Across Borders

Not everyone who lives in East Austin was born there. People have moved to Austin from all over the world. Mexico, as our closest neighbor, is the home country of many East Austinites. But new neighbors have also come from Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and Asia. The people come to Austin do so for many reasons. Arturo Escamilla came to earn some money to help his family in Mexico buy luxuries. One of the great things about East Austin is that even people whose families have been here for generations don't forget the traditions of the old country. With food, celebrations, and language, people keep their histories alive and make East Austin the dynamic place it is today. And people don't just come to East Austin, they also visit other countries from their homes here in Texas. The Bikes Across Borders project, for example, uses donated bicycles to link Austin to the factories along the Mexican border.