1 of 13

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 3

them.' Luckily for me, I was raised in Southeastern Ohio, where there is already an Appalachian twang. I can usually drawl it out enough to sound like one of the 3 main types of drawl. A) The Southern "in-Town" drawl. These people may have gone away for college or deal with out-of-towners often. I think this is the drawl most of us see on T.V. B) The "Country" drawl is heavier and those of us who are non-native speakers really have to pay attention. C) Ebonics, spoken mainly by Blacks, but, not all Blacks speak this way. It has its own unique characteristics and honestly, I can understand very little of it.

2. The second obvious difference is FOOD. How can this be? Every red-blooded American eats fried chicken! Yes, and most American grocery stores have an Ethnic aisle, and I believe some of this stuff could only be found in that aisle if I were shopping in Oregon. In fact, I have shopped in Oregon, and they didn't carry some of what I needed to fix a real Southern meal. To name a few Southern sides; grits, fried okra (or any kind of okra, for that matter), collard greens, turnip greens, sweet potato pie, sweet tea (McDonald's advertises Southern Sweet Tea here), field peas, black-eyed peas, fried corn bread, gumbo, and a lot of squash. Thanks to interstates full of semi-truckloads of food, we all can enjoy most of these dishes. But, I must say, some of them must be introduced to you at a young age for you to appreciate them. If I am at someone's home and they serve collard greens, I will eat a spoonful out of respect, but not because I enjoy them. My kids love collard greens and all the other Southern delights. I find it fascinating that Southerners will scrunch their noses at the mention of broccoli. I think collards stink, and they think broccoli does.

3. The next is maybe not so obvious, but it was easier to determine in time: EMPHASIS ON HERITAGE. Not only among white folk, but among Blacks as well. Every year young women dress in antebellum gowns and sit primly outside of the historic mansions in town, waving to the visitors who've come to savor the by-gone days of old. Pre-1860, the south was economically stable; a vast agricultural society. This is the heritage white southerners cling to. There is some need to remember that the South became its own nation, and lost its independence to the Union. However, for every Confederate flag flown on a front porch, there is a Martin Luther King Day parade. The Civil Rights movement lives on with celebrations

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about A comparison of the northern and southern states in America?
We want to hear your view. Write now!