The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Stephanie Saldana

Harvard Divinity School
Religious Diversity in San Antonio, TX

San Antonio has been historically known as a bi-cultural city, a vibrant community rich with Latin American traditions. With 59 percent of the local population descending from a Spanish-speaking country, San Antonio is a place where Spanish and English are spoken side by side, where the community gathers to celebrate Posadas and Cinco de Mayo, el Dia de Los Muertos and the annual Fiesta. Religion has also been, quite literally, at the heart of the city, with the San Fernando cathedral, built in 1738, still marking the official city center.

My project aims to find out what happens when a bi-cultural city becomes multi-cultural. By visiting Sikh, Baha'i, Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian communities, I discovered that, while much of America is becoming increasingly diverse, the religious landscape of San Antonio is changing in a special way. Hispanics are pioneers in the Buddhist community. Baha'i worship combines Spanish, English, Persian, and Arabic. And every year the San Fernando cathedral holds an interfaith Thanksgiving service, where Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists and Baha'is all gather to give thanks for their city's diversity. While much of Texas is conservative, new immigrants in San Antonio are finding that their presence is embraced, viewed as another level in an already diverse local fabric, and welcomed into the public sphere. In a city where religion has always played a central role in public discourse, today an interfaith delegation blesses each new City Council and reminds them of their duties.

San Antonio may always be known as a city famous for its Latin American heritage. But in my profiles, my interviews, my slide show and photos, I hope to give some sense of the fact that San Antonio has become increasingly multi-cultural. And from the Texas flag hanging outside of a Thai Buddhist Center to the Texas flags adorning the basketball hoops outside of the Islamic Center of San Antonio, it is clear that members of these communities, while holding onto their traditions, are as proud to be Texan as their neighbors.

From Bi-cultural to Multi-cultural: Religious Diversity in San Antonio, Texas (2004)

Baha'i Center of San Antonio (2006)

Dhammabucha Buddhist Temple [Wat Dhammabucha] (2009)

Gurudwara Sikh Center of San Antonio (2006)

Islamic Center of San Antonio (2006)

The San Antonio Shambhala Center (2004)

The San Fernando Cathedral (2006)

The Sikh Research Institute (2006)

Religious Diversity in San Antonio, TX