When Southerners were mass migrating to Northern cities, did people lament the loss of northernness?

[blueeyes30]

Some of my grandmother's family moved from Wise, VA to northern Indiana in the late 1930's so I guess they were part of the "hillbilly" migration to the northern cities.

From what I am told, they had a horrible time at first. People made fun of their accents and clothes. The locals didn't want to associate with the southern folk and the migrants pretty much lived together in the worst parts of the city. When they retired, they stayed in Indiana and grew to love it there. I remember visting them when I was very young. I just remember it taking forever to get there.

Also the southern blacks who ironically left for a better life were treated like second class citizens too and were confined to the housing projects and ghettos.

[TANaples]

The real question is DID the North lose its Northerness? Nope.

[Ben Around]

I am guessing some native Detroiters may have felt this way during the 1940s/50s/60s.

[skinem]

"When Southerners were mass migrating to Northern cities, did people lament the loss of northernness?"

No, they were thankful.

In all seriousness, I don't think so, or at least it wasn't thought of that way. It was thought of as change, and as such, wasn't particularly welcomed.

I've lived all over the country, and the South is probably the area of the nation that still has the strongest regional identity, a distinct regionalism and is extremely proud of it. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that other areas of the nation aren't proud of their area, but the South reeeeaaallly takes it to heart.

[le roi]

Originally Posted by vivo

When Southerners were mass migrating to Northern cities, did people lament the loss of northernness?

No. They didn't have to; they segregated them into certain parts of town.