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When it comes to East Coast folks vs. West Coast folks discussion on CityData you find a lot of people who have this stereotypical view where every person on the East Coast is a tough-talking and very direct Italian/Jew/Irish living in Brooklyn or Jersey and every person on the West Coast is a hippiyish, passive-agressive liberal WASP. Also, when people say East Coast vs. West Coast, it's basically going to just be a comparison of the urban Northeast vs. urban California--no one is talking or cares about rural South Carolina or Spokane, Washington in these sorts of discussion...
The truth is though, that really with foreign immigration from all over these days, migration across the country, and in general a softening of many regional characteristics in many parts, it doesn't seem like there's the huge split between the two as much. The biggest divide I find in this country is between urban vs. rural. For all the discussion about social differences between the Northeast and West Coast cities, it's not as if you're talking about incredibly different societies. The Italian and Jewish and Irish immigrants who shaped the Northeastern cities years ago are well assimilated and mostly out in the suburbs these days. The West Coast and East Coast cities are rapidly being changed by Hispanic and Asian immigrants these days.
I've grown up on the West Coast and I've had family on the East Coast, but I've also been around people from the East Coast who moved west all my life. People from the Northeast can be a little more forward and tend to bust your balls a little more, but you find this where I grew up in California plenty as well. It's not as if I have to adjust to some different cultural situation going to the East Coast or meeting someone from there. I find it stranger to talk to people from the South for the most part--or even rural parts of California or Oregon. I have an easier time talking to and more in common with someone from most parts of New England than someone from Eastern Oregon.
When it comes to East Coast folks vs. West Coast folks discussion on CityData you find a lot of people who have this stereotypical view where every person on the East Coast is a tough-talking and very direct Italian/Jew/Irish living in Brooklyn or Jersey and every person on the West Coast is a hippiyish, passive-agressive liberal WASP. Also, when people say East Coast vs. West Coast, it's basically going to just be a comparison of the urban Northeast vs. urban California--no one is talking or cares about rural South Carolina or Spokane, Washington in these sorts of discussion...
The truth is though, that really with foreign immigration from all over these days, migration across the country, and in general a softening of many regional characteristics in many parts, it doesn't seem like there's the huge split between the two as much. The biggest divide I find in this country is between urban vs. rural. For all the discussion about social differences between the Northeast and West Coast cities, it's not as if you're talking about incredibly different societies. The Italian and Jewish and Irish immigrants who shaped the Northeastern cities years ago are well assimilated and mostly out in the suburbs these days. The West Coast and East Coast cities are rapidly being changed by Hispanic and Asian immigrants these days.
I've grown up on the West Coast and I've had family on the East Coast, but I've also been around people from the East Coast who moved west all my life. People from the Northeast can be a little more forward and tend to bust your balls a little more, but you find this where I grew up in California plenty as well. It's not as if I have to adjust to some different cultural situation going to the East Coast or meeting someone from there. I find it stranger to talk to people from the South for the most part--or even rural parts of California or Oregon. I have an easier time talking to and more in common with someone from most parts of New England than someone from Eastern Oregon.
Great Post! Wont let me rep you as you must be putting great posts up and apparently I have repped you recently as well!
Now please get back to your tree hugging promptly...
The biggest differences between the East and West Coasts in my view:
-More mixing between Blacks and Asians on the West Coast. More Asians into black culture. You could find a "Hip Hop" night in Seattle and the club will be full of Asians. You might be able to find that in NYC, but nowhere else on the East Coast.
-More mixing between Blacks and Hispanics on the East Coast.
-Visible white ethnic communities on the East Coast. Not only will someone have Irish or Italian heritage, but they're likely to live in a town or neighborhood where many of the people around them have the same ethnic background.
-More diversity of Asians on West Coast. More diversity of Blacks and Hispanics on East Coast.
The biggest differences between the East and West Coasts in my view:
-More mixing between Blacks and Asians on the West Coast. More Asians into black culture. You could find a "Hip Hop" night in Seattle and the club will be full of Asians. You might be able to find that in NYC, but nowhere else on the East Coast.
-More mixing between Blacks and Hispanics on the East Coast.
-Visible white ethnic communities on the East Coast. Not only will someone have Irish or Italian heritage, but they're likely to live in a town or neighborhood where many of the people around them have the same ethnic background.
-More diversity of Asians on West Coast. More diversity of Blacks and Hispanics on East Coast.
not sure I totally agree honestly; now I will say there are predominatly Asian hip hop clubs but I see them in other cities too. U can tell by the line and people in it and music playing but this seems some nuance really on the basic premis
Generally integration is more widespread on the WC whereas there are still some exisitng non asian/hispanic (to me europena heritage enclaves that generally are not or have been as strong on the WC) enclaves remaining on the EC - both are growing closer with each year in this regard; more integration on the EC and less pronounced enclaves IMHO
not sure I totally agree honestly; now I will say there are predominatly Asian hip hop clubs but I see them in other cities too. U can tell by the line and people in it and music playing but this seems some nuance really on the basic premis.
Where? Never heard of one in Boston. Never heard of one in DC/Maryland. And when I say "Hip Hop," I'm not talking about some Hip Hop mixed in with house. Or even "Old School" Hip Hop. I'm talking about straight Hip Hop and R&B all night long. And the club is 100% Asian (with the exception of me obviously). I had never seen that before.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kidphilly
Generally integration is more widespread on the WC whereas there are still some exisitng non asian/hispanic (to me europena heritage enclaves that generally are not or have been as strong on the WC) enclaves remaining on the EC
I think your perception of integration may depend on who you are. There's integration on the EC, but it's only among certain groups.
Last edited by BajanYankee; 10-03-2013 at 09:15 AM..
But you could say the same thing about Mexicans on the West Coast who are even more family-oriented, imo. And Hispanics, at close to 40% of California's population, make up a larger proportion of the population than Irish, Italians and Jews do here.
The Northeast also has a lot of Hispanics, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, also Mexicans. I think a lot of Mexicans aren't that integrated into mainstream American culture, though, and they're mostly prevalent in California, Arizona.etc.
On the surface people on the West seem more individualistic. But the culture promotes acceptance into a group. People on the West are far more group oriented in general. You'll see them hang much tighter in cliques or circles more. Many people on the West don't move very far away from their families either. I've found more people out West who essentially have been in the same area their entire life, moreso than the East
Again, I think the East Coast takes American's sense of individualism more seriously. I find moat East Coast families emphasize what you can do on your own. How do you stand on your own two feet, how far you can make it without family, how much you can be your own person. With that said, the East Coast is far more individualistic than the West. The West is less about standing out on your own, more about fitting in with a group. This is why the social environments are drastically different from East to West.
East Coast is about individuals meeting individuals. That why there is a more active social and night life on the East Coast.
The West Coast is more about doing activities together as a group.
So on a surface level the West may seem more individualistic. I think the West is more non conformist, and people think that's individuality. In reality the two aren't related. People on the East Coast are more conformist, but I think the function more independently.
The Northeast also has a lot of Hispanics, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, also Mexicans. I think a lot of Mexicans aren't that integrated into mainstream American culture, though, and they're mostly prevalent in California, Arizona.etc.
My point was that it didn't make any sense to say that the culture of the West Coast is not very family-oriented when its largest state (California) has a Hispanic plurality that's very family-oriented. And I would even say that Mexicans on the whole seem more family-oriented than Puerto Ricans and Dominicans.
And what does it matter whether they're integrated into mainstream American culture? They are pretty much becoming the mainstream in California. It's funny how people can make observations about a place while overlooking nearly 16 million people (40% of the entire population). The Irish, Italians and Jews define Northeast/East Coast culture. Got it? But Hispanics have a negligible impact on West Coast culture. Yep, got it? Talk about bias.
I think the West Coast takes a lot of culture from Asian and Latin communties which are more community drive societies. I noticed autonomy isn't taught in those cultures as much as it's taught in our traditional American culture.
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