The people of Texas come from diverse cultural backgrounds. Texans have roots that range from completely native Texan to foreign-born, from the American Indians who first inhabited the state to new immigrants to Texas. The culture of every Texan lends to the state’s identity.

Image of a large Hindu Temple; several people are walking to and from the temple

Source: 24t County 011 Article large, New York Times

Look at the image above; this is a traditional Hindu temple. Where do you think this building is located?

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This temple is located in Stafford, Texas, in Fort Bend County. This is the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, the first of its kind in North America. The size of this temple indicates that there is a large population of Hindus in the area. Close Pop Up

Read an excerpt from a New York Times article about Fort Bend County (November 2013).

Fort Bend, home to 627,000 people, was also the fifth-fastest-growing large county in the country between 2010 and 2012, according to Forbes magazine.

“Fort Bend County is the new America,” said Mustafa Tameez, a Houston political strategist. Sugar Land, he said, has become a multicultural city — rather than a melting pot — with various ethnic communities, each maintaining its identity.

Fort Bend County was 19 percent Asian, 24 percent Hispanic, 21 percent black and 36 percent white in 2010, according to the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice. “The statistics for Fort Bend are just remarkable,” said Mr. Klineberg, co-director of the institute.


Answer the following question in your notes.

  1. What do you think Mustfa Tameez meant by the statement, “Fort Bend County is the New America”?

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    In the statement, Tameez meant that the ethnic diversity of Fort Bend County is indicative of the new demography of the United States. Close Pop Up

  2. What do you think Tameez meant when he said that Sugar Land has become a multicultural city rather than a melting pot?

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    Tameez meant that Sugar Land is a city where various cultures maintain their identity and are recognized and appreciated, rather than blended into one culture. Close Pop Up

The diversity of Fort Bend County contributes to the overall diversity of Texas. Texas is also a multicultural state. In this lesson, you will learn how racial, ethnic, and religious groups have contributed to the identity of Texas.