Oral History Interview with T.C. Calvert, July 1, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with T.C. Calvert, July 1, 2016

Wide ranging interview with TC Calvert. He talks about growing up in San Antonio; his membership in SNCC;
Date: July 1, 2016
Creator: Calvert, T.C. & Arionus, Steve
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Oscar Del Toro, July 21, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Oscar Del Toro, July 21, 2016

Oscar del Toro was born in Coahuila, México in 1964. At age 4, he and his family moved to Monterrey, where he came of age and lived until he moved to the United States in 2000. He fully described 12 year waiting period to immigrate to Pasadena. A businessman, he joined the Chamber of Commerce, which propelled him to become interested in politics. In 2015, he unsuccessfully ran for one of the at-large districts following the redistricting of Pasadena in 2013. He described the redistricting and how it took power away from the Latino community in Pasadena, and the current lawsuit.
Date: July 21, 2016
Creator: Enriquez, Sandra; Rodriguez, Samantha & Del Toro, Oscar
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jose Uriegas on July 9, 2016. captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Jose Uriegas on July 9, 2016.

Uriegas talks about growing up in Uvalde, being run out of Uvalde as a young man, and finishing high school in Del Rio. He talks about how Anglos in Uvalde used to turn the gas off the "Mexican" side of town to preserve pressure for the Anglo side when the weather was cold. He talks about the constant pressure that discriminatory treatment has on an individual's psyche. He talks about MAYO in Uvalde and serving on Uvalde city council. The most interesting part of the interview is him talking about him running VISTA MMP.
Date: July 9, 2016
Creator: Arionus, Steve & Uriegas, Jose
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Herman Polk, July 21, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Herman Polk, July 21, 2016

Mr. Polk discussed growing up in segregated Corpus Christi and career as a longshoreman/union man.
Date: July 21, 2016
Creator: Acuña-Gurrola, Moisés; Wall, James & Herman, Polk
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Barbara Lange, July 28, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Barbara Lange, July 28, 2016

Ms. Lange was born in Raywood, Texas. Her father took a job with Exxon in Crosby, so the family split their time between the two places. She then went to Xavier University, where she became involved in the Civil Rights Movement. After moving to Houston to go to Texas Southern, she became part of the sit-in movement, participating in sit-ins at multiple places, including the Shamrock Hotel in Houston. She continued her activism in her career as a social worker and a member of many organizations. She currently owns a farm and bed and breakfast. In her interview, Mrs. Lange described the role of the Catholic Church and Creole heritage in her life, segregation, the sit-in movement in Houston, her extensive activism, how the area has changed over time, and her hopes for the community.
Date: July 28, 2016
Creator: May, Meredith & Lange, Barbara
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Alphonso Saenz, July 22, 2015 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Alphonso Saenz, July 22, 2015

Interview with Al Saenz, a city councilman from Bryan, Texas. In the interview, Saenz discusses his family background, civil rights organizations and the Mexican-American community in Bryan. Saenz also discusses time living in Houston during his childhood.
Date: July 22, 2015
Creator: Saenz, Alphonso & Acuña-Gurrola, Moisés
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Tommy Wilkerson, July 19, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Tommy Wilkerson, July 19, 2016

Mr. Wilkerson was born in Montgomery, Texas. He attended segregated schools in Montgomery and remained active in the area. In his interview, Mr. Wilkerson described how segregation operated in Montgomery, the state of education for African-American children, his family's history in the area, and his work in volunteering, community outreach, and as a member of the city council.
Date: July 19, 2016
Creator: Howard, Jasmin; May, Meredith & Wilkerson, Tommy
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Calvin Vinson, July 26, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Calvin Vinson, July 26, 2016

Mr. Vinson was born in Montgomery, Texas and raised in Conroe. He attended Booker T. Washington school and Conroe High, participating in football at both schools. After graduation, he went to work in Houston for a utility company. He returned to Conroe and became very active in political campaigns and community organizations. In his interview, Mr. Vinson described segregation in Conroe, a march in 1968, integration of schools, experiences playing football, discrimination at work, political activism in the African-American community, African-American community organizations, and how Conroe has changed over time.
Date: July 26, 2016
Creator: May, Meredith & Vinson, Calvin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with David Noyola, July 23, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with David Noyola, July 23, 2016

David Noyola is a former city council man from Corpus Christi. In his interview, Noyola discussed growing up in the area and his career as a city politician and radio host.
Date: July 23, 2016
Creator: Acuña-Gurrola, Moisés; Wall, James & Noyola, David
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with A.C. Jaime, July 2, 2015 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with A.C. Jaime, July 2, 2015

Interview with A.C. Jaime, an accountant from McAllen, Texas. Jaime was the first Mexican-American mayor of Pharr, Texas. In his interview, Jaime discusses his early life, education, political and professional career, the riots in Pharr, and race relations in the Rio Grande Valley
Date: July 2, 2015
Creator: Jaime, A. C.; Enriquez, Sandra & Robles, David
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Perri McCary, July 28, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Perri McCary, July 28, 2016

Perri "P.K." McCary was born in 1953 in Texarkana. She grew-up in a ethnically diverse community in Alamo Garden, New Mexico and later lived near Prairie View A&M University when her father obtained a teaching position in the Industrial Education Department. McCary's parents gave her the tools to resist discrimination by exhibiting a strong sense of self and for confronting racist acts in front of her. She would opt to attend Jack Yates High School when her family moved to Houston because of the poor treatment of African-American students at the predominately white Madison High School. By 1970, McCary was attending the University of Houston and becoming involved in student activism. She would later engage in peace work and adapting religious texts with Black urban language to appeal to youth. She talks about instances of racism growing up, how her early experiences with diversity shaped the ways in which she engaged in cross-racial collaborations in her adult life, how Deloyed Parker and Ester King mentored her at UH, police brutality, and her family's association with the political movements of the 1960s and 1970s. She also discusses SHAPE Community Center and the Elders Institute of Wisdom, when she wrote a newspaper …
Date: July 28, 2016
Creator: Enriquez, Sandra; Rodriguez, Samantha & McCary, Perri
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Hilda Martinez, July 15, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Hilda Martinez, July 15, 2016

Hilda C. Martinez was born in 1948 in San Luis, San Luis Potosi. Her family migrated to the United States in 1952 and eventually settled in Baytown. In 1961, when Martinez was twelve years old, her mother passed away from breast cancer and she and her siblings subsequenly lived with several foster families. She attended Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary, the Mexican School of Baytown, and had a culture shock when she attended the integrated Baytown Junior High due to her inability to cultivate friendships as well as her lack of familiarity with the English language. She witnessed segregated public facilities, including department stores and water fountains, and the beating of a man by police when she was in high school. She talks about how teacher beatings in elementary school taught her and other Mexican American children to be obedient and to stay in their place in Baytown. Martinez also discusses how Mexican Americans were reluctant to address employment discrimination at Exxon for fear of losing good paying jobs. She addresses the police brutality case of Luis Alfonso Torres and how she worked with others in a cross-racial coalition to hold the police chief accountable, even though many members of Mexican …
Date: July 15, 2016
Creator: Enriquez, Sandra; Rodriguez, Samantha & Martinez, Hilda
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Gilbert Urbina, July 1, 2015 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Gilbert Urbina, July 1, 2015

Interview with Gilbert Urbina, a small business owner from Tyler, Texas. In the interview, Urbina discusses the racial climate in Tyler, especially for the Latino community.
Date: July 1, 2015
Creator: Urbina, Gilbert; Acuña-Gurrola, Moisés & Bynum, Katherine
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Eva Benevides, July 20, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Eva Benevides, July 20, 2016

Eva Benavides was born in 1952 in Baytown. She attended Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary, the Baytown Mexican School, and witnessed segregation in her youth. She experienced a culture shock when she attended the integrated Baytown Junior High. Inspired by her mother's and father's dedication to helping others, Benavides served as a Baytown City Councilwoman and became involved in the West Baytown Civic Association. The Luis Alfonso Torres police brutality case galvanized her and others to forge a cross-racial coalition (United Concerned Citizens of Baytown) to hold the police department accountable. Benavides talks about how Mexican Americans were situated in a segregated Baytown, the importance of Fiesta Patrias, her involvement in the PTO, her determination to become a city councilwoman and her experiences as an Mexican American female representative for a single member district, how she bodly held the Baytown Police Department accountable for the Luis Alfonso Torres case when other Mexican American representative refused to speak out, and cross-racial efforts to address police brutality. She also discusses gentrification and how her community lacks businesses and grocery stores, how she taught citizenship classes for many years, the role of Exxon in Baytown, and how city council representatives have to address race …
Date: July 20, 2016
Creator: Benavides, Eva; Enriquez, Sandra & Rodriguez, Samantha
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Lupe Mendez on July 6, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Lupe Mendez on July 6, 2016

Guadalupe "Lupe" Mendez was born in 1976 in Jalisco, Mexico and came of age in Galveston. On the island, he spent his early years in the Mexican American Magnolia Homes and the African American Palm Terrace, two public housing projects that were destroyed during Hurricane Ike. Mendez attended Catholic schools and had to overcome the lack of bilingual education programs. He eventually relocated to Houston to attend the University of St. Thomas, where he as participated in several ethnic and cross-racial literary endeavors including Nuestra Palabra, the Word Around Town, and Tintero Projects. Mendez talks about how the Latina/o community is the silent minority in Galveston, the political machine on the island, and how hurricanes have shaped the social, political, and economic landscape of Galveston. He also discusses the goal and purpose of Nuestra Palabra and Tinero Projects in providing a space for Latina/o poets and writers, how the World Around Town brings together ethnically diverse poets to present in several communities throughout Houston, his dedication to bilingual education, and the struggle for Mexican American Studies in K-12.
Date: July 6, 2016
Creator: Enriquez, Sandra; Rodriguez, Samantha & Mendez, Lupe
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Chris Reyes Mendeke, July 15, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Chris Reyes Mendeke, July 15, 2016

Cresencia Reyes Mendeke ("Chris") was born in the late 20s and raised in Uvalde during the Great Depression. In her interview, she talked about the strict segregation in the town during those years. She attended a "Mexican school" for her early education, and recalled the neglect and disinterest in educating the Mexican American children. She also talked about her father's role as a benefactor in their neighborhood, and of his relationship with a prominent family of Anglo business owners. After finishing school and working in a local Penney's store for some time, Mendeke married and moved around, as she and her husband looked for opportunities in and out of Uvalde. Eventually, they settled in the Los Angeles area, and found professional work. Later, they became licensed realtors and opened their own office in Buena Park. After several decades, the Mendekes retired and moved back to Uvalde in the eighties, and Chris was determined to get involved in local affairs. She joined the local Democratic party and helped run local campaigns; she was also a ranking member of the Mexican American Democrats (later the Tejano Democrats). In recent years, Mendeke spearheaded the restoration and marking of the Nicolas Street School, the …
Date: July 15, 2016
Creator: Sinta, Vinicio; Arionus, Steve & Mendeke, Chris Reyes
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jenny Espino, July 26, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Jenny Espino, July 26, 2016

Jenny Espino is the founder and director of the Corpus Christi Dance Collective, a community based dance project. She is also involved in community activism, and discussed her local projects as a community organizer in Corpus Christi.
Date: July 26, 2016
Creator: Acuña-Gurrola, Moisés; Wall, James & Espino, Jenny
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Salvador Avila, July 24, 2015 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Salvador Avila, July 24, 2015

Interview with Salvador Avila, a civil rights activist from Canutillo, Texas. Mr. Avila discusses his early life, education, career, race relations and his involvement with civil rights and community organizations in the El Paso area.
Date: July 24, 2015
Creator: Avila, Salvador; Enriquez, Sandra & Robles, David
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Daler Wade, July 25, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Daler Wade, July 25, 2016

Mrs. Wade attended an all-Black school in Houston and during freedom of choice the Black students collectively decided not to integrate because white school officials had sought to only allow the top Black students to integrate. Wade benefited from the land ownership of her family. By owning land, Wade's mother was able to take care of her two children following the early death of her husband. Wade attributed her father's early death to an injury that occurred during his military service. Wade also attributed her brother contracting polio and her mother's subsequent difficulty obtaining care for her brother to discrimination. Wade's mother initially worked in menial jobs despite having a degree because she could not be hired as an secretary. Wade's mother ultimately started in the 1960s and sustained her own in-home business for decades. Wade described her schooling experiences at Texas Woman's University and Texas Christian University. Wade received some negative feedback from her teacher's for deciding to not attend a historically Black college or university. Wade decided to attend a predominantly white university because she was curious about the level of education white people were receiving. Wade began a career in corporate America shortly after graduating from TCU …
Date: July 25, 2016
Creator: Howard, Jasmine & Wade, Daler
System: The Portal to Texas History