Globalization in El Paso

  I would hate to live in a society where everyone was just like me, where everyone believed in the same things I believe in.  I live in El Paso Texas and to be honest I don’t particularly like it here. In fact, I hate it here. I have lived here since I was six years old and now I am 28 years old. El Paso isn’t a city that focuses or even appears to care about diversity. I think diversity is one of the best things out there for not only this country but our world. El Paso is a heavily Hispanic, Mexican city that borders Juarez Mexico. Minorities within this city are small. El Paso is also a city that doesn’t reach out to its minorities and in fact, makes it harder for non Hispanics and non Mexicans to gain employment if they don’t speak Spanish.  Employers hire people that speak only Spanish, (imagine walking into a restaurant and your waiter can’t help you because they only speak Spanish, yes this has happened to me countless times.  Recently, our grocery stores have begun to market towards the Mexican community meaning they have begun to label the foods with Spanish language.

       When I see this happening around me I just wonder, “Isn’t this America”? El Paso has gotten worse in recent years. More and more restaurants such as German food places have closed down and Mexican fast food joints and restaurants have been put in their place. Very few Middle Eastern restaurants even exist. Politics in the city are sad, too many citizens will only vote for a person of his or her own race instead of for the candidates’ values and proposals.

      Globalization isn’t occurring here in El Paso. Many minorities (African Americans, Caucasian Americans, and Asian Americans) are beginning to feel as though El Paso is becoming a sub city of Juarez, Mexico. The culture in El Paso is very one sided. It’s like 90 percent Hispanic, Mexican to 10 percent black, white, Asian, Middle Eastern. Obviously El Paso isn’t a multicultural city.

                I find it hard to appreciate very much about the way of life here in El Paso, I find it challenging to get a job many times, thank god I have one though. But El Paso has one the highest unemployment rates  in forty years. (Kolenc, 2010). As far as my cultural identity, I am who I am, I have friends and family here that I associate with on a number of basis. I have friends who are white, black, Hispanic, and Mexican. I love having friends from different cultural backgrounds and at times I find their way of life or cultural background fascinating.

Kolenc, Vic (2010) El Paso Unemployment rate up slightly. Retrieved February 11, 2011 from  http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3804025