Challenging the notion that South Texas isn't Southern (Dallas, San Antonio: land, baptists)

[lonestar2007]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

I am from San Antonio, my family has a 20,000 acre ranch south of the Nueces and I have ancestors that date back to when Texas was a part of Mexico.

Does my opinion count?

Hell yeah! I'm giving you a thumbs up (for whatever that's worth ) so go for it!

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Why is there so much concern/obsession over whether or not Texas is southern?

Texas overall is distinctly Texas, not like any other state.

Because after losing the Civil War, and wanting to appeal to a "New and modern time" promoters of Texas made an active effort to promote themselves as "Western" not "Southern" Also Cowboys were really in at the time, so why not.

Being Southern was bad marketing at the time.

It was a deliberate thing and if you believe it now, you have been duped by 100 year old propaganda.

The only part of Texas that isn't southern is the Part of the state that is either west of the eastern most part of New Mexico, or a short distance from the Mexican border...say 50 maybe miles from the Rio Grand... more or less in some areas.

The sad thing is most Texans are embarrassingly ignorant of their own States History....instead believing half truths, myths and propaganda. That's is a shame because it really is an interesting history.

[Thoreau424]

It's just labels and words. It will never be exact and precise.

Just skip the labels if it's not going to lead to anything meaningful and/or cause more confusion.

This isn't worth fighting or bickering over...

[Arkay66]

The only part of Texas that is culturally part of the Deep South is East Texas. The rest of the state think of ourselves as just Texans. As for "southern" accents, there are seven distinct English-language accents recognized in Texas, and only one is considered "southern." The rest are kind of Midwest or are Western.

Now I'd like to know, why is this so important to you? What value accrues to labeling Texans as anything other than Texans and US citizens? I'm asking as a native Texan who had great-grandfathers fighting on both sides of that unpleasantness known as the Civil War, and whose accent is not "Southern."

[Marty Janetty]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

I am from San Antonio, my family has a 20,000 acre ranch south of the Nueces and I have ancestors that date back to when Texas was a part of Mexico.

Does my opinion count?

I came here on a train a few years ago. No

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

I am from San Antonio, my family has a 20,000 acre ranch south of the Nueces and I have ancestors that date back to when Texas was a part of Mexico.

Does my opinion count?

Don’t know exactly what you’re arguing or you think I’m arguing so I can’t really respond to this.

[malcorub16]

Oklahoma is not considered Southern but it certainly is pretty redneck similar to the South, alot more neck than the minority Anglos of South Texas.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by Arkay66

The only part of Texas that is culturally part of the Deep South is East Texas. The rest of the state think of ourselves as just Texans. As for "southern" accents, there are seven distinct English-language accents recognized in Texas, and only one is considered "southern." The rest are kind of Midwest or are Western.

Now I'd like to know, why is this so important to you? What value accrues to labeling Texans as anything other than Texans and US citizens? I'm asking as a native Texan who had great-grandfathers fighting on both sides of that unpleasantness known as the Civil War, and whose accent is not "Southern."

Naw, no accent in Texas could be mistaken for midwestern. (Anglo)Texas accents in there various froms are a type of southern accent.

[LocalPlanner]

Who would deny that a significant part of Texas is part of "The South" or is "Southern"? Just as Florida, the Arkansas Ozarks and the Carolinas have their own distinct identities and cultures, they are "Southern." The area of Texas that was settled by folks descended primarily from Britain and Northern Ireland as of the Civil War - basically areas NE of I-37 south of San Antonio and East of I-35 north of San Antonio, could rightfully be called southern, although the economic commonalities with "The South" faded a lot once west of the Brazos River watershed. So although this area is distinct from other southern states in many ways due to its "Texanness" I don't have a problem with still calling it "southern."

However, I don't consider the Hill Country, whose European settlement was initially primarily by German immigrants with no connection to "The South", to be "Southern." And while there were British-descended folks scattered in the area that is now SW of I-37, the Tejano culture was equally present, and had no relation to "The South" in that part of Texas.

And until after the Civil War, apart from those intrepid Germans in the Hill Country, there were hardly any European heritage folks in the western half of the state at all because of Comanches and other tribes who weren't exactly friendly. And certainly no economic commonalities with "The South" and no climate / ecological commonalities either. So while many people who trace their heritage back to "The South" eventually settled in those areas and brought elements of that culture with them, it's hardly enough to say those parts of Texas are "southern" regardless of accents. After all, those Germans ended up with Texas accents too.

[Foamposite]

Originally Posted by malcorub16

Oklahoma is not considered Southern but it certainly is pretty redneck similar to the South, alot more neck than the minority Anglos of South Texas.

I consider Oklahoma to be the South and so do most people outside of City Data