It depends on where you go.

Lubbock is gonna be a lot different from the Rio Grande Valley. Sacramento is gonna be wildly different from San Diego.

I’d imagine prevailing sentiment on a whole host of issues would vary between, say, Reynosa and Tampico.

I visited both as a fellow from the north and there was 0 culture shock. Oh and knowing many Mexicans there’s really no culture shock involved. At least as far as they say

I replied to one of your comments, but I’ll give you more details

I live in Houston. It is the fourth largest, fourth most diverse city in the us. I find it to be very lgbtq friendly, and it has a large Mexican and Hispanic population. It is pretty good on affordability compared to the rest of the US, but expected income is lower than other parts of the US. As a trade off, no state income tax.

Houston is a very car-dependent city and is not easily walkable. The majority of parking is free, which is not a common luxury in other cities. There is lots of traffic every day. Green spaces are not overly common, but they are high quality.

Houston has a pride parade every year. The food is fantastic, and includes many cuisines from around the world. Lots and lots of Tex-Mex and Mexican food.

Houston is liberal-leaning (left-leaning). State politics as a whole are conservative (right-leaning). Gay rights have not come under fire here in Houston, but state officials are trying. Houston is happy to welcome immigrants, but there are many parts of Texas (mostly rural) that are unhappy with immigration policies, particularly from Mexico. State officials have recently tried to make it so they can override voting results from Houston on a number of key issues. Guns are a problem in the US, and that includes certain parts of Houston; there was recently state legislation that allowed anybody to concealed carry without a license.

Major industries are oil & gas, healthcare, biomedical, and aerospace. Law is also a great field to be in. If you plan on higher education, I recommend healthcare. There are lots of local things to do, but not a lot of tourism things to do. The weather is hot and residents spend the majority of their time indoors, unless they live near the bay or the gulf.

I think your biggest culture shock would be coming from a small town and living in a major city. It is a big adjustment. Don’t expect to own a house, expect to drive a lot, and even though there are a lot of job opportunities there is also a lot of competition and that can make it hard to get a job. Overall, Houston isn’t perfect but it’s pretty good.

California has liberal state politics, which leads to suburbs and rural towns that are lgbtq-friendly. But California also has one of the highest costs of living in the US, and has its own unique problems.

Here is the thing though: California and Texas are the two largest continental states in the US. They have different climates within their borders, and different ways of life depending on what part you are in. Texas is 800+ miles across. You have to narrow down your search. I also recommend looking at other states. You can find more acceptance and easier living. The Northeast, Northwest, and some Midwest states are liberal and some have a good and affordable quality of life, but it gets cold in the winter. And looking at a map of states’ political leanings will tell you who is lgbtq-friendly and who isn’t.

Texas has lots of different regions, and it even varies from town to town, but pretty much anywhere south of a line from San Antonio to El Paso is majority people of Mexican descent and Spanish is very common. In all the big cities in Texas there’s a huge Hispanic population, mostly of Mexican descent but also a lot of Central Americans. Even Austin, which people seem to love to deride as a “white” city, is a third Hispanic, and the influence of Mexican culture is everywhere

Where I grew up in California, I only knew maybe 3 white kids until I graduated until I moved out of state.

I speak Spanish at my local grocery store. I mainly speak Spanish at the hospital I work at. Almost any business will have a Spanish speaker that can help you.

Hell, my next door neighbor only speaks Miskito

And you posted in English, so you’re already ahead of the game.

If you want Spanish culture, stay in southern California. The more north you go the whiter people get. But don’t miss out on experiencing other cultures!

I just went to Guadalajara, and (while we stayed in the rich areas) it felt extremely similar to San Antonio, Texas.

Ok I know I posted a ton already but one last thought. If you’re thinking of emigrating to another country anyway, also consider more distant destinations such as Spain, Belgium, or Portugal (look up Portugal’s tech visa).

Probably not in Texas or any southern state. California is it’s own thing and it’s different.