I lived on the Mississippi Gulf coast for 12 years. People there thought of anyone north of Interstate 10 as Yankees. I, on the other hand, was born in New York City which is in the southern part of New York State. Moreover, I was born in Brooklyn which is in the southern part of the city. Hence, my Mississippi friends thought of me as just a different kind of Southerner.
Red Rider, I like it here a lot also but there is nothing as good as family.