From Southwest to Midwest

An Experience as a Texan Moving to Minnesota

Sydney Jackson

As a budding high school freshman attending orientation at Katy (a city next to Houston) high school in the blazing humidity, I vividly remember seeing two red, white, and blue flags wave proudly in the air from two trucks. However, it was not the American flag, as it read “Trump 2024” and “Let’s Go Brandon.” This struck me as a 14 year old who grew up in a liberal home, and had never seen such clear expressions of Republicanism and conservatism.

My objective was to move to Minnesota for college and to experience a culture different from my southern Texan culture. I feel blessed to have not experienced first-hand racism and discrimination, and neither have my lesbian friends either, as Katy, like Houston, is progressive. It obviously still has conservative elements though, not being as liberal as Minnesota is. 

I’ve heard from my mom, who had lived in Minnesota for over a decade, that Minnesota possesses a “niceness” culture, and as I’ve spent nearly a year here it is very apparent. One of the biggest things is the thoughtful amounts of free tampons and pads in women's restrooms. Although it is a small gift, I think it is something to be grateful for, as not every state supports women like this. Another thing I noticed was the accommodation of unhoused people nearby on campus. Every time I go to the Wilson Library on the West Bank campus, there is a homeless man who is allowed to sleep on one of the soft chairs on the 2nd floor. In many Southern states, homeless people are not given respect like this and would most likely be asked to leave the building. It was so kind to give him the human right of safety and sleep. 

One of the most noticeable and obvious things that Texas and Minnesota differ in are its weather. I’ve grown accustomed to dealing with hot, humid weather, so the switch towards negative degrees threw me for quite a spin of adjustment. The first time it reached negative degrees, it felt like my face was being slapped nonstop at all angles. By the time I reached class, my hands and toes were numb, and my metal industrial piercing grew painful against my ear because of the cold. Somehow a sweater, coat, a scarf weren’t enough! But what I did not expect was how accustomed I’ve grown to Minnesota weather. When I returned back to Texas in February for my birthday, Minnesota was still in its chilly winter stage, hosting 15 to 20 degree weather. Conversely, Texas was scorching hot, with the sun blazing at 80 to 90 degrees. Just sitting down in that weather had my forehead warm and sweating.

In Minnesota, people view pronouns very differently than many Texan. The first time I emailed one of my professors here at the U of M, I noticed right away the use of pronouns at the end of an email signature and the desire for people to use the correct pronouns. I’ve also noticed sticker stands with pronoun stickers that passerbyers can stick onto themselves or a visible object for people to see and know. This consideration for how people would like to be talked about is so kind. In Texas, pronouns were openly mocked and seen as unnecessary. Feminine presenting people were designated with “she/her” and masculine presenting people were designated with “he/him.” “They/them” was completely out of the picture. In Minnesota, the view of pronouns is completely different, as there’s also a great amount of support for the LGBTQ+ community. There are a lot of free and accessible resources for these students’ safety.

Post-election, after former Vice President Kamala Harris unfortunately lost, I noticed how quiet and still the campus was, like a period of mourning after hate had won. At Texas State University (TXST) on the morning after Trump won, two vicious men held misogynistic and homophobic signs at the campus. They read, “Homo is Sin” and “Women are Property.” Although an overwhelming majority of the TXST students and faculty condemned the message, the stark differences between how the two state schools reacted to the election was something worth remembering. 

As I pack up my boxes and prepare to move out of the Minnesotan dorm I’ve grown so accustomed to, I know that I will already miss Minnesota. Just moving to this state has opened my world view and helped me grow as a person. I will always be thankful for this state and all of the people I’ve met.