Anglo-Mexican relations (Houston, Dallas, Austin: neighborhood, high school, to live in)

[Dobelover]

How are relations between Mexicans and Anglos in Texas? Is there much inter-marriage? Any problems between the Mexican americans native to Texas and the illegals or new immigrants?

[Bulldawg82]

Originally Posted by Dobelover

How are relations between Mexicans and Anglos in Texas? Is there much inter-marriage? Any problems between the Mexican americans native to Texas and the illegals or new immigrants?

There are always tensions between peoples of differing cultures, but I don't think those between Texan and the Mexican cultures differ that greatly (at least not in the sense that the Texan culture owes so much to both Mexican/Spaniard and Anglo). My sister-in-law & one brother-in-law are Mexican descent (her parents were born & raised in Mexico) and get along great!

[joejitsu]

I would say relations are very good. Its common to see White-Mexican couples. When I lived in Texas some of my best friends were of Latin descent.

[Westerner92]

Overall, white-Hispanic relations are very good in Texas. Intermarriage is very common (it seems like half of my friends are half Hispanic).

[tstone]

Houston-Austin-SA and south should be fine. Mixing going on here for multiple generations now.

In North Texas there is some blatant anti-Hispanic sentiment.

Can't speak for the rest of the state.

[DanielWayne]

Overall it is great. There are a few backwards people anywhere you go, but that is to be expected. I am Hispanic, and have talked about marriage plans with my Irish girlfriend. My brother in law for over 20 years is anglo. My sister-in-law is anglo. Half my extended family is anglo. Lots of people are opposed to ILLEGAL immigration, and that includes native Mexican-Americans.

[Lucidus]

I agree that relations are very good from what I see. I am a cross of Czech and Irish and my wife is Mexican, actually born in Mexico and legally immigrated to Texas.

Overall Anglo-Hispanic relations are better in Texas than most parts of the U.S.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by Lucidus

I agree that relations are very good from what I see. I am a cross of Czech and Irish and my wife is Mexican, actually born in Mexico and legally immigrated to Texas.

Overall Anglo-Hispanic relations are better in Texas than most parts of the U.S.

I'd very much agree with this.

[jaxart]

There is still vehement anti-hispanic sentiment among many anglos along the Mexican/American border , especially in the less populated places along the Rio Grande. Ranching communities, for example. Not quite as bad as it once was, but prejudice and intolerance are still strong in many quarters.

[theloneranger]

There is not much anti-Hispanic or anti-Mexican feeling in Texas on the whole; rather there more is some anti-immigrant, and particularly anti-illegal immigrant, tension.

However, it's not a big issue. There is rarely any violence against immigrants in Texas, and they've integrated fairly well into the culture and economy. Many do still tend to live around one another in largely-immigrant or first generation communities, but the reasons behind these are twofold: one, by self-choice, because people tend to want to live around people who are like them, and two, by economic necessity. However, if a Latino, immigrant or otherwise, wants to live in a largely-white or largely-black neighborhood, there is very rarely any prejudice against them, at least in my experience. I'm half-Hispanic, it seemed like almost half of my (private) high school was half-Hispanic, and I have lots of friends who are both white and Latino. This is in North Dallas, by the way.

There is some pretty fierce anti-immigrant rhetoric you hear on occasion, but it's almost always all talk, and the vast majority of Texans both welcome immigrants (well, legal immigrants) into our state and appreciate the efforts they make to contribute to Texas both economically and otherwise.