Whats the deal with the discrimination

thomas,
there have been some stories in the paper lately dealing with discriminaion in st john. I do not know the real story,because i was not at the sight of the alleged problems. unless i see an event i tend to doubt the validity of its entire truthfulness. there will be discrimination everywhere you go. the islands are beautiful,the surf is up,plenty of young people. my feeling is that if you have a preconcieved idea of what you are going to find when you get somewhere, thatn that is all you will see. come for a visit if possible, hang with the locals,read the papers,and then you can make an educated descision. here on the island of stx, i kind of think of us as a small island nation(a great big town) , a nation that flies seven flags, or so i think. there is incredible racial diversity, and what i have gained from this the most is an education about different cultures with out leaving the island. The events in st john where definitely tragic, and i regret that these are the only stories that seem to make it state side about our paradise. Dicrimination is everywhere, it is how i deal with it that is what can make a difference.

mark

Not sure you're coming to the right place for major surfing.

Check out surfing in Puerto Rico - namely the North West end - Jobos Beach, The Wilderness - Rincon etc.
I believe the first world championships were held there. No surfing worth a darn here. lots of other really cool stuff!!

there is great surf in stt in hull and caret bays on the north side

There is a fair amount of kite-surfing near Judith's Fancy and Green Cay. Minimal long board surfing near Judith's Fancy a small part of the year. The better surfing is indeed in the Rincon area of Puerto Rico.

I haven't seen much harassment or discrimination on STX. You have a few small minded people no matter where you go, but in many cases it's an emotional defense reflex from someone who has felt discrimination themselves and has found it safer to reject than to reach out and embrace.

Islanders are generally a friendly people/culture. You do have to reach out if you want to be accepted, and it won't happen overnight. Acquaintances happen quickly, but friendships grow over time. If you don't stick around long enough for friendship, that's part of what reinforces the instinct some locals have to shy away from close relationships with new arrivals who might not be around long enough to invest in emotionally.

You get what you give. Greet people openly and friendly and with sincerity. If you sit in a corner, nobody is going to walk over and plop friendship in your lap.