Houston’s Greater East End and other Southeast Side neighborhoods
Many know about East LA, Spanish Harlem, or Little Havana to name a few. All major Hispanic cultural neighborhoods and regions in their own respective cities. With known ethnic groups calling these places home. However, there are places like this in Texas as well that might not have the national recognition. Some of these rely in the Houston area.
Houston has a long history of Mexican Americans living in the area. Throughout the Houston area there are many regions and neighborhoods that have become home to many Mexican Americans. Some of the earliest neighborhoods are those on the Greater East End and other southeast neighborhoods close in proximity to the East End. In the Greater East End and its neighbors there is enclave streetscapes of Mexican Americans as well as multiethnic streetscapes of other Latin Americans and other ethnic groups as well. However, these regions have shifted to what they are now and have a long history.
Migration and living patterns in the greater East End date back to 1836 when the Texas revolution was won at the Battle of San Jacinto. There after Houston was established and many Mexicans already living in Texas began to live in the town. Throughout the 20th century major migrations of Mexicans moved to these neighborhoods in Houston. Some of the first Mexican American neighborhoods to be established were 2nd Ward (Segundo Barrio) and Magnolia Park. These neighborhoods like the others that make up East End and a lot of the Southeast side neighborhoods are close to the ship channel leading into the city. (Esparza, J. J. (n.d.).2016)
Mexican Americans worked in several industries and even created their own businesses in the region. Earlier on many of these jobs consisted of work such as tailors, clerks, cooks, bootmakers, like Feliciano Medel who helped make Houston well known for western boot making. Many others also worked in oil refineries (which is still popular for citizens of this region to this day), railroad shipyards, and crews that built the Houston ship channel. (. (Esparza, J. J. (n.d.).2016)
Mexican Americans established social, cultural, and religious organizations in the area. Such as El Campo Laurel the first Mexican American organization in town was established in 1908 offering different services from recreational to insurance. Other organizations such as Mutualista Miguel Hidalgo of Pasadena (a town just southeast of the Greater East End) and Magnolia’s Mutualista Benito Juarez aided to help Mexican Americans with employment services like Club Femenino Chapultepec. Which was founded in 1931 and was founded by women and made to help secure jobs for Mexican Americans in Houston’s business sector. (Esparza, J. J. (n.d.).2016)
During the early 20th century two major churches were established in the area to serve the Mexican Americans living there such as the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church being the first in 1911 in Second Ward and in the 1920s the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. This was significant since Mexican Americans now had religious places to serve them and connect with others throughout the communities. Then flash forward a few decades to World War II. The first Houstonian casualty of the war was a Mexican American by the name of Joe Padilla. An estimated 300,000 Mexican Americans enlisted into the war. They won the most medal of honors of any ethno-racial group. The first Mexican American Medal of Honor recipient was Sergeant Macario Garcia a fellow Houstonian.
After the war many groups began to fight for civil rights to combat the segregation and oppressive Jim Crow like laws in the city. Some of these groups were LULAC or League of United Latin American Citizens council #60 the women’s auxiliary ladies LULAC council #20 and the American G.I. Forum. These groups specialized in teaching English so that the children wouldn’t struggle as much in their earlier stages of elementary school. Likewise, the groups attacked segregation and demanded integration into Houston schools since the communities were forced to have their own schools. They also wanted to be integrated into other public facilities and have equal protection with the Houston Police Department.
During this time the police department made Raul C. Martinez its first Mexican American police officer. As the 60s and 70s approached many groups transitioned to a militant proactive protesting style. Like that of the United Farm Workers labor union that was led by Cesar Chavez and other groups like the Mexican American youth Organization (MAYO) or the women’s group La Confederencia de Mujeres de la Raza where equal rights were demanded for women. Another group was the Mexican American Education Council (MAEC). Which took on HISD in 1971 by encouraging parents to strike in response to a plan that would desegregate black and brown schools but not white schools. This movement was aided by MAYO, LULAC, help from the Houston Catholic Church and other community activists that were unaffiliated.
Throughout the 20th century Mexican Americans in the region fought for the opportunity for higher learning and access to schools. For example, in 1929 Estella Gomez became the first Mexican American to graduate from Houston Public schools. Francisco Chairez was the first Houston Mexican American to graduate from college in 1928 from Rice Institute. In 1968 PASO the Political Association of Spanish Speaking Organizations opened a voter registration headquarters in Houston and was successful in voting in Ben T. Reyes as state representative, Leonel Castillo as city controller, and Armando Rodriguez as municipal judge. Esparza, J. J. (n.d.).2016
As the latter part of the century rolled around the Mexican American communities in these areas continued to flourish and expand. More Mexican Americans were elected to political positions in the city, and some gained more popular professions such as being news reporters. The art scene also expanded during this time with different murals being painted in different areas like those on Canal Street in 2nd Ward. Many murals can be seen throughout East End. Likewise, theatre companies and organizations began to flourish like Talento Billingue de Houston and Teatro Con Ganas.
Now Houston is the 4th largest city in the nation and home to over 1 million Latinos. Majority of them being Mexican American. Of course, like all other urban areas Houston spread out and now is home to a much larger Metropolitan area of almost 7 million people. Many of the Hispanic and Mexican American population has moved outside of the city into more suburban areas. However East end still has a strong history and culture of Mexican Americans and even other parts of town nearby.
It is important to mention that although Magnolia Park and Second Ward have been mentioned, other neighborhoods that are considered to be a part of East End are neighborhoods such as: Eastwood, Lawndale/Wayside, Pecan Park, Manchester and others. Public high schools that now serve the students in the area are Austin High School, Milby High School, and a couple others that are in the near southeast region such as Jones High School and Sterling High School. It is also important to mention there are areas just Southeast of the East End that would be considered the Southeast side and close in proximity to the East End area such as Gulf gate, Park place, South Park, Sunnyside, the Greater Hobby area and some small towns just further Southeast out that are considered outside of Houston such as the Pasadena and South Houston area. Which is a part of or right next to the Hobby area.
Industries that are still prevalent in the East End area and its Southeast neighbors are working in refineries (there are a lot of refineries in the area and nearby) as well as self-owned businesses by many Mexican Americans and other Latin ethnic groups like restaurants, street vendors, churches, clothing stores, auto mechanic shops, tire shops, construction jobs, and hospitality/service. Being for their own businesses or other businesses. There are many hotels nearby the area especially since Hobby airport is close by.
A tradition in the East End area is a man by the name of Richard Reyes serves the community dressing up as “Pancho Claus”. A Mexican American depiction of Santa Claus every Christmas giving out gifts to kids in the community and traveling in lowrider cars. This has been a tradition every holiday season ever since Richard Reyes performed as this character in a play he wrote by the same name. First being performed at the Teatro Bilingue in 1981. This is the same theatre company mentioned earlier that serves the community. The play and character are heavy on Mexican American culture with wearing zoot suits and having low rider cars.
The Teatro Bilingue de Houston or TBH has collaborated with other theaters in the Houston area as well as creating a gang prevention program in 1991 called the “R Gang”. The company has served its community by also hiring for jobs and hosting events such as festivals, car rides, movies, and holiday parties. (Reyes, R. (n.d.).
As mentioned before refinery work is popular in the region since there are many refineries in the area. This has been great for economic opportunity for residents however recent studies have shown this can also be major health risk factors to residents especially in specific neighborhoods closer to refineries such as the Manchester neighborhood. Many of the toxic air pollutants found in the area can deeply affect those with underlying health conditions. Specifically, to the heart and lungs. Many of the pollutants can also cause cancer. (Johnson, C., & Arellano, Y. (n.d.). 2016). At least 5 chemicals have been found in the air that are on the list of 187 hazardous air pollutants regulated under the federal Clean Air Act and found in high quantities in Manchester. (EPA 2016; Olaguer 2015; Yacovitch et al. 2015).
Some of the pollutants found in the area are Benzene, Butadiene, Styrene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene. Many of these pollutants can cause or raise higher probabilities to factors such as headache, fatigue, anemia, irritation to different parts, difficulty breathing, and long-term potential causes of cancer or leukemia. Naturally given a huge city with lots of people and multiple causes of pollution it is not designated to only this neighborhood but anywhere else. However, the negative consequences through pollution for the people living here are higher given the close proximity to the ship channel and refineries but also the higher poverty demographic of the people living here. Because of this the people living here don’t have as much access to political control or autonomy. And aren’t in the authority to make major changes to these issues but rather to live with them or move elsewhere.
It is vital that politicians in the Houston area and people in this area commit to changing this trend. Decision makers and officials should be making decisions to prioritize the health and safety of residents in this area. Likewise, they should also include the citizens living in this community and in others that may be having similar health and economic issues.
Overall, Greater East side and the neighboring southeast neighborhoods have a long history. One that is to this day vibrant with many Mexican Americans calling these neighborhoods and communities’ home. As well as other groups of people who migrated from other parts of the country or even other countries like Vietnam and other Latin American countries as well. Many aspects of life in the region have changed and some has stayed the same. Both sets of my grandparents settled in either the Southeast side closer to East side or slightly further out in the Pasadena area. Both migrating sometime in the late 70s for reasons like many other Mexican Americans in the region.
The goal was to make a better life for themselves. To have a financial gain and potentially create better lives for their children. Most likely moving to these areas for some of the same reasons many other Mexican immigrants moved here. Because of the already long-established Mexican communities who lived here and the many industries and jobs that were offered in this part of town. There is somewhat of a familiarity seeing many other people who migrated from Mexico to these neighborhoods. Some even migrating from similar Mexican cities or States just like both sets of my own grandparents.
Throughout my life I can recount many of the features of the area mentioned throughout this paper. The first house I grew up in as a kid is in the park place neighborhood right by 610 South freeway. Walking distance from Pecan Park, Manchester and Milby Highschool were my father, and his siblings went to high school. Also nearby is Pasadena where I grew up a majority of my life and where many Mexican Americans live. This is where my mother and her siblings grew up and all went to Pasadena high school.
I can recount seeing the chemical plants and even now as I still visit my grandparents. I can also recount going to many Mexican owned businesses such as Aguascalientes, Taqueria del Sol, and Refresqueria Tampico. As well as visiting many mechanic shops in the area since my grandfather was a mechanic in the area for many years starting when he moved to the area back in the late 70s. To me these neighborhoods and parts of the city will always be home. Whether I live there or not. I still have family here and was born and raised here. Here I will always have everlasting memories that I have come to appreciate more as an adult and I’m sure even more so in the future.
Written by: Yaotl “Yosef” Tecumseh
References:
Esparza, J. J. (n.d.). La Colonia mexicana: A history of Mexican Americans in Houston. Retrieved August 8, 2022, from https://houstonhistorymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Esparza-La-Colonia-Mexicana.pdf
Reyes, R. (n.d.). Center of dreams: Talento Bilingüe de houston — houston history magazine. Retrieved August 8, 2022, from https://houstonhistorymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Reyes-TBH.pdf
Johnson, C., & Arellano, Y. (n.d.). UCS Manchester Air Toxics and health Factsheet 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2022, from https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/06/ucs-manchester-air-toxics-and-health-factsheet-2016.pdf
History. olghouston. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2022, from https://www.olghouston.org/history
