South Texas VS West Texas (Houston, San Antonio: low crime, movies, schools)

[elfyum]

"they call every woman here "mami" or "mama" or something like that...its a mexican term of endearment. i cant get used to it. my terms of endearment for my patients are "sweet pea" or "sugarpie" or "honey" or "darlin"...i dont call anyone MOMMY except MY MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!
and they call all males even young ones "pappy"....
it's freakin wierd."

Wait a minute! You're NOT in TX! You're in MIAMI!!!

[ThanksABunch]

Regarding the comment about no texas accent in south texas...just call pretty much any resident or business in Port Aransas and you'll hear endless examples of the perfect Texas twang! The folks there are texans through and through, not only in their accents but their attitude. They are very friendly!

[NOTAM]

oh really? well i aint spent much time in Port A-went there two weeks ago for dinner at the Trout Street Bar and Grill, and have been to Port Royal Ocean Resort. so not places "locals" would be at......
but wonder why in Corpus area and south, ZERO Texas twang?

Originally Posted by ThanksABunch

Regarding the comment about no texas accent in south texas...just call pretty much any resident or business in Port Aransas and you'll hear endless examples of the perfect Texas twang! The folks there are texans through and through, not only in their accents but their attitude. They are very friendly!

[jluyka]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

Do NOT move to South Texas unless you are prepared to, and dont mind being a minority. I am a Texan, and was uprooted to Georgia for 3 years thanks to the Army, and finally got back to Texas and chose South Texas because of a high paying contract...thinking that Texas was Texas. IT AINT.
South Texas is a WHOLE OTHER COUNTRY. You can compare East, North, West-they have the "Texas" feel to them...but South Texas is MEXICO.
I am telling you right now-it is NOT Texas. I am a female blonde blue eyed Anglo and stand out everywhere and am stared at like I am a freak. I have ZERO social life-i am semi attractive (or so they say) and have not even been asked out on a date and i have been here 6 months, and have no real friends. In the workplace, i have "acquaintances" but i have nothing in common with them. oh by the way, they think i TALK FUNNY. they think i have an accent. Ya know why? cuz i guess i have somewhat a Texas drawl or twang...which DOES NOT EXIST HERE! so another reason i dont fit in.
they call every woman here "mami" or "mama" or something like that...its a mexican term of endearment. i cant get used to it. my terms of endearment for my patients are "sweet pea" or "sugarpie" or "honey" or "darlin"...i dont call anyone MOMMY except MY MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!
and they call all males even young ones "pappy"....
it's freakin wierd.
oh and top it all off with wimpy law enforcement. i am used to feeling secure and protected by TOUGH TEXAS LAWMEN...NOT HERE. they are a bunch of wimps and all they do is take part in corruption...those drug runners can just pay them off...you should see the deputy sheriffs who come in with inmates to my hospital-they look like they are not at all self-assured and look about 18 years old! i am tougher than they are!!
it's PATHETIC.
choose WEST TEXAS AT ALL COSTS. i will. i am outta here by Oct when my lease is up

Dearest Self-Proclaimed "bellestaroftexas":

I have read your posts over and over for the last few weeks and have kept from responding to you although I have wanted to a few times. I think it is about time I express myself, to you, just as you have so done to everyone here. Forgive me if a little sarcasm sneaks out here-and-there but I will try to make my points with as much respect and consideration as possible...

While I realize that sometimes people tend to express themselves passionately about things they feel strongly about, as a common courtesy, we still need to be considerate of the many cultures that surround us. In reading many of your posts, you have made it VERY clear that you have absolutely no interest in learning about, being around, or even trying to understand your "latino" or "hispanic" surroundings...I guess if absolutely ALL of your experiences with this culture have been nothing but negative, I can only sympathize as you must feel trapped, which is never a comfortable feeling. But please keep in mind, this is an Internet society and you need to understand that sometimes, some things that you say are offensive to some of your readers. Can we please everyone all the time? Of course not! But we can at least try to be nice.

To pick just one example: The terms of endearment you mentioned "Mami" and "Papi" are expressed the same way the words "babe" and "baby" have been used for decades in the English language. Notice that a parent uses these words with both a child and a lover. Just as you mentioned about Mami/Papi (not pappy like in Popeye). Also, just as you use "sugerpie" and "sweet pea." A person not used to "your" terms of affection, may easily say "she's referring to people as food!?!?" There is nothing "FREAKIN WEIRD" (note: weird, not wierd) about either your or their way, it's just different. It's a shame that you are quick to judge an entire culture based on the few (or not-so-few) things that you have mentioned in your many, many, many (ok I'll stop now) posts.

I have come to appreciate what this website has to offer because of the much needed information shared between people, but when someone like you comes in and offers nothing but "bad" or "negative" opinions (not facts) sometimes it's better to keep that opinion to oneself.

I am sure you have learned that unless "we" have something nice to say, sometimes it is better not to say anything at all...perhaps this is something you should learn to practice more often...

Sincerely,
jluyka

[conanS]

jluyka, I am a white guy living in the Valley. And I have to agree with bella on a few things. One, I've lived in north,west, and south Texas. It is MUCH different here than any of the other two. And by that I mean, the area is saturated with Mexican tradition and culture than anywhere I've ever witnessed.

Don't get me wrong, my best friends are hispanic as well as my wife. But, here the lines between Anglo and Hispanic is much more defined. I have been turned down for jobs simply because I only speak the National language for crying out loud!! I often get treated like a stereotypical minority. Not always, but more often than not.

Having said that, there are many things I do like about the Valley, but I was raised in an area where the white and hispanic populations were 50/50. If someone else that has not been in that environment comes to this site and asks questions, I would advise them to visit for a good while before they even considered moving here.

And as for Bella being negative, that is her prerogative. If each member here only posted the good points of an area, then how would anyone make an educated decision about relocating to the area??

It is up to the reader of these posts to decide what they value as important for a home location, and I, for one, am glad we have people to represent both sides of the coin!

[NOTAM]

thank you Conan.........trust me, if there had been someone THIS FORTHRIGHT as i am about the negatives (in my perception, and coming from my background and culture) on CD, i would have NEVER wasted a year of my life here. so those who are used to "my type of Texas" will at least be forewarned about how DIFFERENT the culture is. and yes, me being negative is my perogative. at least i am doing something about it and moving as soon as my lease is up in sept.

[RGV]

Via con Dios Bella.

[RGV]

Oops, that'll be "vaya"

[conanS]

Heck, even my wife who is hispanic is growing weary of some of the same things Bella has told others about. But, for now, we are staying here so the kids can be close to the family. But when it starts getting close to them getting out of school, we will be looking to move elsewhere. No need to limit there oppurtunities by staying in the RGV.

[crbcrbrgv]

Okay, I'm a complete newbie to posting on this website. I have been using it for quite awhile. Whoever keeps ripping on the Rio Grande Valley, I have this to say....YOU ARE COMPLETELY RIGHT! I have lived here for five years in Weslaco Texas with my wife and daughter. She is from Weslaco and full blooded Mexican-American and I am Anglo. There is no culture down here, and no diversity. People are generally uneducated. I am a teacher, and I will tell you that the schools get a bad rap. This is not the fault of educators as I have worked with some of the most dedicated professionals in my life. There are a lot of second generation people here who are taking advantage of the system and more or less living for free. The kids ruin the schools. I would NEVER in a MILLION years even DREAM of sending my daughter to a public school. You have to go IDEA/Vanguard or private.
A lot of people here are old fashioned and not very forward thinking. If you are liberal or non-religious, this is not the place for you. If you are gay, forget it (not as though west Texas is exactly Greenwich Village I suppose). ANOTHER thing....there is an unspoken racism Mexicans have towards there own down here at times, although it is dying off. My wife is pretty darn dark (an Anglo's dream, really). Darker people can be looked down upon down here (not African-Americans as they are all either ranchers or highly educated in the Valley....all 4 of them). In fact, when you look at individual cities, you will notice more affluent Valley cities with good reputations have lighter skinned Mexicans (think Mission, McAllen) while the ones with the bad reputations that tend to be poorer have darker Mexicans (think Palmview, Donna). Mexican nationals that come up here to shop are very rude and pretty much think everyone from the Valley is garbage whether they be dark, light or green.