Texas: Southern or Western?
Texas has always had a strong idependent identity as its own state and as part of the United States. Photo by Erik Reyna for KUT News.Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Texas Governor Rick Perry might… or might not… run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Either way, the possibility of the Governor of Texas running for national office has the Lone Star State back in the spotlight.
When people scrutinize Texas, it can be hard to pin down. Is it Southern? Is it Western? Is it both? And does it really even matter?
Historian, author, and documentary maker Glen Sample Ely says it does Texas and its rich history a disservice to try pinning the state down into one category. He also cautions against selectivity when trying to paint a picture of the Lone Star State, its history, and identity. Ely says it can be too easy to focus on the bright spots and leave out the less savory incidents when trying to assign Texas an identity.
Glen Sample Ely is the author of Where the West Begins: Debating the Texas Identity.
