Why do Texans deny their southern heritage? (Houston, San Antonio: appointed, real estate market)

[gabetx]

Originally Posted by tstone

I do agree we have neutral-diluted southern accents though. I also think you Californians have an annoying, whiny, nasal accent. You guys generally deny it all day so I guess that makes two of us.

That was what I was going to say about their accents! Lol. My friend is from California and just like how we have yall, California has like 100 made up words I have never heard of! Half the time I cant even understand what yall Californians mean or what yall are saying.
I dont think Texas is a Southern or a Western state or anything in between! Texas is Texas. It has influences from both as well as native american, mexican, and spanish influences. Personally though, I dont call Texas a Southern state or a Southwestern state. Its the Third Coast state! If I were to chose either Southern or Southwestern though, Texas is Southern more so than western.

And PS... If you are saying you see a lot of mexicans wear cowboy boots and hats. You need to open your eyes. Most wear white tee's and Khaki Dickies in my opinion. Or polos and blue jeans.

[Stardust2900]

AZriverfan-
I live in Texas and have no southern heritage. My wife's family is from the Rio Grand Valley and is third generation Mexican/American. They have no Southern heritage as do most people down there. Visit El Paso sometime and see how non-southern that city feels.
My point is Texas does have a southern heritage and influence. It also has a strong Spanish heritage, French heritage, Mexican heritage, Republic of Texas heritage, Confederate heritage (there's your southern connection), and the U.S.A. Where do you think the term "Six Flags of Texas" came from? All these nations claimed Texas at one point or another. We're known from everything from chicken fried steak, catfish, and bar-b-q, to Mexican food, TexMex, and crawfish (from our neighbors in Louisiana).
If you ask a Texan whose family originated from say...Tennessee, Kentucky or Alabama, they will very likely acknowledge their "Southern" heritage and be proud of it. Second or third generation Mexican/Americans pride themselves as “Tejano” and even have their own form of Spanish music. I on the other hand was not born here but have lived here all my life. I don't have "Southern" pride, but I do have Texas pride because it is its own thing.
The amount of pride that people have for their state must confuse a lot of people like your self. Even now with a tremendous amount of growth from domestic and international people moving here, Texas continues to maintain its “Texas heritage”.

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I can't believe the thread below? Why is this even a question? Texas is most definitely a southern state. Texans are ashamed of their southern heritage and try to distance themselves from their obvious southern roots by saying they are their own thing. It's pretty obvious Texas is southern. For godsake, they were a confederate state during the civil war. Everyone clearly has an accent. Most people are Southern Baptists and have conservative Christian views. Joel Osteen and other famous evangelists are from Texas. Country music has a huge founding base in Texas. The KKK consider Texas one of it's strongest base of operations. What more evidence do you want?

A Texan might respond and say "southern" applies to states like Lousiana, Mississippi, Alabama etc. but that response is weak. There are degrees to everything. Yes, Texas isn't as southern as those states but anyone who travels to Texas can clear observe there is a strong southern heritage there. And when Texans say they don't have an accent, that is hilarious. I'm from California who spent some time in Texas and all of you clearly have accents. Again, it's not as strong as someone from a deep southern state but you clearly have a drawl and it's easily heard. Why are you so ashamed of your southern heritage? You guys are not California and there is nothing western about you.

Texas is no longer Southern because of all the transplants!

And what's this "civil war" ... ohhhh .... you mean the war of northern aggression!


I am very proud of my southern herritage! Mama was from Arkansas and Daddy was from Tennessee. I was born in Michigan but left as soon as I learned to crawl. I've lived approximately 46 of my 54 years in Texas and grew up here. I drawl, dip skoal, shoot a snakes head off at 40 feet without aiming with any of my pistols. I'm proud but not arrogant. We're Southern. We're Western. We're cowboys (and girls) and we're Southern gentlemen and ladies. I open the door for women, I say "ma'am" and "sir", and I can whup yo --- if need be!

Sounds kinda Southern to me! I didn't read the thread below ... saw it, but I figured it was somebody trying to stir the pot! You know, a useless post! I've wasted too much time now ... have a good one!

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by BobTex

Texas is no longer Southern because of all the transplants!

And what's this "civil war" ... ohhhh .... you mean the war of northern aggression!


I am very proud of my southern herritage! Mama was from Arkansas and Daddy was from Tennessee. I was born in Michigan but left as soon as I learned to crawl. I've lived approximately 46 of my 54 years in Texas and grew up here. I drawl, dip skoal, shoot a snakes head off at 40 feet without aiming with any of my pistols. I'm proud but not arrogant. We're Southern. We're Western. We're cowboys (and girls) and we're Southern gentlemen and ladies. I open the door for women, I say "ma'am" and "sir", and I can whup yo --- if need be!

Sounds kinda Southern to me! I didn't read the thread below ... saw it, but I figured it was somebody trying to stir the pot! You know, a useless post! I've wasted too much time now ... have a good one!

I KNEW there was some reason I always took a likin' to you, Brother Bob.

I STILL aint sure what the reason is, but what you say above triggers a recollection that must have good reason back somewhere! (just kiddin' buddy. Great post!)

[traveler guy]

I think Texas is Texas with mixtures of many cultures and regions. But if I had to choose a region of southern or Western I'd choose Southern since we have far greater roots leading there.
reasons:
1. We are part of the Third Coast not the West Coast.
2. We have a more of a southern accent.
3. about 2/3's the population if not more reside in the eastern portion of Texas including the 3 biggest metros.
4. The Climate agrees more with the Southern portion of the U.S then the western end of the U.S where it is drier.
5. we have a french, confederate back round which is influenced in the southern states.

Don't get me wrong we have a western influence but it would be located along the western most tip s of Texas and couldn't compete with the Southern portion. Some say the west begins west of I-35 but to be more precise the western influence doesn't kick in to you hit Fort Stockton.

[TexasReb]

Let me start off by saying that I am DAMN PROUD (if I have a right to be) for the way my fellow Texans leapt to the defense of our great state when it appeared it was being attacked on the original thread text.

Hell, to make it even clearer, Oh man, am I proud of that!!!! Of course, at the same time, I would expect nothing less from the Texans I have come to bond with on this here Texas forum!

At the same time, I think the poster made some valid points about Texas and regional affiliation. I think it came on too strong...and it was inaccurate beyond belief in terms of how most Texans think (that is, that we are ashamed of our Southern heritage), but there wasn't much that didn't make sense in terms of regional affiliation.

We ALL agree that Texas is Texas. But the dominating influence on Texas is Southern in history and character and culture. Even the Texas cowboy has Southern roots...something not true of other "western" states"

When one considers regional affiliation, it has to start somewhere. The flags of Spain and France flew over Texas at one time...no doubt. BUT...where is the influence of Spain or France? The German impact is a bit larger. The Mexican/hispanic is even larger than that (and becoming ever more so).

But in terms of true dominating influence on Texas history, it is the Anglo/black Southern culture which is just that. Dominating. To say this is not to diminish the other cultures (and remember, they too often assimilated into the larger Upper/Lower Southern culture), but simply to note an historical fact. That is to say, Texas was not a melting pot in the sense that, say, California, was, no matter how many just want to make it into something it never was and never did. To say that the French and German, (much as I LOVE it) had the same impact in terms of politics, etc, as such, just doesn't have any historical support.

There are just very few aspects of Texas history that can be seperated from the Southern experience. If they could, then Texas would probably not even be recognized as Texas...

Yes, I agree that this is changing quite a bit (illegal migration mostly), but otherwise, Texas history and culture is mostly Southern in essence, not western nor southwestern (if by southwest one means New Mexico and Arizona).

God Bless Texas!!!

[traveler guy]

For the Spanish presence you can find that in San Antonio were we have the five missions and many other old buildings from that era.

[Spade]

Seems that I am repeating myself many times now. Texas is essentially Southern. If you must put Texas in a region, it's southern. But Texas is simply TEXAS. We are not as southern as Mississippi, Alabama, or Georgia. And we are not as Western as Arizona, New Mexico, or California. Texas has traits from the others including the plains states of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. To the south, that influence is Mexico. Too many different varied regions to pinpoint Texas. IMO, that "southern" heritage is slowly being assimilated. Sort of like what Virginia is going through now.

[traveler guy]

Originally Posted by gabetx

That was what I was going to say about their accents! Lol. My friend is from California and just like how we have yall, California has like 100 made up words I have never heard of! Half the time I cant even understand what yall Californians mean or what yall are saying.
I dont think Texas is a Southern or a Western state or anything in between! Texas is Texas. It has influences from both as well as native american, mexican, and spanish influences. Personally though, I dont call Texas a Southern state or a Southwestern state. Its the Third Coast state! If I were to chose either Southern or Southwestern though, Texas is Southern more so than western.

And PS... If you are saying you see a lot of mexicans wear cowboy boots and hats. You need to open your eyes. Most wear white tee's and Khaki Dickies in my opinion. Or polos and blue jeans.

Well if you would pay a visit to South Texas then you would see that a lot of Mexicans wear cowboy outfits and own ranches.

[Muhnay]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

I KNEW there was some reason I always took a likin' to you, Brother Bob.

I STILL aint sure what the reason is, but what you say above triggers a recollection that must have good reason back somewhere! (just kiddin' buddy. Great post!)

I watched a great biography on A&E last night on Robert E. Lee, my dad was named after him by the way.

I don't think Texas is Southern.. its too darn big, parts of it are, but there is an area that it starts to loose that southern style.

Lets not Forget the El Paso TX and parts out this way also were in the civil war... not all the battles were in the south.