The Gentrification of the Segundo Barrio, the Largest and Oldest Barrio on the Texas-Mexico border El Segundo Barrio is the largest, oldest barrio in the contiguous forty-eight states which directly borders on Mexico. Although often overlooked, it forms the third leg of the immigration tripod through which the millions of people who have helped forge this country have passed. Ellis Island, European immigration; Angel Island, off the coast of California, Asiatic immigration; El Segundo Barrio, in El Paso, Texas, the portal to immigration from Mexico and points south. Not to mention the fact that it was once Mexico, before Mexico lost huge hunks of her territory to the United States after its war with Mexico. Ellis Island, on the east coast, is on the National Register of Historic Sites. So is Angel Island, on the west coast. El Segundo is not. And before we can get it on the National Register, we have to have it declared a local historic site, and then a state historic site. The effort is a noble one. The barrio has been home to some of the giants of the Chicano people. Anthony Quinn, Gilbert Roland, Bert Corona, Oscar Zeta Acosta, Carlos Montes, all came from Chihuahua, Juárez, with stops in El Paso on their way to California. Austin, Texas, with a population of approximately 19% Latinos, has a brand spanking new Mexican- American Cultural Center. San Antonio has one. Albuquerque boasts a National Hispanic Cultural Center. We have a convention center, named after a nondescript Republican former mayor named Judson Williams (who escaped military service during World War II by successfully playing the “educator” deferment) . All efforts to have it renamed the El Paso Mexican-American Centro Culutral have failed, as have our efforts to haveh el Segundo Barrio nmed an historic district. And this in a city that with an estimated 82% Chicano-Mexican-American population continues being one of the most racist cities in Texas, governed by a cabal of whites and Tios and Tias Taco wannabe whites that recently succeeded in having El Paso recognized as an All-American city. Money, as usual, was key in covering up our many warts and moles. Nonetheless, our efforts have gathered some national attention.
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The Gentrification of the Segundo Barrio, the Largest and
Oldest Barrio on the Texas-Mexico border
El Segundo Barrio is the largest, oldest barrio in the contiguous forty-eight states which directly borders
on Mexico. Although often overlooked, it forms the third leg of the immigration tripod through which the
millions of people who have helped forge this country have passed.
Ellis Island, European immigration; Angel Island, off the coast of California, Asiatic immigration; El
Segundo Barrio, in El Paso, Texas, the portal to immigration from Mexico and points south. Not to
mention the fact that it was once Mexico, before Mexico lost huge hunks of her territory to the United
States after its war with Mexico.
Ellis Island, on the east coast, is on the National Register of Historic Sites. So is Angel Island, on the west
coast. El Segundo is not. And before we can get it on the National Register, we have to have it declared a
local historic site, and then a state historic site.
The effort is a noble one. The barrio has been home to some of the giants of the Chicano people. Anthony
Quinn, Gilbert Roland, Bert Corona, Oscar Zeta Acosta, Carlos Montes, all came from Chihuahua, Juárez,
with stops in El Paso on their way to California.
Austin, Texas, with a population of approximately 19% Latinos, has a brand spanking new Mexican-
American Cultural Center. San Antonio has one. Albuquerque boasts a National Hispanic Cultural Center.
We have a convention center, named after a
nondescript Republican former mayor named
Judson Williams (who escaped military service
during World War II by successfully playing the
“educator” deferment) . All efforts to have it
renamed the El Paso Mexican-American Centro
Culutral have failed, as have our efforts to haveh
el Segundo Barrio nmed an historic district.
And this in a city that with an estimated 82%
Chicano-Mexican-American population
continues being one of the most racist cities in
Texas, governed by a cabal of whites and Tios
and Tias Taco wannabe whites that recently
succeeded in
having El Paso recognized as an All-American
city. Money, as usual, was key in covering up
our many warts and moles. Nonetheless, our efforts have gathered some national attention.
But the battle is a hard one, and we really need your help.
Consider: Debbie Hamlyn, an aging white woman, best remembered for turning away millions of dollars
around thirty years ago - federal dollars targeted for affordable housing in el Segundo. She is now in
charge of - and makes around $130,00 yearly - quality of life – with a demonstrated disdain for the
majority of the people of El Paso.
As seen in the chart above, there is not one brown name among the “quality of life” movers and shakers.
In spite of our efforts, the gentrification of the Barrio continues apace. Real estate investment trusts
controlled by local billionaire Bill Sanders own significant real property in the Barrio. These REITs have
been granted the power of eminent domain by a neoliberal City Council, at least two Representatives of
which have been caught sending racist emails involving City affairs, including Cortney Niland, who
represents the Barrio. She is a close ally of City Manager Joyce Wilson, who orchestrated the production
of this disgusting bit of marketing research allegedly showing what outsiders think of El Paso:
Here is a long read, but you can see the odds, when the City orders its Historic Preservation Officer not to
work with the people in their efforts to name the Barrio an historic district.
On Monday, December 16, 2009, the group responsible for Resolution 10.33 pictured above held a public
meeting at the Houchen Center in el Segundo Barrio. Because the meeting had been publicized, City of El
Paso employees were present. Among them were Dr. Troy Ainsworth, the Historic Sites Preservation
Officer and his assistant, Tony Ponce, and Ms. Olivia T. Montalvo, a Planner in the Neighborhood
Services Division Department of Community and Human Development.
It was at this meeting that the concept of the Barrio as the Ellis Island of the border was first embraced and
publicized by the group.
On Monday, February 1, the City held a public meeting at the Armijo Center in the Barrio. Among those
invited by Mark Weber, a Senior Planner with the Community and Human
Development division of Neighborhood Services, were Daryl Fields and Gerardo Payan of the
United States Department of Justice; Jose Gonzalez and Debra Kanof, Assistant United States
Attorneys; David Sanchez, Texas Department of Criminal Justice; Jerry Flood, National Parks Service;
Adrian E. Lopez, United States Army, and James Parker, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives.
One is left with a sense of wonder at the necessity of inviting so many people in law enforcement.
Mark Alvarado of the Neighborhood Services Division of the Department of Community and Human
Development presided over the 13th community meeting held by the City in its attempt to convince el
Segundo residents that the revitalization plan of the City, born of the ill-fated plan sponsored by the “Paso
del Norte Group ” - read multi millionaire developers and far right political figures from both sides of the
border - was in fact a good thing.
As in prior meetings, residents were outnumbered by City employees and supporters from “La Fe”, the
community health clinic headed by Salvador Balcorta who earns somewhere between $225,000 - $300,000
plus expenses for his efforts, which include summarily firing any employee who does not support the
City's plan, charging more to low income residents of El Segundo known to oppose the City's plan, and
denying space to service programs for area residents for the same reasons.
After a repetitive power point presentation, Alvarado opened the floor to questions. Having explained a
slide showing the City improving education by "partnering with the El Pso Independent School District,
the Community College, and other groups involved in education",
Alvarado was repeatedly asked for specific examples by Minnie Peña - the widow of District Judge Henry
Peña, both of whom lived and were raised in El Segundo - and he could provide none.
It quickly became obvious that Minnie was making him lose his temper. William Lilly, Alvarado's
supervisor, came to his aid by recognizing a young man who was given the microphone when he stepped
to the front. Rather than ask a question, the young man finished a lengthy speech bordering on tirade as he
concluded by telling the few residents that they had no choice but to support the City's plan.
Alvarado and Lilly were asked if they were aware that back in the day, Debbie Hamlyn had been
responsible for returning tens of millions of dollars to the Federal Government that it had provided for low
income housing in El Segundo Barrio rather than spend the money. They both were ignorant of the fact.
Hamlyn, who heads the Quality of Life Department and who is their boss, has somehow survived after a
career of some thirty plus years filled with spectacular botches.
Time back, the “Homeless Coalition” lost considerable federal funding because Andrew Hair, one of
Hamlin's people, neglected to submit an important report to HUD. She hedged on that report and was
ultimately obliged to answer for it. She survived, but Hair no longer works for the city.
Currently, Debbie Hamlyn is on the committee that is developing a Regional Health Care Program for
"Hispanics." Among all of the women heading up this thing, there is not one Hispanic, let alone a
Mexican-American or Chicano woman professional involved in this committee; not even a token one,
even with all of the Mexican-American female physicians and health care professionals who are qualified
in El Paso in either health care and/or management. Surely that is pretty much in line with all the names in
the graphic showing the names under "Management" in Hamlyn's "Quality of Life" graphic shown above.
And this in a city that is 82+% Mexican-American Latino Chicano. By any account, Hamlyn is a disaster.
Yet, in tandem with City Manager Joyce Wilson, the pair run the City and there is no accountability, as
City Council has long ago reduced itself to rubber stamp status.
At the meeting, Lilly was told that a young lady, an employee of the city, had shared the fact that personnel
from the historic preservation department had been ordered not to involve themselves with historic
sites in the barrio as these were too politically charged - and with a straight face he smoothly said no,
and that he seriously doubted that such a thing was possible.
He said that if this was true, then the City would not have scheduled an appearance before the Historic
Landmark Commission of the El Paso County for Wednesday, at 4 p.m., at the second floor of City Hall.
My daughter accompanied me to the County Historic Landmark Commission meeting on Wednesday. We
showed up at the appointed time. Shortly, Alvarado entered, we shook hands, and then Lilly came in. He
too came over, saw the Notre Dame logo on my hoodie, told me he lived some few miles from South
Bend, and asked me what we college kids used to do on the weekends.
I told him we would drive 15 miles or so across the border to Niles, Michigan, which we had found to be
more convivial than South Bend. He agreed, and we briefly discussed the state of discrimination in
Indiana, which, we agreed, was and is dismal. Lilly is a black man.
The Commission personnel entered, and the chairman called for public comment on matters not on the
agenda. When my quick witted daughter jabbed me in the ribs, I went to the podium, asked permission to
speak, identified myself, and told the Commissioners about our group.
I told them that what we were doing was a matter of public record, and I spoke to the history of el
Segundo Barrio, the culture of its people, the contributions made by the first to join, first to be called, first
to die youth:
Marcelino Serna, who died a few years ago, the “illegal immigrant:” hero, the most decorated soldier from
Texas of WW1 who earned the nation's second highest honor, the Distinguished Service Cross among man
more medals, who was given the option of joining the Army during the war or being deported to Mexico.
He was not awarded the Medal of Honor because, he was told, he could not speak English and he was an
alien; Sylvestre Herrera, a former farmworker from the barrio who moved to Arizona and was awarded
the Medal of Honor for heroism during WW2, and Ambrosio (Mocho) Guillen, Bowie High School pal of
Paul Moreno, the retired Dean of the Texas House of Representatives, both of whom fought side by side in
Korea, with Mocho being posthumously decorated with the Medal of Honor.
Shamefully, I forgot to include Marcos Armijo from the barrio who was also but posthumously decorated
with the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in WWI.
I told the Commissioners that we felt the barrio deserved the honor of being recognized as the third leg of
the tripod of immigration to this country: Ellis Island for European immigrants, Angel Island, for Asian
immigrants, both of which are on the National Register, and el Segundo Barrio, for Mexican immigrants
who have contributed so much to their adopted country.
I concluded by sharing with the Commissioners the words of an old WW2 friend, who had told me, in
tears, that El Segundo Barrio deserves to be right up there with Ellis Island and Angel Island because we
have paid for it with our blood and with our lives, given when we were young and when we answered -
here! - when our county called.
As I left the podium, one of the Commissioners said "we applaud your efforts."
The old Alamo School in the barrio, an on again off again candidate for demolition by the EPISD, and
which we are fighting to save, was next on the agenda.
Dr. Troy Ainsworth, Historic Preservation Officer of the City, spoke to the necessity of preserving
the school and how the EPISD had not replied to his inquiries regarding inspecting the school. He
told the Commission, however, that he and his assistant were directed weeks ago not to actively support
historic designations of buildings in the Segundo Barrio, since the issue was politically charged.
He stated that although there is an item on the agenda regarding the Segundo Barrio
Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy plan developed by the Department of Community Development,
which includes a goal to identify historically significant buildings, the City's historic preservation staff
was not included in the preparation of that document.
He went on to say that although he was in a difficult position, he could still “assist” people in their efforts
to preserve such buildings in Segundo Barrio through forthright efforts when working with City staff. But,
he said, he could not be pro-active in such assistance.
He also felt, he said, that the public was free to express its concerns about the potential fate of both Alamo
School and the Segundo Barrio to EPISD officials and City officials.
The members of the Commission were obviously stunned. One member stated "oh yes, we hear you."
Again I asked permission to speak, and I reminded the Commissioners about the unnecessary razing of the
Alamito Public Housing Projects, built in the 1930s, the removal of hundreds of longtime residents - the
classic definition of gentrification the classic old brick buildings replaced with modern architectural
atrocities.
I reminded them of the unnecessary destruction of the old Aoy school, monument to its founder Olives
Aoy, the great hearted Mormon who embraced the Mexican children, and who agreed to have his school
named the "Mexican Preparatory School" so he could obtain funding from the racist school board back in
the day. I offered the assistance of our group to the Commission's efforts to inspect the school. It was not
necessary.
Led by an enthusiastic woman member, the Commission voted unanimously to begin the process of
naming Alamo School an historic building.
A stunning response both to the City and the EPISD.
As we were leaving, my daughter was collared - there is no other word – by a member of the Commission,
who after a long chat, told her not to be misled by Alvarado's "we can work together" attitude. He told her,
and me, that the City would probably do all it could do to deny us the recognition for el Segundo Barrio
that we are seeking.
The “Memories” part of the above was published on my web page beginning about ten years ago, the
rest was published in 2011, and the situation has worsened since.
UPDATE
The Mexican-American Chicano Latino population of Austin is, by current estimates, more or less 39%,
considerably higher than the figure cited at the time the above was written.
The old Alamo School in el Segundo Barrio has been saved from demolition, repaired, and now houses the
Insights Museum which was removed from its downtown location.
Although the school was saved, the destruction of the Barrio had in fact begun in 2005 when HUD
awarded a 20 million dollar grant to “revitalize” public housing.
About 300 people have already been displaced with the demolition of the Alamito public housing project,
As was pointed out prior to demolition, the buildings themselves were in good shape, needing only
plumbing and re-wiring work. Worse yet, the people were in the main moved to other dangerous, sub-
standard public housing.
It bears mention that in post-Katrina New Orleans, much the same thing has taking place.
Everyone knows that HUD under the Bush Administration has been transformed into an agency where the
well-being of those needing public housing is at the bottom of the list of priorities. And no one seems to
be able to stop the move toward so-called mixed income housing, which will effectively place poor people
out on the street.
What HUD is doing here is part of a national policy to destroy public housing and replace it with
this euphemism of mixed-income housing, which, translated for the people who live there, means
they take conventional public housing, destroy it and then allow a relatively small percentage of
the people who used to live there to come back, but it is a great bonanza for developers, for real
estate people, for banks, for construction groups and the like.*
According to the housing authority,
“The grant will replace 349 aging public housing units with 256 new public housing units, 256 new
public housing units, 55 affordable rental units and 148 homeownership units. The redevelopment
plan also includes renovating the existing Alamito Community Center. HACEP will provide
housing services for residents, including job training and placement and maintain the independent
living status for is elderly residents.”
The marked decrease in public housing units fairly leaps out at you. All is not peaches and cream, as is
shown in the minutes of an El Paso Housing Authority meeting held on August 17, 2005, three months
after the 20 million dollar grant had been announced.
Jose Geronimo Melendez-Astorga, Priest at San Ignacio de Loyola, said the elderly population of
Alamito is very concerned with the demolition and relocation plans as explained to them. They
would like for the Housing Authority to use the funds to remodel existing units including the A/C,
drainage, plumbing, etc. They would also like for the agency to finish the work at Salazar before
starting with the work at Alamito.
Jose Manuel Escobedo, organizer with ACORN Community Organization, said Father Geronimo
approached them to help with residents concerns and relocation. In their opinion, it is urgent to
finish the work at the Salazar community so that the people can stay close to the neighborhood
where they have lived for many years.
A minor scandal simmered on the public stove and eventually fizzled, as is the custom when poor
Mexican-Americans are involved. No one can state definitely where the poor, displaced people will finally
wind up, many of them victims to the mixed-income mania of followers of the Richard Florida school of
urban renewal which has now been markedly discredited.
And, in fact, to date no one knows where approximately almost 150 elderly people went.
Truly, the sad and almost criminal thing about the destruction of the Alamito projects is that they were
built at a time before the invention of sheet rock and brick veneer. They were rock solid, and given the
type of maintenance suggested by the priest and Mr. Escobedo, according to respected professional
engineers, they would have stood for another 50+ years.
Most El Paso Politicians are not interested in el Segundo Barrio
Recently, two letters in support of the long time effort to have City Council impress an historic district
overlay on the Segundo Barrio were sent to city officials.
One was written to the current City Council regarding an historic district designation for the Barrio.. It was
Identical to the original letter except that it had more signatories. Like the original, it too has received no
reply, and the future does not bode well.
Following a visit with District Eight Representative Courtney Niland by Guillermina Peña, a long time
activist who was raised in the Segundo Barrio, former County Judge Alicia Chacón sent the following to
Capitol Office: IW.5 Joseph C. Pickett District Office: P.O. Box 2910 1790 Lee Trevino Austin, •re.xas 78768-29•10 El Paso District 79 Suite 307 512-463-0596 El Paso, Texas 79936
Fax: 512-463-6504 Fax: 91.5-590-4726
Texas Transportation Commission
125 East 1Ith Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Dear Chairman and Commissioners:
Now that a "redo" is in order since a required public hearing may not have happened before changes to the Unified
Transportation Program (UTP) on June 26, I would like to reiterate my objections on behalf of many people in El
Paso regarding the trolley project. Given that the public in El Paso knows a little more, but not all, about how the
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is pushing a $97 million trolley project, I believe it is time to
redirect the money to fund projects that promote economic development, safety, and congestion relief and
ultimately have a positive effect on more people in our region. The citizens of El Paso, like all Texans, deserve
transparency and the ability to participate in the decision-making process.
What we know: The City of El Paso is supposedly the sponsor, but no elected official can show where they
petitioned the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) to change this future federal transit-funded trolley project
to move ahead of what many would believe to be more pressing and important projects.
What we know: Someone from TxDOT has implied, or worse, stated outright that the funding 1) was transit only,
2) had an expiration date and 3) would be lost to another part of the state if not used for the trolley. This is not true.
What we know: It seems the public—by at least three or four to one—does not support the project. This
lack of support is strictly on the merits of a trolley. It is not based on them knowing the funding could be
used for other transportation projects, in which case the objection could be an even higher percentage.
What we know: TxDOT did not hold sufficient public meetings on the changes to the Unified Transportation
Program (UTP) that were adopted at your June 26 meeting. As a result, TxDOT held a hearing on August 12 in
Austin, offering little notice for anyone to present the changes to the UTP again. In fact, my hometown paper (El
Paso Times) ran a story about this hearing, which had no public attendees or public comments, with some