He knew only four people in town who could speak Spanish, and pickings were scarce by way of entertainment. There weren't enough enthusiasts to make an 11-man soccer team for weekend games, so they had to make do with eight players to a side. It was very lonely. A decade later, five full teams of soccer players at Tuscaloosa's Snow Hinton Park vie for playing space, and the fence along the field is a gallery of spectators, mostly wives and children who come to cheer on husbands and fathers. Swing dancing parties have given way to salsa nights.
Soccer players hold court at the parks.
At Hispanic Masses at the Catholic church he attends, the pews overflow. Before, if you wanted to cook tamales, it was hard to even get the wrapping. Now, you can get almost everything you want. Call it the changing face of Tuscaloosa. The influx of Hispanics into the community is prompting changes in education, health care and social services but also is influencing the community's culture.