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Maryland isn't exactly that well known and TBH nobody really cares about Maryland outside of NoVA and DC. But the locals? They would go on and on about the state flag, snot a bunch of Old Bay, then go on and on about which crab shack is better . Ok...and of course complain about the high tax.
Which state has the strongest state-level identity?
I'd say it's Texas. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a Texan. It took me moving out of Texas to realize how Texas-centric the state really is. Like I remember living Georgia and coming back to visit Family in Texas and as soon as I entered the state line you could see the big ass Texas state flag on the side of the highway. Then it hit me, I never saw Georgia's state flag on the side of highway like that before and this was the case with other states as well.
There's a joke that Texas is the Kanye West of states. And honestly it's a little annoying how prideful Texans are about their state. I don't think Sandy from SpongeBob would work as well if she were from Hawaii but her being from Texas and letting everybody know works because that's how Texans generally feel about their state.
Which state has the strongest state-level identity?
I'd say it's Texas. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a Texan. It took me moving out of Texas to realize how Texas-centric the state really is. Like I remember living Georgia and coming back to visit Family in Texas and as soon as I entered the state line you could see the big ass Texas state flag on the side of the highway. Then it hit me, I never saw Georgia's state flag on the side of highway like that before and this was the case with other states as well.
There's a joke that Texas is the Kanye West of states. And honestly it's a little annoying how prideful Texans are about their state. I don't think Sandy from SpongeBob would work as well if she were from Hawaii but her being from Texas and letting everybody know works because that's how Texans generally feel about their state.
yea it's been pointed out that the wording I used in the topic is somewhat misleading. I meant which one has the strongest reputation or brand to outsiders, rather than which states the local residents identify most with. I think Texas probably comes out near the top in both categories though
Forgot about Natty Boh. Although that's definitely more of a Baltimore thing than the entire state.
But yes, I grew up in Texas and it is not even close. California has that NorCal vs SoCal difference. Texas? Houston and Dallas may have a rivalry but at the end, it is still Texas first.
The show Yellowstone is wildly popular and has inspired spin off series that are set there. That Big Sky Country setting with vast expanses and mountain ranges is unforgettable. An idyllic setting for a ranch and a romanticized part of the West. It's not for everyone, but it's not unknown either.
Admittedly I don't watch much television, but I have heard people raving about Yellowstone, I just figured that since 98% of Yellowstone is in Wyoming, I never really made me think of Montana.
Louisiana is definitely too low. I also agree that New Mexico has should also be higher. I’m not why Kansas is listed. To me, states with a unique identity are New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and maybe Florida.
Kansas has a unique identity. Windmills, sunflowers, tornadoes, farmland, wheat, corn, Wizard of Oz, a popular rock band, and Superman.
For better or worse, Kansas is seen as the stand-in for unassuming, safe, if boring, middle America.
I definitely would not put Minnesota in t1. Many people in outside of US/CA could not even tell you one thing about Minnesota. Probably some Americans coud not even find it on the map.
Idk about tier 1 but MN has a well known accent that stands out, just like the NY/NJ, Boston, Texas and California accent. We are known for being very cold, snowy, Prince, lakes, hockey.
There's this Irish Youtuber I was watching and he was playing my favourite video game and there's a character who is supposed to be Canadian and has a thick accent and his reaction was "Is she from Minnesota?" So Minnesota is at least known well enough that some guy in Ireland can tell what the accent sounds like.
The north central tier of the US has what is sometimes referred to as "You betcha!" culture. Minnesota is at the heart of that. Wisconsin is with us too but they're also known for the Packers, beer, cheese and serial killers lol. But similar reputation.
Texas is in a league of their own. They have their own pantheon of iconology: the lone star, the state flag, even the outline of the state, any number of which are prominently displayed on businesses and homes way, WAY more commonly than any other state, period. Add in its geographical size, economic prowess, and its unique identity of having been its own nation and thus able to fly its flag at equal height to that of the U.S. flag, and I have seen nothing at all which even remotely compares to Texas in this regard. I would go so far as to say that by comparison (and to be fair, by comparison only), no other state really has a cohesive identity.
It's not exactly prominent in American history or pop culture. I don't know the settlement pattern or when it was settled, really. Or how Minneapolis and St Paul became big cities. It seems like middle of the road just cold. All I know about Minnesota identity is Hockey. There's Prince too, like id be willing to move it up a tier but its more identified by the Twin Cities than by the state.
To be fair, even a lot of people outside Texas don't know much about Texas' settlement patterns either and Texas has the strongest state identity of them all. US history focuses a lot on the English colonies and then the California gold rush era but really skips much of the rest of the country when it comes to how its taught in schools.
Most people that are ignorant about MN are the same people that are ignorant about anywhere that's not where they live, or NY and CA. They are just as likely to be ignorant on Kentucky or Michigan.
And I lived in Texas. To a lot of people down there, Massachusetts might as well be on Pluto. My husband always struggled to name the Northeastern states on a map but was good with everything west of PA. Doesn't diminish MA's prominence and identity though.
Texas is in a league of their own. They have their own pantheon of iconology: the lone star, the state flag, even the outline of the state, any number of which are prominently displayed on businesses and homes way, WAY more commonly than any other state, period. Add in its geographical size, economic prowess, and its unique identity of having been its own nation and thus able to fly its flag at equal height to that of the U.S. flag, and I have seen nothing at all which even remotely compares to Texas in this regard. I would go so far as to say that by comparison (and to be fair, by comparison only), no other state really has a cohesive identity.
Yep. And companies hone in on that. Example:
Ford is the best in Texas (do you think they have national ad campaigns in Delaware).
Texas edition vehicles. I'm not sure even California has that.
"I wasn't born in Texas but got here as soon as I could!" Do other states have bumper stickers or tshirts like that?
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. Ok...and of course complain about the high tax.
