Nope. I spent equal parts of my childhood in NY and SD, but I went to high school and have now lived for the longest time for in PA. I can’t imagine describing myself as a ‘Pennsylvanian’ (or more likely a ‘Philadelphian’ since I have lived less than a mile outside the city limits for a long time - most people in my area seem very proud to live near Philly, are fanatical about the sports teams, etc even if they’ve never lived in the city proper). I just live here, I like the area fine (though the weather is not my preference), but mostly I like the people I know and that’s the only thing keeping me here. I can think of hundreds of other places I’d like to live.
I feel some connection to the towns/areas I have lived in, but not to the states themselves. In fact I think South Dakota is in the running for the shittiest America state, though my hometown there was adorable and I have many fond memories. Maybe this would be different if I’d grown up in the same place. But probably not, feelings like patriotism or loyalty to much of anything besides myself don’t come naturally to me.
I’m from liberal California and I love it. The weather, the diversity, the voting record (for the most part), and the power. I have active animosity towards many southern states
Yes–I have a significant degree of pride/fondness/nostalgia for my state. That state would be Minnesota, where I haven’t even visited in almost twenty years.
I have lesser degrees of attachment for places I’ve lived since then.
I’m hardly loyal to the United States. I’m glad I liver here, I like it, I think all things considered it is a pretty good set up, and while I live here I wouldn’t do anything to subvert it. But if ever a situation arose to put me in the direction of emigrating elsewhere I don’t think I’d have any problem becoming the citizen of some other country instead.
Having loyalty to a state strikes me as about on par with being proud of having a pancreas.
Whether they’re from Minneapolis, St. Paul or one of the innumerable suburbs, we just call them “Cities people” where I live. We don’t really care which city or suburb they live in; we just know they’re not from around here.
I was going to say this. I’m fond of Minnesota. I don’t have what I would call loyalties though. I wouldn’t go to war for Minnesota. I don’t think Minnesota is better than other place. It is some place I like, and some place I know I will always fit in. It’s where my childhood memories are from.
When travelling, I can be either from Minnesota or from Minneapolis, depending on what people will recognize. In fact, I’m from a suburb, but no one would ever know it. In the area, I’m from “The Cities”.
Sure I do. Illinois (central Illinois specifically), for all its faults, is my home. I was born here, I’ve lived most of my life here. It’s where my house, church, family and job are.
But that’s not to say I wouldn’t be on the first plane to Miami if I won the lottery (better weather, don’t you know?).
I have lived in West Virginia all my life, and I certainly feel loyal toward it. Mostly it comes from a need to defend the state from all the negative stereotypes. I would welcome a chance to live somewhere else, but I will always consider myself a West (by God) Virginian.
I have some loyalty, particularly to Northern California, but it’s really more a regional thing. I consider myself from a “western state”. I’m pretty sure I’d be just as much at home in Oregon or Washington. I think of myself as distinctly not a midwesterner, or southerner, or easterner.
I was so Texas proud. It took me along time to say I was an Alaskan rather than a Texan. I still feel a little twinge when I say it but I am much prouder of Alaska than Texas.
State pride is big for me. More so than the country as a whole.
I really like the state I live in now. When I refer to “home,” though, I mean that little tiny town in western Kentucky that I escaped the second I was able. I’ll probably never live in Kentucky again, but it’s where my roots run the deepest.
I’m going to second this (except that I went to college in U-C ;)). I identify far more with the city of Chicago than the state, to the point where I can get a little wistful when I see pictures of the skyline or various monuments.
