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I am a Southerner, and we are often asked what it means to be Southern. Our culture is the most debated in the United States, praised and condemned with equal passion. I would like to turn this around and ask what it means to be a Northerner. What "Northern" values are praised or condemned? God bless.
The Northern states are generally not as cohesive, or so it seems, as the Southern states. Both New York and Minnesota, for example, are Northern states, but their national images are pretty far apart, even if they aren't entirely true.
Both the Northeast and the Midwest comprise the North, and there are a few similarities, but people tend to emphasize the differences ( the Bos-Wash corrider of the Northeast, and the vast corn and soybean fields of the Midwest), forgetting that there are rural areas in northern New England, and large cities like Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit in the Midwest.
Historically, there is the shared experience of being on the same side in the Civil War, and a topography in both ( esp northern sections) which has great numbers of lakes and forests, and a shared sporting history ( most professional baseball, football, basketball and hockey teams until about 1960 were from either the Northeast or the Midwest). There is also the common experience of cold weather and heavy snow. After that, it's up to individual interpretation....
As a Midwesterner (which I call myself rather than a Northerner) it means hard work, thrift, good moral values, family, community, ability to deal with a difficult climate and natural disasters, responsibility, respect. We are also pretty laid back, a lot more so than I have observed in the Northeast.
What does it mean to be a northerner. It depends on whether you are from the midwest or the northeast. I am from Michigan so I guess my answer will be quite midwestern. Ill let northeasterners define themselves. Midwesterners are more reserved in general, than people are in the south. People in the south are very open, friendly, and they tend to wear thier hearts on thier sleeves. Midwesterners are different, while we are friendly we are just more reserved. The stereotype of the midwest as being dull boring middle America may be somewhat true. This really is average America, we tend to reject flashy, gaudy and all things that are bold, this is not the west coast. We are slower paced than the northeast, slightly faster paced than parts of the south. We like the outdoors, hunting and fishing are huge here, so is camping. People here really get into sports, from pro sports right on down to small town high school stuff. People in the cities are REALLY into thier sports teams. Weve been hurt really bad by all the offshoring of jobs so we are really into buying American. We drive chevys, fords and chryslers here. The south is known for being politically conservative, the yankee northeast for liberal extremes. We are neither, this is swing state country although traditional values still prevail here. To alot of people winter toughness is a source of pride, we measure snow by the foot and face subzero weather for weeks on end. (this winter has been easy though) Winter acitities like ice fishing, skiing and snowmobiling are a big part of winter here. This is my short answer to a kind of big question.
What does it mean to be a northerner. It depends on whether you are from the midwest or the northeast. I am from Michigan so I guess my answer will be quite midwestern. Ill let northeasterners define themselves. Midwesterners are more reserved in general, than people are in the south. People in the south are very open, friendly, and they tend to wear thier hearts on thier sleeves. Midwesterners are different, while we are friendly we are just more reserved. The stereotype of the midwest as being dull boring middle America may be somewhat true. This really is average America, we tend to reject flashy, gaudy and all things that are bold, this is not the west coast. We are slower paced than the northeast, slightly faster paced than parts of the south. We like the outdoors, hunting and fishing are huge here, so is camping. People here really get into sports, from pro sports right on down to small town high school stuff. People in the cities are REALLY into thier sports teams. Weve been hurt really bad by all the offshoring of jobs so we are really into buying American. We drive chevys, fords and chryslers here. The south is known for being politically conservative, the yankee northeast for liberal extremes. We are neither, this is swing state country although traditional values still prevail here. To alot of people winter toughness is a source of pride, we measure snow by the foot and face subzero weather for weeks on end. (this winter has been easy though) Winter acitities like ice fishing, skiing and snowmobiling are a big part of winter here. This is my short answer to a kind of big question.
That sums it up quite well and I can't really change much!
No one has ever asked me such a question and I can't imagine why they would. North or South who cares? What a silly thing to be obsessed with.
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