Let's go in chronological order.
I happen to have worked with a couple of Texans, and they always struck me as very ...proud of being Texan, in the same way that people who went to Harvard always manage to work *that* into the conversation.
A little of it can be endearing; but there comes a point when it can get tiresome.
With the co-workers, whenever I tried pushing back about Texas -- they took it as a grave insult, as though I had accused them of bank robbery. Every other state I've made fun of -- Delaware or Maryland in the East Coast, Iowa in the Midwest, New Mexico or Colorado in the Southwst -- the people took it in good faith, ribbed me back, and we went on as usual.
Why is it the Texans I've run into are *so* proud of, and *so* quick to take offense about it?
The Scots blood? Not offense, it's a take off from this thread (see post #43).
Windflier, a private FReepmail coming to you.
Cheers!
Why is it the Texans I've run into are *so* proud of, and *so* quick to take offense about it?
Well, it takes all types to make a culture, and there are certainly a few Texans who would let your good-natured ribbing slide. Here's my take on why most wouldn't...
Texas and her people have a uniqueness unlike that of most other US states today. Remember, that for a short time in its history, it was its own country. The people who put this state on the map fought their own war of independence against Mexico. They were a hardened lot, because it's a hard land. Something about the geography and the history of these people made them fiercely proud of their heritage and each other. An attitude of beating the odds, and overcoming adversity prevailed. In time, the people of Texas thrived, and made it their business to be the best at everything they did. They became quite successful in a multitude of different endeavors, and that success strengthened an already extant abundance of state pride.
It's only in recent times that other Americans have come to see the Texas stereotype as a fable or a myth. Not long ago in our history, that stereotype was very real. It still is in many ways.
I've learned a great deal about this place in the six years I've been here. One of the very first things I noticed after moving here, is that Texas actually has it's own distinct culture, separate from the rest of the US. I've never experienced that in any other state. At least not to the degree that I've experienced it here. I'm not even saying that other states don't have their own unique cultures, but I sense that they've allowed themselves to be overtaken and diluted by the influences of new arrivals. Certainly, that's happening here as well, but not nearly to the degree that it's happened elsewhere. Texans just seem to be resistant to the concept of 'melting' into the great undifferentiated mass that is modern America.
I saw an interesting statistic about two years after moving here. In a nutshell, Texans are the 'stickiest' of all Americans - that is, a greater percentage of native Texans either never leave Texas, or return home after living elsewhere in the US, than residents of any other US state.
That's a very telling indicator about this place. From all that I've seen and absorbed in my time here, I think Texans have every right to be as proud as they are.