What Can Yankees Do To Better Assimilate? (York, North: living, store)

[groove1]

A lot of southernersd speak fast. Have you heard them say 'lancaster'?

[ComputerUser000]

Originally Posted by baggleflap

NEVER talk about how good it was back home!
NEVER say "Back where I come from, we did it this way...."
NEVER make comments about the way people drive in the snow!
NEVER say "You think THIS is cold? Back where I come from...."

ALWAYS be respectful of local customs and accents.
ALWAYS be friendly and make comments like "I can't believe how NICE it is here" or "People are so nice and friendly here in the south!"

The above might be silly and a little too obvious but most of the people that can't "assimilate" are the ones that bring too much baggage with them and can't seem to 'move on'.

If you are friendly and respectful, you won't have a problem.

I'm absolutely agreeing with this too!!

I'm a Yankee from the north (Connecticut).. I've lived in Mississippi.. Alabama...and South Carolina, which is where I am now(A small town in the upstate)..I've never had a single problem fitting in anywhere...

[deee]

Originally Posted by Jason_Els

Happily, I have a very Charleston-sounding name so that may help. I don't necessarily want to hang with the chintz dragons at this point in my life. Thanks for the warning though. I suspected as much.

The rub is that it is not just the chintz dragons in Charleston who will exclude you. I think you may have a very hard time starting a southern theme business in Charleston. Your business idea (I may be mistaken) seems very sales and relationship based. You are going to have to deal with hard core Southern folks to get a truly Southern product. Men and women will be polite, but they aren't going to "let you in". Charleston, I think more so than any other town in the South, has a very strict "who's your Daddy?" mentality.

[Jason_Els]

Thank you for that warning deee. I greatly appreciate it.

[cdrhodes]

In my experience, folks from the more rural areas up north don't find life in the rural south much different than back home. I think you'll do fine. The one unforgivable sin that northeners make is the dreaded "up north we do it this way." If you avoid that then the adjustment won't be as stark as you might think.

[jhs6672]

Originally Posted by deee

The rub is that it is not just the chintz dragons in Charleston who will exclude you. I think you may have a very hard time starting a southern theme business in Charleston. Your business idea (I may be mistaken) seems very sales and relationship based. You are going to have to deal with hard core Southern folks to get a truly Southern product. Men and women will be polite, but they aren't going to "let you in". Charleston, I think more so than any other town in the South, has a very strict "who's your Daddy?" mentality.

Very true...even the nobodys think they are somebody down in Chal-stun. I'm from SC and I was pretty impressed with the level of uppityness that oozes from the city.

[FLCracker]

Wow, I think we have gotten off topic here!

We are all Americans and that is OUR CULTURE!! We believe in FREEDOM, LIBERTY, and JUSTICE.

I believe Americans by default are the great people ever - and the beauty of America is how different places have different lifestyles ..

North or South is NOT A CULTURE!! its a lifestyle - you can bump it or take it either way were are ALL who we are ..

Each place is unique and the South is very different in its uniqueness.. just as is the North, its simple!

Stop being hostile because you "feel" attacked for being a "Yankee" .. call me a "Cracker" and I smile! Call me a "Redneck" and I hope you know what that means, because its another part of my lifestyle.

I am a SOUTHERN AMERICAN MAN!! no shame no apologies!! Take me for all that I am and see how loyal I can be! I have some "Yankee" friends, in fact one of my closest friends here in Florida is a straight from the "City" and you know - I would stand on his side against anyone!!

When a "Redneck Cracker" and a "Yankee" stand shoulder to shoulder who can stand up to us - Greatness comes from us all .. The South has its traditions, and I love em all! .. the North has traditions too, I respect them all! I call Scott a "Yankee" all the time, he does "Yankee" things, and we laugh .. He calls me a "Redneck Cracker" .. I do "Redneck Cracker" things! ..

but I say to everyone this .. Let geography seperate us NOT LIFESTYLE .. if that happens then this amazing experiment that is "America" will fail .. and I personally love everything about my Country .. even the "Yankees" ..

There is a song out .. Right now by Rodney Atkins "these are my people!" ..
Listen to it real quick and maybe we can all have a laugh, I have a feeling that it speaks to all of us .. "We aint pretty!! but we're REAL!" ...

God bless the South!!

Welcome to RodneyAtkins.com!!!

[8146769281girl]

The South has it's many advantages but if I had to choose a new place to live tomorrow, it would be in a bigger city than where I landed in NC. The people native to this town detest Yankees and any/all of the changes the town has gone through in the past 10 years except for the increase in home prices, due in part from outsiders moving here and driving up prices. I have lived all over the world but have never been called a Yankee until moving here and never really knew it was a swear word still used in present day. Diversity is not appreciated here and this is supposedly the most liberal-minded city in the south. I am not a "Liberal" however, expecting to be treated with respect like all the other places I've lived or visited was a mistake. If I had a dollar for every time I've been called a Yankee and I mean in the negative context, I could retire. I have no interest in becoming a Baptist and am comfortable with my non-Baptist Christianity, however, have been asked where I'm from or what church I go to on a weekly or even a daily basis and it isn't because people are actually interested, clearly, it is to disrespect me. Never have I felt so unwanted or unappreciated for what value I could bring to the table, albeit different from what is the local standard. The backstabbing while smiling is commonplace here. Frankly, I'm not sure if my Yankee relatives were even this country before or during the Civil War and have no family history anyone I'm related to bought into stealing land from southerners or burning down their homes but am hated nonetheless because I originated up North. The last time I was called a Yankee, I mentioned how Brits consider everyone from the US a Yankee, the person had never heard of such a thing and were pretty much disgusted with such a "crazy idea"; they still don't believe me.

[ladyofnorth]

We moved here from Ohio 3 years ago . My daughter ,son ,husband had a hard time at first understanding people and the ways and use to make jokes about the south and her people. When we first came down here we would go out the waitress would talk to use about the order and the 3 would ask me what the hell did she say. I would repeat what she said. they use to make jokes or comments about people . I would get really upset. Inbreeds so on so on. How the women are easy so on. How fake they are. But my moms side of the family is from the South. I was the only one born in the North My sister and brothers from the South. They all live up North and I live here. I feel at home . When I started school up North I had to take Speech classes because I had the Southern talk going on. Northern are meaner use to call me Hillybilly. SO this is what I am going to tell you if you decide to call someone a hillybilly. Like I told the people up North There are two kinds of people in this world HillyBillys and S.O.B. I`m the hillybilly so what the hell does it make you.
You will love it and hate it down here . Depends on where you move to. But remember this. Like I told my family Do not think you are going to be in the south changing things. Some can be changed and you have the right to your say . But the road goes right back where you came from. Some people will leave after 2 or 3 years and go back some will stay. Its what you make it. But you know the Southern states always gets trashed on because of the civil war crap. The Southerns get really harassed. But we keep on going like the energized bunny . So i had two world north and south I loved where I was born and raised. BUT my soul is home

[scarlet_ohara]

Originally Posted by volsfan

We do pretty much everything slower here. We eat slower, we definately talk slower, we shop slower, we drive slower. Not many people here get in a hurry. And we DO NOT like to be rushed.

Yeah, this was the most difficult thing for me to get used to after moving to SC.

It can be frustrating...quite maddening actually... but you may as well give in to the snail's pace.

Eventually you'll appreciate it.