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What makes a city a great home for Hispanics? There is no secret formula. We value good schools, reasonable housing prices, low crime rates and a promising business climate. We shy away from regions where snow chains are required and drift toward places where sunscreen is always on the shopping list. Sound familiar? They are the same traits anyone would appreciate in a city.
But we also want a hometown with a Hispanic population that is active in the local political scene. We want a place where our children can experience our culture in museums and concert halls. We seek out cities where we can order a plate of ropa vieja at a local restaurant and feel comfortable wearing a guayabera to a PTA meeting.
Is that asking too much?
Picking 10 top cities that meet those standards was not easy. We studied crime statistics, home sales and media sources such as CNN's Money, Forbes.com, Sperling's Best Places, Morgan Quitno Press and the Places Rated Almanac.
Then we talked to Latinos. America is home to more than 40 million Hispanics, most of whom live in the Southwest. So it is no surprise that many of our choices are in this region.
1 AUSTIN tops the list for the second year in a row for good reason. The capital of the Lone Star State has all the basics: low crime rates, reasonable housing costs (a median price of $154,000), and a happening cultural scene.
In May, the city co-sponsors the "Sabor Latino" noon concert series on the steps of City Hall. Then there is Carnival Brasiliero, with colorful costumes, samba music and authentic Brazilian food. A city of 672,000, with Hispanics representing 30 percent of the population, Austin also has a strong economic outlook. Forbes.com ranks Austin third in the nation for jump-starting a business or career.
Hispanics have come a long way in Austin.
When Eliza Mae moved to Austin from Laredo, Texas in 1976, she searched long and hard to find a store that sold tortillas. Today, the president of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce says street vendors sell paletas and raspados in Austin's upper-income neighborhoods.
"The transformation over the years has been phenomenal," she says, "and I don't see it stopping...