The following post is from Multicultural Ambassador, Valmy, M., To read more about the Multicultural Ambassadors program go to www.tarleton.edu/diversity.
Texas is known for its vast territories and the wealth of its soil.
However, many do not know how rich the Lone Star State is in history. San
Antonio is one of the key locations, if not the heart, of Texas history. Throughout
this trip, I was very shocked to see that the city of San Antonio is not as
highly industrialized as Dallas or Austin, but still attract a large number of
tourists annually. Within a couple hours of our arrival in town, it was clear
that people could not resist the beauty of the River Walk and its 3-story
shopping center and countless restaurants. Then, as we started exploring down
town San Antonio on the second and third day, it was clear that the engineers
of the city were aware of the importance of some key elements in the
composition of what makes San Antonio so unique.
The city is built around the Alamo, a sacred element of the Texas revolution
against Mexico. After further analysis of the history of the Alamo, I discovered
the courage of the men of the Alamo. Courage that continued to be present in
Texas history with brave individuals like Sam Houston that continued to fight
for causes that many had lost their lives for. Nevertheless, the wealth of San
Antonio does not just revolve around the Alamo. After a terrific boat tour along
the river runs through downtown San Antonio, it came to my attention that the
first people who had settled along that river wanted to build things so they
could be remembered many generations later. Indeed, a large percentage of the
buildings around the river walk date from the late 1800s. Those buildings have
seen San Antonio go through its worst and its best. The wealth of the history
of San Antonio is so broad that it is quite uneasy to say that the city obtains
its fame from a specific component.
From the history of San Antonio and
an educational exhibit at the Institute of Texan Culture called “Stolen
Education”, I realized that despite the fact that the Anglo colonist tried to
influence its ethnocentric ideas on the traditional Mexican even into the
1950’s. The attempts failed because Mexican influence is highly noted in many
ventures of San Antonio. The Mexican culture is highly seen all around; after
all they see this land as part of their ancestors. The influence of the culture
could be seen from many localities on the river walk to the unique Market
Square. This unique culture that reflects a little piece of Mexico attracts millions
tourists throughout the year. The vibe that San Antonio offers to its many
visitors is very unique and I will definitely go back to visit because I feel
like one can never get enough of the countless stories that are at the center
of the city's fame.
Spring Break Culture Excursion -San Antonio, TX
~Valmy M., Multicultural Ambassador
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