47. When Myths Make History Move

Exploring the history of "The City with the Sunny Side Up"

Dear Readers,

Did you know that on July 13, 1955, El Paso, Texas officially became “The City with the Sunny Side Up”? This peppy slogan beat out “Where the Sun Shines and Opportunity Never Sets” and “A Place in the Sun for Everyone,” among 1,026 other contest entries.

Sunshine, which graces El Paso about 300 days a year, is a big part of the city’s self-image. But the slogan didn’t stick. I can find few references to it after 1955, though sometimes the town is referred to, somewhat awkwardly, as “The Sun City.”

Today El Paso is often touted as one of the safest cities in the United States. This contrasts starkly with Ciudad Juárez, right across the river, which is often ranked as one of the most dangerous in the world.

Fox News and similar outlets typically use this information to insinuate, with little subtlety, that there’s a menace in Mexico and its terrifyingly close.