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A special kind of neighborhood

A Special Kind of Neighborhood (Video)
Source: National Geographic

Most cities have local areas called “neighborhoods.” The “Mission District” is one of San Francisco’s oldest neighborhoods. Many people think it’s very special because it’s so multicultural. What makes the Mission District so multicultural? Why does that make it special?

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This story is about an old neighborhood in San Francisco called The Mission District or “The Mission” for short. This neighborhood started near a church called Mission Dolores. Spanish missionaries started the church in 1791. They wanted to teach about their beliefs. Now, many people live in The Mission. They come from Central and South America. The majority of these immigrants are Latino. This has made the community that lives in the area very multicultural.

Each Sunday, people can hear the music of the Mission Dolores Basilica in San Francisco. With the sound come memories of the Spanish missionaries who built the church in 1791. They didn’t know it at the time. But it was the start of a Special Kind of Neighborhood: The Mission District.

The area is a place with a long and varied history. One member of the community describes it as a Central part of San Francisco. Because it´s near where the city began long ago. He adds that it’s important for people to understand the many levels of history in the neighborhood. He feels that this knowledge is a big part of understanding what it means to be a real San Franciscan.

One the most interesting parts of the Mission District is its people. Over the years, immigrants have come to the area from Ireland, Germany, and Italy. But the most recent immigrants are mainly from Mexico and other countries in Central and South America. It’s easy to see the style that these recent additions give to the neighborhood. You can see it in the art on walls, taste it in the food, and hear it in the music.

Juan Pedro Gaffney grew up in the Mission District. He’s the director of the Spanish Choir of San Francisco. In the past, his group has performed to raise money for people after natural disasters in Central America. Many people in the choir are very close to these countries. Juan Pablo explains that people of the Mission District share the pain and the happiness of their friends and relatives in Latin America. He says that the local community feels a sense of common involvement. They really care when a neighborhood nation is in pain.

During good times or bad. The music of the Mission deeply affects everyone. Sometimes it helps people to share their sadness. Sometimes it helps them to enjoy life. Juan Pedro explains that music always has been a basic part of cultural identity in the Mission.  He feels that the music of the Mission District is colorful and lively. And, according to him, it’s absolutely “Jumping”.

But it isn’t just the music that’s colorful and lively in the Mission District. The art of the Mission is full of life as well.

The local art community stays close to the area’s culture and tradition. A local arts organization leads people on walks through the district. They visit streets like Balmy Alley, which is famous for its murals.

Artist Ray Patlan talks about the art of the Mission District. “What happen is, the murals began to reflect the community itself”. He says. In 1984 Patlan helped to organize a group of artist to paint a series of murals here. The theme at the time was “Peace in Central America”.

Nowadays however, while the district remains mainly Latino, it’s no longer 1984. The political situation is no longer the same either. Patlan points out that both politics and world have changed over the years. He then adds that because of this, the art of the Mission has changed as well. He explains that the art of the area is a part of the streets, and it’s also a reflection of the community. So, as the community changes, people can see changes in the murals as well.

Even though the meaning behind the murals are always changing. They are still very powerful. Apparently, they’re something the community likes, too. Andrea Coombe lives in the Mission. “It’s great”. She says. “It’s like coming home to a piece of art every day. Every time we drive up it’s just very vibrant”.

The artists have strong feelings about the work they do. One artist explains that the artists of the Mission are fighting for fairness in the community. They’re also fighting to help the environment. Here in the Mission District, these groups of artists maintain their cultural identity in traditional San Francisco style!

Many of these artists feel that the Mission is a successful neighborhood where new immigrants are welcome. “People see that they’re not so different from each other”. Says one artist. “There are a lot of thing that bind immigrants though culture and tradition”.

The members of Saint Peter’s Church are another group that understands the closeness between culture and tradition. Mission Dolores was the foundation of the Mission District, but Saint Peter’s is another strong base in the area.

Father Dan McGuire is the leader of Saint Peter’s. He talks about all the different cultures that form the community around the church. “They beauty of this particular parish”, says father McGuire, “is that the different cultures from Latin America and the different countries from Latin America comes together here. And they really form a common unity”.  The people who go to the church are from countries such as Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru. They come from all over Latin America.

Father McGuire talks about the success of new immigrants in the area. “They bring with them the best of their own countries: particularly their interests in their families and their interests in their traditions”. He says. “And what I see going on here in a very, very positive way is an integration of the best of Latin America culture, now with America culture”. He adds. And maybe this comfortable feeling helps to make this multicultural area such a very special kind of neighborhood.

A Special Kind of Neighborhood