Posted by
Strode on Thursday, October 02, 2008 11:56:21 AM
First and foremost, for the correct pronunciation of Appalachian please go here. Secondly, I'm not a southerner. At least not in that Deep South, ante-bellum plantation sense, nor am I some carpetbagger, who came to this region to exploit its people. I am however, a Southern-Appalachian, which is really something all together different. Some folks like to call us hill-billies, country-bumpkins, backwards-assed rednecks, and the like. And yes, some of us can skin a buck and run a trout line, and of course there are those among us who can even make their own whiskey. Sarah Palin eat your heart out!
However, much to the surprise of the mainstream media, who still find it acceptable (in this era of multi-culturalism) to poke fun at us, we also wear shoes, read books, think intellectually, and care about worldly issues. Although, we are heavily stereotyped, we continue to persevere in spite of theses slights directed toward us. This fact is often over-looked, especially to the left of center, "we are the ones we've been waiting for" crowd, who view us as part of the privileged dominate majority because of our skin color. Well this may help us "pass" at some superficial level, but when we open our mouths, we are automatically relegated to a "lower" status in society, and then when one mentions that they're from East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, or Western North Carolina, it even gets worse. We are often asked to repeat words, while people laugh, then teased about inappropriate relationships with our family members, accused of being racists, or asked if we could possibly get them some "moonshine". Nevertheless, because we are members of what is called (especially in New Left academic circles) the dominate majority, this "discrimination" is overlooked or justified based on some theory about our past discrimination directed towards minorities. Despite our dedication to be "educated" individuals, people in metropolitan areas very rarely take Appalachians serious, we, after all, don't really have that deep south, gentile, Ret-Butler/Mark Twain, type of dialect that elicits an idea of southern aristocracy. To be sure, we do speak different in these here hills and our dialect sounds foreign, or ignorant. Nevertheless, I have digressed, for I am not here to talk about the injustice wrought on me, my kin, or my region, which is significant, because we don't take to kindly to that type of talk, or belly achin'.
With that said, Appalachians are a hardy group of individuals. We fought the King's rule and "the Indians" to live on this land that no one really wanted (until now). Things don't grow well in rock or on the side of a mountain. Yet, we have persevered and today, most of us carry ourselves with pride and dignity in knowing that we come from one of the most beautiful places on earth. Our region produces people of character, skill, and compassion. Our Ol' Time Country and Bluegrass music continues to grow in popularity, and our region is one of the most visited in the nation. We understand what it means to serve God and Country. We are the descendents of the Overmountain Men, we are the original Volunteers, and a great number of our ancestors fought to preserve the union and end slavery.
I choose to live here for many reasons. Mainly, because of the people here, the heritage, and the freedom I have to be who I am and accepted for it. The food around here is pretty good too. Most of us are very friendly, not to say we aren't lacking in problems, for no one city, town, or metropolis is without its problems. Critics of the area point to our lack of diversity. I would ask how they define diversity, or what are the criteria to be considered appropriately diverse and multi-cultural. We have diversity here, maybe not like New York City, or L.A., but we have it. I would question whether those critics have actually spent time in this region, or are they themselves still operating from an accepted stereotype of the southern Appalachian people. Search anyone of us and our genealogy, you will find German, Irish, Scottish, Cherokee, Melungeon, and many others, but because the majority here may be "white" were not considered diverse. Lastly, I question the diversity of cities like New York, or Chicago, where southern-Appalachians are still having to fight, just like other minorities, to be a part of and taken seriously in mainstream society. It's their loss really, for we serve when asked and give more of ourselves when we have nothing else to give. We are Americans and being from Appalachia makes that all the more special.