Indigenous Peoples
Native Americans have occupied Texas for over 10,000 years, while Europeans have been here for barely 500. More specifically, the Natives were mainly present in the Great Plains region, and were often settled beyond the borders that delineate the state of Texas today. The Karankawa, Jumano, Caddo, Comanche, Apache and Tonkawa were the main tribes in present-day Texas. The Karankawa lived closer to the Gulf, documented by the arrival of explorer Cabeza de Vaca in 1528. The Caddos lived between the Great Plains and the eastern forests, and are known for their matriarchal systems of governance. The Jumanos lived in the west, and had developed good relations with Europeans. The Comanches and Apaches, on the other hand, raised bison and were best known as great horsemen. Today, however, the descendants of these tribes account for just 1% of the state's population. On the other hand, they are much more present in New Mexico, on Indian reservations, where indigenous peoples account for 11% of the population. This remains a minority, and history bears witness to the tragic decimation of the native peoples by the Europeans, and their forced displacement to other states in the country.
Languages and population composition
The first interbreeding occurred with the arrival of Spaniards from the south, English, German and French Canadians from the east, and later, Asians from the west. But it's mainly in the 19th century that the current make-up of Texas is explained. According to historians, in 1865, Texas was populated by 250,000 slaves of African descent, nearly a third of the state's overall population at the time. Today, the Texas population is 40.3% Hispanic, 39.3% white, 11.6% African-American, 1.5% Native American and 5.1% Asian. Several languages are spoken, with English and Spanish in the majority, Vietnamese and Mandarin. However, the Texas Constitution does not recognize any official language, with English remaining the number one idiom. You'll also find plenty of bilinguals in English and Spanish! Texas is one of the youngest states in the country, with only 12% of its population over 65, compared with 15% nationwide.
Urban populations
The cultural mix of populations is concentrated in urban areas, especially in large cities like Houston or Dallas. There is international diversity, with major cities attracting people from across the country as well as around the world, especially through oil or medicine (Houston), military bases (San Antonio), business (Dallas-Fort Worth), and technology industries (Austin). Texas contains some of the fastest growing urban populations in the country, with Americans themselves moving from metropolises like New York and San Francisco to Houston and Austin.
Rural populations
In juxtaposition to populated towns are ghost towns: towns born in the 20th century from oil wells or some other disappeared activity. They're recognizable by their empty, abandoned main streets, with local businesses replaced by shopping malls. But some of these towns have experienced a renaissance in recent years, thanks to tourism, reviving the local economy and breathing new life into these streets, where you can now find gift shops, restaurants and b&b. This doesn't necessarily mean that local populations are benefiting, as sometimes these towns are gentrified by urban populations wanting to invest there, especially since the pandemic. Rural areas in Texas are generally agricultural or industrialized for oil. Many of the villages and small towns in the center are of English or German heritage, such as New Braunfels or Fredericksburg. There are also former French villages such as Castroville, and Cajun-Creole villages southeast of Houston. The eastern regions are historically African-American, inherited from slavery and cotton production before the 1860s. The southwestern regions, on the other hand, are historically Hispanic and Mexican. Native American populations can be found around Livingston, as well as east and northwest of Texas, near Oklahoma. Some Indian descendants identify themselves as white despite their ancestral heritage.
Immigration
The entire state is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%, a notch above the national average. Natural resources, the development of new business sectors, a favorable climate and low taxes continue to attract large numbers of migrants, both from within and outside the state. Most, however, come from Mexico and Asia. Because of its border with Mexico, the subject of illegal immigration has become a sensitive one among Texans and Republicans alike, often referring to the Mexican population, but also to whole families from Honduras, Guatemala, etc. According to the authorities, there are over one and a half million undocumented immigrants (or "illegal aliens") in Texas. In all, Texas has seen nine programs to counter illegal immigration in twenty years, implemented by Republican governors Rick Perry and now Greg Abbott. The Rio Grande River serves as a natural barrier along the entire border, the rest being filled in by a metal barrier, notably at El Paso, also referred to as "the wall" by Donald Trump. The harsh natural conditions of this border region make the migrants' journey very difficult, risking their lives and detention. The authorities are unforgiving, with numerous websites used to denounce illegal " aliens ". The number of illegal immigrants arrested has long been in free fall, partly due to growth in Mexico, partly due to the drop in demand for labour in the construction sector following the 2007 crisis in the United States. That said, every argument has been put forward to reinforce this feeling of insecurity during Trump's term in office. The scandal was the separation of migrant children from their families when detained at the border, which would still exist today. However, since the election of Joe Biden in 2021, several actions have been put in place to undo Trump's immigration restrictions. But the Republican state is not giving in: in July 2023, in the context of Operation Lone Star, Greg Abbott is preparing the installation of floating buoys to act as barriers along the Rio Grande, considering that the measures already in place are not enough. And the issue of immigration is one of the main topics put forward by Trump in the 2024 presidential race.
