The one-of-a-kind $55 million National Hispanic Cultural Center had its grand opening in the Barelas neighborhood of downtown Albuquerque this weekend. In actuality, only the first phase is complete, but it is impressive enough the be open to the public. In the end, the Center will include an 11,000 square foot Intel Center for Technology and Visual Arts with three art galleries (Intel ponied up $2 million for the place); a Research and Literary Arts Center which has a genealogical research center, library and archive, a ballroom and a restaurant with an interculinary arts program; and a Performing Arts Complex which will include a 700-seat proscenium theater, a 300-seat film theater, a 150-seat black box theater, rehearsal and workshop space, and 2500-seat outdoor amphitheater. Basically, it will be a bad-ass facility.

At the time of the grand opening, the Research and Literary Arts Building (without the culinary wing) and Visual Arts Center are complete. The entire project still has two more years of construction. The Center got its money from anyone and everyone. $18.7 million in federal money, $17 million in state money, private business, non-profit fund-raisers, donations and anyone who wanted to pitch in to the cause.

The facility has left the Hispanic culture proud, and every other culture jealous. It's not every day a multi-million dollar facility is created in the name of ethnicity. Usually, things done in the name of race aren't so positive. New Mexico is one of only two states in the union that have a minority-majority (less than fifty percent white people), and the Hispanic population is (and always has been) a powerful influence in politics, business and the general way of doing things. Albuquerque's mayor is Hispanic, so is the Senate majority leader (who just happened to grow up in the Barelas neighborhood).

The one thing I've noticed about the abundance of non-whites in Albuquerque is the lack of discussion about race. There is very little squabbling about "these people" and "those people." When I meet someone for the first time, it doesn't dawn on me instantly that I'm talking to a Hispanic person, or a Black person, or an Indian, or Asians, or white folk, or some blend of several cultures. I think about race so little that I'm not even sure of the proper labels for each race. On paper, the proper term is Native Americans, but most Indians I meet call themselves Indians.

When I go to other parts of the country, I inevitably hear about race relations, and how some group of people is still discriminated against on a regular basis. My theory is that if you have to talk about race relations, then you have a race problem. Ironically, race problems can't be blamed on any race. It's not white people, or black people, or red, or blue, or yellow. The problem lies with the people who don't mingle. The ones who stick only to "their kind."

"I only hang out with people who live in this neighborhood, who drive this kind of car, who worship this kind of god, who root for this sports team, who dress this way, who think like me, and who look like me."

That's the real problem, and it goes far beyond race.

Race issues still come up in New Mexico. It's not some utopia where everyone gets along regardless. I still remember in high school when a girl I was seeing explained how was okay for a white girl (like herself) to date a Hispanic guy, but not a Black guy. She had rationalized the whole thing, and I just sat there shaking my head at the absurdity.

New Mexico is pretty laid back about the mixing of its colors though. Things are good enough around here that when we think about specific cultures, we think of them how everyone should. When we think about Hispanics, we think about all the good things they have done in this world instead how brown people are different from white, black, purple, yellow and green people. That's why $55 million was able to be raised. That's why in a couple years, Albuquerque (and the world) will boast a kick-ass Hispanic Cultural Center. That's why we should embrace different cultures. "Those people" are actually your people and my people. How do I know? Because I live, work and hang out with them all the time.

If this keeps up, the phrase "race relations" may start to have positive connotations.

Chris Jungle is of noble White Trash decent.