Culture, People, History Texas Proud

Break up into small groups –5 – 7 in each group For each of the regions in Texas, provide one cultural/social and one political characteristic What does a Texan “look like” in each of these regions?

East Texas Gulf Coast South Texas Southwest Texas German Hill Country West Texas Panhandle North Texas Central Texas

History Cabeza de Vaca years before the Mayflower Native American tribes displaced –Cherokees and Caddos -- eastern pine forests –Karankawas -- coast –Comanches, Apaches, Kiowas -- western plains

Immigration base Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of Mexico to Texas Texicans first “immigrants”

Culture No typical Texan Cultural diversity and homogeneity Diversity runs along cultural regions Express culture, attitudes, beliefs

East Texas Same characteristics of old South rural, biracial, segregation wealth -- old money from real estate, banking, construction, retail

agriculture-- cattle, poultry, timber heavy brain-drain and migration to Dallas Fundamentalist Protestantism shapes: –attitudes, beliefs, values –political, social, cultural activities

Gulf Coast Spindletop and oil boom contributed to economic expansion (recession and energy crises) important shipping center population migration and urban economic development (Houston)

Rural Texas in an urban setting wealth from oil, construction, land development now has a more diversified economic base

South Texas Rancheros and cattle country Rio Grande Valley, the maquiladoras and NAFTA heavily Hispanic and very low SES colonias and environmental pollution

Southwest Texas Also bicultural and Roman Catholic agricultural base -- sheep, goat, cattle also part of Texas border region or la frontera same problems as South Texas -- heavy dependence on Mexican economy

German Hill Country European culture and flavor arts and crafts socially and politically conservative -- Texas republicanism encroachment of urban development from San Antonio and Austin

West Texas Settled by Anglo population -- Fundamentalist Protestantism conservative Democrats; moderate Republicans large agricultural area--sheep, cattle, goats oil production (Midland and Odessa)

The Panhandle Midwestern in character movement to secede from Texas (along with Oklahoma) social and political conservatism -- Republicans agricultural base -- cotton and grains

North Texas French socialist colony in Dallas -- distinctive character of area medicine, education, music, science Ft. Worth more like West Texas

economy--defense, aerospace, electronics, aircraft; financial center Very urban character migration from Frost Belt areas

Central Texas Triangle -- Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, San Antonio Austin in center (State capitol) -- high tech industries; highly educated workforce San Antonio -- tourism, military, medical very diverse -- no single dominant trait