The Where I Live series aims to showcase our diverse city and region by spotlighting its many vibrant neighborhoods. Each week a local resident invites us over and lets us in on what makes their neighborhood special. Have we been to your neighborhood yet? Get in touch to share your story. If your story is selected and published, you will receive a $250 stipend.
Family is so important, and our Woodlawn Hills community is just like familia. The home that my husband and I own is in a cul-de-sac that holds a lot of history. In 1992, my immigrant parents relocated their four children from a two-bedroom, one-bath house to a three-bedroom, two-bath home, which to my 11-year-old self felt like a mansion. In that house, the smell of freshly made fajitas permeated the air while mom rolled sweet handmade flour tortillas for my dad, the quintessential DIY-type who takes pride in the upkeep of his yard and works hard to provide for his family.
Here, neighbors know neighbors. Some of my fondest childhood memories include playing on my neighbor’s twisted, low-lying mesquite tree. During the holidays, neighbors with baking skills share a homemade basket of goodies. On monumental occasions, when a mariachi band is hired and the party is outdoors, neighbors stand on their front porches to enjoy the music of that joyful occasion. Neighbors saw me grow from a sixth grader to an adolescent, complete graduate school, and leave to chase my dreams.
Many of the original homeowners from the early 1980s remained as empty nesters — their children also left in search of better employment opportunities. I advanced my career in Washington, D.C., and Austin, became a homeowner and enjoyed city life. I met my husband, Aiyappan.
As we thought about forming our own family, the importance of my family’s support and starting a family around a strong community took priority over everything else. So, I decided to return to Woodlawn Hills where our daughter, Anjali, was born surrounded by a loving family and supportive community.
Anjali is growing up in the same cul-de-sac, just one house away from my childhood home where Abuela feeds her and Abuelo jokes with her. She climbs the same mesquite tree I once did, but this time, it’s in her yard. The same neighbors I grew up waving “hi” to are the ones who wave to her as we walk over to the newly established West Quill Park. As a mother, life has come full circle.
Our neighborhood association, which dissolved during the pandemic, is becoming active again. I attended the most recent meeting to connect with a larger neighborhood base and see how we can work together to further improve our community. I feel a sense of responsibility to apply skills mastered as a program manager and strategist for the benefit of this community that feels like family. We want to capitalize on the momentum from the improvements our community has received, like updated libraries and vacant lots converted into a neighborhood park, to continue enriching Woodlawn Hills. We welcome community input and participation.
The now elderly homeowners that witnessed me grow from an adolescent to an adult share success stories about their children and grandchildren, who live outside of San Antonio or Texas. Our community has a lot of talented people. Retaining the human capital resources of our community will not only enrich Woodlawn Hills but San Antonio as a whole. That is why I felt it was important to found the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Alumni Association San Antonio Chapter. This nonprofit organization exposed me to many opportunities in our nation’s Capitol that I previously never thought possible. Today, our local alumni hope to develop the next generation of Latino leaders who will advance the solutions to the needs of our local community.
As a first-generation American, rather than perpetrating the brain drain syndrome, I chose to invest in my community. Working together, we can encourage those who come from humble beginnings to explore a world of opportunities and give them a reason to call Woodlawn Hills home. I hope Anjali grows up and moves in one house down from our own (a mom can dream).
