Culture of Texas
The culture of Texas is shaped by significant migration from the American North and West, differing from its eastern neighbors in the Deep South.
It encompasses regional and cultural influences from the German Texan, Tejanos, Cajuns, Irish, African American, and White Anglo-Southern communities established before the republic era and statehood.
The Texas Triangle, formed by Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio, is an interstate corridor between the three major Texan cities closest to the geographic center, each representing distinct cultural areas.
Texas is bordered by the western prairies, the Deep South, and Mexico, incorporating Hispanic, African, and Anglo traditions.
[5] Texas produces the most cattle, horses, sheep, goats, wool, mohair and hay in the United States.
[4] Texas has a strong ranching tradition which has had significant influence on American cowboy culture, particularly in rodeo.
The state's numerous oil tycoons are also a popular topic in pop culture in media such as in the TV series Dallas.
The event begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, all of which convene at NRG Park for a barbecue cook-off.
The Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo last three weeks in late January and early February.
The State Fair is also home to the Texas Star, the tallest Ferris wheel in the Western Hemisphere, and Big Tex, a 55-foot-tall (17 m) cowboy statue.
Texas has several recognized state holidays, including: The Lone Star State has helped popularize this musical style throughout the world and made the Texas cowboy an international icon that would forever be identified with country music.
Many renowned musicians' origins are in Houston including Lyle Lovett, Beyoncé, Clint Black, The Crusaders, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Kenny Rogers as well as groups including D.R.I., Helstar, La Mafia, the Geto Boys, and ZZ Top.
Texas' two major cities, Dallas and Houston, currently houses two major Japanese anime licensing and production companies: Crunchyroll and Sentai Filmworks, which dubs anime films in the English language voiced by several major voice actors throughout Texas such as John Swasey, Chris Sabat, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Brittney Karbowski, Monica Rial, Molly Searcy, David Matranga and many others.
The state has three NBA teams, the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Mavericks, which have all won league titles.
The Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth is a large motorsport track, hosting both domestic and international events.
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 by non-profit organization Mission: Readiness found that 73% of military-aged youth in Texas were physically ineligible for military service due to issues with obesity and ill-health, a rate much higher than the national average.
