the word YANKEE... (Wilmington, Laurinburg, Webster: moving to, stadium, estimated)

[anifani821]

It always interests me how people move here to the South and then decide how life "should be" - how we all "should act" - how we all "should respond."

The reason Southerners refer to themselves as Southerners is b/c you are damned right - we set ourselves apart from the rest of the country.

I believe that would be the same as in many European countries, where there are distinct regional differences - including dialects.

Why do Southerners set themselves apart? Well, for one thing, we have endured 150 years of stereotyping. We have been referred to as ignorant, narrow-minded, Bible toting, racists for a very long time. Why would we want to include the very people who have perpetuated those stereotypes (and usually - BELIEVE THEM) into our social circles? Why would we even want them in our communities?

We endured carpet baggers during Reconstruction, who bought up our property and businesses b/c we couldn't pay our taxes and we didn't have the resources to pick up and move forward w/ the industrial age. Our economy was at the mercy of those who moved here w/ the cash. Here in NC, cotton mills, wh/ were established prior to the Civil War, were barely able to operate and many closed - and were then re-opened by Northerners who came here and ended up making a fortune.

Meanwhile, farmers were handicapped by the loss of 70,000 men who died on the battlefield (and in prison camps) . . . while the women were left to figure out how to plow w/ children hanging on to their apron strings.

And simultaneously - it was not only fashionable but quite popular - to print stories about the ignorant, trashy, low class, uneducated Southerners that the wealthy class from NY encountered when they got here. We were a conquered society and the humiliations were at least in part punitive but largely a campaign to desensitize those profiting from the spoils. After all - why feel bad about taking advantage of a bunch of ignorant hillbillies and dirt farmers?

All that was left to our communities were church involvement (yes, we are Bible toters) and pride that we knew who we were despite the slanderous portrayal we received by those who set themselves up for prosperous lives during the Reconstruction period.

So what did Southerners have left? Not a thing other than our traditions and culture, wh/ we could revive within our impoverished neighborhoods. We could raise the pig and have a community BBQ. We could pull out the fiddles (and home-made dulcimers) and have a square dance. We could look forward to Sundays when we gathered w/ the others around us and prayed that God would send the rain we needed to grow the crops and help us at least feed our families in the coming months. And we would stick around church sometimes for many hours to socialize, as our farms were often spread out and communication b/n families was limited since we had lost vast numbers of horses, wagons, etc during the war.

It took a long time to rebuild our farms and communities. It took a long time to rebuild everything, including our families.

And all this was done knowing that the rest of this country didn't give a flip whether any of us survived or not. Until you have read the diaries and the newspapers and the court cases of the period, you really have no clue as to why Southerners closed ranks and despised Yankees.

And the Yankees surely did nothing to endear themselves. The Barbaric South. Dear Lord. We had universities here b/f the War - we were not an ignorant people, altho we were basically rural in between the few large towns and small crossroads communities wh/ basically made up this state.

The 20th C dawned and the South was still portrayed as filled w/ ignorant, backward folks . . . and then we got dubbed as rednecks and mill hands . . . cause the majority of jobs were either agri-related or factory-related. The Elite f/ the North thought our state was "pretty" . . . so we got another wave of influx from the wealthy - such as the Vanderbilts. The South could be bought for pennies on the dollar! Come on down!

One hundred years later, and we hear the same thing. Come on down! Buy your big house that won't cost you half what it does "up here" and your taxes are less than half of what they are "up here" and even tho the people "down there" are basically redneck, Bible thumping, gun toting, unsophisticated narrow minded bigots . . . THE WEATHER IS GREAT.

If any of you wonder why you are still referred to as Yankees . . . this is why. You and your forefathers deliberately stereotyped, disparaged and then took advantage of us here in the South. I don't believe that engendered a lot of love towards "the North."

Charlotte, where I live, is now made up of nearly 2/3 newcomers, most from the NE. I have truly enjoyed getting to know people from other parts of the country and I treasure my friendships with them. And altho many of them came here w/ an open heart and mind, they all freely admit that they did have many stereotypes about the South b/f they came here. And they also are quick to say that they often hear others who have moved here complaining about "the way things are here."

Can you imagine how it feels to be living in an area - happily - and then have literally thousands of newcomers arrive within a short period of time - and hear the constant complaints about how things are lacking here? School system, roads, restaurants, entertainment - whatever!!! I shake my head - this is NOT NYC . . . this is NOT the Jersey shore . . . this is NOT Boston . . . this is the South, where we had our infrastructure destroyed only 150 years ago. What the hell do people expect? We have worked hard to get our cities where they are today . . . and once again, we natives are subjected to criticism about "how things are" here . . . and how ignorant we all are, how we talk like hicks, how we are all racists, trashy (OMG - TRAILERS!!!!) etc etc . . .

BUT THE WEATHER IS GREAT!!!!!

Stop perpetuating that we are all a bunch of backwards hicks who should be so grateful b/c you all arrived on the scene . . . maybe we didn't want your brand of "progressive." I don't remember getting to vote on that, myself, nor was I asked about my culture or beliefs . . . I was just "labeled." (And I speak for the collective, here).

When folks from the NE stop flooding here w/ the sole purpose of taking advantage of what the rest of us created over the last 150 years . . . and complaining when the low cost housing, low taxes and GREAT WEATHER are not enuff . . . ("where's that Southern hospitality??? I expected to be treated well despite my condescending attitude.") . . . then maybe Southerners won't be so quick to dismiss you w/ the tag - "Yankee." A tag, may I add, which has been well-earned and encompasses a whole set of behaviors we have been conditioned to expect from the majority of people who move here f/ the NE.

If you don't want to get labeled a Yankee - don't act like one.

[LLN]

That sounds like something I would write, but mine would not have been as good. Tired to give you points, could not.

[eek]

k. i'm not going to offer counter points to that huge wall of text...but i will say a few things.

first off, the stereotypes are based off of SOMETHING, correct? many ppl in the south do come off a certain way. many ppl are judgemental and have a false sense of "southern pride."

many parts of the south DO NOT embrace change, even when it benefits them. many places in the south are not accepting of anybody that doesn't look and act like them. many parts are not diverse.

sure, the south has a lower cost of living but you get what you pay for. many of the stuff you could find elsewhere you cannot find in the south.

the south tends to hold on to a lot of stuff NOBODY ELSE CARES ABOUT.
honestly, who goes around referring to ppl as yankees? saying yankeeland? southland? the hell? you would get laughed at and the stereotype would get reinforced if you were to say that in any other region. hell, even in the southern region of the u.s.

and ppl act like a region is some sort of kingdom. newsflash, we live in the UNITED STATES. we should be alowed to move anywhere we want. what kind of closemindedness is required to think the way that some of you do? we should be able to move freely without being labeled.

and nobody is trying to take advantage of anything the south has "created." again, our tax dollars are not limited by region. we all have played a part in the construction of our country.

lets not get started on who built a lot of the south. slaves, anyone?

anybody who wants to label a northerner as a yankee should be prepared to be called a hick. you're acting like one. again, wow. yankee? yankeeland? woooooow.

its 2009. is everyone aware of that??

[eek]

the south is the way it is because it wants to be that way.
many ppl are afraid of change.

so don't sit there with your lip poked out when somebody tries to CONSTRUCTIVELY criticize the south. we should all want better for our country. the low wages, lack of unions, lack of job opportunities, etc. is a big con to moving to the south.

i still feel like a lot of southerners (not all) have pent up anger towards the north for no real reason.

what is so bad about a particular region being better for certain things than another? or being different than another? what is so bad about ppl saying so? are you not free to move about the country like anyone else?

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by eek

the south is the way it is because it wants to be that way.
many ppl are afraid of change.

so don't sit there with your lip poked out when somebody tries to CONSTRUCTIVELY criticize the south. we should all want better for our country. the low wages, lack of unions, lack of job opportunities, etc. is a big con to moving to the south.

i still feel like a lot of southerners (not all) have pent up anger towards the north for no real reason.

what is so bad about a particular region being better for certain things than another? or being different than another? what is so bad about ppl saying so? are you not free to move about the country like anyone else?

"Constructively criticize THE SOUTH?" You think you have the ability to "constructively criticize" a whole region of the country?

Do you know what I, personally, think you can do with your "constructive criticism?"

Your two posts are very enlightening - about you.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by eek

k. i'm not going to offer counter points to that huge wall of text...but i will say a few things.

first off, the stereotypes are based off of SOMETHING, correct? many ppl in the south do come off a certain way. many ppl are judgemental and have a false sense of "southern pride." (Yes. They sure are. They are based off centuries of degradation towards a group of people based on the area of country they live in).

many parts of the south DO NOT embrace change, even when it benefits them. many places in the south are not accepting of anybody that doesn't look and act like them. many parts are not diverse. (Why do you feel you need to come to a place like that?)

sure, the south has a lower cost of living but you get what you pay for. many of the stuff you could find elsewhere you cannot find in the south.

the south tends to hold on to a lot of stuff NOBODY ELSE CARES ABOUT.
honestly, who goes around referring to ppl as yankees? saying yankeeland? southland? the hell? you would get laughed at and the stereotype would get reinforced if you were to say that in any other region. hell, even in the southern region of the u.s. (And you are not already disparaging of Southerners? You perpetuate the stereotype and then you disparage people for objecting to being stereotyped?)

and ppl act like a region is some sort of kingdom. newsflash, we live in the UNITED STATES. we should be alowed to move anywhere we want. what kind of closemindedness is required to think the way that some of you do? we should be able to move freely without being labeled. (Yes, we all live in the USA - but some of us happen to live in the South. It is not a label. It is where we live. Maybe we do think it is a kingdom apart here. What does that matter to you?)

and nobody is trying to take advantage of anything the south has "created." again, our tax dollars are not limited by region. we all have played a part in the construction of our country. (Ever thought that Southerners didn't want those Federal $$$ disbursed for all the Federal entitlement programs the Feds have imposed on us?)

lets not get started on who built a lot of the south. slaves, anyone? (Most of the South was settled by poor Scots and Irish and German folks, who worked as hard as slaves ever worked. And may I remind you, slavery was not relegated only to the South. Northern states even sent their slaves in their stead so they wouldn't have to actually show up and fight in the Continental Army. Learn your history).

anybody who wants to label a northerner as a yankee should be prepared to be called a hick. you're acting like one. again, wow. yankee? yankeeland? woooooow. (You can label me anything you want. It still wouldn't change the fact that you are a Yankee.)

its 2009. is everyone aware of that??

Yes, we are aware. So what?

[theS5]

It must be terrible to have to live with what happened to you and your Southern brethren. I have made this statement and your post reinforces my belief that while most of the South does not reflect the stereotype, its people are the most defensive in the US. But why? If you have a proud heritage and what people may (most don't) say about the South is not true, then why so defensive?

I have made Southern friends since moving the the area and don't care if they call me Yankee because it is always good natured ribbing. What is disturbing is when I hear certain posters use the term with a bit more venom.

BTW, the vast majority of people who relocate to other areas bring with them their heritage and culture. You don't have to like it or adopt it. Similarly, the transplants don't have to like or adopt the native culture.

Let's just get on with our business.

Originally Posted by anifani821

It always interests me how people move here to the South and then decide how life "should be" - how we all "should act" - how we all "should respond."

The reason Southerners refer to themselves as Southerners is b/c you are damned right - we set ourselves apart from the rest of the country.

I believe that would be the same as in many European countries, where there are distinct regional differences - including dialects.

Why do Southerners set themselves apart? Well, for one thing, we have endured 150 years of stereotyping. We have been referred to as ignorant, narrow-minded, Bible toting, racists for a very long time. Why would we want to include the very people who have perpetuated those stereotypes (and usually - BELIEVE THEM) into our social circles? Why would we even want them in our communities?

We endured carpet baggers during Reconstruction, who bought up our property and businesses b/c we couldn't pay our taxes and we didn't have the resources to pick up and move forward w/ the industrial age. Our economy was at the mercy of those who moved here w/ the cash. Here in NC, cotton mills, wh/ were established prior to the Civil War, were barely able to operate and many closed - and were then re-opened by Northerners who came here and ended up making a fortune.

Meanwhile, farmers were handicapped by the loss of 70,000 men who died on the battlefield (and in prison camps) . . . while the women were left to figure out how to plow w/ children hanging on to their apron strings.

And simultaneously - it was not only fashionable but quite popular - to print stories about the ignorant, trashy, low class, uneducated Southerners that the wealthy class from NY encountered when they got here. We were a conquered society and the humiliations were at least in part punitive but largely a campaign to desensitize those profiting from the spoils. After all - why feel bad about taking advantage of a bunch of ignorant hillbillies and dirt farmers?

All that was left to our communities were church involvement (yes, we are Bible toters) and pride that we knew who we were despite the slanderous portrayal we received by those who set themselves up for prosperous lives during the Reconstruction period.

So what did Southerners have left? Not a thing other than our traditions and culture, wh/ we could revive within our impoverished neighborhoods. We could raise the pig and have a community BBQ. We could pull out the fiddles (and home-made dulcimers) and have a square dance. We could look forward to Sundays when we gathered w/ the others around us and prayed that God would send the rain we needed to grow the crops and help us at least feed our families in the coming months. And we would stick around church sometimes for many hours to socialize, as our farms were often spread out and communication b/n families was limited since we had lost vast numbers of horses, wagons, etc during the war.

It took a long time to rebuild our farms and communities. It took a long time to rebuild everything, including our families.

And all this was done knowing that the rest of this country didn't give a flip whether any of us survived or not. Until you have read the diaries and the newspapers and the court cases of the period, you really have no clue as to why Southerners closed ranks and despised Yankees.

And the Yankees surely did nothing to endear themselves. The Barbaric South. Dear Lord. We had universities here b/f the War - we were not an ignorant people, altho we were basically rural in between the few large towns and small crossroads communities wh/ basically made up this state.

The 20th C dawned and the South was still portrayed as filled w/ ignorant, backward folks . . . and then we got dubbed as rednecks and mill hands . . . cause the majority of jobs were either agri-related or factory-related. The Elite f/ the North thought our state was "pretty" . . . so we got another wave of influx from the wealthy - such as the Vanderbilts. The South could be bought for pennies on the dollar! Come on down!

One hundred years later, and we hear the same thing. Come on down! Buy your big house that won't cost you half what it does "up here" and your taxes are less than half of what they are "up here" and even tho the people "down there" are basically redneck, Bible thumping, gun toting, unsophisticated narrow minded bigots . . . THE WEATHER IS GREAT.

If any of you wonder why you are still referred to as Yankees . . . this is why. You and your forefathers deliberately stereotyped, disparaged and then took advantage of us here in the South. I don't believe that engendered a lot of love towards "the North."

Charlotte, where I live, is now made up of nearly 2/3 newcomers, most from the NE. I have truly enjoyed getting to know people from other parts of the country and I treasure my friendships with them. And altho many of them came here w/ an open heart and mind, they all freely admit that they did have many stereotypes about the South b/f they came here. And they also are quick to say that they often hear others who have moved here complaining about "the way things are here."

Can you imagine how it feels to be living in an area - happily - and then have literally thousands of newcomers arrive within a short period of time - and hear the constant complaints about how things are lacking here? School system, roads, restaurants, entertainment - whatever!!! I shake my head - this is NOT NYC . . . this is NOT the Jersey shore . . . this is NOT Boston . . . this is the South, where we had our infrastructure destroyed only 150 years ago. What the hell do people expect? We have worked hard to get our cities where they are today . . . and once again, we natives are subjected to criticism about "how things are" here . . . and how ignorant we all are, how we talk like hicks, how we are all racists, trashy (OMG - TRAILERS!!!!) etc etc . . .

BUT THE WEATHER IS GREAT!!!!!

Stop perpetuating that we are all a bunch of backwards hicks who should be so grateful b/c you all arrived on the scene . . . maybe we didn't want your brand of "progressive." I don't remember getting to vote on that, myself, nor was I asked about my culture or beliefs . . . I was just "labeled." (And I speak for the collective, here).

When folks from the NE stop flooding here w/ the sole purpose of taking advantage of what the rest of us created over the last 150 years . . . and complaining when the low cost housing, low taxes and GREAT WEATHER are not enuff . . . ("where's that Southern hospitality??? I expected to be treated well despite my condescending attitude.") . . . then maybe Southerners won't be so quick to dismiss you w/ the tag - "Yankee." A tag, may I add, which has been well-earned and encompasses a whole set of behaviors we have been conditioned to expect from the majority of people who move here f/ the NE.

If you don't want to get labeled a Yankee - don't act like one.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by theS5

It must be terrible to have to live with what happened to you and your Southern brethren. I have made this statement and your post reinforces my belief that while most of the South does not reflect the stereotype, its people are the most defensive in the US. But why? If you have a proud heritage and what people may (most don't) say about the South is not true, then why so defensive?

I have made Southern friends since moving the the area and don't care if they call me Yankee because it is always good natured ribbing. What is disturbing is when I hear certain posters use the term with a bit more venom.

BTW, the vast majority of people who relocate to other areas bring with them their heritage and culture. You don't have to like it or adopt it. Similarly, the transplants don't have to like or adopt the native culture.

Let's just get on with our business.

This is a forum. Several posters asked about the use of the word. I went to great lengths to explain it.

Now I am getting labeled defensive b/c I took time to explain the history.

Unreal.

[theS5]

No, you went to great lengths to justify peoples use of the term.

Originally Posted by anifani821

This is a forum. Several posters asked about the use of the word. I went to great lengths to explain it.

Now I am getting labeled defensive b/c I took time to explain the history.

Unreal.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by theS5

No, you went to great lengths to justify peoples use of the term.

Well, bless your heart, S5 . . . you are so insistent that you prove you are right and I am wrong . . . I had to pause for a moment there b/f making an assumption that you must be a Yankee, determined to set all us ignorant Southerners straight. But I caught myself in time to check the impulse to make that assumption.