An Expat Talks about Living in Jackson, Mississippi

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Jackson

What activities, clubs and organizations would you recommend to newcomers to help them meet others?

The one major daily newspaper carries limited information about the limited number of events in the city.

In terms of religious, racial, economic and cultural diversity, are the people of this city or town diverse? Are they accepting of differences? Describe.

Mississippi is 36% African-American. Parts of Jackson are 70% African-American. If Mississippi were truly as heartless to its black citizens as the media would have us believe, surely a substantial number of the state's minority citizens would have noticed that there is no fence around the state to block their exit. Other minorities such as Asian or Latino Americans make up a small, but growing, sector of the population.

What are the main industries in this city? What types of career opportunities commonly exist? How do most people find new jobs?

High level Information Technology positions are difficult to find. Mississippi has been laughingly called "The Silicon Valley of Cotton & Catfish." One third of the state's workers are directly or indirectly working in career fields that support the agrarian economy. Jobs are plentiful in most healthcare occupations. The gambling casinos generate employment in hotels and restaurants. Most people get their jobs through networking. Eighty percent of the residents of Mississippi are native Mississippians, a statistic that exceeds that of many other states. The area is overwhelmingly Protestant Christian, and therefore that religious group carries notable political power.

In general, what are peoples' priorities in this city? For example, do lives revolve around work, family, socializing, sports, etc.?

People's priority is the family, specifically engaging in outings related to school or church.

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If a friend of yours was thinking of moving to this city or town from far away, what other advice would you give them.

If a friend were moving here, I'd tell him or her to take a deep breath, get off life's roller coaster, and prepare to vibrate at a slower intensity. Life is slower here than in America's major cities. People have time to chat; they chat with strangers! They drive slower; They especially have time to savor the large number of low cost restaurants serving huge buffets of country/soul food. Eating replaces cultural events as the state's major pastime. I would tell my friend that shoveling winter's snow is definitely not a worry here!