Class Experiences.

In this class we've done so much... My favorite part of this class, so far, has been reading Bastard Out of Carolina. It was such a good book! There was so much in that book where for a second, you're just laughing at them calling themselves ugly, then horrified by what Daddy Glenn was doing to Bone.

All in all though, it was a great book and I really, really enjoyed reading it!

Experience

After almost a semester in this class- as a last topic to our blog- I would like to know each of your experiences in this class. For instance, something you learned about the South that you didn't know or something that you liked learning about in our class. :)

Spring Break

During my spring break, I didn't really go anywhere. I mostly stayed at home, relaxed, went to the mall, and caught up with some movies. Taking that into respect, I didn't get a chance to be exposed to Southern stereotypes. I live in a suburb of Atlanta where Southern hospitality isn't prevalent. Had I traveled to Savannah, Ga, or Charleston, NC, I feel I would have been exposed to it.

I feel that the world is becoming smaller and globalized and it has affected Southern culture. Cities like Savannah, and Charleston are known for their hospitality and Southern charm. It's hard to say their hospitality is genuine. I've noticed that at Waffle House, employees are required to represent that Southern charm; for example by saying, "How ya'll doin'?" In class, we discussed how certain restaurants require their employees to speak in Southern accents. People's lives have become busy and they don't have time to cook, visit eachother, and spend time with family. When Southern hospitality, a stereotype of the South is offered to me, I appreciate it, but most of the time I feel it's not genuine.

Texan Pride...

When I think of the south, my first thought is Southern Pride. If you go to Texas, you see "don't mess with Texas" plastered across, well... Everything. It's on pillows, cards, notebooks, etc. I've heard that they do this in other states too, but I haven't really noticed it. The question was what's the first thing I think about when I think about the south. I think Texan pride. It really stands out in my childhood. Even the kids who were born-and-bread Texans had this innate sense that because they were from Texas, they could get away with saying or doing anything they very well pleased. I always thought it was crazy... Hysterical! that kids who were no older than me walked around cursing and doing things that they shouldn't be just because they were Texans. And this is, Texan Pride.

Spring Break - Waller

During our spring break, did you experience any Southern stereotypes/generalizations? If not, what Southern stereotypes/generalizations did you miss?

During spring break, I visited some friends at Emory in the beginning of the week. They gave me a bed to sleep in and as much food and drinks I could handle. Then, I visited both sets of grandparents. They spoiled me as usual and took me out to dinner at nice restaurants. Finally, I ended my spring break by visiting a friend at UNC. It was a very similar experience to visiting Emory. Throughout my spring break, I experienced the wonderful Southern hospitality, and it was terrific.

Sweet Tea - Waller

I agree with Dimple and Vikrum; Southern food is the first thing that comes to my mind. I always think of sweet tea. Everyone from the South knows that sweet tea can only be made one way: the tea must be warm when you add the sugar. As tech students, we understand why the tea must be warm. When the tea is warm, the solubility of the sugar is higher than when the tea is cold. Thus, the sugar is able to dissolve better, and as a result the tea tastes better. Then, you refridgerate the tea and add ice when served. The common mistake is others make the tea cold and then add sugar. As i explained earlier, this does not work.

The South

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the South is Southern Food just like Vikrum along with the stereotypical Southern accent. The typical meal that comes to my mind is fried chicken, corn on the cob, green beans, and mashed potatoes. I don't know where this image is embedded in my mind, but I'm sure it's an influence of media and living in Southern Georgia for a little while. Either way, Southern food is a big part of the South. Food shapes Culture and the Southern places are known for their food as shown in this article. Another thing that comes to mind when thinking of Southern food is when I see the words "soul food." According to Wikipedia, Soul food is an American cuisine consisting of a selection of foods traditions in the cuisine of African Americans. A few weeks ago, I went to Memphis, Tennessee, for a Society of Women Engineers' Conference and I came across this place:


The place was called Memphis's Best Soul Food. I could not find the place while researching meaning it was a really small, probably family-owned business but I tagged Memphis on the map in case you wanted to stop by. I feel like most "soul food" places are small and family owned. This can be seen in this video talking about a soul food from a restaurant in Lawrenceville, GA.



Overall, I do believe Southern food is one the main things that I associate with the South.

What do you think represents the South?

When you think of the South, what is the first thing you think of? Why do you believe that you think this item reminds you of the South?

For me the first thing I associate with the South is fried Chicken. It is something just wholly Southern that is so pervasive throughout the nation. It is not eaten as much in the other parts of the country as it is in the South, but it is the most widely available part of Southern culture in places that are not the South. People come into contact with food everyday and it can be one of most influential ambassadors to one's culture.

Fried chicken has been assimilated into our culture as well. It has been featured in movies, books, and music. The most famous reference to friend chicken, at least currently, is by the Zac Brown Band and their song "Chicken Fried":

Accents

People often ask me where I am from based solely on my accent. I look Indian but I have a typical American accent. This is especially confusing to people from the deep South who have not seen many Indian people except on TV. Some people simply cannot comprehend the fact that I don't talk like Apu from the Simpsons. The comedian Aziz Ansari does a joke about this, since he is an Indian from South Carolina. He jokes that once after a show a viewer couldn't believe he was from the South also. He then says, "I showed him a clip of an Asian kid rapping on Youtube and his head exploded."

I am glad for the most part that I have a typical American accent. It allows me to fit in better since I usually don't have to think about how I am pronouncing words. However when I go to India, it is more of a disadvantage. You feel less connected to your culture since you don't speak like your parents or grandparents. In a sense, first generation children of immigrants are caught in between cultures. This is a very common thing. First generation immigrant kids are stuck between worlds. My accent perfectly exemplifies this conflict. I am 100% Indian in appearance, but when I speak I am 100% American.

Thus I don't blame or judge people when they are surprised I don't have an Indian accent, because in the end I understand why they are so confused. Their confusion is one and the same with the confusion first generation immigrant children face in their everyday lives.

Accents

Accents are things we are take a note of consciously. When we converse with another person, you tend to focus on the way the speak. Most times, we don't care to notice because their accent seems "normal". Normal meaning something close to yours or something you are used to listening to. But when another "unusual" accent pops us, we start wondering. For example, if I was walking around campus, I would probably run into a friend and just have a regular conversation. But, I could also run into a friend who is an International Student is in the process of learning the "normal" accent here. If you ever think about it, we would tend to pay more attention to the International friend's accent rather than the regular friend.

So answering Mahwish's question, I think accents are influenced by exposure. When I first moved to America nine years ago, I am sure I had an "Indian" accent. I moved a Southern Georgia town named Valdosta, GA. Hence, I began to pick up words such as "y'all". When I adapted these words into my vocabulary, I also adapted the way these words were prounonced; hence, changing my "accent" on those words. Moreover, after a couple of years, I lost that "Indian" accent, and I began to develop the "normal American" accent because of what I was exposed to. Hence, exposure is why some people have some accents and why others don't. For example, Atlanta, GA is a city in the South. However, you won't find many people with typical "Southern/red-neck/country" accent that the South is known for because these people have been globalized and their exposure to different accents has made their accent more of the generic normal American accent. You will, however, find a person with a Southern accent if you go to a place like LaFayette, GA because the small town lacks diversity and lack exposure to globalization. Basically, what I could think of is exposure to other accents influences whether you have an accent or not- meaning places with less exposure to diversity in the South will be more likely chance to have a prevailing Southern accent compared to places with much more exposure to diversity.

Another view on Accents is presented by the following video where a guy speaks about "Southern" accents by talking about specific phrases and the way to pronounce them.

What's your accent?

I remember talking to one of my friends one day, and she made a comment about how she could tell that I was from the South. I was a little surprised, because I never really thought I had a Southern accent. So I began paying more attention to how everyone spoke around me. I have a cousin from Macon, Ga who I've always made fun of because of his strong Southern accent. But his sister barely has one. They are both around the same people half the time, so why does one person have an accent, while the other doesn't?

At the same time, certain parts of the South have people that are known for their Southern accents. But there are several areas where people don't have them. Why are there some parts of the south where people have accents, and other parts that don't?

The deep South

From what I've seen of Atlanta I'm not sure I would consider Georgia the deep South. However I know Atlanta is more metropolitan and does not really represent Georgia in general.



The many colleges of Georgia create a greater influx of different cultures than in other states like Alabama. My roommate is from Alabama an he describes it as a homogeneous place with a lot of conservative values. He also talked about how racism is more prevalent in Alabama compared to his experience in Georgia so far.


Georgia also has more large cities like Atlanta and Athens while Mobile is probably the biggest city in Alabama. Usually cities tend to create diversity and Alabama does not really have much urban development.

Southern Savannah

Savannah, Georgia, carries many Southern traits. The first characteristic that comes is the Southern accent and drawl of vowels. In "The Office," a Savannah accent is imitated. Check it out...



Another huge Southern generalization of Savannah exists on River Street. Here, many small town restaurants sell their homemade, Southern originating dishes.



River Street also shows parts of the Old South. In the picture, there is a brick road with train tracks running through the middle of the street. An old, conventional brick building on the right contains all the shops. Not visible in the picture is a river (hence the name River Street). On this river, a local, traditional style ferry carries people across the river for FREE. Such a service adds to the idea of Southern hospitality. Savannah, and River Street in particular, contain many generalizations of the South.

Southern City

When you think "Deep South," where do you think?

Personally, Atlanta comes to mind. Atlanta was the capital of the Confederacy and is still a nationally known city and is recognized as a symbol of the South. There are many parts of Atlanta, the new and modern city that caters to big business men, people looking to party, and college students. The next part is the historical part, the part that helped fight against the Northern efforts. And there is also the part that is the beautiful city that, when in the right parts, is really pretty to walk through, where the capital building. My favorite picture of Atlanta that I've ever found is the second one posted here because it shows the beautiful city that has limit-less opportunites!

So where do you think is the "Deep South?"

Southern Food - My Experience

I have definitely noticed the difference between Southern food compared to other parts of the country. My main exposure to Southern cooking come from eating at the dining hall every day. Though most would agree Brittain is not the measuring stick for fine Southern dining, it has certainly exposed me to food that I had never tried before. The first has to be grits. It is one of the most stereotypical southern foods. I am not a huge fan, but I can finally say I have tried it at least.
The other food is popular elsewhere but is taken to a whole different level in the South. That would most obviously be fried chicken. Brittain has fried chicken at least once a week, which shows how popular it is in the South. I would rarely eat fried chicken at home - maybe two or three times a year. It is the staple Southern food, and for good reason. It is universally loved by people from all parts of the country, spreading Southern culture and traditions.


However the one Southern food that I really enjoyed was one that I had never heard of. The first time they had it in the dining hall I was intrigued. A brownish pie with some sort of nuts laid over top sat next to other desserts. I picked it up wanting to try something new and was thus introduced to the wonder of Pecan Pie. I couldn't believe I had never heard of something this delicious. Now having spent more time in the South I can't believe I never did hear of it considering that it is as popular as fried chicken or grits.

In the end I found that Southern food is delicious, but must definitely be consumed in moderation. After eating so much fried food, I voluntarily eat salads these days.

The Grill - Waller

One style of Southern cooking that I love is barbecue, or BBQ. Where exactly it originates from is a mystery, but it is without a doubt a Southern cooking style. The style slow cooking of a meat over charcoal or wood for a long time. Generally, a sauce ranging from sweet to tangy to spicy is added to the meat. Pork, beef, and chicken are some common meats used in BBQ. One of my favorite BBQ restaurants is Slope's BBQ. I love the shredded pork sandwich. What makes it better than the rest is that the pork is shredded, not pulled or in large chunks, 2 dill pickles are included, and the sauce is the perfect combination of sweet, tangy, and spicy. Having BBQ for dinner always made my tiresome days at school that much better. How can you turn this down?...

Southern cooking

To tell the truth, I don't think I have ever really experienced southern food the way Dimple did at Cracker Barrel. However, I do have an opinion on what Southern food is actually like. One of the main things that comes to mind when I think of Southern food is fried food, and the two main restaurants that come to mind are KFC and Captain D's. KFC is known for its fried chicken, and Captain D's is known for its fried fish. Captain D's opened its first store in Nashville, Tennessee in 1969, but there are now over 600 locations over the United States, mostly in the South and the midwest. KFC was founded in 1952 in Louisville, Kentucky. Both of these companies were based in the South and commercialized Southern Fried food.

I can vividly remember the last time I visited either of these restaurants, and I don't particularly recall receiving any type of Southern hospitality. I believe that once a restaurant that specializes in Southern food becomes commercialized and turns into a franchise, its Southern ideals disappear. I have never really had an authentic Southern experience because the restaurants that usually show Southern Hospitality are not as publicized.

The only other exposure I've had to Southern food is through television, mainly food network (Paula Deen). But this is not the same as first hand experience. I might just have to stop by a Cracker Barrel to really experience Southern cooking.

What's Cookin'?

So it's my turn: what's the southern cookin' around you?!

That one's easy, it's Bar-B-Q! Texas=BBQ! It's all about the pulled pork, beef and chicken all smothered in deliciously sugary sauces. My favorite is a pulled pork sandwich!

Yummy!

It is so delicious! There's this little mom-and-pop place right near my house in Texas, I can't remember the name, and they don't have a website (yes, that's how small they are). But that's what makes the restaurant so cute and lovable!

What's your cookin'?

Throughout the semester, we have hinted a lot about southern food through stereotypes, generalizations, and media. With Bastard Out of Carolina, the concept of southern food comes up yet again with Mama Anney working in a diner. Dorothy Allison goes into detail about the diner food when Glen first visits Anney at work with Anney's brother. So, I thought for this week, we focus on finding information on Southern food; it's your turn to interpret this openly: from opinions to a focus on a certain restaurant.

Here is my response:

So another reason I wanted this topic is I wanted to chance to explore one of my close friend's favorite place to eat, Cracker Barrel. My friend was really craving good ole' Southern food and did not want to go Cracker Barrel. So we drove up to Canton, GA to go eat at his favorite Cracker Barrel which I marked on the map. So after eating there in Canton, my interests sparked upon the history of this Old Country Store. I discovered that Dan Evins established the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store as somewhat of what we now call rest stops. Basically, he wanted a "home-y and trustworthy"all-in-one stop for travelers that provided gasoline, a good meal, candy, and a place to rest from the road. The name came from old country stores he used to visit where "the stores were a community's unofficial meeting place where folks gathered around a barrel full of saltine crackers to visit with friends and trade some common sense wisdom."



Also, I think Cracker Barrel represents the South in many ways other than just their country cookin'. For example, they believe in a social responsibility that they phrase as "Pleasing People." This reminds me of the concept of Southern Hospitality in Southern Culture. During my visit, everyone in the store and the restaurant were extremely nice and caring and made you feel like you were at home. Moreover, the place was so packed that we had to wait for around an hour and a half. That just proves how much people love the hospitality that Cracker Barrel provides.

So your turn: what's the southern cookin' around you?!

Southern Accent - Johnny Cash

Southern accents have always played a huge role in American music. This is best exemplified by Johnny Cash's song "Southern Accent". In the song Cash, a highly influential musician, talks about his pride in his accent and the general perception of this accent. It may seem weird to sing about something as simple as the way one talks, but there is more to it than simple pronunciation. The way one speaks is very telling about who they are because accents are generally burned into someone from an early age, ingrained in their psyche, and make up who they are. From someone's accent you can generally tell where they were raised and how they were brought up. Now this is a very powerful thing, because it means from the moment you open your mouth people have already judged you based on your accent. They know, or at least the pretend to know, these very intimate "facts" about you just based on a sentence at most.

In the song Cash tackle's this perception of his accent. One particular line that stands out is the very beginning of the song is still very poignant even today.

The young'uns call it country The Yankees call it dumb I got my own way of talkin' But everything is done, with a southern accent Where I come from.

The perception in the Northern states that a Southern accent means someone is dumb still holds true today. Cash even calls the non-Southerners "Yankees" which implies a great divide between the South and North by labeling them as something other than Americans. Nonetheless Cash is still proud of his heritage and proudly proclaims that his accent shows pride in his Southern upbringing.

Southern Accents

I agree that southern accents sometimes make Southern people seem dumb or uneducated. In many movies and television shows, a dumb character usually has a Southern accent and is depicted with many other Southern stereotypes, like wearing overalls or going barefoot. In Forrest Gump, Forrest has a very blatant Southern accent. He is not necessarily dumb, but more simple minded. However, there needs to be a distinction when talking about Southern accents. When Southern accents are combined with bad grammar, then the Southern stereotype becomes negative. However, when the speaker has an accent, but has good grammar, the stereotype becomes somewhat positive. It starts to take on the connotation of being laid back and open. Take Paula Deen, for example. She is notorious for her accent, but nobody really thinks that she is dumb or illiterate. She is known for her Southern hospitality.

So I think that it really depends on the type of English that the movie portrays. A southern gentleman like Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind has the accent, but the accent does not make his character seem illiterate. Bad grammar in combination with appearance and other factors make a character seem dumb and illiterate.

Southern Accents - Waller

One stereotype of the South is the Southern accent. This accent is often defined by long, drawn out vowels, slurring of words, and shortening words by cutting out consonants. My question to "y'all" is... Is a Southern accent portrayed as a good or bad quality?


From my perspective, the Southern accent is a negative characteristic. Movies and television shows display an ignorant and ridiculously dumb persona for those with Southern accents. In the satirical television show "Family Guy," the family move to a Southern town. All the students in the local school have the infamous accent and are mocked for being less intelligent than a pig. The father Peter also gains the sheriff position for this town. He has no real job requirements and thus drinks the working day away. Peter's act makes the South appear lazy and troubleless. The South is too stupid to have any problems or work.

Watch Family Guy 312 To Love and Die in Dixie Free Online!

Being from the South, I obviously disagree with this representation. However, given this show is a satire, "Family Guy" proves what the majority of the population believes when they hear about the South.

Sweet Home Alabama

Sweet Home Alabama is full of Southern Stereotypes. The movie is about a Southern woman who lives in the North. She becomes engaged to the son of New York's senator, and is one of New York's biggest fashion designers. However, she is still married to her husband, and must go back home to get a divorce. When she comes home, she realizes that the South is really her home, and ends up staying married to her old husband.

The stereotypes really come into the picture once Melanie goes back home. Melanie arrives in Alabama with her stylish clothes, and looks really out of place in the rural setting. However, soon after she arrives there, she gains a Southern accent. According to this movie, everyone has a southern accent. The setting is important as well. The movie gives the message that the South is all rural. There is not a lot of urban development where Melanie lives. Southern women are also stereotyped. Melanie's old friends are all married and have babies. This movie suggests that most Southern women's roles in life are to get married and have babies, and that they are not intelligent enough to do something else with their life. Mainly, the South is depicted as really different from the North, as shown when Melanie says, "You need a passport to come down here."

Overall, movies about the South tend to use the same stereotypes over and over again, and the ones in Sweet Home Alabama have the major ones: the southern accent, the rural setting, and the southern woman.

Man of the House-Katy

In the movie Man of the House, Ronald Sharp (Tommy Lee Jones), a Texas Ranger, has to protect a bunch of UT cheerleaders who witnessed a crime. In this movie, he plays the classically stereotyped gun-toting, conservative cop from Texas. In the movie, he makes the girls cover up their backs, naval, cleavage, upper thighs, etc. If you've ever seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say that it shows many Texas stereotypes. It shows big-haired blonde bimbos, how (at first) girls aren't good for anything but cheering on the football players, football is a huge deal, and Tommy Lee Jones shows these girls that they can have fun and be the UT cheerleaders that they love being and also be the key witnesses in the case.

View at 2:10

"Man of the House (2005/I) - Memorable quotes." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 18 Feb. 2010.

An Unfortunate Stereotype - Waller

An unfortunate stereotype about the South is their close, loving, family relationships, and by loving I mean physically attracted to other relatives. Some people believe the South is made up of giant families composed of many marriages within the same family. That is to say, a common belief is incestry. This idea comes hand-in-hand with the association the South has with hillbillies. The movie Wrong Turn displays the stereotype of incestry. Check out the trailer...



The movie takes place in the West Virginian mountains. Some might argue that West Virginia is not part of the South, but the stereotype is directed at the South.

Southern Stereotypes in Forrest Gump

One of my favorite movies and one definite Southern movie of all time is Forrest Gump. The trailer below gives an good overview of the movie which further helps me break down the stereotypes presented in the movie.


As you watched the trailer, you probably didn't notice any stereotypes. However, there are many things secretly put into this trailer that depict the South well. First, Forrest's house is somewhat plantation-like. It's a house with a farmland/greenery around. Second, the trailer mentions Forrest being on a football team. As we all have experienced with the GT vs. U[sic]GA rivalry, football is big down yonder. Also, they show that Southerners don't necessarily have manners. For example, all Forrest has to say to the President is "I have to pee." Though this one might be a stretch, lack of manners in business situations is definitely associated with the Southern population. Southern pride is also a big stereotype of the South and how Southerners explicitly like to show off being a Southerner. This is secretly hinted at when Forrest says with pride that he is from Alabama. Finally, we all have heard about the Southern Gentleman. Here are two lines that I thought fit perfectly:

Jenny: "Why you so good to me?"
Forrest: "Because you are my girl."

Though the stereotypes are not explicitly stated out throughout Forrest Gump, I definitely think they are hinted at- just to further bring out Southern Culture. Moreover, the movie was mostly even filmed in the South at Beaufort, South Carolina which I have linked to in the map.

That's all from me. :)

Portrayal of the South in Films

For this week's topic I thought it would be interesting to analyze the portrayal of the South in films. The South is almost always depicted as a backwater and uncivilized place in most films. This is no exception in the film O' Brother Where Art Thou.
The film itself is very funny but it employs many negative stereotypes of the South to achieve laughs in many instances. In the clip above, the three escaped prisoners are seeking help from one of their relatives. He is shown wearing overalls with no shirt underneath them and sitting amongst waste and next to farm animals. Furthermore the film also uses the stereotype that the South is uneducated and backwards during the dinner scene. The man in overalls tries to tell his cousin something without informing his son by using the age old trick of spelling it out. However he spells out "RUNNOFT" when he means to say "ran off". As we all (hopefully) know "runnoft" is not a word. The barrage of derogatory stereotypes does not end there. The movie then bluntly insinuates that the stew they are eating is old horse meat stew...

Not food, silly UGA fan

Needless to say O' Brother Where Art Thou does not deal with the South with the utmost subtlety. However it is still an amusing movie that, regardless of the inaccuracy of stereotypes, contributes to the perception of the South in other parts of the country.

All right blog group, it's your turn... What do you think are some of the stereotypes that film and other mediums convey about the South?

Diversity in the South? Look no further than Tech

To answer the question proposed by Mawish, one needs only to take a look down their hall or at their friends. In my opinion diversity in all regions, not only the South, can only be beneficial. This extends to many other facets besides racial issues. Diversity of opinion, outlook, or skills, any type of diversity provides a new way to look at things that one may have never even considered before.

Tech is really a microcosm of diversity in the South. When I first came to Tech, I attended FASET session 5, which included out-of-state students and international students. It seemed that every person I met was either from Korea, China, India, or some other country. It was truly fascinating to meet all these people on the first day and watch them as they adjusted to American living and more specifically Southern living.

In my group of friends includes people from Georgia, Maryland, and other states, but also, Japan, Korea, China, and India. My Korean friend is even teaching me to speak Korean. My friends and I are all very different but we get along. We have things in common even though they come from across the world. The differences serve to highlight what we have in common, and make the friendship more interesting.

Diversity also is present in the faculty at Tech. For instance Dr. El-Sayed who taught Chemistry last semester is from Egypt. He is an extremely accomplished chemical physicist who even has his own rule named after him, in addition to the many awards he has won. Dr. El-Sayed is the perfect example as to why bringing people from diverse backgrounds in can only be good for Tech and any community.

Diversity in South and North Georgia

Mahwish introduced our topic this week as: Do you think diversity has benefited or worsened Southern living, and which aspects do you think have been affected the most?

As I've mentioned earlier, I spent my early life in India. However, for the past nine years, I've been here in the state of Georgia. Within Georgia, I had the chance to experience two different cultures that of Southern Georgia and that of Urban Georgia. I just moved to Valdosta, GA in 2001. There, the town lacked diversity in comparison to my later residence in Lawrenceville, GA in Gwinnett County starting from 2004. Valdosta was not "diversified". It is a small city/town near the border of Georgia and Florida. According to the census, the population is basically split between 50% African American and 50% white. Hence, this town has not been affected by diversity much. Through my personal experiences, I can share how my Indian culture was pretty new to my friends and peers in Valdosta. My family never thought about wearing Indian clothes out in "public"; however, in Gwinnett, we never even think twice about wearing them. It's completely normal to do so in Gwinnett. Because of this, I believe that the typical Southern living in South Georgia is still present and has not been affected by immigration. However, the Southern culture in Gwinnett has almost disappeared. If you walk down any major street in the county, you are bound to find multiple ethnic cultures. However, you would struggle to find a typical southern family/neighborhood. Gwinnett County is a result of an great extent of assimilation to the point where the majority(Whites) culture has become the minority culture in the county. Though the numbers still show, the white population as the majority, the culture in the county is reflected more by Hispanics and Asians.

So, "diversification" in Gwinnett has deteroited Southern culture but the lack of "diversification" has left Valdosta, GA its Southern Culture.

So what DO I think?

So what do I think? Do I think diversity has benefited or worsened Southern living, and which aspects do I think have been affected the most?

Hmm... Well, I do think that diversity has certainly changed Southern Living. Where I grew up, there was a fairly small black population, a high Mexican and Latino population, and a pretty high European population. Where I live, we don't have many "Navy Brats," but we do have "Exxon Brats." Our little play on words. Because most the major oil companies paid for your house, your car, and your children's education if you were from over-seas, this meant that my school (a private school) had a super high international group. I grew up with kids from Venezuela, Mexico, Holland, Canada, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Brazil, Australia, Ecuador and a few others that I'm having trouble remembering ;). Basically, I knew a lot of people from really neat places. I think that diversity has benefited Southern living because it allows kids who, historically, come from a not-as-accepting culture to co-mingle with children from other backgrounds and ethnicities. Personally, I enjoyed going to their houses and meeting their parents, listing to them speak in their native language, eat their food. It was like growing up in my own Disney's E.P.C.O.T! International Day was always be best at school because each classroom was a different country; this was always the best because usually, classes would pick a country that one of the students (or students' parents) was from. Which meant that the food was authentic and delicious!!

One of my really good friends', Amy's, parents were from China and she was a first generation American... Even though she grew up in America and was just like any other American teen, she still carried some of the more stereotypical Asian characteristics... She was one of the hardest workers I've ever met. She did the IB program and had a 6.0! (Our GPA scale was really funky, that's the highest possible).

You're turn :)

Diversity....good or bad for the South?

While thinking of a topic for this week, I thought about how much experience I have had with Southern culture. I was born and raised in Norcross, GA, a suburb north of Atlanta. Downtown Norcross used to be the typical small town, but by the time I was about six years old, the demographics had changed. There was much more diversity, and I was happier for it. When my parents moved to Norcross from Pakistan, they took part in the change that happened to Norcross, GA.




The same change has happened all around Georgia. Clarkston is now home to refugees from around the world, and the South is no longer the South it was before. But it's hard to say whether the change is for the better or for the worse. I never really experienced Southern Hospitality until I went to Ellijay to pick apples, and it is something I miss in Norcross. But at the same time, knowing people of different cultures has made me a well rounded person, and the experience has been invaluable. This was lacking in traditional Southern culture. On the other hand, the rapid immigration to Georgia led to a fall in appreciation for old Southern living, mainly in the way of manners. I have never been in the habit of saying Ms., Mr., Sir, or Ma'am. I never knew my neighbors, in fact, I was told to stay away from them. People don't stop in the streets and say hi to each other, and the luxurious lifestyle of the South is gone where there is a lot of diversity. The immigrants, me included, don't fully appreciate it.

This is a video talking about the changes that occurred in Clarkston, GA:




So what do you think? Do you think diversity has benefited or worsened Southern living, and which aspects do you think have been affected the most?

Nonplace childhood

Percy and many postmodern writers would define my hometown of Potomac, Maryland as a non place. Last semester I analyzed my hometown in terms of how it related to the general concept of suburbia (last semesters overarching theme). This semester however it makes more sense to view my hometown through the lens of postmodern thinking.
Potomac, while a great neighborhood, really has no history. No events of significance have ever happened in Potomac and it really resides in the shadow of Washington DC. It is like the little brother that can never live up to the status of the older brother.

Potomac mainly serves as a residential area for people who work in DC. Droves of people make the daily migration to this grazing ground in order to perform law, politics, or any other job of importance to the city.

The area around where I lived was mostly McMansions and sprawl. McMansions define the idea of a nonplace almost exactly. These cookie cutter houses are never seen in historic places like New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, etc. Thus if one is looking for nonplace all one has to do is follow the cookie crumbs.


However there is still some stuff that is slightly unique to Potomac, although not very culturally significant. The Potomac River is a a large river that is somewhat of an attraction. My family usually goes to the river in the summer to kayak or go whitewater rafting.

Where I'm From - Waller

Unlike Katy, I grew up in Georgia all my life. Thus, the speech and addressing elders never changed for me. I do remember calling my first grade teacher "Ms. Jennifer" and not the proper form including her last name. I do have some family from the North though. I remember the first time they asked for a Coke, they said, "pop." Being from the South, this word completely caught me by surprise. I had to ask them what they meant and discovered it was only soda. Another different word choice I heard was "yous guys." I had heard "ya'll" and "you all" before, but never "yous guys." Using speech and dialect to know where I was never occurred with me. Because Katy moved across the country in her childhood, she experienced such a change in dialect; however, I did not.

A Look Into Two Different Cities

Our topic this week are the things that define the places where we have lived. My up-bringing has occurred in several different cities and two different countries. I was born in a small town named Gandhidham in the state of Gujarat in India. I soon moved to Surat, India where I completed my two years in "nursery" school. After that, I spent the next few years in Mumbai, India. Due to the presence of various different cities in my childhood, I am going to pick Mumbai because it is the city I consider my hometown in that country. [Side note: If you are wondering where these cities are, I am linking to them in our map]

Mumbai:

The thing that defines Mumbai is the most is culture. Mumbai is not only the most populous city in India, but it is also one of the most populous cities in this entire world. This big city is the residence for people of all different cultures of India and the world. As a result, almost every cultural and religious holiday celebrated in this world is also celebrated in this city. Mumbai is nothing less than a mixture of being a "melting pot" and a "salad bowl". As different cultures are celebrated and recognized, some people let the cultures become homogenized while others prefer the cultures to be different. You might be confused as to what I mean by culture in this context. Well, the way that country of India is set up- it seems that every region has their own culture differing from food to language. Overall, I believe the social accepting, welcoming, and the very hospitable culture of Mumbai defines the city and its people very well.

I believe the following video truly defines my statement of the presence of diverse cultures throughout the country.



When I moved from India to United States, I moved to a small southern Georgia town named Valdosta. I lived in Valdosta for around 2 and a 1/2 years. So, I don't consider it that much as a place where I grew up. However, for the past 6 years, I have lived in Lawrenceville, GA which I do consider one of the places I grew up. Lawrenceville is a suburb of Atlanta and is located in Gwinnett County. Diversity is the thing that defines Lawrenceville the most according to me. My high school's ethnic make up was approximately 40% Hispanic, 40% African American, 10% Asian, and 10% Other. The "white" majority of America was actually a minority at my school. As a result, my school was very culturally diverse. These statistics are a reflection of the diverse culture present in the town. If you walk down any street, you are guaranteed to encounter people of at least two different ethnicities. However, I don't think that the town is unified as a whole. It is broken up into different sections according to the ethnicities, and people don't mix much. Hence, I cannot say that the town holds one cultural thing that signifies it. On the other hand, Downtown Lawrenceville takes pride in this historic features as seen through the Experience Lawrenceville website. This relates back to the Savannah Article in "Southern Lady"[the one my group covered in class] where the article talks about the history about the city; however, it fails to mention the city today.

So overall, the two things that defined the two cities I grew up in are the welcoming culture of Mumbai and the diversity of Lawrenceville.

What defines where you came from?

What defined where you were when you were little? Was it places that you saw? Was it the people who were around you? For me... It was the way that people, especially women spoke to me, and the way I was supposed to speak back to them.

Me first :)

As you all know, I'm Katy... As many of you don't know, I'm from Texas, but not originally. Originally, I was from Minnesota. Kind of a switch from freezing to sweating but I like it. A lot of my family still lives in MN and goes back and forth like we do for the summers and holidays. My favorite is late spring in MN, when all the trees are purest green and everything is in fresh bloom, all bright and happy. People walking can't help but falling under the tree's charm and being happy too. Then when I moved to Texas, I got my first taste of "The South." It wasn't really the South though, where I lived we had "Oil Brats" (some places have Navy-Brats, we have the Exxon version). I grew going to school with kids from Mexico, Holland, England, Italy, Canada, Australia, Germany and all parts of the states. Basically, I never got to hear the "Howdy Y'All!" I did hear a lot of y'all and sofas and sodas which I was most definitely not used to hearing! I heard things like hey guys! and let's go sit on the couch and anybody want some pop? I feel like this was how I identified where I was at the time, I could always know where I was when I was a little girl by the words that people used when they spoke to me and around me. When speaking to my mother's friends in MN, I would address them either by simply their first names, "Stephanie," if she was close to them, or by their last name if they were neighbors or aquaintences, "Mrs. Sample." If I was in TX it was considered rude to address women by simply their first name and it was too formal to call them by their last names which meant that I had to call them "Miss Stephanie," which always sounded weird to me, but it was what I was supposed to do, and it was what was expected of all of us (the kids). My favorite drink was also called different things in different places. A lovely mixture of cherry syrup and Sprite was callled a "Kiddy-Coctail" in MN but in TX and most other places in the country, it's called a "Cherly Temple" after the cute blonde actress. But I'm rambling....

So now it's your turn, I knew where I was by the language used... How did you know?

Country Pop?

Country Pop... It seems like an oxymoron, one that stereotypically talks about being dumped, having your cat die, and loosing your job all in one song and the other talking about having your head spin around from that super cute boy who just won't look your way, or about driving down the highway in your "Mercedes-Bendz to pick up all [your] friends." Who would ever think that country music, loved by fathers over the age of 35 and pop music, celebrated by tweens and teens could come together for forms such a blend! Taylor Swift's Youtube Channel features her video blog, music video & postings by fans. If one were to listen to her music, they can very clearly see the country influence through the instruments used in the background and the topics of her music, however her voice & associated music videos also have a very "poppy" feel! The music has definite country influences, but the beat that it keeps is more top forties than country classics.

Another artist who has flawlessly combined the classic country and top forty is Carrie Underwood, winner of American Idol. Her music poses more of the country subjects such as betrayal and break ups and exactly how she'll get her revenge. Both of these women have combined men's old time south with the nation's more current opinion of what's "popular." They are two of my personal favorites and I really feel like they shows what it means to be from the South and preserve the tradition of the music but bring it into the 21st century with a great modern spin!

you should really listen to them :).

xoxo

Katy

Southern Hospitality

Like Waller, I have been a witness to the tradition of Southern hospitality. While often idealized to extremes on television and in popular culture, Southern hospitality is a custom that lives up to its reputation. The best example I could find of this came around Thanksgiving. Two of my friends at Tech are from outside the US (Japan and Korea). Like most out-of-staters they are usually left at Tech with nothing to do and no family to celebrate with because the break is too short to fly home for. It must be very hard to be away from one's family during such a family-oriented holiday.

However, the custom of Southern hospitality was there to give them a hand. Another one of my friends who lives about 30 minutes from Atlanta invited these two out of state friends to Thanksgiving with his family. They shared in all the family traditions and even the activities around his lake house. This had to mean a lot to my friends and my southern friend took them in as part of their family that weekend.

This aspect of the South truly represents the best aspects of American culture. I too noticed the friendliness of the people around me when I first arrived at Tech. The whole social openness is infectious and has made me a more social and kind person as well.

"South" over "No South" - Waller

One identity of the South is Southern hospitality. Southern hospitality is the idea that citizens of the South welcome visitors and guests to the South, and sometimes their home. Whether or not the idea still exists, it cannot be looked up. Southern hospitality is not recorded in written artifacts but rather spoken of. For instance, my family invited our neighbors over for a friendly gathering and welcoming to the neighborhood. Another example was the two girls from the North in our English class. They commented on the hospitality they experienced while they were at Tech. They are first hand witnesses of the idea Southern hospitality. As previously mentioned, examples of Southern hospitality cannot be found in the newspaper or on television. It is simply an idea that exists and can only be experienced.

Southern Cooking

One of the main areas where southern culture is still prevalent is food. I came across an article while doing some research, and found that a lot of the food that is popular in the south today has origins from many years ago. Cornbread became a staple of food in the south because of the widespread availability of corn to early settlers, and it is still eaten today. Frying has been (and still is) a popular method of cooking meat in the South. And of course, barbecuing is another popular event, originating from the general hospitality of the South. A barbecue was a good way to invite people from surrounding areas and enjoy barbecued food. Cornbread, fried foods, and barbecue are all still popular in the South today, as are many other popular Southern food staples.

One of the main sources of evidence for this is the Food Network Channel. There are at least two popular shows that showcase Southern food: Paula's Home Cooking and Down Home with the Neelys. Paula Deen is Food Network's expert on Southern food. Born in Atlanta, she learned how to cook from her grandmother, and has had no formal training.

Down Home with the Neelys specializes in barbecue, which originated in the South. Although all of their recipes do not necessarily represent authentic Southern food, their show proves that the concept of barbecuing is still immensely popular in American culture.

"South" or "No South"?

While searching for something to write about, I came across this article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. It talks about the general Southern identity and the gradual disappearance of the "Southern" culture towards a "No South." The article also brings up various different aspects of the known Southern culture. So for this week's topic: I would like all of us to explore the South and find evidence regarding the presence of Southern culture even today.

Here's what I found:

One major aspect of Southern culture still prevalent today is found in music. The South has introduced and developed many genres of music including but not limited to: gospel music, spiritual music, country music, rhythm and blues, soul music, rock and roll, and much more. Many of these genres are still widely listened to today. One of the much popular genres emerging from the South is country music. In the twenty-first century, country music has grown widely popular with artists such as Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. [As a personal side-note, even these two artists have made me appreciate country music a little bit more.] One country song, "Love Story", even topped the charts in 2008


Due to the growing appreciation of different genres of music developed in the South, I believe Southern culture is still present especially through music. So it's your turn: how do you think Southern culture is still prevalent in the United States?

The Banned Song of the South

This is a clip from Disney's only banned movie "The Song of the South" showing their famous song Zip-a-dee-do-dah. Taking place in post-Cival War Deep South (in a plantation in Georgia, actually) and told by a black philisophical man by the name of Uncle Remus, the movie was banned and locked in Disney's Vault forever. There are many rumors floating around about why it has been banned. Personally, I am inclined to believe that the American government didn't like the way that the main character spoke (with a heavy Southern accent and a lot of stunted words). Thankfully however, we have some scroupuless people who have been kind enough to post this clip on sights such as YouTube and more information can always be found on Wikipedia. Throughout the movie, "Uncle Remus" tells stories to Johnny, the young boy who stumbled across Uncle Remus, about Br'er Rabbit. This character is meant to reflect Johnny and give it moral lessons much in the same way that we still use bedtime stories and cartoons to teach children moral lessons in fun and entertaining ways that they will remember.

This movie is a classic representation of the Deep South because it accurately represents much of the relationship between blacks and whites, and shows the stereotypes of the way people spoke post-Civil War, the ways that they told stories, and all the while entertaining. When scrolling through YouTube to find the various clips from the movie to put it all together and get the basic plot and story line, all I kept thinking was: "Why is this movie banned. I wish that I had gotten a chance to actually watch the whole thing when I was a kid." This movie is not only a representation of the Deep South during it's toughest period, but it also shows us how touchy & paranoid the American Government has become.

--

Zip-a-dee-do-dah, zip-a-dee-day, my oh my, what a wonderful day!

Katy S.

Song of the South

Alabama's "Song of the South", while not necessarily my cup of tea musically, presents a good representation of the Post-Civil War South. This facet of the South's history is often overshadowed by the horrors of slavery and even the Civil War itself. Much of the South was ravaged and had to rebuild from scratch. While the song does not directly reference the Civil War, it displays some of the effects, mainly poverty, that still linger from this turbulent period in the history of the South.

While the song harkens back to a relatively old part of our country's history, the band Alabama itself was of the late 1960s. The band was formed in Fort Payne, Alabama, located below:



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The state of Alabama is right in the heart of the South and as a result, the band members would have first-hand experience with the culture and history. A particularly revealing part of the song can be found in the chorus when they reference "Gone with the Wind".

Sing it, song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain't nobody looking back again

These lyrics speak to how the idealized South that "Gone with the Wind" presents is gone forever, and now the people of the South must work to survive rather than live of off the fruits of slavery.

To Kill a Mockingbird - Trial scene

This scene from To Kill a Mockingbird is a very accurate representation of the deep South in the 1930s. It highlights the importance of the boundary between black and white. In the beginning of the clip, Atticus Finch states that "this case should never have come to trial." This sentence requires some context from the rest of the movie. Bill Ewell's family is White trash. They are one of the most underprivileged and vicious White families in Maycomb, Alabama. Bill Ewell accuses Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping his daughter Mayella. However it is revealed that Mayella tried to seduce Tom, but was caught and beaten by her own father. The bruises and injuries Mayella incurred were used as evidence against Tom.

Atticus also states that there is no plausible evidence against Tom, no medical reports, nothing except the word of the supposed victim and a white man. The line between being black and being white trash is very thin. By framing Tom Robinson, Bill Ewell exercises his power as a white man to prove his superiority. This is a representation of the South during this era. Jim Crowe laws were enacted for the purpose of maintaining white supremacy, and lynchings were used as examples to any black person who tried to move above their designated status. This clip shows that for a white man to be of a lower status than a white man in the deep South was one of the worst predicaments a man could ever endure, and this clip is a classic example of the lengths a white man of lower economic status would go to in order to prove his superiority.

"Southland in the Springtime" by Indigo Girls

The song "Southland in the Springtime" by Indigo Girls is a great representation of the South. The Indigo Girls are an American folk rock duo who actually began in Atlanta, Georgia at The Little 5 Points Pub. Their song represents the south as it brings forth various images of the South. It presents the image of poverty through the lyrics "and we never have the money for the flight"; the image of language and culture through using the words "teasin' " and "pleasin' ";the image of the historically agriculture-based economy through the lyrics "with the farmland like a tapestry passed down through generations"; the image of the food such as "peach", "cider", and "boiled peanuts". Through these different lyrics, the Indigo Girls provide a representation of the South by combining the different aspects of Southern culture. I do believe this is an accurate representation of the South as the messages portrayed hold true from the agriculture- based economy to the food. Even today as cities such as Atlanta are becoming globalized in the Southern region, the South still holds the historically prevalent agriculture-based economy, the food, and the various other images presented in this song.

representation of the south - Waller

"Song of the South", recorded by the band Alabama, is a terrific representation of the South. This song refers to a very poor, white family and explains the lifestyle of this family. The family must pick their cotton, which originated in the South, but they cannot afford to have slaves do so. They escape from their troubles with the Southern dish, sweet potato pie. Ironically, the song also mentions being "gone with the wind," and Gone with the Wind is a famous Southern fiction novel. Later in the song, the dad gets a job with a Southern company TVA, Tennesse Valley Authority. The setting of "Song of the South" is clearly in the South and during the Depression. It explains how this family deals with the diffucult setting.