In America, often times we group our country into two broad categories: the North and the South. This logic has been carried throughout the Civil War and still exists now. However, it is not that simple. Within the south and even slightly into the north, there is a region called Appalachia. It is an area surrounded by the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. It is characterized by immense poverty, Conservative values, and strong family ties. There are many great things about the area and many negative, as well.
You would assume that since I live here, I would have known that since I was born that I was Appalachian. Actually, I didn’t know until I was a sophomore in high school. My school began offering a class called Appalachian Literature and my teacher taught me the most valuable lesson school has ever taught me. She taught me my heritage. After taking the class, I finally had a sense of belonging. You see, I live in a very small town in East Tennessee that borders Kentucky. I always heard things about the South that I did not feel applied to my little town. This is because Appalachia isn’t just the South. This area is extremely unique and cannot just be broadly categorized.
Southern Appalachia has been stricken with poverty for a very long time. Appalachians are known for making due with what they have and trying to remain positive. According to the FAHE, the ARC stated in their 2010-2014 report that the poverty rate in the United States was 15.6% while the rate in the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia was 19.7% . The difference is astonishing, yet it goes unnoticed by people due to the lack of reporting on the issue. One of the biggest issues in the region is the low pay rates. People just don’t make enough money to live on and I have personally watched people in my community struggle just to put food on the table. It is extremely sad to watch an area with such culture starve.
The culture of Appalachia is so rich for many reasons. Appalachians have unfortunately been historically uneducated. This was not willfully, however, as the government did not place much funding in the area for a very long time. The area was neglected and people had to work in places like coal mines from a young age to help their families. This meant that education was not a focal point in their life. Due to this, Appalachia has an unique dialect and way of speaking. There are many unique words and phrases used by Appalachians and a lot of interesting pronunciations, especially by elders. Modern education has caused the newer generation to phase out a lot of their Appalachian dialect, however, you still can hear the thick accents throughout the region. People like my grandmother still use a lot of colorful Appalachian language. It is something I hope never completely dies out as it makes Appalachia unique.
Something that causes judgment upon Appalachia are the extremely Conservative values present here. Appalachians are stubborn and most are born in the “bible belt” which means they were raised with strong Christian values. In my small town, there is not much racial or religious variety. People generally are white Christians who have strong Conservative values. I am used to this, as I was raised around it. However, there is danger in isolationism. Appalachians don’t always get the chance to see other people’s point of view because they are simply not present in our region. It is hard to understand someone if you have never spoke to them. It is hurtful for me to watch my region condemn people for being different, however, I understand that this is easy for them as they haven’t been exposed to a lot of these differences. On a brighter note, I have watched Appalachia become more open-minded through the years. Appalachians are changing but it will take time to see a large differences.
It is hurtful for me to watch my region condemn people for being different, however, I understand that this is easy for them as they haven’t been exposed to a lot of these differences.
In conclusion, I am not just Southern, I am Appalachian. Even though my home has issues, I am proud of our culture and history. My wish is that Appalachia continues to grow and accept people with open arms. This way, everyone can enjoy our beautiful mountains and delicious food. If you can, I highly recommend you visit our region and take advantage of our amazing national parks. You will not regret it.
Comments are closed.