New yorkers still don't fit

[blueskies49]

Originally Posted by Willys

Aren't they locally, well, nationally also, referred to as congressmembers?

Good one!

[wisdom4me]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

The only people that I know that seem to think they "don't fit" are those that move here from any other state, not just NY, and constantly whine and complain. Like to go around spouting how much better it is where they come from, say Texas is flat (lol, that one always cracks me up, like Florida has lots of mountains HA), has no trees (w/in the city limits of Dallas is one of the largest native hardwood forests AND a native palm tree area), etc. Say things like "Texans" can't drive when over 1/2 the people that live IN Texas are not from here. These are the only ones that seem to think they "don't fit". Otherwise people that move here that are open to something new and don't want to compare their new home to their old one are just fine.

Maybe I didn't fill in the rest, but I have lived in Texas 30 years I gave birth to my 4th child here and buried my first born son here. I couldn't feel more at home then if I was born here.. but I wasn't and a NY state of mind never leaves you.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by wisdom4me

I hear there are many northerners who have moved to Texas. I have lived here 28 years and only met a handful. It's not just "yankees" that feel a little home sick at times It's people from all over the USA. It's only natural that we miss the place where we were born and raised. I have developed a good life here in the Woodlands Texas, I have raised 4 kids and now own a restaurant, but in all these years I still feel like a fish out of water. When I go to the store and talk with my Brooklyn accent I still get stares comments.I have not met a Texan who "get"s a sienfeld sense of humor" they just look at you like you have two heads, and try and ask for a cannoli in the grocery store. Don't get me wrong, I have met a lot of great texans, I just miss the ya da ya da ya da...

You should have moved to Dallas. There are tons of New Yorkers here; they flooded in in the 1970s and 1980s. We DO get Seinfeld, too.

[NYtoTXbound]

Originally Posted by OutOfState

I'm from the NE and have lived in TX over 5 years. I came for the same reason most of us carpet baggers did - our NE dollars went a whole lot further down here. We're not devoutly religious but we absolutely do not criticize anyone's religious practice. It was odd to be asked what church we had joined by all the Texans that we met our first year, but we were always polite.

I live in an affluent neighborhood which is mixed with locals and out of staters. I can tell you that all the deeper friendships we've made over our time in TX have been with transplants, children of transplants or native born Texans married to transplants. Also, none of our friends has succeeded in making deep connections with Texans either. I'll add, not for lack of trying - it seems the Texans just weren't all that interested.

I have children in the local public schools. There are some things that are different, some quirky and amusing, others less so. If you move down here, you have to know that the NE and West Coast interpretations of keeping religion out of public schools is VERY different than it is here in TX. Having friends of all backgrounds and faiths, it is something that they find disturbing.

Now for more odd stuff. In most TX public schools that I know of, the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the Republic of Texas follows the pledge to US flag. Now, I expect someone is going to correct me in short order with some exceptions (probably in Austin), but I've yet to hear of any.

The hardest one for me is history. The local school system, a very strong one in a state known for its abyssmal performance educating kids, teaches Texas history, exclusively, until middle school. My eight year old can sing Texas state songs, knows about Sam Houston, Texas as an independent republic, and the Alamo, but has been taught nothing about Ben Franklin, George Washington, or a host of other things I always considered basic (we've worked to correct that outside of school).

Texans as a group take great pride in all things Texas, but for many it's at the expense of ignoring all things not Texas. It's odd to read about a local HS valedictorian going to an ivy league school or MIT or similar school - it's UT or A&M.

What's hard for me is that it seems like many would prefer not to have to deal with the global world that we live in today. I get that - I'd rather not compete with an Indian or Argentinian financial analyst making a sixth of his American counterpart either. However, when that mindset is institutionalized, and it's occurring in one of the most populous states in the nation, that's my business. Many Texans would prefer it to remain the island that it was. But it can't be.

So, I don't fit. Texas is just another place. It may have been a world unto itself a century ago. To borrow some local color - that dog don't hunt no more. Flexibility and curiosity rather than deny the 21st century would do everyone around here some good.

I found this very interesting and I thank you for posting this. We are from LI, NY and are tired of the high prices, overcrowdedness, rude, fast paced lifestyle as well as the arrogant NY'rs that give most NY'r a bad name. Just as we have our "bad element" or "stereotypical types", so do other states.

Because we are retired and have a daughter of middle school age, we have been looking for areas to move with good school districts and a diverse background of people. We have NY friends that moved some 6 years ago to a newer area north east of Dallas, called Lantana, TX and find that they are excepted b/c of the transplants there, not the natives.

I have been reading this board all morning and do see both sides with regard to prejudices between NY and TX. While we NY'rs dont want to be judged, we tend to fall prey to judging a Texan based on their accent as well. Its made me open my eyes to a lot of wrong thinking we are capable of doing.

MY biggest concern is for my little girl, and if she will be accepted. As an only child, I wish for her to have friends, flourish, and be accepted. She is outgoing, very well behaved, and as sweet as they come. I fear that if a Texas parent hears she's from NY, the prejudice will pop up and she wont have any play dates.

Ive been told by my friends down there in Lantana, that most of that town is relocated east coasters and west coasters. Therefore, most are very excepting of a non-Texan coming to town. It had taken them 3 years to "unwind" from a lifetime of getting things done "in a NY minute" and Ive seen the change (for the better I may add) in their overall nature.

I want what's best for my family. We cant stay on LI any longer and it breaks my heart because its become dog eat dog here and the quality of life is only for those with loads of money. The middle income bracket in NY is being squeezed out.

If anyone has any info on Lantana (its close to Flower Mound) and any input on the schools, and experiences in general, please post.

Thank you very much.

[Willsson]

OutofState sounds as if he really is from out of state. I was born and raised in Texas, thus apparently attended public schools in Texas. I was aware of this country's founders while still in grade school. I was aware of national politics as early as the JFK election. And even knew the words to 'America, the Beautiful'. And this was a couple of hundred miles west of Dallas, away from anybody's big city.

Living in Houston during the great migration of the 70's, I met a number of NY'rs who were glad to be in Texas and equally glad to call it home.

Should you choose a move to Texas, your experience will be what you make it.

Regardless of your decision, be sure to send off for your Texas Travel Guide... IT"S FREE ! ! ! So by time you get here, you'll know where you are.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by tofurkey

OutofState sounds as if he really is from out of state. I was born and raised in Texas, thus apparently attended public schools in Texas. I was aware of this country's founders while still in grade school. I was aware of national politics as early as the JFK election. And even knew the words to 'America, the Beautiful'. And this was a couple of hundred miles west of Dallas, away from anybody's big city.

Living in Houston during the great migration of the 70's, I met a number of NY'rs who were glad to be in Texas and equally glad to call it home.

Should you choose a move to Texas, your experience will be what you make it.

Regardless of your decision, be sure to send off for your Texas Travel Guide... IT"S FREE ! ! ! So by time you get here, you'll know where you are.

I agree. I grew up in East Texas, a preacher's kid, yet, and learned the United States Pledge of Allegiance saying it in school growing up (learned it before "under God" was put in in 1954, in fact), didn't know there was a Texas one until a LONG time after that, and knew America the Beautiful by the time I was going to school, and was aware of national politics as far back as Eisenhower. Was reading Darwin in the 4th grade. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and such were taught to me in elementary school.

We do have some problems with our current School Board, but my children, too, learned those things growing up in both public and private schools - their teachers, not on the School Board, made danged sure they did.

Oh, I also read about high school students getting into good schools, in our small town newspaper, and it's as often the Naval Academy or Stanford or Harvard as it is UT or A&M.

I'm not real sure where OutofState is in Texas, frankly. I suspect it is Stereotypeville, Texas.

I most emphatically agree with the part of tofurkey's post that I bolded above. That seems to be pretty uniformly the case, whether the move is to Texas or California or New York City or anywhere else.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

Wisdom, I am a southerner born and raised in the Deep South and Texas and I have lived up in the Northeast(New Eng, New York and PA) since the mid 80s and I am still considered an outsider here as well and people are quite rude about it and think the worst things about Texas very openly.

Yep, I went to college in PA and they had very negative stereotypes about Southerners the whole time I was there. Since I was from Louisiana, they would say things like "Do you still wrastle alligators down there?"