Hi Reader,

When we studied the Alamo in Texas history in 4th grade, we got to take a field trip there. My history-buff son was pretty jealous when he learned that.

I grew up in Castroville, a small town west of San Antonio, so that was an option for us. If you’re coming to FNCE from farther away, this might be your first chance to visit.

(cue non-Texans: "You studied Texas History?!" Yes, 1 whole year of curriculum on only Texas history. Also yes: most Texans are confused about why YOU don't study Texas history. 🤠🤣)

The Alamo is probably already on your radar. But its history connects to other places around the city, and there’s plenty to learn beyond the story of the battle.

In my FNCE guide, I included several places where you can learn about San Antonio’s history and the communities that continue to shape it. Here, I wanted to spend a little more time with the people behind a few of those places, so you have some context before you go.

At The Missions, Look Beyond The Buildings

The Alamo belongs to a larger history of Spanish mission communities along the San Antonio River. Those communities included homes, workshops, agricultural land, and places of worship.

Indigenous people lived in this region long before the missions.

The National Park Service explains that the groups often described collectively as “Coahuiltecan” were culturally diverse. That name shouldn’t suggest everyone shared one language, identity, or way of life.

Spanish colonization profoundly changed those lives.

Over generations, Indigenous people who entered the missions lost elements of their languages and religious practices. Descendant families still have connections to these places today.

The Park Service’s mission history and We’re Still Here descendant stories offer some context.

Missions Concepción, San José, San Juan, or Espada will likely be less crowded, so you can give yourself time to learn about the people who lived there.

​American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions is another resource for learning about Indigenous communities and cultural preservation today.

A question to carry with you while you explore the culture: Whose account of this place am I hearing? A family story may draw your attention to something you would otherwise walk past.

At Casa Navarro, Follow One Person’s Life

A person’s home can give you a more manageable starting point than trying to absorb an entire period of history.

José Antonio Navarro was a rancher, merchant, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and advocate for Tejano rights. Casa Navarro preserves his 1850s adobe and limestone home and tells his story.

As you learn about his life, consider what he was advocating for and why that advocacy was necessary. It gives you a way to approach Tejano history through someone’s decisions and the circumstances surrounding them.

One person’s experience won’t explain an entire community. But it can leave you with questions you wouldn’t have known to ask before.

At the Japanese Tea Garden, Learn About The Family Who Lived There

The Jingu family lived at the Japanese Tea Garden and operated the Bamboo Room, serving tea and food beginning in 1926. After Kimi Eizo Jingu died in 1938, his wife, Miyoshi, and their children continued the work. The family’s history includes memories of growing up there.

Following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the rise of anti-Japanese hostility, the city evicted the family in 1942.

They lost their home at the garden they had helped care for. The grounds were renamed the Chinese Tea Garden. The city’s history documents the eviction, while the family’s account describes the upheaval and the name change.

The Japanese Tea Garden name wasn’t restored until 1984, at a rededication attended by members of the Jingu family and representatives of the Japanese government.

Knowing that history changes what you’re looking at. This was a family’s home and livelihood, and the garden’s names reflect how that family’s Japanese identity was treated.

Their descendants have also helped tell the story.

Ann Enkoji contributed to the garden’s history app, helping represent the family’s experience. If you visit, spend some time with those accounts alongside the scenery. The San Antonio Parks Foundation has information about the app and the garden’s history.

A Useful Habit To Bring Back To Work

There’s a connection here to how we approach food and culture in clinical conversations.

Learning about a community’s history can give us context. We still need to ask the person in front of us what matters in their own life.

“Are there foods or meals that are important to you?” leaves space for an answer we haven’t anticipated. It might involve family traditions, religious practice, convenience, or simply something they enjoy eating.

A person’s background doesn’t tell us how they cook, what they like, or which traditions they want to keep. That takes a conversation.

Learn some history, listen to the people sharing it, and leave room to revise our assumptions and "knowledge."

Choose One Place You’d Like To Understand Better

You don’t need to turn your conference trip into a packed sightseeing schedule. Choose somewhere that interests you, read a little before you go, and check its current visiting information and transportation needs.

If another part of the city’s history interests you, my complete FNCE guide includes more starting points, including Black heritage, German immigration, and military history. The places in this email offer only a small introduction.

Is there a place in San Antonio that means something to you? Hit reply and tell me about it. I’d love to hear the story behind your recommendation.

Jenn

P.S. Follow me around the web!

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