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Yes, there is a definite mindset here. So if you dare to leave LA you may want to be in a LA-like city such as Houston, maybe DFW or Austin, that might be it though.
Considering Texas is in the bible belt and the Jesus preached about loving thy neighboor why is so much of Texas so segregated and racist? Aside from Austin, SA and Houston it appears to be a lack of appreciation for other cultures and ideas ie interacial ralatinships, liberal ideas. Can someone give me there opinion on this topic. Im from Los Angeles and am thinking of moving to Texas but am a little nervous i may be in for a serious culture shock
LA/OC to the Houston metro may not be too bad of a culture shock. At the expense of some grumbling, you have a VERY VALID POINT that Houston, Austin and SA (and the rest of Greater South Texas) feels different from much of the rest of the state.
Look at the attachment I have put here. You can easily see that for Houston, Austin and SA areas, the bible belt terminates at the more rural, less populated counties in these metros. This is a strong cultural divider between what you could call Greater North and Greater South Texas. Though I must state that Dallas stands out as the oddball of its region. It's no coincedence that you'll find more integration and Libertarian attitudes in Houston, Austin, SA and Dallas. We vote conservative for economic reasons.
Strong bible belt areas such as Ft Worth-Arlington-Denton, Lubbock, Waco, Abeline, Tyler... are a bit different. It is also conservative economically but also Christian-Right conservative. Segregation is more noticeable, as is localized Baptist legislation (dry laws), anti-intellectualism (Waco, not FW area), and if you're a very mixed up 100% Texan white-boy with a mild South Texas accent, you will get a xenophobic look sometimes. (I'm just telling it like it is here, which is something you'll find bluntly and more often down here compared to up there.)
This isn't to say that southern TX is non-church-going. We have plenty of churches and attendance, and are strongly non-denominational in my part of Houston. The main difference is in how strong the Baptist influence is.
Location: Southern California native, now a few miles from Lake Michigan
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Wow
You seem to have already formed some rather narrow-minded and prejudicial opinions of Texas. Yet you are thinking of moving there. You seem a bit confused.
I've lived in Texas. It ain't for everyone. Just based on what you've said in your 2 posts, my suggestion is to just stay right there in L.A.
LA/OC to the Houston metro may not be too bad of a culture shock. At the expense of some grumbling, you have a VERY VALID POINT that Houston, Austin and SA (and the rest of Greater South Texas) feels different from much of the rest of the state.
Look at the attachment I have put here. You can easily see that for Houston, Austin and SA areas, the bible belt terminates at the more rural, less populated counties in these metros. This is a strong cultural divider between what you could call Greater North and Greater South Texas. Though I must state that Dallas stands out as the oddball of its region. It's no coincedence that you'll find more integration and Libertarian attitudes in Houston, Austin, SA and Dallas. We vote conservative for economic reasons.
Strong bible belt areas such as Ft Worth-Arlington-Denton, Lubbock, Waco, Abeline, Tyler... are a bit different. It is also conservative economically but also Christian-Right conservative. Segregation is more noticeable, as is localized Baptist legislation (dry laws), anti-intellectualism (Waco, not FW area), and if you're a very mixed up 100% Texan white-boy with a mild South Texas accent, you will get a xenophobic look sometimes. (I'm just telling it like it is here, which is something you'll find bluntly and more often down here compared to up there.)
This isn't to say that southern TX is non-church-going. We have plenty of churches and attendance, and are strongly non-denominational in my part of Houston. The main difference is in how strong the Baptist influence is.
i find people more tolerant in Denton Texas than in South Texas.
Dallas is a different story.
Ive lived in south texas for too many years so i know.
Denton Texas welcomes diversity so im coming to understand. Its a trip. South Texas is so regressive.
i find people more tolerant in Denton Texas than in South Texas.
Dallas is a different story.
Ive lived in south texas for too many years so i know.
Denton Texas welcomes diversity so im coming to understand. Its a trip. South Texas is so regressive.
Denton is also a college town with a lot of "artistic" students. That's not necessarily how the rest of the city is. And South Texas -- really depends on what part you're talking about. SA isn't regressive. Houston can be considered culturally part of South Texas (and East Texas) and isn't regressive either.
I only made the distinction between North and South by the bible belt border.
Gee, I didn't know I lived in an "anti-intellectual" city! Whodathunkit, with 3 universities plus other higher education, a book/literary festival, lots of fine arts, and museums, in a city of 115,000.
There's a house of worship for just about any religion or denomination you can imagine, including a Metropolitan Community Church which serves the gay community. There's even an agnostic/intellectual society that ponders the "higher truths."
I'm a moderate Protestant, belonging to a mainline denomination. (Not Baptist, Church of Christ, or non-denom.) Do people here ask me if I have a "church family?" Yes, now and then. Do they criticize my faith or try to get me to join their church? No. BUT, when I lived in South Texas (predominantly Catholic) and people heard I used to be Catholic but left for another church, I was told I was going to Hell. Frequently. I actually lost friends over this issue!
So, trying to conceive of some "geographical boundaries" of fundamentalism is just odd. Fundamentalism can be found anywhere and in any church, frankly. And even though I'm not a member of the "Christian Right," I really respect anyone who lives their faith and isn't afraid to be whom they are. I admire these folks, even though I don't share their philosophies. As the old saying goes, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."
Denton is also a college town with a lot of "artistic" students. That's not necessarily how the rest of the city is. And South Texas -- really depends on what part you're talking about. SA isn't regressive. Houston can be considered culturally part of South Texas (and East Texas) and isn't regressive either.
I only made the distinction between North and South by the bible belt border.
The rest of the city? If its extremly bible belt and looks down at diversity i havent noticed it. They hold cinco de mayo festivals like no other place i know of in South Texas. They welcome diversity and make it known through thier festivals and talk around the town.
When speaking of south texas...
Im talking about areas lower then san antonio... not houston.
Beeville to Brownsville.
Its true there are lot of catholic folks in that area. But I felt it to be extremly regressive in terms of culture.
I got more scowls from the jesus freaks there then from any of them up in North Texas.
Considering Texas is in the bible belt and the Jesus preached about loving thy neighboor why is so much of Texas so segregated and racist? Aside from Austin, SA and Houston it appears to be a lack of appreciation for other cultures and ideas ie interacial ralatinships, liberal ideas. Can someone give me there opinion on this topic. Im from Los Angeles and am thinking of moving to Texas but am a little nervous i may be in for a serious culture shock
This one just cracks me up -- sorry. Houston is extremely diverse in its population and for the most part people have mixed and mingled well for several years. Unfortunately some of the intolerance reared its head after a lot of hurricane evacuees settled here from New Orleans because unfortunately in addition to some of the good, fine working people of New Orleans, the city got a boatload of their folks with bad intention -- folks who tormented their own neighbors back home. However, for the most part the city mixes well. Believe it or not, at one time I had family (by marriage) in New York City and I found the most awful intolerence there - I was quite shocked because I was not expecting it. I heard derogatory names for every ethic group imagineable -- slurs I had never before heard in my lilfe and actually had to ask "what does that mean" -- imagine my surprise when it referred to a different ethnic group. Don't believe what you hear about Houston - for the most part people live together quite well here. I have friends whom I consider to be close friends of several different ethnicities.
Interesting; the last two news items I read/saw about racism, a hanging noose at a police station in Long Island, and another story where some teenage boys wrote racial slurs on a black student in Washington DC. Both incidents north of the mason/dixon line.
Yet, the northerners always want to point the finger at southerners as racists.
The north has an easy scapegoat in Southerners because of the civil war. But the north has their own issues in their own backyard which they need to clean up first and stop pointing fingers.
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