New England Stereotypes (Boston, Quincy, Salem: living in, store, airport)

[New Englander]

Well- the post was regarding stereotypes. It would be hard to come up with facts on many of these observations.

Your stereotype simply does not apply. Actually its funny that you say that it would be hard to come up with facts supporting the observations, when they have a correlation, even if it is tangential.

Funny you mention International business activity. Did you realize that the majority of International imports coming to New England actually come through the NY Port?

What does that have to do with the topic at hand? It's like me saying that NY Ports are jointly shared by NY/NJ. Good to know but not exactly on the point.


I also worked abroad and would have to disagree- I rarely have met anyone from New England working abroad.

That is your experience not a wider held stereotype. Like I said before, just on the basis of NE linkage to the international economy, there no way you presume that international travel does not occur. Also indication would be the New Englanders working in the Foreign Service at the State Department.

Since we're going only on anecdotes, here is mine: 9 of 10 times I see someone wearing a Sox hat outside of the US, he/she was from New England.

I do think New Englanders are very patriotic towards their home area and perhaps it is related. I have seen a similar attitude with people in Scandinavia- a sort of 'most happy at home' attitude. But they are much more International in views.

Sure there is a patriotism towards the region. New England is what America SHOULD be

[NY'er lost in MA]

Here is something handy: Stereotype - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BTW- you mentioned shipping and commerce. Thus the reference to importing and could apply to exports as well.

[New Englander]

Originally Posted by NY'er lost in MA

Stereotype - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yes, indeed. From the wikipedia definition:

A stereotype is a simplified and/or standardized conception or image with specific meaning, often held in common by one group of people about another group.

So where is your group of people holding this (mis)conception?

I could never stereotype one region of the U.S in terms of travel. New England with it's long history in shipping and commerce (Forbes and the other Brahmins), centers of education, and the strong European cultural presence would be considered a place where people do not travel internationally.

[2KidsforMe]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Sounds like I spotted you recently at Dunkin'.

I was the one driving a 14 year old truck, wearing a leather jacket that is so old, I pray each night it doesn't disintegrate, with a Ph.D. that got me no-where, but a life-time of discussion. And by the way, I like my coffee with half 'n half.

Ahhh, Ontheroad, you are the type of NewEnglander I know and love

[tamiznluv]

Originally Posted by willdufauve

I spent a couple years in Texas travelling with a band.

We were playing a bar called Raven's in Austin, they had a bunch of live rattlesnakes in a fish tank and a bouncer named Bubba in bib-front jeans carrying a pick axe handle, when I met this young couple from near Austin.

The wife told me they had just gone to Oklahoma on their honeymoon but her new husband had never been outside of Texas before. He missed Texas so much he cried the whole time and they had to come home early.

LMAO, willdu! Yep, that's what I'm talking about! Everything is growing so much and expanding down there since my first time down in '89! It's all those "damn Yankees' fault"! The ones who never came back up here! Personally I can't wait to "git" home!

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by tamiznluv

Does this make New Englanders bad people because some don't travel? I hear a hint of "superiotiy" in your statement "they assume their (they're) inferior or some other stupid reason". What is wrong with being happy and content? What is wrong with not having the urge to travel? We are NOT all Yuppies here in Mass. We all don't have disposable income. Some of us are "the workingpoor". Some of us live paycheck to paycheck and do not have the means to blow money on traveling, whether we want to or not!

This New Englander HAS been to Texas many times and have met many a Texan who knows nothing beyond their little town. So please do not rag on just New Englanders for being not "worldly". Just ain't so! There are people all over the world who are born, live and die in the same town or close by. I would tend to think that Europe is more that way than the US because we are more a mobile society.

My statement was based on experiences from people and friends that quite often say, "I would never move to X or Y place because of ____ and _____", but yet they have never been there. They also have stereotypes about places that are not true. Maybe it isn't a superior thing, but somewhat of a judgemental thing and not being educated about an area.

I realize not everyone can travel and lots of people don't. Many people from New England have never been or hardly go to Boston. I've been lots of places, but have minimal experience with Vermont and that isn't far away...but I don't judge the state. I realize not everyone is like this and there are people all over the United States who have probably never been outside their state or their "area".

My statement was about people being judgemental and stereotyping other areas. Whether it is a superiority thing, comfort thing, or something else I'm not sure.

[elijahwilliams]

Originally Posted by 2KidsforMe

Ok, I'll take a shot:
We all listen to NPR, are "wicked" liberal, never wear makeup, drive 10 year old Volvo's, have Master's degrees but are stay at home moms, can't live without a daily Dunkin' run, and our uniform of choice is jeans, a fleece, and a pink baseball cap with a big RedSox "B" on it. Sound like anyone you know?

okay, are you stalking me?

[BillyPilgrim]

We're loud, fast talking, can-be-abrasive, caustic, funny people who don't like New Yawkas.

[professorsenator]

The lack of travel is a social class thing, common throughout the U.S. Working class folks have little time and money to travel extensively -- this is true in New England and many other places.

That said, because so many things are relatively close here, there is a somewhat narrower spatial frame of mind here in New England than in many other places. For example, Connecticut is often thought of as a world away, even though Hartford is only 100 miles from Boston.

[crazyworld]

Originally Posted by 2KidsforMe

Ahhh, Ontheroad, you are the type of NewEnglander I know and love

I like a Dunkie medium regular.........hehehehehe