Staying or Going: Making Home in the American Rust Belt

Many Americans, myself included, have had to make a tough decision to remain in their economically-challenged hometowns or move to new locations for better job and career options.  Uninformed observers often think:  “just pick up and go, it’s no big deal.”  Yet, the reality is much tougher.  Deciding whether to stay or to go is a big and often life-changing decision.

We have lots of stories and reports on what happens when people do “pick up and go.”  Government data regularly track migration patterns, and endless books, movies, and shows talk about folks moving to the big city.  But, what about those how opt to stay?  That’s the focus of a fascinating new book that I can highly recommend:  Who We Are is Where We Are:  Making Home in the American Rust Belt by Amanda McMillan Lequieu. 

McMillian Lequieu is “Rust Belt” transplant herself, so she brings a thoughtful perspective to her ethnographic studies of residents in two communities:  Southside Chicago (a former steel area) and Iron County, WI, a former center for iron mining. This is a nuanced portrait that emphasizes how our definitions of home affect our decisions to stay or go.  If you’re looking to understand the many benefits and challenges facing those who opt to stay, this is a good place to start.