What does it mean to be a Texan? Perhaps Joanna Troutman thought about that as she carefully placed stitch after stitch, listening to the men of Macon, Georgia making their preparations.
Joanna Troutman, just 18, had never seen Texas when she learned that a group of Georgia volunteers was setting off to come to the aid of the Texians, who fighting for their freedom. Yet she sewed a flag for Col. William Ward, a silk banner with the Lone Star and the inscription, “Liberty or Death.”
That flag made its way to Goliad. When James Fannin heard about the Texas Declaration of Independence, the flag he raised at the ensuing battle was Joanna’s.
Joanna never did see Texas, though her contribution was never forgotten. In 1913, Texas Gov. Oscar B. Colquitt asked that her remains be brought to the Texas State Cemetery for interment.
And Joanna’s portrait now hangs in the Texas Capitol. Surely that makes her a Texan.
And about the rest of us?
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is studying what it means to be a Texan. What we’ve found is that a Texas identity is a point of pride. And that’s something we’ve found is common among the four major groups of Texans (more on that later).
Why does it matter now? Because in this historical moment, Texas’s unique history, values and sense of self stand as impediments to the progressive agenda. The 2024 presidential election starkly demonstrated the two paths that now seem open to America—are we to become California, or Texas?
That’s why it’s important to understand all we can about Texas identity. And to do so, we have focused on four main groups, and how they feel about Texas.
Mexican-Americans feel their roots to Mexico strongly, but they also have and value Texas roots. While many Mexican-American subpopulations have shifted to the right politically lately, creating a seismic problem for the Democrats, there remain some legitimate historical grievances that the left has, with some success, weaponized in the past.
New Texans are the ones who have made a choice to come to the Lone Star State. New Texans have no (or limited) direct roots in Texas, but by moving here and working here, can partake in the Texas inheritance. These Texans show the transferability of Texas identity, and how it interacts with a person’s American identity.
Southeast Asian Texans play an increasingly prominent role in the public life of significant Texas regions, most notably in the Dallas and Houston metropolitan areas. How does Texas identity and allegiance inform the sentiments and civics of populations who are not rooted in historic Texas by dint of history, ethnicity, or religion?
African-American Texans have deep roots in the land — Texas has more Black farmers than any other state— but also ample reason for feeling alienated from Texas identity and allegiance. This group gives us a look at whether Texan allegiance and identity is a thing sustained from within, or taken from without.
What have we found? One thing we learned is that Texas history matters—particularly the Alamo.
The unique Texas experience of frontier, war, and revolution informs all groups, but especially the Mexican-Americans and South-Asians, who admire the Alamo and the Texas Revolution and derive personal meaning from the struggle. That’s one reason why now, more than ever, the Alamo must be defended.
We also found that Texas identity confers dignity. Texas is a place where the dignity of worship, the dignity of a way of life, the dignity of family and home, and the dignity of personal authority and respect, are all secured. This is valued across the spectrum of Texans.
There’s much more to be learned about what it means to be a Texan, but this appears to be a key to it—liberty.
Texas is where it’s safe to be who you want to be, and to pursue your own dreams. And Texans are proud to be Texans.