Is it true that Texans do not like to be referred to as Southerners? (Houston: area, business)

[homeinatx]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

I've visited friends from all over the South, and vice versa. There's not much of a difference between Alamo Heights and any other wealthy suburb in the South

Alamo Heights is granted the most southern feeling part of San Antonio, but La Villita, the riverwalk, all of downtown- mariachi central, and the west and south sides with their miles of piñata stores, yup feels just like Mississippi. San Antonio is nearly 60% Hispanic, with over 90% identifying as people of Mexican heritage. All feels very southern... Unless you mean south of the border southern?

[slingshot]

Originally Posted by Deelightful

Hello everyone,

Wow!!! I thought I would be in Texas by now, but I have to wait for my home to sell. I may have a job that will allow me to travel there. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Getting to the point...I've heard that Texans do not like to be referred to as Southerners or the South. I definitely don't want to offend anyone, but isn't Texas as South as you can get? Why is being called a Southerner or "The South" a negative?

Thank you for any information you may have.

No, it's not true in my case. I'm proud to have been born in Texas and I'm proud to be from the South.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

I disagree. I've lived in Alamo Heights all my life and it is as southern as it gets

My husband was born and raised in San Antonio, we have family living there, I'm an East Texas girl, and we both disagree with you. Alamo Heights may have more of a Southern element than the vast majority of San Antonio, but that's as far as we'll go.

[jread]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

My husband was born and raised in San Antonio, we have family living there, I'm an East Texas girl, and we both disagree with you. Alamo Heights may have more of a Southern element than the vast majority of San Antonio, but that's as far as we'll go.

I am also from East Texas (Southeast TX to be exact, but have family all up and down East TX). Central TX was a culture shock to me when I moved here, and absolutely NOTHING like where I grew up. Culture, accent, cuisine, landscape, flora, fauna, weather, etc. were completely different. Areas in the Southeast didn't feel much different from East TX, but Central TX and west certainly do.

I don't think we will ever have a consensus on this. I'm glad to see that someone else from East TX has the same perspective as I do. East TX is plantations, sweet tea, biscuits and gravy... Southern culture. Central and West TX are Mexican influence, jalapeños, tacos, and cacti... Western culture.

[TheOverdog]

East TX is plantations, sweet tea, biscuits and gravy

Sweet tea (pre sweetened tea) wasn't even a thing offered in Dallas at many places until like 2005. Growing up in central Texas, you had to sweeten it yourself. Now you can get it at McDonalds almost everywhere in the US.

[jread]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Sweet tea (pre sweetened tea) wasn't even a thing offered in Dallas at many places until like 2005. Growing up in central Texas, you had to sweeten it yourself. Now you can get it at McDonalds almost everywhere in the US.

I noticed this when I first moved to Austin. Sweet tea wasn't very common it seemed, and you had to just sweeten it yourself. Now, most restaurants offer it (even the ones that didn't before).

[Gunion Powder]

When did Alamo Heights become the most southern part of SA and what makes it so?

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by jread

I am also from East Texas (Southeast TX to be exact, but have family all up and down East TX). Central TX was a culture shock to me when I moved here, and absolutely NOTHING like where I grew up. Culture, accent, cuisine, landscape, flora, fauna, weather, etc. were completely different. Areas in the Southeast didn't feel much different from East TX, but Central TX and west certainly do.

I don't think we will ever have a consensus on this. I'm glad to see that someone else from East TX has the same perspective as I do. East TX is plantations, sweet tea, biscuits and gravy... Southern culture. Central and West TX are Mexican influence, jalapeños, tacos, and cacti... Western culture.

And for another perspective, from someone who grew up in the Southeast and mid Atlantic - East Texas is southern, but definitely not DEEP SOUTH. It feels distinctly Texan first and southern second to this southern gal. I noticed the differences immediately.

My first thought was "These people actually think they're southerners. Bless their hearts." I mean, they ARE but there's a distinctly different vibe that stems from being Texan first and southern second in my opinion. That's backwards from most southern states - which seem to be southern first and foremost.

That being said, central Texas still feels Texan first but southern as well to me. Where it starts to feel definitely UNsouthern to me is west of Fort Worth and south of Frisco.

Just my two cents' worth.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Sweet tea (pre sweetened tea) wasn't even a thing offered in Dallas at many places until like 2005. Growing up in central Texas, you had to sweeten it yourself. Now you can get it at McDonalds almost everywhere in the US.

Really? I lived in Copperas Cove (near Killeen) in the early 1990s and sweet tea was everywhere.

Now GRITS are a whole other story. People STILL look at me weird sometimes when I order grits - even in east Texas. My Texan husband is horrified by grits and my love of them.

However, he has been wowed by shrimp and grits as an entree. So there's hope for him yet.

[turf3]

What I remember from my youth in the 60s and 70s re tea:

Restaurants provided tea without sugar in, so you could add the amount you wanted. Most people added a LOT. (I hate tea with sugar in, despite being a native, that's just a weird thing about me).

If you went to a church picnic, family gathering, outdoor music festival, etc., the tea in the big container was 99% certain to already have sugar in. It's only the last 20 or 30 years that you might find a container of sweet tea and one without sugar at those kinds of places. It may be increased awareness of diabetes - diabetics can get the no sugar tea and add artificial sweetener.

As far as grits, I am a native Texan from Dallas and I have loved grits my entire life. I have never understood someone hating grits. They're just too plain and bland for me to imagine them engendering "hate". Mild dislike, OK, but "hate"? Now, beets I can see hating.