My City Can Beat Up Your City

when i decided to move from Hamtramck, MI to Seattle, the most common question posed to me was,”doesn’t it rain everyday there?”. following closely in second place was,”i hear that Seattle has the highest suicide rate in the country.” when we (my boyfriend, i mean … er … husband) and i travel back we are greeted as the people from Seattle. i am often asked if we met there (i think it’s because i am asian, but could be wrong). but that’s it. no one is interested in the culture or the beauty of the landscape. i find that most people in Michigan think if a state isn’t shaped like a mitten, there isn’t much to it. since we have been gone for over six years, when we go back we notice how white northern Michigan is. how everyone wears sweatshirts that advertise Michigan in different ways. i don’t feel entirely comfortable in public settings there. i feel like people are staring at us (they are).

when i moved to Seattle, people often asked where i am from. Seattle natives like to silently bask in the satisfaction that they are not transplants, because there are so many of us. they say,”how long have you lived here?” and post your answer they smile smugly and nod. people asked me whether i was shot at in Detroit. they say that they hear it’s like living in a war zone. they talk about the ‘midwest’ collectively and about the car companies. they figure we must have escaped horrible oppression there. i try to explain to them about how beautiful Lake Michigan is and really the whole of northern Michigan. they look at me as if Lake Michigan is a swimming pool and unworthy for lack of saltwater. it’s difficult to explain that it looks like the ocean, only calmer and more peaceful. sometimes when we go to the ID i feel as thought people are starting at us (they are).

the truth is that we enjoy almost anywhere we visit (although mark is certain i would not enjoy Tennessee) or live. and, the differences in perception are informative. this isn’t any sort of commentary on culture or anything like that. this is just something that’s been on my mind since we returned.