A clean and cool park draws Segundo Barrio residents in the summer

EL PASO — Residents walking past the Boys Club Park in Segundo Barrio are treated to the sights and sounds of kids playing on the skate-park, handball courts, and basketball courts against a backdrop of painted murals. Perhaps they will stop and rest on the benches in the abundant shady areas to admire the murals, which depict Segundo Barrio’s culture, history and aspects of life in the area. The most prominent mural painted brightly on the handball courts called “El Corrido de Segundo Barrio,” shows a mother bathing her child outside their apartments, musicians playing and residents walking along the border. The Boys Club Park in the Segundo Barrio is one of the city neighborhood parks that can be found full of activity on any given day. Residents in and around the area are drawn to the Boys Club Park for many reasons.

Muralist Francisco Rodriguez shapes Segundo Barrio’s youth one paintbrush at a time

Local muralist Francisco Rodriguez remembers arriving in El Paso as a teenager with only a middle school education, no job skills, a pregnant wife and no money. Desperate to provide for his family, he took a job in construction to help build the Spaghetti Bowl. “They gave me a construction helmet and a shovel and they asked me ‘can you do this?’ and I thought to myself, ‘well, what else can I do’. I didn’t have an actual job,” recalls 61-year-old Rodriguez, who is now an artist in residence at Centro De Salud Familiar La Fe, a nonprofit community health service center in Segundo Barrio. He had been working on the Spaghetti Bowl project for about one year when a visit to Ciudad Juarez where some family members lived changed his life.

St. Ignatius Church: Providing comfort for more than 100 years

A hot blazing sun shines through the stained windows and over the empty wooden pews of St. Ignatius Parrish in Segundo barrio. This church, now 111 years old, generates great comfort and admiration from the community. To this day the Catholic community of St. Ignatius works hard to fulfill the spiritual needs of the people in Segundo barrio.

San Ignacio de Loyola celebra con su kermes mas de un siglo de apoyo a los más necesitado

EL PASO — San Ignacio Loyola la segunda parroquia católica fundada aquí hace 111 años ubicada en el Segundo Barrio, una de las comunidades más tradicionales de esta ciudad fronteriza, comenzó una serie anual de kermes – ferias para recaudar fondos — hace 20 años para que la parroquia continúe su labor de apoyo a los más necesitados. “La kermes empieza el viernes 31 de julio y termina el dos de agosto con un horario de cinco de la tarde a 12 de la noche, es parte de una tradición y es capaz de unir familias”, dijo Martha Payales, organizadora de esta kermes. El principal motivo de esta fiesta que une a la comunidad de Segundo Barrio es la celebración del santo San Ignacio de Loyola, además de tener como objetivo la recolección de fondos para ayudar con el mantenimiento de la iglesia, ya que tiene varias partes deterioradas por ser originales y tener más de 100 años. La iglesia se ubica en 408 Park St. Pero también con los fondos recaudados ayudan a personas que necesitan sustento económico.

On the U.S. side of the Mexican border, education through scholarships, y mas

At age 15, Mexican native Fernando Rivera crossed the Rio Grande in 1975 in search of a better life. Rivera had obtained a scholarship to attend Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, despite being an undocumented immigrant. “Someone told me about Lydia Patterson and I asked for a scholarship,” said Rivera, who is now 61 years old. “I didn’t think they would have a scholarship because I was illegal, but they helped me.”

The Institute was founded in 1913 with a mission to not only educate the children of Segundo Barrio but also teach them about religion.  Almost 100 years later, the private school continues to offer scholarships to deserving students from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, which covers a portion of the $2,400-a-year tuition.

Educator helped by school becomes caretaker of its mission

Founded in 1913 with a mission of providing non-English speaking Hispanic children in the Segundo Barrio access to education, the Lydia Patterson Institute still helps disadvantaged students receive a quality education. Among the faculty, is alum Assistant Principal Maria Cristina Woo who keeps the mission of the school alive. “Ms. Woo spends countless hours at the school working on student schedules, teacher schedules, grades, report cards, transcripts, registration, textbooks, curriculum, and the list goes on and on,” school principal Ernesto Morales said.  “I often joke with her, with a hint of sincerity, that we would fall apart if she were not here. It is remarkable to me how she remembers names and even dates of all alumni who stop by to visit.

Middle school track and field upgrade brings neighborhood together

From running after a soccer ball to running on a track, the kids and adults in Segundo barrio have been given the feel of getting a fast break off the starting line of a track. Former Guillen Middle School student Angel Luna made a vow to himself. He promised to run everyday of the year after work to be fit and healthy. “I had made a goal for the year. I made a promise for myself to come everyday, for the whole year now,” Luna said.

Community hub La Fe promotes well being of Segundo Barrio residents

It began with a simple dream of a small group of resolute mothers discussing community problems in a one-room apartment in the Segundo Barrio during the 1960s. Through stiff determination and unflinching courage, the “Mothers of La Fe” cobbled together a non-profit organization to empower families immersed in poverty, unemployment, lack of health care and gang violence. Since that day more than four decades ago, Centro De Salud Familiar La Fe has helped countless families, many of them recent immigrants to El Paso, resulting in the empowerment of a predominantly Latino community. Segundo Barrio, located south of downtown El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border, is the city’s oldest and most historic neighborhood, housing a community deeply rooted in Mexican culture. “I have always said that all the people in La Fe are my second home,” said  Esperanza Tijerina, who attends citizenship classes and English at the La Fe Culture and Technology community center and is preparing to apply for U.S. citizenship.

Con unidad, apoyo y esfuerzo logra realizar su sueño en el Segundo Barrio

EL PASO — La dedicación y el esfuerzo es una de las muchas características que como comunidad, el Segundo Barrio posee. Un claro ejemplo de esto es Adriana Sifuentes, que como muchos otros latinos, decidió superarse a base de una entrega total para alcanzar una de sus principales metas en la vida, que era abrir un salón de belleza. Después de vivir en una rutina diaria por largos años y de sentir como si el tiempo se escapara, Sifuentes sin buscarlo, recibió la oferta que cambio gran parte de su vida. Abrir su propio negocio en 600 Park dentro de la comunidad del Segundo Barrio. ‘’La experiencia ha sido muy diferente a la anterior que trabajaba para alguien, estamos muy contentas la gente es muy linda, es muy sencilla y muy amable, se han portado muy bien aquí con nosotros…gracias a Dios nos ha ido muy bien y esperemos que así siga‘’, dijo Sifuentes, quien esta contenta en donde trabaja.