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If you’ve ever traveled internationally, you’ve probably experienced some sort of culture shock. It could be the rules different countries have for using the bathroom, the different kinds of foods they eat, their tipping culture (or lack thereof), you name it.
The thing is, the United States is so large that cultures can be wildly varied in different parts of the country. I know, as a native New Yorker who moved to Orlando 20-something years ago, that Central Florida was NOTHING like where I had grown up. The pace was slower, the term “bless your heart” wasn’t a nice thing, and any my “telling it like it is” was NOT well received.
We visit Texas once or twice a year and the vibe there is SO much different from Orlando. Or NYC (can you BELIEVE it???). My cousin lives in NH and the whole northeast is unlike anywhere else in the country. Southern California is very different from Northern California. And let’s not even get into how different Alaska and Hawaii are from the mainland.
Which brings us to something that was posted on Reddit a while back (I would give the author credit, but they’ve since deleted their account):
Americans, when you travel from state to state, do you feel culture shock or do you feel like it’s sort of the same culture, and why?
The replies the person got were very thought provoking:
- Great question! I think the variations are more region to region that state by state. And possibly rural vs urban. So, to take an example, New York City feels like its in a different country than say, rural Georgia. The aesthetics are different, the topics of conversation are different, the politics are VERY different. But if you visited Atlanta, GA you’d likely find a lot that’s similar to NYC, culturally. — John_Taylor_Turner
- My whole family lives on the east coast except for me and my immediate family. We moved to the west coast when I was 3. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shocked or horrified my family with my “west coast” ways. If you want to see culture shock in between states look no further than my own father shaming me for not liking “east coast” pizza — the_gay_kree
- I suppose a little bit when it go to New Orleans. That city is like a completely different country. — jeff_the-nurse
- I grew up in the NJ-NY metro area and moved to mid-Michigan in the late 80s and it was like I landed in Mars: no tall buildings, actual green space between towns/cities, WASP term can be aptly used and English was the only language spoken (hahaha), people who didn’t know each other greeted each other in the streets and on the bus, etc. I cried and cried until I got used to the pace.
Fast forward 2 years prior to the pandemic, inspired by Paul Theroux’s “Deep South”, we took our teenage daughter to TN, AL, AR, FL, LA, MS by car from MI. We drove parts of the Great River Road, Blues Highway, and the Natchez Trace. We found out the hard way that GPS may not work in the LA bayous nor the back roads of the MS Delta. We are a mixed-race couple and the looks we got when we stopped for directions and grub in small town cafes. Oy!! The look we got upon entering a restaurant in Vicksburg, I’ll never forget. But I still love the South for its architecture, history, literature, and FOOD!
We’ve also driven twice to CA from MI and been to both LA metro and SF metro. I love the Cali vibe. They are so laid back compared to NJ/NYers. No honking/yelling on LA hwy in gridlock, compared to Detroit, Newark, or Brooklyn. — aliasamandawho - It feels like a whole new country to me. I live in MA and when I travel outside of New England I feel like everyone is at a much more relaxed pace and people aren’t so angry. It’s nice. — TravelAllDay
- I live i CA and I have culture shock when I travel through the South. It is like another world several decades ago. — jsjca
- I think it has become more and more homogenized over time. Stick to the malls, big box stores and national did chains and it can be very much the same. But you can definitely still feel culture shock. One of the more recent and still relevant ones for me comes from growing up in the New York metro area. New York isn’t just the big apple, it’s also called the city that never sleeps. You can definitely find all sorts of stuff going on 24-7. Even in the suburbs you don’t have to go far to find something open in the middle of the night. Even traveling to other cities it’s shocking just how much of the places shut down at like 9 or 10pm. Outside the cities it’s like the only thing that’s 24-7 are some truck stops and about a 50-50 chance a motel check in is accessible. In the NY metro areas you don’t even get truck stops because there are gas stations and places to eat and hotels open all the time. — raz-0
- I’ve traveled to every state and lived my whole life in Pennsylvania. I wanna say every state has something to shock you or at least something you can say is unique about it.
I don’t see anybody here talking about how flat Indiana is, how blistering hot Arizona is, the way that Montana is full of Native American influence, Florida’s 50/50 mix of rich and homeless people, or how Tennessee managed to combine metro with urban living. The biggest factor between states is definitely the majority religion/race and how populated it is. — Jumpy-Economist - Hubby and I have traveled a lot in our 40 years of marriage. New Yorkers are quick to lay on the horn. North Carolinians are more laid back and definitely more friendly. — HizKiss
- texan here.. travel for work, its not really a shock.. but more of amazement when i hit big cities like NYC or boston, philly, cleveland, st louis , its not a culture shock, more of a people shock, adjusting to attitudes and the slang.
when you come from rural texas to boston.. when your asking for something. get to the damn point.
i feel in texas we butter people up befor asking for what we need. up north its just hurry up and ask because time is wasted for them or something. — Trillaccountduh - Culture shock all the way! I grew up in nyc. Move to the bay area CA at 23..while both places have a lot of diversity, bay area seemed much more culturally integrated. Moved to Yreka CA (northern) at 24..nothing but mountain white folk (hippies, rednecks, etc). Moved to st George UT–90% white and 90% Mormon–now that felt like a different country altogether..conservative af! Moved to ashland OR (southern and other side of Ca-OR border) at 27..again mountain white folk but with an artsy presentation of itself.. now a little more northwest of ashland but still in OR… so many white people but the history of this state wouldn’t have it any other way. — wildfordancers
- Yes. For that matter, I have it in states. Northwest Arkansas is laid back and diverse; Central Arkansas is uptight and blatantly segregated; South Arkansas is nearly tribal and super religious. — wilwarin11
- I had moved from deep southern Louisiana to Cali and lived there for 11 years, I never got used to it really and eventually moved back to Mississippi because I got home sick for the south, it was really a different world and all of the southern charm and hospitality that I grew up in was replaced with a more status driven and isolated culture; it kinda threw me for a loop bad — Phoenix-Angel
- More so I feel culture shock when traveling between regions. Big culture changes between the Northeast, the Midwest, the South, the Pacific Northwest, and the SouthWest.
Some states have broken up cultures too. Im from eastern PA and the center of Pennsylvania we call Pennsyltucky because of its conservative/redneck/Christian vibe. Driving west across that state is like metro Philly > Deep South > Appalachia > metro Pittsburgh. — mild_adventurer - Its gradual as you cross borders
Illinois to Georgia is a major difference
Illinois to Kentucky to Tennessee to Georgia and you barely notices it
And then you hit Florida and all bets are off — norris528e - Truck driver here. Used to do 48 state runs. I find more and more these days, the culture blends together. Especially in the general regions. Some states do have their unique traits they hold onto for sure, but, for the most part, the culture blends across state lines pretty well. With things like the internet increasing the spread of information and culture, the state cultures are becoming less clearly defined. There are differences, but it’s not a sharp enough contrast for “culture shock,” I’d say. — tygs42
- You have to remember that America is a country of migrants and ‘America’ is a big gumbo pot of every corner of the world mixed together. The diversity is so defining it is actually something that is almost consistent across the board and contributes to the one American culture. And even though everyone is from somewhere else (and people whose family have been here for several generations can trace their heritage back to many countries) it isn’t /where/ were from that defines our culture. American culture has and should be based on founding principles. I’m not American because my ancestors fought in the revolutionary warm, or because my great grandfather was among the first Marines to come as relief in WWI. I’m not American because I lean left or right, because of the language I speak or the religion I have. I’m American because I believe everyone has the right to freedom. I’m American because I believe you have the right to say what you want to say and will fight to the death for your right to say it. I’m American because I believe the government should be by and for the people. I’m American because I question the status quo and am not afraid to work to change it. A white daughter of the revolution and an immigrant who just stepped off the boat from China are equally American if they believe these things. I’m proud to be an American.
So to answer your question, yes there is diversity of culture when traveling within the US, but because our continuity is based on ideas and not background, it doesn’t feel foreign to me to go to another place in the US because wherever I go it is still the country that I know. — LibertyTreee
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