Day 5: THANK YOU ALEJANDRA (Santa Fe)

I need to start with a huge thank to my friend and recent CMC alum,  Alejandra, for showing me around her hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. She gave my father and I the ultimate tour of the city, with a personal approach to how she has seen it develop and change, for better or worse, over time.

Santa Fe actually stole a bit of my heart, but how could it not?

But the beauty of the city belies a struggle to maintain tradition, defy gentrification, and keep the community together, among other priorities. What I quickly learned about Santa Fe was that it is a small - medium sized city, with big city appeals. It was described as a good place to grow up and a good place to raise a family, and that people never really leave Santa Fe, because it's home.

There are a number of families in Santa Fe that can trace their residence there back for centuries, and they do not really plan on leaving anytime soon.

But why?

Well, there are a number of reasons. Santa Fe has amazing sunsets, a great appreciation of the arts (with a mile of road dedicated to just exhibits), entitlement (those that identify as Hispanic and have been there for generations testifying to their right to land from the original colonization by the Spanish kingdom), and so much more.

It's charming.

Its size makes travel not too much of a hassle bu there is still so much to do in this city that is still growing.

A major political issue, that I learned from chatting with Alejandra's uncle, who is a politician, is the newcomers that change what has been fundamentally known as Santa Fe but also bring much needed-revenue with them. Do they deserve a heavier sway in this intended-to-be democratic system because they subsidize a disproportionate amount of the public affairs? Should money equal power when it comes to a local government?

I am not calling for a restriction of democratic rights, but we see these issues really coming to the fore, particularly recently, as the ideas of the traditional, well-established, Hispanic, Catholic conservatives in the south part of Santa Fe clash with those of the progressive, newcomer, White liberals.

All this from just a day guided by Alejandra, she could really start her own tour guide business.

Also, the food was -two thumbs up-. New Mexican food is not Mexican food, along with Tex Mex. New Mexico has these red and green chiles that are only prepared that way in that statement and it is delicious. Just don't eat it for all over your meals in one day, thank me later.

As mentioned prior, Santa Fe is only 1% African American. It was pretty visible, to me at least, how invisible African Americans seemed to be there. I did not pay it much mind until someone assumed I was not from this country and another mistook me for, presumably, one of the other Black people he has met (I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there have not been many). I take these microaggressions in stride because they come from ignorance but it does serve as a reminder to shed our presuppositions.

Other than that, I got to interview a STATE SENATOR (there is a citizen legislature for the state so he also works as business owner) and almost got to interview the MAYOR of Santa Fe but things fell through (it was my fault for taking so much time but to just have the opportunity is an honor). None of this would have been possible if it was not for Alejandra being an amazing host who gave up so much of her time to help me with this project.

And this was just day 1 (okay it's only out of two but that is still a lot for one day).