Are you proud to say that you are from Illinois? (Chicago: transplants, home)

[ChicagoBurbs]

Hey Chicagoans. Just saw a commercial for NBC 5 that had Chicagoans talking about themselves and they said "I am Chicago. Illinois born and bred." This got me thinking because some from the city have told me that they don't consider themselves Illinoisans and some have said that they are proud to be from Illinois.

Are you proud to be from Illinois or is it irrelavant to you? When someone says their from Illinois is it kind of a replacement for the Chicago area or do you actually think of the entire stte?

[grapico]

I'm not from IL or Chicago originally, and have only lived in Chicago... so if somebody asks me where I live or where I was living I tell them Chicago, never "Illinois" ...

I grew up in FL and lived in multiple places there so... I just say Florida.

[andrew61]

I'm not from Chicago either -- I'm a transplant -- but I pretty much identify with the Chicago area only, and mostly ignore the rest of Illinois.

I've never even visited anyplace else in Illinois except for Galena, in the state's northwest corner, nor do I have any real desire to.

If it weren't for Chicago and environs, I'd find the state of Illinois pretty boring, and probably not high on my "Places to Visit" list.

[grapico]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I'm not from Chicago either -- I'm a transplant -- but I pretty much identify with the Chicago area only, and mostly ignore the rest of Illinois.

I've never even visited anyplace else in Illinois except for Galena, in the state's northwest corner, nor do I have any real desire to.

If it weren't for Chicago and environs, I'd find the state of Illinois pretty boring, and probably not high on my "Places to Visit" list.

Yeah I've actually explored more in Wisconsin than I have in Illinois.

[Alacran]

The ill state
Ill noise

Killanoise

[nyyfanatic85]

Other than our corrupt politicians, I have no problem with the state in general. There is much diversity in Illinois' landscape and I have lived here my whole life. So yes, I am proud to say that I am from IL.

[Chicago60614]

Hmm....well I'm a transplant too - been here 10 years now. At this point after a decade, I always say I'm from Chicago (never Illinois) and that I grew up in Iowa. Strangely I probably relate to and know MUCH more about Wisconsin and Michigan after dozens of trips to those places than I do much anything south of Interstate 80.

I think a lot of people have ill visions of the word "Illinois", especially transplants. They are more likely to relate to their home state when talking about states - and then the city of Chicago. To me "Illinois" brings to mind state government - which is obviously not something Illinois excels at in any way. Of course Chicago drives a lot of the state government, so I know where the blame falls, but still the word "Illinois" to me represents state government. Not downstate.

[Jandur]

I'm technically a transplant to the city itself I guess. I grew up in the burbs, but I don't identify with Illinois at all. I've never once said "I'm from Illinois".

I have an Illinois drivers license and that's about all.

[Irishtom29]

I like Illinois; I like Chicago, I like the prairie and I like the broken country south of the Shelbyville Moraine.

Our state has an interesting history---Marquette, LaSalle, the Beaver Wars, the War of 1812, the flood of New Englanders who broke the prairie after the Erie Canal opened, the growth of the railroads and Illinois becoming the agricultural, industrial and commercial heart of the mid continent.

Illinois was crucial to crushing the Great Rebellion, supplying the president who provided the political leadership to defeat it and the general who provided the military leadership. Not to mention the largest number of the troops in Grant's and then Sherman's Army of the Tennessee, an army that was never whipped.

[grapico]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

I like Illinois; I like Chicago, I like the prairie and I like the broken country south of the Shelbyville Moraine.

Our state has an interesting history---Marquette, LaSalle, the Beaver Wars, the War of 1812, the flood of New Englanders who broke the prairie after the Erie Canal opened, the growth of the railroads and Illinois becoming the agricultural, industrial and commercial heart of the mid continent.

Illinois was crucial to crushing the Great Rebellion, supplying the president who provided the political leadership to defeat it and the general who provided the military leadership. Not to mention the largest number of the troops in Grant's and then Sherman's Army of the Tennessee, an army that was never whipped.

That is true, but going through Southern Illinois and parts of Southern Indiana around Cincinnatti to me feel a bit like the south. Maybe they could have pushed them back farther.