From the Esperanza Archives

Every year on April 1st, we remember La Gloria. On this day in 2002, the excavator started demolishing the La Gloria building, an iconic Westside dancehall on the Westside. It finally sunk in that the City of San Antonio cared nothing about saving culturally significant sites on the West side of San Antonio, and that the racist preservation policies would prevail.

Preservationists cared nothing about Mexican American working class history or architecture. Our Buena Gente stood between the building and a bulldozer, and would not stand for the erasure of our history. Since La Gloria, the Esperanza has continued to fight for the historic preservation of working class & Mexican American neighborhoods in San Antonio for nearly 20 years!

Please help us continue this work by becoming sustainable supporters! Please Donate!