Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture

The hillbilly stereotype typically portrays white residents of the Appalachian region as uneducated, culturally backward, and impoverished. Such perceptions emerged during industrialization and urbanization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which highlighted the contrast between the country’s burgeoning middle-class cities and the isolated, rural communities in Appalachia.

It is believed that “hillbilly” first appeared in print as a derogatory term in a 19th-century article by New York Journal correspondent Julian Hawthorne. In the article, which published on April 23, 1900, Hawthorne used the term to describe the people living in the Appalachian Mountains: “a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammelled white citizen of Alabama, who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him” (Hillbilly Music: Source & Symbol. UNC Libraries, 2002.) Midcentury television shows the Beverly Hillbillies and The Andy Griffith Show portrayed comical, simple-minded characters who were uncultured but basically good-natured. In the 1970s, the stereotype took a darker turn with films like Deliverance (1972) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), which portrayed white Appalachians as incestuous, antisocial, and violent. None of these stereotypes represent the true identity of any individual or community living in Appalachia; they reflect the harmful biases of a culture that values technological progress, commodification, and conformity, and that others those who fall outside this model.

As Hawthorne specifies, whiteness is a key trait of the hillbilly stereotype. The Appalachian region is ethnically and culturally diverse: Parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina comprise Southern Appalachia, while regions in Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and New York are considered Northern Appalachia. The Scots-Irish are the main white ethnic group who populated this area in the 18th century, and white Appalachians today often identify themselves as Scots-Irish.

The economic hardships faced by many in Appalachia also contributed to this stereotype. The region’s reliance on industries like coal mining, which experienced significant booms in the industrial era that turned to busts in the 1970s, led to widespread poverty and limited access to education and healthcare. These socioeconomic factors reinforced external views of Appalachia as a region stuck in time and developmentally lagging.

However, the reality of Appalachian identity is far more complex. Many white residents of Appalachia embrace their heritage with pride, recognizing the rich cultural traditions, strong community ties, and resilient spirit that characterize the region. This identity includes a deep connection to the land, a heritage of folk music, crafts, and storytelling, and a history of resistance and self-reliance. For many, like J. D. Vance, reclaiming the “hillbilly” label is an act of defiance against stereotypes, affirming their unique cultural identity and rejecting reductive and negative portrayals. Hillbilly Elegy brings awareness to both the positive and negative aspects of white Appalachian identity to help make these communities part of the national conversation.