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You need to spend some time in the Toronto, Ontario area. Pretty much everything you listed above is located there.
That's exactly my point. They exist in the West as well. Just not in the frequencies that they exist in places like Indiana, Florida, Texas, Nebraska and so on. I'm not saying high school football and BBQ are the only things that define American culture but their popularity along with the other things I listed is a pretty good barometer of how strong the 'Americana' feel is.
Anyway I think we're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this topic...
I found Independence Day celebrations to be just as enthusiastic in Santa Rosa and Alameda as they are in Ohio.
Here is a mainstream Independence Day celebration I witnessed in a Wall-Mart parking lot South of Little Rock, Arkansas. 30 minutes or so prior to start of fireworks 100 or so of cars, trucks, SUVs enter parking lot, markedly overweight people (it's a poorer area) unload their chairs and the junk they usually eat and sit down, minimum or NO communication of some sort between people belonging to different car groups (mind you, it's a rural area), no cheers, laughter, NOTHING, it could be just a cemetery. Fireworks were OK though. The most remarkable part of "celebration", 30 seconds after the last salvo (literally, no exaggeration) evacuation begins, chairs folded, garbage disposed off, people load themselves in cars and leave, 10 minutes and the lot is deserted. I think I will remember this "celebration" to the end.
Keep in mind, that the meaning of holiday (any holiday) is some sort sort of mingling and camaraderie among people sharing that particular holiday. Not in mainstream USA though. What is not killed by all permeating commercialization of everything and everybody is finished off by competitive, status centered, super individualistic (if not isolated) nature of a mainstream American that cannot let his guards down 24/7.
You know, I think I'm just going to admit I was totally wrong on this. Personally I feel at home in Canada and the Northwest, but I think that's only because I like both places.
Oregon and Washington are American to the core and BC is Canadian to the core. Langley, BC has more in common with anywhere in Canada that's not Quebec or Nunavut, than it does with Bellingham, WA.
And yes in some ways the PNW is more like the South than like Canada, especially if you're comparing rural areas. I hate to admit it because I love the idea of Cascadia, but it's true.
You know, I think I'm just going to admit I was totally wrong on this. Personally I feel at home in Canada and the Northwest, but I think that's only because I like both places.
Oregon and Washington are American to the core and BC is Canadian to the core. Langley, BC has more in common with anywhere in Canada that's not Quebec or Nunavut, than it does with Bellingham, WA.
And yes in some ways the PNW is more like the South than like Canada, especially if you're comparing rural areas. I hate to admit it because I love the idea of Cascadia, but it's true.
Every region is unique, PNW doesnt feel like anything else. it feels like PNW. Canada is also a diverse country, there is no true Canadian region, they have many unique regions but they all are apart of what makes Canada, Canada.
The west definitely feels less "traditionally American" than the east; and certainly less "settled". But that doesn't make it any less "American". What makes the US a great country is how dynamic it is with such varying lifestyle and cultural variances in all of the different regions.
You know, I think I'm just going to admit I was totally wrong on this. Personally I feel at home in Canada and the Northwest, but I think that's only because I like both places.
Oregon and Washington are American to the core and BC is Canadian to the core. Langley, BC has more in common with anywhere in Canada that's not Quebec or Nunavut, than it does with Bellingham, WA.
And yes in some ways the PNW is more like the South than like Canada, especially if you're comparing rural areas. I hate to admit it because I love the idea of Cascadia, but it's true.
I don't know that you were "totally" wrong in that we in the west are somewhat different than the east in terms of what we do for enjoyment and recreation and even what foods we eat. Where you were wrong was in attributing those differences to us being less American, as if Americana is defined by the eastern behaviors. Anyways assimilating immigrants and adopting parts of the culture into our own is uniquely American anyway.
it seems that whenever someone mentions the West, everyone thinks about CA,WA, and OR, but do you people know that there are other states that make up the West? Have you heard of Arizona,Idaho,New Mexico,Montana,Wyoming,Utah,Nevada and Colorado? They all count too, the West isnt just those Pacific states that really have no relation to the Mountain West.
Yes you are. As a native Northwesterner, I strongly disagree. Most of my family is back east & I have spent time in all regions of the country. You are totally off base.
- BBQ is popular in the NW
- We have Walmarts galore
- all high schools have cheerleaders, the Seahawks have tons of them
- the Mariners have led Major League Baseball in total attendance multiple times. Oregon State recently won back to back College World Series titles.
- The Seahawks, Huskies, and Ducks are extremely popular and sell out their games
- People in the NW go to Disneyland and other amusement parks. Because our weather isn't conducive to having them located here doesn't make them unpopular.
- We have fast food galore. Just because we also like fine local establishments doesn't diminish our like of fast food.
- The NW is as patriotic as the rest of the country.
So yes, way off base.
I am with you on this. The PNW and Portland most definitely is often defined by two kinds of people: those who live here and those who don't. Your description is the more accurate one coming from one who has lived here for a long time.
I suppose it would surprise those who do not live here but give Portland all kinds of attributes it does not have that a huge Target is being built in our downtown right now and our food snobs would rival any of those back East. Not to mention the fact we have as many Mickey D's as anybody and probably more Starbucks as well. There is even a Super Walmart right in the city. There are not a lot of these but the city is not the size of a Chicago or New York so you won't see a lot but there are enough for it's size.
We are fiercely loyal to our sports teams and young girls dream of being cheerleaders. We have our shopping malls, strip malls, traffic jams and all the rest of the American ambiance the OP mentioned in his post.
So yes the OP is wrong in that the PNW is not the same in regard in following the following the typical Americana. We may be different in the unique features we do have such as year round farmers markets and a few local brew pubs. But regarding the OP's list we are pretty the same as having the things most other American cities have.
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