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This thread is to clear up misconceptions, bust myths and smash stereotypes about your city or state. I'll start off with the town I live in, Mankato, Minnesota.
Misconception #1: It's just like Little House on the Prairie
Truth: While Mankato made a few brief appearances on the beloved 1970s-1980s family drama (which was actually filmed in California), the city is nothing like depicted in the movie. First of all, it's not on the prairie at all, but in Minnesota's "Big Woods" (the prairie/Great Plains start just west of Mankato). Also, unlike on the TV show (which was set in the 19th century), we do have running water, electricity and internet access. We even have flush toilets!
Misconception #2: There are no minorities. This ties into the LHOTP myth, because non-residents assume everyone here looks like the Ingalls family.
Truth: Actually, Mankato is very diverse. The city, which is over 10% non-white, has large numbers of Hispanics, Somalians, Asian Indians, Hmong, Sudanese, and, yes, even African-Americans.
Misconception #3: It's colder than Antarctica.
Truth: While Mankato, like the rest of the Midwest, gets cold in the winter, it's nothing like the stereotypical view. Temperatures rise above zero most days of the year and the growing season lasts 150 days. Summer highs average 84 degrees, which is warmer than Chicago, Detroit and Boston. Mankato's record high of 107 degrees is hotter than the warmest temperatures ever recorded in Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, and even Miami!
Misconception #4: Everyone is a farmer/there's nothing but corn.
Truth: See #1.
So, those are a few from where I live. Post some about where you're from!
this is kind of funny. are you seriously bragging about it regularly getting above zero? and "over 10 percent" non-white is not "very diverse" at all, in fact thats quite homogeneous. so while "colder than antartica" and "has no minorities" are technically false, when taken as hyperbole they are true. the 1st and the 4th one seem like theyd be stereotypes more of a place like kansas or nebraska rather than minnesota. ive always that minnesota had more of a paul bunyan/lumberjack/ice-fishing type stereotype as opposed to a corn-filled great plains one. the movie fargo comes to mind.
i think you may have misconceptions about people's misconceptions
the perception is this:
and NOT this:
^that is associated with kansas, nebraska, iowa, etc. minnesota's got more of a canadian-like stereotype.
Last edited by JimmyJohnWilson; 09-27-2010 at 07:59 PM..
this is kind of funny. are you seriously bragging about it regularly getting above zero? and "over 10 percent" non-white is not "very diverse" at all, in fact thats quite homogeneous. so while "colder than antartica" and "has no minorities" are technically false, when taken as hyperbole they are true. the 1st and the 4th one seem like theyd be stereotypes more of a place like kansas or nebraska rather than minnesota. ive always that minnesota had more of a paul bunyan/lumberjack/ice-fishing type stereotype as opposed to a corn-filled great plains one. the movie fargo comes to mind.
Over 1/3 of Minnesota is corn-filled Great Plains, so that is a common stereotype, at least in the Midwest. Also, Little House on the Prairie was set in Walnut Grove and Mankato, Minnesota.
Misconception #1: PEPPLE IS LEAFING PITTSBRUG/PENCILVANIA IN >>>DORVES<<< !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Truth: In 2009, both Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania had positive net domestic migration.
Misconception #2: THERE IS >>>KNOW JOBS<<< IN PITSBORGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 Truth: It all depends on the field. Westinghouse Electric needs nuclear engineers -- badly. Otherwise, just go to this website and thumb through the ~22,000 job openings available right now. If you don't qualify for any of them, then it sucks to be you.
Misconception #3: ALL TEH SMART INTELIGANTE PEEPLES >>>LEAVE PITTTSBUFG <<< AS FAST AS THEY CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 Truth: That's why Pittsburgh had a net gain of ~5,000 college-educated residents between 2008, and 2009, about as many as Chicago and Minneapolis combined -- because they're all leaving.
There have been previous threads on this subject, but I always enjoy reading them and try to make my contribution.
Lubbock is in the middle of a desert wasteland - The city receives on average 20 inches of rain. Granted, this is not much compared to the East Coast, but it's more than cities like Denver and Los Angeles and comparable to San Francisco. Lubbock is surrounded by prairie farmland, and the city is green.
Lubbock is an oil town - There is no oil industry in the city. Its main industries are higher education, healthcare and agriculture.
Lubbock is uneducated - It actually has an above average percentage of people with bachelor degrees, and is well above average for graduate degrees.
Lubbock is homogeneous - It is compared to the larger cities in the nation, but I would argue that it's one of the more diverse cities its size in the nation. It's about 45% non-white and there are 90+ nationalities represented here.
Lubbock is ugly - The surrounding scenery is not the greatest, but the city is green and nicely landscaped. It's not the most beautiful city, but it is very clean and nice-looking.
It does NOT rain non-stop in Seattle, nor does Seattle get the most amount of rain per year in the US. MANY cities in the US get more rain per year than Seattle, though it is true that Seattle gets more days of precipitation than most (but not all) of those places. Most of ours falls as mist, and so takes a long time to amount to anything big.
We DO see the sun here even during the winter, too! And June through September are usually pretty rainless all together. (Though this last summer wasn't really that great around here. It came late and ended early this year!).
Phoenix is completely brown. No trees, grass, or vegetation grow there. Everyone has rocks and cacti in their front lawns.
There are only chain restaurants and there is no culinary scene at all.
Tractor pulls and NASCAR are really big there and are considered cultural events.
It is a real cowtown, Midwestern and eastern transplants are a recent phenomena and the natives have drawls and could be mistaken for Texan or even Southern.
It is very isolated. It is not near any other major city and is about 1000 miles from the ocean. It is in other words in the heartland.
It is ultra-conservative. Very religious and intolerant. It is also has major race problems. People are all of one political mind there.
That's a few but it is only the tip of the iceberg.
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