Conservative family who relocated from California to Idaho to escape liberal politics reveal why they REGRET their move after struggling to fit in with ‘judgmental gossips’

By James On Jun 7, 2024

A conservative family who moved from California to Idaho in 2021 has returned due to difficulties “adjusting.”

Melvin Galang and Coree Ray made the return trip to the blue state last April TikTok to make the announcement. Both cited “judgmental attitudes” and gossip as reasons for fleeing after leaving a suburb half an hour’s drive from LA.

They took their two twin daughters along for the ride, leaving behind Coree’s four other children from two other relationships.

The four quickly learned that not all that glitters is gold in the Gem State, as Iowa has historically developed a reputation for not being the most welcoming to people of color.

Galang and his daughters are Mexican but did not say racism played a role in their decision to leave. A statement to TikTok from 51-year-old Coree explained why.

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Melvin Galang and Coree Ray made the return trip last April and took to TikTok to make the announcement

They cited “judgmental attitudes” and gossip as reasons for fleeing after leaving a suburb half an hour’s drive from LA. They also took their twin daughters with them

“We have decided that after three years in Idaho we are going back home.

“We wanted to move to a conservative state, but we realized what it would mean to fit in,” the report continued.

‘It would mean that we have to be judgmental. We should gossip about others. Let our children forget how to say please and thank you. Talk bad about new people who move here for a better life.

“We left California because of politics[,] but forgot that there are other politics to think about…’

An accompanying video showed the family dancing outside their seven-bedroom home in Idaho Falls, where the crime rate is 26 percent lower than the national average.

In contrast, the City of Angel has a crime rate that is a whopping 52.4 percent higher than the national average, with an average of about 370 daily crimes, just under a quarter of which are violent, according to FBI statistics.

The Golden State has struggled in recent years due to rising homelessness and open drug abuse in major cities.

Homelessness rose 6 percent last year to more than 180,000 people in California, federal data show. Since 2013, the numbers have exploded by 53 percent.

These numbers help explain why Idaho — a landlocked region 450 miles from the Golden State — emerged as one of the top relocation choices for Californians during the pandemic.

This proved to be particularly the case between 2021 and 2022, when the peaks from the first year of the crisis continued and in many cases worsened.

Iowa has historically developed a reputation for not being the most welcoming to people of color, and Galang and his children are Mexican

Despite being home to breathtaking scenery and a low cost of living, Idaho is isolated and home to several close-knit communities. Idaho Falls, seen here, is no different, with a population of just 65,600. It has a crime rate that is 26 percent lower than the national average

So the family’s story resonated with many and drew attention to some of the lesser-known challenges of living in a conservative state.

Despite being home to breathtaking scenery and a low cost of living, Idaho is isolated and home to several close-knit communities spread across the vast state.

Idaho Falls, despite being one of the state’s largest cities, is no different, with a population of approximately 65,600 according to the U.S. Census.

That pales in comparison to most cities, where a large part of that sample consists of people who have lived there for a long time.

Additionally, cities like Coeur d’Alene – with a population of 40,000 – have developed a reputation as a haven for white supremacist groups, with the Aryan Nations group regularly holding nationally publicized parades in the area.

Multiple anti-Semitic symbols have emerged elsewhere in the state, including the Treasure Valley, where the hate group known as the Proud Boys has been seen at events and where Confederate flags often fly.

Meanwhile, the group is pushing an agenda that benefits very few Idahoans, while other more under-the-radar groups, such as Conservative Of and Protect43, are also pushing far-right candidates at every level of government in the state.

‘[It is] a place with a history of hate,” The Washington Post recently wrote last month in an article on Republican extremism.

Homelessness rose 6 percent last year to more than 180,000 people in California, federal data shows

Still, people went on to mock the family for moving there in the first place, with one top commentator noting: ‘The video was so weird and attention seeking. Conservative content creators are my least favorite.”

Another snapped, “Y’all want to be conservative so bad until you actually meet racist conservatives, not in California.”

Someone else added, “Wait, so her [have] were living under the illusion of inclusion, and then Idaho reminded them of it [are] not white?’

However, some users were friendlier to the family of four in their choice to move, despite such transplants driving up housing prices in the state.

One such person wrote: ‘I feel this so much!! I moved from Cali 11 years ago and I’m still going through this.”

Another added: ‘I would love to move to California! I live in a very conservative state, and I absolutely hate it.”

Between 2021 and 2022, Idaho was among the top five destinations for Californians moving, significantly impacting California’s overall population trends.

“They moved here because their values align here,” Nicholas Contos, chairman of the Bonneville County Republican Party in Idaho, told The Independent last month.

Fellow Californian turned Idaho transplant Brendan Kirkpatrick said, ‘The housing market is through the roof here’

“I couldn’t afford it if I left a week ago to sell my house in Southern California and move here.”

DailyMail.com has contacted the couple for comment.