Texas and the South

[Guest]

I'm able look up the answer to these questions via the Google Machine, but I'd like to hear the opinion of the Texans here...

Does Texas consider itself part of the "South?" Does the answer depend on which side of the state you reside? Do other southerners consider Texas part of the South?

edit: Do people in the South still use terms like "The Old South" or "The Deep South" as self-identifying geographic descriptions. (As you can tell I've spent most of my life on the West Coast)

[Babs]

Texas considers itself Texas.

[statman]

I'm able look up the answer to this question via the Google Machine, but I'd like to hear the opinion of the Texans here...

Does Texas consider itself part of the "South?" Does the answer depend on which side of the state you reside? Do other southerners consider Texas part of the South?

I lived in TX for 4 or 5 years. Someone from Houston or East Texas might consider themselves a southerner. There are remnants of the 'Old South' in these areas. Dallas is more of a midwestern city than a southern city. Fort Worth - 30 miles from Dallas - is definitely a Southwestern city, as is San Antonio. Austin is too strange to classify.

[statman]

Texas considers itself Texas.

Yeah - and there's that too. The Texas identity is stronger than any regional affiliations.

[Babs]

Austin is too strange to classify.

The friendliest people and the prettiest women you ever seen.

[TheBYUGuy]

I lived in TX for 4 or 5 years. Someone from Houston or East Texas might consider themselves a southerner. There are remnants of the 'Old South' in these areas. Dallas is more of a midwestern city than a southern city. Fort Worth - 30 miles from Dallas - is definitely a Southwestern city, as is San Antonio. Austin is too strange to classify.

This is a decent high-level description. Also, keep in mind that the further east you are, the more people you have from Lousiana, Alabama, Arkansas, etc., and thus you have more hillbilly and cajun influence.

As to the other question, for people who live in the "Deep South", they wouldn't typically count Texas or Florida as part of the "South" despite the fact that the two states are obviously the southernmost in the continental 48. Talk about a misnomer.

[creekster]

This is a decent high-level description. Also, keep in mind that the further east you are, the more people you have from Lousiana, Alabama, Arkansas, etc., and thus you have more hillbilly and cajun influence.

As to the other question, for people who live in the "Deep South", they wouldn't typically count Texas or Florida as part of the "South" despite the fact that the two states are obviously the southernmost in the continental 48. Talk about a misnomer.

I think Deep South is more about How you are rarther than Where you are.

[Guest]

Texas considers itself Texas.

Yes. I sensed that answer. That's not unlike California in some ways; many westerners don't consider California as part of the "West", which I can understand.

[Pheidippides]

This is a decent high-level description. Also, keep in mind that the further east you are, the more people you have from Lousiana, Alabama, Arkansas, etc., and thus you have more hillbilly and cajun influence.

As to the other question, for people who live in the "Deep South", they wouldn't typically count Texas or Florida as part of the "South" despite the fact that the two states are obviously the southernmost in the continental 48. Talk about a misnomer.

Agreed. For my part, I consider Houston to be a Southern city, but not part of the Deep South by any measure. Houston is not a western or midwestern city, that much is certain. We also have (in my view) much more in common with New Orleans and Atlanta, in terms of attitude and culture, than with Dallas. People who like Houston typically do not like Dallas and vice-versa. There is a food and people tie to New Orleans and Louisiana generally by all accounts. You can get LSU gear here as easily as UT gear, and you see about as much. When the Saints won the Super Bowl, it was not a small deal to many people here as well.

Austin is a Northwestern city with better BBQ.

Dallas is a Texas city. It is not really midwestern or western, and it sure ain't southern. I hate Dallas, by the way.

San Antonio and parts west are Western.

The different characteristics of the four major cities in Texas are quite astounding, to tell you the truth.

[creekster]

Yes. I sensed that answer. That's not unlike California in some ways; many westerners don't consider California as part of the "West", which I can understand.

Good point. When I first moved to Northern California I would have this conversation with westerners from time to time. I contend that the western state of mind is NOT the California state of mind, not even if you include the central valley. In order to make my point, I used to keep 2 or 3 copies of Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey in my office to give to Californians to read and try to understand the western mindset. Abbey was from the Northeast, but he captured the feeling of being a westerner with great accuracy in that book, IMO. Just think if I had given out Books of Mormons instead I might have stored me up some treasure. Oh well.

I think Texas is similar; it is in the South but it is not, generally, of the South.

[il Padrino Ute]

Good point. When I first moved to Northern California I would have this conversation with westerners from time to time. I contend that the western state of mind is NOT the California state of mind, not even if you include the central valley. In order to make my point, I used to keep 2 or 3 copies of Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey in my office to give to Californians to read and try to understand the western mindset. Abbey was from the Northeast, but he captured the feeling of being a westerner with great accuracy in that book, IMO. Just think if I had given out Books of Mormons instead I might have stored me up some treasure. Oh well.

I think Texas is similar; it is in the South but it is not, generally, of the South.

Desert Solitaire is a great book. It's time to read it again.

[Fiyero]

In my last job, which allowed me to travel to 44 states in five years before the real estate industry went bust, I had evenings and weekends free and was able to go out and see the cities. 21 state capital buildings. 58 LDS temples. 18 MLB ballparks. 7 presidential libraries. Toured historical sites like The Alamo, Palmyra, and the Texas Schoolbook Depository; ate at places featured on the Food Network and met many interesting people all over.

To that end, I agree with the previous statements that Florida is not a part of the deep south; it is Florida. California is not a part of the west; it is California. And Texas is Texas. West of El Paso is the Southwest; North of the Red River is the Midwest; and the eastern border is where the South begins. Texas is its own geographical republic.

[marsupial]

I tell people that I have lived in the South for almost 8 years. Four of those years were in Memphis, nearly three in Jackson and one in Dallas. But really, when I was living in Dallas it didn't feel like the South, it felt like Texas. I agree with Babs.

[venkman]

To that end, I agree with the previous statements that Florida is not a part of the deep south; it is Florida.

Florida was deep south, until the New Yorkers and Cubans took over. There are still pockets of the confederacy though, mostly in the panhandle. I've known a few people from that area and they are as redneck/hillbilly/southern drawl as you'll find anywhere.

[Surfah]

Florida was deep south, until the New Yorkers and Cubans took over. There are still pockets of the confederacy though, mostly in the panhandle. I've known a few people from that area and they are as redneck/hillbilly/southern drawl as you'll find anywhere.

Agreed. I spent two weeks in Gainesville and I couldn't believe the amount of rednecks.