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!