The Bean Juice Dispatches

-From the desk of Cheryl Howard-           When most people think of El Paso, they think of people who have lived here all their lives or people who “had” to come here for work, most visibly military folks.  It is almost inconceivable that people would come here from other countries, by choice, … Continue reading →

“If you can’t imagine a better future, you can’t have one,” said Peter Svarzbein, mastermind behind the El Paso Transnational Trolley Project. The project started out as his college thesis envisioning a transnational trolley between the sister cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez; a symbol of commerce, cultural exchange and most of all, peace. … Continue reading →

La Reyna By Aurelio Saldaña Jr. There she is, looking right at us from the stool at the middle of the bar.  She shows a smile and a slight nod of her chin.  This seemingly insignificant gesture is a “Quiubole” or “Hi, how are you?” here on the borderland. Spanish music and the faint smell … Continue reading →

“One time, when I was younger, I asked my mom if I wasn’t pretty,” said Consuelo Salas. “My mom asked, ‘What? Why?’ And I said, ‘Because everybody stares at Angelica. Is she prettier than me?’ My mom didn’t know what to say.” Consuelo was too young to understand at the time that the reason people … Continue reading →

El Vaquero With a jingle of his fiberglass spurs and a devilish snort out his red-eyed steed, El Vaquero rode out of the Sun City this afternoon.   The statue of this dark skinned, gun-wielding horseman clinging to the back of a wild-eyed horse, was created by the hands of Luis Jimenez. A second Vaquero … Continue reading →

Giggling kids unzipped backpacks filled with new shoes and school supplies on Operation HOPE’s back-to-school event held at Destiny Christian Family Center. Those of you who remember Operation HOPE’s super-powered fundraiser have probably been waiting to hear about the backpack and shoe extravaganza it was meant to fuel. HOPE (helping other people endure) is a … Continue reading →

. . . And the Fiestas continue! As promised, this is part two of our Kermés series. Make sure to click back to our last entry to check out the daytime look at these community church parties. As nighttime covers the land and the church bells call out to the moon, visitors trickle in one … Continue reading →

It’s that time of year again! Once a year, many of the churches of our community hold huge parties meant to draw visitors and raise funds for the church. The holy houses fill the air with flashing lights, festive music and dust picked up by the feet of the hundreds that attend. The Kermés, as it’s … Continue reading →

The man led me into his house before I gave him much of an explanation for why I was there. He walked me over to his kitchen table and sat down comfortably, strapped on his portable oxygen and asked what I wanted to know. “What’s your name?” I asked. He answered, “Juan Ricardo Sioux Kessler … Continue reading →

As the summer heat blisters on, El Paso kids are quick to forget that dogged school bell, ever ticking away at their vacations. Every second gone by brings them closer to a new school-year riddled with enigmatic math problems and how-to essays for homework. . . Help! Batgirl! No, its really not that dire. Who … Continue reading →

As threatening and unwelcoming as the desert may seem at times, there is something undeniably peaceful about being surrounded by a vastness of nothing. Of course the Chihuahuan desert is not empty, but the openness of the land certainly seems that way by contrast of the cities speckled throughout it. San Elizario, Clint, Fabens, Horizon, … Continue reading →

Neon Desert Music Festival. It was and remains the strongest and boldest attempt at a large scale music festival in the Sun City. For a day, El Paso’s downtown sprouted four stages for 29 scheduled musical acts. Street artists and painters set up canvases  and wood boards under the sun. Food and beer vendors lined the edges … Continue reading →