So Amarillo Aint Really Texas Huh? (Houston, Dallas: home, high school, to live)

[stargazer]

I think that Amarillo is an old fashioned city... that is how my sil put it after seeing her last week after going up to Herford to a funeral with my brother. I do agree with her from my experience of staying overnight there a few times. Texas is huge and we have vast culture difference in the state, Amarillo has it's own personality different than other cities for sure..

[blueskies49]

That's why some people say that Texas should be its own region. It's too different from the rest of the country and doesn't easily fit into 1, 2 or even more categories.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

no, she was in Amarillo too.....about the beef industry or something

I guess that wasn't the only Texas city. I don't watch much Oprah, so I wouldn't have known. All that I do know about her visit to Texas was that she went to Jasper,TX following the murder of James Byrd(but I digress).

Actually, I think I may have seen that episode and may not remember because I may have seen something about cattle, but I probably have a fuzzy memory about it.

[JamesAbilene]

The Amarillo beef industry sued Oprah for stating on her show that beef was unhealthy. The trial was quite the thing in Amarillo. Oprah was welcomed by everyone but the beef growers and the beef packers, and she was not found liable.

[blueskies49]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I guess that wasn't the only Texas city. I don't watch much Oprah, so I wouldn't have known. All that I do know about her visit to Texas was that she went to Jasper,TX following the murder of James Byrd(but I digress).

Actually, I think I may have seen that episode and may not remember because I may have seen something about cattle, but I probably have a fuzzy memory about it.

I don't watch much Oprah either but as JamesAbilene said, it made headlines. She had a beef about the beef industry. Sorry, couldn't help myself!

[TexasReb]

Ahhh, another great thread that somehow I missed out on! LOL

Anyway, my own honest opinion, not that it matters a fiddler's damn, but as concerning Amarillo being a "true" part of Texas. That is to say, culturally and historically?

I am risking certain important parts of myself by stating the following:

I tend to think of Amarillo (and all areas north) in sorta the same vein I do trans-pecos Texas (ala' El Paso). IN Texas to be sure, and defintely having contributed a lot to Texas legend, folklore, and music (George Strait, Marty Robbins, etc). But yet? Not truly OF Texas in the sense of part of that same aggregate culture and history.

I am ducking the bullets here, y'all...so let me pause a minute to carefully explain. Most of Texas was settled by eastward moving folks from the older South. It is that culture which dominates. On the other hand, the northern panhandle area was pretty much populated by people from the lower Midwest. Even in sociological surveys, many Texans in that area tend to identify more with the midwest than they do with the South (which is the overwhelming choice of other Texans). Or, even the West (the choice out around El Paso).

This is NOT intended as an insult or slam by ANY means. Nor to deny residents/natives of those areas their tried and true Texas credentials on many a level. Just an honest observation.

[JamesAbilene]

You are exactly correct TexReb. I said a very similar thing on another thread.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by JamesAbilene

You are exactly correct TexReb. I said a very similar thing on another thread.

I remember that thread, JA, and agreed with it right down the line!

[eddie gein]

However, I think most people not from Texas have the image of the west Texas stereotype. Wide open ranches, cowboys, oilfields etc, than they do of the piney woods, the central plains or the hill country.

They see west Texas in their minds.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

Ahhh, another great thread that somehow I missed out on! LOL

Anyway, my own honest opinion, not that it matters a fiddler's damn, but as concerning Amarillo being a "true" part of Texas. That is to say, culturally and historically?

I am risking certain important parts of myself by stating the following:

I tend to think of Amarillo (and all areas north) in sorta the same vein I do trans-pecos Texas (ala' El Paso). IN Texas to be sure, and defintely having contributed a lot to Texas legend, folklore, and music (George Strait, Marty Robbins, etc). But yet? Not truly OF Texas in the sense of part of that same aggregate culture and history.

I am ducking the bullets here, y'all...so let me pause a minute to carefully explain. Most of Texas was settled by eastward moving folks from the older South. It is that culture which dominates. On the other hand, the northern panhandle area was pretty much populated by people from the lower Midwest. Even in sociological surveys, many Texans in that area tend to identify more with the midwest than they do with the South (which is the overwhelming choice of other Texans). Or, even the West (the choice out around El Paso).

This is NOT intended as an insult or slam by ANY means. Nor to deny residents/natives of those areas their tried and true Texas credentials on many a level. Just an honest observation.

Hehehehehe...so we are back to the Texas-is-southern again, huh?? LOL!!

The Panhandle and West Texas are, as I have stated before, not what I consider southern. It's neither an insult nor a thing of pride as far as I'm concerned--but you know that already, LOL!!

I have southern roots just like nearly every other native Texan, but I embrace the western/Mexican/Spanish roots far more than I ever did the southern aspect....(and I'm anglo, not hispanic)...and that goes for customs, food, and most other things that make up culture.

Texas is Texas.....and has something for everyone. I don't believe that there is a more diverse state (geographically speaking) than Texas in the entire United States. We have everything from tropical/beach to mountains and desert....and the greatest thing is that people can take what they wish from this.

While I love all of Texas, West Texas and nearby New Mexico will always be dearest to my heart.