Stop stereotyping the South as racist, backwards America

As an Indian Southerner who grew up in Houston, TX, I’ve seen my fair share of diversity. For those of you who use “The South” as a blanket statement for any conservative-leaning state towards the bottom of the US, you’ve seriously got it all wrong.

In general, I would say most people view Texas as a desert-like region with cowboys and rattlesnakes and people who talk like Frank Underwood. In a state where it takes 13 hours to get from one end to the other, it’s a lot more complex than what stereotypes suggest.

Of course, I understand why the stereotypes exist. Any time Texas is mentioned in the news, it’s usually something like “Texas woman running for Board of Education believes Obama is a homosexual prostitute.” This is real, by the way. Go ahead, Google Mary Lou Bruner.

Do people like that exist? Yes. Do some of the areas suck? Yes. But I don’t think these ridiculous, negative characteristics should define any Southern state, and they certainly shouldn’t define Houston.

In 2015, Houston was named one of the most racially and ethnically diverse cities in the United States, even more so than New York. The Washington Post dubbed it the fifth best food city in the United States. And we have the most amount of green space out of any city in the U.S. Leslie Knope would be proud of our public parks.

Houston also never seems to stop growing, and while the massive amounts of urban sprawl might make newcomers weary, the locals are all about it. Sure, it might mean absurd driving distances, but it also means a lot of culturally distinct neighborhoods to visit. Each area in Houston gives off a specific vibe – that means different bars, different palates and different people.

Both the inner and outer loops have unique neighborhoods. Very little of what’s contained within Houston would remind you of a “Southern” lifestyle, but the stereotypes begin to take form as you reach the suburbs. Whenever I’m at my apartment downtown, I never feel out of place or judged. Most people I encounter are typically tolerant, progressive and friendly. However, when I visit my parents in Cypress, I start getting an underlying sense of discrimination.

Cypress is an overwhelmingly white suburb of Houston. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but overwhelmingly white areas in the South are pretty much the origin points for negative stereotypes. Anytime I get groceries at the Kroger near my parents’ house, I can feel more people staring at me than I’m used to, and it’s incredibly uncomfortable.

Being a bearded brown kid that wears sweatpants everywhere is usually not a problem in the city, but the negative vibes start flowing in the ‘burbs. Sometimes I smile as I wonder how all of those prejudiced folks felt about the fact that Houston’s wonderful former mayor, Annise Parker, is a lesbian.

Here’s the thing, though: I don’t think these characteristics are exclusive to the South. Maybe it’s more common and noticeable in Southern states, but I think “mildly racist” and “suburb” are pretty much synonymous in America, so you can get off your high horse and stop judging us.

Houston alone shows that we have a lot of diversity, and that also means so many dispositions. It’s easy to think of stereotypes, especially when Southern political establishments are blasted by media outlets, but people like Mary Lou Brunner and Ted Cruz do not represent all of us.

There are problems all over the US, and generalizing an entire American region will do nothing to help change that. As a person of color raised in Texas, I’ve been taken out of my comfort zone a lot of times, and it’s taught me valuable lessons. To stereotype is to ignore the individual dispositions, and social progress will never come from such divisive forms of thinking.

I am an Indian kid that was raised in the South. I’ve been stereotyped by outsiders and discriminated against by locals. I’ve seen my state vote horrible people into public office and sometimes, I’ve been scared for what the future would hold.

I’ve also seen the beauty, diversity, and culture the South has to offer. I’ve seen people from wildly different backgrounds come together to offer support and promote change. I’ve seen people overcome differences in opinions. I’ve seen people who, against all odds, spread love and compassion in a sea of bigotry and hate. I’m an Indian kid that was raised in the South, and I’m goddamn proud of it.