JD Vance And "Hillbilly Elegy" Have It All Wrong — Here Are 9 Surprising Truths About Life In Appalachia
Hi, I'm Carley, and I'm a proud Appalachian. Appalachia is a very specific and often misunderstood region of the South. And yes, while the Appalachian Mountains range from Newfoundland, Canada, to central Alabama, I'm talking about the five states that mostly encompass Appalachian culture—Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky.
I, and many other Appalachians, feel our home gets a bad rap from the press, the entertainment industry, and others who view us only as hillbillies or rednecks. So, with all of the media surrounding JD Vance and the negative portrayal of "Appalachia" and its people in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, as well as the Netflix film adaption, I thought now would be the perfect time for a real Appalachian to debunk some common misconceptions about Appalachia:
1."Bless your heart" is not a derogatory expression.
I've heard this one for a while, and it bothers me. Neither I nor anyone I know has used "Bless your heart" to demean another person. "Bless your heart" is used as a way to express sympathy. For example, if my Mom is talking to a friend who's having a bad day or sees a baby crying, she'll say, "Bless your heart" or "Bless your little heart (if it pertains to children or animals). I'm not speaking for the South as a whole, but in Appalachia, if someone says, "Bless your heart," it truly means we care about you.
2.Our accent does not mean that we are unintelligent.
Many people hear a Southern drawl or Appalachian accent and automatically assume the speaker is intellectually inferior. This could not be farther from the truth. Our accent is actually derived from an older, more colonial form of English. Many of us speak with the same pronunciation and use many of the exact words that our English, Scots-Irish, and German ancestors used when they settled in the area during the 17th and 18th centuries. As many of the settlers became isolated due to the mountains and hollows (or hollers, as we call them) where they lived, their English did not develop the same slang and cadence as others who lived in more densely populated areas.
The stereotypes attached to our accents harm Appalachians' well-being in many ways, including financially. A 2014 study from Eastern Kentucky University found that the grammatical and pronunciation features of the Appalachian dialect have hindered employment for many Appalachians.
3.While we're on the topic of accents, there's not simply one "Appalachian" accent.
I'm a native Virginian, and I can usually tell if someone is from Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, or Kentucky in the first few minutes of speaking to them. Regional Appalachian dialects differ greatly, from slang terms to pronunciation. For example, in certain areas within mere miles of each other, these are some of the different terms used to describe a group of people:
Y'all
You'uns
Yinz (yes, it's mostly a Pennsylvania thing, but it has worked its way down)
Appalachian dialect is a beautiful and diverse addition to the English language that deserves to be respected and not looked down on as the black sheep of American accents.
4.It's pronounced — "Appa-latch-uh"
I'm not a linguist, but if you're in Appalachia, you need to know how we pronounce it here. Most people who are not from the region pronounce Appalachia as "Apple-Aysha," but native Appalachians pronounce it as "Appa-latch-uh."
5.We really don't enjoy repeating words for other people.
One of an Appalachian's most dreaded moments is when we're conversing with a non-Appalachian, and they say, "Your accent is so cute, you sound so country," or, "I love how you say (fill in the blank), will you repeat it for me?" Comments like these begin at a very early age for an Appalachian, making us self-conscious from the moment we learn to speak. (For reference, I was three years old the first time I was asked to repeat a word due to my accent).
On the surface, these comments may seem like compliments — a way of saying, "I love your accent and the dialect it represents." However, they usually come off as dissing the speaker by implying that they cannot be easily understood or that their accent is "quaint."
Note: I'm not saying we are bothered by repeating words if someone cannot hear us; I'm talking about the mortifying process of being asked to repeat yourself so others can hear your adorable "accent" (it happens more than you think).
6.We're not clannish.
This is one Appalachian myth that completely shocks me! Appalachian people are not clannish like we're shown in TV shows and movies. Appalachians are some of the friendliest and most welcoming individuals on the planet. We love meeting people and making new friends. If you stop by the typical Appalachian home, even for a brief visit, we'll ensure you're fed, offered a drink (probably sweet tea), and comfortable. Everyone I know would give a stranger the shirt off their back; it's how we were raised.
7.Most movie and TV portrayals of Appalachia are highly inaccurate.
Take a moment and think of a movie or TV show involving Appalachia or the South in general. Did any positive examples come into your mind? People often think of Deliverance, The Silence of the Lambs, Justified, or even the recurring SNL sketch, "Appalachian Emergency Room," in reference to Appalachian portrayals in the media. These depictions of Appalachian life have greatly impacted how the world views us, most often as unhygienic, overall-wearing, banjo-picking hillbillies. Seeing what the world thinks of me, my family, and my home is disheartening.
However, it seems as though the tide may be turning regarding Appalachian media portrayals. More positive depictions of Appalachian life and people are popping up in novels and on social media, usually written or created by Appalachians themselves.
8.It's not all biscuits and gravy...
One misconception I despise is that Appalachians only eat unhealthily. Yes, we do occasionally enjoy fried chicken and melted butter on a fresh, hot slice of cornbread, but it's not a 24/7 butter and lard buffet. (Call it an Appalachian abomination, but I don't even like biscuits and gravy).
Many Appalachians grow their own gardens and preserve the harvested vegetables so that they can eat their favorite fresh veggies all year round. Tomatoes, squash, greens (turnip or collard, usually), and many other vegetables are staples of the Appalachian diet. Many recipes, such as the aforementioned biscuits and gravy, were a byproduct of difficult times throughout Appalachian history when the choices were either a less nutritious meal or no meal at all.
9.We are not the white trash we are portrayed to be; there are many successful Appalachians, but the world teaches us to hide parts of ourselves to be respected.
Shhh, you want to know a secret? Appalachians are everywhere. It seems that a lot of people, whether knowingly or subconsciously, believe Hillbilly Elegy-esque stereotypes — but it's just not true.
From doctors and lawyers to artists and musicians, Appalachia is a vibrant community with many wonderful and successful individuals making a difference in the world.
What are your thoughts? Did I miss any Appalachian misconceptions? Are there any fellow Appalachians who agree or disagree with my opinions? Tell me what you think in the comments below!
