CHILLICOTHE OHIO: Appalachians have low educational attainments, high poverty rates and poor health standards; they are under-represented in politics, are subject to many negative stereotypes; and face language and dialect problems when communicating with others. This essay argues that Appalachians are a distinct cultural group, who have experienced oppression and marginalisation similar to that endured by racial and ethnic minorities such as the African, Native and Mexican Americans. The major concern raised is that, while it is no longer considered socially acceptable in mainstream America to make racial slurs or attribute a lack of intelligence to ethnic minorities, use of terms such as: hillbilly, redneck, white trash, and trailer trash, and their connotations of ignorance, incest, inferior genetics, poor hygiene and more, is common in American academic circles, politics and especially the media (Mahaney, 2003; Bauer & Growick, 2003; Heilman, 2004). The inclusion of Appalachians in multicultural texts, research and academic discussion is imperative for this group to escape the cycles of poverty, ignorance , racism, and poor health so pervasive in the hills of Appalachia and the urban hollers many have migrated to.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 13:35:44 +0000