I was born on a cold and snowy El Paso day in 1969 to a Chilean mother who came here on a Fulbright to get a Master's Degree and an American father, a UTEP professor who wrote my name on the chalkboard when he taught his class that morning. I would spend much of my childhood on the University campus, watching generations of feral cats from my father's office window or climbing out of dumpsters as I walked up the ramp to the Fox Fine Arts building and into the ballet studio that was my second home. I practically lived at Magoffin Auditorium, doing homework and eating dinner at the theater while we rehearsed "The Nutcracker," "Sleeping Beauty," "The Firebird," "The Unicorn, the Gorgon & the Manticore," "Pineapple Poll," "Scheherazade," "Cinderella," and so many more. Those were great days for Ballet El Paso and in all my years at the San Francisco Ballet School I never saw a dancer so breathtaking or exquisite as our very own Renee Segapeli, and I had seen some of the very best in the world.
Growing up behind Chelmont Shopping Center I was one of many kids in the neighborhood who spent their summers at the Chelsea Pool or their evenings talking and laughing at Chico's Tacos. Going to Juárez for groceries or a nice dinner was just another Saturday. It was a childhood full of reading, classical music, recycling in the desert, enjoying menudo with my Mexican friends, and learning how to properly "saludar," eat an artichoke, and set a table, from my Chilean mother.
My dream from childhood had been to dance and I lived and breathed ballet but the funny thing is that after all those years of hard work and dedication I found my calling when I was working for a temp service on the East and West sides in the '90s. People would come in to our offices looking for work because they had been transplanted here for one reason or another. I couldn't help but tell every single one of them about the many treasures in El Paso, especially the people. Have you been here? Have you eaten there? Have you seen that? I would write things down, make reservations for them, I would do anything to make sure they remembered El Paso the way it should be remembered: as the warmest, friendliest, richest place on earth.
In 2006 I got the job as the executive director of Community Scholars and I happily moved in to my office upstairs from Cinco Puntos Press where I purchase kids' birthday gifts mostly so I can stop by and chat, look at those colorful books, and smell Cactus Mary soaps. A stroll Downtown to grab some coffee or a sandwhich, taking a different route each time so I can study every single building or run into an old friend, is one of the highlights of my Downtown life. I get to work closely with smart, engaged young men and women and I meet people from our community, ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Steve Yellen is one of those people.
I received an email from him inviting me to preview "Basketball in the Barrio" at the Plaza Theater and I gladly accepted because you can't resist Steve's positive attitude or his passion for giving back to this community. I sat watching the documentary with tears of joy streaming down my face because I was inspired by the many faces and voices on the screen in front of me. The next day I recounted the story of Basketball in the Barrio as if I had witnessed a birth because this wonder truly is one more precious facet of this jewel I call home. "¡Qué milagro!" we say when we haven't seen each other in a while because here, we don't take people for granted.
What barrio are you from?
Anthony
June 15, 2008
A beautiful piece, Sofia. El Paso's lucky to have you, and as you say, we're all lucky to have each other.
jimmy
June 19, 2008
Sofia, I am so fortunate to be from so many Barrios del Chuco.. My earliest childhood memories are from three Barrios. The first being where I actually lived on Pera Street, half a block from Zavala ElementarySchool which I attended to the third grade in the early 1950's(my father attended Zavala in the mid 1930's as did my son in the 1970's). The second Barrio I spent so much time in was on the corner of 7th Street and Park. My Tia Petrita Alarcon had the Bowie Grocery (katty-corner from the Bowie Bakery back then). The grocery store was right on the corner and Tia's residence was the apartment right next to the store on 7th street. This was a two story apartment building. Tia"s store and apartment was the Moreno's, Alarcon's and Silva's family gathering location. The third Barrio I spent so much time as a child was on Oregon Street across from Sacred Heart Church. This was the Baray Apartment buildingat 609 S. Oregon. On this block there was a funeral parlor, a print shop and a corner grocery store. This was my maternal grandparent's residence; my mother's residence from the day she was born to the day she married my dad. My maternal grandfather was Gregorio Castillo ( a commercial artist and carpenter)and my grandmother was Jesusita Martin de Castillo. Though these last two barrios I mentioned were both located in the Segundo Barrio (Second Ward), from my childhood memories, they seemed so different and miles apart. The pace of life seemed so slow and quiet around Park and Seventh. But on Oregon Street, because of Mesa, La Calle de El Paso, and Stanton Street, so many people were always walking up and down. Either coming from or returning to Cd Juarez, or El Pasoans shopping on these streets. Thank you Sofia for your recollections on your Barrio.
George Castro
June 19, 2008
My barrio was not far from yours. It no longer exists because of the spaghetti bowl. We had our school(Lincoln Elem), out beautiful church(El Calvario), and now at my 62 years I have many memories of growing up in this barrio that was bordered by Copia and Raynolds on one side and Alameda and Montana on the other. My mom"s house still stands and there are times when I will drive by just to look at the house that holds memories of events and people that are still very dear to me. Menudo was a Sunday staple and going downtown on the bus to shop were much anticipated. My three grown children(40 and 39-twin sons) I don't think have ever taken public transportation. Enjoyed your article.
The Border Yankee
June 20, 2008
my barrio (we just called them bars back then) is in Michigan.
Ruth Hollands
June 24, 2008
Sofia,
I wasn't born in El Paso, and I only got to live there 5 years, but I loved it from the minute I stepped off the plane. And I know what you mean about barrio, because when I came back to visit two years after I'd left, they let me back in to Curves without a card, they wouldn't take money for my meal at Jaliscos, and the guy behind the meat counter at Albertsons (and I only ever buy bacon) took the trouble to say he'd missed me and was glad to see I was okay.
When my kid got lost one day on the school bus, got dropped off at home while I was waiting to pick him up at school, I went down to the barrio where we lived (on the corner of 6th and Tays) and followed his tracks easily...because on every corner there was someone waving at me to say they'd seen him. He made his way to his old Hart school to ask them what our phone number was (he couldn't remember) and the deputy principal brought him back and was waiting in her car outside my house. That's barrio for you.
Yeah...I also remember when I'd only been living in El Paso a few months and I experienced my first dust storm. When we got back from Juarez I found that my neighbour had taken all my laundry off the line and kept it in her house to keep it clean! That's how I knew I was accepted in the barrio, even though I'm English. I can still walk into that old neighbour's home and sit in the kitchen eating her good chile and home-made jelados. Did it a few months ago when I made my last visit.
El Paso will stay with me wherever I go. Nobody who hasn't lived there understands. But I thank God for the time I had and for how it shaped me.
Thanks for your article.