I grew up in Bethesda, Maryland were almost everyone my class got an expensive car for their 16th birthday. Except me, I was one of the few to roll into the parking lot with a 1990 Toyota Corolla that was falling apart. Most of the kids parents were lawyers, doctors or had some government job since we were so close to DC. Although Maryland is below the Mason Dixon, its not the south. At least the culture isn't southern. I moved to NC 3 years ago and I love it here. I love the southern hospitality and I love the southern accent. Both my sisters live in New York City and are very much city girls. I get really frustrated because I can't have one conversation without them laughing at the accent I'm starting to pick up. They will interrupt me in the middle of a sentence and say, Maja you can not come home talking like that. It really bothers me because first of all they are my sisters, and second of all they have this idea that the southern accent is one of less intelligence. Just like what Adam was saying in class. I wish I could some how help my sisters understand that an accent is just an accent. It has nothing to do with intelligence.

Maja, I have 3 sisters and I know how yucky it feels when they judge you. I also have family from up North (Illinois), but thankfully they look at my accent as endearing instead of demeaning. I think that maybe putting your sisters on trial for their "accent" might help them understand what you are going through. Turn the tables on them. I know there are a ton of judgements made about New Yorkers: bossy, rude, loud, uncompassionate, and snooty for example. If you talk to them about the negative stereotypes of a NY accent, they might be able to understand your problem with them lumping you into a stereotypical group of dumb rednecks, and ignoring the rich, charming heritage of southern culture.

I agree Maria, that might work for Maja's situation. I have been in North Carolina all of my life. I have a heavy southern accent myself. And as Adam mentioned in class and in Maja's case, I too get ridiculed by others, especially students here at ASU. Most people tell me that it is "cute." I don't think people realize how demeaning it is to hear that. I can not help an accent. I do my best to "hide" it when I am around non-southern people. However, it is nearly an impossible thing to do. My major concern is not about what other people think; it is about what my accent might effect. For example, two students with equal degrees and abilities go interview for a job. One student is from the North and the other student is from the South. Who is more likely to get the job? The student from the North. Why? A southern accent is somehow ingrained in many people's mind as to being inadequate, making the person with that accent under-qualified. I am not worried about applying for a job in the western NC area. It is places outside of this area that I am concerned about. I am NOT ashamed of my history. I LOVE my family. It seems that southern families have stronger family connections than others do. Does that make one group better? No. We are all different and should respect one another's differences. When respected, groups can then learn about / from one another.

I can sympathize with all of you because I have what others may call a "thick accent" which I hardly even notice. I am from Florida and when meeting someone for the first time they always say "your accent is so cute" what the heck? I didn't even know I had an accent. The next thing that comes is "You are NOT from Florida with an accent like that". OKAY PEOPLE I AM FROM FLORIDA. See because of those lovely people from the North Floridians have gotten a bad reputation. Everything from not being able to drive to being snowbird and immigrant country. Do people ever open their eyes and realize that just because some parts of a state are this way doesn't mean the entire state is. North Florida is basically Georgia, we are VERY Southern, we believe in family first and that Southern hospitality. My family lives on a farm and when I go home I can easily slip on some boots and help feed animals just as easy as slipping on flip-flops or snow boots for class. I love the fact that people notice an accent, NOT that it is cute, and I absolutely hate the fact that because of stereotypes people automatically think I am not from my actual HOME!

Yea, people judge me a lot based on my accent, but I just laugh inside because I know that they are missing out on getting to know a really cool person ; ) People are so quick to apply so many labels to me based soely on that way I talk. Granted I know some very dumb people who talk like me but I also know many more intelligent people that talk the same way. I think this label of ignorance is on accepted because that media plays it up so much.

I think its great that you are starting to pick up a little Southern accent Maja! What I do not understand is why people associate a southern accent with a lack of intelligence. What has caused people from the north especially to assume that a thick southern accent means you are dumb. I do not think there have been more intelligent people from the north than from the south.

Sometimes I thinkt that part of the problem with people thinking that southerners lack intelligence is that many southerners just go along with the jokes about their culture. For example, I have a friend who has family members from New York and when they come here to visit they make many cracks about the South. My friend just laughs and goes along with it even though she disagrees and often complains about it later. For some reason she just accepts the stereotypes instead of trying to correct her family. I think that we need to be proud of who we are and instead agreeing or even becoming defensive, we need to help northerners embrace our culture.

Taylor, I think that when it comes to joking about people from the south by northerns it goes both ways. I am from the north and people call me a "northern" or "what's it like with snow year round?" I don't try and defend the north, but realize that they are joking and joke back with them about how I walked in 4 feet of snow to school each day....

I agree with stephen that southerns makes fun of northerns and vice versa. I have a friend from high school that gets called dirty jersey all the time. This is a racial comment but she just laughs it off instead of sticking up for herself. Also when we talk about northerns we describe them as blunt, rude, people. These comments are not right for us to make and they are a generalization. Just like the things northerns say about us, southerns. It goes both ways it just seems that our stereotypes are more hurtful and that more people truly believe we are more stupid.

While I have never had an incident where someone has told me that I am less intelligent or that my accent makes me sound stupid, I do feel that people think that. My friends have often laughed at the way I say certain words, and while I don't mind joking, I do feel that they think that this accent or even pronunciation makes me seem less intelligent. Of course this thought is not accurate. A person's accent or dialect doesn't determine or allude to their intelligence. This is simply another sterotype that goes many ways, North, South, Black, and White. We let this judgement stop us from really getting to know each other, like Adam said, which is the true ignorance.

I agree that the North/South stereotyping goes both ways. I guess I just see more of people picking on Southerners b/c I live in the South. I think it is disappointing that we feel that we have to degrade others in order to feel better about ourselves. The "dirty Jersey" comment that Ashley brought up is an expression that I've heard a lot in the media. If you watch a comedy show on television a large percentage of the humor is at the expense of others. It is no wonder that we have so many stereotypes about each other because they are promoted in our society.