Reply to What causes one to have deep pride for their State? Proud to be from …? (Ex: Texas,NJ,NY)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Raised in Texas, I think a lot of it has to do with an early history of bonding through adversity.  Echos of “Remember the Alamo” still reverberate. Early settlers also faced challenges faced by pioneers everywhere and had a better chance if they bonded together as a community that would aid each other. Current generations wouldn’t have the foggiest idea how to survive frontier rigors, but we might hope that the fortitude of our ancestors resides somewhere within us, should we ever have to call on it. We’ve also faced regional challenges that leave their mark. On the plains (where I’m from) everyone’s experienced sandstorms where you taste the sand and it gets in your eyes, your nose, etc.  We’ve also grown up sheltering from tornadoes. The gulf coast has has problems with hurricanes, including the Galveston hurricane of 1900 which caused huge devastation.  There’s a musical (which most Texans probably never heard of) that’s performed every summer in a Texas state park and is a prime example of Texan’s pride in their pioneer spirit. 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_(musical)

We have a rich cultural heritage. Six Flags was originally Six Flags Over Texas, named for the six flags that had represented the state throughout its history:  Spain, France, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, The United States, and (lamentably) the Confederacy. We’re proud that we were an independent nation (struggling, desperately needing the US - again, we don’t focus on that part), and like to perpetuate the (false) idea that Texas reserved the right to secede, knowing the point is moot, because Texans are intensely patriotic and would never actually consider it.  The cowboy myth has been romanticized and incorporated into the state’s identity.  We have our own traditions (homecoming mums), myths (previously mentioned secession right, Governor Hogg’s daughters Ima (real) and Ura (false), expressions (some may be regional, but certainly distinct from many other parts of the country), cuisine (Tex-Mex, southern country cooking, and Texas beef), and (to a certain extent, although probably less in urban areas) fashion sense.

We also feel we have a lot to be proud of. For a long time, Texas was the biggest state. While we recognize that Alaska is (vastly) bigger, we tend not to think about that much.  Texas has a lot of geographical diversity, rich resources, and a vibrant culture. We have large metropolitan centers for those who want a cosmopolitan lifestyle and business opportunities. We also have small farming communities for those who prefer that lifestyle. Texas is bigger than other countries. For example, France is about 4/5 the size of Texas.  It’s economy ranks highly globally (although behind California, another fact we recognize but don’t dwell on).

We’re raised with a Texas identity and surrounded by it. We grew up hearing things like “Everything’s bigger in Texas” and “Don’t Mess with Texas”. Every Texas child has probably clapped along to Deep in the Heart of Texas at some point and has certainly heard The Yellow Rose of Texas (although few would probably even recognize the name of the actual state song - Texas, Our Texas).  When I was in school, 7th grade history class was a class on Texas state history. I think it was a state requirement, but it may have only been a requirement of my local district, and it was about 4 decades ago, so things may have changed in the interim. 
[/quote]

Another Texan here who, sadly, no longer lives in the state. This pretty much nails it, down to the 7th grade Texas history class. I love being a Texan.

And to the PP, I also went to Duke, which is similarly known to have alums who are obnoxiously proud and loyal to their school. Duke was everything I dreamt it would be and more - would do it again in a heartbeat. [/quote]

I grew up in Virginia and 5th grade history was "Virginia history".  I don't think it's that unusual to have a year of state history. [/quote]
+1 in Maryland it’s 4th grade. And my godmother was an ES teacher who moved from Indiana to Tennessee, and I remember her saying that the year of Tennessee history she had to teach was so much more interesting than the year of Indiana history 😆.[/quote]

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