East Austin Stories

Education should be a lifelong process, one that begins before kindergarten. At the Ebenezer Baptist Church Child Development Center, the staff provide children with a place to play and learn from very early childhood

Museums are a place we can see ourselves for what we are, says Edward James Olmos. At Mexic-arte Museum, visitors can see the many ways Americans—who Olmos explains are all the people who inhabit the North and South American continents—represent themselves and their cultures.

Links:

• Visit the Mexic-arte web site.
• Visit La Peña, an association of Austin Latino artists.

Maria Ford is the chef and co-owner with husband Fred ("I have some experience in soul food") of Cebuana Filipino Store. Come in for the lunch special, maybe the Kare-Kare platter or the chicken ginger rice soup, and load up on martial arts videos. Maria cooks the old-fashioned way--cooking slowly and with her own prepared ingredients. In Austin, it is the unique Filipino grocery store/restaurant/video shop combination.

Learning to read—and especially spell—English is hard for anyone. For native speakers of other languages, a little extra help is often required. The Victory tutoring program provides that help.

Cuevas Produce is a short documentary about a man who serves his community through his business. He works seven days a week, 365 days a year and approximately fourteen hours everyday. He has devoted his life to helping others and treasures his accolades more than gold.

It’s the American Dream—building a business from scratch and watching it grow. Over 18 years, the Nuevo Leon restaurant has developed a loyal customer base that makes Rachel Davila and Kevin Ortiz proud. Some day, they hope, generations of East Austin children will remember their special recipes and personal service.

Links:

• Nuevo Leon web site

TC's Lounge is an old blues bar off of 12th Street in East Austin with a rich history and atmosphere that reflects the story of the city. This short portrait piece introduces the bar and some of its frequent clientele, focusing on Thomas Perkins, the dedicated owner of the place since the late seventies.

A documentary about weathermen, psychiatrists, politicians, and professional talkers---or as we've come to know them, cab drivers. This is the story of the people who spend their lives on wheels.

When Joe Vela saw a gang problem developing in Austin, he decided that teaching kids boxing was one way to get them off the streets. Through his organization, Austin Boxing Against Drugs, he estimates he helps about 600 kids a year to learn confidence and discipline through training.

Links:

• Read some articles about Joe Vela and ABAD here
• ... and here

Paula and Glen Foore, owners of Texas Trees and Landscapes, created Springdale Farm, an organic farm, to help pay the bills and to create a better way of living for themselves and their community.

The girls in the rock-climbing club at the Camacho Center have learned a lot. They learned to tie harnesses, to figure out routes, to push themselves when they're tired, and that boys just aren't that good at climbing.

Links:

• Visit the site of the Camacho Center
• Visit the site of the Austin Rock Gym, the for-profit group that helps coordinate the girls' climbing camp

"A pool rat is a kid who shows up every single day and does not leave until we close'" says a Rosewood Pool lifeguard..This is a tour of a hot summer day in Austin spent, as much as possible, in the cool pleasure of the public pool. Our guides are Brione, Breece, Brownie, Looney, Keith, Lil' James, the Curry Brothers, and Jarell – all Pool Rats.

Links:

• Find a public pool near you here

It’s always Black History Month at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center. With exhibits on jazz, quilts, the visual arts, and much more, the museum celebrates the contributions of African-Americans to Texan and American culture

Links:

• Visit the site of the Carver museum
• Read about the history of the Carver museum

At Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, there's a lot more going on than religious services. One of the many ways the community uses the church is for an after-school tutoring program where older students help younger ones—and learn a lot in the process.

Links:

• Visit the web site of Our Lady of Guadalupe​

While East Austin is home to both African-Americans and Hispanics, both groups don't always intermingle. Community activists Juan Valadez and Boyd Vance decided to do something about it. By inviting both communities to celebrate cultural festivals like Mexican Independence Day and Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, they hope to make East Austin feel more like one big community than many fragmented groups.

Links:

• Visit Boyd's organization, the Pro-Arts Collective