[MAniacTHW]

Originally Posted by Happiness-is-close

I doubt Carribean african Americans anywhere in the state identify as Southern. There was a waitress in Orlando who was from the islands and when my friend (an older gentleman from North Carolina) asked if she was Southern she said no.

One example that can't be backed up isn't a statistic. Now, if you had about a thousand Carribean African-Americans and documented their responses, you might have a case.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by Spade

Stop doubting it. My cousin is married to a Haitian and his friends and family look at themselves as Haitians first but Southerners second. They don't do many things different than what Southern blacks do.

You're cousin's spouse might not, but most certainly do, and do not identify much with actual Southern African-Americans. A quick glance into their kitchens would reveal stark differences. Same goes for virtually all other Caribbean blacks living in FL.

[smarino]

For the most part (meaning really, really most often), the words Southerner and Floridian are mutually exclusive.

[hotkarl]

I have found certain areas of Florida to have the classic southern look and feel.
Mostly, I have found Florida to just be Florida.
It really has its own unique character.

[smarino]

Answer Part II (I'm bored, it's 5AM and can't get back to bed and just playing on the computer, so take this for what it's worth). Firstly, define Floridians. If you're asking if a lot of Yankees that moved here to escape the cold northern weather identify as Southerners, well, you know the answer to that one. If you're asking if people born and living in Florida identify as Southerners, maybe. I haven't met one of those creatures yet in many years of living in this state though. Maybe it's like Bigfoot.

[StreetSmarts]

^ I'm a native. We are rare.

[Happiness-is-close]

Originally Posted by smarino

Answer Part II (I'm bored, it's 5AM and can't get back to bed and just playing on the computer, so take this for what it's worth). Firstly, define Floridians. If you're asking if a lot of Yankees that moved here to escape the cold northern weather identify as Southerners, well, you know the answer to that one. If you're asking if people born and living in Florida identify as Southerners, maybe. I haven't met one of those creatures yet in many years of living in this state though. Maybe it's like Bigfoot.

I'm a native as well. I don't identify with Southern at all.

[MAniacTHW]

Originally Posted by Happiness-is-close

I'm a native as well. I don't identify with Southern at all.

This. Born here, don't consider myself southern. I actually find that the most vocal "southerners" are actually from the north.

[Pincho-toot]

I do. I was raised in S. Florida. If not southerner, then what? Certainly not a northerner! Where were my beautiful autumn leaves and white Christmases then? Florida is DEFINITELY not the west either, nor the rockies. Nope, it's as south as you can get besides Hawaii. There's palm trees, orange trees and live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and there's also long leaf pines especially in the Panhandle.

Culturally, yea we have a lot of transplants, but that doesn't matter. If millions of people from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi moved to Wisconsin, would Wisconsinites not be northerners? Even if sweet tea and grits would replace beer and cheese curds, the winters would still be cold and they'll be close to Canada. Plus, we should count the Floridians who actually have had CHILDHOODS there.

As for me, I do happen to like a lot of country music, southern food (especially pecan pie!) and I got lots of family in N. FL so maybe that makes me associate as "southern" more. I love rural life and don't see being "southern" as a bad thing, like sadly a lot people do. I got family in Live Oak and Mayo and whenever I am there, I feel as I am deep in Dixie. The accents are strong, the trees are the mossy types. They also got pecan trees! They ride horses and raise cows. Even in Miami, I never saw southern mannerisms and accents as all that different. Hell, half my teachers and faculty members in high school had southern accents. So did two of my orthodontists. One of them said "white" as "hwite." It never seemed out of place to me. It was always the Boston and New York accents that I considered to be different. I don't really have much of a southern sound on most words (except long Is and the vowel sound in "down." And droppin' g's) but I don't really think I sound "northern" either except for words like "orange." I don't consider my accent to be "general American" either I have too many quirks lol I will say it's been even more southernised since living in Texas, because of the friends I got here. You learn to talk like the people you hang around with.

[Bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by BadgerFilms

I do. I was raised in S. Florida. If not southerner, then what? Certainly not a northerner! Where were my beautiful autumn leaves and white Christmases then? Florida is DEFINITELY not the west either, nor the rockies. Nope, it's as south as you can get besides Hawaii. There's palm trees, orange trees and live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and there's also long leaf pines especially in the Panhandle.

Culturally, yea we have a lot of transplants, but that doesn't matter. If millions of people from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi moved to Wisconsin, would Wisconsinites not be northerners? Even if sweet tea and grits would replace beer and cheese curds, the winters would still be cold and they'll be close to Canada. Plus, we should count the Floridians who actually have had CHILDHOODS there.

As for me, I do happen to like a lot of country music, southern food (especially pecan pie!) and I got lots of family in N. FL so maybe that makes me associate as "southern" more. I love rural life and don't see being "southern" as a bad thing, like sadly a lot people do. I got family in Live Oak and Mayo and whenever I am there, I feel as I am deep in Dixie. The accents are strong, the trees are the mossy types. They also got pecan trees! They ride horses and raise cows. Even in Miami, I never saw southern mannerisms and accents as all that different. Hell, half my teachers and faculty members in high school had southern accents. So did two of my orthodontists. One of them said "white" as "hwite." It never seemed out of place to me. It was always the Boston and New York accents that I considered to be different. I don't really have much of a southern sound on most words (except long Is and the vowel sound in "down." And droppin' g's) but I don't really think I sound "northern" either except for words like "orange." I don't consider my accent to be "general American" either I have too many quirks lol I will say it's been even more southernised since living in Texas, because of the friends I got here. You learn to talk like the people you hang around with.

That's all "fine & dandy" but what you are not acknowledging is that very large parts of Florida were developed by Northerners first and the Southerners arrived after many places were already established. They came with their culture and established it in areas that were devoid of population such as S.E. Florida & large parts of S.W. Florida by Southerners.
Florida maybe "Southern" do to it's Geography but the Question was asked ""Do Floridian's identify with the rest of the South? and I bet most Floridians would say "No".

This should have been a Poll!

PS: I didn't know eating Pecan pie is a Southern thing but if it is I can be Southern while eating it!