Is San Antonio forgotten in Texas? (Houston, Dallas: how much, place to live, restaurant)

[TXsurburbanmom]

It really depends on where in SA. As I said lots of Mexican Nationals where I live and the food does reflect that. Obviously, there are also many people of Mexican heritage who have been in Texas for generations so there's always going to be Tex-Mex food, culture, etc. I also admit it's kind of a little bubble out here but there is no denying it's changed in the last 10 years due to large amounts of wealthy Mexican transplants.

[Kthnry]

Originally Posted by homeinatx

What absolute rubbish. Austin is close to 40% Mexican American. It is not a majority Hispanic city like San Antonio, but there is plenty great Tex Mex food and and a variety of regional Mexican cuisine at every price point, and some terrific Mexican American cultural institutions like Mexicarte, The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. The UT department of Mexican American and Latino/a studies is one of the largest and most important departments in the country. Very few cities have more vibrant Mexican American culture than Austin. San Antonio would be one. Austin has less of a Mexican American presence than San Antonio, but has nevertheless a huge Mexican/Tex-Mex culture!!!

Nope, not buying it. There's a difference between having restaurants and cultural centers vs. having a culture imbued into the personality of a city, all the way to the top. I'm always struck by how many Austinites can't even pronounce "jalapeños" when they ask to have them left off their nachos.

[George Brock]

Originally Posted by malcorub16

Anecdotal on my part, but of the 60% of SA that is Hispanic, I would say 40% (of the total population) is US born Hispanic. I've heard that El Paso's Chicano culture was eventually overtaken by Mexican culture.

Of the Hispanic population I would say 90% are US born, would you agree?

[Campeador]

When I lived in Oaxaca City (for several years), I met plenty of folks that had lived in SoCal for a time or had family that lived there. I did not meet a single person that had lived anywhere in Texas.

I have lived in TX for 15 years now. I meet lots of folks from Mexico. Most are from rural areas in northern states or from the Bajío region (Especially Guanajuato). They are country folk with countrified customs and tastes. Salt of the earth, great people, but a very different creature from my friends from Mexico City or even the rural folk from Southern Mexico.

In my limited experience in SA, I got the sense that the Hispanic population was: 1) a majority of Tejas/ Mexican American families who had the border cross THEM, not vice versa; 2) wealthy Regios (Monterrey) transplanted and 3) like most of TX, peasant families from the north of Mexico.

[radiolibre99]

I can see that but what I did notice more of in Texas than I've noticed since living in CA is that Texas had more of those wealthy Mexican people who move to the burbs. I was at the Copperfield outdoor outlet mall in Houston over the xmas break and it felt as though a big chunk of the people there were wealthier Mexican nationals. Many I couldn't tell from regular Americans until they started speaking Spanish and I recognized their accent. So San Antonio has this particular group too? I know I used to see many of these wealthier nationals at the Galleria mall too.

Yet I rarely see that in LA. I'm sure they're there but I just don't spot them in droves like I did in Texas.

[TXsurburbanmom]

Stone Oak is essentially a burb so yes it's what you saw in Houston. Physically I'd say there isn't a noticeable difference. Many who move here are almost as light as I am and I'm German/Scotch Irish. The noticeable difference is in clothing and mannerisms. I was raised with very southern manners that are not the norm for their socioeconomic culture - and there is a definite difference in culture economically in Mexico. Sadly this part of town also has tons of transplants from out of state too so those southern manners are getting harder to find in Americans as well. That's one thing that I really wish people would pick up when they move to Texas rather than the accent or an obsession with good BBQ.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by George Brock

Of the Hispanic population I would say 90% are US born, would you agree?

More like 78-80%

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I can see that but what I did notice more of in Texas than I've noticed since living in CA is that Texas had more of those wealthy Mexican people who move to the burbs. I was at the Copperfield outdoor outlet mall in Houston over the xmas break and it felt as though a big chunk of the people there were wealthier Mexican nationals. Many I couldn't tell from regular Americans until they started speaking Spanish and I recognized their accent. So San Antonio has this particular group too? I know I used to see many of these wealthier nationals at the Galleria mall too.

Yet I rarely see that in LA. I'm sure they're there but I just don't spot them in droves like I did in Texas.

Lots of well to do Mexicans shopping in San Diego, no need to go all the way to Los Angeles. In Texas, they seem to skip over the border downs and flood San Antonio and Houston.

Originally Posted by Campeador

I have lived in TX for 15 years now. I meet lots of folks from Mexico. Most are from rural areas in northern states or from the Bajío region (Especially Guanajuato). They are country folk with countrified customs and tastes. Salt of the earth, great people, but a very different creature from my friends from Mexico City or even the rural folk from Southern Mexico.

I would agree with this, in San Antonio's South and West side, it is easy to bump into people residing in SA who are from rural Mexico. Very seldom do I meet folks from Guadalajara, Mexico City or other urban areas. The exception is the uppidy folks from Monterrey that have taken over certain burbs in SA.

[radiolibre99]

Did most of Monterrey move to Texas? They're the rather middle to upper middle class, whiter skinned Mexicans. I have a ton of people from that area that moved to Houston.

[Kthnry]

Originally Posted by Campeador

In my limited experience in SA, I got the sense that the Hispanic population was: 1) a majority of Tejas/ Mexican American families who had the border cross THEM, not vice versa; 2) wealthy Regios (Monterrey) transplanted and 3) like most of TX, peasant families from the north of Mexico.

I think this is pretty accurate. I live in a part of San Antonio mostly populated by (1) and (3). Every so often I go to the wealthy shopping centers on the northside frequented by (2), and I'm startled by these exotic creatures who are totally unlike any of my neighbors.

[Kthnry]

[quote=malcorub16;47053497]
Lots of well to do Mexicans shopping in San Diego, no need to go all the way to Los Angeles. In Texas, they seem to skip over the border downs and flood San Antonio and Houston.

Does San Diego have Holy Shopping Week? San Antonio locals avoid the malls during Easter week.