On Appalachia and being an Appalachian...

First and foremost, 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 it's people. I am however, a Southern-Appalachian, which is really all together different. Some have called us hill-billies, country-bumpkins, backwards-assed rednecks, and the like. Some of us can skin a buck and run a trout line, and yes, there are those among us who can even make their own whiskey.

However, we also wear shoes, read books, think intellectually, and care about worldly issues. Although heavily stereotyped, we continue to persevere in spite of the discrimination directed toward us. Often this fact is over-looked, especially to the far-left thinking world, who would view us as a part of the priveledged dominate majority because of our skin color. Well this may help us "pass" at a 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, well it even gets worse. We are then asked to repeat words while people laugh, teased about inappropriate relationships with our family members, accused of being racists, etc. However, because we are a member of what is called the dominate majority, this discrimination is overlooked or justified based on past discrimination directed towards other minorities. Despite my dedication to be an "educated" individual, people in metropolitan areas very rarely take me serious, for I don't have that deep south Ret-Butler/Mark Twain type of dialect that elicits an idea of southern aristocracy and decentcy. We do speak different here in the hills and our dialect sounds foreign, or ignorant. Nevertheless, I have digressed, for I am not here to talk about the injustice wrought on my people 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. Things don't grow well in rock or on the side of a mountain. Yet, we 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 and 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.

I choose to live here for many reasons. Mainly, because of the people here and the freedom I have here to be who I am and accepted for it. Also, the food around here is pretty good too. Most of the people here are very friendly, not to say we aren't lacking in problems, for no one city, town, or metropolis is without it's 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 a hub of multi-culturalism and diversity. 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 been to this region, or are they themselves still operating from an accepted stereotype of southern Appalachians. 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 would question the diversity of a city like New York, where southern-Appalachians are still having to fight, just like other minorities, to be apart of and taken seriously in the mainstream society.