So how do we see ourselves?
In coming up with a plan to rebrand Arizona, consultant Kathy Heasley asked nearly a thousand people to say what they think of everyone else living here.
There were lots of responses about Arizonans being friendly and helpful. And there’s that streak of independence.
“I would say for the most part, we are good people,” one respondent said.
Others had different experiences.
“I lived here for over 25 years,” read one comment. “People in Arizona are cold and unfriendly.”
Another said Arizonans “tend to be rude and seem too busy to interact” with other residents.
Perhaps not surprisingly, there were several references to our habits behind the wheel. And they weren’t complimentary.
“Crazy drivers when it rains,” said one. “A lot of road rage,” another commented.
There appears to be a certain civic pride in the ability to deal with the climate, with one saying Arizonans “complain about the heat, yet we never leave” while another said people here “love the sun and hate any other weather.”
Some found things of a more sensitive nature.
There was a description of Arizona as “grouchy because it’s hot and illegal immigrants keep coming over and tearing up our neighborhoods and depleting our resources.” Others described Arizona as “Caucasian” or “white.”
There was a comment about people here being “bigoted.”
But there also were boasts of the state’s Hispanic and Native American cultures and the state’s ethnic and racial mix.
