North vs. South - is there still a "conflict" there?

[Damien2213]

Just check the demographics of where you are going. The more minorities you have the better you will be. For instance, where I was raised most of my life there were really only two ethnic groups and pretty much all southern in ways of life. When I moved to Hickory, NC things were interesting because it is a more diverse area. People really do accept you here no matter where you come from. I think we from the south have certain traits and so do people up north. It's just the way things are and have been for ages.

I don't think your going to find much problems anywhere. There are still a few places in the rural-rural areas that might crack a joke about Yankees but not really mean any harm. I think the hardest place to move would be Alabama...they are still behind in current times of thinking last time I visited there...that's not everybody but there are some. Like I said go to a place that has a great demographics range and you'll be fine...plus nobody has better hospitality in the world than the South and I'll argue that point all day long...

 

[Becky2005]

Try living in Illinois - it's the only state I know of that is both North & South within itself. It's a very weird state situation (it's not just North/South but throw Chicago in there too & it gets even weirder!). We give each other a hard time but mostly in fun.

I can't help much with OP but I would think as said, it all depends on where you move to, etc... My sister has lived more of her life in CT than she has here. I know that's not North/South but it is East Coast and there are differences there too. She seems to have gotten along just fine.

 

[jjarman]

I haven't read all of the replies but this is my take on the situation. As long as you dont come to the South and tell everyone how much better everything is in the North, you should be fine. The only "Yankees" we don't welcome are the ones who move here and tell us how back-woods we are, etc. I mean seriously, if I moved to Minnesota and told y'all how much greater it was to live in NC, wouldn't you be offended?

I totally agree with you on this although honestly I have never run into anyone like this. The "Yankees" I know are all very nice people and just like me and my neighbors except they talk funny. In reading these posts from people who did not think the OP would like it, except for the kid who got beat up, I see a lot of very thinned skinned people. You can't take bein teased? And how do you think I would be treated if I moved to Minnesota? I guess we in the South are so used to being picked on for being from the South we don't think anything about teasing someone for their accent. I mean we aren't all uneducated, running around barefoot, no teeth, etc.

We hear it every day on tv how bad it is here. That is fine. It is horrible here. Please don't move here and tell your friends not to move here.

 

[Jennasis]

I was born and raised on Long Island. Moved to NC when I was 26. Never had any problems. Folks here were nothing but friendly and welcoming.

 

[okeydokey]

I grew up in MA and moved to Alabama after I got married. My Northern friends were the ones with the preconceived notions about Southerners. We felt nothing but welcome. We still live in the South in a small town and there are some who consider anyone who wasn't born in this town a transplant no matter how long they have lived here, regardless of if they are Southern or Northern. The only time we ever feel judged at all is in religion. We are Catholic and many here don't realize that we are Christian.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

If my Southern kids moved to Minnesota would they be harassed?

The South is not backwards, hillbilly country. The rural areas here aren't that different from the small Minnesota or Upper Peninsula towns (I grew up in the Midwest). You do realize that you are offending the Southern Dis'ers with your question, right? Try to be a bit more open minded.

Ok, now that's just ridiculus. I'm not the one that made these assumptions. I did state that I have lived in the south (also in Houston Tx for six months) and I did not feel that way. This is coming from my ex's mouth. I am asking if anybody has experienced it. If you are offended by my inquiry, that's your problem, not mine.

 

[blu3d3vil]

Have your son start eating grits and fried okra now. Also all soft drinks are called 'Coke' not pop or soda. Oh and a shopping cart is called a buggy.

Learn all these and he'll fit right in when you get here.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

I haven't read all of the replies but this is my take on the situation. As long as you dont come to the South and tell everyone how much better everything is in the North, you should be fine. The only "Yankees" we don't welcome are the ones who move here and tell us how back-woods we are, etc. I mean seriously, if I moved to Minnesota and told y'all how much greater it was to live in NC, wouldn't you be offended?

I totally get that! When I moved to LA it was a huge culture change for me, but I sure as heck wasn't about to tell anybody how they "should" be doing things! I knew it was my place to adjust to them! And adjust I did, to the point where when I moved back home to MN, I felt out of place here for about a year.

By the way, I actually wouldn't be offended, because right now I'd really LOVE to get out of here and NC is one of the places we plan to visit this summer to see how we like it!

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

I haven't read all of the replies but this is my take on the situation. As long as you dont come to the South and tell everyone how much better everything is in the North, you should be fine. The only "Yankees" we don't welcome are the ones who move here and tell us how back-woods we are, etc. I mean seriously, if I moved to Minnesota and told y'all how much greater it was to live in NC, wouldn't you be offended?

Perfectly stated!

 

[Luv2Scrap]

Have your son start eating grits and fried okra now. Also all soft drinks are called 'Coke' not pop or soda. Oh and a shopping cart is called a buggy.

Learn all these and he'll fit right in when you get here.

Oh yes, I remember the grits and fried okra!

See this is the other thing that I don't get. My son's dad knows that DS is really only half yankee. He was born down there, spent the first 4.5 years of his life down there, and spends at least 6 weeks down there every summer. He fits right in with his dad's new family, and loves a good crawfish boil!

So I really don't think he's going to feel all THAT out of place, no matter where we went. If we can adjust to Cajun country, we can adjust to anywhere, right? And yet, he is saying he doesn't think DS would fit in down there, even where he spent the first several years of his life, and goes and visits for six weeks every summer.

 

[sbell111]

IMO, as a "northerner" who lived in the South for a while, yes. I don't think you'd be doing your son any favors.

Agreed

 

[jspahn]

Like Jennasis, I grew up on Long Island.
I moved to Atlanta 9 years ago (I am 34 years old for reference).

As minkydog said, everyone here is from somewhere else. Almost all of my friends are NOT from georgia. It's kinda wierd really.

i drive around with a NY Islanders license plate - now, i know hockey is no big deal to southerners, but I have never once gotten any greif for it. If anything i have more fellow NYers call out to me in parking lots to say hi and way to go. And please, dont bother to raz me on how crappy they are, I've pretty much given up on them

No one here has ever been anything but nice - no "yankee go home" nonsense, unless it was meant all in fun. Recent case - we got some snow here. By some snow I mean a dusting! And it pretty much shut down the town. its really funny in a pathetic way. When i complained how silly it was that people here couldnt handle a dusting my coworkers would tease about the yankee stuff. Nothing meant to be mean or whatever.

I will say that the pp who said the brashness doesnt fly was completely true though. I constantly feel like I am walking on eggshells (with my southern co workers in particular). It's kind of annoying. Most of the southerners i seem to interact with dont know how to take sarcasm, or people who are quite direct and tell it like it is. They need to use phrases like "bless her heart" to soften the blow of anything and get offended if you're not painfully polite.
But again, that could just be the NYer in me coming out

 

[blu3d3vil]

Agreed

 

[ladycollector]

If this was directed at my post (which I assumed because it was posted below mine) how would you know what I experienced...Where you there?

It wasn't directed at you, im honestly not even sure what you posted lol.
I was just saying in my experience, its ridiculous. And I am young enough to know (20) how it was in highschool when I was growing up. If anything "yankees" were liked more, provided they werent arrogant about where they were from.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

Like Jennasis, I grew up on Long Island.
I moved to Atlanta 9 years ago (I am 34 years old for reference).

As minkydog said, everyone here is from somewhere else. Almost all of my friends are NOT from georgia. It's kinda wierd really.

i drive around with a NY Islanders license plate - now, i know hockey is no big deal to southerners, but I have never once gotten any greif for it. If anything i have more fellow NYers call out to me in parking lots to say hi and way to go. And please, dont bother to raz me on how crappy they are, I've pretty much given up on them

No one here has ever been anything but nice - no "yankee go home" nonsense, unless it was meant all in fun. Recent case - we got some snow here. By some snow I mean a dusting! And it pretty much shut down the town. its really funny in a pathetic way. When i complained how silly it was that people here couldnt handle a dusting my coworkers would tease about the yankee stuff. Nothing meant to be mean or whatever.

I will say that the pp who said the brashness doesnt fly was completely true though. I constantly feel like I am walking on eggshells (with my southern co workers in particular). It's kind of annoying. Most of the southerners i seem to interact with dont know how to take sarcasm, or people who are quite direct and tell it like it is. They need to use phrases like "bless her heart" to soften the blow of anything and get offended if you're not painfully polite.
But again, that could just be the NYer in me coming out

OMG, I remember that! I loved when people would say bless her heart. I always thought that was so cute!

 

[jjarman]

A few more things you can start doing now to help with the culture shock:

- learn to drink sweet tea (nectar of the gods)
- Give me some sugar does not mean that sweet granuled stuff you use in sweet tea.
- learn to eat shrimp cooked a bazillion different ways
- boiled peanuts are the best
- crawfish are not just bait anymore
- start telling your children to be sweet
- also women at least 20 years older than you are Miss Lucy or Miss Helen. Same concept with men, Mr. Frank, Mr. Albert

Anymore you can think of southerners?

 

[blu3d3vil]

A few more things you can start doing now to help with the culture shock:

- learn to drink sweet tea (nectar of the gods)
- Give me some sugar does not mean that sweet granuled stuff you use in sweet tea.
- learn to eat shrimp cooked a bazillion different ways
- boiled peanuts are the best
- crawfish are not just bait anymore
- start telling your children to be sweet
- also women at least 20 years older than you are Miss Lucy or Miss Helen. Same concept with men, Mr. Frank, Mr. Albert

Anymore you can think of southerners?

In Atlanta only, be prepared to see Monica Kaufman Pearson in a new hairstyle every other week.

 

[marthachick]

By the way, I actually wouldn't be offended, because right now I'd really LOVE to get out of here and NC is one of the places we plan to visit this summer to see how we like it!

Welcome to NC! We have great places to visit & better places to live. We have the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains and beautiful beaches and lots of great places in between. Hope you enjoy your visit!

 

[BelleWDW]

So I really don't think he's going to feel all THAT out of place, no matter where we went. If we can adjust to Cajun country, we can adjust to anywhere, right? And yet, he is saying he doesn't think DS would fit in down there, even where he spent the first several years of his life, and goes and visits for six weeks every summer.

Would you mind sharing WHERE in LA your ex lives?
If his parents live by YOU-doesn't that make HIM an outsider too?

I think there are ignoramouses anywhere you go-BTW

 

[Jennasis]

When we first moved to NC my MIL kept telling me that people must know we were "Yankees" because people in our new town kept "staring" at us all the time. In Walmart, at the bank etc...always staring. After a while I noticed what she was talking about. People WERE looking at us, but not staring or gawking. They were smiling and nodding (and even *gasp* striking up conversation!). Complete stramgers!!

Thats' when I realized that up north people walked around minding their business, eyes on the ground, ignoring the world around them. Down here in the south, people MAKE EYE CONTACT, they smile, they strike up conversations with strangers.

It's quite lovely.