How would you explain diversity in Texas? (Houston, Dallas: home, restaurant)

[CarlyGMa]

Having spent my life right outside of Dallas (Highland Park), and most recently moved right outside of San Antonio (Terrell Hills), I have realized how big and varied Texas is. There are varied differences between the two I am learning.

How would you explain your experiences around Texas?

[supfromthesite]

Highland Park and Terrell Hills are pretty similar. Terrell Hills is just an inferior version of HP in pretty much every way.

I see Texas as a sort of mix of Northern Mexico, southern United States, and to a lesser extent the Midwest and even elements of California (or maybe it's just modern America in general). Regarding diversity, we have a big mix of whites, blacks, and mexicans/tejanos/few other hispanics. This makes us unique because the western states have either whites and indians or whites and hispanics and the south is mostly black and white. Oklahoma is sort of similar if you swap the hispanics for indians but it doesn't have as many of them or as many blacks as Texas does. We also have a very diverse population of white people, including lots of southerners which were Anglo, Germans, Spaniards, and to a lesser extent other Europeans as well.

[As Above So Below...]

On a statistical level, Texas is home to the 5th most diverse (Houston), 8th most diverse (Dallas/Fort Worth), and 21st most diverse (Austin) metro areas in the US per capita on an ethnic level. Texas also has some racially diverse smaller cities like Killeen, Waco, Bryan, Tyler, and Beaumont but these cities are not ethnically diverse.

That said, the vast majority of the land area in Texas isnt diverse at all. Its either heavy white, Hispanic, or heavy white/black, or white/Hispanic depending on the city. When you get small pockets outside that (like the Asian and Somali refugees in Amarillo), they are few and far between.

The way I describe diversity in is that its localized. If youre in Houston or DFW, you have access to anything you need from a diversity perspective. With Austin youll be ok for the most part too. San Antonio is iffy.

[malcorub16]

USAA, the Medical Center, the Airforce bases attract ethnic diversity to San Antonio...but San Antonio, Ft Worth and El Paso are definitely the least ethnically diverse of the big 6 Texas cities. San Antonio did however just get its first Jollibee restaurant, which I suppose means that the Filipino population in SA is growing.

Anything in the state South of San Antonio is overwhelmingly Hispanic and therefore not culturally diverse.

[Foamposite]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

Highland Park and Terrell Hills are pretty similar. Terrell Hills is just an inferior version of HP in pretty much every way.

I see Texas as a sort of mix of Northern Mexico, southern United States, and to a lesser extent the Midwest and even elements of California (or maybe it's just modern America in general). Regarding diversity, we have a big mix of whites, blacks, and mexicans/tejanos/few other hispanics. This makes us unique because the western states have either whites and indians or whites and hispanics and the south is mostly black and white. Oklahoma is sort of similar if you swap the hispanics for indians but it doesn't have as many of them or as many blacks as Texas does. We also have a very diverse population of white people, including lots of southerners which were Anglo, Germans, Spaniards, and to a lesser extent other Europeans as well.

Oklahoma has almost as many Hispanics as Indians. And keep in mind a lot of those Indians are so mixed that they're visibly indistinguishanle from white people.

[NorthTexasGuy]

With 30 million people and most of that population growth in the last 50 years, Texas is as diverse as any place. The metro areas will have the majority of that diversity and of coarse the rural areas will have a more common culture feel to it. Distinctly Texan, that culture will consist of whites, Hispanic and others that cherish that life style that keeps Texas uniquely Texas. Diversity will be found from the southern feel of East Texas, to western attitude of central and west Texas, and the heavily Mexican influenced area of the Rio Grand Valley. I’d say yep, we’re pretty diverse and yet uniquely Texan.

[KathrynAragon]

Texas is one of a small handful of "majority minority" states, meaning that while white non Hispanic folks are the largest group, they make up less than 50 percent of the overall population.

Whenever I go to other states, I always enjoy seeing the many shades of brown faces when I get back to Texas. I also agree that it's our unique mixture of Hispanic, AA, and white Non Hispanic folks that adds a piquant flavor to Texas in general.

My mom always used to say when they'd visit us in Tyler, TX "I missed all the shades of brown skin in Texas!" and I think she was definitely onto something!