- nytimes.com
I wonder if the New York Times has any notion of the indignant throat clearing this interesting feature will cause here. The paper used census data to find the percentages of each state’s population by place of birth, since 1900. Less than half of Oregonians were born here, a far smaller proportion than many other states.
And the single largest non-Oregon state contributing to our numbers? Don’t make me say it.
Oregon is another Western state that has always been home to a high share of transplants, but what’s worth noting here is the influx of Californians that began in the 1970s and has grown ever since. The proportion of Californians to native Oregonians is now roughly equivalent to that of New York transplants living among people born in New Jersey.
By contrast, we humble immigrants from the midwest make up a fairly paltry 4 percent or so. So get off my back!
h/t Rob.
“we humble immigrants from the midwest make up a fairly paltry 4 percent or so”
Dirk, maybe you should go back and actually read the chart. Because that’s actually around 10%.
GODDAMN IT CALIFORNIANS WE HATE YOU
As someone that was conceived, born, raised, and still live in this state of ours, I will now soak any pride from that statement by quoting famous Irish martyr James Connolly:
“The one thing certain about it is that no sensible man can take a pride in being born an Irishman. What had he to do with it that he should be proud?
“He did not carefully sketch out beforehand the location in which he desired to be born, and then instruct his mother accordingly. Whether he was born in Ireland or in Zululand, in the Coombe or in Whitechapel, he most certainly was not consulted about the matter. Why then, this pride?
“The location of your birthplace was a mere accident – as much beyond your control as the fact I was born so beautiful was beyond mine. Hem.
“And you don’t see me putting on airs.”
“The proportion of Californians to native Oregonians is now roughly equivalent to that of New York transplants living among people born in New Jersey.”
Does that include all the people in Jersey who claim they live in New York? “Whaddya mean, we’re like the sixth bourogh ova here…”
I’m Chicago-born but moved here from LA, yet my dad is from Salem and my great-great grandparents came out on the Oregon Trail in 1852 (without dying of dysentery). Take THAT, CENSUS DATA.
stupid californians.
GODDAMN IT CALIFORNIANS WE ARE YOU
It would be interesting to compare “born” with “moved from” for those not born in Oregon. Would expect increase of Californians.
“We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But for heaven’s sake, don’t move here to live. Or if you do have to move in to live, don’t tell any of your neighbors where you are going.” ~ Tom McCall
I experience this sentiment quite frequently in Portland.
My grandparents moved here from Nebraska, but they landed in Vancouver.
The line of Oregonians down my father’s side stretches back to about statehood, where a Klein came west from Indiana, whom he himself was the child of German immigrants.
Men tend toward longevity in my line, so actually, that’s only about three-and-a-half generations. All out of the east Marion County area around Silverton and Mount Angel. This is why we Klein men are so bland.
I am smugly proud to be a native Oregonian, but let’s be honest … I won the birth lottery. Of course, with a mechanistic view of biological procession, I really wasn’t going to be born anywhere else. So, DESTINY!
That said, get the hell out, the rest of you. 😉
I’m an Ultranational Citizen of the Planet Earth.
I am an earthling! and I was born here!)
Californians wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t bitch about the rain for 8 months out of every year.