I want to travel the USA after University. NYC to LA.

I finish my masters from Bath Uni and I want to travel the USA next summer for a couple months. I want to arrive in NYC, make my down to Pennsylvania, across to Ohio, Michigan, back down to Kentucky, into West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Then travel east through Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and finally LA. And fly back to London.

I have set my self for 2 months of travelling and I want to visit all the major cities and attractions. Is this to ambitious?

Reason for this route is because I want to visit the states that are populated with a high number of ethnic minorities (African Americans). From a young age I have been heavily influenced by their music, specifically RnB music during the late 90s and early two thousands. Film, and just in general I love their whole demeanour.

I also want to play basketball in all the ghettos of every state.

This second part may sound like a fantasy but let me know what you guys think.

Much appreciated.

P.S I am not black, I am of a South Asian background.

That is one of the most insanely ridiculous and implicitly racist rationales for doing something that I've ever heard. What are you going to do, go up to random black people on the street and tell them you like "their" music? You are really setting yourself up to get shouted down and maybe even beaten up. A very small number of people might humour you, but others will be extremely offended, especially if you talk about "ghettos" and loving their "demeanor," as if all people with a certain skin colour are the same...

I recommend rethinking this trip, in addition to refiguring your attitude.

On the contrary to Viceroy's reply, I think OP's trip can work, and is most definitely not racist, although OP I'd recommend you be very careful how you approach people. As someone else has already pointed out, gun crime is simply a way of life in some black neighbourhoods in the US. OP, it may be a good idea to arrange meetups in advance?

Viceroy, would you care to explain how you find OP racist from his post? From what he's said, he simply wants to immerse himself in a culture that he likes that's different to his own.

He's completely stereotyping the entire African-American population! His rationale is completely racist. As if all black people are exactly the same -- They like the same music and films, have the same demeanor, play basketball, and live in ghettos! Seriously? And he should NOT arrange meet-ups in advance. People are going to flip out at him. Racial tensions are extremely high in the US right now. If he goes up to strangers and spits blatant stereotypes at them, he's going to be in trouble and, not only that, these stereotypes are offensive and shouldn't be perpetuated.

So what you're essentially saying is that you're against people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds from mixing?

It could even be argued you're playing to a stereotype yourself by assuming all African-Americans will take exception to being approached by someone different to themselves.

This is not what I am saying at all. Not even remotely close. You cannot even imagine how wrong you are about what I am saying. Go visit America. Do whatever you want to do, but don't visit because you have some backwards obsession with a stereotyped version of black culture and want to perpetuate it by approaching people you don't know and barraging them with your own stupidity about who they are and assumptions that anyone with the same skin color is the same. "Oh, hello black person. Do you play basketball, wield guns, listen to rap, and live in a ghetto?" Yeah, that would go over great. Black people are just interchangeable, right? How about, instead of being a bigoted imbecile, recognize that everyone is different and racial stereotypes are offensive.

Still think I'm against people of different ethnic backgrounds mixing? I'm a half Russian and half Japanese Jew, and I think racism is disgusting. Figure it out.

That's exactly my point. and your paraphrasing of OP's post is not what I read the OP as at all, and his idea of experiencing cultures and communities different to his own ought to be encouraged, not shouted down.

I've been to the US many times, including many of the deep south states that OP mentioned, and the reason I suggested attempting to contact people in advance is so that he can gauge the kind of reception he's likely to get. I've driven along streets in Texas, Alabama, etc with shoes tied to telephone poles, and blood stains in streets, and it's important that OP is aware of that so he doesn't just wander into a neighbourhood that, frankly, would be dangerous.

Imagine this: You'd love to experience and learn about Australian Aboriginal culture. Would it be offensive and racist to visit the Australian outback? I'd hope you'd say not, and I see no distinction between that and OP's hopes. That's all I'm saying.