Lots of Pennsylvanians in the Clear Lake area near Nasa have come in as engineers to work there. Lots. That used to be one of my main territories to work, so I spent 8 years down there working.
I found that the Houstonians weren't so negative about the Californians than they were Yankees. Not at all. I think they think Californians are cooler by far, since California wasn't involved in the Civil War...and some Southerners are still begruding the North for winning the war.
And, yes, there are pockets of areas (like Clear Lake and around Nasa) where it will not make one whit of difference where you are from. Why? Lots of transplants that weren't native Texans coming in and out of those pockets.
I sold for 16 years all over the wealthier areas of the city, and it was surely an eyeopener. You would think that Houston people were the same all over, but that wasn't true at all. Some areas were definitely more Yankee and/or more open minded than others--even among the wealthy and supposedly well educated.
And, yes, I have friends there who still talk about the Katrina people as if they are ALL riff-raff, which, of course, is untrue. But the crime rate zoomed up so much after Katrina, I can see how they got such a bad impression, unfortunately.
I agree with you about being proud of Houston taking in so many Katrina victims, tho. I had two friends who were having fits over it, but I was, personally, proud they helped them. Somebody in some major city had to. It isn't like the people of New Orleans asked for a disaster, and they surely needed a little help and kindness after that one; so, I, too, was thrilled and proud Houston could lend a kind hand to them, myself. Good for Houston!!!
(REWahoo: You are just a Texas booster, I think, no matter what they do, right? That makes you a native now, kid.)
