My son and daughter-in-law move here from Texas tomorrow. When I tell people up here about this the express joy that we will have them nearby and the family will be more together. Some who know more of the backstory will express relief that Ben is out of that particular job that had been a weight around his neck these last few years. Others mention the heat or the weather. But a fair number have nodded knowingly that it is good that he is out of Texas, because it is a culturally or politically contemptible place because they have yahoos there. I know those tones and insinuations, because I grew up here and can catch the merest shadings. A wink's as good as a nod, say no more, say no more. Until I noticed it happening so often and stopped to question myself, I also understood it because I somewhat share it. Ben and Jen share it, though also like some things about Texas and will likely discover more now that they don't have them.
No one likes Houston traffic, everyone prefers to hear an accent like their own around them, and there are subtle cultural things that "just seem not quite right" even though we ourselves might laugh to have pointed out as not really important. Housing styles, preferred colors, church and school architecture, what sports are played - dozens of things. I think those things feed into the feelings of cultural superiority but are not the main cause.
Hispanics pretty obviously like Texas. Blacks have better school results, higher incomes, and lower rates of crime victimisation, so I'm thinking they are at least moderately positive about the state. I haven't seen any numbers on that. Northeast Asians and South Asians have actively sought the place out, at least in the cities and suburbs. I don't know about Native Americans or Pacific Islanders and can't even find anecdotes about them, let alone hard numbers. Absent any strong negatives, I'm going to assume they are close to the middle of how they feel about Texas versus other states.
I think the key is that the Goodwhites up here have disdain for the Badwhites of Texas (and other southern places). Part of that is assuming that they have bad attitudes toward those other groups. You know, the ones who seem okay with living there.
I am a Baby Boomer and our attitudes toward various regions were formed decades ago, however they have been modified since. I talk mostly to people my own age, at least about these matters. My data is likely skewed. Thirty-year-olds may not share our prejudices, or not as strongly. I have no numbers on that, either, or no anecdotes I trust. I wonder what's happening out there and how things will change in the next twenty years that sweep my people away.
9 comments:
Second paragraph has misplaced punctuation - It should read "No one likes Houston."
Not "No, one likes Houston!", Donna?
I've lived in (or within 5 miles of) Texas for 50 years. I strongly dislike Houston although the traffic there is manageable compared to parts of Dallas-Arlington-Ft. Worth or Austin. Top traffic hate is Austin for me.
Haven't spent enough time in Texas to judge. I'd like to visit more, but I only ever get to fly in and out of Dallas.
When I first moved to Texas, it was to look for work in Houston. I was living in a tent, everything packed up in my truck. Even 45 years ago, the city was a heaving, sprawling mess, but I was amazed at the friendliness: People would strike up a conversation, in line at the Post Office. But everything else about Texas was very foreign, for the same reasons you point out. I found work with a small, family run business in north Houston, they were East Texas Church of Christ, which is to say, 'Christian' to a peculiar, uniquely regional extreme, with principled ethics to match. It started my career in oil and gas and they were terrific to work for, I'm still very fond of them.
I don't like Houston either, but I've lived outside of it for years (when I wasn't overseas), and consider it a terrific resource. We have season tickets to the ballet, which is world-class, for instance. Anything I need, I can easily find options for, in Houston. But I would never want to live there.
I'm glad your kids are moving back closer, and glad they see it as an exciting and beneficial move. All my siblings and my mom followed me to Texas, as it turned out - they're scattered around the state.
Some would argue (and not be entirely wrong) that Boston is one of the most racist cities in the US.
Yup. In a different way, but certainly pronounced.
Houston's not bad! That is, if you don't have to drive in it. I enjoyed a week-long Go tournament there. Turns out, they have a lot of strong Taiwanese immigrant players. Rumor has it they have a bunch of strong Korean immigrant players as well, but they don't seem to want to play with the rest of us. Of course, this was a long time ago.
I apologize for sidetracking the comments to traffic (allow me slack for not mentioning Atlanta, okay?). As for racist cities, Detroit tops my list though I've never been to Boston. I was born and raised in western Colorado and northern New Mexico... and only knew of black people when I visited my grandparents in Texas and Arkansas. That doesn't mean that "racism" wasn't present in my upbringing, but it was a different sort that included not only skin colors, but multiple languages and cultures. And tribes and reservations. Thus my opinions are skewed from the beginning.
Then my family moved to Texas near the Louisiana border and I spent many years in Shreveport -- a city that was during my time there nearly 50/50 black white. Friction, yes... but not that much and we weren't afraid of each other.
I've been in Alabama for several years now. It's a little different here. Although much of my genealogy is from this area and culture, I now realize there is language in the area that I understand less than I did in the southwest.
Of course, you must also understand that the "reputation" of New Englanders is that of standoffish and unfriendly "whites" with barely understandable pronunciation... of course, I've never been there so that's only what I've heard about ya'll. Perhaps all this is merely gossip and misunderstanding?
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