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I live in Seattle and I am actually from Seattle which makes me pretty rare in Seattle these days with all of the transplants. As much as I like being a native, I think it is cooler to be a transplant because as a transplant you actually chose to live there. As a native, you never chose to be born and raised where you were born and raised. I never chose to be born and raised in Seattle. Seattle just happens to be where my mom gave birth to me and where my parents chose to raise me. I like the idea of moving away from Seattle because whichever city I chose to move to will be a city that I chose and not a city that was given to me. So I think that being a transplant feels more special. However, I do feel that it was special to have lived in Seattle during the 1980's and 1990's before Seattle got ruined.
Nope, sorry, OP - this former military brat and military wife can't relate to whatever it is you're feeling about "going native."
I LOVED all the traveling and moving around that I did as a military dependent, and then beyond that. I love the fact that when I settled down, I could (and did) peruse all the places I'd lived and thought, "Hmmmm, where do I WANT to live?" I chose Texas and that was 25 years ago and I have no regrets. It means absolutely nothing to me whether or not someone has some sort of nebulous "street cred" or whatever by being a "native Texan." I CHOSE where I want to live. I'm a Texan and glad to be one.
I'm a native of New Orleans, Louisiana and that's cool and all that - I like that city, but I'd never, ever, ever want to settle down in south Louisiana. No way no how. Being a "native" has no draw to me. (I do like a lot about the culture but not enough to want to live there.)
Growing up around other military folks, no one was a "native" of wherever we were living, unless you count the civilian population that surrounded us - that group of people we never had a lot to do with, who frankly didn't impact my life much and who I just wasn't that interested in.
Actually, I tend to dislike most small towns where "everybody knows everybody and their business." I don't like good ol' boy systems and "who you know is more important than what you know" and all that jive. I like mid size cities because they're not so big that they're anonymous but they're not so small that you have to worry about offending the local mechanic because you might not get a mortgage from his cousin who works at the bank.
My family immigrated to the US and have moved quite a bit. Almost by definition, we'll be transplants for life.
Many of my ancestors were also transplants for life back in their native country (China) and never stayed in the same city. For example, my grandfather, although ethnically Chinese, was born in Japan.
Since then, I've lived in 4 states (and 3 different countries.) The longest I've ever stayed in a single metro area is 10 years (Detroit) and the longest I've stayed in a single state, even discontinuously, is 15 years (California.) I've never stayed in a single city or even state for more than half of my life and I expect this trend to continue for the rest of my life.
To me, I've never really understood the pride of being a lifelong resident of (insert city or state), but then again, I've always seemed to connect better with people who have moved a lot than those who have stayed in the same place their entire lives. Also, it helps to frame your "transplant" status in a better way: instead of presenting yourself as an outsider, present yourself as someone who has lived in many interesting places and people will want to make conversation with you.
I think many small towns have a ton of character (more so than your typical big box suburb) but big international cities tend to have even more, especially with the prevalence of various ethnic communities (Chinatowns, Japantowns, Little Italys, etc.)
I also think a lot of transplants who have an overly positive or negative attitude towards their former location tends to give other transplants a bad name, especially California transplants from my experience (since I used to live there as well.) It's harder to take you seriously when you're constantly raving about the great weather back home or complaining about the astronomical cost of living, so please try to be more objective when your representing your previous location when you've transplanted to a new place.
I'm someone who wants to plant down roots (moving in 3 days, yay!) so its different for me. I don't plan to blow around like a tumbleweed. I was talking on the phone to my aunt just now and she said "So where do you wanna live when you're done with school?" and I simply answered; "Minnesota." I'm moving to live, not just to study.
But if you're cool with living in many places and never really settling permanently, I understand why you'd see it differently. I do understand the "pride" though. I didn't grow up in Texas, I've only lived here for 2 and a half years, but even I proudly proclaim that I live in Texas, or soon to be, lived in Texas. I totally understand why Texans are proud to be Texans. Even if I'm not in that same group I get it. I think its great to be so proud and love your state, and I never felt that way with Florida though I still consider it my home state with no shame. I like Texas but I don't feel all that prideful either, so lets see how my new home is.
Btw like you, I come from an immigrant family, however I grew up in the US and lived in the same house for 13 years and in the same state for 18. I have no connection to the country I was born there besides cultural heritage.
I've kinda half a transplant here in Louisiana in that I was born here and spent my childhood here but have been away for 20 years. There's been many changes but I prefer to be native for sure. In the South you definitely want to be a native. I've been told I am still a very Southern person despite living in Maryland for many years. I am a Southerner in terms of my culture and religion and worldview. Unlike other parts of the South we actually don't have too many transplants here and the ones that come do tend to assimilate and fit in kinda like West Virginia.
I don't want to be a transplant in a place like North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona or Colorado where there is a lot of tension and resentment between natives and transplants. A lot of these issues come from newcomers forcing their harried pace of life, their demanding nature, and their liberal politics on the natives.
Definitely transplant. I wouldn't want to be one of those people who live in a regional bubble and never leave their area. It's probably better to be a native in coastal cities, where real estate and/or rent control gets passed down among family members.
Nope, sorry, OP - this former military brat and military wife can't relate to whatever it is you're feeling about "going native."
I LOVED all the traveling and moving around that I did as a military dependent, and then beyond that. I love the fact that when I settled down, I could (and did) peruse all the places I'd lived and thought, "Hmmmm, where do I WANT to live?" I chose Texas and that was 25 years ago and I have no regrets. It means absolutely nothing to me whether or not someone has some sort of nebulous "street cred" or whatever by being a "native Texan." I CHOSE where I want to live. I'm a Texan and glad to be one.
I'm a native of New Orleans, Louisiana and that's cool and all that - I like that city, but I'd never, ever, ever want to settle down in south Louisiana. No way no how. Being a "native" has no draw to me. (I do like a lot about the culture but not enough to want to live there.)
Growing up around other military folks, no one was a "native" of wherever we were living, unless you count the civilian population that surrounded us - that group of people we never had a lot to do with, who frankly didn't impact my life much and who I just wasn't that interested in.
Actually, I tend to dislike most small towns where "everybody knows everybody and their business." I don't like good ol' boy systems and "who you know is more important than what you know" and all that jive. I like mid size cities because they're not so big that they're anonymous but they're not so small that you have to worry about offending the local mechanic because you might not get a mortgage from his cousin who works at the bank.
WHy would you offend the mechanic anyway?
I do prefer the small town living where everyone knows you. I lived for 4 years in West Virginia and became very assimilated into the community despite being a newcomer and a minority. I was able to get a well paying seasonal job (over people who I know are more experienced and qualified), had a speeding ticket canceled, got a free state inspection sticker without actually having my car inspected all because of connections. Being a native or very assimilated allows you be part of this kind of ol' boy network. And I do like it. Family and friends matter, if I start my own business of course I'll try to hire friends and relatives first.
I would have stayed there but now that I need a full time professional job I had to return to Louisiana which I also love. (I hated Maryland which is where I lived way too long). While I grew up in Metairie I live near Baton Rouge now and find the area quite welcoming and easy to meet new friends. But its not good to be a native if you are the kind of person who starts drama. There were some people like that in my town in WV too and they are the ones who couldn't wait to leave the state to get away from it.
At least in West Virginia and Louisiana its not true that people already have their social circles and aren't interested in meeting new people. Some people who grow up in a small town like to get to know new people. Also people can live in the same place their entire life and they lose some of their original friends because their friends moved away for work, are now into drugs and no longer talk etc or people who are recently divorced and have to remake their social circle especially if they had a spouse that was really not into socializing.
A lot of working class families here in San Francisco are either sitting on multi million dollar real estate or paying like $1000/mo for a 1 bedroom (when newcomers are easily paying 2-3x that) because they had been living in the same place for decades. Personally, for me, living in the same house let alone the same neighborhood or even city for many years will drive me insane, no matter how ideal and pleasant the place is and not worth the trafeoff of even a couple million dollars.
I don't force my culture, politics, and way of life onto the natives when i move somewhere new nor do i even expect them to pay attention and adopt some of them. But at the same time, i see assimilating into the local community as something completely optional as well. Although it would be a plus to fit in with the new community, it's not necessary for my life to go on normally as i tend to spend far more time online than socializing with the locals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natural510
Definitely transplant. I wouldn't want to be one of those people who live in a regional bubble and never leave their area. It's probably better to be a native in coastal cities, where real estate and/or rent control gets passed down among family members.
Well, my wife is moving to Texas from California to join me in exactly 3 days as well,quite a coincidence.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BadgerFilms
I'm someone who wants to plant down roots (moving in 3 days, yay!) so its different for me. I don't plan to blow around like a tumbleweed. I was talking on the phone to my aunt just now and she said "So where do you wanna live when you're done with school?" and I simply answered; "Minnesota." I'm moving to live, not just to study.
But if you're cool with living in many places and never really settling permanently, I understand why you'd see it differently. I do understand the "pride" though. I didn't grow up in Texas, I've only lived here for 2 and a half years, but even I proudly proclaim that I live in Texas, or soon to be, lived in Texas. I totally understand why Texans are proud to be Texans. Even if I'm not in that same group I get it. I think its great to be so proud and love your state, and I never felt that way with Florida though I still consider it my home state with no shame. I like Texas but I don't feel all that prideful either, so lets see how my new home is.
Btw like you, I come from an immigrant family, however I grew up in the US and lived in the same house for 13 years and in the same state for 18. I have no connection to the country I was born there besides cultural heritage.
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