Downtown Diary: Those Who Live on Glass Beaches

 

An Open Letter to Glass Beach , those “Secret Shoppers,” Steve Ortega, Joyce Wilson, and the People of El Paso:

I spent the night Friday looking at every single solitary incendiary slide from Joyce Wilson's presentation, and let me tell you, I was disgusted. The first thought that came to mind …

Have you no respect for your elders?

I may not be Hispanic, Chicana, Mexicana, or whatever label one of such persuasion would prefer to call themselves, but regardless, I as an El Pasoan, and the mother of a Chicano whose great grandfather Rosario looks EXACTLY like the man pictured, am deeply offended. You know what I really find funny -- not “haha” funny, but ironic funny -- is that had that man been born Anglo, people would say, “Oh, isn't he wonderful. He looks right out of a Tom Lea painting, you know. I bet he has some great stories about the Southwest.” Hell, Adair Margo would probably invite him to speak at the gallery. Shame on you. If y'all were my kids, you would be picking your switch right now.

I understand that this was a presentation intended to show City Council what the rest of the U.S. thinks of El Paso. But, if Glass Beach was to take a similar slideshow to another market, say, Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, and had a picture of a yenta with a list that read several Jewish stereotypes, the Anti-Defamation League would be all over you like schmaltz on matzoh. Or how about you take that kind of language to the Bronx, Detroit, D.C. or NOLA. The NAACP would sue your ass back to the Stone Age.

I don't know which was more offensive: Glass Beach picturing everybody's abuelito in the “con” category or the use of Matthew McConaughey and Penélope Cruz as examples of the “New West.” Dude, she's not even Mexican -- she's a Spaniard! Was that supposed to be a joke? I could extrapolate on the whole sentiment of colonialism that has been bred by the PDNG's plan and this apparent head nod, but I really don't have enough space.

I spoke to city Rep. Beto O'Rourke briefly on the phone about the slide show to try to get a sense of what was going on. Prominent members of the community were polled (including PDNG members). There were four focus groups, including one in Chihuahua City, and one in LA. Secret shoppers were also paid (including airfare and lodgings) to come to El Paso and shop Downtown. The total price tag for this little venture was $100,000. He informed me that his original intention was to have this presentation done specifically for the purpose of attracting new residents. He was disappointed in the “lack of professionalism” owing to the multiple misspellings, grammatical errors, and “obviously offensive” content. Though he would not say it, my impression was that he felt it was a waste of taxpayer money. And that it was.

Steve Ortega, on the other hand, well … allow me to quote him from his interview with the Border Observer:

“Did I find it particularly offensive? I don't think so … that's who I revere, those are my forefathers, that's who I respect. But then I also realize that El Paso can't stay glued to its past forever. Eventually we have to move forward … I'd rather be associated with -- you know, if I'm talking about a city -- I'd rather be associated with Salma Hayek than with my grandfather, you know what I'm saying? I mean, who are you trying to attract?”

I don't know Steve … rich white people who are threatened by poor Mexicans? See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil … Oh, but it gets worse, ladies and gents, when he says: “(the slide with the cowboy) was for the city's internal presentation.” In other words, the public wasn't supposed to see it. Um, I don't know about you, but when I was a 6-year-old in civics class, I was taught that the government had a duty to be transparent. I was taught that freedom of the press and the public's right to know was paramount.

What were you all afraid of? That people would be pissed off? Rightfully so, but let me tell you something I tell my son when he gets scolded for lying: “If you told me the truth in the first place, you wouldn't have gotten in half the trouble that you're in right now.”

So really, Steve, would you “rather be associated with Salma Hayek” than your grandfather? Honestly, you'd rather have people think of you as a really hot Arab from Mexico rather than a hard-working family elder? I mean, I'd like a rack like that too, but … I never thought of you like that before. I'm just teasing, habibi, but seriously, I can't believe you would say that. I honestly hope that your grandfather is still alive so he can personally backhand you.

There are a few things I really don't understand about the focus groups responses. So, as a pro we have a great labor force and a cheap cost of living, but we're not “high end.” Please, explain to me how the two can coexist. What, you want El Paso to be like Sao Paulo? Big mansions in gated communities, high-end shopping, and a willing, impoverished workforce teeming in the favelas? Or how about New Orleans. That cheap cost of living and high-end business really worked out for the best there, didn't it?

Time after time after time, the focus groups, ethnographers, and Secret Shoppers in these reports listed their favorite thing as the friendliness of our people. If things keep on the same track, I don't know if we'll be able to say that. To juxtapose this, these groups also noticed how frequently we berate ourselves. It seemed like every other slide had a comment from an El Pasoan like, “You want to vacation HERE?” or “What are you doing HERE?” Maybe THIS is the fundamental problem. Maybe if we didn't focus so much on how “dirty,” “gritty,” or “dusty” our city is and instead grow our own assets. We need a little fucking self-esteem, and that is something that no developer can give you. Like an anorexic, we will continue to berate ourselves until we starve to death. We will continue to whine and complain about the little things that piss us off, without considering the great wealth of things that make us us, and make us better than them.

One of the slides asked El Pasoans what kind of car they thought their city was. Now, I'm not sure whether this question was posed to the El Pasoans, the focus group, or the Secret Shoppers (though I suspect because of the title "Immersion" it may be the latter). The current perception by these individuals is that we resemble a 1970 Chevy Pickup. They would like our town to resemble an Infinity SUV. You shallow, materialistic bastards. You know what? It doesn't matter what you think, because any mechanic knows that Chevy Pickup is a reliable classic that can only gain value, and it's probably got a 454 big block in it that could run that SUV off the road.

In the slideshow, those polled complained about our “Mexicanness.” What the hell do you want -- this is the U.S.-Mexico border! What, are they comparing us to San Diego? San Diego, which is (not including bridge time) 40 minutes away from Tijuana? What are we going to do, move the whole city? If these are the kind of tourists that we're trying to draw, I want nothing to do with them. What, does this company want us to be like Santa Fe or something -- no actual Native Americans or Mexicans to be found, but all the art and culture copying that of the original inhabitants? I don't know about you, but there's no way I'm putting black beans in my chile and softening it with tomato paste. If tourists want that, they can go to Old Mesilla.

We have a niche tourist market. Without fail, every three years I see the Irish duo at the Tap, two guys from Belfast who love El Paso. “It's a lot like home,” they once told me. The first time we met: “ken (get) this -- El Paso's what the locals call Belfast ‘cause of all the shootouts, right? It's the wild west.” They love the people, the food, the local color, and our rasquachismo. The same goes for the German, Dutch, and English that me and my friends have met over the years. I really love the El Paso Times “It's an El Paso Thing” ad campaign. It implies that we have our own special brand of cool, and that if somebody doesn't “get it” they need to back off.

Maybe things are fantastic here in a different way. When I walk down the street in my neighborhood, abuelitas come right up to me and pinch my baby's cheeks. They say, “Que chula, guera!” and tell my son, “que guapo.” They give me parenting advice and tell me old wives tales. What other city in the U.S. has people this warm? I know the shop owners, I know the repair guys, I know the street characters and the vagabonds. I know my neighbors and I hear gossip, rumor and truth -- and this keeps me safe at night. Our city is an experiment in how those who come from destitute situations can make something for themselves. Look at the wealth of immigrant owned business in this city -- and realize their worth is far more than some soulless corporation who owns 50,000 stores all over the country. This is the spirit of America . This is a precious thing. Look at our tight knit communities, our extended families, our tolerant nature.

There has to be something said about the spread of Monoculture when talking about this presentation. What has happened to us? Have we all become so used to seeing one-size-fits-all culture that we can't stand to see something unique? Are we really going to let some Upper Middle Class white brat define who our city is and what that means to us? Are we really willing to forgo our heritage, disrespect our elders, and ignore our history to craft some cookie-cutter city? What do you want El Paso to be? Do you want Downtown El Paso to look like Dallas or Phoenix? Do we want to seem anonymous?

Do you want crime to rise and racial tensions to deepen? When did you decide that their consumerism is what you wanted? When did you decide that you wanted the yuppies to take over this place to make it “better”? When did you decide that what we have can't be good enough?

Maybe those gabachos are right. Maybe we are lazy. Who am I talking about? I speak of those who cause our blight: you business owners and property owners who REFUSE to reinvest. You El Paso business owners who REFUSE to open a store Downtown. You El Pasoans who REFUSE to shop down here. It's like the stock market -- if enough people turn a blind eye to it -- of course the system is going to crash. And what about you slumlords, who don't take care of your properties? There is a special place for you in hell where the beds are infested with lice and bedbugs, roaches and rats nibble at your toes, and the sound of your crack-head neighbor beating his head against the wall keeps you up all night, every night for the rest of eternity.

You all want consulting firms, developers and city agents to pick up your slack? Really? Then maybe the gabachos are right about us. It's like that time when EPISD School Board was so busy bickering with one another, that the state took $6 million away to punish us. Right now we're about to be punished by the city for our apathy and divisions. If you're appalled by what I've said, then this week start doing something about it. What am I talking about? Start a community garden. Volunteer to clean up an old lady's front yard. If a landlord refuses to paint his building, pick out a color that matches the original and do it at night. What is he going to say? “This is vandalism?” You know, it's like taking a shower after a long day -- you automatically perk up and feel better. Maybe if we gave Downtown the non-invasive pampering it deserves, we'd all feel better about ourselves.

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Email Jenni at jenni@newspapertree.com.