Regional Stereotyping

[2010Dolby]

Since I've been a bit more active on the internet and my campus has been getting more students from all over the country, I've noticed that a lot of people get stereotyped. Im talking about stereotypes by region. Its gotten me a bit curious. Does this happen to anybody else? Do you guys unintentionally do it to others? What stereotypes have you possibly formed?

I dont think think its nearly as offensive as some other assumptions people form from other criteria. And honestly, I find that what people from Nebraska think about other areas is sometimes kinda funny and makes no-sense. (If anybody finds any offense in this feel free to take it down and I apologize in advance) I'll list a few thoughts from here in Nebraska. I dont necessarily agree with them, but most people do in this state.

West coast - very liberal people
North - the Canadians of America
Hawaii - California citizens on an island
Alaska - about as tough as possible
East coast - Nothing but big cities and business suits
Texas - cadillacs, ranches, and George W. Bush! woo! lol
South - "Dukes of Hazard"
Arizona - America's biggest oven
New Jersy - "Jersey Shore"

So obviously those are all strong exaggerations that people formed because they've never actually been there. Just for fun I asked one of my classmates from Arizona what she thought of Nebraska.

Nebraska - Everybody owns a gun. Nobody owns a book.

I just thought the entire idea of regional assumptions was really interesting.

 

[epath13]

We've been living in US only for about 6 years but I've noticed it right way. I think it's true for any country. the only thing is, some states might feel a little left out, they're not mentioned that often... what about Illinois?

one more state:
When I think about Florida (besides Miami, because the city feels like a completely different state if not a country, btw I've never been there ) I see swamps, alligators, mosquitoes and...old people

Alabama - gay and non-Caucasian, do not enter

then a city:
Los Angeles - people shooting at each other while driving

I think that's it for now

 

[2010Dolby]

Hahah oh God thats exactly the kind of stuff that fascinates and humors me. The Florida one was basically what I think anyone assumes that state is like. Illionois, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota dont get much attention because we're just the good ol' simple midwest. If America was an ice cream store, then the mid-west would be vanilla. We dont even have regional accents. Actually, a professor at my college that teaches public speach said that people in the mid-west have the most neutral accents in the country.

Nevada: Sand, cacti, and gambling

 

[epath13]

Hahah oh God thats exactly the kind of stuff that fascinates and humors me. The Florida one was basically what I think anyone assumes that state is like. Illionois, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota dont get much attention because we're just the good ol' simple midwest. If America was an ice cream store, then the mid-west would be vanilla. We dont even have regional accents. Actually, a professor at my college that teaches public speach said that people in the mid-west have the most neutral accents in the country.

Nevada: Sand, cacti, and gambling

Vanilla, eh? hm... I think I can see it

Nevada... forgot about it... it kinda seems that there's nothing but Vegas in there, the rest of the space is just an uninhabited desert OMG I'm looking at it right now... it is true!
here's the proof (nice picture by some person Nitro929 though)

 

[cheetoe80]

when I think Hawaii I think large racist natives and japanese tourists

 

[Kelly]

I always think there are good and bad people from any area no matter what it's reputation may be. For example I lived in a certain part of Liverpool, England that is known for being 'rough' yet it wasn't at all like that for me. When I think rough and dangerous I think unsafe to go out, people getting killed/attacked all the time but that simply did not happen and I felt perfectly safe going out at night. Saying that I was attacked out in the town centre once and when I was younger(about 13) a gang of girls surrounded me but I managed to get away with just some hair pulling and a few hurtful comments (neither of those incidents happened in the area I lived).

The general sterotype of people from Liverpool is that they are work shy drug dealers in tracksuits but as with most sterotypes that's only a small percent of people who give the rest a bad reputation.

 

[cheetoe80]

One of my cousins moved to Hawaii, he married a native girl a few years ago

 

[epath13]

when I think Hawaii I think large racist natives and japanese tourists

Omg, no Hawaiian people are so nice, we've been there a few times and personally known a few people from there, they're wonderful people... But I guess different people have different experiences, but we only had positive ones

 

[HelloDizzy]

Now that I live in NY, being from Louisiana, I'm surrounded by people who weren't raised right and everyone thinks I'M stupid because of my accent.
I would much rather be surrounded by swamps and people saying ma'am and sir than this crap. Concrete everywhere. As I sit here, some high moron is sitting behind me talking about hooking up with (insert discgusting slang here) with a bunch of other guys as if I'm not in the room. STFU.

So, I'm definitely too Southern for this. Way too much. But I'll be here for several more years. I'm known as the local hillbilly.

 

[cheetoe80]

Omg, no Hawaiian people are so nice, we've been there a few times and personally known a few people from there, they're wonderful people... But I guess different people have different experiences, but we only had positive ones

I've never been there and I've heard other people say that too. I've also heard a lot of people say they will beat you up for not being a Native, if you go certain places, and they that practice an unofficial holiday in public schools there that the native kids call "kill a howlie day", I'm sure I didn't spell that right.

 

[kg4fxg]

Omg, no Hawaiian people are so nice, we've been there a few times and personally known a few people from there, they're wonderful people... But I guess different people have different experiences, but we only had positive ones

Dizzy,

I never would have guess you are a hillbilly? Wow.

I live in the South (Georgia) but I was raised in the North (Illinois). I don't have a southern accent but often use southern words. Grew up in among the cornfields and farms. So I guess I am a mix? I one better? I don't know, I love the grits, and other food here. BUt then I have always been me. Whatever that is?

 

[Flinty]

Up north where I'm from, we just have a generic stereotype of Americans: people with a drawl who have terrible taste in fish and beer. (Northern Pike and Budweiser*, really?)

We have provincial stereotypes too:

B.C. - granola-loving liberals
Alberta - overly conservative rednecks
Saskatchewan - ancient farmers
Manitoba - frozen cheapskates
Ontario - lording over of the rest of the country
Quebec - Ils regnent sur le reste du pays
New Brunswick - call centres everywhere
Nova Scotia - not-so-bright fishermen, but not as bad as Newfoundland
P.E.I. - an overly-regulated potato-growing people
Newfoundland - there's a reason that episode of Ellen happened

* - I've had Bud. It's not that bad. Coors and Miller, though... :no:

 

[2010Dolby]

Up north where I'm from, we just have a generic stereotype of Americans: people with a drawl who have terrible taste in fish and beer. (Northern Pike and Budweiser*, really?)

We have provincial stereotypes too:

B.C. - granola-loving liberals
Alberta - overly conservative rednecks
Saskatchewan - ancient farmers
Manitoba - frozen cheapskates
Ontario - lording over of the rest of the country
Quebec - Ils regnent sur le reste du pays
New Brunswick - call centres everywhere
Nova Scotia - not-so-bright fishermen, but not as bad as Newfoundland
P.E.I. - an overly-regulated potato-growing people
Newfoundland - there's a reason that episode of Ellen happened

* - I've had Bud. It's not that bad. Coors and Miller, though... :no:

I've had higher quality beer and it tastes better but I still prefer Budweiser. I've been drinking it since I was 15 so it has a bit of a nostalgic/comfort effect on me lol

 

[epath13]

I've never been there and I've heard other people say that too. I've also heard a lot of people say they will beat you up for not being a Native, if you go certain places, and they that practice an unofficial holiday in public schools there that the native kids call "kill a howlie day", I'm sure I didn't spell that right.

Yeah...I've heard that there's more going on than it seems but I haven't really wanted to think of it because it kind of...contradicts if not damages the positive cultural Image of the place... It's like, when we lived in Ireland, we loved it there, people were very nice but racism did exist there, like for instance you would not very likely to get certain jobs if you were not Irish or specifically did not have Irish accent... I guess you can look at it in many different ways, they are trying to protect their culture but at the other hand people from other places will come that's just the way it is, and aggression towards newcomers is not going to help to preserve the culture, in order for the culture to stay alive people have to have love and need for it, that should be the only reason for its survival.... Ok, enough of serious talk, back to fun

 

[epath13]

Up north where I'm from, we just have a generic stereotype of Americans: people with a drawl who have terrible taste in fish and beer. (Northern Pike and Budweiser*, really?)

We have provincial stereotypes too:

B.C. - granola-loving liberals
Alberta - overly conservative rednecks
Saskatchewan - ancient farmers
Manitoba - frozen cheapskates
Ontario - lording over of the rest of the country
Quebec - Ils regnent sur le reste du pays
New Brunswick - call centres everywhere
Nova Scotia - not-so-bright fishermen, but not as bad as Newfoundland
P.E.I. - an overly-regulated potato-growing people
Newfoundland - there's a reason that episode of Ellen happened

* - I've had Bud. It's not that bad. Coors and Miller, though... :no:

I thought you were from Manitoba? Or not...

Well... B.C. Sounds great we actually did want to go to Vancouver one day...to stay...we'll see

 

[HelloDizzy]

Dizzy,

I never would have guess you are a hillbilly? Wow.

I live in the South (Georgia) but I was raised in the North (Illinois). I don't have a southern accent but often use southern words. Grew up in among the cornfields and farms. So I guess I am a mix? I one better? I don't know, I love the grits, and other food here. BUt then I have always been me. Whatever that is?

I have a very strong accent and very Southern behaviors (fishing, shoot first ask later, spending time in the woods, etc) but I also have the tendency to use words people assume Southerners don't know.
Definitely won't fit in with any northern state.

 

[Flinty]

I thought you were from Manitoba? Or not...

Well... B.C. Sounds great we actually did want to go to Vancouver one day...to stay...we'll see

Well, yeah, I'm from Manitoba but I know the stereotype. Oh, yeah, we also go out for Slurpees when it's thirty below. (Winnipeg: we have more 7-11s than all of Eastern Canada! )

Have you checked our immigration points system? (Hint: if you can speak French, that's worth about 24385943593475 points. )

 

[GhettoButterFly]

@ epath13- everyone assumes that about "South Florida"/Miami-Dade County.

If some says they are from Miami, they assume you're Cuban. :-/ Which isn't always true. I am not Cuban and I am from "South Florida".

Florida is southern until you get to Miami-Dade County, and the Keys want to become The Conch Republic at some point. Just kidding, The Keys is still apart of the State of Florida.

The "south" begins after a certain part of Palm Beach or at a certain point in Broward (this is my opinion now... don't take this for a grain of salt).

Although the truth is the more north you go in Florida, the more southern it gets.

----------------------------
I wouldn't mind visiting the rest of the south though. I liked Virginia and want to visit West Virginia. I wonder why some Virginians dislike West Virginians. :S
I been to Boston, but I wasn't fond of the northeast for some reason. Maybe I am more at home in the southern states. :-X

 

[WildCat]

...
Texas - cadillacs, ranches, and George W. Bush! woo! lol
...

Close, but not quite. I'd replace "cadillacs" with "trucks". Also heard of "queers and steers"? Then we've got a show that's aptly named Dallas and...well, y'know...

I'd say we're in the same league as the rest of the south when it comes to stereotypes, but being one of the bigger states in the south AND the country we've also got our own quirks. Texas is also a southern border state as well, so whatever conclusions you want to draw from there go for it.

It's really not a bad place to be and the population is quite diverse, especially so in Dallas (the city, not the show), Austin and Houston. I'd say that if you're living in any of the rural areas you're more likely to be the target of many jokes, but like I said before we're still largely part of the south and then some.

 

[Caspar]

Now that I live in NY, being from Louisiana, I'm surrounded by people who weren't raised right and everyone thinks I'M stupid because of my accent.
I would much rather be surrounded by swamps and people saying ma'am and sir than this crap. Concrete everywhere. As I sit here, some high moron is sitting behind me talking about hooking up with (insert discgusting slang here) with a bunch of other guys as if I'm not in the room. STFU.

So, I'm definitely too Southern for this. Way too much. But I'll be here for several more years. I'm known as the local hillbilly.

"People who weren't raised right" - I like that quote. People here in NYC are nice but can be impersonal and impolite. No one says "ma'am" or "sir" where I'm from but at least people greet each other. Here in NYC you can walk into a store and buy something without saying a word to the cashier and the shopkeepers. I guess it's both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that it isn't awkward if you don't want to talk to people and you can be anonymous. The bad thing is that people are impolite.