[Silvrbrd54]

Why is Russellville so unaccepting of people from other states. I'm from Illinois and people are fine until they say "you're not from here are you" I say no "Chicago" and they immediately start treating me differently. If they are so afraid of transplants making changes here, why don't they listen first and find out that we are not changing things but making things better and safer for them.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by Silvrbrd54

Why is Russellville so unaccepting of people from other states. I'm from Illinois and people are fine until they say "you're not from here are you" I say no "Chicago" and they immediately start treating me differently. If they are so afraid of transplants making changes here, why don't they listen first and find out that we are not changing things but making things better and safer for them.

Hmmmmmm.......I strongly suggest you cruise some of the other threads on this (Arkansas) forum. There's a *lot* of talk on this very subject.

I travelled to the Chicago area to work, and spent 20 years there, retiring from there.

There were a *lot* of times that people made fun of the way I talked, my preferred diet, and my occasional vocalization of the absence of hunting, and the fact that I couldn't accept fancy houses and cars as a level of the status of the people themselves.

Fleeing back to the south, I find many people from northern areas coming here, and wanting their environment to be as close to what they left as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes they think that the people and environment the encounter should change, rather than them.

Most of the posts you're seeing on this forum are coming from people that came from other states, and chose Arkansas as their home to live out their days.

If you try to change things, or make things "better" for people down here, you're going to meet resistance, and eventually rejection.

Accept what is around you, and those that inhabit that space, be friendly, and refrain from vocalizing how you did it "up north", and things will get good over time.

When they ask "You're not from here, are you?", try responding with, "No ma'am/sir, but this is my home now", smiling proudly, and see what the response is.

We're kinda fond of the way it is in the south, and we ain't too proud to tell ya.

You'll do fine, but you ain't in Chi-town no more.

They don't care about my personal table at Gibson's, and they ain't gonna care about yours.

[Stormcrow73]

Well...there are several reasons I could possibly think of. Perhaps there are some aspects to your mannerisms or approach to communication that are obvious tells and turn some people off. But will also tell you that I personally find Russellville to be a strange town. I'm not trying to speak ill of it but I do know there are plenty of people there who aren't keen on outsiders because of the nuclear plant. Since the training to work there is pretty specialized, the major employer in the area employs relatively few home town people and that can create a bit of a rub particularly when said major employer also pays much better than pretty much anywhere else. So, it could have something to do with your demeanor or it could equally have to do with a poor assumption on some people's part. I would however suggest you just keep on keeping on. Heed RogMar's words and don't try to change things under the guise of "that's how we did it in so and so" because if you start off like that it doesn't matter how wise your idea is it'll go nowhere! It also wouldn't hurt to say ya'll or fixin' a few times. Eat at the Old South and try to enjoy it, grab you some good old catfish. In other words, be seen enjoying what Arkansas is then the locals will know you appreciate your new home.

[Fasder]

but making things better and safer for them

RogMar's nailed it. This isn't about nonacceptance of transplants but of transplants not accepting the locals.

Everyone does this to some point. On my first long business trip out of the US, I spent time in South American with almost a month in San Paulo. Looking back ... I really had the "Compare and Contrast to America" on everything. While I was doing approved business work, I was constantly going ... 'well in US, we do it this way or things are handled this way'. I'm sure my hosts, kind as they were, got VERY tired of constant moral/social updates from the 'American' on doing things better, safer, or easier.

It's better to be 'asked' than to 'tell' someone how to do things better.

[LoneStarJerry]

Originally Posted by Fasder

RogMar's nailed it. This isn't about nonacceptance of transplants but of transplants not accepting the locals.

In many ways yes your right, but it's not completely just the transplants fault. A lot of the locals have negative stereotypes about certain places, and anyone that comes from one of those places receives unfair treatment and attitudes. This isn't limited to Arkansas though, this goes on in a lot of places.

It would definitely be annoying if a transplant always talked about how things were better where they came from, but it's just as annoying to hear negative stereotyping about the place you came from as well. It would be nice if people could just get along and quit the nitpicking, this is America and people are free to move where they want.

Completely agree with your point though, transplants should accept their new place of residence and not try to change things, and locals shouldn't be putting down other places and be open to accepting people from all over too.

[DC at the Ridge]

I have to say when it comes to between Arkansas and almost anywhere else, Arkansas has the more negative stereotype. While Arkansans may have some stereotypes of other parts of the country, they might not all be negative sterotypes.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge

I have to say when it comes to between Arkansas and almost anywhere else, Arkansas has the more negative stereotype.

Ain't it cool, though?

I went to Old Town Hardy as soon as I moved here, knowing what I needed was at one of the tourist shops.

They have these postcards of stereotypical 'hillbillys', ya know....bib overalls with no shirt, pant legs rolled up, beat up straw hat, holding a jug of moonshine, and they'll have a family like that on some of them, old falling-apart cabin, outhouse, and something on it like "Greetings from Arkansas", or, "Pappy's new outhouse".

So....I buy a fistful of these things, bring 'em home, scan them, photoshop the greetings out, and started e-mailing them back to former co-workers and friends in the Great State of Chicago.

I'm lableing the e-mails like, "My next-door neighbor", or "My house and outhouse".

I got very few replies initally, and a few "I'm sure it's a very nice house".

They thought it really *was* my house and area residents.

I think that says a lot. Yes, people really do think that a lot of our citizenry is like that, and it really doesn't bother me. Not many people choose this state if they're looking for the next Scottsdale or Reno.

This is the internet age. Even if someone must go to the library to get online, there's no valid reason for the stereotypes anymore except that the person with a misconception is choosing to either stay in the dark ages or is just someone that is 'full of themselves' and feels superior to everybody that doesn't live where they live or do what they do.

Or just 'cause *they've* got indoor plumbing.

[Sam I Am]

Russellville can be a little bit of a "closed" town...many people were born here and will die here, but find me a town where that ain't true. I see it more in the generation one ahead of me, the 65-75 year age group. Those folks have seen a lot of changes come to this town...even 20 years or so ago it probably had 17,000 people - now it's hitting 30,000 and it's just busier. We moved here in 2000 and the town has changed a lot since that time.

Lots of residents, God bless 'em, still try to find out what church you go to first. However, I think it's an incredibly warm town. Take the time to go to the art walks downtown and the plant sale at the college and some of the smaller happenings...go to the coffeeshops...you'll find a niche.

Gotta agree with RogMar - "this is my home now" and the smile will go a long way!

Forgot to say - R'ville doesn't get the huge contingent of retirees and/or young professionals other areas of the state do. If you're coming in to R'ville, chances are you are with the nuclear plant or higher up the food chain with Tyson's or something. I'd also agree that can set wrong with those born and bred here - like the local talent isn't enough. Sometimes it isn't, I'll grant you - but any big corp is going to pull in outsiders. I just don't know that until recent history R'ville has really had to deal with that. The job market is TOUGH here, so it is assumed people coming in are taking away local jobs. I think that's true anywhere, it's just that R'ville is on the cusp of being the biggest thing between Little Rock and Ft. Smith and an actual thriving town - hasn't been that way for a long time. Old habits are hard to break.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Fasder

RogMar's nailed it. This isn't about nonacceptance of transplants but of transplants not accepting the locals.

Everyone does this to some point. On my first long business trip out of the US, I spent time in South American with almost a month in San Paulo. Looking back ... I really had the "Compare and Contrast to America" on everything. While I was doing approved business work, I was constantly going ... 'well in US, we do it this way or things are handled this way'. I'm sure my hosts, kind as they were, got VERY tired of constant moral/social updates from the 'American' on doing things better, safer, or easier.

It's better to be 'asked' than to 'tell' someone how to do things better.

so very true: Too often people do not realize, they are the ones that are not accepting. Of course accents may get comments or other mannerisms may cause people to ask where you are from, but I have yet to have anyone treat me differently cause I am not from Ar.

Nita

[northbound74]

From what I've seen, most places in Arkansas outside of Little Rock, and certainly NWA (though I'm not as familiar with that one), are like what the OP experienced. I knew quite a few people that moved to small town Arkansas from elsewhere, and were soundly rejected, REGARDLESS of how they acted towards Arkansas.
Arkansawer's don't like outsiders. How dare you go down there and ruin their life with all your yankee crap... oh... wait... the yankee was just minding their own business.......
And yes, people in Arkansas have mostly negative stereotypes of pretty much everyplace that isn't Arkansas, or a bordering state... and there's plenty of stereotypes about those as well.
I got sick of seeing my co-workers trashing the guy from the north, just because he's from the north.... get over it.
Newsflash! Nobody up there cares about any north/south rivalry, much less the Civil War..

Sorry. It's a sore spot.