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Still in the South. Y'all doing to much cultural gymnastics still a city in the South.
Culture matters as much as geography does.
Texas seceded, so it was part of the Confederacy and thus the South. But no one, and I mean no one, would confuse El Paso for Atlanta, Birmingham, Jackson or even Houston. West Texas stands apart culturally from both the cultural South and the rest of Texas; it's actually part of the Southwest — or, as I put it to my friends after spending a summer there, it's really a city in New Mexico.
Similarly, the Mason-Dixon Line is the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, and that surveyors' line has long been shorthand for the geographic divide between North and South. But Maryland never seceded (though it came close to doing so), and its principal city is an industrial center of the type the South lacked completely until sometime after the Civil War. Culturally, Baltimore shares the Jim Crow legacy, but it's far from a sleepy Southern city (that described Washington down the road better up until World War II).
Florida seceded too, but the Peninsula no longer shares the Deep South culture of the Panhandle, and thus Miami, the state's biggest city, is now often characterized as the capital of the Caribbean instead.
No one would confuse Northern Virginia for its Southside.
And so on.
The cultural South is itself also split in two: the Deep South and the Middle (or Upper) South. Actually, make that three: those two and Louisiana.
Texas seceded, so it was part of the Confederacy and thus the South. But no one, and I mean no one, would confuse El Paso for Atlanta, Birmingham, Jackson or even Houston. West Texas stands apart culturally from both the cultural South and the rest of Texas; it's actually part of the Southwest — or, as I put it to my friends after spending a summer there, it's really a city in New Mexico.
Similarly, the Mason-Dixon Line is the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, and that surveyors' line has long been shorthand for the geographic divide between North and South. But Maryland never seceded (though it came close to doing so), and its principal city is an industrial center of the type the South lacked completely until sometime after the Civil War. Culturally, Baltimore shares the Jim Crow legacy, but it's far from a sleepy Southern city (that described Washington down the road better up until World War II).
Florida seceded too, but the Peninsula no longer shares the Deep South culture of the Panhandle, and thus Miami, the state's biggest city, is now often characterized as the capital of the Caribbean instead.
No one would confuse Northern Virginia for its Southside.
And so on.
The cultural South is itself also split in two: the Deep South and the Middle (or Upper) South. Actually, make that three: those two and Louisiana.
Exactly. The state of Texas is way more complicated given its size. As you indicated, the western and southwestern part of the state has a history with Mexico, Cowboys, Ranchers, and the Great Plains. Texas was only relatively recently re-designated by the Census as being in the South. So it is only recently a "southern" state. Tex-Mex culture (which El Paso would fall under) is not remotely related to traditional Southern culture.
As was previously stated, culture matters as much as geography. Texas is a transition state and culturally, El Paso has little in common with the rest of Texas and virtually nil with the rest of the South. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise. The history of the city, the demographics, etc are vastly different.
Texas seceded, so it was part of the Confederacy and thus the South. But no one, and I mean no one, would confuse El Paso for Atlanta, Birmingham, Jackson or even Houston. West Texas stands apart culturally from both the cultural South and the rest of Texas; it's actually part of the Southwest — or, as I put it to my friends after spending a summer there, it's really a city in New Mexico.
Similarly, the Mason-Dixon Line is the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, and that surveyors' line has long been shorthand for the geographic divide between North and South. But Maryland never seceded (though it came close to doing so), and its principal city is an industrial center of the type the South lacked completely until sometime after the Civil War. Culturally, Baltimore shares the Jim Crow legacy, but it's far from a sleepy Southern city (that described Washington down the road better up until World War II).
Florida seceded too, but the Peninsula no longer shares the Deep South culture of the Panhandle, and thus Miami, the state's biggest city, is now often characterized as the capital of the Caribbean instead.
No one would confuse Northern Virginia for its Southside.
And so on.
The cultural South is itself also split in two: the Deep South and the Middle (or Upper) South. Actually, make that three: those two and Louisiana.
I would say the cultural south is split with one more. The Deep South (which lets face it, it’s starting to vanish even in said areas), mid/upper south, and the gulf south. Northern Louisiana is “Deep South” while southern Louisiana is “gulf coast”. May seem crazy but culturally, there is a difference between Deep South and the Gulf Coast.
Texas seceded, so it was part of the Confederacy and thus the South. But no one, and I mean no one, would confuse El Paso for Atlanta, Birmingham, Jackson or even Houston. West Texas stands apart culturally from both the cultural South and the rest of Texas; it's actually part of the Southwest — or, as I put it to my friends after spending a summer there, it's really a city in New Mexico.
Similarly, the Mason-Dixon Line is the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, and that surveyors' line has long been shorthand for the geographic divide between North and South. But Maryland never seceded (though it came close to doing so), and its principal city is an industrial center of the type the South lacked completely until sometime after the Civil War. Culturally, Baltimore shares the Jim Crow legacy, but it's far from a sleepy Southern city (that described Washington down the road better up until World War II).
Florida seceded too, but the Peninsula no longer shares the Deep South culture of the Panhandle, and thus Miami, the state's biggest city, is now often characterized as the capital of the Caribbean instead.
No one would confuse Northern Virginia for its Southside.
And so on.
The cultural South is itself also split in two: the Deep South and the Middle (or Upper) South. Actually, make that three: those two and Louisiana.
Maryland is officially a southern state and you can find Southern accents in DC and Baltimore. You can also find southern culture in different parts of the state. But it is not overall culturally southern the way that most of the other southern states are. The largest part of the state (the Baltimore DC corridor) has some southern influence (you will hear some southern accents), but it is not overly charactersticly southern or northern.
You could be correct. I am not quite as familiar with the history of Texas. I know the western/ southwestern part of the state definitely has a history with Mexico, ranchers, cowboys, great plains, etc. Learning about all of that growing up is why I considered Texas to be quintessential "Western" culture. Tbh I am not sure about Houston's history. I associated it more with oil fields rather than cotton fields, but given it's location, I could definitely see it having a historic Southern culture past.
Best Article on Texas ever. +1
Is funny it says no one ever questioned Texas's southernest until the 20th century and here in CD people are claiming that Texas was recently classified as Southern.
Is a Shame Houston no longer celebrates that Notsuoh festival.
It may have grown into a defining cultural event for the city instead of Livestock Show and Rodeo which was never a big part of the city 's culture
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