A knowledgeable friend told me, “Texas is defined by its edges.” Even though the then State Representative Four Price’s comment referred to election results, it has resonated with me. The perimeter of Texas is 4,137 miles long, and the total square miles are 268,000, second only to Alaska, with a perimeter of 6,640 miles and total square miles of 571,241. The almost 32 million people residing in Texas make it the second most populous state, second only to California, with nearly 40 million residents. The vastness of Texas, its location bounded by a Nation and water, has created edges where distinctive cultures are amalgamated into the “notion” of being a Texan.
The jigsaw puzzle of cultural identities includes the distinctive regions of East Texas, West Texas, Far West Texas, the Rio Grande Valley, the Texas Gulf Coast and the only non-edge region, Central Texas. Each region has its own traditions, values and economies, all contributing to our unique place in the nation and world.
Central Texas is, in many ways, a melting pot. It serves as a meeting ground for East, West and South Texas traditions. German and Czech influence is ever-present. Austin and College Station are the centers of an innovation engine that feeds the whole state and houses two global universities. Population growth is unmatched. Many who come to Texas from other regions of our nation “step over” the edges, going right into the middle. Unfortunately, they may miss the powerful defining characteristics of Texas.
The “Piney Woods,” as many East Texans refer to their home, hugging the western border of Louisiana, demonstrates great pride of place. Cotton, timber, oil and a culture that supports the production of these commodities reflect rural values. Some would argue that life moves more slowly in East Texas. People of the Piney Woods possess a strong devotion to faith. Evangelical Christianity and Catholicism coexist peacefully, glued together by a strong “full of faith” influence. The nature of the place tends to support what are commonly called conservative perspectives and influence our state’s conservative leaning. Gospel, blues, country music, barbecue, fried catfish and soul food paint a picture that persistently defines Texas.
The Big Bend and Davis Mountains are squeezed between two dramatic forces of nature, the Rio Grande and the Desert. A culture of solitude and resilience, coupled with a deep connection to the land, is precipitated. Marfa is an intensely creative place defined by the vastness of the region it calls home. This region is an international hot spot for artists and tourists seeking to experience Texas. Texans owe a significant debt to this corner of our state’s frontier past and its impact on reimagining our future. Confounding and competing forces that define far West Texas shape our future.
A blending of cultures in the Rio Grande Valley causes people to question whether they are in Mexico, the United States or Texas. The Rio Grande Valley is one of Texas’s most distinctive regions. While the number of bilingual and bicultural people who populate this region is unknown, it is significant. The traditions of old Mexico are seen in the food, festivals and families who mix these two special cultures. The people in this part of the world are exceptionally youthful, probably the youngest regional population in Texas. Cross-border networks and communities make it a unique place in our state and nation, providing a basis to understand immigration, trade and a growing Latino political engagement.
Shipping, refineries, recreation and sea-supported activity of every kind stretch from Beaumont to Brownsville. The 3,000 miles of Texas coastline are important to the state’s economy. Houston, the state’s largest city, is a powerful force, but the power of coastal Texas extends far beyond. In addition, the mix of Cajun, Creole, Mexican and Vietnamese cultures impact food and music in every nook and cranny of life. The ability of state leadership to respond to the ever-present impact of hurricanes has been remarkable.
Air, sky, wind and a relentless flatness that sustains crops and cows delineate West Texas, the place I now call home. These attributes define West Texas and create a culture that is remarkable by any definition, and especially by the size of the ranches. The Hill Institute is connected to the values of this region of the state. Like grease to bacon, you cannot separate the place from the values that flow from it. A form of rugged individualism tied to entrepreneurship defines the people and the region, like the world’s financial center in Lower Manhattan. Is it the “Wild West?” Maybe, if Wall Street is the “Wild East.”
Central Texas’s innovation, Southern traditionalism, far West Texas’s creative solitude, the Rio Grande Valley’s biculturalism, the Gulf Coast’s cosmopolitan resilience, and high West Texas’s frontier individualism each leave a mark on contemporary Texas.
Why, as a university president, am I giving a geography lesson regarding these important and influential regions of Texas? It’s simple. There is much pressure on universities to accept a common seduction that all universities should look the same. I would argue that the cultural distinctives in every region of Texas should drive universities to provide unique educational opportunities and real educational choice.
At West Texas A&M University, we aim to do just that through our commitment to serving locally first.
Walter V. Wendler is the President of West Texas A&M University. His weekly columns, with hyperlinks, are available at https://walterwendler.com/.
