Generalizations are often made about the more rural states. West Virginians are definitely no strangers to being portrayed stereotypically. Since the Mountain State’s inception, West Virginians have often been portrayed as backwoods, toothless hillbillies. Even today, these misrepresentations of West Virginians are still a part of both local and national subconsciousness.
Here is a look at the 5 worst stereotypes about West Virginia that need put to rest for good.
1. No, we're not stupid.
Just because West Virginia has the lowest number of residents with college degrees, people think it's ok to classify us as dumb. Nothing could be further from the truth. We've got ingenuity and we think outside the box, even without that expensive piece of paper.
2. No, we are not all toothless.
This strange stereotype has been around for forever. It can be connected to the untrue idea that we're all poor and can't afford health or dental care. The truth is that West Virginians visit dentists and practice good dental hygiene just like people in every other state.
3. No, we are not all hillbillies.
The roots of the West Virginia hillbilly stereotype are run deep in our history. It began in the 1800s when writers came to West Virginia and told tales of depressed and isolated communities. Instead of writing the truth about what they found, the writers decided that an exaggerated story would do better than the sad one they found. Soon the image of West Virginians as unsophisticated country people took off. Sadly, even today people mistake our simple rural life for being unsophisticated hillbillies.
4. Yes, we do wear shoes.
Somewhere along the line, West Virginians were stereotyped as barefoot (and, for the ladies, barefoot and pregnant). I for one hate wearing shoes and go barefoot as often as possible, but I do own shoes and I even wear them in public. This stereotype can also be linked to poverty: people think we are too poor to buy shoes. I hate to burst their bubbles, but West Virginians own shoes, and a lot of us - especially women - probably even own too many.
5. No, we do not all make, sell, or drink moonshine.
Moonshine making is a part of West Virginia history, and yes, there are people in the Mountain State that still make moonshine, but it is not common. Moonshine, of course, is illegal to make, but it is still made in Appalachia anywhere from Georgia to Pennsylvania. It is against both state and federal laws to distill moonshine at home, whether you are making a pint or 1,000 gallons. I’m sure if you look long and hard you can find someone to sell you a pint of moonshine in West Virginia, but moonshiners are extremely rare today.
These stereotypes are just silly when you really think about them. People from West Virginia are just like everybody else...but maybe with an extra helping of awesome thrown in.
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