<p>I’ve seen in in gift shops and on cars and outside houses in the south, sure. I’ve seen a confederate flag displayed on a flagpole outside a home exactly once here in the north, and I immediately wrote the family off as being people that I had no desire to associate with from then on.</p>
I’m convinced that Hampden-Sydney and it’s self proclaimed mission of creating “Southern Gentlemen” is helping to hold this whole region back. HSC is one of those rare cases where the stereotypes ARE true. If you don’t want to be in a 1,000-member frat for 4 years, don’t go.</p>
<p>North Carolina may not technically be the “deep south,” but I imagine it’s the same as those deep south states. If you go to any major city, you’ll find the differences between them and northern cities to be more charming than frightening. </p>
<p>As a transplant from the north, I do sometimes miss my hometown. I become paranoid that I’m developing an accent. And I wish that the religious conservatism around here was a little less rampant. But generally, I find the people here to be a lot more pleasant, and it’s never seemed like there are more racist or judgmental anymore than there may be up north.</p>
<p>I live in the south currently. I’ve lived in many many places due to my moms job… Let me say, living in the south has really made me hate the south haha. Idk if it’s just because I’m a city person, but NO diversity!!! Also there really isn’t anything to do down here. If you like horseback riding, going to zoos, eating country food, riding around town doing nothing, the south is the place for you:) </p>
<p>I’m making the south sound worse than it is haha but if you’re a city person, looking for diversity, south is not the place for you!!! However, people down here are generally friendly people. But sometimes you wonder if they paid attention in school.
Also you mentioned that you are Asian American. I am as well and I have gotten, what I first thought was ignorant racist jokes, but later I found out that they weren’t joking and they were being serious… E.g. I’ve gotten lots of “are you Asian or Chinese?” “can you speak asian?” “I heard Chinese people eyes go up, Japanese peole eyes go straight and Korean eyes go down” ← this person was not trying to make fun because she was actually one of my “friends.” so you might get some stupid questions thrown at you, but just know, they are being serious and curious :)</p>
<p>It doesn’t sound like you live in/near a large city in the South. If so, that’s largely the problem. The larger cities in the South are very much like larger cities everywhere. </p>
<p>And, certainly the entire south isn’t the same. Your perspective sounds like it’s just from your backyard. </p>
<p>And…frankly, smaller and/or rural towns EVERYWHERE often lack diversity and things to do. And, often have crappy schools. That isn’t unique to the south. I’m from Calif, now living in Alabama, and certainly the more rural areas/small towns in Calif are pretty much as you described…but it wouldn’t be accurate to broadbrush the entire state or west coast as being like that. </p>
<p>In Alabama, like other states, there isn’t much to do in small or rural towns. However, if you’re in a good-sized city, then you’re hardly going to notice a difference. There is diversity, there are people from everywhere and from various ethnic groups. When I was shopping in Tuscaloosa yesterday, the stores had Hispanics, AAs, Indians, Asians, Muslim women with headscarves, etc. Not any different from when I shop in Southern California except the AA numbers and Asian numbers are probably switched.</p>
<p>My kids’ undergrad (Bama) has a very high number of OOS kids…last fall’s frosh class was over 50% OOS. This fall’s class is 60% OOS. </p>
<p>I think it’s funny that you think the South lacks “diversity”. Again, here’s a kid who defines diversity as whether there are many from HIS/HER ethnic group. In a region that is 30% AA, it’s silly to say that the South doesn’t have diversity. Yes, Asian numbers are low in the South. When I lived in Southern Calif, yes, the Asian numbers were (are) high, but the AA numbers were low…so does that mean that area isn’t “diverse”??? lol</p>
<p>^
I actually live 20 minutes away from a large city. And IMO there is a difference b/w a city in the south and a city in the west or in the north. I’ve been to LA, I’ve been to Chicago, NYC, I’ve been to Nashville, Louisville, Atlanta. The overall feel between Nashville and Chicago, b/w LA and Atlanta, whatever, is just different to me. The people, how they dress, act, is different! Personally, I like the feel of LA, Chicago, NYC, watching all the buisness men and women in suits and high heels on their phones, trying to catch a taxi… Other people might like the feel of Nashville, Idianapolis, or whatever. And since the poster of this thread is Asian-American, yes, for me and the poster, diverse means plenty of Asians. So, in my previous post I was referring to diversity=a large percent of Asians… Let me make that clear. The south does have cities that have a good percent of Asian-Americans, e.g Atlanta, but it’s not going to be like UCLA, NYU, whatever. So that’s that!</p>