Do Texas natives consider Texas the South or Midwest (Dallas: homes, airport)

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by jread

Not where I live.... thankfully.

Yeah I hear ya. Austin definitely bucks the Texas stereotype. These days Houston and Dallas are liberal cities too. Austin used to be the only liberal city in TX. Now Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso are all liberal cities.

[triwing]

my neighbor from New Jersey says Texas is the Midwest

The thugs on the Sopranos were smarter than this.

[Lakewooder]

Yeah if it's one thing they are proficient at doing, it's naming "territories".

[catman]

Texas is just Texas, a thing unto itself.

[jbaker0217]

If you google 'what states are in the midwest,' and then click on the wikipedia link it pulls an article about the Midwestern United States up, right next to the article is a picture of what the U.S. Census Bureau considers the Midwest. Missouri and Kansas are the states that are farthest south. So even if you're debating culture and everything it doesn't really matter. If our government doesn't even consider Texas the Midwest. It is definitely not Midwest. However, when we were in school here in MN, we were taught that Texas is in the Midwest. So, they need to fix that.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by jbaker0217

If you google 'what states are in the midwest,' and then click on the wikipedia link it pulls an article about the Midwestern United States up, right next to the article is a picture of what the U.S. Census Bureau considers the Midwest. Missouri and Kansas are the states that are farthest south. So even if you're debating culture and everything it doesn't really matter. If our government doesn't even consider Texas the Midwest. It is definitely not Midwest. However, when we were in school here in MN, we were taught that Texas is in the Midwest. So, they need to fix that.

LOL They sure do!

As a relevant aside here, this general topic (Texas' regional affliliation) is one guaranteed to ignite strong feelings and dispute!

It has been discussed/debated/kicked around/etc., to the point most of the "Texas Regulars" just get an "oh lord, here we go again" feeling when the said threads resurrect themselves (they never seem to die out totally! LOL).

Personally -- like most native Texans of generations rooted -- I think of Texas as being something unto itself. Texas is Texas. First and foremost. Alpha and Omega.

BUT...when it is grouped in with other states in terms of common history and culture? I stand solidly behind that it is essentially a part of the American South.

Definitely, a very unique part of it ("Western South" if you will), but essentially Southern in a majority of the indices which are often used to measure such things (history, speech, politics, culture, etc). That is to say, the aforementioned criteria are MUCH more the influence of the southeast (where the vast majority of Texas settlers came from) than any other part of the country. The real duality -- in both the blending and influential sense in the state's history -- is that of black and white Southerners.

Again, this is a topic which flares up occasionally...in the literal sense of the word. LOL

I think the two things that all can agree on are:

1. Texas is Texas
2. It is NOT part of the Midwest!

[Spade]

Originally Posted by LAnative10

I think the black community here is quicker to call themselves southern. The Latino community (at least in Dallas) seems to think Southwestern is more appropriate of the ones Ive talked to. Personally, I think DFW is a cross between Southern/Midwestern/Southwestern. The people here seem more southern, the landscape seems midwestern, and the large presence of hispanics make it seem more Southwestern.

This is pretty much 100% true. The Black community in Texas will consider themselves Southern and a sprinkle of Hispanics may do the same. But the majority of the Hispanics will consider themselves Southwestern or Texas. They have more of a relation with people from New Mexico, Arizona, and California while Black Texans have more of a relation with Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas (they also have a relations with Black Californians as well but that's another topic).

Also, yes, landscape wise, DFW is not Southern. It's midwestern. But that's the only Midwestern thing about it. Everything else is either Texan or Southern (mostly Texan).

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by Spade

This is pretty much 100% true. The Black community in Texas will consider themselves Southern and a sprinkle of Hispanics may do the same. But the majority of the Hispanics will consider themselves Southwestern or Texas. They have more of a relation with people from New Mexico, Arizona, and California while Black Texans have more of a relation with Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas (they also have a relations with Black Californians as well but that's another topic).

Also, yes, landscape wise, DFW is not Southern. It's midwestern. But that's the only Midwestern thing about it. Everything else is either Texan or Southern (mostly Texan).:ok:

That is a weird one, Spade! I mean that in the sense of contemplating what you say. Which I agree with quite a bit...if not almost totally.

I am about an hour and a half removed from DFW and often go there (to visit my brother and sister and their families).

One thing to consider is that a lot of the topography around the DFW area is "east cross timbers"...so it isn't totally "Midwestern" (i.e. flat plains, prarie, etc)...but yes, at least enough that it basically fits the description..

What strikes me most is the "accent" down that way. In most of those ever growing suburbs, it is that bland "Midwest" speech. Far and few between does one encounter the Texas/Southern twang and drawl. The impact of non-Texans from the North have defintitely imprinted....

With all that said though, get off the beaten path? And old Dallas and Ft. Worth -- even the original suburbs of Arlington, Grand Prarie, and Irving -- are nothing less than classically Southern.

[Heimdall]

Wow! It actually took 27 pages to repeat the same postulates over and over that "Texas is Texas" and "it's a mix of South, Southwest, and Midwest". Amazing how people can create a discussion out of nothing.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by Heimdall

Wow! It actually took 27 pages to repeat the same postulates over and over that "Texas is Texas" and "it's a mix of South, Southwest, and Midwest". Amazing how people can create a discussion out of nothing.

No Midwest!