Characteristics Of Texas Culture

1417 Words3 Pages

Unique Texas Culture Texas is unlike any other culture in the United States. Inside the state of Texas, many different forms of dialect, ways of life, and even land forms can be found. Texas in unique because it is both a culture and a co-culture. Both platforms are very important to overall life in Texas. Texas residents are also very ethnocentric. Texas as a whole is considered a culture because, most residents share certain traits and beliefs. For example, Texas is set apart from other states because of the strong pride that comes with being a resident, their unique dialect, and the love for football. As a co-culture, Texas is represented by differencing land forms …show more content…

Traditional Texas dialect began when settlers from the Eastern United States migrated, and founded modern day Texas. The settlers that discovered modern day Texas, were originally from the southeastern united states. Because of this, the settlers naturally carried with them a strong southern accent, along with country dialect. Texas dialect is a very distinct language. “In this position the vowels produced by the merger are also characterized by a strong feature of retro flexion that is simultaneous with the vocalic gesture” (Walsh 1974, pg. 42). The settlers that founded modern day Texas were highly uneducated and so they almost never used proper English. In traditional Texas dialect, it is rare for three syllables to be used. For example, words like “Italy” are traditionally pronounced “It’ly.” Language like this is unlike any other in the world. Unique dialect is what makes Texas a culture, and using language like this is considered a norm or value. As settlements in Texas began to grow, the more their dialect spread. Eventually, the native people of the region learned English from observing the language the settlers used. This caused all of the natives to speak the same way as the settlers. Texas language spread across the state, and eventually it became a normal part of Texas life. Through the years the dialect has remained almost unchanged. In modern day Texas, …show more content…

Overall, Texans partake in similar food culture, but they also differ in small ways. Texas culture is highlighted by its traditional food groups and food style. All traditional Texas foods are cooked in Mexican inspired cooking styles. Mexican cooking styles influence traditional Texas foods, because Texas was originally apart of Mexico. Before the state of Texas was established, the original settlers technically lived in Mexico. The settlers and natives combined their knowledge of food and created a new food style. This new traditional food is call “Tex-Mex.” The ingredients of Tex-Mex change with the different landscapes. For instance, in the western region of Texas, food is composed of wild game and crop from the area. Western Texas wild life is made up of buffalo, cow, and javelina. This food group is often paired with native crops such as, corn, beans, and squash. “Traditional foods reveal the strong cultural tied between Mexican Americans and Texans” (Tex-Mex foods 2016, pg. 4). In the coastal region, foods differ greatly from the western region. On the coast, traditional foods consist of fish, birds, and variations sea organisms. It is a part of coastal culture to cook foods with these components. Though western and coastal food cultures are very different, they share the same Mexican inspired cooking styles. In the eastern region of Texas, wildlife thrives. In east Texas, you can find

More about Characteristics Of Texas Culture

Open Document