Changing Texas
Unit 13, Section Two Notes
Texas is Growing
• Texas is growing in almost every way, with
both the economy and population. More and
more people come to Texas to live every year,
and these population changes lead to issues
that Texans struggle with and problems that
need to be solved.
Immigration to Texas
Immigration to Texas has been debated in our state
for many years now. For the most part, Texans have
pushed for more strict laws regarding immigration
for the following reasons:
• Some illegal immigrants use government services,
like schools, without paying taxes.
• When a child of an immigrant is born in the U.S.,
they become a citizen while their parents are not.
Because of such problems, laws have been passed
to make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to get
jobs in Texas. Some people have suggested building
a wall between the Texas and Mexico border.
Texas Education
• In the state of Texas, property taxes are used
to fund public education.
• Every political session, there is a high demand
by citizens and law makers to reform, or
change, how we pay for education.
• In some places, property taxes are very high,
but this only affects those people who own
property.
• Some say that Texas should instead use an
income tax to fund education.
Texas Transportation
As the population of Texas grows, transportation
throughout the state becomes a bigger issue.
• Highways, roads, and bridges are maintained by
city, county, and state funds. Sometimes, money
from the national government is used to fix
transportation problems or create new roads.
• Toll roads are sometimes built to help fund future
transportation costs. As you drive on the road,
you pay a fee.
• New roads decrease congestion and traffic, but
also lead to increased pollution as more room is
made for more cars.
Migration
• Not only are their more people moving to Texas,
but there are also lots of Texans who are moving
from the country to the city.
• This increased urbanization leads to bigger cities,
which can cause problems related to
transportation, education, and even natural
resources, like water!
• Cities seem to have more problems because of
this, but small towns also have to deal with such
problems, like water shortages after a long
drought.
http://www.cityofllano.com/CITY/stage1.pdf
Regions of Texas
Because of immigration and migration changes,
the regions of Texas are also changing.
Coastal Plains
• Most of the major cities of Texas are located in
the Coastal Plains region. Because of the
cities, there are many large highways systems
throughout this part of the state.
• Major industries in this region include: timber,
agriculture, oil and gas, technology, education,
and tourism.
• Tourism – this is a large area for tourism
because of the cities and coastline within the
region.
Central Plains
• This region is more rural compared to the
Coastal Plains.
• Major industries in the region include:
agriculture, manufacturing, and military
defense.
Great Plains
• The Great Plains is even more rural than the
Central Plains!
• Industries in this region include: agriculture
and ranching, oil and gas, and new sources of
energy, like wind farms.
• For ranching and farming to be successful in
this region, irrigation is very needed.
Mountain and Basins
• The Mountains and Basins region is the most
rural region of Texas.
• Industries of this region include: cattle, sheep,
and goat ranching.
• People go to the Mountains and Basins region
to visit Big Bend National Park (or just to drive
through to get to other states!).
Adapting to the Texas Environment
Texans have made many modifications to the
Texas ecosystems in order to make living in Texas
more comfortable and enjoyable. Still, these
changes have consequences.
• Texans have built dams on rivers in order to
use the rivers for electricity and recreation.
– This can cause pollution on the rivers, and some
of the rivers are drying up.
– It can provide Texans with more stable water
supplies in some areas.
Adaptations Continued…
• Texans on the Great Plains have irrigated the land
in order to grow cotton and other crops.
– More crops are grown.
– The aquifers underground are drying up from overuse
and drought. Poses the question of who really owns
water!
• Texans have drilled for oil in and around the Gulf
of Mexico.
– This has lead to economic growth for the oil and gas
industry and given jobs to Texans.
– Drilling has also led to the pollution of beaches and
wildlife.
Alternative Energy in Texas
In recent years, Texas has attempted to follow the
rest of the United States in trying to create and
utilize different types of alternative energy.
Examples of alternative energy sources include
solar and wind energy.
• The state legislature has passed laws to help
encourage the growth of these types of energy
through funding and tax breaks.
• In the beginning, alternative energy is costly to
create, but we anticipate that it will become
cheaper over time.
• People against alternative energy feel that it
could hurt Texas jobs or wildlife.
Make Up of Texas Population
• http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000
.html
• Based on the current census numbers,
demographers are able to predict the growth
rate, or annual rate, at which the population is
expected to grow.
Growth Rate Estimates Based on Race
• Anglo
– 2000: 11,074,716
– 2040: 12,225,486
• Black
– 2000: 2,421,653
– 2040: 3,995,349
• Hispanic
– 2000: 6,669,667
– 2040: 29,926,210
• Other
– 2000: 685,785
– 2040: 4,435,916
Who is coming to Texas?
Many different immigrant groups came to Texas for
varying reasons during the 20th Century, including
for job and education opportunities.
• Eastern Europeans: came because of religious
persecution and economic depression in their
own countries, moved to urban areas.
• Latin Americans: came because of economic
reasons, moved to urban and rural areas.
• Vietnamese: many came as refugees from the
Vietnam War, moved to urban areas and along
the Texas coast.
• Arabs: came for oil jobs or because of conflict in
the Middle East, moved to urban areas.
Diversity and Culture
Because of Texas’ diverse background and
population, our culture is different in many
ways. As people from other countries attempt to
maintain their home religions, traditions, and
cultures, these things seep into Texas way of life.
Spanish culture is probably the most
predominant throughout the state.
• Examples: names of cities, rivers, etc…, foods,
religion, arts, and the English vocabulary.
Arts Contributors in Texas
There are many famous people from all different
backgrounds who are important to the Texas
arts!
We will now look at some examples!!!
Roy Bedichek
• As a lifelong outdoorsman and animal lover,
Bedichek wrote Adventures with a Texas
Naturalist in 1947.
• He is still remembered as an entertaining
folklorist and storyteller.
• His family lived in Falls County and helped to
found the schools in Eddy, Texas!
• At one point, he helped run the UIL organization.
• He died in 1959.
Diane Gonzales Bertrand
• Diane is a Mexican-American author of
children’s and young adult books which focus
on Mexican-American characters.
• Her most famous children’s book is Family,
Familia.
• She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas,
where she works at St. Mary’s University as a
professor.
J. Frank Dobie
• Dobie was a Texas writer who wrote about Black,
Anglo, and Hispanic cowboys, as well as Native
American, Spanish-American, African- American,
and Mexican culture.
• His books focus on the myths and legends of
Texas.
• He is best known for The Longhorns, The
Mustangs, and A Vaquero of the Brush Country.
• He lived all over Texas and was very important to
the movement to keep the longhorns from
extinction.
Scott Joplin
• Joplin was an African-American Texan who
was famous for establishing ragtime music in
Texas.
• He lived in Texarkana, Texas.
• He wrote more than 500 pieces of music,
including a ballet and two operas!
• Maple Leaf Rag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_
-rc
Elisabet Ney
• Ney was a German-born sculptor and artist that
immigrated to Texas at the age of 39 with her
husband.
• Some of her most famous sculptures are of Sam
Houston and Stephen F. Austin, and those and
others are erected at the state and national
capitol buildings.
• There is a museum named for her in Austin,
Texas.
• She and her husband helped to establish
universities in Texas, along with the Texas Fine
Arts Association.
Other Important People…
• Amado Pena Jr. – an artist who painted Native
American tribute paintings
• Walter Prescott Webb – well respected
historian who wrote The Texas Rangers and
The Great Plains
• Horton Foote – American playwright and
screenwriter, wrote the screenplay for To Kill a
Mockingbird