Meghan from South Africa

Meghan is from South Africa, a country that has had a troubled history; she has lived in America for a few years now, but still has vivid memories of her initial thoughts of the people and culture in Texas. Meghan said that her incoming stereotypes of Texans were of ditsy pageant girls and country boys; she now has come to realize that people in Texas are whoever they choose to be… “Themselves”. This is evident through cultural artifacts too, for example in musical taste. She reported to us that preferences in South Africa tended to lean more heavily towards R&B and hip-hop and that there is a musical equivalent to country music, but no one there that she knows really cares for it; as opposed to Austin (and presumably other cities around Texas), where Meghan noticed the wide array of musical tastes. It seems that all the choices available for our listening pleasure have contributed to us being what she has termed “free thinkers”.

We asked her of her initial impressions of the people she encountered with Texan Accents and, as we had hypothesized, she thought that they were of lower intelligence level. But Meghan was quick to add that their manner of dress said as much about them as their speech, that someone who was mature and professionally dressed could make her think twice about her initial judgments. This corresponds to what we’ve learned this semester about Goffman’s dramaturgy theory and the way we present ourselves. Someone who is well-dressed, but still retains their Texan accent is giving two messages to their audience: they are a smart and capable person and they are proud of their Texan roots. This pride, she said, was evident in many other aspects of life as well, not just in the retention or amplification of the accent. The houses are “pure example of patriotism” as well; she must be referring to the lone stars and state flags Texans use to decorate their homes.

A major difference between Texans and South Africans that Meghan noticed upon arrival was a state-wide willingness to be more friendly with strangers. She said that she thought people in Texas were more open here because of the young age at which we drive and the freedom that gives us to go out and meet so many new people. Meghan reported that she feels so welcomed and safe here that she does not worry as much about locking her doors and windows at night as she used to back in South Africa. This supports our claims that the Texan accent can be associated some with notions of welcoming and hospitality. A willingness to be friendly with others, free thinking, and state pride have come to be associated with the people of Texas and their accents in Meghan’s mind. This means that to people who have had similar experiences as Meghan, people they encounter with Texan accents apparent on their front stage are giving off (whether intentionally or not) the messages that Meghan described to us.