When you think of San Antonio you might automatically picture in your mind’s eye, the Alamo and the river walk. It’s true that the city has successfully branded itself as a tourist destination where you can eat good Mexican food; enjoy mariachi music and all the other things that make it a Hispanic themed playground for convention planners.
The marketing people have done such a great job that tourism is the second largest industry next to the military. The soul of San Antonio is an ethnic mix predominantly of German, Mexican, Texan, and African American immigrants. This mix has made San Antonio a thriving robust multicultural place to live and visit.
Racism and ethnic discrimination towards Hispanics is also minimal compared to other hotspots. The current mayor Julian Castro is spoken in political circles as the next Latinobama. This city just like El Paso has had over a century of political and ethnic friction to create a collaborative city of assimilated ethnicities.
This brings me to the recent lack of civility in the national scene played out in the media. America is great because of its multinational immigrants. We are currently in the middle of a fiery storm created by a small fringe of right wing radicals. It is this vitriol; cable news needs to drive ratings.
Perhaps the real power to change does lie in our hands. We have the power to decide who we listen to, what we really believe, who we vote for, and where we use our purchasing power.
