Why are Texans so hostile and judgmental towards transplants? (Houston: living, cost of living)

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by SVTRay

That is wild, I had a similar conversation recently with an older gentleman from the Lubbock area. He basically said the same thing lol I have a friend who is a local Meteorologist and he posted this picture on his Facebook page....left is a 1930's Dust bowl picture and right is a recent picture of a Lubbock dust storm.

I have a friend who lives near Phoenix and they've had some terrible dust storms lately. I could not live in a place like that.

[LilyLady]

Midland, Tx - Taken in 2003 or 2004, not sure which year. This was taken from inside an office building on Loop 250.

[Two4damoney]

I got caught in a dust storm while driving through New Mexico once. But I kept going anyway and made it through to Wilcox Arizona.

[vantexan]

Not long after arriving in Tyler I was sent over to our Longview office to help out for a day. The next day a coworker asked what I thought of Longview. Asked me if it was clean! Reasonably nice town actually, but surprised that at 31 she'd never been closer to Longview than the interstate. About 40-45 miles away. Had a similar experience in Eagle Pass. Went on vacation about 3 hrs down the road to Alpine and the Big Bend. Was asked by a coworker what was the big deal about Big Bend. Started describing the mountain scenery and he said "Texas has mountains?". I've met plenty of well traveled, sophisticated Texans but I'm always surprised at how myopic many Texans are in their worldview. Had a coworker state that maybe 85% of the world's population don't have a roof over their heads! I can appreciate that they think right where they're at is the best place on Earth. But don't ever tell them you've decided you'd like to live or retire elsewhere. It's open season then!

[SVTRay]

Originally Posted by LilyLady

Midland, Tx - Taken in 2003 or 2004, not sure which year. This was taken from inside an office building on Loop 250.

I'm sitting here analyzing this picture and it really doesn't ring a bell. My guess is a more modern time like 2010-2011 and maybe closer to down town? I mean I don't even recognize the surrounding neighbor hood.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by vantexan

Not long after arriving in Tyler I was sent over to our Longview office to help out for a day. The next day a coworker asked what I thought of Longview. Asked me if it was clean! Reasonably nice town actually, but surprised that at 31 she'd never been closer to Longview than the interstate. About 40-45 miles away. Had a similar experience in Eagle Pass. Went on vacation about 3 hrs down the road to Alpine and the Big Bend. Was asked by a coworker what was the big deal about Big Bend. Started describing the mountain scenery and he said "Texas has mountains?". I've met plenty of well traveled, sophisticated Texans but I'm always surprised at how myopic many Texans are in their worldview. Had a coworker state that maybe 85% of the world's population don't have a roof over their heads! I can appreciate that they think right where they're at is the best place on Earth. But don't ever tell them you've decided you'd like to live or retire elsewhere. It's open season then!

Okay, that's weird. I've lived in Texas all my life (some 60+ years now), in East Texas, North Texas, and now Central Texas, have friends who've lived in other parts of the State, and we all knew from childhood that Big Bend was the "mountain destination" in Texas - lots of folks went there on vacation. When living in East Texas, I lived on a church camp (preacher's kid), went to school in a tiny, TINY town, and everyone there knew that. Plus, of course, all about Longview and Tyler and Henderson and Athens and Kilgore and all the other towns in the area.

You sure have some odd co-workers, is all I have to say! Are you sure they were from around here? Or that they weren't pulling your leg? (I will grant you that we sometimes have an odd sense of humor!)

Oh, by the way, while he's back in Texas now, my son has lived in Santa Fe, Annapolis, D.C., and New York City for years at a time. My daughter is currently living in Canada (true love struck, what can you do?) and is trying to talk us into moving up there, and would love to live in Iceland. I myself am more than passing fond of Scotland - if I had to live somewhere but Texas and it wasn't New Orleans, it would be Scotland.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Okay, that's weird. I've lived in Texas all my life (some 60+ years now), in East Texas, North Texas, and now Central Texas, have friends who've lived in other parts of the State, and we all knew from childhood that Big Bend was the "mountain destination" in Texas - lots of folks went there on vacation. When living in East Texas, I lived on a church camp (preacher's kid), went to school in a tiny, TINY town, and everyone there knew that. Plus, of course, all about Longview and Tyler and Henderson and Athens and Kilgore and all the other towns in the area.

You sure have some odd co-workers, is all I have to say! Are you sure they were from around here? Or that they weren't pulling your leg? (I will grant you that we sometimes have an odd sense of humor!)

Oh, by the way, while he's back in Texas now, my son has lived in Santa Fe, Annapolis, D.C., and New York City for years at a time. My daughter is currently living in Canada (true love struck, what can you do?) and is trying to talk us into moving up there, and would love to live in Iceland. I myself am more than passing fond of Scotland - if I had to live somewhere but Texas and it wasn't New Orleans, it would be Scotland.

I have to agree. I know he has his own experiences, but those people definitely do not represent the majority of Texans. We even have a class, Texas history, that teaches us these things. I don't get this whole Texans aren't worldly or very well traveled.

[vantexan]

Originally Posted by blkgiraffe

I have to agree. I know he has his own experiences, but those people definitely do not represent the majority of Texans. We even have a class, Texas history, that teaches us these things. I don't get this whole Texans aren't worldly or very well traveled.

Forgot I posted here but if you'll look at my post I said I've met plenty of well traveled, sophisticated Texans. My job puts me in contact with alot of people daily and believe me most wouldn't qualify as well traveled. The 3 coworkers I cited were from Tyler, Eagle Pass, and Lubbock. You are most likely on this forum because you are interested in such things but you would be among a small demographic in the second most populous state. Doesn't mean that the people here are all bad but if you grow up in a culture that revolves around football, hunting, and pickups you might look suspiciously at anyone who isn't into that. Of course I'm talking about small town Texas.

[SVTRay]

Originally Posted by vantexan

Doesn't mean that the people here are all bad but if you grow up in a culture that revolves around football, hunting, and pickups you might look suspiciously at anyone who isn't into that. Of course I'm talking about small town Texas.

Every state has it's own customs and cultural identities. Larger states like California and Texas have different regional cultures that differ from region to region. Now I grew up in a small West Texas town and not everyone is into football, hunting, and trucks. I played Tennis through high school and my college didn't have a football team for example. My friends and I enjoy Hotrods or offroad racing. So my point if anything is we don't all fit into this sterio- type an overly look suspiciously at those people driving Hybrids and only eat veggies.

[catman]

The stereotypes are at the root of the problem. Not all Texans are one way and Californians the other.