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Theculture ofTexas is shaped by significant migration from theAmerican North andWest, differing from that of its eastern neighbors in theDeep South. It encompasses many differentsubcultures as well as regional and cultural influences from theGerman Texans,Tejanos,Cajuns,Irish,African American, andWhite Anglo-Southern communities established before therepublic era andstatehood.
Texas is divided into five major regions:East Texas,Central Texas,North Texas,South Texas, andWest Texas. These regions are defined by urban centers and varying cultural characteristics. TheTexas Triangle, formed byHouston,Dallas-Fort Worth, andSan Antonio, is an interstate corridor between the three major Texan cities closest to the geographic center.
Texas' location between thewesternprairies, theDeep South, andMexico has contributed to the blend ofHispanic,African, andAnglo traditions. Texas also includes communities with origins inGermany,Czechoslovakia,Poland,Mexico,Southern African American,White Southern, andNative American populations. TheUnited States Census Bureau places Texas in theSouthern United States.[1]
Texas has the most farms and farm acreage in the United States.[2][3] The state is ranked first in revenue generated from total livestock and livestock products. It is ranked second in total agricultural revenue, behind California.[4] At $7.4 billion, or 56.7 percent of Texas's annual agricultural cash receipts, beef cattle production represents the largest single segment of Texan agriculture. This is followed by cotton at $1.9 billion (14.6 percent), greenhouse/nursery at $1.5 billion (11.4 percent),broiler chickens at $1.3 billion (10 percent), and dairy products at $947 million (7.3 percent).[5]
Texas produces the most cattle, horses, sheep, goats, wool, mohair, and hay in the United States.[4][5][6][7] The state also grows significant amounts of cereal crops and produce.[4]
Texas'sranching tradition has significantly shaped Americancowboy culture, especially inrodeo. The state is often stereotyped with an image of acowboy, shown inwesterns, and connected tocountry music, for which Texas is known nationally and internationally. The state's natural resource production and numerous oil tycoons are a popular topic in pop culture, and appear in media such as the TV seriesDallas.[8]
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The Texas Legislature declared rodeo the official state sport in 1997.[9] The annualHouston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the world's largest known rodeo by attendance, drawing over 2.7 million visitors over roughly 20 days from late February through early March.[10] The event begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, all of which convene atNRG Park for a barbecue cook-off. The rodeo includes typical rodeo events as well as concert performances from major artists and carnival rides.[11] The Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo lasts three weeks in late January and early February. It has many traditional rodeos as well as a cowboy rodeo and a Mexican rodeo that both have large fan bases.[12]
TheState Fair of Texas is one of the largeststate fairs in the United States by attendance. It is held inDallas each year between late September and mid-to late October atFair Park. Two majorcollege football games, theRed River Rivalry between theUniversity of Oklahoma Sooners and theUniversity of Texas Longhorns, and theState Fair Classic between theGrambling State University Tigers and thePrairie View A&M University Panthers, are played at theCotton Bowl in Fair Park during the fair. The event is known for its fried food, especially corn dogs. The State Fair is also home to theTexas Star, the tallestFerris wheel in theWestern Hemisphere, andBig Tex, a 55-foot-tall (17 m) cowboy statue.[13]
Other state fairs held in Texas include theNorth Texas State Fair inDenton, theSouth Texas State Fair inBeaumont, and the East Texas State Fair inTyler.
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Texas was originally home to many tribes, like theCaddo,Apache,Comanche,Karankawa, andTonkawa. The word “Texas” comes from theCaddo word “Taysha,” meaning friends or allies.Spaincontrolled Texas for about 300 years, leaving missions, ranching traditions, and Catholic influence.
The history of Texas, particularly of the old independentRepublic of Texas, is intimately bound up with its present culture. Frontier Texas! is a museum of theAmerican Old West inAbilene. Texas is also home tomany historical societies, such as theTexas Historical Commission andTexas State Historical Association[14]
Texas's cultural influence extends internationally. In Norway, "Texas" is used as slang for something chaotic and uncontrolled, influenced by popular Norwegian depictions of cowboy culture and Western literature associated with Texas. "Der var helt texas! (That wastotally texas!)" has mostly pejorative connotations, but can also refer to a party out of control or a runaway success.[15]
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Texas has a considerable independent body offolklore, primarily in connection with its historical ranching and cowboy cultures, theAmerican Old West, and theTexas War of Independence. TheTexas Folklore Society is the second-oldest folklore organization continually functioning in the United States. Many figures and stories in American folklore are associated with Texas, some of them being:
Texas has several recognizedstate holidays, including:
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Texas is often identified with country music, but the state's musical culture encompasses a wide variety of ethnic genres and regional styles.[17]
Texas has a significant livemusic scene inAustin, with more music venues per capita than any other U.S. city, consistent with the city's official slogan as "The Live Music Capital of the World." Austin's music revolves around the manynightclubs on6th Street and an annualfilm, music, andmultimedia festival known asSouth by Southwest.Austin City Limits, the longest-running concert music program on American television, has been taped at theUniversity of Texas at Austin campus since 1974.Austin City Limits andWaterloo Records run theAustin City Limits Music Festival, an annual music and art festival held atZilker Park in Austin.
InHouston, the annualFree Press Summer Fest is a major draw as well as the entertainment lineups at the annualHouston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Notable music venues for Houston areFitzgerald's,Warehouse Live, andWalter's among others. Many renowned musicians' origins are in Houston includingLyle Lovett,Beyoncé,Clint Black,The Crusaders,Lightnin' Hopkins, andKenny Rogers as well as groups includingD.R.I.,Helstar,La Mafia, theGeto Boys, andZZ Top. TheHouston Symphony andHouston Grand Opera are both attractions of theHouston Theater District.
San Antonio, Dallas, Lubbock, and El Paso have also contributed distinct musical traditions to Texas's cultural landscape. San Antonio, with its deep Mexican-American roots, is known for nurturing Tejano and conjunto music, blending traditional Mexican folk with modern influences.[18] In the Panhandle and West Texas, artists like Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison helped pioneer early rock and roll, with Lubbock and El Paso continuing to serve as creative hubs for emerging talent.[19][20] Dallas, meanwhile, has a thriving blues and jazz scene, historically rooted in Deep Ellum, a neighborhood once frequented by Blind Lemon Jefferson and T-Bone Walker.[21]
Texas' literature is about thehistory and culture ofTexas, someliterary genres dating from the time of thefirst European contact. Representative authors includeMary Austin Holley andKatherine Anne Porter.
Texas' two major cities, Dallas and Houston, currently house two major Japaneseanime licensing and production companies:Crunchyroll andSentai Filmworks, which dubs anime films in the English language voiced by several voice actors throughout Texas such asJohn Swasey,Chris Sabat,Colleen Clinkenbeard,Brittney Karbowski,Monica Rial,Molly Searcy,David Matranga and many others.[22] Many annual anime conventions are also held in the state.[23]
American football is a popular sport in Texas. In theNCAA, Texas has12 top-level or "FBS" schools, more than any other state. In theNFL,Dallas Cowboys andHouston Texans are the two Texan teams.
Baseball is also popular in Texas. TheTexas Rangers andHouston Astros are the two Texan teams in theMajor League Baseball. Atminor league baseball, Texas has three teams in the Triple-APacific Coast League and five in the Double-ATexas League.
Golf is another popular sport in Texas, with year-round play enabled by the state's mild winters and warm climate
Basketball is another popular sport in Texas. The state has threeNBA teams, theHouston Rockets,San Antonio Spurs, andDallas Mavericks, which have all won league titles.Fishing,marching bands andauto racing are also found in Texas. TheTexas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth is a large motorsport track, hosting both domestic and international events.
Lacrosse, which originated from indigenous tribes, is also played in Texas.Soccer is a popular participatory sport—especially among children—but as aspectator sport, it does not yet have a large following despite three Texas teams inMajor League Soccer (FC Dallas,Austin FC, andHouston Dynamo FC).
Ice hockey has been a growing participatory sport in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since theMinnesota North Stars became theDallas Stars in 1993. Minor league professional hockey has since grown. Texas is home to theSan Antonio Rampage andTexas Stars of theAmerican Hockey League and theAllen Americans of theECHL. Texas was also home to manyCentral Hockey League andWestern Professional Hockey League teams prior to the leagues' dissolution. Some of the organizations involved with the former leagues launchedjunior ice hockey teams in theNorth American Hockey League and the league headquarters were moved to Frisco.[24]
Rodeo is the official sport of Texas.
Media devoted to Texas culture includeTexas Monthly, a monthly magazine headquartered inAustin.
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Important aspects of Texas cuisine include:
Texas’ political culture is generally described as a blend oftraditionalistic and individualistic orientations. Traditionalistic values emphasize maintaining established social hierarchies and influence policies on issues such assame-sex marriage andabortion, while also contributing to historically low voter turnout. Individualistic values prioritize self-reliance and the interests of family or close networks, shaping preferences for lower taxes and the absence of astate income tax.[25]
TheTexas Folklife Festival is an annual event sponsored by the University of Texas at San Antonio'sInstitute of Texan Cultures celebrating the ethnicities represented in the population of the state of Texas. Thousands attend the three-day event each year, which features food, crafts, music, and dances from ethnic groups that immigrated to Texas.
A 2015 report bynon-profit organization Mission: Readiness found that 73% of military-aged youth in Texas were physically ineligible for military service due to issues withobesity and ill-health, a rate much higher than the national average.[26]
