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As someone not from the South, I have never heard it meant in a kind way unless we're talking about baseball. And even then, it's not usually pretty.
The term Yankee dates back to the Rev War. After the Civil War, the South started using it as a derogatory term for Northerners. So why are people from the Midwest and West referred to as Yankees?
Because they arent Southern. Its that simple. To never be referred to as a Yankee, you must be a born-and-bred Southerner.
If you ARE a born-and-bred Southerner, and someone calls you a Yankee, you have the right to be suitably offended and react as such.
I lived in Savannah, GA for 5 years before moving to Raleigh (been here 3 years now). Georgia and NC are quite different. Georgia felt much more southern to me. I lived most of my life in NYC and Savannah was the first place I lived outside of the NY metro area. I definitely felt like a bit of an outsider at times. Don't get me wrong, folks were great in GA. But there were not a lot of Yankee transplants like myself.
Raleigh has tons of people from all over. A lot of northerners live here now. Again, not that that is inherently good or bad. But having people from all over may ease the transition a little, I have found.
My wife is half hispanic, so I guess our relationship qualifies as interracial as well. We never had any trouble in either GA or NC. But then again we keep to ourselves a good bit. From what I have seen there is the "trashy" element of all racial groups present in both places. My experience is that it is the less educated, close minded people of the world who will give you grief.
Sadly, I think those types of folks exist everywhere to some degree. I do know that Athens is a big college town and pretty liberal. So the attitudes there are undoubtedly very different than what you would get if you drove 25 minutes out of town in any direction.
Hope that helps a little. Good luck.
I agree. GA, especially outside of Atlanta (Macon/WR, Savannah, Augusta, Columbus) is very 'old south.' Not a lot of transplants.
Coming from CA.....I would reccomend Raleigh (or even Charlotte, or Asheville) hands-down. There are people from all over, and you'd probably be more than welcome.
See why I said big city? Oh that famous Southern Hospitality........some people leave a lot to be desired. Amazing it's 2009 and there's people out there who think it's 1809.....just lovely.
Because they arent Southern. Its that simple. To never be referred to as a Yankee, you must be a born-and-bred Southerner.
If you ARE a born-and-bred Southerner, and someone calls you a Yankee, you have the right to be suitably offended and react as such.
It's still an offensive term no matter where you're from. America is a melting pot so there are people from all over. Who cares where you were born? I had no control over that! Believe me, it wasn't my first choice.
It's still an offensive term no matter where you're from. America is a melting pot so there are people from all over. Who cares where you were born? I had no control over that! Believe me, it wasn't my first choice.
No, the term is certainly not intrinsically offensive. Just some folks are oversensitive.
I know I'm a Yankee, having lived in Pennsylvania until 1997.
I don't put any other connotation on the term and am not offended or sensitive to being judged for it.
Most people you will meet have a great many other things on their mind than labeling folks negatively. We usually have to earn the negativity.
And being a rude person from the North is a quick quick way to have connotations and emphasis placed on the Yankee label.
"How's a Yankee like a hemhorroid?
When they come down and then go back up, they aren't so bad.
When they come down and stay, they are a pain in the...uh... "butt."
When that nice feller from Alabama told me that one in Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, I knew that was his way of accepting that someone in his family had scalped their family reunion Braves ticket, right in the middle of the family's section, to me in the parking lot.
I laughed...
They were good people, and we had fun.
I've never heard a native Southerner use the term "Yankee" in anything other than a subtly derisive manner.
And back to the OP: Many areas of NC (Asheville, Chapel Hill, Carrboro) are liberal and more accepting of differences. But that's not necesarily true in all areas. This is, after all, the state that elected Jesse Helms to the U.S. Senate 5 times.
It's still an offensive term no matter where you're from. America is a melting pot so there are people from all over. Who cares where you were born? I had no control over that! Believe me, it wasn't my first choice.
You know, I don't think much of Clint Eastwood, but he said something the other day about how people are so eager to get offended these days that they parse everything said to them so they have an excuse to get up in arms.
I worked in an office for years with tons of people from the rural south. They would jokingly (the laugh and smile gave it away) call me a Yankee when I got all Noo Yawk on them. I never got offended once. They would joke amongst themselves about how redneck their families were.
I think people need to get over themselves. I have family members of all races. And they crack ethnic jokes all the time, just as I have been known to tell and Irish joke here and there.
Bottom line: There is a big difference between goofing around in a friendly way and bigoted hate.
You know, I don't think much of Clint Eastwood, but he said something the other day about how people are so eager to get offended these days that they parse everything said to them so they have an excuse to get up in arms.
I worked in an office for years with tons of people from the rural south. They would jokingly (the laugh and smile gave it away) call me a Yankee when I got all Noo Yawk on them. I never got offended once. They would joke amongst themselves about how redneck their families were.
I think people need to get over themselves. I have family members of all races. And they crack ethnic jokes all the time, just as I have been known to tell and Irish joke here and there.
Bottom line: There is a big difference between goofing around in a friendly way and bigoted hate.
I'm not a great Austin Powers fan, but..... "Yeah, baby..."
Southerners say Cary stands for
C Concentrated
A area of
R Relocated
Y Yankees
Just thought you might like to know....
Most folks I know say it stands for "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees."
VickiR (and I apologize to you Vicki for draggin you in ) says it stands for:
"Can't Afford Raleigh Yet."
I gotta go to Clyde's now and get me a plate of 'cue.
They treat this old Yankee boy pretty good there.
Later.
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