Ep. 119: Transplant Culture [EXTENDED TEASER]

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration

The term “transplant” refers to domestic migrants who move to major cities from small towns and suburbs. Closely related terms like “yuppie,” “PMC,” and “gentrifier” suggest high salaries, but the term “transplant” is indifferent to wealth, getting applied to anyone viewed as an outsider by locals. Failing to immediately integrate into their newfound communities, transplants quickly form bonds with one another and create their own “transplant culture.” But what does “transplant culture” look like?

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by identifying several important components of transplant culture: city subreddits, localisms, meetup groups, neighborhood nicknames, and urbanism. Particular focus is paid to Jeppson's Malört and Red Hot Ranch, with the two pointing to them as evidence of transplants’ propensity to overstate the importance of most local traditions to local culture. Nathan then coins the term “neighborhood classism” to describe the prejudice that transplants feel toward people who live in non-transplant neighborhoods. The episode rounds out with a survey of the most popular transplant neighborhoods in Chicago (Lincoln Park, Lake View, West Loop, and Wrigleyville) followed by a discussion about “nashvillification.”

Links:Transplant - Urban DictionaryWhat we really mean when we call someone a "transplant" by Cece XieHEY CHICAGO - There is a difference between being a transplant and having grown up in the suburbsChicago Party Aunt - TwitterChicago Party Aunt TweetsHow ‘Chicago Party Aunt’ made the jump from Twitter to Netflix by Zach LongSearching for Local Identity in “The Bear” and “Chicago Party Aunt” by Ryan ZickgrafHow Swedish Malort Became Chicago's Mascot Bitter Drink by Melissa McEwenHow Jeppson’s Malört became Chicago’s drink by Adriana Cardona-MaguigadMalört’s unlikely rise from a joke to Chicago’s drink by Adriana Cardona-MaguigadWhy is Malört such a cultural thing in Chicago?malort.comDollar Store Vernacular - CARIChicago neighborhood names but if a transplant came up with themArtist dreams up 'A New Yorker's Guide to Chicago' by Blanca Rios A New Yorker’s Guide to ChicagoA New Yorker’s Guide to Los AngelesA New Yorker's guide to DCA New Yorker's guide to SFPeople when they find out you don’t live in the “cool young” part of town‘I Could Really See Myself Living Here,’ Says Woman in Most Expensive Neighborhood of City