Reverse Acculturation Taking Place In Latino Dominant Cities

By Victor Escalante, News Taco

San Antonio is known for many things, The Alamo, Hemisfair Tower, The Spurs, and of course Mi Tierra restaurant. The city is known for throwing one gigantic Fiesta to celebrate its independence from Mexico. Marketers have capitalized on this unique combination of two cultures to promote it as one of the nation’s premier tourist destination sites. Whether it’s Fiesta or Fiestas Patrias, one thing is certain, San Antonians love to roll out the red carpet to the tourists who pour over four billion dollars a year into the local economy.

This weekend locals and tourists made their way downtown to take in some Mexican food, cerveza, and some music to savor the bicultural celebration of Dies Y Seis de Septiembre festivities. However, it was not meant to be, due to the much needed steady rain that drenched the city streets and the people in search of the Latino Zen of living in San Antonio.

Needing to entertain extended family from out of town we made our way to the iconic “Mi Tierra”. A place that is unique in the city and the whole country. A timeless Christmas wonderland with a black Elvis and imagery that compresses hundreds of years of history into one festive setting.

This is the place to make memories of any special day in one’s life. All one has to do is listen to “Las Mananitas” being strummed by a trio to know it’s a birthday being celebrated. This is what was taking place across from us by a family of three generations. The musicians sang their heart out as the cake with four lit candles was brought out for the wide eyed boy feeling truly special. The parents and grandparents beamed with joy and satisfaction to see the wonder in the little boy’s face as he was being serenaded.  Was it a novelty situation or the acculturation of a white family to the Latino way of life? To the average person having a mini fiesta it may not matter, but that child is imprinted for life of what it means to celebrate the gusto of life the Latino way. Provecho!