How to Oregonians feel about Calif. transplants (Portland, Eugene: construction, college)

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

It wasn't me that brought up the book. But I think the subject came up in another related conversation. It may have been TexasDiver, a native Oregonian, who also happens to be a teacher and has enlightened me on similar topics before.

I'm thinking there should probably be a recommended 'must read' list for Oregon newbies. I mean some do want to learn more about their new culture including a better understanding of its history, people and socioeconomic factors. If nothing else, it helps one to avoid offending someone without even realizing how or why. Ignorance isn't always bliss.

Derek

I know I brought it up once; someone else had read it as well, maybe Tx. It's definitely worth reading, but I think it's important to remember that it only tells a part of Oregon's story.

If I were writing a guide for incoming Californians, I think the first thing on my list would be to drop the virtue signaling, whether it's about your "rescue," your holier-than-though dietary preferences, or the purity of your political views. The second would be to refrain from complaining when you can't find an In-and-Out Burger or a Trader Joes. Probably not a good idea to assume that whatever anti-California sentiment that exists in Oregon all comes from the red side of the street, although they seem to be the most vocal about it. Other than that, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I know I brought it up once; someone else had read it as well, maybe Tx. It's definitely worth reading, but I think it's important to remember that it only tells a part of Oregon's story.

If I were writing a guide for incoming Californians, I think the first thing on my list would be to drop the virtue signaling, whether it's about your "rescue," your holier-than-though dietary preferences, or the purity of your political views. The second would be to refrain from complaining when you can't find an In-and-Out Burger or a Trader Joes. Probably not a good idea to assume that whatever anti-California sentiment that exists in Oregon all comes from the red side of the street, although they seem to be the most vocal about it. Other than that, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

The hardest one would be Trader Joes. We can live without In-and-Out and get an occasional fix when on travel. But if you must have Trader Joes, move to a large enough city that has one or else cut your losses. Oregon has a good number including Portland, Salem, Corvallis, Bend, Eugene, etc... They'll probably never start one along the OR coast without enough critical mass or demand. Though some may petition the Trader Joes gods, I doubt they're listening. lol

Decent Mexican food is another thing I hear California transplants complain about depending on where they move to. However, with a big enough city, you'll likely find something pretty decent. It's not as bad as some other states further from the boarder. For small towns though, that's not always the case. So, learn to make your own fish tacos or start your own restaurant/food truck. We have one CA transplant couple in Vancouver who just opened a good one switching careers after moving here. They seem to be doing well making some good food people enjoy.

Derek

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I know I brought it up once; someone else had read it as well, maybe Tx. It's definitely worth reading, but I think it's important to remember that it only tells a part of Oregon's story.
....

I enjoy listening to authors tell their stories through follow-up interviews as well. Here is the PBS interview with Nicolas Kristov describing the challenges his community faced while growing up in rural Oregon. It's interesting to hear some of the analogies used when describing skillsets that were in high demand as a society at one time which have now become less in demand. Hard work wasn't necessarily the problem such as being able to take apart a car and put it back together.



Then, in this interview with University of Michigan, he's asked by a student about his biases. He comments that we are a bundle of biases and one not recognized is an 'urban bias' which I realized is a lens I look at the world through without necessarily knowing it. He also talks about the loss of a sense of Hope and a sort of self-loathing despair which is like a self-fullfilling prophecy when it comes to his friends 'on the bus' he grew up with who are now dead or in prison.




Derek

[Metlakatla]

We have a couple of long-standing Mexican cafés here and a newish one with authentic food, but I think that's unusual for a coastal community of this size.

There is a Trader Joe's in Eugene, and you can get nearly anything that Trader Joe's sells online from Amazon, so I'm not sure what the fixation with getting a Trader Joe's here is all about.

[Metlakatla]

^Thanks; I've seen the video but am going to watch it again later or tomorrow. Like him, many of those I went to school with in Podunk fell by the wayside one way or another. A good friend did her master's thesis on the similarities between the people of my hometown and the people of rural Appalachia. My sister and I survived the great timber meltdown through an accident of birth as the daughters of Democrats of the professional class; we just weren't affected much by it.

But California liberals are different. To me, they seem more about weird stuff like "natural medicine," various types of New Age hocus pocus, and virtue signaling about their plant-based diets, rescues, and responsible consumer choices than about deeply held beliefs about Democracy. In other words, lifestyle liberals who often hurt their own causes by being ridiculous.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

^Thanks; I've seen the video but am going to watch it again later or tomorrow. Like him, many of those I went to school with in Podunk fell by the wayside one way or another. A good friend did her master's thesis on the similarities between the people of my hometown and the people of rural Appalachia. My sister and I survived the great timber meltdown through an accident of birth as the daughters of Democrats of the professional class; we just weren't affected much by it.
....

Ok, yes, they talk about that factor. That is how Americans in particular sometimes take too much credit for their station in life when there were other factors and people (family, teachers, mentors) that helped get them to where they are today. While many successful people have worked hard, they also had life situations which helped them nurturing that process. But like the kids on his Yamhill school bus, many of them had just as much potential. They just happened to be born into a completely different situation, home life and negative socioeconomic cycle. Of course they eventually blamed themselves for all of that which led to the negative cycle continuing.

Interestingly, during his life work addressing poverty as a journalist, he focused both on domestic poverty as well as foreign. So, he has a lot of experience to pull from. Most recently he actually wanted to run for governor of Oregon but was disqualified due lack of the residency length requirement even though his family has a farm in Yamhill and was raised in Oregon living in the state for many years.

Derek

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

Those trees are a crop just like broccoli is a crop. They have been planted by man, cared for by man, and then get harvested and replanted.

Nobody planted those trees so lifelong Californians can drive around, think about how pretty the trees are, and how it means they are a nature lover because they admire the trees and thus know better than anyone else about how to care for them..

Oregon has nice forests because Oregonians have taken care of the forests.

There are plenty of strict laws about logging and re-planting, and watersheds. No need for Californians to come in and decide that they have moved here from a destroyed ecosystem but they know better than the people who have lived in Oregon all of their lives. Those clear cuts are the best way to manage both the forest and the wildlife.

Californians who think they are the only ones who know best have managed to bring us laws that cause the forests to burn, in case you wake up wondering why your input isn't welcome.

The forests were there long before there were any humans in North America.

And I'll bet there are plenty of native Oregonians (and transplants from places other than CA)
who take issue with clear-cutting.

[SlideRules99]

Good comments in this thread. I am often amused reading restaurant reviews in Yelp, Google etc. written by some Californians. The template is…

“I’m from (fill in the blank with CA city), so I know my (fill in the blank with type of cuisine).”

There seems to be a strong need to self affirm the “CA is center-of-the-world” sentiment.

I get it. But it comes across poorly elsewhere.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by SlideRules99

Good comments in this thread. I am often amused reading restaurant reviews in Yelp, Google etc. written by some Californians. The template is…

“I’m from (fill in the blank with CA city), so I know my (fill in the blank with type of cuisine).”

There seems to be a strong need to self affirm the “CA is center-of-the-world” sentiment.

I get it. But it comes across poorly elsewhere.

Yeah, its probably similar for other larger international cities/areas which have an abundance of high quality, relatively affordable cuisine from around the world. With so much competition among restaurant owners, they have to be great to survive. So, that is the norm and becomes one's benchmark. Then, as one travels the US, its can be a very stark contrast with some areas a complete disaster when simply trying to find decent Indian, Thai, Mediterranean, Chinese, Peruvian, Italian, Korean, Mexican food, etc... When we lived in Colorado it was actually much worse with mostly watered down, big box chain restaurants like a lot Americana suburbs. And even really 'bad' international cuisine was thought of as pretty good locally. So, you kinda just give up after a while and instead enjoy them while traveling somewhere else.

But yes, it likely comes off as smug if one says "I know" even if they really do from first hand experience. For example, if from San Diego, they really do know great Mexican food with Mexico literally right there. I'm not sure if there is an equivalent in the PNW maybe near the Canadian border. Although I've never heard of authentic Canadian food. lol

But to your other point, yes, California is not the center of the universe. There are other cities around the world with great food or even better depending on what one enjoys. I've also laughed at how some think they have the corner on the market for best beaches. There are quite a number who don't travel much and just assume San Diego has the most beautiful beaches in world which isn't even close to true. Some have not ventured north of LA.

Derek

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by NW4me

The forests were there long before there were any humans in North America.

And I'll bet there are plenty of native Oregonians (and transplants from places other than CA)
who take issue with clear-cutting.

Have you even been to Oregon or do you just have some unrealistic fantasy stuck in your head? Most of us go about our average lives for years without even seeing a clearcut. And of course there are native Oregonians who "take issue with clearcutting;" that doesn't mean we can't/don't have empathy/understanding for what happened to our communities and our people as the result of environmental regulations.

You sound like the quintessential entitled Californian, down to calling yourself an "Oregonian at heart."