State Parks

Brazos Bend Signs Welcome All

Six languages on state park’s signage recognize area’s incredible diversity.

With the installation of new signs, visitors to Brazos Bend State Park are now welcomed to the park and urged to come back in six different languages — a reflection of the diverse population that visits the park. The park installed the new multi-lingual signs at the entrance and exit in March.

“One of the first things I noticed when I started here was the diversity of our park visitors,” says Superintendent Jim Cisneros. “I’d walk the trails and so hear many different languages — Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian.”

An influx of residents from around the world has made Houston the most ethnically and racially diverse city in the country. Cisneros and the park wanted to acknowledge that.

Cisneros suggested installing a multi-lingual sign at the entrance to greet visitors. Staff members suggested a second, complementary sign at the exit.
 
Now, signs at the entrance offer a greeting of “Welcome” in six languages — English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin Chinese (determined to be the most widely spoken languages in Houston). Signs in the same languages at the exit ask visitors to “Come back soon.”