Which is LESS southern, Austin or NOVA(North Virginia)? (states, California, food)

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by LINative

True, but thats not what happened before WW2. We did not stop saying that our cities are not northern anymore because large numbers of southerners moved to them. Not to mention immigrants --- immigrants move to the North or the West --- its still the North or the West. They move to South Florida or parts of Texas --- its not Southern anymore?

The amount of northern and midwestern transplants that have moved to the South since the 1970s supercedes the "great migration" or the pull of southerners to factories that occurred from the 1940s-1960s. As such, Southern culture and way of life has been changed much more than northern culture and/or way of life.

Secondly, immigration is nation-wide. In fact, the South has received a lot of immigration. The northeast sees most of its immigrants make their way to the Bos-Was region. Outside of this area, not so much. In the South, however, it's not as concentrated, but it is more spread out with a number areas of high intensity, namely Florida, Atlanta, parts of North Carolina, Texas, as well as a few other areas.

No one is claiming that Texas is not part of the South. Texas is very Southern. However, in parts of Dallas and Houston, the original culture and accent has been diluted. The same has occurred throughout a lot of the South's metro areas. Florida is part of the South, but the number of transplants in much of the coastal regions and along the I-4 corridor has pretty much diluted or superceded native southern culture and residents.

[polo89]

Originally Posted by LINative

True, but thats not what happened before WW2. We did not stop saying that our cities are not northern anymore because large numbers of southerners moved to them. Not to mention immigrants --- immigrants move to the North or the West --- its still the North or the West. They move to South Florida or parts of Texas --- its not Southern anymore?

I think it has more to do with geography, instead of JUST people moving there from other places. Austin is at the VERY VERY VERY LAST WESTERN fringes of the South. So it doesn't have MUCH in common with the south. As a matter of fact I think you can drive from Austin to Phoenix AZ in the same time you can drive from Austin to ATL. Austin just isn't much of a southern city as it is Texan.

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by polo89

I think it has more to do with geography, instead of JUST people moving there from other places. Austin is at the VERY VERY VERY LAST WESTERN fringes of the South. So it doesn't have MUCH in common with the south. As a matter of fact I think you can drive from Austin to Phoenix AZ in the same time you can drive from Austin to ATL. Austin just isn't much of a southern city as it is Texan.

Southern culture and accents extend out to Midland and Odessa, and even into exteme southeastern New Mexico. Austin is quite east of that line.

[jdevelop2]

No one is claiming that Texas is not part of the South.

I dispute this. ALL of Texas is NOT southern. El Paso and West Texas aren't southern in any way. Part of Texas is in the south and part is in the southwest.

[polo89]

Originally Posted by City Fanatic

Southern culture and accents extend out to Midland and Odessa, and even into exteme southeastern New Mexico. Austin is quite east of that line.

That doesn't mean much. Would you include southeastern New Mexico as the south also because of the accents? Southern culture also extends into Detroit because of the great migration of Blacks.

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by polo89

That doesn't mean much. Would you include southeastern New Mexico as the south also because of the accents? Southern culture also extends into Detroit because of the great migration of Blacks.

A majority of a whole area of a state that is contiguous to the mass of southern culture is more significant than the majority of a discontiguous population in a city.

[polo89]

Originally Posted by City Fanatic

A majority of a whole area of a state that is contiguous to the mass of southern culture is more significant than the majority of a discontiguous population in a city.

But Austin doesn't have much of that same southern culture as you would find in the southern states east of Texas. What southern culture is there in Austin that you can't find else where in other regions of the US? And what southern culture can you find in Austin that is EXCLUSIVE to the South? How is Austin Southern? And the majority of Texas isn't contiguous to Southern culture. HEAVY Southern culture ends in Texas around I-45, many miles EAST of Austin.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by polo89

But Austin doesn't have much of that same southern culture as you would find in the southern states east of Texas. What southern culture is there in Austin that you can't find else where in other regions of the US? And what southern culture can you find in Austin that is EXCLUSIVE to the South? How is Austin Southern? And the majority of Texas isn't contiguous to Southern culture. HEAVY Southern culture ends in Texas around I-45, many miles EAST of Austin.

Yeah there was a thread on a University of Texas site about this topic (about if Austin is Southern or not ) and more than 70% of the voters said that Austin is not Southern. It is purely Texan/Southwestern. I disagree that it's Southwestern but definitely agree that it's Texan.

[jdevelop2]

That's interesting because I have a poll going in the Austin forum right now that closely mirrors the poll you referenced.

Where do Austinites consider Austin to be regionally?

So far 66% of Austinites say Southwest and 4% say West for an aggregrate SW/W of 70%.

[kdogg817]

Austin is one of those cities that don't want to be mention with the same token as the south. Its a young progressive city but diversity in Austin is very over hyped. Austin use to be a lot more southern but that is not the case anymore. The African Americans have left Austin in vast numbers over the years and barley have any influence or political power in the city anymore. I don't consider Austin to be southern do the general views of Austonians of the south. Now east of Austin I consider those towns on highway 6th Marlin, Hearne to be soulful and country and definitely southern.