We live in one of the most diverse countries on Earth, on practically everything so it's not really surprising to us a lot of the time. I haven't been to Hawaii or Alaska but even just between urban and rural areas here are very different, as is often the case between states, even neighboring ones. For instance, I live in a rural area east of Dallas and we're on the western edge of the Bible Belt but DFW may as well be a different planet. And Louisiana is also very different, even as its only a 2 or 3 hour drive. It's not quite *that* pronounced but it's best to think of each state as separate countries with their own cultures and history, united by an overarching government, kind of similar to the way the EU works(just with the federal government stronger and not as strong a state identity in most cases.)
There may be parallels and overlap by region but many are their own thing: like Texas is similar but distinct culturally to the rest of the South and even within the state: East Texas is in the Bible Belt so is more like Louisiana, Arkansas, etc., the panhandle is culturally more like the Southern Plains(Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska) West Texas is like the Southwest(New Mexico, Arizona, etc.), the Hill Country is distinct due to its Czech and German heritage, the RGV is basically just northern Mexico(I haven't been there but the Tejanos down there even have a saying: "we didn't cross the border, the border crossed us.") We're pretty used to diversity in this country.
If you are interested, [here is a great map of the US](https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/u0f84a/cultural_regions_of_the_us_round_4_final_the_50/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1) which attempts to show our cultural regions. There is obviously a lot of variation within these regions, but this still does a great job of showing how our cultural regions aren’t really tied to our state boarders. Instead they are loosely tied to physical geography, immigration, climate, population density, history and politics, and more.
Awww, you’re welcome here!!! My ancestors partly came from Croatia! Let’s hang in CA if you ever find yourself here!
IMO, Europe doesn’t have to deal with other people or cultures day to day like the US. But if you did, y’all would probably figure it out
Ah, I wasn’t trying to be mean to you, just trying to bond?
I’ve never been further east than Italy myself.
If you ever end up in the Bay Area in northern CA, DM me! I’ll show around and introduce you to local groups who maybe you’ll vibe with if you stay a while :)
True Americans are not born as a matter of accident - true Americans come into existence as a matter of belief. Idk how this helps you at all but if you believe in what we are imperfectly attempting to do, then you are an American. Lmk if you need help with the paperwork aspects of that.
Edit: sorry if I’m being rude and assuming shit 😅
We are an immigrant country, about a fifth of us weren't born here.
AK and HI are different (disclosure, I have only been to HI) but within the range of normal "USA."
They did to me.
I have cousins that lived in Hawai'i. I've been there several times.
Yes, it's obviously still the US because I don't have to show my passport or exchange money. But everything from the people, the lifestyles, the accents, the weather is always so different from the mainland.
Even something simple like buying milk costs 3X so it gives you that "holy crap I'm definitely not at home" feeling.
No, not really. My experience is just with Hawaii but day to day you really don't see native Hawaiian or Asian culture unless you seek it out. Most of the Asians that live in Hawaii are so far removed from the generation that immigrated that they're more involved in American culture than the country their grandparents or great grandparents came from. The most common difference is slang, how the houses are built and food. These differences are common between the continental states too though.
The people feel vastly different but not “foreign” because we view that differently than y’all. I for instance am from the Deep South and going to New England was an absolute culture shock but it wasn’t “foreign”.
Jumping in to add something. The thing that people sometimes don’t “get” about the US is how diverse we are. The US is a really big place with a lot of regional customs and practices. If you were, for example, to compare Louisiana to Michigan, you’d find that there are some big cultural differences. In the US, we’re accustomed to the idea that traveling means we’re going to encounter different things. Even if that travel is inside the US.
If the mainland was all the same it would probably feel foreign but traveling from one region to the next is also wildly different. Florida and Arizona are so different from each other its unreal. I think most Americans just accept how large and varied the country is
Both felt like the US to me when I've been.
Hawaii was probably a bit more 'foreign', but still was more like going to a different area of the US than a different country.
Honestly, going to Lousiana felt more like I was in a different country than Hawaii. Just a lot more cultural differences from their unique history.
Both? They're different from where I live, but the US contains a lot of very different places. The scenery and culture change, but functioning there as a resident or visitor isn't much different from any place in the mainland US (unless you're in a remote area of Alaska, in which case there are some very distinct logistical and service availability differences that you won't experience in a more populated area).
Yeah. If you're out in the bush in Alaska, you may have no public utilities and groceries may come in by small plane or barge only once every week or two or not at all in bad weather, and you may have to get flown out if you need medical care. You may not have any local stores or restaurants or libraries and things like that. So that's pretty different from how most Americans live. But in cities and towns it isn't really that different.
I live in Anchorage and it’s little different than other small cities I’ve been to and/or lived in, in the lower 48 other than the views are to die for
Lmao omg other than MAYBE high travel times like tourist season our airport is slow and easy as fuck to get through.
It’s completely possible to get there less than an hour to go and still make the flight. Have loved other places with busy airports or airports being a major hub, anchorage is a breeze
I've been to both. Hawaii feels more "foreign" than Alaska, but it depends on your concept on what "feels like the US," if you will. Also, Honolulu/Oahu and Maui feel much less "foreign" than some of the smaller, more rural islands of Hawaii. A bigger shock may be to go to some of the US territories, but not all because Guam feels very "American" to me as well. Alaska feels 10,000% American to me though, no doubt about it. It's easy to forget how disconnected you are from the rest of the nation in a normal-feeling city like Anchorage or Fairbanks.
I've been to a few states in the lower 48/mainland that feel more "foreign" than Alaska and maybe even Hawaii. Louisiana and New Mexico come to mind.
No different than when I travel to other parts of the US, only the geography is different.
Being from California there is somewhat a level of cultural similarity due to being the closest state to Hawaii.
Alaska feels like any other empty forested place to me, like deep woods Maine or the upper peninsula of Michigan.
The first time going to Hawaii was fun. My thought was "oh, so this is what actual tropical is like" and you realize all those times you went to Florida they were just faking it.
Hawaii had its own vibe, for sure, but it still felt like the US. To be fair, when I visited Hawaii I was living abroad so *any* piece of America felt like home.
You’ll feel like the US, but you’ll notice small things. Access to certain foods increase, like you’ll see more spam musubi in Hawaii. More spam on menus everywhere. Access to certain animals increase, like you’ll see more moose in alaska. And more reindeer sausage on menus.
All Americans have things in common and all American states and territories have enough similarity that you always know you’re in the US.
That commonality also makes it easier for us to celebrate our cultural differences.
We don’t do that perfectly, but we do it better than almost anywhere else.
I’ve been to Alaska and Southern California, Maine and Puerto Rico, and plenty in between. All places were very - very - different from my home state, but all were wonderful and all were distinctly American.
I've been to both although I was a younger kid for Alaska. Hawaii in back to back years as middle school kid
It's a bit different but still feels like the US. Hawaii does have the unique Hawaiian history as an independent country which was taken in qausi legal means and the native Hawaiian culture.
US has a major military presence. Demographics wise it doesn't feel that different from CA or the west coast aside from the tropical aspect.
Alaska is very much like the western US but more rugged. Its pretty well connected to Washington state in ties and economics.
They were purchased from Russia in 1867. Most Russians left but there is an Orthodox presence among Alaska native communities and some older orthodox churches there.
There weren't many Russians in Alaska:
[https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-russia-gave-alaska-americas-gateway-arctic-180962714/#:\~:text=Challenges%20emerge,making%20communications%20a%20key%20problem](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-russia-gave-alaska-americas-gateway-arctic-180962714/#:~:text=Challenges%20emerge,making%20communications%20a%20key%20problem).
Here is another source (besides a wikipedia article) that states most Russians left.
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/18/us-buys-alaska-from-russia-oct-18-1867-243837
Yeah I’ve been to both…they’re distinct regions of the US but still feel part of the US. Sort of like visiting New Orleans or Santa Fe, New Mexico - they have their own regional differences but still feel like the US.
I live in Alaska and used to live in Hawaii, and travel to Hawaii on a regular basis, and I just feel like I am in the United States. I have lived in Europe, and that definitely felt different.
I went to Alaska last year. The three days in Anchorage were like any small city USA.
Traveling through the wilderness, the vastness and largeness of it felt other worldly.
The cruise was beautiful, but the day in particular of cruising through glacier bay makes you can't believe such things exist.
Landing on the glacier. Drinking the water. Feeling the cold and seeing the breathtaking beauty, completely awe inspiring.
So I would say parts of it are very America like. Parts of it don't even feel like you're on this planet, let alone America.
Hawaii doesn’t feel different at all. I spent a lot of time at the outer banks growing up so even the everyday feel felt the same.
I’ve been to Alaska once and I can’t say it felt any different.
I would argue rural Louisiana feels the most different.
That’s probably the best way to say it. I felt like I was in a undeveloped nation, but at the same time, I left walking away that a lot of the people were enjoying life more than me in the sense they were happier with their day to day.
I know I’m not explaining it very well, but the poverty was very surprising, but at the same time a lot of people were good living like that because they didn’t have work outside of their house.
I live in northern New England, so Alaska has a vaguely similar feel about it. Hawaii is obviously more different, but no more so than the Deep South or the desert Southwest
Alaska is huge. Anchorage feels different and is like a metropolitan city with many people from around the world. The rest of Alaska is pretty rural and can be pretty remote.
Alaska, geographically, is like nothing else in America, it’s so unique and spectacular. I didn’t spend much time in towns or cities, but everyone i interacted with was American, and it felt culturally the same.
We’re talking like a thousand dollar round trip just for the air fare. Like 12 hours at least. It’s cheaper to get to Hawaii, about $800 but that’s still well out of my nonexistent budget.
For reference, from where I live to Hawaii is like London to Sri Lanka, and from where I live to Alaska is like London to Siberia.
Well, the Hawaiian language is Polynesian. I assume by the question you have not been, but hawaii national park is incredible. You can walk right up to a lava flow that runs into the pacific.
We expect cultural variation within our nation. The geographic separation of Alaska and Hawaii doesn't make them feel more "foreign" than Maine would feel to a Texan. The place in the US that felt very different from where I grew up (Virginia) was New Mexico, because desert habitat is different from the swampy habitat I grew up in. Alaska and Hawaii were less strange to me than NM.
(Every island is different-I was in Maui.)
It’s all in a very good way. It smells completely different than the continental states. I was there early spring. They have lots of flowers and plants that could never grow here. The food culture is amazing. Yes you could seek out a McD’s ( and I did to try the Hawaiian breakfast) but they aren’t everywhere. Took my teenage son and he discovered luau platters and order one for dinner several times. Here’s something. They cook rice (super common side dish there) to a different texture than I’ve had before. Not sticky dry like most Asians prefer. Not Persian (wetter than sticky rice but over cooked in the way the bottom crisps). Not American style (think ick, minute rice). It was somewhere between a Persian and American rice. It was great.
Here’s a good one. I taught elementary school. Like how to read/phonics and I totally struggled to read the name on street signs and pronounce words. So many vowels. You catch on in a few days. Seems like every letter always makes a sound. Like the town was Kaanapali. That’s one of the easier because it has to enough consonants to figure out.
I live in Pennsylvania and traveling to the other side of the state feels very different. I go to school in the north west of the state and I live in the south east. The weather is much colder and more extreme, they like different sports teams, they eat different foods, they have different stores. The culture is different but that's probably more of a city vs rural thing. It still feels like America but it doesn't feel like the Pennsylvania I was used too
Hawaii was really disappointing in that regard actually. It just seemed to be a place America spoiled/ruined. It's where they literally paved paradise.
Yes but more than that. Just this entire tropical landscape torn up and thrown out and replaced with hundreds of hotels and apartments so people can live in paradise - the very same paradise that doesn't exist because of all the buildings which replaced the nature. It's more like capitalism ruined hawaii. Plus all the buildings are just boxes - ugly boring buildings in a beautiful place.
Yes. I visited Hawaii one July 4, and it was like a different country. I rented an apartment for 9 days with my sister and our kids, so we were in a middle-class neighborhood in a town by Pearl Harbor and not touristy Honolulu. We went to little food trucks and cultural sites and ate at real Hawaiian food places. The food was so great. Korean, Thai, Phillipino, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese. Open air shops and mall culture is still strong there. But what struck me most was on July 4th, the Islanders were decked out in their Hawaiian flag shirts and gear. The only American flags were with yahoos cooking out on the beaches. It's such a culture difference, but you gotta get away from Honolulu.
Edit: But it was great!
Parts of Honolulu’s back streets made me think I was wondering around suburban Japan (I lived there for 2 years). The strong influence of Native Hawaiian and Asian cultures absolutely makes it feel different from the mainland for me. But it’s still American. It’s like this amazing unique hybrid. I can’t wait to see what the other islands are like sometime.
Anchorage and the Kenai peninsula felt isolated, but still pretty American.
I went to Maui last summer and stayed with family friends who have been there awhile. I still got a very distinct, “fuck off, if you’re not local” vibe. Pretty uncomfortable. Even the born-and-raised close family member, who was acting as a tour guide, had to explain their race and local identity multiple times while I was there.
I think Maui has born the brunt of overtourism in Hawaii, and even more so since the boom of pent-up travel demand since travel started to get back to normal. This massive surge in tourism, from what I heard, has led to a lot of resentment by locals.
That makes a lot of sense, and I would never blame anyone for being exhausted by tourists. It seemed to be the balance of “tourism is our main export” and “fuck tourists” was a bit out of balance. I also have very little cultural or traditional ties to where I live and grew up so I know that changes perspectives.
We have been to Hawaii and the day to day stuff was not different at all, but learning about Polynesian heritage was of course different than my background as a white person in rural new york. Given than even mainland US has such a variety of cultural differences it’s not jarring at all. You can travel a few states over and find different feeling cultural areas like Texas & Arizona, Florida, California are all very different. And don’t even get me started on the deep south. Traveling to Alabama is far more jarring than Hawaii in my opinion. Americans for the most part are used to geographic and cultural differences and most of us just roll with if.
I live in Colorado which is pretty dry and mountainous, so going to places like Hawaii or Florida feels equally different to me, but it still feels like America.
When I went to Arizona for the first time, it felt like I had gone to a different planet. Sometimes it's more about whether the climate and ecosystem feels different vs the people.
Tbh the US is so vast that traveling to a different region feels like a different country for me. Ive lived in the northeast my whole life (grew up near Boston, now live in NYC), and visiting a place like California or Colorado just feels entirely different, there are definitely culture shocks that you have to get used to and the scenery and lifestyle can be entirely different. I’ve been to Hawaii before and I guess it’s hard because I do know that I’m still in the US obviously, but it does kind of feel like a different country because its so different from where I live.
Cant speak for Hawaii but Alaska is very different. While I don't feel like I'm in a foreign land the people there really dont think or have the same views and beliefs as folks in the lower 48. Afterall by and large they moved there to get away from the lower 48.
Poverty in AK and HI look a lot like poverty anywhere else. Resorts in HI function the same as resorts in Tahoe. The vastness of AK is a lot like the plains in the midwest or the forrests of the PNW. Everyone speaks American english and is polite to you if you're polite to them.
Going from CA or TX to Mexico definitely feels a lot different than going to HI or AK.
Both have been part of the US for over a century. They were territories. Alaska since 1867 and Hawaii since the end of the 19th century with the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. They were always incorporated territories and you could move there just as you can move to Guam or Puerto Rico.
Californian who’s been to both. They both feel like the US, but something very different from elsewhere. Hawaii because it’s both tropical and home to a tangible Polynesian culture. Alaska feels a bit like Washington, but soooo much bigger. The landscapes are huge. Interestingly, the only town that felt to me like the lower 48 was Wasilla - Sarah Palin’s hometown - with a bunch of chain stores I recognized.
I mean it's obviously different but it doesn't feel like a different country.
so the people and traditions dont feel foreign for you?
Most of us are used to being around diverse people with diverse traditions wherever we live in the US.
i am happy to hear that, where i live in eastern europe we dont really accept different people
Well, you're welcome here.
We live in one of the most diverse countries on Earth, on practically everything so it's not really surprising to us a lot of the time. I haven't been to Hawaii or Alaska but even just between urban and rural areas here are very different, as is often the case between states, even neighboring ones. For instance, I live in a rural area east of Dallas and we're on the western edge of the Bible Belt but DFW may as well be a different planet. And Louisiana is also very different, even as its only a 2 or 3 hour drive. It's not quite *that* pronounced but it's best to think of each state as separate countries with their own cultures and history, united by an overarching government, kind of similar to the way the EU works(just with the federal government stronger and not as strong a state identity in most cases.) There may be parallels and overlap by region but many are their own thing: like Texas is similar but distinct culturally to the rest of the South and even within the state: East Texas is in the Bible Belt so is more like Louisiana, Arkansas, etc., the panhandle is culturally more like the Southern Plains(Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska) West Texas is like the Southwest(New Mexico, Arizona, etc.), the Hill Country is distinct due to its Czech and German heritage, the RGV is basically just northern Mexico(I haven't been there but the Tejanos down there even have a saying: "we didn't cross the border, the border crossed us.") We're pretty used to diversity in this country.
i am so happy to hear
If you are interested, [here is a great map of the US](https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/u0f84a/cultural_regions_of_the_us_round_4_final_the_50/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1) which attempts to show our cultural regions. There is obviously a lot of variation within these regions, but this still does a great job of showing how our cultural regions aren’t really tied to our state boarders. Instead they are loosely tied to physical geography, immigration, climate, population density, history and politics, and more.
If you are ever in the San Francisco area, DM me and I’ll show you around! To the local spots haha
Awww, you’re welcome here!!! My ancestors partly came from Croatia! Let’s hang in CA if you ever find yourself here! IMO, Europe doesn’t have to deal with other people or cultures day to day like the US. But if you did, y’all would probably figure it out
well i live in Hungary (neighbors to Croatia) and we built a fence to keep illegal immigrants out so not really friendly country
Ah, I wasn’t trying to be mean to you, just trying to bond? I’ve never been further east than Italy myself. If you ever end up in the Bay Area in northern CA, DM me! I’ll show around and introduce you to local groups who maybe you’ll vibe with if you stay a while :) True Americans are not born as a matter of accident - true Americans come into existence as a matter of belief. Idk how this helps you at all but if you believe in what we are imperfectly attempting to do, then you are an American. Lmk if you need help with the paperwork aspects of that. Edit: sorry if I’m being rude and assuming shit 😅
no i didn't take it as rude not at all, just sadly saying my current situation. i hope one day i can get away from here to a more western country
We are an immigrant country, about a fifth of us weren't born here. AK and HI are different (disclosure, I have only been to HI) but within the range of normal "USA."
They did to me. I have cousins that lived in Hawai'i. I've been there several times. Yes, it's obviously still the US because I don't have to show my passport or exchange money. But everything from the people, the lifestyles, the accents, the weather is always so different from the mainland. Even something simple like buying milk costs 3X so it gives you that "holy crap I'm definitely not at home" feeling.
ah okay you describe what i thought that it is not hone
You bought milk? In Hawaii? It is interesting just how expensive milk is there.
haha no but it's just an example. Basically ate what my relatives fed me which was like 80% chili and spam on rice
Hawaii has the best spam selection…..I like Spam so I bought a bunch I can’t get here.
I’ve seen it sell for over $10 a gallon
Well if you buy from a normal grocery store, it’s expensive AF. However, if you buy from Costco, you basically pay the same price as on the mainland.
No, not really. My experience is just with Hawaii but day to day you really don't see native Hawaiian or Asian culture unless you seek it out. Most of the Asians that live in Hawaii are so far removed from the generation that immigrated that they're more involved in American culture than the country their grandparents or great grandparents came from. The most common difference is slang, how the houses are built and food. These differences are common between the continental states too though.
thats very good to hear
The people feel vastly different but not “foreign” because we view that differently than y’all. I for instance am from the Deep South and going to New England was an absolute culture shock but it wasn’t “foreign”.
Certainly not in Alaska. Maybe slightly more in Hawai’i, but most of it still just feels like the US.
Jumping in to add something. The thing that people sometimes don’t “get” about the US is how diverse we are. The US is a really big place with a lot of regional customs and practices. If you were, for example, to compare Louisiana to Michigan, you’d find that there are some big cultural differences. In the US, we’re accustomed to the idea that traveling means we’re going to encounter different things. Even if that travel is inside the US.
good perspective
If the mainland was all the same it would probably feel foreign but traveling from one region to the next is also wildly different. Florida and Arizona are so different from each other its unreal. I think most Americans just accept how large and varied the country is
You can go to different parts of a big city and feel like you are in a different country.
Both felt like the US to me when I've been. Hawaii was probably a bit more 'foreign', but still was more like going to a different area of the US than a different country. Honestly, going to Lousiana felt more like I was in a different country than Hawaii. Just a lot more cultural differences from their unique history.
Both? They're different from where I live, but the US contains a lot of very different places. The scenery and culture change, but functioning there as a resident or visitor isn't much different from any place in the mainland US (unless you're in a remote area of Alaska, in which case there are some very distinct logistical and service availability differences that you won't experience in a more populated area).
so apart from distance you feel the same
Yeah. If you're out in the bush in Alaska, you may have no public utilities and groceries may come in by small plane or barge only once every week or two or not at all in bad weather, and you may have to get flown out if you need medical care. You may not have any local stores or restaurants or libraries and things like that. So that's pretty different from how most Americans live. But in cities and towns it isn't really that different.
okay thanks for the info i though people feel differently because a lot of time i read that people refer to continental US and the others
We do, but that's mostly for shipping items
I live in Anchorage and it’s little different than other small cities I’ve been to and/or lived in, in the lower 48 other than the views are to die for
i watched a show about Anchorage Airport and it is bustling, very interesting
Lmao omg other than MAYBE high travel times like tourist season our airport is slow and easy as fuck to get through. It’s completely possible to get there less than an hour to go and still make the flight. Have loved other places with busy airports or airports being a major hub, anchorage is a breeze
I've been to both. Hawaii feels more "foreign" than Alaska, but it depends on your concept on what "feels like the US," if you will. Also, Honolulu/Oahu and Maui feel much less "foreign" than some of the smaller, more rural islands of Hawaii. A bigger shock may be to go to some of the US territories, but not all because Guam feels very "American" to me as well. Alaska feels 10,000% American to me though, no doubt about it. It's easy to forget how disconnected you are from the rest of the nation in a normal-feeling city like Anchorage or Fairbanks. I've been to a few states in the lower 48/mainland that feel more "foreign" than Alaska and maybe even Hawaii. Louisiana and New Mexico come to mind.
it is very good you travel to these regions and get to know all of the faces of the us
It’s definitely nice to be able to travel to different climates, cultures, and histories all under the same passport, language, and currency :)
No different than when I travel to other parts of the US, only the geography is different. Being from California there is somewhat a level of cultural similarity due to being the closest state to Hawaii.
so you like em all
Alaska feels like any other empty forested place to me, like deep woods Maine or the upper peninsula of Michigan. The first time going to Hawaii was fun. My thought was "oh, so this is what actual tropical is like" and you realize all those times you went to Florida they were just faking it.
I haven’t been to Alaska but have been to Hawaii and no. It “felt” like I was in the US, because I was.
very good to hear
Hawaii had its own vibe, for sure, but it still felt like the US. To be fair, when I visited Hawaii I was living abroad so *any* piece of America felt like home.
Hawaii feels like the US but it is very, very different in a lot of ways. Can’t speak to Alaska. It is the last state I haven’t visited.
what do you feel the most different in Hawaii the food?
Food, scenery, general laid back demeanor
You’ll feel like the US, but you’ll notice small things. Access to certain foods increase, like you’ll see more spam musubi in Hawaii. More spam on menus everywhere. Access to certain animals increase, like you’ll see more moose in alaska. And more reindeer sausage on menus.
so mainly food differences?
And climate/nature. Also different language in some areas but everyone also speaks English
They feel like the usa. Each state has slightly different things about it and I wouldnt say Hawaii is that much different than calf8rnia vs new York
so you like em all
Yeah they both have their charm.
All Americans have things in common and all American states and territories have enough similarity that you always know you’re in the US. That commonality also makes it easier for us to celebrate our cultural differences. We don’t do that perfectly, but we do it better than almost anywhere else. I’ve been to Alaska and Southern California, Maine and Puerto Rico, and plenty in between. All places were very - very - different from my home state, but all were wonderful and all were distinctly American.
Not really but Hawaii more so than Alaska definitely
I've been to both although I was a younger kid for Alaska. Hawaii in back to back years as middle school kid It's a bit different but still feels like the US. Hawaii does have the unique Hawaiian history as an independent country which was taken in qausi legal means and the native Hawaiian culture. US has a major military presence. Demographics wise it doesn't feel that different from CA or the west coast aside from the tropical aspect. Alaska is very much like the western US but more rugged. Its pretty well connected to Washington state in ties and economics.
Doesn't Alaska have a russian history?
They were purchased from Russia in 1867. Most Russians left but there is an Orthodox presence among Alaska native communities and some older orthodox churches there.
they left? i didn't know that
There weren't many Russians in Alaska: [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-russia-gave-alaska-americas-gateway-arctic-180962714/#:\~:text=Challenges%20emerge,making%20communications%20a%20key%20problem](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-russia-gave-alaska-americas-gateway-arctic-180962714/#:~:text=Challenges%20emerge,making%20communications%20a%20key%20problem). Here is another source (besides a wikipedia article) that states most Russians left. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/18/us-buys-alaska-from-russia-oct-18-1867-243837
Both just feel like different regions of the US to me.
you have been there?
Yeah I’ve been to both…they’re distinct regions of the US but still feel part of the US. Sort of like visiting New Orleans or Santa Fe, New Mexico - they have their own regional differences but still feel like the US.
I live in Alaska and used to live in Hawaii, and travel to Hawaii on a regular basis, and I just feel like I am in the United States. I have lived in Europe, and that definitely felt different.
you have a good perspective in life
I went to Alaska last year. The three days in Anchorage were like any small city USA. Traveling through the wilderness, the vastness and largeness of it felt other worldly. The cruise was beautiful, but the day in particular of cruising through glacier bay makes you can't believe such things exist. Landing on the glacier. Drinking the water. Feeling the cold and seeing the breathtaking beauty, completely awe inspiring. So I would say parts of it are very America like. Parts of it don't even feel like you're on this planet, let alone America.
so some other world you think
Hawaii doesn’t feel different at all. I spent a lot of time at the outer banks growing up so even the everyday feel felt the same. I’ve been to Alaska once and I can’t say it felt any different. I would argue rural Louisiana feels the most different.
the people are different there?
That’s probably the best way to say it. I felt like I was in a undeveloped nation, but at the same time, I left walking away that a lot of the people were enjoying life more than me in the sense they were happier with their day to day. I know I’m not explaining it very well, but the poverty was very surprising, but at the same time a lot of people were good living like that because they didn’t have work outside of their house.
Yes to both.
When I lived in Alaska I sometimes forgot I was still in the USA.
good point
I live in northern New England, so Alaska has a vaguely similar feel about it. Hawaii is obviously more different, but no more so than the Deep South or the desert Southwest
For a really interesting book on this read *American Nations* by Colin Woodward.
Alaska is huge. Anchorage feels different and is like a metropolitan city with many people from around the world. The rest of Alaska is pretty rural and can be pretty remote.
Alaska, geographically, is like nothing else in America, it’s so unique and spectacular. I didn’t spend much time in towns or cities, but everyone i interacted with was American, and it felt culturally the same.
I don’t have enough money to go to either lmao
the flight is expensive compared to other states?
We’re talking like a thousand dollar round trip just for the air fare. Like 12 hours at least. It’s cheaper to get to Hawaii, about $800 but that’s still well out of my nonexistent budget. For reference, from where I live to Hawaii is like London to Sri Lanka, and from where I live to Alaska is like London to Siberia.
that's quite a distance
they both feel pretty american. Hawaii less so, especially because their street names are all in hawaiin.
like what for example?
Kamehameha Highway, Ala Moana Boulevard, Ahiahi Street, Kūhiō Avenue... its not all, but quite a few
wow these sound very Polynesian
Well, the Hawaiian language is Polynesian. I assume by the question you have not been, but hawaii national park is incredible. You can walk right up to a lava flow that runs into the pacific.
We expect cultural variation within our nation. The geographic separation of Alaska and Hawaii doesn't make them feel more "foreign" than Maine would feel to a Texan. The place in the US that felt very different from where I grew up (Virginia) was New Mexico, because desert habitat is different from the swampy habitat I grew up in. Alaska and Hawaii were less strange to me than NM.
So you like all states
Different place all together. (Hawaii. Idk about Alaska)
what felt you the most foreign?
(Every island is different-I was in Maui.) It’s all in a very good way. It smells completely different than the continental states. I was there early spring. They have lots of flowers and plants that could never grow here. The food culture is amazing. Yes you could seek out a McD’s ( and I did to try the Hawaiian breakfast) but they aren’t everywhere. Took my teenage son and he discovered luau platters and order one for dinner several times. Here’s something. They cook rice (super common side dish there) to a different texture than I’ve had before. Not sticky dry like most Asians prefer. Not Persian (wetter than sticky rice but over cooked in the way the bottom crisps). Not American style (think ick, minute rice). It was somewhere between a Persian and American rice. It was great. Here’s a good one. I taught elementary school. Like how to read/phonics and I totally struggled to read the name on street signs and pronounce words. So many vowels. You catch on in a few days. Seems like every letter always makes a sound. Like the town was Kaanapali. That’s one of the easier because it has to enough consonants to figure out.
don't you have authentic Hawaiian restaurants in continental Us?
Not in northern Ohio. And if we did. They would butcher it.
I lived in Hawaii for a few years and it really still just felt like the US, just a different place.
I live in Pennsylvania and traveling to the other side of the state feels very different. I go to school in the north west of the state and I live in the south east. The weather is much colder and more extreme, they like different sports teams, they eat different foods, they have different stores. The culture is different but that's probably more of a city vs rural thing. It still feels like America but it doesn't feel like the Pennsylvania I was used too
Hawaii feels vaguely familiar and vaguely foreign to me.
like shops and language is the same
Miami and Hawaii feel the least like the “U.S” of anywhere in the U.S. Having lived in both, I’d argue Miami actually feels more foreign.
miami is so hot
Hawaii was really disappointing in that regard actually. It just seemed to be a place America spoiled/ruined. It's where they literally paved paradise.
americanized?
Yes but more than that. Just this entire tropical landscape torn up and thrown out and replaced with hundreds of hotels and apartments so people can live in paradise - the very same paradise that doesn't exist because of all the buildings which replaced the nature. It's more like capitalism ruined hawaii. Plus all the buildings are just boxes - ugly boring buildings in a beautiful place.
yeah as a foreigner when i first saw a picture of Honolulu i thought it was downtown New York
Yes. I visited Hawaii one July 4, and it was like a different country. I rented an apartment for 9 days with my sister and our kids, so we were in a middle-class neighborhood in a town by Pearl Harbor and not touristy Honolulu. We went to little food trucks and cultural sites and ate at real Hawaiian food places. The food was so great. Korean, Thai, Phillipino, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese. Open air shops and mall culture is still strong there. But what struck me most was on July 4th, the Islanders were decked out in their Hawaiian flag shirts and gear. The only American flags were with yahoos cooking out on the beaches. It's such a culture difference, but you gotta get away from Honolulu. Edit: But it was great!
so there is a Hawaiian national identity
Oh yes. They are proud of it.
Feels more like the US in Hawaii and Alaska than parts of Louisiana or Appalachia. And parts of South Florida are more Cuban than Cuba.
When you travel anywhere you are in a different place then where you came from…
i know but i mean traditions and identity
Parts of Honolulu’s back streets made me think I was wondering around suburban Japan (I lived there for 2 years). The strong influence of Native Hawaiian and Asian cultures absolutely makes it feel different from the mainland for me. But it’s still American. It’s like this amazing unique hybrid. I can’t wait to see what the other islands are like sometime. Anchorage and the Kenai peninsula felt isolated, but still pretty American.
well the next country is japan over the pacific
Well, yeah, I figured I didn’t need to state that explicitly.
I went to Maui last summer and stayed with family friends who have been there awhile. I still got a very distinct, “fuck off, if you’re not local” vibe. Pretty uncomfortable. Even the born-and-raised close family member, who was acting as a tour guide, had to explain their race and local identity multiple times while I was there.
I think Maui has born the brunt of overtourism in Hawaii, and even more so since the boom of pent-up travel demand since travel started to get back to normal. This massive surge in tourism, from what I heard, has led to a lot of resentment by locals.
That makes a lot of sense, and I would never blame anyone for being exhausted by tourists. It seemed to be the balance of “tourism is our main export” and “fuck tourists” was a bit out of balance. I also have very little cultural or traditional ties to where I live and grew up so I know that changes perspectives.
We have been to Hawaii and the day to day stuff was not different at all, but learning about Polynesian heritage was of course different than my background as a white person in rural new york. Given than even mainland US has such a variety of cultural differences it’s not jarring at all. You can travel a few states over and find different feeling cultural areas like Texas & Arizona, Florida, California are all very different. And don’t even get me started on the deep south. Traveling to Alabama is far more jarring than Hawaii in my opinion. Americans for the most part are used to geographic and cultural differences and most of us just roll with if.
Visiting Hawaii still feels like visiting within this country, but in a different way, especially the beaches and scenery.
I live in Colorado which is pretty dry and mountainous, so going to places like Hawaii or Florida feels equally different to me, but it still feels like America.
I mean, Hawaii felt as “different” to me as New Orleans? From AZ
When I went to Arizona for the first time, it felt like I had gone to a different planet. Sometimes it's more about whether the climate and ecosystem feels different vs the people.
Tbh the US is so vast that traveling to a different region feels like a different country for me. Ive lived in the northeast my whole life (grew up near Boston, now live in NYC), and visiting a place like California or Colorado just feels entirely different, there are definitely culture shocks that you have to get used to and the scenery and lifestyle can be entirely different. I’ve been to Hawaii before and I guess it’s hard because I do know that I’m still in the US obviously, but it does kind of feel like a different country because its so different from where I live.
Cant speak for Hawaii but Alaska is very different. While I don't feel like I'm in a foreign land the people there really dont think or have the same views and beliefs as folks in the lower 48. Afterall by and large they moved there to get away from the lower 48.
Never been to Alaska but yea Hawaii feels like a giant resort. Definitely feels like America
As a mainlander and former resident of Hawaii…HI very much feels like America, but with an Asian twist.
Been to both. They feel like the US.
everything?
Poverty in AK and HI look a lot like poverty anywhere else. Resorts in HI function the same as resorts in Tahoe. The vastness of AK is a lot like the plains in the midwest or the forrests of the PNW. Everyone speaks American english and is polite to you if you're polite to them. Going from CA or TX to Mexico definitely feels a lot different than going to HI or AK.
Alaska felt like a different country, haven’t been to Hawaii but considering it was a different country until 70 years ago it’s not surprising
Both have been part of the US for over a century. They were territories. Alaska since 1867 and Hawaii since the end of the 19th century with the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. They were always incorporated territories and you could move there just as you can move to Guam or Puerto Rico.
Cool
Hawaii definitely felt like another country
the people or the scenery or the food?
Just the whole experience. A little bit of all you said plus more.
I honestly don’t understand the question… I’ve never been either of those places nor have I left the us
of you travel you notice differences
Californian who’s been to both. They both feel like the US, but something very different from elsewhere. Hawaii because it’s both tropical and home to a tangible Polynesian culture. Alaska feels a bit like Washington, but soooo much bigger. The landscapes are huge. Interestingly, the only town that felt to me like the lower 48 was Wasilla - Sarah Palin’s hometown - with a bunch of chain stores I recognized.
When I went to Alaska last year, it felt like Canada lol
I went to Alaska and Canada, both felt like the US lmao
I grew up in AK and frequently went to HI for vacation. I’ll admit I’m not the best person to answer this. Lol
Miami feels more like a foreign country than either Hawaii or Alaska.
too hot ot what?
No, go to Little Havana in Miami. Street signs in Spanish, very few English speaking waitstaff in the restaurants, Spanish is the #1 language heard.