[deslok]

This topic comes up a lot. My experience has been that the ain't dutch much crowd does exist and are quite vocal about it actually. Why is that so hard to believe? Perhaps just trying to ignore the fact that this might exist. I know I am not alone, many of my friends scattered around Michigan have had situations with dutch people coming up. How do they know they are dutch? Because usually in conversations a lot of times they make it to be known. ( I would do that, but I am dutch you know. Or that is expensive, remember I am dutch) If this is offensive I apologize those are just snipets of conversations I have had within a few minutes of being in the area. Can't imagine living there. (holland)

[michigan83]

What a load! Grew up in West Michigan and have many friends who are Dutch, as well as being half Dutch myself (Portinga on one side). I have NEVER heard anyone say "If you ain't Dutch, you ain't much." My own last name isn't Dutch at all, it is Scottish, and frankly other than somebodies last name being a give away of Dutch heritage, nobody really cares. And yes I have been around Holland area for quite some time. This is a stereotype that may have been true many decades ago, it sure hasn't been correct the 45 years I have been on Earth. Being born and raised in West Michigan I can assure you it is a long lived, totally false stereotype.

My last name is Vander Boon. I'm originally from the Grand Rapids area.

I have personally used the phrase "if you ain't Dutch, you ain't much." It's fun to say. It rhymes, for crying out loud. I don't actually believe that the 97% of Americans who don't have a Dutch heritage "ain't much." It's just something to joke around with.

When my grandpa finds out who one of the grandkids is dating, he likes to know the last name. If the name starts with Van or Vander or ends with "-stra" or "-sema" or "voet" or whatever, he'll say "that's a good Dutch name."

So please don't try to pretend that it doesn't go on. I've lived it. I think it's pretty harmless, but the "Dutch Mafia" attitude in West Michigan does actually exist. It's not anything to get worked up about, though.

I know of towns in Mid-Michigan where the exact same thing happens, only you need to have a German name and be Catholic to fit in. No big deal. I think this is the kind of stuff that makes America interesting.

[mitch349]

michigan resident here. from the sticks as they say. any rural area in michigan is more or less conservative. i would suggest, however, that you stay in colorado. it's as good a place as any to *********r kids. take it from someone raised ultra religious, raised on values that object to such basics as asking questions or attempting to arrive at some medium of truth. at the very least, your brand of life-security does not teach the critical thinking necessary to make michigan, or the world, a better place.

[Giesela]

Michigan is pretty conservative blue collar except for Ann Arbor. Not the same as evangelical. I think you tend to find that further south or west.
I agree with at least one other poster - no particular reason for you to move here if you think its full of like minded people. They may be conservative but not necessarily your kind of conservative.
There are other states that would be a better fit.

[Nat Taggart]

If you can fare the winters, Huron County has beautiful summers and is a very conservative area. I always joke that Michigan's state motto "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you" should be changed to "If you seek a union thug, look about you". I completely forget about liberal cronies and unions when in Huron County. Great people and great natural beauty, especially in Caseville. I have a summer home there, but recently it has become my permanent residence. Huron county is a great conservative place to live.

[mostie]

I remember when we were going to move to N. MI a few years ago, I had called the....City Planner (? don't recall who exactly he was...but someone who had to do with permits etc. lol) of the town we were going to move to in order to ask some questions. We got to talking, and he asked me, "Well, are you Democrat or Republican?"- I kind of stammered a little, afraid that whatever I said was going to be the wrong answer, lol, but I finally told him I was Republican. He says, "Oh! Well the you are going to do juuuuust finnnnnne around here! " lol-

[reppin_the_847]

Bloomfield Hills is more fiscally conservative than socially conservative. You'll see a lot more variety of ethnic groups & religions in the Bloomfield area (which is near Detroit) compared to some of the other towns outside of Grand Rapids that others are suggesting.

Originally Posted by cardwellave

Oakland County, parts like Bloomfield Hills and the like. (Hate to say it, but more wealthy areas.)

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Rawlings

I'm looking to relocate with my family--wife and young children--to MI. We're evangelicals and active Republicans so we want a pretty conservative part of the state. But we also want the ammenities of the big city we're coming from. I've heard that Grand Rapids is a good bet...any other suggestions?

Almost ANYPLACE in the central / western Upper Peninsula. Also many places in Oakland County.

[ManoftheNorth]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

Almost ANYPLACE in the central / western Upper Peninsula. Also many places in Oakland County.

Not anyplace in the Central Upper Peninsula: Marquette county is the most liberal part of the UP, it votes pretty consistently Democratic in Presidential elections. Oakland county is a lot more liberal then it used to be as well, it's gone to the Democratic candidate in the last several Presidential elections. For a conservative county, you'd probably want Ottawa county, or Kent outside of the city of Grand Rapids. The smaller, more rural counties would be more conservative then average as well, but you might not have a lot of economic options there.
Just look for the Romney counties on the map on this page: United States presidential election in Michigan, 2012 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ctyrider]

Why do conservatives feel the need to live among other conservatives? Would living amongst people with different political views be somehow detrimental to their worldview?

Not trying to be snarky, just genuinely curious.