[6][7][8] Texas Creole culture revolved around ranchos (Tejano ranches), attended mostly by vaqueros (cowboys) of African, Spaniard, or Mestizo descent who established a number of settlements in southeastern Texas and western Louisiana (e.g. Los Adaes).

[12] On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, launched the Mexican War of Independence with the issuing of his Grito de Dolores, or “Cry of Delores.” He marched across Mexico and gathered an army of nearly 90,000 poor farmers and civilians.

After Hidalgo's defeat and execution, Gutiérrez traveled to Washington, DC, to request help from the United States.

He met with Secretary of State James Monroe, who was busy planning the invasion of Canada in the War of 1812.

By 1830, the 30,000 recent settlers in Texas, who were primarily Englishspeakers from the United States, outnumbered the Hispanos Tejano six to one.

[16] The Texians and Tejano alike rebelled against attempts by the government to centralize authority in Mexico City and other measures implemented by President Antonio López de Santa Anna.

In 1915, insurgents in South Texas wrote a manifesto that was circulated in the town of San Diego and all across the region.

It was headed by professionals, business leaders, and progressives and became the main Tejano organization promoting civic pride and civil rights.

[20] Other sources attribute the founding of the organization in 1929 largely to Tejano veterans of World War I, who wanted to improve civil rights for Mexican-American citizens of the United States.

Only American citizens were admitted as members to LULAC, and there was an emphasis on people becoming educated and assimilated to advance in society.

He promoted cultural terminology (Chicano, Aztlan) designed to unite the militants; but his movement split into competing factions in the late 1970s.

[24] Most Tejanos are concentrated in southern Texas, in historic areas of Spanish colonial settlement and closer to the border that developed.

[27][28] In urban areas, as well as some rural communities, Tejanos tend to be well integrated into both the Hispanic and mainstream American cultures.

[35] Tex-Mex cuisine is characterized by its widespread use of melted cheese, meat (particularly beef), peppers, beans, and spices, in addition to corn or flour tortillas.

In the 20th century, Tex-Mex took on Americanized elements such as yellow cheese, as goods from the rest of the United States became cheap and readily available.

Some of the typical ingredients used are a combination of eggs, potatoes, cheese, peppers, bacon, sausage, and barbacoa.

[38] Historically, the majority of the Tejano population in South Texas had voted for Democrats since the first half of the 20th century.

The New York Times attributed the relative success of Donald Trump among the Tejano community to concerns about regional economy, which is based on gas and oil.

The Wall Street Journal described concerns about possible unemployment caused by COVID-19 lockdowns as another source of Republican Tejano support.

Reporter Jack Herrera argues that Tejanos are culturally conservative and identify with Republican positions on gun rights, Christianity, and abortion.