For me, also, the “older folks” are noticeably different. When they grew up, it was still “ok” to be who they were. Even the southerners were seen (clearly) by most as “americans”— there was not the push of the past 50 years to make them the scapegoat of the country (like for all of world slavery when they didn’t even have majority in the overall american, but no one hears of the spanish or portuguese, only the evil anglo-saxon, etc.

The older folks could just be themselves more than after 1960s. And no matter what one is talking about with them, you can “feel” that difference.