What is a "yankee" and how do you perceive them? (independence, myth)

[StarryEyedSurprise]

Originally Posted by 2mares

It makes one wonder, if that is the case, why so many northerners are moving south.

No work up north for certain specialties. Although I love many things about the south - one being, I have made WONDERFUL friends, love my town, and our little "city" - the first reason we relocated was because we get paid more down here, and the COL is so much lower.

If you have never lived up north, you cannot begin to imagine how oppressive the COL is. A friend of mine lived in Hoboken NJ.... his yearly taxes are double what I pay for my yearly mortgage. Daycare costs are triple for lesser care, commuting costs are astronomical... really, the list goes on and on. Should northerners be mad at all the foreigners who are driving prices up by spending their powerful currency in NYC? Nope, they roll with the punches, and sadly, if need be, relocate to a place where people accuse them of being the same type of person that makes the COL high where they came from.

As for aforementioned malcontents... it's easy to be malcontent up there, it just depends on the reasoning. Should people be happy paying the taxes, tolls, and fees associated with living up north? Not everyone moves down south and complains... heck, I've never been as happy. Then again, the last time I've been to Starbucks was six years ago when I was caffeine-deprived, and in terms of stores... that's what the internet and trips to NYC are for. I actually can't even imagine a northerner crying for a Walmart, they're certainly not as popular as they are down here.

[tallydude02]

In Pennsylvania, many people from Greater NYC/NJ move to the rural northeastern part of state and some of the natives complain about it. Just lurk around in the Vermont forum and you will see some natives complaining about the "city" people from NY/NJ. Vermont is a "Yankee" state too.

Maybe it's more of an urban vs. rural, as some have suggest. Even here in southwest PA, some complain about the brashness of some the northeastern residents who pass through.

[Padgett2]

Think about it this way.....

If someone can just up and leave the north to retire down south, it's a good chance that he or she doesn't have many friends that they would hate to leave. It's a fairly good bet that they won't make many friends in the new place either. Attitude, not place of origin, determines if a person is just a yankee (from out of state) or a damyankee.

[Ark90]

I didn't know damn and Yankee were two separate words until 8th grade, and I also didn't know that the South, in fact, did not win the Civil War (When I was little, my father would not admit otherwise). The first time I remember hearing the term, it was from my mother. In my hometown, tourism was a big source of the town's revenue, from northerners as well as people from other Southern states coming to see the courtsquare, hear the bluegrass music, and the scenic hills. I was riding with my mother, I think I was around four years old, and she stopped at a crosswalk for some rather rude, older tourists. "Damn Yankee tourists..." she mumbled, which is funny, because she pronounces the word "tourists" like "terr'ists." I asked her what a Yankee was, and she replied, "A rich Republican from up north who likes to tell us how to run things down here." She further explained, in her own words, that Yankees talked down to the natives and bought up all our land, and were, "takin' over." It's odd to think that after nearly a hundred and fifty years after the Civil War, that there is still this much animosity left over. Of course, my mother also made friends with some Yankee "move-ins" as she called them. A man from Pennsylvania always jokingly called my mother "the old Rebel." I guess a lot of rural Southern communities are still rather clannish and suspicious of outsiders.

[NVplumber]

Originally Posted by No attitude

To me the definition of a yankee connotates a hard working, independent minded, responsible and thoughtful person with real family values and a great work ethic.The southerner stereotype brings thoughts of laziness, flagrant prejudice, brown nosing,grudge holding,lynch mob mentality, phoniness and hypocrisy.I see southerners of being jealous and angry of northerers and the yankee spirit.The west is in a different league and story but has the same attitudes towards the "yankee" spirited individuals in many areas, including a lynch mob, prejudical, and gang mentality.

One thing you probably wont here a yankee complain about is working, he may complain about someone he works with, but if he complains about having to work he is probably not a yankee.

Spoken like someone who has spent no time in either the South or the West. Gang mentality? Say that in public bout folks around here and you might get the 'lynch mob' thing though Nobody herebouts is afraid of hard work pard. It's something we do everyday sunup to sundown, and not from behind a desk either. I cannot remember not having callouses on my hands. I have seen men get kicked in the ribs by horses and steers, and go through the rest of the day with broken ribs, and only go to the doctor because the wife made them. When I here the word 'yankee' in South speak, I hear 'dude', meaning some city boy in a suit that looks down his nose at working people, has not a hair out of place, and would have an apoplexy at the thought of dirt under his delicatly manicured fingernails. These are the types I would just love to see walk out to do my morning chores in their loafers, so i could roll over laughing at the look on their face when the guacomole soaks into their fancy socks.

[StarryEyedSurprise]

Originally Posted by NVplumber

Spoken like someone who has spent no time in either the South or the West. Gang mentality? Say that in public bout folks around here and you might get the 'lynch mob' thing though Nobody herebouts is afraid of hard work pard. It's something we do everyday sunup to sundown, and not from behind a desk either. I cannot remember not having callouses on my hands. I have seen men get kicked in the ribs by horses and steers, and go through the rest of the day with broken ribs, and only go to the doctor because the wife made them. When I here the word 'yankee' in South speak, I hear 'dude', meaning some city boy in a suit that looks down his nose at working people, has not a hair out of place, and would have an apoplexy at the thought of dirt under his delicatly manicured fingernails. These are the types I would just love to see walk out to do my morning chores in their loafers, so i could roll over laughing at the look on their face when the guacomole soaks into their fancy socks.

Not going to get into the stereotypes you mentioned, but is Nevada even considered to be the south? The west and the south have two totally different mentalities, from my experience.

[NVplumber]

Originally Posted by StarryEyedSurprise

Not going to get into the stereotypes you mentioned, but is Nevada even considered to be the south? The west and the south have two totally different mentalities, from my experience.

yes, the west and south are different, but, the poster i was responding to had mentioned the west in the context of the mentioned stereotypes, so I responded. The post I responded to with this was pretty narrow minded in describing people from the South AND the West, and had stated that there were similarities between the two cultures revolving around 'gang mentality', predjudice, laziness, etc. my wife and her family are from the south, i don't see this in them, or any of the other folks I met back there when we have gone to visit. I've never lived in the South, but she has and does not share this posters view either. I HAVE been out West my whole life, and can definitevely say that this view of lynch mobs, 'gang mentality'() etc is about as far from the truth as it gets.

[kshe95girl]

Re the "gang mentality"....I have lived in the South for 20 years, and that is a bunch of nonsense. Every native Southerner I know works their tail off, are family oriented, proud of their community, and quick to help neighbors and friends.

[NVplumber]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

Re the "gang mentality"....I have lived in the South for 20 years, and that is a bunch of nonsense. Every native Southerner I know works their tail off, are family oriented, proud of their community, and quick to help neighbors and friends.

This has been what I have seen as well. From my point of view, the south and the west have a lot in common in terms of our sense of community, family,work ethics etc. Our accents are different, our food,the terrain of course, but from what I have seen and experienced the south and the west are quite similar in our ways of looking at things. particularly from a rural viewpoint. the times I have been back to my wifes home state, I did not feel a bit out of sorts. I can identify with southern people, and seeing the insulting stereotypes that some people send their way rather frosts me.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by NVplumber

This has been what I have seen as well. From my point of view, the south and the west have a lot in common in terms of our sense of community, family,work ethics etc. Our accents are different, our food,the terrain of course, but from what I have seen and experienced the south and the west are quite similar in our ways of looking at things. particularly from a rural viewpoint. the times I have been back to my wifes home state, I did not feel a bit out of sorts. I can identify with southern people, and seeing the insulting stereotypes that some people send their way rather frosts me.

I've never spent a great deal of time in the west, but I have known quite a few folks from the rural west, and I have to agree with you!
The stereotyping that occurs in regards to both areas is appalling, and only reinforces my belief that folks that perpeptuate such notions are stereotypical themselves.