Culture

Climate & Cultural Convergence Lure Winter Texans To Permanently Relocate In McAllen

Jim and Thelma Cox relax by the swimming pool at the clubhouse in their gated community in McAllen.

Sipping a scotch on his patio and watching his Boston Bull Terrier‚ Selena‚ romp in the yard‚ Jim Cox vividly remembers when he decided to make the Rio Grande Valley home. The Ohio native and his family had come down to visit his Winter Texan in-laws over Christmas break in 1977.

“I got off the plane – having boarded in Ohio where it was bitterly cold and damp – and stepped into paradise; at least that’s how it felt after Ohio‚” says Cox. “It was sunny and balmy here‚ and I decided right then and there that I was going to make this home.”

The former McAllen High School basketball coach and teacher has been here ever since. He and his wife of 11 years‚ Thelma‚ are both retired and have time to enjoy all that the area has to offer. They regularly dine out and have an active social calendar‚ taking advantage of the many festivals‚ special events‚ parks and wilderness areas available in this subtropical metropolis.

“Where else can you enjoy your patio nearly year round? Even in summer there’s always a breeze‚” says Thelma‚ as she pets Selena.

In addition to the pleasant climate‚ there also is an alluring bicultural atmosphere throughout the area. Founded in 1909‚ the city of McAllen is located in the center of the sprawling Rio Grande Valley and just eight miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The Mexican influence can be found in the architecture‚ landscape and dining.

Various community events are founded upon or influenced by Mexico. The Candlelight Posada‚ held the first weekend in December‚ is an example of the way area events embrace both countries. The festival combines the U.S. tradition of a Santa parade with the posada – a stylized re-enactment of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter on Christmas Eve.

In addition to the Candlelight Posada‚ there is also Dias Festivas Marketplace‚ also held the first weekend in December to benefit the Junior League of McAllen‚ with more than 80 merchants from McAllen to Pennsylvania offering their wares.

“The interdependence of the American and Mexican cultures and business is also a great stimulus for the enjoyment of our bicultural area‚” says Dr. Cayetano Barrera‚ a local family physician whose family helped settle the Rio Grande Valley in the 1700s. “They (Mexican visitors) like our shopping‚ technology and culture‚ and we like their food‚ friendliness‚ work ethic and culture.”

Barrera says times have changed considerably since the 1920s‚ when his father became the first Mexican-American to graduate from a recognized Texas medical school at a time when opportunities were not as easily available to minorities.

Today‚ the majority of the population in McAllen is Hispanic‚ and people who have grown up in this bicultural community speak two languages‚ eat the cuisines and understand the traditions of both countries.

In McAllen‚ the positive attributes of both countries have created a cultural atmosphere with unlimited opportunity. The community supports a symphony‚ ballet and theatrical organizations as well as jazz‚ blues and rock concerts‚ professional sports‚ galleries and museums.

Largely for these reasons‚ the population nearly doubles in McAllen between November and April‚ when residents of Northern states and Canada – locally referred to as Winter Texans – temporarily relocate to take advantage of the Valley’s temperate climate and social activities.

“I can’t say enough good things about the people and culture‚” says Evelyn Weiner‚ a longtime Winter Texan. “We’ve made some wonderful friends‚ and it’s interesting to learn about other people.”

Weiner and her husband of 52 years‚ Harvey‚ have been wintering here since the mid-1980s and say they would like to become year-round residents someday.

Although the two couples have yet to meet‚ both believe strongly in giving back to their communities. Jim and Thelma Cox serve on the board of a credit union and volunteer in their community office and homeowners association. Harvey and Evelyn Weiner volunteer at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and McAllen Medical Center.

“Volunteering keeps us out of mischief‚” says Evelyn Weiner. “We’re not the type to sit around and do nothing.”

Story by Julia Benitez Sullivan
Photo by Wes Aldridge

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