10 Stereotypes About Iowa That Need To Be Put To Rest – Right Now
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Michaela Kendall
Author
We Iowans love our great state, so of course we get a little irritated when out-of-staters say things like: “Oh, you’re from Iowa? I’m so sorry,” or “Iowa is only good for one thing – flying over.” Our state is one of the very best places to live, so when we hear these 10 common stereotypes about Iowa, we get a little prickly…
Anyone who has ever ridden RAGBRAI can attest that Iowa is most definitely not flat.
Obviously you haven't spent much time in Iowa if this is what you think about our state. Contrary to popular belief, there is so much more to Iowa than cornfields.
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This one is just laughable. There is an abundance of things to do in Iowa, and I can guarantee that none of them involve watching the corn grow.
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Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of farmers in Iowa, and being a farmer is something to be proud of, but saying that everyone in Iowa is a farmer is a bit of a sweeping generalization. Actually, one of the largest employers in the state is Rockwell Collins, an international avionics and information technology company headquartered in Cedar Rapids.
There are plenty of rural communities and small towns across Iowa, but Iowa's population is actually more urban than rural.
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Sure, we may have a "drive your tractor to work/school day" once a year, but unless you're a farmer, you don't drive your tractor to work... or even own one...
People like to joke that Iowans are rednecks and hicks, but the joke is on them because Iowa has the highest literacy and graduation rates, and we are home to Iowa City, which is one of the six UNESCO Cities of Literature.
For some reason, a surprising number of out-of-staters think that we don't have indoor plumbing or electricity... But this is obviously not true, our standards of living are the same as everyone else's.
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People who say that Iowa has no culture have probably never been to the Czech Village in Cedar Rapids, or Des Moines' East Village, or Pella, or Elk Horn, or Orange City, or St. Donatus... You get the point.
You can call it what you want, even a fly-over state, but we Iowans are happy to call it home.
What are some more stereotypes about Iowa you wish you could put to rest?
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