How "southern" is Kansas City? (Jackson, Memphis: university, living)

[SunGrins]

Originally Posted by SPonteKC

What if I told you the Great Lakes region is not “truly midwestern” because it doesn’t have enough southern influence (which, of course would be conveniently ignoring almost the entirety of its black, urban population...) and is too northern to be considered truly “middle” western.

I would laugh out loud and maybe squirt coffee out my nose.

[SPonteKC]

Originally Posted by SunGrins

I would laugh out loud and maybe squirt coffee out my nose.

Good. Now you’re getting it.

[SPonteKC]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

The median center of population in the Midwest is ALWAYS in the Great Lakes region.

Where is the median center of population in the Midwest?

[James Bond 007]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Also, was she from the actual St. Louis area, or another part of the metro but south of St. Louis where one might find a little twang in the very rural areas?

I don't know. The only thing I knew was that she said she was from St Louis. Don't know exactly where in or around St Louis, however.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by SPonteKC

What if I told you the Great Lakes region is not “truly midwestern” because it doesn’t have enough southern influence (which, of course would be conveniently ignoring almost the entirety of its black, urban population...) and is too northern to be considered truly “middle” western.

Then I would be skeptical of your definition of "truly midwestern," if "southern influence" is the criteria upon which it hinges.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by SPonteKC

What if I told you the Great Lakes region is not “truly midwestern” because it doesn’t have enough southern influence (which, of course would be conveniently ignoring almost the entirety of its black, urban population...) and is too northern to be considered truly “middle” western.

Then I would question whether you truly know the definition of “Midwestern.” If “southern influence” defines the Midwest, then Alabama would be the most Midwestern state.

Kansas City is Midwestern, but not as Midwestern as Chicago, Minneapolis, Indy, Columbus, Des Moines, etc. Climatically, linguistically, culturally, or historically.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by SPonteKC

Where is the median center of population in the Midwest?

It averages out very close to north-central Illinois per the population of all states in the Midwest, and the fact that there are relatively few people living in the Great Plains.

[SPonteKC]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

It averages out very close to north-central Illinois per the population of all states in the Midwest, and the fact that there are relatively few people living in the Great Plains.

I’ll take your word for it. So like, Rockford, maybe? That’s the “true Midwest”?

[SPonteKC]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

Then I would question whether you truly know the definition of “Midwestern.” If “southern influence” defines the Midwest, then Alabama would be the most Midwestern state.

Kansas City is Midwestern, but not as Midwestern as Chicago, Minneapolis, Indy, Columbus, Des Moines, etc. Climatically, linguistically, culturally, or historically.

So is the Midwest defined by the absence of “southern influence”? Because that ignores a huge swath of the population of places like Chicago, Detroit, St Louis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, etc. It’s a very white way of defining the Midwest.

For that matter, KC has as much or more in common climatically, linguistically, culturally and historically with half the places you listed than they do with each other. Certainly KC, Indy, Des Moines, Columbus, are more similar on all those levels than any of them are to Minneapolis or Chicago.

What about other outside influences? Is a place more or less midwestern if it is more influenced by Irish versus Czech vs. Scandinavian vs. German vs. Black vs. Bosnian vs. Mexican vs. Hmong? What about places that are on the fringe of a different country, like Canada? Are they really as Midwestern as places like Cedar Rapids?

The idea that there’s a “correct” expression of midwestern culture, and that that expression is somehow more authentic in places like the northern Midwest, is ridiculous, and ignores the fact that everywhere in the Midwest is influenced by external cultural forces.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by SPonteKC

I’ll take your word for it. So like, Rockford, maybe? That’s the “true Midwest”?

Let’s see.. 46+ million people living in the Great Lakes states, and 22 million people in the western part of the region. So, yes, Illinois is the median center of population in the Midwest, and there should be no debate about that.

Edit: Exact Numbers: 52,461,850 as of July 2017- (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin).
Edit: Exact Numbers: 12,804,378 as of July 2017- (North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri).