Texas and American etiquette, two different worlds.

Etiquette, what all human beings should be conscience of and practice daily. But, people from different places may have a different perspective and idea on what etiquette is to them. For example, Texas, Texas likes to be known for being their own little country inside a country. Texas is a very unique place, with a very different way of thinking and being in general. And as to what I mean by being a little country inside another is that even though Texas is a very prideful and American place, it differs from the American ways, specifically in etiquette, well according to Kinky Friedman.

Texas etiquette is unique and one and only. I have experienced this myself, having moved from California, it was like if I had entered another world. According to Friedman, “to the 6.1 billion people on this planet who are not Texans, the very idea of Texas etiquette may seem like a contradiction” (704). Like Friedman says, Texas etiquette consists of the way of the people, and what is socially correct in Texas. Urinating outside is seen as a way of the people, and is acceptable in mostly all places in Texas, which as many people know, it is usually socially incorrect in the U.S. Women in Texas have a traditional way of greeting each other, “look at yeeewww!” (705) would be the most correct response anyone could get. According to kwintessential.co.uk, In the U.S it is more acceptable to greet someone with a simple, firm hand shake and a “hello,” greetings are more casual and always smile. Even the way of table etiquette is different in Texas, a big juicy steak and its respective sides are like the traditional and best dinner plate that anyone can have, but not without saying grace first. In the U.S. table etiquette is very important and has to be very proper. Also mentioned in the website, food is often served family-style, which means that it is in large serving dishes and passed around the table for everyone to serve themselves, and it is acceptable and a must to never rest your elbows on the table, place your napkin on your lap and to leave a small amount of food on your plate when you are finished eating (kwintessential.co.uk). Also unique to Texas is the way they communicate. Ya’ll is the most common way to address a group of people. Saying Sir and Ma’am to elders and people of authority is a must! It is also the best way to show respect to others. While in the U.S, you will probably be considered a little uneducated if you say ya’ll or ain’t, in the U.S  they “expect people to speak clearly and in a straightforward manner” (kwintessential.co.uk).

What I have seen and experienced while in Texas, which is the best etiquette anyone can have, is kind and friendly manners to new comers in the state. It is a very welcoming place and also a place with a lot of unity, even when you’re not in Texas, you are able to tell when someone is a Texan just by the way of knowing each other’s etiquette. Texans are best at unity, sticking together and standing up for each other. In my opinion Texas is a very wonderful and more relaxed place to live, even though it is in the U.S, Texas is a very unique place with its own form of traditions and etiquette. To sum up Texas etiquette and according to Friedman, ““Courtesy is owed. Respect is earned. Love is given.” That may be as close to Texas etiquette as any of us will ever get” (707). In the U.S, people like to say that it is a very united country and it is always kind and welcoming to new comers, but it is not always true, and I can confidently say that many people agree with the same thing. Even though the U.S. has its flaws, it is a wonderful country to live in and visit because it has many great qualities to it.

Works Cited

Friedman, Kinky. Social Studies. 2001. Print.

Handshake. 2012. smallbusiness.chron.com. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.

Kinky Friedman. 14 Apr. 2011. houstonpettalk.com. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.

Kwintessential. 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. www.kwintessential.co.uk.

Texas Etiquette.  12 Mar. 2010. openlibrary.org. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.

Texas welcome sign. 20 Sep. 2006. eye-ride.com. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.

United States Welcome Sign. 2010. Travelpod.com. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.

Racism in The Searchers, respect and Comanche burial traditions

I think that everyone should be respected regardless of their color, race, traditions, culture etc. In the movie The Searchers directed by John Ford, we see a lot of racism towards the Comanche Indians. I believe that it is wrong and unfair to treat and despise someone just because they have different traditions and different ways other than the “white way” which was the only thing the main protagonist Ethan, played by John Wayne, cared about. There is a specific scene in the movie that was really disturbing and racist towards the Comanche Indians and their culture. The scene is when Ethan and his men came across a Comanche Indian dead body that was buried under a rock and Ethan being the revengeful man that he is he shoots the body even though he is dead already. Ethan knows Comanche traditions very well and he knew that if he shot the eyes of the dead body it’s spirit would wander forever. “Along the way, the searchers find a Comanche buried under a large sandstone rock. [This scene of the traditional Indian burial ritual is closely juxtaposed to the previous scene of the Christian funeral.] Ethan takes his gun and shoots two bullets at the Indian corpse, aiming at its eyes. Although Reverend Clayton interprets his senseless, excessive act as vindictive and contemptuous, Ethan explains how his defilement of the Indian has thwarted the spiritual belief of the Comanche, causing his spirit to wander forevermore” (AMC).

The Comanche death rituals and burial traditions are very unique and special to them. The author describes the burial ritual, “The knees of the deceased were folded and tied with a rope and then the body was washed. The deceased was dressed in finest available clothing and put upon a blanket. The face was painted red and the eyes were covered with some clay. The relatives of the deceased said farewell to their loved one. The body was then wrapped in blanket and tied with buffalo-hide rope and put on a horse and carried to the place of burial. The Comanche usually buried their dead in a cave, a ravine or a crevice among the rocks” (Popovic). The Comanche Indians as well as everybody else should have their traditions and culture respected because it’s the correct and moral thing to do. I don’t think any of us would be very happy if we come to see that our loved one was dug out of the grave and thrown somewhere just because someone didn’t like our culture.

If only everyone was respectful enough and not judgmental, I’m sure that every race and culture would be very happy and feel respected and wanted at all times, but we know that it’s an impossible thing. The Searchers is a very wonderful movie with a lot of meaning behind it but it is also a very racist movie but in all it was a great movie to watch and learn from. As for the Comanche Indians, I think they are very unique in their traditions and despite the movie and how it trashed their ways, they still show to be very prideful and a content Indian tribe.

Works Cited

AMC Filmsite: The Searchers. 1956. Web. 13 March. < http://www.filmsite.org/sear.html>

Catlin, George. A Comanche Village. 1834. Texasindians.com. Web. 31 Mar. 2012

Chief Scar. Screenshadowsgroup.com. Web. 31 Mar. 2012

Indian burial. Texasbeyondhistory.net. Web. 31 Mar. 2012

John Wayne scenery picture. Dvdjournal.com. Web. 31 Mar. 2012

Popovic, Mislav. “Native American death rites.” Traditions and Customs from all over the world. 2009-2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2012. < http://traditionscustoms.com/death-rites/native-american-death-rites>

The Searchers. Dir. John Ford. Perf. John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter and Vera Miles. 1956. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1956. DVD.