World War II divided the world and when it ended, after years of suffering, violence and sacrifice, it needed healing.
So in 1956, nine years after Adolf Hitler shot himself and the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, President Dwight D. Eisenhower created Sister Cities International to create bonds between Earth’s citizens.
Sixty years later, 545 U.S. cities have more than 2,000 siblings in 145 countries, spanning every continent except for frozen Antarctica, according to Sister Cities International.
San Antonio has nine of those partnerships across six countries.
Sherry Dowlatshahi is chief of protocol and head of international relations for San Antonio’s International Relations Office. The San Antonio Current caught up with her over the phone while she was walking to see the logo for the city’s tricentennial celebration that was unveiled last Wednesday at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
“Eisenhower thought that if people were more open and knowledgeable of people on the other side of the world they would be more tolerant and understanding and that wars would not happen like they happened then [WWII],” she said. “It’s really about promoting peace, cooperation and mutual understanding.”
Back when Eisenhower made that 1956 announcement, San Antonio was already ahead of the game. Its first sister city relationship was established in 1953 with a natural fit: Monterrey, in Nuevo León, Mexico — the first Mexican city to form a sister city pairing.
In its infancy, Dowlatshahi said U.S. cities formed relationships with Mexican and European cities.
“It was a movement that just grew and grew throughout the ’60s and ’70s,” she said. “In the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, there was no Facebook, no social networking. So if you wanted to learn, there was the whole pen pals thing and finding friends in another part of the world was very popular … and a lot of those initiatives were through sister city relationships.”
The goal is to also foster citizen diplomacy, along with the Eisenhower’s vision of a less violent world created through tolerance and understanding.
1. Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Founded: 1596 • Population: 1.14 million (2010) • Sister City establishment: 1953
Monterrey is a hub of industrial operations in Mexico, with 13,000 manufacturers producing nearly 10 percent of the country’s products. The Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range surrounds the city, creating a breathtaking view. Monterrey is known for Norteño music and is a popular tourist destination.
2. Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Founded: 1531 • Population: 1.5 million (2010) • Sister City establishment: 1974
Guadalajara is a treasure trove of architecture, and its city center is full of culture with plenty for visitors to choose from, including museums, theaters and, of course, food. It’s also known for mariachi music and tequila. Guadalajara has also been dubbed the “Silicon Valley of Mexico,” since it’s the primary manufacturer of software and electronics the country.
3. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Founded: 1478 • Population: 382,283 (2014) • Sister City establishment: 1975
This pairing couldn’t be more appropriate. San Antonio’s first families were colonists from the Canary Islands. Las Palmas is the capital of Gran Canaria of the Canary Islands and is a major tourist destination with pristine beaches. The major cruise ship stopover is the largest city in the Canary Islands and it’s the ninth largest city in Spain. It was the islands’ only capital until the 17th century. Now it shares the distinction with Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
4. Gwangju, South Korea
Founded: 57 B.C. • Population: 1.52 million (2014) • Sister City establishment: 1981
This is the sixth largest city in South Korea and it’s an important government center. It’s an ancient city where people can explore Paekje culture and artistic and scholarly accomplishments from the Chosun period. The three-month long Bienale Arts Festival, which showcases international contemporary art, is held here. There’s also the impressive Mt. Mudung that looms over the city and holds the Yongchu Falls, along with ancient temples.
5. Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China
Founded: Sometime in the 17th century • Population: 2.77 million (2014) • Sister City establishment: 1981
The second largest city in Taiwan is the island’s foremost industrial center. The city’s geography is defined by its major port — Port of Kaohsiung — which is the sixth largest in the entire world. In fact, so much trade floats in and out of the port that it reached its operational capacity in 2007. So, now, the port’s getting even bigger. This port links 372 shipping lanes to five continents and 367 ports in 102 countries.
6. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Founded: 1494 • Population: 206,593 (2013) • Sister City establishment: 1983
Like Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a reflection of San Antonio’s historical European influence. And like its co-capital, the island is a destination for cruise ships. It’s also home to Canary Island’s Parliament. There’s breathtaking architecture and public art abounds. Its yearly celebration, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is the second most popular carnival in the world, attracting visitors from all over the globe.
7. Kumamoto, Japan
Founded: 1588 • Population: 731,286 (2010) • Sister City establishment: 1987
This city boasts one of Japan’s most iconic castles: the Kumamoto Castle, which was built shortly after the city’s founding. The castle is a major landmark in the city and in the country. However, getting a taste of Kumamoto is possible without ever leaving San Antonio. In 1989, Kumamoto donated the beautiful and peaceful Japanese Garden in the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. Last October, the rosy-cheeked bear-like Kumamon, the official mascot of the Kumamoto Prefecture, was declared an “Honorary Citizen” of San Antonio.
8. Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
Founded: Sometime in 11th century B.C. • Population: 6.37 million (2010) • Sister City establishment: 2012
This city is ancient and is where the first Chinese state was created. While thousands of years have passed, Wuxi has stood the test of time. In 2014, Sister Cities International awarded both Wuxi and San Antonio the U.S.-China Sister Cities Award in the “Most Innovative” category. After San Antonio participated in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, efforts to build a sister city relationship became a reality, serving as a catalyst for more regional sister cities between the countries.
9. Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Founded: 1640 • Population: 6.7 million (2011) • Sister City establishment: 2008
Chennai may be of San Antonio’s most visible of sister cities because of the Diwali San Antonio Festival — the annual festival of lights. This year, Diwali returned to La Villita, where it was first celebrated in 2009, drawing thousands of festival-goers. The celebration is organized by the local volunteer group Anuja SA, which was tasked by former Mayor Phil Hardberger with helping share the culture of India with the Alamo City. In December 2015, the city was devastated by historic flooding.
This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2016.
