Roma, Texas
Roma is a city in Starr County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,617 at the 2000 census. The city is located along the Rio Grande, across from Ciudad Miguel Alemán in Tamaulipas, Mexico.
The city is also popularly known as Roma-Los Saenz, since the incorporated city also took the area known as Los Saenz.
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History
Roma was founded in 1765 and incorporated in 1936. It serves as a port of entry from Mexico into the U.S. via the Roma-Ciudad Miguel Alemán International Bridge. Prior to Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836, the town was listed as under the jurisdiction of the town of Mier, Mexico and served under Spanish rule. [1]
Geography
Roma is located at 26°24′22″N 99°0′20″W / 26.40611°N 99.00556°W (26.406101, -99.005644)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (4.50%) is water.
The City of Roma is located along the Rio Grande, which is the dividing line between the United States and Mexico.
Notable people
- Duelo - Mexican/Norteño Band
- Jovita González de Mireles (1904•1983) - Tejana folklorist, schoolteacher, and feminist writer. Born in Roma in 1904 and moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1910. Most famous for her novel Caballero: A Historical Novel, which she cowrote with Eve Raleigh in the later 1930s[4].
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 9,617 people, 2,678 households, and 2,351 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,490.2 people per square mile (1,345.3/km²). There were 3,141 housing units at an average density of 1,139.9/sq mi (439.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.30% White, 0.15% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.76% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 98.54% of the population.
There were 2,678 households out of which 50.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.2% were non-families. 11.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.59 and the average family size was 3.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.9% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $15,563, and the median income for a family was $16,883. Males had a median income of $16,020 versus $12,656 for females. The per capita income for the city was $7,539. About 48.9% of families and 54.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 64.2% of those under age 18 and 46.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public education in the city of Roma is provided by the Roma Independent School District. Zoned campuses include Anna S. Canavan Elementary School for pre-kindergarten, in grades K-5, the western portion of the city is zoned to Florence J. Scott Elementary and the eastern portion is zoned to Roel and Celia Saenz Elementary School. A small area located near the eastern city limit line lies within the boundaries of Ynes B. Elementary School. Roma is served by both of the district's middle schools • Roma and Ramiro Barrera (grades 6-8), with a majority zoned to Roma Middle. Roma High School [2] serves students in grades 9-12.[5][6]
Roma in popular culture
The town is the scene identified as the burial site of artifacts from the Library at Alexandria in Clive Cussler's novel Treasure.
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ See Purdy 142-146.
- ^ "2009-2010 Roma ISD Elementary Boundaries". Roma Independent School District. http://www.romaisd.com/www/romaisd/site/hosting/Zoning/Roma_ISD_Elem_09_10.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
- ^ "2009-2010 Roma ISD Middle School Boundaries". Roma Independent School District. http://www.romaisd.com/www/romaisd/site/hosting/Zoning/Roma_Middle_school_boundaries_0910.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
The 1952 film Viva Zapata was filmed primarily in Roma, Texas, with Anthony Quinn, Marlon Brando, Jean Peters.
Bibliography
- Purdy, Andrea R. "Jovita González de Mireles (1908-1983)". American Women Writers, 1900-1945: A Bio-bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Ed. Laurie Champion. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. 142-146.
External links
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Categories: Starr County, Texas | Cities in Texas | Populated places established in 1765 | Micropolitan areas of Texas | Texas communities with Hispanic majority populations
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