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Radio I have been posting pretty much the same thing, only I think I would put the "South line" east of I-45 not I-35 and well east of that ! Growing up in Houston I never heard people talking about Houston being a southern city did you ? Most southerners I have ever known will tell me it is not southern as well especially in its demeanor. Maybe that had changed by the time you were growing up here.
Houston is a bit southern. It reminds me of Louisiana in a lot of parts especially the outskirts. Its a bayou city and humid as a swamp. When driving a ways to NOLA I didn't eve realize when Texas turned into LA.
Now Austin, the hill country and further west, it looks Southwestern. It reminds me of New Mexico and Arizona and even California. All the Spanish style architecture, limestone and western style is all southwest. I don't know what's "South" about it?
People also don't give California enough western cred but they've never been to Temecula.
Houston is a bit southern. It reminds me of Louisiana in a lot of parts especially the outskirts. Its a bayou city and humid as a swamp. When driving a ways to NOLA I didn't eve realize when Texas turned into LA.
Now Austin, the hill country and further west, it looks Southwestern. It reminds me of New Mexico and Arizona and even California. All the Spanish style architecture, limestone and western style is all southwest. I don't know what's "South" about it?
People also don't give California enough western cred but they've never been to Temecula.
Houston being hot, and humid with bayous, coastal plains, and spanish moss is just a product of its location on the Texas Coast, and it doesn't mean that it is Southern; areas like Corpus Christi and Brownsville have the same coastal plain environment, and are even more hot and humid than Houston; but those two cities have little, to no trace of the South whatsoever.
The few things that show the cultural Southern influence in Greater Houston are the Charleston esque Victorian architecture of the metro, in neighborhoods like the Heights, down to Galveston Island, the Hip/Hop culture, and its status as the "African American Capital of Texas." That then coexists with the high hispanic population of the metro, many of which have Tejano roots. This is a trait Houston shares the with cities in South Texas. Also in the mix are the western traditions of Rodeo, of which Houston holds the largest in the world, and ranching that is seen in the outskirts. Houston really is a crossroads of many cultures.
Houston is a bit southern. It reminds me of Louisiana in a lot of parts especially the outskirts. Its a bayou city and humid as a swamp. When driving a ways to NOLA I didn't eve realize when Texas turned into LA.
Now Austin, the hill country and further west, it looks Southwestern. It reminds me of New Mexico and Arizona and even California. All the Spanish style architecture, limestone and western style is all southwest. I don't know what's "South" about it?
People also don't give California enough western cred but they've never been to Temecula.
What I was wanting to know, that since you grew up here, in Houston, and attended local schools were you taught any particular regional identity for Houston or Texas. Did the people you grew up with and around consider yourselves, themselves southern or not. I ask this because when I was growing up here in the 70's we didn't consider ourselves southern, at least not in my part of town, and I was wanting to know if over the years that has changed.
What I was wanting to know, that since you grew up here, in Houston, and attended local schools were you taught any particular regional identity for Houston or Texas. Did the people you grew up with and around consider yourselves, themselves southern or not. I ask this because when I was growing up here in the 70's we didn't consider ourselves southern, at least not in my part of town, and I was wanting to know if over the years that has changed.
I guess you could say growing up we did think we were part of the south. I have noticed that older texans do not consider themselves part of the south and more so southwest. The lines of what constitutes the south has been blurred. By its standards New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona would be "southern".
Essentially people think if there is an affinity for hunting, fishing, racing and guns then you're in the south but if this were the case than Southern Ohio would be extra "south". PA would be too as would Wyoming which I saw as fitting the most "southern" stereotypes. I've heard southern drawls in all of these places.
I have noticed that older texans do not consider themselves part of the south and more so southwest.
In my family I have three previous generations of Houstonians that are currently living. I've asked them if they consider themselves Southerners and Southwesterners. Each of them answered to the former. A lot of us are able to realize that Texas being a unique state doesn't mean it isn't a southern state.
In my real life experience, there are only two types of Houstonians who don't see themselves as being in the South:
1) Those who grew up in the suburbs or the more exclusive neighborhoods within the loop
2) Transplants and their children
Everyone else either proudly calls themselves a southerner, or they're in denial and then turn around and call a shopping cart a "buggy".
IME, people in Houston are easier to live around than people in most other Southern cities and certainly Dallas and Atlanta--less pretentious/very down-to-earth, less judgmental, very friendly, very easy-going, not quite as religious/overzealous (fewer white Evangelical Protestant Southerners), just more pleasant in general.
As an aside, I lived briefly in Dallas (one year) and very briefly in Atlanta (six months), and I never, ever found residents of those cities and their suburbs to be nearly as friendly as they were purported to be. In fact, I found people in Orange County, CA (where I lived for years) to be much friendlier, on average, than people in Dallas and Atlanta--certainly more laid-back, that's for sure.
I found people in South Florida (where I also lived for years) to be the unfriendliest people of any place I've lived--even unfriendlier than New Englanders--but, of course, that goes without saying.
IME, people in Houston are easier to live around than people in most other Southern cities and certainly Dallas and Atlanta--less pretentious/very down-to-earth, less judgmental, very friendly, very easy-going, not quite as religious/overzealous (fewer white Evangelical Protestant Southerners), just more pleasant in general.
As an aside, I lived briefly in Dallas (one year) and very briefly in Atlanta (six months), and I never, ever found residents of those cities and their suburbs to be nearly as friendly as they were purported to be. In fact, I found people in Orange County, CA (where I lived for years) to be much friendlier, on average, than people in Dallas and Atlanta--certainly more laid-back, that's for sure.
I found people in South Florida (where I also lived for years) to be the unfriendliest people of any place I've lived--even unfriendlier than New Englanders--but, of course, that goes without saying.
You can credit that to Houston's laissez-faire, Gulf Coast southern culture. It's the same outlook on life that New Orleans is known for.
I guess you could say growing up we did think we were part of the south. I have noticed that older texans do not consider themselves part of the south and more so southwest. The lines of what constitutes the south has been blurred. By its standards New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona would be "southern".
Essentially people think if there is an affinity for hunting, fishing, racing and guns then you're in the south but if this were the case than Southern Ohio would be extra "south". PA would be too as would Wyoming which I saw as fitting the most "southern" stereotypes. I've heard southern drawls in all of these places.
"I guess you could say" That doesn't sound real decisive, but I am starting to understand that Millennials
may have been taught a different lesson in geography, or even Texas History than I was. BTW I think it is a mistake, simply because there is a lot of historical baggage that goes along with being southern. If a person or region has a chance to escape that stigma it should at the first opportunity possible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nairobi
In my family I have three previous generations of Houstonians that are currently living. I've asked them if they consider themselves Southerners and Southwesterners. Each of them answered to the former. A lot of us are able to realize that Texas being a unique state doesn't mean it isn't a southern state.
In my real life experience, there are only two types of Houstonians who don't see themselves as being in the South:
1) Those who grew up in the suburbs or the more exclusive neighborhoods within the loop 2) Transplants and their children
Everyone else either proudly calls themselves a southerner, or they're in denial and then turn around and call a shopping cart a "buggy".
That makes since, since I was definitely a product of the near southwest side of Houston. But in the 70's nowhere near as much of the ITL area was exclusive.
So maybe we have a understanding, at least for the time being !
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