Where People Who Live In Minnesota Were Born (Minneapolis, Cleveland: 2014, home)

[Unsettomati]

This is a fascinating interactive New York Times piece, showing where people in each state were born by census (from 2010, back to 1900).

As of 2010, 68% of us (myself included) were born in Minnesota (compare that to 51% in 1900).
4% of us were born in Wisconsin
2% of us were born in Iowa
9% of us were born in Midwestern states other than MN, WI and IA
3% of us were born in the West
3% of us were born in the South
2% of us were born in the Northeast
8% of us were born outside the United States (compare that to 29% in 1900)

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...bg=0#Minnesota

[emcee squared]

Wow, we really hang around if we were born here. It looks like the foreign and out-of-state population as been slowly growing from a high of 77% native born Minnesotans in 1970.

Born in New England, myself.

[Cleverfield]

This would seem to corroborate many people's opinions that Minnesotans are rather insular.

[r_shackleford]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

This would seem to corroborate many people's opinions that Minnesotans are rather insular.

Only if you assume as such. If you look at the data for all states, Minnesota is pretty typical in this regard. Illinois is just 1% behind and most states in the Midwest, South, and Northeast range from the mid 60's to mid 70's. The overall average is 58 with a median of 60. Minnesota's 68% is just under a standard deviation above the mean.

The biggest thing I notice from glancing at the nationwide data is the effect of immigration from other countries. California and New York both have roughly a quarter of their populations born outside the US. Yet, they still have 55% and 63% native born residents. Whereas, Minnesota only has 8% born in other countries. This means a high concentration of Californians and New Yorkers remain in their home state (probably higher than Minnesota if you do the math). Other factors jump out, too. Proximity to a state with a substantially higher population tends to bump this number down. Look at how high the percentage of Californians in Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.

The characteristics of Minnesota culture that lead to the "insular" description would be just as present with a smaller percentage of Minnesota born residents. So the data does not outright contradict the hypothesis. Perhaps that's what you meant by "corroborate."

[rogead]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

This would seem to corroborate many people's opinions that Minnesotans are rather insular.

Theoretically, it may also corroborate many people's opinions that this is a desirable place to stay!

By the way, the same charts for Ohio show that seventy-five percent of Ohioans were born in Ohio, with only five percent born outside the US. This brings to mind one of your favorite words: "provincial".

[Cleverfield]

Originally Posted by rogead

Theoretically, it may also corroborate many people's opinions that this is a desirable place to stay!

By the way, the same charts for Ohio show that seventy-five percent of Ohioans were born in Ohio, with only five percent born outside the US. This brings to mind one of your favorite words: "provincial".

Now we just need a chart to show how touchy and sensitive Minnesotans are about any perceived criticism about their cities and/or state to corroborate that opinion that many people have.

[Meemur]

Originally Posted by rogead

By the way, the same charts for Ohio show that seventy-five percent of Ohioans were born in Ohio, with only five percent born outside the US. This brings to mind one of your favorite words: "provincial".

There was a joke floating around Columbus, OH that native born Ohioans couldn't find their way out of state.

I'm originally from Michigan, now living in Des Moines, with many of my former MI relatives now living in and around the Twin Cities.

[Unsettomati]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

Now we just need a chart to show how touchy and sensitive Minnesotans are about any perceived criticism about their cities and/or state to corroborate that opinion that many people have.

1) Claim that state A is provincial because XYZ.

2) When it's pointed out that your own state is, in fact, even more XYZ than state A, claim (apparently, without either irony or self-awareness) that state A is 'touchy'.

[Cleverfield]

Originally Posted by Unsettomati

1) Claim that state A is provincial because XYZ.

2) When it's pointed out that your own state is, in fact, even more XYZ than state A, claim (apparently, without either irony or self-awareness) that state A is 'touchy'.

Nowhere did I say that Minnesota was more provincial than Ohio. I simply made a comment, and not even a negative one, just an observation. Then a poster apparently took that as criticism and decided to attack my state. Just like Kevin Love made a move to Cleveland, and posters felt the need to call it a dump. You all are a very thinned skinned bunch up there, and apparently have a superiority complex as well.

[rogead]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

Nowhere did I say that Minnesota was more provincial than Ohio. I simply made a comment, and not even a negative one, just an observation. Then a poster apparently took that as criticism and decided to attack my state. Just like Kevin Love made a move to Cleveland, and posters felt the need to call it a dump. You all are a very thinned skinned bunch up there, and apparently have a superiority complex as well.

In various threads, you have often used the term "provincial" to describe Minneapolis and/or Minnesota. In those same threads, you have suggested that Cleveland and/or Ohio compares favorably on the provincial/cosmopolitan axis.

Insular is a synonym for provincial. Here is the primary definition of insular from The Oxford American Dictionary: "Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one’s own experience". The term is inherently negative.

You used the adjective, "insular" in reference to the percentage of native-born Minnesotans who still reside in the state. I pointed out that if Minnesota is insular by that measure, Ohio is even more so, given that Minnesota has a lower percentage of native-born citizens, as well as a higher percentage of those born in other countries.

Putting aside your constant need to disparage Minneapolis and Minnesota, the truth is that all Midwestern states (including both Minnesota and ohio) tend to have a large number of native-born residents.

Far from attacking Ohio, I merely rubbed your nose in your own hypocrisy.