Discussion of Appalachian Stereotypes

I used to think that the people of Appalachia were basically all hillbillies and just a backwards group of people. Most of the stereotypes of Appalachians have come from media, like television shows and movies. These stereotypes can include, but are not limited to: illiteracy, a very distinguishable accent, poverty, intermarriage, and basically just a culture that is behind the rest of the nation. It is unfortunate that they are subject to such descriptions, but sometimes these descriptions are almost accurate.
When I was growing up, I believed that the Appalachian area was always a little behind, especially because I was growing up right near New York City. I felt that I was near one of the more important cultural centers of the world. Also, when my family and me went on vacation, we never went to any central states, like Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky. We always went somewhere either near a large city or to a popular tourist destination. Maybe this is just my lack of understanding of the Appalachian region, but I do not know any really popular tourist destinations in Appalachia. This helped to further any understanding of the region. My only source for opinions and views on the area were from popular culture, especially movies like October Sky. I saw this film multiple times during middle school, and soon, I began to almost believe that everyone that lived in Appalachia had worked in a coal mine during some part of his or her life. I also started to believe that many people of Appalachia were opposed to cultural advancement because of the way Homer Hickam, a future rocket scientist, was treated by not only his father but many other people around the town.
I am not going to say that this Appalachian Literature class has shown me that most of these stereotypes are not true, but it has shown me some examples of contributions that Appalachians have made to our culture today. However, the research that I did for the Appalachian stereotypes essay has shown me that some of the stereotypes are at least partially true. For instance, some towns in Appalachia are among the poorest of the nation. This, in turn, means that many children and teenagers that could be going to school have to work in order to make money and miss out on their education.
I think the most effective way of getting rid of stereotypes about a certain people or region is education. I really do not know a specific way to do this, except maybe offer a elective English class in high school like the Appalachian literature class that is offered here at UNCW.