My Hood

The place where I live really has no name, and is on the Southside of town. The exact location is 850 Big Oak Drive. It is located off of 281south outside of 1604. Surprisingly, the socio-economic status of my neighborhood is uniquely diverse, with a blend of all three classes. There is much variety found where I live, with a few elderly couples, fairly-sized families, and even single adults. You will find mobile homes, professionally built houses, hand-made houses, and just plains homes. The racial ethnicity, however, is unmistakably entirely Hispanic or of Mexican descent.
The elderly couples are very reserved and don’t communicate with anyone except for their families. They keep their lawns green throughout the year somehow and they never cause any trouble. Now the fairly sized families like my next door neighbors make a little more ruckus. Families like theirs come from all over the country; otherwise they’re pretty much raised here. Lastly, the single adults a lot of times have divorced and are looking to start a new life. With my family it’s a little of everything, which is why I don’t mind living where we live.
Transportation, however, is an issue. Since we live so far out from the city, shopping for clothes and going to the movies is an occasion for us. Major features for my neighborhood would include fast food restaurants, a Dollar General, and some gas stations. Other major features that would epitomize my neighborhood would be family owned businesses. These may include various taco shops, a car shop, and a fruit shop. Everything is spread apart however, making it imperative to have some sort of transportation. There has been a Toyota plant built nearby the High School providing jobs and it hires anyone depending on the position. This plant, I believe, will benefit the neighborhood simply because it will provide more work for the south side area, resulting in population growth and ultimately, a much denser community.
My neighborhood has many weaknesses and few strengths. The highway which runs right through us is very dangerous. It can and has been the cause of many accidents many times resulting in deaths. If I want to pay my friend a visit, I have to drive or walk across the highway, so it’s a risk with the people who constantly speed day and night. Another weakness is how far away EMS is. If an accident does occur, it almost always takes at least five minutes for a response. There’s not much of a food choice without going into town. One strength, rather advantage, is that with the property and the freedom of it we can have any animal we want and as many as we want. Some people have farms in their backyards, literally! It is, overall, a very peaceful neighborhood with very rare cases of disruption or commotion.
I study at Palo-Alto College located at 1400 W. Villaret Rd. approximately fifteen-and-a-half miles from my house. I work at Whataburger located at 4125 S Loop 1604 E approximately eight miles. It takes me about twenty minutes to get to my study place and about 10 minutes to get to work. My friend that lives closest to me lives about five miles away across the highway. Mayfield Park Baptist Church, my “fun” is located at 700 W. Hutchins Pl and is about 22 minutes away from where I live.
I don’t identify very close with my neighborhood other than the fact that I live in it. I do feel a sense of place and community probably only because circumstances force me to. The abundance of Mexican food may be the only thing that appeals to my being there. Yes, it is just a transition point in my life until further notice. I would not like to continue living there simply because of the inconvenience as far as transportation goes. I spend a good hour-and-a-half getting from point A to point B in any given day. This is my neighborhood, this is my San Antonio. -671 words

Historical Fiction

This movie "The Alamo" is quite dismaying as far as being historically inaccurate. John Wayne is a great director/ actor, but the movie seemed to be outside the truth. The superiority of the Anglos in comparison to the Tejanos is offensively awe striking. I don't know how much knowledge John Wayne really had about the Alamo, but I do believe he was misinformed.

In the movie, there wasn't any appearance of a Tejano with a high and honorable status. They are either volunteer soldiers with Bowie or narrow minded natives of the adobe pueblo known as The Alamo. Hardly veiled with valor, Tejanos never acted on courage if the Anglos didn't act themselves. On one account, Jim Bowie kicked one of the Tejanos from behind downsizing him and telling him to saddle up only when told. When Juan Seguin came with valuable information regarding the whereabouts of General Santa Anna, it was quickly shunned by the high-minded authority of Kernel William Travis. The idea of two men quickly fighting off five Tejanos, and in such a nonchalant way, says very little about the Tejanos' fighting abilities. Also, the movie shows all Tejanos in complete and utter opposition to Santa Anna when in reality, there were a handful of them who were for him.

The women were sadly misrepresented as well. Being wooed by white men doesn't suffice for the way they are presented. Neither does teasing table dances performed by the Tejano women only waiting to be danced with. The children were also poorly portrayed... literally! A little Tejano boy carrying a woman's luggage for a bit of gratuity might not have been far-fetched, but it was definitely not necessary. I do want to know why there was no mention of Jose Antonio Navarro. As one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, it seems incomplete to leave him out. Not only Navarro, but what about Stephen F. Austin? Known for bringing Anglos to Texas in the first place, and known everywhere as the "Father of Texas", why did the film fail to at least mention this man who practically epitomizes a republic of Anglo/ Tejano equality? It does the Alamo no justice and adds on to the inaccuracy of this movie in its entirety.

There were some things that old "Duke" managed to get right however; Crockett did come from Tennessee, he did bring twenty-three men with him, Smitty did deliver the letter, and Santa Anna did greatly outnumber them which did lead to their defeat at the battle of the Alamo. The attitudes of each individual were surprisingly on point as well. William B. Travis was indeed a good "starter of wars" as Bowie would point out in the movie. Davy Crockett was portrayed as an optimistic and adventurous man. He was also political but liked to refer to himself as a "common" man also as the film would point out. James Bowie was a slave trader, which was loosely shown when he freed Jethro of his indentured servitude. The character of General Sam Houston was also rightly portrayed, although not much of him was shown throughout the film.

Overall, I believe John Wayne could have done his research a little more. If anything, this old western flick was just an example of "Hollywood" at its finest. I strongly recommend you not view this movie if you are a history buff, rather, only if your looking for entertainment and some cheap laughs. I hate to be such a critic, but truth hurts. -587 words

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In the story of the Alamo, there are two distinct groups that both play significant roles in the battle of the Alamo. The anglo settlers were presented as heroic, in that every anglo mentioned in the Alamo was mentioned with favor. On the timeline display, it said that Stephen F. Austin was permitted to bring 300 families from the United States to Texas, although the decree of April 6, 1830 stated that U.S. citizens were not allowed to colonize. William B. Travis became commander after being arrested, and Stphen F. Austin had the privelege of commanding 300 volunteers self proclaimed as the "Army of the People" after being released from prison in November 7, 1835.
The Mexican government was also very influencial and favorable. They authorized a Texan Navy to patrol the waters on the gulf on November 25, 1835. Because of political conditions, problems arose between the Colonists and the Mexican officials. Also, Jose Antonio Navarro and Jose Francisco Ruiz were the only native-born texians to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. When the Mexican Constitution was drafted by delegates from all parts of Mexico, San Antonio lost its status as the capital of Texas.
Overall, I believe that the groups presented in the Alamo do a pretty adequate job of presenting the complete story, though it could be rather difficult to summarize without a tour guide.

Mission Down South

Mission Espada is a historical landmark located on the southern most part of San Antonio. It is visited mainly on Sundays for mass at church, but it also holds much historical value which attracts the community as well as tourists. In addition to its beautifully constructed buildings, it contains a dam and aqueduct which makes it unique in comparison to the other missions.
Being the first mission to arrive here in 1731, Espada started in Mississippi, then moved to Austin, and finally came to what is now called San Antonio. Since all of San Antonio used to be plains and green lands, the Spaniards decided to build where there was a resource of water. This supply of water is now known as the San Antonio river which is where all the other missions are located by.
I learned a great deal about Mission Espada. The natives, though hunter/ gatherer nomadic, were still civilized in that they were an independent, organized group, just not as developed as the Spaniards. But the Natives had no choice but to succumb to this sugar-coated slavery known as converting to Catholicism. Though they were offered shelter from Comanches and Apaches, these Indians still sacrificed beliefs, dignity, and freedom. The activities of the Indians became routine and habitual as opposed to the spontaneous lifestyles that they were used to. In a culture where eating, sleeping, and loving occurred on impulse, these Indians were now being summoned by the church bell for just about everything. The Spaniards introduced the natives to such things as irrigation, looming, and religion where many of them would ultimately intertwine these teachings into their own culture. But then, they were reluctant and very seldom were any of them sincere in the practices they were encouraged to engage in.
The Church played a major role in the missions, though it was not the mission itself and merely a part of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if a good handful of the Natives were actually active and sincere about the new belief that had been introduced to them. I know that when I first stepped foot into the church building at Mission Espada, I felt a presence that was almost pulling at my very soul. Without sounding superstitious or crazy, it was alluring and irresistible yet gentle and calming, so perhaps there was a genuine faith incorporated and cultivated among the inhabitants of this land. Nothing is for certain, since man sees the outside, but God sees the inside.
San Francisco Mission de Espada is about much more than just old ruins of a historic landmark; rather it’s the origin on which we Mexican Americans base our traditions and beliefs. Such a valuable piece of the past has done nothing short of paving the way for future generations to come. Hopefully they will not soon forget the distinctive roots from which they stem from. As for me, its clear to see how deeply impacted I was after having had little knowledge of this mission site or any of them for that matter. My hope is that your interest in the matter would be deeply reawakened.

Mission San Francisco de la Espada

When we first arrived at the Mission San Francisco de la Espada, I didn't like it. Honestly, all I saw were old buildings that needed remodeling. Nothing that caught my eye. Then the tour guide started explaining in detail how in the 1690's Mission Espada started in Mississippi, moved to Austin, and ended up here in 1731 which is now the furthest mission south. The way the Spaniards taught the male natives how to kiln bricks and the women how to use the loom interested me as well. There were two churches built; the first one was considerably small with a socrasty, an altar, and a dirt floor where the congregation would come to worship. But soon after the church was built, a weakness in the walls was noticed. So before the church became any more unstable, another one was built about two times larger with and oddly made door. This one still stands and is still active today. The entire mission had a wall surrounding it to keep the hungry apaches and comanches out. I found out that the mission is not a church, but rather a town with a church. Espada has many descendants possibly attending the church today, although its history for the most part is a mystery. Names, faces, and personalities might have been lost along the way, but their story is told through the physical remains of these buildings and through the lives of their descendants as well. So now I don't just see old buildings, but the beginning of a legacy that is vibrantly living on today as what we call the TEX-MEX or Spanglish culture.