30 replies to this topic

[ILoveAJuggalo1569]

It seems like everytime I talk to someone that is out of state they always assume that I am a cowgirl. Its like everyone is supposed to dress in boots and a hat just because we r from Texas. I mean is everyone from Nashville supposed to know country? I dont think so. So why do all Texans have to be considered Cowboys? I think we should get together and really get out to the public that not all of us rides horses, drives trucks, and wears boots all the time. We should really show them that we are of many cultures, ethnics, and ect.!

[UrbanLandscape]

Well, as I say, better a cowboy than a New England snob.

[mschrief]

I'm a cowgirl in my own mind.

[ILoveAJuggalo1569]

You all may be cowgirls and boys but not all of texans are. I just wish other people would see that.

[UrbanLandscape]

You all may be cowgirls and boys but not all of texans are. I just wish other people would see that.

Now that I'm living in Huntsville, i don't get much of a choice. Tee hee.

[Dismuke]

You all may be cowgirls and boys  but not all of texans are.  I just wish other people would see that.

The issue here is that of stereotyping. People from other parts of the country and the world have certain stereotypes about Texas - and, since you are from Texas, you sometimes end up being stereotyped as well.

I think the thing to keep in mind is that, unlike some other stereotypes, more often than not, there is usually not any sort of ill will behind this one.

The thing to keep in mind about stereotypes is the fact that that there usually has to be at least some basis in reality behind them, however out of context and warped it may be. If there wasn't, the stereotype wouldn't work. In the case of geographical stereotypes, people form them based on what they have learned through history books, news stories, movies, TV shows etc. I suspect that most of us have, at one time or another, traveled somewhere only to realize that our preconception of it was based on stereotypes and that reality was somewhat different. If you consider the history of Texas as well as how it has been portrayed in books, movies and TV shows for well over 100 years, it is understandable why people who have little first hand experience with the state buy into them.

Another thing to keep in mind is that most people who buy into those stereotypes view them as a positive. They want the opportunity to meet a cowboy and someone who has experienced their highly romanticized notion of what it is to be a Texan. Of course, it is very understandable for someone in your position to feel somewhat invisible in such situations and think: "But that's not me! I am not like that - nor are a lot of other people I know. Why don't you recognize us as individuals? Why are you more interested in a stereotype than in the things that make me unique?" It is especially understandable to feel this way if the things which make you unique are far removed from the behaviors attributed to the stereotype.

My view is the best approach is to realize that most people do not mean harm by it. Think of it as being along the lines of what it must be like to have a very famous relative and everywhere you go people end up wanting to talk about your relative instead of having a normal conversation.

My suggestion is, if the people view the stereotype as being largely positive and have no ill will towards you because you are from Texas, very briefly give them a little of what they want. Tell them that Texas does have a lot of pride in its late 19th century heritage and that some of it still lives on to some degree in places like the stockyards and in the state's rural areas. Then take the opportunity to tell them that, in the 21st century, Texas is very urban and modern and that a large percentage of the population consists of a very diverse assortment of people who have come here from other parts of the country and the world and have very few personal ties with traditional Texas culture. Once people realize that Texas is not all that different than other parts of the country, they will move past the stereotypes and begin regarding you as an individual.

As to those who hold negative stereotypes about Texas, my suggestion is to quickly determine what their basis for it is and see if it is reasonable. When I lived up north for a while, I knew a black lady who was kind to me personally but had a VERY negative view of Texans. Turned out that, when she was in high school, she was on a cross country bus trip with a bunch of other students, most of them white. When they stopped to spend the night at a town in Texas, the hotel manager told them that she would have to spend the night in the bus because the hotel was "whites only." Ever since then, in her mind, Texans were associated with racists. I tried to convince her that things had changed a lot in the decades since and it wasn't like that anymore - but I don't think I was successful. I certainly understood where she was coming from and since she treated me as an individual and did not apply her stereotype towards me, I simply let the matter drop and we didn't talk about it anymore.

Of course, there will occasionally be some who are going to cling to negative stereotypes no matter what and are going to be hostile towards you without any rational basis for it. There are some people who have a vested interest in dismissing people from Texas as "hicks" and regarding this part of the country as "flyover country." My suggestion is to simply consider the source and ask yourself why you should even care what such people think - that is if they even think at all.

[mikedsjr]

dismuke,

Great post.

[cjyoung]

Spending time in the north and northeast confirmed for me that Texas is the right place for me.

[RD Milhollin]

The cowboy label never realley dogged me, even though for a significant amount of my childhood I was on a small Erath county ranch and helped round up, drive, vaccinate, etc. the cattle that lodged on my family's land. I never really dressed the stereotypical part, and sort of laughed to myself at the city boys in high school who had never really been on a ranch who dressed up as a cowboy.

Well, that changed when I was on my first trip across the Atlantic. A good friend who also had rural Texas roots suggested that from his experience the Brits really liked people from Texas, even if they might not be keen to Yanks in general. His suggestion was to wear Wrangler jeans, boots, and a western snap-button shirt on the plane on the way over, and see what happened upon arrival, suggesting it would be positive. Boy I was surprised! On arrival at Gatwick the people to pick me up only knew I was travelling alone and was coming from Texas. They immediately picked me out from the crowd, and eyed the get-up (I had even gotten hold of a hat, not a ten-gallon, but an old Stetson "gentleman's" hat that had once belonged to my grandfather. To my English hosts I was a genuine item, and I felt a little guilty, since I NEVER dressed like that back home. Luckily I had recently taken some free Tuesday night two-step group lessons at Billy Bobs so I was ready when most of the women in the group I was touring with wanted to take a turn dancing at the clubs (not pubs) we stopped in, and the guys were always quick to pick up a pint so I would stand around and "talk Texin" to keep the group entertained.

Bottom line, until GWB came along, being a Texan in the big, wide world was a very positive thing. We were considered by many people in the world as interesting people from an interesting place, with a cool way of talking, interesting stories to tell, and a laid-back view of the world. I suppose that image has declined in the eyes of many people in recent years though.

Pup

[Willy1]

I will be the first to admit that I am as far from "cowboy" as you can get, unless you consider having a guy named Ralph riding a horse on your shirt "cowboy". And, I'm a multi-generational native Texas who's family used to own the Stockyards hotel a couple generations back... Anyway, I still don't take the whole cowboy thing as a negative when I'm not in Texas - unless the word "hick" comes into play. Of course, as a writer and someone who has worked in the movie industry a bit, I blame Hollywood for a lot of the stereotypes that are thrown at Texans - westerns, JR, Walker Texas Ranger (the worst offender yet), etc. These images have been burned into the narrow minds of people around the world. Of course, every once in a while things are just the opposite. Last night, I was watching the Cowboy game and Madden was going on and on about how big DFW has gotten and how incredible it is to fly in to the metroplex at night and see the lights. They also talked about the Cowboys pending move to Arlington and how successful it would be and how the super bowl would be a given in "Dallas Fort Worth" if the new stadium gets built. Of course, even they were nostalgic about Texas Stadium and how it's been one of the greatest NFL legendary stadiums.

Anyway, one thing I do to remind people that Texas is not a dusty, tumble-weed infested wasteland where people spend most of their time riding horses and looking for watering holes... I remind them of things that are famously Texan and moderns. I remind them that three of the nations largest cities are in Texas. I remind them that the space program is based in Texas. I remind them that Texas is second to only California in population and that our cities are big and modern (well, most of them anyway). Of course, it's also fun to play with people who have such beliefs about Texans. People outside of Texas seem to love the fantasy that everything is bigger in Texas. People really do cling to that for some strange reason. So, I play with that when they ask about it. I tell them stats like - our airport is bigger than Manhattan, that Dallas/Fort Worth is bigger than Rhode Island, and that El Paso is closer to LA than Port Arthur! It's true, and they love it.

[mosteijn]

I think one of the funniest misconceptions about Texas is that it's all desert...I think about getting mad, but then I realize they probably failed geography in high school.

[JBB]

Misconceptions that people from other states have about Texas have always amused me. I had a friend from Michigan whose family could never get over the fact that the state was so big. Whenever a hurricane would hit the coast, they would call to check and make sure he was okay, never comprehending that Ft. Worth was a day-long drive away from the coast.

[normanfd]

Tell them to call you tomorrow instead. Look at what TS Gaston did to Richmond. Sure, it came ashore in SC, but its real damage was elsewhere. A similar storm right after last month's heavy rains would have been truly devastating.

[mikedsjr]

I think people still even here forget that most people live in condensed areas of Texas. But much of Texas is still full of cowboys or ranchers or farmers.

I don't want to see Texas become NE. I'm not a cowboy. I've never lived on a ranch. The closets I've been to farm work is walking through the cattle barn of the State Fair. But I am as about as country as a city slicker can get. So I like the Cowtown label. And I am always bothered by those who think the cowtown label is a negative. There's room enough for all kinds of cities in this great country.

I have labels for the NE. I'm sure they don't fit every single person either.
I have labels for Californias. I'm sure they don't fit every single person there either.
Same with Kentuckians, Hawaians, and Alaskans.

Labels are labels because their is or was a resemblance to the truth.

[mschrief]

I may not be a real cowgirl, but my grandfather was definately a real cowboy. He worked on the 6666 Ranch in the Panhandle. I believe that ranch was owned by the Burnett family.

A proud heritage!

[hipolyte]

Well, this seems to be turning into an explore your roots thread, which is cool. So in my multi-generational Texan background, the highlights are;
A great, great grandfather who was a captain of the Texas Rangers, killed by outlaws in Burnett County.
My great-grandfather drove the first six horse hitch stagecoach between San Angelo and Sonora, and my grandfather was the head wrangler for the Mounted Cavalry's breeding program during WWII.
Personally, I've never quite believed the family legend about the remote ancestor who climbed a tree and dispatched both a bear, AND a pather, with his POCKETKNIFE, but it makes a good story. The only thing not in my family background, apparently is an actual cowboy, meaning someone who raised or drove cattle.
Those are the stories I tell to tenderfoots.
I myself was on a horse once, and about the best I can say about it is that I didn't fall off.

[fwpcman]

Over here in cosmopolitan Dahlas (say it slow and with your nose pointed upward), that's the last thing we want the world to imagine when they think of us. I just wish that they would change the name of that dear old football team.

[UrbanLandscape]

Didn't think there were very many Texans left in Dallas?

Well, you know I'm not there anymore.

[jubjubking]

After I leave dallas next year, I'll be the last texan who left town

Naw, to talk about something stated earlier in the thread, alot of people perceive texas as this place thats still a "wild and wooly,dirt covered street and high noon gunfight" state. In some ways, such as our state politics, it is. But we all know that texas has some of the best urban areas in america to live and thrive.

I was in hawaii back in april and told people I was from texas, the first question out of their mouths, both americans and foreign was "So, do you ride a horse and carry a six shooter?' which I answered,no. I think in alot of ways the western mythos is still strong because of popular media,film and television. It, for alot of people, brings up a time where adventure and discovery was just over the horizon,whereas we have discovered and settled the west. I also believe the mythos of the cowboy helps people separate themselves from their day-to-day routine..It helps them tie into something that maybe long gone, but will never be forgotten.

[hipolyte]

So was everyone in Hawaii wearing grass skirts and doing the hula?

[normanfd]

Out here in the Trans-Pecos, cattle ranching is ubiquitious, and the Permian Basin is nearby. Lot's of people genuinely dress in boots, hats, chaps, the whole routine, because it really is their work clothes. My neighbors really do raise cattle, horses, goats, and chickens.

However, I live in town (pop. 1050), and don't work or dress that way. I listen to C&W music when I'm not at home and in the car and it is the ONLY thing on the radio besides Spanish.

[redhead]

mschrief, the 6666 was founded by Samuel Buck Burnett and is run today by his great-granddaughter, Anne Marion. For those of you following the roundabout thread, she is the one who offered to build it, but the city took too much time and she took the offer off the table. I believe that she was also behind the huge fundraising effort for The Modern. That family has been a huge philathropic influence on our city---and THEY ARE ALL COW-POKES, COW-PEOPLE...I don't know what the politically correct gender-nuetral term is, so sorry.

[hipolyte]

A 'cowpoke' was a person who stood on the other side of a fence and 'poked' the cows with a stick to get them to go in the desired direction. A terrible insult to a 'true' cowboy.
Cowgirl, or better yet, Rancher, is the term you seek.

[Call me Arch Stanton]

I made a reference to similar subject matter as this awhile back, talking about how I was perceived in Fort Worth versus how I'm perceived in Austin. After much deliberation, I reckon my cowboy-ness depends on your definition. Or, as a wise, wise man once said: "When you tell somebody something, it depends on what part of the United States you're standing in as to just how dumb you are."

I wasn't raised on a ranch, but a week or so ago, I knew to move out from behind the small horse trailer on the freeway when the horse raised his tail up.

[jubjubking]

Hahaha arch....thats funny

..and to answer hypo from last week, not everyone in HI wears grass skirts and coconut bikini tops. Alot of aloha print shirts, though

[Call me Arch Stanton]

Hahaha arch....thats funny

It was even funnier to view those who did not heed the equine warning...

[Urbndwlr]

While there is some truth to the stereotypes of having an existing cowboy/ranching culture in Texas, the state's tourist industry promotes that image nationally. Fort Worth's Convention and Visitors Bureau certainly puts the hat-and-boots image up front when courting visitors. It's not suprising that the image remains despite the development of other elements of society in Texas. It is much easier for many people to simply have one image of this region rather than complicate that image with new ones (i.e. anything urban, cosmopolitan) that conflict with the original (rural, western).

[redhead]

Well, Greg, I guess that depends if they got any she-itt on their boots. Our recent out-of-the country visitors were sorta' non-plussed by the Stockyards..the comment: Is that one street all there is, ya'll? I think that sez it all...