What do you think of Southerners with no southern accent? (school, living)

[Rachael84]

Never met anyone from down south that didn't have at least a small southern accent. And some are from the cities and still have them. Those who don't have them are usually transplants, or their parents are from elsewhere in the country and have just influenced their accent.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by Hypnosis

it's good if they dont have any type of southern accent

Why

[jhadorn]

Originally Posted by miamiman

It's funny because a lot of these same Southerners will moan and cry about how immigrants refuse to assimilate into general "American" culture by speaking English, but these same people refuse to assimilate into general "American" culture themselves.

The topic is "What do you think of Southerners with no accent?" and not "What do you think of Southerners who refuse to learn English?"

I wouldn't go to a non English speaking country and expect everyone to learn English for me.

Southern culture IS American culture. Just because you and I have different cultures doesn't mean mine is any less American than yours. It's ok to be different, you should learn that. What you are doing is no better than racism, but instead of judging someone by skin color it's by region and mannerisms.

Did you understand my post? That's because I typed it in English. If I had spoken those words you would have understood them just as well.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by Rachael84

Never met anyone from down south that didn't have at least a small southern accent. And some are from the cities and still have them. Those who don't have them are usually transplants, or their parents are from elsewhere in the country and have just influenced their accent.

You experience with all things Southern is extremely limited, as you have proven repeatedly.

[northstar22]

Just because you can't hear your own accent, doesn't mean it's not there. I've never met a Southerner without a Southern accent.

[jhadorn]

What's wrong with having a regional accent? Does anyone think people from the New York/New Jersey region refuse to assimilate into American culture because they have a regional accent? How about the Midwest?

Learn to be accepting of peoples differences, and don't be judgemental because they are different than you. sheesh. This IS 2010 right?

[dmagoku]

Originally Posted by flyingwriter

Just because you can't hear your own accent, doesn't mean it's not there. I've never met a Southerner without a Southern accent.

It's just so infireior to your own huh? Everyone should be like you.

[Rachael84]

Originally Posted by johnatl

You experience with all things Southern is extremely limited, as you have proven repeatedly.

Right, I never go to visit my friends in the south. What do you know...you repeat the same thing over and over to me. It gets old.

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

Are they any less southern for it, iyo? I think it's a shame that many young people especially in places like Houston have a boring General American accent. It's a shame they are ashamed of it and associate it with being untilligent or a 'hick.'

I know Southerners from Mobile AL, Atlanta suburbs, small-town Louisiana, North Carolina, small-town Tennessee, Memphis TN, Lexington KY, Houston, Florence AL, Rolla MO, and... I think that's it. The one from Atlanta says y'all occasionally and my roommate from Memphis says y'all. My old roommate from Rolla said "gon" (long o) instead of "going to", but other than those vocabulary differences, none of them have a detectable Southern accent other than, perhaps, the person from small-town Tennessee or the person from Atlanta. But that's only if you listen very closely.

I don't think any of them consciously tried to get rid of their accents either... They just don't have them. They may have a little of the phonology, but not any drawl at all. I feel pretty neutral about it. I don't think of them as less Southern for not having accents. I think of them as less Southern for choosing to live in Portland...

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by Rachael84

Right, I never go to visit my friends in the south. What do you know...you repeat the same thing over and over to me. It gets old.

What do I know? I just live here, that's all.

I also tend to travel without preconceived notions about certain areas.