Where are the Umbrellas: Pro-Umbrellas or Anti-Umbrellas?

Umbrellas are a rare sighting in Oregon. But have you ever wondered why?
Illustration by Ayanna Villanueva.

Picture this: You’re walking outside on another gray rainy day. The clouds gloom together—pouring down rain non-stop as its pitter-patter rings on your ears everytime you take a step on the puddly ground. Luckily, the wet rain has barely touched you because of the umbrella you’re proudly holding like everyone else around you. However, you’re most likely not in the University of Oregon. You’re probably somewhere anywhere but the Pacific Northwest. But why? Considering the amount of rain Oregon receives, the presence of umbrellas here are very limited to none. Or if you are using one, you’re most likely and probably not from Oregon. 

To find out the reasons behind the umbrella hatred in Oregon, I posted a survey where 70 UO students answered. In the survey, 42 the students were from the state of Oregon while 28 were from out of state. 15 people out of this 70 people said they use an umbrella while 14 said sometimes and 41 people blatantly said no to umbrellas. Personally, I used to be a fan of umbrellas because it keeps me dry from the rain and keeps me cool from the sun. This was until I moved to Portland and was made aware of the scoffs and weird stares people give whenever they see someone use one. And ever since, I’ve made peace with puffer or rain jackets to “shield” me from the rain.

When asked why they prefer using an umbrella, most of them answered that they don’t really care about the stigma around it because they don’t want to get wet or rained on. Which I think is a very valid answer. A very prevalent theme amongst the umbrella users was because it protects their outfit, hair or their stuff. My favorite response from the pro-umbrellas has to be, “It's just unreasonable not to use one when it's raining. For me, there's no cool factor to getting wet; my glasses get droplets and I can't see as well, my backpack (and therefore electronics and papers) could get wet too, and you could very well get sick too!” The responder also adds that the sensation of getting even slightly wet bothers them. Maybe we shouldn’t be hating on the pro-umbrella people because these are very valid reasons.

However, on the other side of the pole, some of the people that answered no said that it’s useless and pointless to buy one because they’re used to the rain already so why bother spending money on it. Most of the answers also included feeling silly, feeling like a loser, feeling impractical or inconvenient or just wanting to fit in to the Oregon crowd. My favorite response from anti-umbrella people has to be, “They are for pussies. You don’t need one. Raincoats do the job and more. Umbrellas are a hazard to people around you. They disrupt the flow of people on sidewalks. They make it hella wet when you bring them inside. It don’t be raining that hard,” because it sounds funny but at the same time it also makes a lot of sense. Someone even said that they would only be seen with an umbrella if someone else is holding it, which I completely agree on. I feel like the idea of umbrellas being taboo has gotten into a lot of Oregonians because it is “culture.” Someone even said that “[umbrellas] are a sign of weakness and an affront to Oregonian culture.” People who use umbrellas are often made fun of (even if you think people aren’t, they are, I’m sorry) and called “losers” and “wimps” because of their non-conformity to the culture.

But how did this umbrella hatred come to what it is now and how did it become part of Oregon’s culture? Are Oregonian’s just really fond of wet hair, soggy clothes and foggy glasses? I honestly think the potential of hitting someone or getting hit by an umbrella and the annoyingness of holding it while you fight with the wind are the biggest reasons for this umbrella hatred. I personally think umbrellas are cool and helpful, however I am a bandwagon and I don’t wanna get glares from my local friends or even strangers so I will just be happily putting on my puffer jacket and pray for the best. What about you?