I Asked Non-Americans To Tell Me What They Thought Of Each US State — They Did NOT Hold Back Ronny, November 17, 2023 Even in this era of globalization, social media, and 24-hour news, there’s still so much we don’t know about how other human beings live. It’s endlessly fascinating to see how people in different countries eat, study, speak, dress, and go about their day-to-day. Hamzaturkkol / Getty Images With that in mind, I started a little experiment to find out what non-Americans associate with each of our 50 United States. I asked the BuzzFeed Community to give me a word, a phrase, or a quick thought on as many US states as they could. We all walk around with assumptions built from a combination of news, pop culture, and assorted gossip — I thought this exercise would give an interesting window into how the rest of the world perceives our huge, diverse, wild, weird country. Here’s what they had to say: 1.ALABAMA Alabama definitely has a…rough perception overseas. I thought this response had some interesting context: “I think of inbreeding (horrible TV stereotype) and Sweet Home Alabama and Birmingham where we learned at school (UK) about the riots and atrocities that were done to African Americans in the ’60s especially. Racism and segregation.” —Crizzy444 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2.ALASKA I thought the responses for Alaska were pretty fascinating. A mixture of “IT’S COLD” and then some neat details. Like this one: “Moose, pretty nature, big spiders” —nicoles0426 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 3.ARIZONA There was definitely a lot about the topography, nature, and climate in Arizona, but it’s another state that evoked some “racist” and “right wing” associations. Interesting for close political watchers since it seems like a firmly purple state based on the 2020 elections. As someone who’s never seen Twilight, the “Bella Swan” one threw me, I’m not gonna lie. I thought this one was fun and funny, too: “Like the USS Arizona? My sibling is a battleship nerd.” —ravenbard Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 4.ARKANSAS You can probably see the themes emerging when it comes to Arkansas. This response bucked the trend, though: “Josh Duggar 😯” —nicoles0426 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 5.CALIFORNIA Now this one was fascinating — the dual nature of California’s mystique really came to the fore with this batch of responses. On one hand, there’s the natural beauty, temperate weather, and “Hollywood,” but people overseas aren’t seeing all sunshine and roses: “Traffic jams on freeways bigger than most countries” —georginab45f8d57a8 “Laidback even though everything is insanely expensive. The beach and the mountains. A really beautiful state.” —Spellsandcurses ✨ “Illegal aliens, homelessness, junky zombies, crime, roads and sidewalks paved in human feces, lawlessness.” —warcok76 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 6.COLORADO The Colorado brand is strong worldwide. JonBenét caught me off guard, I gotta say, though. Most of the rest of the commentary just added color to the “outdoors + weed” themes: “South Park, skiing, and ‘I’m a giraffe!'” —hobbitgirl96 “Rich people who ski.” —pinkdeedle Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 7.CONNECTICUT This one shows the global power of American pop culture again, ya know? The only other response I wanted to highlight is so specific I feel like this person must be American after all: “Lyme disease.” —whale_tail Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 8.DELAWARE Even Americans don’t always have immediate associations with Delaware in fairness. I always think of the stone-faced, “Hi… I’m in Delaware” scene from Wayne’s World. (If you know, you know.) Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 9.FLORIDA Florida’s reputation abroad is…interesting. The overall sentiment was one of chaos, political strife, and, well, Disney. “Disneyland, swamps, transphobia.” —zoecatherinegrant “Ron DeSantis, who scares me even though he would have no jurisdiction over me as either president, as current governor of Florida, or in any other US legislative or executive capacity since I live in NI, but I’m still petrified of that man holding political office.” —deirdrerocks88 “People die by alligators, and everyone wants to go live there in the winter. Or retire there. I’m in Canada, and many older people go there for the winter.” —Azazel Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 10.GEORGIA Lots of people are paying attention to American politics! Makes sense! You’ll see more of that below, but there’s a nice reminder that Georgia isn’t just a state in the US: “Stacey Abrams. 💪” —eggsplosion420 “Not the country.” —georginab45f8d57a8 “Bible belt.” —hobbitgirl96 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 11.HAWAII The ongoing cultural tourism conversation about visiting Hawaii has made it beyond US borders for sure: “Tourist state.” —Azazel “The indigenous people want us all to leave them alone because of what tourism has done to their home.” —eggsplosion420 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 12.IDAHO Bit of a mixed bag there for Idaho! Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 13.ILLINOIS I guess deep dish discourse hasn’t made its way overseas. Probably for the best! This response made me laugh: “Chicago is there, and that is all I know about it. Aside from New York, this appears to be where all the legal dramas are because ‘Cook County’ gets mentioned in every other crime show.” —juliahowie1988 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 14.INDIANA Sports! Besides TV & film, probably America’s largest cultural export. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 15.IOWA Pretty cool that the works of travel and science writer Bill Bryson has A) made him prominent internationally and B) made him prominent enough that he’s associated with his home state of Iowa. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 16.KANSAS That’s all we got, folks! I am curious about “the second Texas,” though. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 17.KENTUCKY Strong brand! In the comment section, there were four mentions of chicken, three mentions of horses or horse racing, and two mentions of bourbon. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 18.LOUISIANA Louisiana, and especially New Orleans, does have such established lore. Especially when it comes to food: “BEST FOOD YOU WILL EVER HAVE!” —Chyna Wilson “Beignets.” —jadeclawtabaxi Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 19.MAINE That last one really took me by surprise! Maine’s clearly got a bit of a narrow brand overseas. As someone who’s visited several times and had my pants charmed off, more people should explore Maine! Shoutout to my friend Emily’s custom woodworking shop — love ya, Em! Here’s an additional response I had to Google: “Fudge-a-Mania!” —eggsplosion420 Clearly I haven’t read enough Judy Blume. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 20.MARYLAND OK, that first one really got me. Turns out it’s a song by adult contempo crooner Vonda Shepard. I guess it was on Ally McBeal once upon a time? (Talk about a show that Gen Z would have no clue about…) Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 21.MASSACHUSETTS Massachusetts’s reputation is defined by history, education, and, maybe, Ben Affleck?! There were many such variations on the theme in the comment section: “Salem!” —ravenbard “MIT.” —georginab45f8d57a8 And the honestly quite delightful: “It’s CHOWDAH not CHOWDER” —ilovecatsandmyhoodies Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 22.MICHIGAN Michigan: revered the world over for its natural splendor. Can’t complain there! Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 23.MINNESOTA Scandinavian representation! According to the Minnesota Tourism Board, the state is “home to the largest population of Norwegians and Swedes outside of Scandinavia.” I’m searching for a clever Ikea joke or reference here, but we’re 23 states in, so my mind is solid mush at this point. (Can mush be solid, actually?) (Sorry, moving on.) Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 24.MISSISSIPPI There were two identical “*dueling banjos*” jokes in the comments, which was impressive. I’m curious to unpack “at the bottom of every list and proud of it,” but I don’t want to assume too much authorial intent here. I will say, though, that according to the Mississippi Department of Education, the state moved from dead last to 35th in K–12 achievement as of 2021. So do with that what you will! Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 25.MISSOURI This one got weird! Nary a single “St. Louis” reference! Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 26.MONTANA “Hannah” had me confused for a minute, but then I looked at the name of the state again. 🫣 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 27.NEBRASKA Was not expecting an Election reference, but what a great reminder to check out a banger of a movie. Here’s a snippet for your enjoyment if you’re totally unfamiliar with Tracy Flick and co. (And yes, it’s set in Omaha, Nebraska.) Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 28.NEW HAMPSHIRE Seems like New Hampshire’s truly one-of-a-kind state motto, “Live Free or Die,” hasn’t been clocked internationally yet. A shame. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 29.NEVADA Can’t say I’m too surprised! I did like the additional color in this commentary: “Las Vegas. Particularly the insanely hot dry air outdoors and the icy cold air indoors. I’m from the UK so those were a shock to my system every day during my visit. I admit I usually said when outdoors: ‘A bit nippy out there, innit?’ (sarcastic) and when indoors: ‘Fckin’ hell, it’s cold enough to freeze a brass monkey’s balls.'” —Prolix Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 30.NEW JERSEY I had to include this very anthropological comment: “A large Italian immigrant population led to a concentration of tanning beds in this region decades later” —juliahowie1988 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 31.NEW MEXICO I think you’ll agree when you read these responses: “When asked red or green, say ‘Christmas.’ Hot air balloon fiesta. We are more than Breaking Bad.” —Lookwhosposting “Eee! Red or green? Do you want to get down, or no? Mijo/Mija Balloon Fiesta, chile ristras, chips and queso, farolitos, roadrunners, Route 66, Georgia O’Keeffe, White Sands…just to name a few!” —derdin8 I will say, the responses do make New Mexico sound both mysterious and fascinating. The one recurring theme I can shine some light on is “red/green” — they’re widely known for their chiles, and in 1996 New Mexico made, “Red or green?” the “official state question.” I didn’t know states could have “official questions,” but here we are! Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 32.NEW YORK The responses were unsurprisingly dominated by visions of New York City, which loom large in the international consciousness. Don’t sleep on Niagara Falls, Cooperstown’s Baseball Hall of Fame, or Rochester’s garbage plates, though. Here are a couple other responses to round us out: “Seinfeld, Friends, Sex and the City.” —whale_tail “Rich models.” —pinkdeedle Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 33.NORTH CAROLINA More South Carolina chatter in the commentary here than I was expecting! Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 34.NORTH DAKOTA Getting some conflicting responses here, folks! For the record, Mount Rushmore is in South Dakota. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 35.OHIO Disappointing if I’m right! You be the judge: “Rollercoasters. Namely Cedar Point and King’s Island. The state has more giga coasters (full circuit and over 300 ft.) than every other country on earth (Canada, Spain, and Japan all have one each).” —kathryna456a720b8 “People from Ohio seem like assholes until you actually get to know them and realize it’s all a front.” —937kim Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 36.OKLAHOMA Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 37.OREGON Not gonna lie, I had to google “Oregon cryptids.” It did lead me to this fascinating Willamette Week article, though, which explained that A) cryptids are “creatures of dubious origin not confirmed to exist by science” and that B) there seem to be a lot of cryptid sightings in Oregon! Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 38.PENNSYLVANIA Pop culture supremacy! In fairness, I feel like most millennials could recite the entire Fresh Prince theme. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 39.RHODE ISLAND For whatever reason, I always think of RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) when Rhode Island comes up. Maybe because once you’ve seen the iconic noise-rock band Lightning Bolt, who met as RISD students, perform live…you’re forever changed. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 40.SOUTH CAROLINA Sorry, Carolinas, that’s all I got! Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 41.SOUTH DAKOTA It’s worth reading up on the Wounded Knee massacre if you haven’t already. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 42.TENNESSEE Strong brand for Tennessee! Some additional responses: “Home of the Grand Ole Opry.” —ravenbard “Tennessee Williams.” —georginab45f8d57a8 And a bonus from a commenter who has to live in Nashville: “Bachelorette parties with giant inflated penises.” —jefavia Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 43.TEXAS Texas, perhaps unsurprisingly, stirred up a lot of conversation in the comments. I’ll let it speak for itself: “Cowboys. Sweet tea. Far right and racism. Friendliness if the right sort of person. (Based on TV and internet only.) Also massive.” —Crizzy444 “Guns, racism, idiots, Young Sheldon, anti-abortion, backward.” —solongandthanksforallthefish1 “It’s seems kinda depressing, and cowboys?” —Azazel And this riposte from an actual Texan: “Texas is a lot more tolerant than given credit for. Just because you see a Trump Rally here doesn’t mean we all support him. There are racist people everywhere. But you will meet the nicest people willing to give you the shirt off their back if you need it. And we have damn good B-B-Que, too!” —klynn214 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 44.UTAH Since there’s no pop culture in these responses, allow me to recommend an underrated Utah-based ’90s film — SLC Punk. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 45.VERMONT A pretty dang wholesome brand, I must say. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 46.VIRGINIA Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 47.WASHINGTON Some Washingtonians weighed in as well: “That only describes half the state. 🙂 We also have a more desert climate with majority sunny days on the east side.” —lisaa31 “If Washington were a sign, it would definitely be Gemini. The west side is green, cool, progressive. The east is brown, MAGA, boring AF…” —raingirl98275 “I promise not everyone over here on the east side are MAGA cultists. 🙂 And it’s not boring if you like being outdoors.” —lisaa31 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 48.WEST VIRGINIA John Denver’s legacy is cemented, safe to say. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 49.WISCONSIN A bit thin on Wisconsin details here. This response was clearly from a true Wisconsinite: “Go Pack Go!” —kathryna456a720b8 Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 50.WYOMING Yellowstone National Park is conspicuously missing here. Granted, it spans Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, but it’s mostly in Wyoming. And it’s epic. Young84 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Thanks to all those who submitted comments. I find it endlessly fascinating to unpick the assumptions we all have about each other from afar. Feel free to add more to the conversation in the comments of this post! General