Western Kansas?
“I guess they were proud of it.”
I worked for a KS company for many years. I can assure you that the cultural divide between TX and KS is very wide. I had no difficulty with my employer, but they never quite got used to my direct manner. They were accustomed to yes men.
And I have been to Western KS. There are some places there that outsiders should be careful asking too many questions about the locals. There were some active militia groups there. (I know some in TX, but they are different)
It has been about 20 years since I made those observations, but I suspect it is still much like that.
I spent five years in Western, Kansas. I worked the counties around Ford County which is Dodge City.
I was born and bred in the Florida Panhandle but those Kansans kept thinking I was a Texan.