Why are Kentucky and West Virginia considered southern when Maryland Missouri and Delaware aren't? (neighborhoods, school)
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I see people are fascinated with the South; it's QUITE annoying.
I want to vomit every time someone says that Baltimore or DC is located in the South. I'm from the Deep South, and I HAVE NEVER heard anyone from this area refer to those cities as the South; we all understand that they are "Up North." Many people in the Deep South have their reservations about Virginia being southern. I think it's the northerners who are wanting DC and Baltimore to be southern. Jesus!
If it were left to a lot of folks from AL and MS, those would be the only Southern states, period.
If it were left to a lot of folks from AL and MS, those would be the only Southern states, period.
I know of people from those states who don't consider North Carolina the "South" because it has the word "North" in it When I lived in Georgia, I knew people who don't consider Texas a southern state, much less Maryland, Virginia, or WV.
As someone who lives in the DMV area (in Maryland), while I can see some southern traits in the further-out suburbs, or Southern Maryland or the Eastern Shore for a more traditional southern experience, and even then, it's no Mississippi or Alabama.
I just say that Maryland is Mid-Atlantic with Northeastern elements. But Southern? Hell no! And that's even factoring in that there is more than one "South." I get all sorts of rude comments from people here about my southern accents from the locals, people don't "sat a spell" to chit-chat, you can't find sweet tea in most restaurants, the only people here who eat traditionally southern foods are the black natives (I know plenty of white folks down south who can throw down in the kitchen as much as black folks can), and the life here is much more faster-paced and harried than anywhere down South, including the Big 4 metros of ATL/DFW/HOU/MIA.
Call it whatever you want, Southern or something else, but I definitely think that MY region ends somewhere in New Castle County, Delaware.
Here's a good litmus test.. percentage with Italian ancestry. There's a paucity of Italians in Maryland compared to Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Italians are at least 10% of the population more or less that entire stretch from New Castle County, Delaware to southern New Hampshire.
1> Use the Mason Dixon Line as their justification for what is southern vs what is northern. The line was created as a border between a few states (PA/MD/VA/DE/Later WV), not as a symbolic divide of the country. There are people far north of that line that would associate themselves with the south, and people far below that line that would associate themselves with the north.
2> Want to classify entire states within a particular region. My home state of WV being a prime example that a state can carry the makeup of multiple different regions. Along the Ohio Valley and even as far southeast as Charleston come across Midwestern to me. NCWV and the Eastern Panhandle are certainly more Mid-Atlantic than southern. South of Charleston is a toss up, but leans Southern. You cannot fit a society that has freedom of movement into neat little borders and regions. Naturally there will be overflow.
3> Think WV is southern. West Virginia has more in common with Ohio and Pennsylvania than it does with Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, etc... WV is an industrial based state, whose resources have fueled the growth of the Midwest/Rust Belt. Pittsburgh would not have been as productive industrially if not for Southern WV metallurgical coalfields. WV also had a booming steel industry at one time, and Charleston, WV was a boom-town for the chemical industry. WV does share traits of southern hospitality, rural living, and "rednecks" (term which started in WV as a result of coal mine wars). However, WV shares traits with the north as well. So no, you cannot simply slide WV into the southern category.
That's true about West Virginia. Some parts of it also actually have an appreciable number of Italians. Not recent transplants either, as in other Southern regions, but descendants of Italian-American coal miners. Firmly established in the area. Pennsylvania has a lot of that as well.
Nevertheless, I consider it mostly Southern. Ethnically, it's definitely Southern, with the prevalence of Scotch Irish. The accent seems Southern too.
Why are Kentucky and West Virginia considered southern when Maryland Missouri and Delaware aren't?
It's not official, it's the way some users on here think. IMO, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia are all on the same level in Southerness. Kentucky is unarguably Southern, and the only thing keeping me undecided on Missouri is that its northern border is as far north as Staten Island while its bootheel is farther south than anywhere in Virginia and Kentucky.
I know of people from those states who don't consider North Carolina the "South" because it has the word "North" in it When I lived in Georgia, I knew people who don't consider Texas a southern state, much less Maryland, Virginia, or WV.
When I was younger I didn't consider North Carolina and definitely not Virginia to be southern. My uncle lives in Charlotte and his wife is from Virginia, she seemed northern to us.
Call it whatever you want, Southern or something else, but I definitely think that MY region ends somewhere in New Castle County, Delaware.
Here's a good litmus test.. percentage with Italian ancestry. There's a paucity of Italians in Maryland compared to Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Italians are at least 10% of the population more or less that entire stretch from New Castle County, Delaware to southern New Hampshire.
That's what I've been saying. The Northeast is a monolith, while the south has more of a variety of cities and states. Now that someone form the Northeast has said the same thing, I won't be falsely accused of trolling.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KodeBlue
That's what I've been saying. The Northeast is a monolith, while the south has more of a variety of cities and states. Now that someone form the Northeast has said the same thing, I won't be falsely accused of trolling.
That's what I've been saying. The Northeast is a monolith, while the south has more of a variety of cities and states. Now that someone form the Northeast has said the same thing, I won't be falsely accused of trolling.
But they didn't say anything to what you are saying. He didn't say the Northeast is monolith and he didn't mention anything regarding their opinions of the South. I personally think, growing up in Virginia and Maryland and having lived in Atlanta and travelled throughout the South that we are definitely NOT the South. And yes you are correct, the South is more diverse then we give it credit for but the DMV area aligns more with its Northern compatriots.
Even John Kennedy during the 60's said DC was "a city with Northern Charm and Southern Efficiency".. And since then it's progressed more Northern in culture and I'm using DC as am example because it's South of BMore.
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When I lived in Georgia, I knew people who don't consider Texas a southern state, much less Maryland, Virginia, or WV. 
