Matthew Ritchie on his Project at Rice, What Makes Texas Unique, and Why He Keeps Coming Back. Even today, people around the state will refer a lot to things that happened in the past. In his 1961 book about Texas, John Bainbridge described the state as “a mirror in which Americans see themselves reflected, not life-size but, as in a distorting mirror, bigger than life.” He called the book “The Super-Americans.”. Not New York or Los Angeles, … I wrestle with these questions all the time. I have met Texas Rangers who actually do seem larger than life and artists and writers who have taken the state’s entrepreneurial energies in entirely cool directions. Every Jenny N. bag can be customized from the l… South Congress in Austin is always changing but always keeping the spirit that made it what it is, unlike Sixth Street. Privacy Statement Whataburger. In a cupboard in our home here, we had a bottle of 1835, a bourbon bottled in Texas and named for the year of the first battle for Texas independence. I have covered stories in the South, the Midwest and other parts of the country. That makes it easier for businesses and families to plan for the future. As I get older, I’m more and more curmudgeonly about having lots of space around me. And the income gap between the richest and the poorest Texans has widened in recent years. I think it’s great. To be fair, we do kind of encourage it, because there’s that Texan swagger. It was, the email noted three times, a Texas-made shotgun. At Mr. Abbott’s inauguration last year in Austin, I sat facing a stage assembled on the steps of the Capitol. People throughout the state say they believe that their way of life is under assault and that they are making a kind of last stand by simply being Texan. But the idea that Texas is the last place is part of a new phenomenon. Some forums can only be seen by registered members. During the summer months, you will experience a level of heat you didn’t think was possible, no matter what part of … Twelve events, moments and places that make Texas Texas. There are great stories about the Texas Revolution, great stories about the wildcatters [oil prospectors] during the oil rush. The stickers on the pickup trucks, built in San Antonio, declare: “Born in Texas, Built by Texans.”. I think one of hte things that is unique about Texas is that you get a taste of all seasons 9but beware of extremely hot summers in many areas), you get the best of country and city sort of blended together in a lot of parts. You don’t just move to Texas. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times, The Texas-based grocery store chain HEB stocks many state-themed items. We see a lot of southern states—Louisiana is the most obvious example, and Alabama is another—focusing on lowering taxes and increasing economic development initiatives. That’s another area where Texas has historically ranked worst, and it was a bipartisan push this time around. Look at our vast catalog. Those are some of the most potent words in the state’s vocabulary: Texas-made. There’s less funding per capita than in a lot of states, but the outcomes in public schools aren’t actually that bad. Texas has just about everything you could want to do. or And then he makes another pledge to the Texas flag, in accordance with Section 25.082 of the Texas Education Code, which requires all children in public schools to recite the two pledges. My crunchy peanut butter is made with Texas-grown peanuts. Mention Texas to someone from another state and they might picture cowboys herding longhorn cattle across the open range, or scheming, wealthy oil barons a la TV’s “Dallas”—or “The Simpsons.” The Lone Star State, which was admitted to the United States after winning its own independence from Mexico, still sometimes seems—as the state tourism slogan goes—“like a whole other country.”. People in this rapidly changing state believe their way of life is under attack, and they are making a kind of last stand by simply being Texan. The idea is that if you can attract companies, you can bring jobs, and jobs bring money, much of which is spent or reinvested in the state itself. Texas is both one of the most populous and populated American states in its urban centers, and has seen tremendous waves of migration out of the American North and West in contrast to its eastern neighbors in the Deep South. My salsa of choice is Native Texan (“Born in Texas, Never Leavin’ Texas”). Give a Gift. Sure, you can get a burger from anywhere. These burgers are one of a … Smithsonian Institution. Yup, you read that right. Brisket is at the heart of Texas barbecue (via Thrillist).Lots of barbecue styles use mustard, tomato, and vinegar-based sauces. We tattoo Texas on our arms, buy Texas-built trucks and climb fire escapes with Texas dirt in our pockets. The other day, I crawled around the bathroom floor trying to catch a palm-size green anole lizard that had sneaked into the house. In some areas we’re improving. Rocky Duran showing off his Texas-themed tattoo at the Broken Spoke. When you travel to different areas, there’s a distinction in the Northeast. What do they tell us about America? In a number of cases, when there’s been a difference between what the “philosophy” of the state is and what the best course of action is, we do the prudent thing. Sometimes we love it here and sometimes we are disgusted here, but, to twist Gertrude Stein’s line about Oakland, Calif., there is a here here. What Makes Texas Unique? I was born and raised in Central California, and I moved to Houston from Brooklyn in June 2011 to cover Texas for The New York Times. I love [Texas founding father] Sam Houston’s life story, how he stood down as governor rather than join the Confederacy. Why do you think Texas needs to be explained to the rest of the country? I like how down-to-earth it is, and I like the practical intelligence that people in Texas have. One day 40 years ago, his daughter, who was living in Boston, went into labor with his first grandchild. Facebook Twitter Email. “I think part of the reason Texas is having a moment is because it’s being more itself than it’s ever been,” said Stephen Harrigan, a novelist and essayist in Austin who is writing a history of the state. Texas has long had an anti-Washington streak, but, lest anyone doubt it, the state has sued the federal government more than 40 times in the past 13 years. We’ve improved in some categories but not in others. Going through the history, there were junctions when things were set in place that are playing out today. In East Texas three hospitals send 5 helicopters and a platoon of lawyers to the accident site. Beyond that, Texans are pretty shrewd. Greg Abbott’s campaign sent me an email one morning, showing the governor aiming a pump-action shotgun in my direction. City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas: What Makes Texas Unique (Houston, Dallas: rentals, house, tech jobs) User Name: Remember Me: Password : Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! This last September, Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University in Houston opened up its newest exhibition and residency project with New York City-based artist Matthew Ritchie. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. The nation’s largest arts district is in Dallas. And it … The source of that pride comes from four distinctly different entities. Since then, you’ve seen the state diversify its economy away from oil. “It’s Texas unchained, in a way.”. I think part of the national stereotype is that we’re really aggressive and kind of belligerent, but that means people will do things around here, they’ll start businesses, they’ll take on projects with enthusiasm. by Paul Middendorf December 17, 2018. We are sure we can handle writing a new unique essay on this topic within the tight deadlines. His brothers were born in Texas but, to his chagrin, he was born in Shreveport, La. Keep up-to-date on: © 2021 Smithsonian Magazine. news Curious Texas. So Mr. Blanton climbed up the hospital’s fire escape to see his newborn granddaughter. I love so many things about Texas, but here are just a few. Vote Now! It is not some vestige of the late 1800s: The law was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2003. Every Texan has their suite of stories of the reactions that they get when they’re going about the normal course of business somewhere else. The food. No matter what scenery you’re looking for, Texas has it. The subject line of the email read: “Shotgun!” It was a typical morning in Texas. The prize was special, though. A certain amount of pride is required, but other than that, the typical Texan is so much more than its stereotype. It is big! You’re not the first Texan to defend your state’s eccentricities. In many respects we’re doing better than people would guess, and we’re not getting worse. The historian T. R. Fehrenbach once wrote that Texas “shaped those who lived upon it more than they changed it.”. You also have bodies of water for boating, fishing, etc. 16 Unique Attractions You Absolutely Must Visit In Texas Every Texan knows about the most popular places to visit that pretty much define our state, from the Big Bend out west to the swimming holes and rivers in the hill country to the Palo Duro Canyon in the panhandle. But at the same time, Texas has one of the highest poverty rates in the country, 17 percent compared to 14.3 percent in the U.S. as a whole, according to 2011 census data. It moves into you. We are certainly well supplied with virtues and flaws in Texas, but it’s a great place to visit—if nothing else, to have some stories to bring back. Dian Sierra having her photograph taken by a friend recently at the Broken Spoke dance hall in Austin, Tex. Texas, of course, comes by its sense of being a place apart honestly: From 1836-1845, it was its own country, the Republic of Texas, and it has long … The big one was the 1876 state constitution, which establishes a pretty weak governor’s office and makes it hard to raise or spend money. But then again, more and more people are coming, and everyone in Austin is always saying, “It’s getting too big, it’s getting too big!” So I think my next book might be called, Never Mind, Guys. People flinched as the echo of artillery filled the streets. Attention is in the details with bags from Jenny N. Jenny Nemlekar designs and hand sews each one of her bags in her Dallas, Texas studio. The culture of Texas is to a large extent both defining and defined by the greater American culture. But I think that Texans are above all pro-Texas, and as pro-business as they are, pro-Texas trumps that. Texas has a very dramatic history, and it creates a sense of common purpose. It’s become a cliché to say that people are “voting with their feet,” but there it is. She uses premium full-grain leather, metal hardware, and water-resistant canvas to line her bags. In a state full of natural diversity it makes sense that the people are equally diverse. One of the most beautiful places in Texas is Jacob’s Well. In Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right: What America Can Learn from the Strange Genius of Texas, Grieder lays out a case for her home state, where despite one of the highest poverty rates in the country and the highest proportion of people without health insurance, unemployment is down, growth is up and a $1.3-trillion economy is booming. I spent a recent weekend at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, eating Frito pie and watching the piglet races with my children. Texas is its own unique little part of the country. Since then the lines between being pro-Texas, anti-Obama and anti-American blurred, and there has been no going back. Place, we are unsubtly suggesting, matters. (Party leaders struck down the resolution after a heated debate.). Booker Ervin’s version of “Berkshire Blues” A classic cut by the late, great tenor saxophonist, who … But why would you get one from anywhere but Whataburger? Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. We have a deliberately cultivated cultural value, the idea that we were once independent and we can still have some measure of independence. It was the inaugural tradition of cannon fire. Please check the sample of the previously written essay on the topic. When you get right down to it, Texans share at least four distinct traits, no matter where they live in the Lone Star State. Secondly, some would say that one of the big problems right now with the national economy is that the private sector is in a defensive crouch. As the world grows smaller, as technology obliterates the significance of where we live and work, as Americans become more transient, Texas resists. Smoke Show More Show Less 13 of 29 “The state's name is used as an adjective, e.g. That’s how people from the last best place talk about other places. Almost no one identified with their state the way Texans do. Regardless of what’s going on in national politics, or foreign affairs, or with the weather, it’s a pretty safe bet that Texas is going to stay on the low-tax, low-services side of the spectrum. 100% Texas Wine List Makes The Cabernet Grill A Unique Destination. Texas was the second state to pass an anti-trust law, in 1889, in response to the national railways and national banks. Texas is creating a lot of jobs across the income spectrum. As a one-woman operation, Jenny focuses on quality over quantity and provides customer-centric service. The classic jokes are, “Are you carrying a gun?” and “Do you ride a horse around?” I once was riding my bike here in Austin and I saw a horse tied to a bike post, but I think that’s an exceptional mode of transport. It’s gotten a little worse, and it’s not a new issue. One day, behind a general store in Central Texas, a firearms instructor in a wide-brimmed cowboy hat reached for the butt of his holstered gun as I approached him for an interview. Our schools are getting better. Continue The state’s population growth suggests that people are taking notice—between 2000 and 2010, Texas gained more than 4 million people, of whom about 2 million were Americans from other states. We are going against national trends right now, and we’re prospering. But Texas-style brisket – really good brisket that is seasoned with simple salt and pepper and is so juicy and tender, it melts in your mouth with each bite sans sauce - is what makes the state's barbecue unique and special. I like the space. Historically, it was a very, very poor state. Curious Texas grabs the fries A year’s worth of ketchup tubs lined up next to each other would stretch 18,000 miles. (only a few states share this distinction) • INDEPENDENCE from 1836 to 1845 resulted in a cultural experience that distinguished Texas political systems from others What is the political subculture of Texas? California Do Not Sell My Info Visitors at the Houston rodeo in March, wearing state flag shirts. It is an interesting wrinkle on the Texas narrative of being a very free-market state—having anti-trust protections isn’t a free-market move. A Texas-centric worldview has reached a cultural fever pitch in the state today, shaping many facets of life. My life as a Texan is exactly what you might imagine it would be. It declares, to itself and the nation: Place matters. Texas toast, Texas-sized centipede, Ford trucks are built Texas tough, etc.," pelican80. States that are in a similar position might want to take some pages from the Texas playbook. Texas is a state with room to grow and a need to grow. Jenny N. bags are built to last for years. Who are these people, these Texans? 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Boasting a large assortment of over 1,000 products across nearly 100 diverse categories, Texas Uniques is the unique western item shopping destination for western style lovers throughout the United States. A New Film Details the FBI's Relentless Pursuit of Martin Luther King Jr. Scientists Write 'Hello World' in Bacterial DNA With Electricity and CRISPR, New Evidence That Grandmothers Were Crucial for Human Evolution, Meet Joseph Rainey, the First Black Congressman, The State of American Craft Has Never Been Stronger. When we talk about how well the economy’s doing in this state, it’s not a mistake or an accident or a mirage. There are so many things that make Texas so unique. The problems predated the state’s economic success. It’s hard to know if they’re right, but easy to see why people’s emotional investment in Texas transcends conservative politics. What to make of a state that is so focused on itself? The general store, the hat, the reach for the gun: the line between the myth of Texas and the reality of Texas is razor thin. Texas, of course, comes by its sense of being a place apart honestly: From 1836-1845, it was its own country, the Republic of Texas, and it has long feasted on hyperbole. Businesses keep saying they don’t know what to expect from the federal government, the world markets and so on, which is why they don’t want to make investment decisions and are sitting on big cash reserves rather than spending and hiring. Texas is different. Texas is different from the rest of the country, but you say it may actually be America “taken to its logical conclusion.” Can you explain? But there is substance to that swagger. Up close, it felt like the opposite: Austin was doing the attacking. This is known as the barbacoa style, and it has roots in the Caribbean. Consider Jack S. Blanton Sr., an oil tycoon and philanthropist from Houston who died in 2013 at age 86. Median household income is, similarly, just a hair below the national median. What are the lessons here for the rest of the country? Texas does have a unique history—as you note in the book, it was the only state other than Hawaii to have been an independent nation before it was a … It is merely changing as America changes with it. The data that we have is valid and does suggest that something here is working quite well. I’m not sure we’re the most diplomatic people in the world. Once oil was discovered in great quantities in 1901 at Spindletop—it was this big gusher—the state had already been using its anti-trust law to push back at Standard Oil, the big Rockefeller oil company based in Pennsylvania. Section 25.082 of the Texas Education Code. We’re creating jobs that are not just minimum wage, but middle income and higher wage jobs as well. Even though snow is definitely not our thing, there’s no denying that, as far as cities go, Austin is a beautiful and unique snowflake. “It’s sort of like getting baptized,” said Mr. Blanton’s daughter, Elizabeth Blanton Wareing. What makes Whataburger’s Fancy Ketchup so unique? I think it helps keeps folks united—we put things in terms of, “Is this good for Texas?” And it’s not as oppositional as it sounds—being pro-Texas does not mean being anti-California or anti-Florida or anti-New York. No other state can legitimately make that claim and make it stick. But these days Texas does feel increasingly like a caricature of a caricature. 18. If you compare us to the other big states—Illinois, Florida—we’re the best of all of them. One thing that is planned in the current budget is funding for mental health care, around $200 million. We’re in the middle of the pack as far as fourth grade and eighth grade math and science scores on the federal NAEP [National Assessment of Educational Progress] exams. We have these beliefs in self-reliance, entrepreneurship and bootstrapping. Cookie Policy People around the country have a lot of misconceptions about this state. Perhaps to celebrate these special qualities, there are several unique … We have a culture built upon music, art, history, technology, nature—and, of course, a little weirdness. Amy Crawford is a Michigan-based freelance journalist writing about cities, science, the environment, art and education. The Texas model prioritizes growth. America needs a superstate, or to put it another way, an antistate. It’s just that we are very proud of who we are. I think Texans are able to arbitrate between idealism and reality. We have many different faiths, but football is our religion. They are: Spain, France, … In December, an executive committee of the Republican Party of Texas approved a resolution supporting secession and calling for the issue to be put to voters statewide. How did that history make Texas what it is today? From a distance, it must have sounded like Austin was under attack. 19. (Texans, not having had those things, were a little bit parochial about it.) A longtime Smithsonian contributor, her work also appears in CityLab and the Boston Globe. The Texas republic is known as one nation under God from day One: 2. To any potential future Texans, here are some general things you can expect upon entering The Lone Star State but, more specifically, Dallas. Dian Sierra having her photograph taken by a friend recently at the Broken Spoke dance hall in Austin, Tex.Credit...Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times. Some of the most potent words in the local vocabulary are “Texas-made.”. If I contributed $25 to his campaign, I would be entered in a contest to win a shotgun. States that are in financial disorder—not naming any names—should take a look at Texas’ fiscal discipline. 17th Annual Photo Contest Finalists Announced. I think every state has its own virtues and flaws. The state realized how bad it would be to be heavily dependent on oil as the component of its economy, especially in the ’80s, when prices collapsed. I’d focus more on the poverty rate than the gap, which could also mean that people are getting richer. Much of it is not my world, but despite that — or perhaps because of it — I think I’m becoming a little bit Texan. It didn’t mean the wealth was shared equally, but it did keep a lot of the profits in the state, which is not how things usually work for resource-rich states and countries. On things like smoking rates, we’re actually pretty low. This was a view of an elected official I had never seen — the get-your-hands-up view. Texas also has the highest rate of people without health insurance—more than one in four are uninsured. Everyone expects that we’re doing the worst in everything, and that’s not true. On a lot of these social services the barrier is financial rather than philosophical. It is a majority-minority state that has become increasingly diverse and nonwhite — rural Texas is shrinking while urban and suburban Texas is expanding — and the tension between what Texas is and what it was has come to define the state. Not as big as Alaska, which is bigger than France and England and Germany and Japan … combined, but big enough. Largest selection of Texas Gifts and Products made in Texas and made by Texans including Texas Foods, Texas Meats, Texas Art, Texas Clothing, Texas Music, Texas Home Goods, Texas Decor, Texas Wine, Texas Chocolates and more! Those efforts seem inconsistent with Texas’ laissez-faire approach. So Texas has a booming economy and it’s a good place to start a business, but what is it like to live there? Our per capita personal income is 97 percent of the national average. The United Health Foundation, for 2012, ranked us 40th overall for state health, and among the factors bringing us down was that we have the lowest insurance rate. And there, for me, was Texas: The last best place with state-sanctioned cannon fire, making people proud while making people wince. Senator Ted Cruz’s remarks dismissing New York values at a Republican debate should come as no surprise. Advertising Notice We’re last or among the last in terms of the percentage of adults with a high school diploma, but given that we’re now among the lowest dropout rates, that won’t be true 20 years from now. Texas is Diverse There’s an intense Texas identity and Texan culture. The North has the Mafia, The South has the Klan. My son stands every morning in his classroom and recites the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. The past has taken on this emotional resonance over time. Isn’t that a problem? I don’t see how it does people any good to build a bigger safety net if you’re just going to yank it away a couple of years down the road because you can’t pay for it. October in Texas almost makes up for August. Southern Texas barbecue is all moisture retention with thick sauces and preparing the meat either over an open fire or a dug pit covered with maguey leaves. Sample essay paragraphs. If you think that’s true, then one of Texas’ underrated advantages is that it’s managed to mitigate a lot of policy uncertainty. 1. First and most prevalent is the fact that Texas was once its own country. Check out our texas unique selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Our unemployment rate has been lower than the national average every month for years. Poverty’s an ongoing issue, especially in certain parts of the state, and I think it’s definitely something Texas should be looking at. Texas has historically had a huge oil industry, but countries and states with a lot of natural resources tend to have low growth—the so-called “resource curse.” Did Texas dodge that trap? The overall trajectory has been one of population growth and economic growth, partly because we had room to grow, and I’m not sure that any problems have been exacerbated by the economic success. HOUSTON — Gov. People in those places identified with their political party, their job, their cause, their sexual orientation, their city, their race. I’ve met conspiracy theorists, Texas secessionists and Texas nationalists (there is a difference), as well as those in the parallel and wholly separate Texas made up of the uninsured, the undocumented, the imprisoned and the poor. Americans may hold a lot of stereotypes about Texas, but journalist—and Texan—Erica Grieder argues that our country could learn a few lessons from our most misunderstood state. After nearly five years in Texas, the theme has only intensified: the metamorphosis of Texas, the country’s second-most populous state, into ultra-Texas, of a singular state into a singular superstate. It is this fear, anger and sometimes paranoia that lurks beneath the surface of Texas politics and that underlies the expansion of gun rights, the reflexive antagonism toward Washington, and the opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage and other issues that seems essential for succeeding in state politics these days. The rate of people without health insurance has been talked about a lot lately. Are these problems in spite of the state’s success, or are they a side effect? The way that Britain looks at the U.S. sounds like the way the U.S. looks at Texas. Located in Wimberley, Jacob’s Well is one of the largest underwater caves in Texas, and the clear spring water makes it a popular swimming hole in the warmer months. The Criminal Element. Before he was elected in 2014, Sid Miller, the Texas agriculture commissioner, traveled the state using an unofficial campaign slogan supplied to him by his campaign treasurer, the rocker and conservative provocateur Ted Nugent: Keep Texas “the last best place.”, The notion of Texas as the best place, the exceptional place, is an old one. By the time he arrived from Houston at the hospital, visiting hours were over. But if you look at the category of health outcomes—defined as deaths, disease and days of work missed due to illness—we’re 25th. Terms of Use The hard-right domination of Texas politics frustrates the state’s Democrats and plenty of others in Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. But Texas is not under attack. What your Texas barbecue comes with also makes dining in the Lone State State unique. They are agitated, but they stay put because they view Texas as forever, and Republican Texas as a kind of temporary occupation. If you want to know what football is like in … About a month after I moved here, a 41-year-old man named Mark Stroman told Texas that he loved Texas, just before Texas killed him. It was not a rare antique. It has low taxes, low services, and it’s always been a very small-government state. Barbecue, steak, Tex-Mex, chili, chicken fried steak (or anything fried), and pecan pie are a … Texas does have a unique history—as you note in the book, it was the only state other than Hawaii to have been an independent nation before it was a state. So while other red-state governors gripe about federal overreach, Mr. Abbott is the only one to propose, in a 92-page document called the Texas Plan, a convention of states to amend the Constitution to allow states to override Supreme Court decisions and federal regulations. I am not sure where our minivan was made, but as I idle at red lights I know the heritage of the Toyota Tundra in front of me. In West Texas, they toss you in the back of a pickup bed till someone makes a run to town. … WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT the Land of Texas? I live here with my wife, my 7-year-old son and my 3-year-old daughter, who keeps a pair of pink cowboy boots outside on the porch or inside by the front door.