Res 2021-146/Mexican American and Indigenous Heritage and Cultural District

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RESOLUTION NO. 2021-146R A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS, TEXAS ESTABLISHING A MEXICAN AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT GENERALLY IN THE AREA OF HOPKINS STREET AT CITY PARK ALONG THE SAN MARCOS RIVER AND EAST OF IH -35 TO DURANGO STREET AND STAPLES ROAD, SOUTH TO ELLIS STREET AND WEST TO PURGATORY CREEK; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ,we) tr: ,I 1. The current conversations across the United States include equity for all who reside in this country, where there is a long history of discrimination against non-white people, including the disruption of ancestral burial sites and taking of ancestral remains, the taking of their lands and displacement of communities, suppression of their history, languages, culture and traditions. 2. These communities are seeking to preserve their neighborhoods by elevating awareness and recognizing their historical and cultural value, thereby halting massive gentrification which changes the culture and character of neighborhoods and eventually displaces longtime residents. 3. There is historical documentation of four Mexican American neighborhoods (barrios) established from Hopkins Street at City Park along the San Marcos River and east of IH - 35 to Durango Street and Staples Road, south to Ellis Street and west to Purgatory Creek. 4. The City of San Marcos imposed eminent domain and eradicated the homes from the first barrio (within the East Guadalupe Neighborhood) from Hopkins Street at City Park to Cheatham Street to Guadalupe Street, displacing many businesses and all of the residents who lived in these neighborhoods including those located at Rio Vista Park; thereby erasing the important history and contributions of many of the original pioneer Mexican American families. 5. The community seeks to preserve the rich history and cultural heritage of the remaining original three Mexican American neighborhoods/barrios by establishing a Cultural Heritage District, thereby elevating the awareness of the historical significance of these neighborhoods and the families that established them. 6. The cultural and community contributions of the Sociedad Mutualista and Cuauhtemoc Hall, with origins dating to the Mexican Revolution, are highly valued and recognized as a cultural icon located in El Barrio de la Victoria (Victory Gardens). 7. Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos, established in the historical Southside School, formerly known as the "Mexican School" and located in, the East Guadalupe Neighborhood continues to be a cultural hub for the community. 8. The Indigenous Cultures Institute, established in 2006, has been providing