East Texas

East Texas is a distinct cultural and geographic area in the U.S. state of Texas. There are various ways to define East Texas, but the least subjective is that it the area of Texas that is part of the Southeastern United States ecologically. More subjective is the cultural definition; East Texas has been described as the most culturally Southern area of Texas—although this can be offensive to other Texans who consider themselves Southerners—or that the region is not really part of Texas—which offends East Texans. Simply put, East Texas is the region of Texas that looks and feels more like Louisiana and Mississippi than it does South and West Texas.

Culture

Culturally East Texas is more closely akin to Arkansas, Louisiana, and even Mississippi than it is to West Texas. East Texas is in the Bible Belt creating a strong Fundamentalist Christian sentiment. Sizable Jewish communities have also thrived in Houston, Galveston and Marshall since the late 19th century. Though a fifth of Texas' population is now Hispanic, African Americans are still the most populous minority in East Texas. Hispanics do outnumber African Americans in Houston. During the Civil Rights Movement, several communities clashed over integration.

Related Topics:
Mississippi - West Texas - Bible Belt - Fundamentalist - Christian - Jew - Houston - Galveston - Marshall - 19th century - Hispanic - African American - Minority - Civil Rights Movement - Integration

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The Museum of East Texas was opened in Lufkin in 1976 under the name the Lufkin Historical and Creative Arts Center.

Related Topics:
Lufkin - 1976

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