Sorry, I have been MIA. I just got back from my wonderful vacation in El Chuco, and have several observations to make about my homeland. Like Scarlett O'Hara, yes, I do get my strength from my homeland and the 90 degree heat in the middle of October, but in retrospect there is so much more to that city than meets the eye.
El Paso, Texas; aka "El Chuco" - is the third largest city in Texas and brings together Ciudad Juarez (aka "Don't go over there!") and Las Cruces, NM. It is right across the border from Juarez, the city with the most killings in Mexico to date. Included in the mass murders are the maquila murders and drug war murders. Every day the El Paso Times reported several murders while I was there, from execution style shootings to beheadings. At the root of all the evil is the Mexican drug gangs and the Mexican government. For more check out the article: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_13555924
So in other words, no one goes over there! Long gone are the days of partying on the strip, shopping at the markets, and dinners at the restaurants throughout Juarez. Americans and Mexicans fear for their lives, troubled by the possibilities of becoming innocent bystanders.
Aside from that, El Paso continues to grow tremendously. With each visit once a year, I find myself in shock at the eastward expansion of El Paso County. Mini-malls, car dealerships and public schools spatter the desert landscape to the east of the city and home ownership grows to fill in the space. With all of this expansion it became clear to me that the industry in El Paso County is now service - jobs in those mini-malls seem to be the greatest source of employment in the city. School teachers and federal law enforcement on the border seem to come in a close second. While the east expands, downtown El Paso keeps working toward change. The downtown revitalization (that has been in the works since I was in high school) is finally starting to come to fruition. The downtown club scene, art scene, and restaurant business looks new and fresh. While the border district looks the same; same Korean dollar business owners, same hole-in-the-wall burger joints, same cheap clothing/shoe stores to appeal to the daily border-crossers coming or going to work; overall, downtown is not half-bad anymore.
Alas, El Chuco is still home - and I can't wait to go back!
El Paso, Texas; aka "El Chuco" - is the third largest city in Texas and brings together Ciudad Juarez (aka "Don't go over there!") and Las Cruces, NM. It is right across the border from Juarez, the city with the most killings in Mexico to date. Included in the mass murders are the maquila murders and drug war murders. Every day the El Paso Times reported several murders while I was there, from execution style shootings to beheadings. At the root of all the evil is the Mexican drug gangs and the Mexican government. For more check out the article: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_13555924
So in other words, no one goes over there! Long gone are the days of partying on the strip, shopping at the markets, and dinners at the restaurants throughout Juarez. Americans and Mexicans fear for their lives, troubled by the possibilities of becoming innocent bystanders.
Aside from that, El Paso continues to grow tremendously. With each visit once a year, I find myself in shock at the eastward expansion of El Paso County. Mini-malls, car dealerships and public schools spatter the desert landscape to the east of the city and home ownership grows to fill in the space. With all of this expansion it became clear to me that the industry in El Paso County is now service - jobs in those mini-malls seem to be the greatest source of employment in the city. School teachers and federal law enforcement on the border seem to come in a close second. While the east expands, downtown El Paso keeps working toward change. The downtown revitalization (that has been in the works since I was in high school) is finally starting to come to fruition. The downtown club scene, art scene, and restaurant business looks new and fresh. While the border district looks the same; same Korean dollar business owners, same hole-in-the-wall burger joints, same cheap clothing/shoe stores to appeal to the daily border-crossers coming or going to work; overall, downtown is not half-bad anymore.
Alas, El Chuco is still home - and I can't wait to go back!
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