Ok here’s the thing. I was not born in New Mexico. I moved here almost twelve years ago by choice as an adult. (If a twenty-one year old art student can be considered an adult these days) I loved the open spaces and completely new landscape colors, the different attitudes and behaviors of the people, the fact that old buildings were frequently still being fixed up and used, and that a good number of the women here were short and wide just like me.

I love this place. I married someone who was born here. His family doesn’t go back several generations but his parents were born and raised here. In the seven and a half years I’ve been with Cody I’ve learned a lot about the attitudes of New Mexicans towards outsiders, particularly people who move here from New York, California, and especially Texas. The fact that I come from a state that’s equally if not more misunderstood seems to assuage any ookiness he’d have about actually being married to an outsider. But whenever I bring this up he points out one very important thing: that I moved here and appreciate New Mexico for it’s New Mexico-ness (although he’d never use the term New Mexico-ness unless under threat of severe pain to him, me, or the dog). Basically I don’t try to change it into the place I left.

Far be it for me to move to a new place then start telling people who have lived here their whole lives what to do. I would be entirely too afraid to be scolded for the sheer arrogance and effrontery of that kind of behavior. And believe me, there are times when I have no shame for potentially arrogant or effrontive behavior but even I know how tacky it would be to come to someone’s house for a party then proceed to tell the host and hostess how they could’ve done things better. Even if it were a pot-luck or byob.

Lemme tell you, there’s no friggin way I’d want New Mexico to become Alabama. I moved away from Alabama because I didn’t like it there; I moved to New Mexico because I did like it here. And although there’s been some discussion lately about our moving to Alabama I assure you we won’t be attempting to turn Birmingham into Albuquerque. Because we recognize and appreciate the fact that these are two completely different places. That what works in one culture and region probably wouldn’t work in a completely different one. And frankly it’s insulting to both places to try.

As time has gone on I’ve noticed the marked decrease in my ability to tolerate people moving here then attempting to dictate local change that would make things here almost just like the place they just fucking left. If where you were was so great why did you come here? Where are you going to go when you’ve made this place into what you abandoned last time? What was it about New Mexico that made you want to come here in the first place? Do you think that whatever those things were that you found attractive spawned in a vaccuum? That changing one part of the place wouldn’t affect those elements as well?

And the greatest irony of them all: the people who move here from other places then complain about urban sprawl, increases in taxes and traffic, and the lack of jobs. So you’re allowed to move here but no one else can?

Or, and I swear this is true, complaining about all the Hispanics and Native Americans. What kind of ignorant asshole moves to a state called New Mexico and makes racial slurs?

While I’m all for voicing opinions, getting involved in local projects, and contributing to your adopted home ya might want to consider your suggestions for a while lest you come off as an elitist asshole with an agenda of turning New Mexico into the same hypocritical gluttonous oxygen bar hell you moved to escape. Show some dignity and at least put up the pretense of respecting the culture you’re attempting to dilute.

If you think this is about you it probably isn’t I’m just cranky about people moving here then trying to turn it into New Texyorkifornia. Things are far from perfect here and I complain about stuff too sometimes (like the completely id-driven insane drivers in Albuquerque). But for the most part I try to keep in mind that I moved here voluntarily and am quite happy to be here warts and all. (I just refuse to drive)