Question to Mississippians regarding the south. (Charleston, Raleigh: college, live, suburbs)

[wnewberry22]

Mississippians,

Mississippi is undeniably the South. No one questions that. However a lot of other Southern states seem to be Southern w/ an asteric. I think one of the main reasons for Mississippi's undeniable southernness is that it doesn't have many major cities that have attracted a lot of external migration from the midwest, west coast, and northeast therefore it is retained a lot of it's historical southern culture.

Personally, I grew up in the extreme southwestern tip of Virginia in a town called Bristol which shares a border with Tennessee(bristol motor speedway). Despite Virginia's historic spot as the capital of the confederacy and arguably the start point of a lot of southern culture...it's status is often called into question because of the sprawing DC suburbs. Also, NC is often called into question because of all the migrants to the tech-sector in the Raleigh area have diluted it's culture a bit. A lot of southerners make claims about TN and AR being almost midwestern. Florida obviously has the migration issue in the southern portion of the state...as well as the hispanic influence...Some people make the claim that TX is more of it's own kinda area as opposed to apart of the south...It seems like most southern states have spots that some people claim aren't as southern..........except MS of course.

So my question is as follows: What states do native Mississippians consider Southern and why?

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Any state with a collectively "Southern" state of mind!

[John Ryder]

For me its anything south of the Second Mason-Dixon line, not the british-colonial one but the the civil war one!!!

[wnewberry22]

Is that the case with most Mississippians? Just using the Mason Dixon line? I personally like the Sweet Tea or Kudzu line...they seem to be more culturally accurate.

[John Ryder]

Originally Posted by wnewberry22

Is that the case with most Mississippians? Just using the Mason Dixon line? I personally like the Sweet Tea or Kudzu line...they seem to be more culturally accurate.

well lets see if not south of the M-D line, than every southerner i have ever met says any state that was in the confederation, including as high as Virginia.

[wnewberry22]

Originally Posted by John Ryder

well lets see if not south of the M-D line, than every southerner i have ever met says any state that was in the confederation, including as high as Virginia.

VA wasn't just "IN"

We were the CAPITAL!

The Executive Seat of Dixie!

haha

[John Ryder]

Originally Posted by wnewberry22

VA wasn't just "IN"

We were the CAPITAL!

The Executive Seat of Dixie!

haha

I am gonna guess Richmond, if that spelling is right. but i figure i would stress as high as Virginia because to most people up north they would not see it as a southern state, especially that high up the east coast.

[wnewberry22]

Originally Posted by John Ryder

I am gonna guess Richmond, if that spelling is right. but i figure i would stress as high as Virginia because to most people up north they would not see it as a southern state, especially that high up the east coast.

Yeah...I've talked with people in the past that wouldn't consider VA southern which I personally don't get....but most of it is associated with immediately linking the entire state of VA to the DC area or the assumption that the south only equates to the deeeep south. I've always spoken with people that don't associate North Carolina with the south anymore either which I can't wrap my head around.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Some parts of Southern states ain't as Southern as others! For example, south Florida and the North Carolina "Research Triangle". On the other hand, southern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia are kinda Southern.

[wnewberry22]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

Some parts of Southern states ain't as Southern as others! For example, south Florida and the North Carolina "Research Triangle". On the other hand, southern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia are kinda Southern.

Yep...same goes for NOVA...it and the Research Triangle are often paralleled...once you leave the northern VA suburbs it changes 100%. But I agree with you...lots of places that aren't traditionally considered "the south" are pretty southern acting. I feel like WV (specifically southern WV) is SUPER southern in culture. I've never been to Southern Illinois or Indiana but I agree with Southeastern Ohio as well. SE Ohio is very much apart of Central Appalachia which is where it pulls it's "southernness" from. I've also heard the bootheel of Missouri is. I think the south can be better defined by regions than state boundaires anyway. Like to me...The true south (areas where sweet tea is always on the menu, southern accents are thick, life moves a little slower, college football is king, people still go to church on sundays, yall is heard often, as is Yes ma'am and No Sir) are as follows:

-Virginia (outside of NOVA suburbs)
-West Virginia (South of Charleston)
-Kentucky (Excluding Cincy suburbs)
-North Carolina (Excluding the research triangle)
-South Carolina
-Florida (excluding South of Orlando)
-Georgia (I know this may be met with some contention by excluding some of the Northeastern suburbs of Atlanta...My uncle lived in Duluth and Alpharetta no accents were present and southern culture seems VERY watered down because of all of the migrants coming to ATL for work....same situation as NOVA and the Research Triangle......danged migrants!)
-Alabama
-Mississippi
-Louisiana
-Arkansas
-Tennessee
-Texas (Eastern and some of the middle....I just don't feel like the pandhandle and west Texas are southern...they are more southwestern to me).