Oxnard, and Montalvo and Saticoy next to Ventura.

In The East side of the County you have the cities of Thousand Oaks, Newburry Park, Moorpark, and Simi Valley.

East of Ventura is the Heritage Valley that includes Santa Paula, Fillmore, and the town of Piru.

Heading up the 33 North of Ventura and into the mountains is the Ojai Valley with the cities of Ojai and Oak View. The Ojai Valley is also home to Casitas Springs where Johnny Cash lived for a while and Mira Monte. North of the Ojai Valley is the Los Padres National Forest which takes most of the land within the county. You can also drive to Santa Paula from Ojai on Highway 150. Makes a nice drive if you ever want to try that.

Also along the coast route you will find several beach communities dotted allong the Coast Highway. Faria Beach, Solimar Beach, Rincon Beach and on the hillside facing the ocean just east of the Highway with the highway in between the community and the beach you will find La Conchita, all to the North on your way to Santa Barbara. To the South after you leave Oxnard is Ventura Counties Section of Malibu. This is on the Ventura County side of the line and is not part of the City of Malibu that is in Los Angeles County.

The 'unusual' high number of Blacks is because of the military base there.

[Crystal is a mess]

Originally Posted by HoustonTexas1

I'm African American and me and my family are moving to the area in a couple of months. If there are and black people where do most of them live? Just Curious!!

Why oh why are Americans so hung up on race? There are way too many threads from Black Americans worried about if it's ok to move to a certain area. I'm not accusing you in particular and understand your curiosity, but having lived in several states, cities and towns in the US, I know there are Blacks where ever you go. It's just that yours is the last of several threads I've read today wanting to know the same thing. Even inter-racial couples want to know if they will be accepted.

For what it's worth I've lived in Ventura, I've also lived in Fillmore where I swear I was the only black person, however I found the highest population of Blacks in Oxnard.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Cyanna

Simi Valley population by race, circa 2008


Population by Race
White 81%
African American 1%
Native American 1%
Asian 6%
Hawaiian 0%
Other/Mixed 11%

However, this is NOT because African-Americans are not welcomed in Simi Valley,

How do you know that isn't the reason?

Back in the 1970s when busing hit the west San Fernando Valley, some people moved from the Valley to Simi. A person could keep his valley job and just commute a little farther to his job while his kids attended Simi schools.