Reconciling Rurality
Growing up in rural Pennsylvania I realized was both a blessing and a challenge. There is an image of small-town America that is depicted by Hollywood and is sometimes reinforced by what we see in the news media. These communities are usually shown as being quiet, traditional, and tranquil. Sometimes we are portrayed as being ultra-conservative. There is no denying that there are those who fit this image. There are those who are completely dedicated to a vision of America where they see themselves following in the footsteps of faith and tradition. More often, this leadership looks and sounds like a White man who can speak confidently even about things that he has no idea about. Usually he is surrounded by other White men and sometimes he has women who are quiet on stage (however they may be more vocal behind the scenes).
This depiction fails to understand the depth and scope of Americans living in rural communities. It is misleading for rural Americans and those who rarely (if ever) encounter us. While we can argue that we shouldn't care about what others think of us...it is disappointing when negative stereotypes are perpetrated to justify political agendas. Just like in many other nations-- America's political parties know that holding sway is necessary. One of the best tactics to maintain power is to create an image or symbol that people can rally behind and/or stand against. For many rural Americans...it is one that often pits them against metropolitan communities and especially those individuals who do not look like them.
I would not trade my rural roots for anything in the world. The life lessons I learned from this upbringing were critical. Kindness and generosity were among those strong interpersonal skills that served me well and set me apart from my peers. This was a skill that I developed even as I saw the world around me continue to grow uglier with violence and intimidation. For instance, when I was growing up my high school experienced bomb threats from classmates. In a completely separate occasion, one of my older classmates even created a hit-list of faculty and staff he wanted to target. After I graduated, my family members who kept attending often told me stories about White supremacists and other extremist groups who were actively recruiting young students to causes that perpetrated violence-- especially towards those who disagreed or were different.
Coming of age in a rural community is interesting. People expect your life to be peaceful but really you are often surrounded by stories of drug busts, petty crime, violent crime, and a growing concern about extremist ideologies. Throw in a struggling economy, health crisis, and climate change and you have a recipe for disaster.
At the end of the day though I am not only a result of my upbringing but also my own decisions. Even when I was young and still learning about my place in the world I knew deep down that my background as a rural resident in America would be a point of interrogation for me. Most of my family identities with the politics that President Trump and his allies espouse. It is not surprising that in a society that thrives off division...that rural residents are often pit against urban and suburban ones.
There is a definite temptation that many give into...one that pits rurality against metropolitan and suburban spaces. Oftentimes we are made out to be an epic force for all that is "American." Meanwhile, our home lives are often as fractured as any that you will find in any urban scape. We also have less access to resources and the very centers we relied on to build community and self-sufficiency were all undermined due to economic restructuring. While our school performance records show us outperforming urban counterparts (which is an issue that needs to be addressed)...we are still trailing far behind our suburban ones.
Our communities are also vastly misunderstood. I am not talking about the racism, or the sexism, or any other ism you can think of. (Let's not sugarcoat it. That is also present.) I am talking about this portrait into which we-- those who survive[d] in rural communities-- have all been painted. Instead of getting to know the intricacies, we are usually depicted as being all White, "conservative", and backwards.
Certain things get ignored with this image:
1) We ignore the fact that rural communities are just as dynamic and complex in scope as their urban parts...with rich histories and cultures.
2) That rural America is not just made up of White people who speak English, and that not all people who we categorize as Black or Brown live in the cities. Women are also pinnacle (though definitely overlooked) in our communities. LGBT people and people with physical and mental disabilities also exist here too.
3) Meanwhile, the opioid epidemic and economic destitution raised crime rates to notorious levels. Our family members and community circles struggle with alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse and addiction. Domestic violence, sexual assault, incest, and violent acts also permeate our communities. What's worse is that these crimes often get swept under the rug and hidden away or overlooked by authoritative figures.
4) Rural America will be just as impacted by climate change as anyone else. Already we see how the temperatures are impacting agriculture and how disasters across the world have left us in a state of vulnerability. The slower rate for us in accepting new levels of technology (some chosen and some not) have also left us further behind than our peers in more densely populated areas.
5) Those who perpetuate systemic violence are also likely to inflict harm on those who are closer to them. Rural communities also experience bomb threats, mass shootings, and other acts of terror just as their urban counterparts do. The idea that everyone in these communities gets affiliated with people in these groups is also destructive, especially since oftentimes we also suffer from the injustice. We are the survivors that are haunted and we have the added bonus of reconciling the fact that the perpetrators may have been someone we or our families knew.
Make no mistake, I know full well that some of this is the fault of rural communities and the members who live in them. I am not going to say that we are not responsible for our own destinies, for that will take away all sense of agency and completely defeat the philosophical purpose of living in any form of democratic institution. We do need to take action to address the problems in our communities. Yet this idea that we are entirely to blame is faulty especially when there are a lot of barriers against us.
Since I too fled my hometown, I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it on occasion. But then I remember that I am able to have these experiences and reconcile them with the life that I am building now. These are the results of the decisions I have made. Just as I wouldn't change my roots, I wouldn't change my resolve to build the life I am now. The opportunities I seek and the experiences I desire you can rarely find in the small towns I grew up in.
Instead of trapping myself in a helpless mentality, I have the ability to raise awareness to what is happening in our rural and global communities at large. Rural America is just as much a part of the diversity of America and the world as anywhere else. We are in a unique place. Our resolve, our hearts, and our wits are just as valuable in the movement for diversity and inclusion.
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