Do Texans feel distinct from Americans from other states? (Dallas: spring break, school)

[K-Train]

^^^^

Oh.

Ok.

[thenewtexan]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

Yeah. Envy.

Finally someone who understood my comment. Wow I see many Texans on this board took it as an insult. A lot of hyper sensitive Texans on this board. Geez you would think I was a smug European criticizing America!

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by thenewtexan

Finally someone who understood my comment. Wow I see many Texans on this board took it as an insult. A lot of hyper sensitive Texans on this board. Geez you would think I was a smug European criticizing America!

In case you haven't noticed, Texas is often singled out for insulting by many, many different people, especially (but not limited to) on this board.

For the record though, I wasn't insulted - I just said Texans shouldn't care what other Americans, or what Europeans, think about them.

Carry on.

[NoClueWho]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

Yeah. Envy.

LOL, exactly!!!

[augiedogie]

Yes, Texans have a special affinity to their state, but this isn't unusual. New Yorkers and people from Wis also have this kind of attitude about their own state/city. Not that unusual.

[Pincho-toot]

While Texas definitely has probably the most distinct identity of any state, it's still not all that unique from it's neighbours. A small hillbilly town in Texas is the same as a small hillbilly town in Oklahoma: Dull, boring and crappy. Not everywhere in Texas is amazing. There's lots of ghettos all over the state, in Austin, in Dallas, in San Angelo. My first time ever seeing cocaine was in Texas, and I grew up in Miami!

But then Texas has the beautiful spots. The plains of north and west central Texas, the hills and mesas. I love it's western frontier feel. I haven't been to the desert yet, but you see the desert influence as you go west. The shrubbery, the cacti, the landscape. There's all kinds of people. Friendly and polite people, but also a bunch of jerks. There's racists and sexists. But there's also the kind of people who don't take kindly to bigotry. There's ignorant people like everywhere else.

It does definitely have a distinct identity. No other state is prouder of itself than Texas, that's for sure. Even with New York and California, it's more of a city thing than state wide. For example, more of an LA thing or SF thing. In NYC it's definitely more limited to the city. Texas is great in many ways, and not so great in others. As far as weather, as long as I can get at least one snow day, I'll put up with the brutal summers for a few years.

[Rogarven]

Originally Posted by thenewtexan

The rest of America looks at Texas the same way that Europe looks at America. Draw your own conclusion.

When we were in England, they said the same thing. England looks at America the same way America looks at Texas.

3rd Generation here. I don't want to leave but would for the sake of wife and her health. The heat and humidity are bad for her and that is why I would go to northern AZ.

[Rogarven]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

And Texans don't care.

Nor should Americans, for that matter.

Here again, right on the money, Kathryn!!

[radiolibre99]

Regional differences are diminishing among younger people but by and large the Texas culture is still prevalent. You have to understand that in texas you're kinda taught from a young age to be really independent. I would say texans are the biggest "hipsters" in regards to not giving a flying flip what the latest trend is, they're gonna do their own thing.

It's evident in all our arts; country, rap, indie rock, and movies. It's in out industries: oil, gas, energy. It's in our politics both left and right wing. Our liberals are still less left wing and way more blue collar in the sense that they will not cost jobs by stopping a company draining a marsh because there's an endangered bug that lives there. We are the home of Alex Jones and Dealy Plaza.

Many mistake our confidence for swagger and our rejection of the mainstream as stubborn. It's just a pervasive culture of "you're not better than me, so sit your pretentious butt down". Although all the "humility" does breed an arrogance of its own.

[Slowpoke_TX]

Originally Posted by pizzathehut

As a non-American I have always admired Texas for many different reasons. One of them being that Texas seems like the most autonomous state in the US. While most other states share commonality with the states that surround them, Texas, perhaps because it's large enough, seems like both it's own state and it's own region, and has it's own thing going on completely. It's not quite a southern state, it's not quite a western state, it's Texas. The Texas attitude, to me, also confirms this. Texans seem like a very self-sufficient people, they don't wait on others to tell them what to do. They do things their way. I admire this greatly. They also seem to have a love and passion for their state that people from other states don't have. Perhaps this was brought about by the revolution? I don't know this to be true but I would guess many Texans would define themselves as Texans first, Americans second. Would you agree?

I'd agree that you deserve to be called an honorary Texan.