Ruiz, Irene H.

Interview with Agapito Juan Maya about his his life and work. He discusses his roots in the Otomi Indians of central Mexico, his father's immigration to Iowa and later Kansas City following railroad work, and being kidnapped by his father when his mother refused to leave for the United States. He also recalls his school experiences in Iowa, helping and translating for other Mexican immigrants, working as a railroad electrician in Illinois, moving to the Kansas City area in the early 1950s, and working in Mexico as a retiree in the 1970s. He also shares information about his family, his interests, and his travles.

Interview with Agustin Medina in which he discusses his youth in Mexico and his adult life as a restaurant owner and community leader in Kansas City. He recalls joining then leaving seminary, leaving Leon to play professional soccer for a number of Mexican teams, meeting and marrying his wife, and moving to Kansas City in 1953. He discusses working at the Swift packing house, moving to California to work at a relative's tortilla factory, and returning to Kansas City to open El Taquito restaurant on Southwest Boulevard. He also discusses his involvement in community organizations and the political needs of the Westside neighborhood.

Interview with retired newspaper proofreader and typesetter Agustin Rocha about his life. Born in 1912, Rocha recalls his early life in Texas and Illinois, his father's railroad work, moving to Iowa to work beet harvests, his education, and working for the Belmond (Iowa) Independent newspaper setting linotype. He also discusses moving to Kansas City circa 1940, working as a linotype operator as a drafted soldier in World War II, suffering a concussion at D-Day, and returning home to work for the Kansas City Star and Kansas City Kansan. He also shares memories of the 1951 Flood, participating in organizations including the American Legion, and his marriage and family.

Interview with Alfonso Lopez about his life and his work as an educator. Born in 1950, he discusses his family's immigration from Mexico, his early life on the Mexico/US border near El Paso, Texas, his early experiences with education, farm work, and sports, and attending college during the Vietnam War draft era. After receiving bachelors and masters degrees from the University of North Texas, he worked in establishing bilingual education programs in Garden City, Kansas, and later with the Kansas City (Missouri) School District.

Interview with UMKC chemistry professor Dr. Antonio Sandoval about his life. Born in 1931, he recalls his early childhood on a New Mexico ranch in a Mexican American community, moving to Colorado to be able to attend high school, doing agricultural work, and notes that of his graduating class of 100, he was the only one to go on to earn a PhD. He discusses his mother's hope that he would become a priest but instead majoring in chemistry, enlisting in the army where he worked to support nuclear testing at locations including Los Alamos, going on to earn his PhD from Kansas State University where he almost met his microbiologist wife, and coming to Kansas City where he was on faculty at UMKC and his wife taught at Avila, Rockhurst, and Donnelly colleges. He also discusses his participation in United Mexican American Students (UMAS) and working with his wife in the Catholic church's Marriage Encounter program.

Interview with Asencion Hernandez about his life, work, and involvement with numerous organizations. He recalls growing up as the son of immigrants in the Topeka Mexican-American community, attending segregated Catholic schools, memories of church-centered community activities, and World War II. He also discusses attending college at Washburn in the early 1960s, earning a graduate degree in social work at University of Southern California, working for the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and his involvement in organizations including LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), IMAGE (Incorporated Mexican American Government Employees) and Trabajadores de la Raza, a Hispanic social worker organization.

Interview with Hoffman-Cortes Construction Company executive vice-president Carlos Cortes about his life. Born in 1907, Cortes recalls his mother's European Jewish background, his Mexican father's work as an engineer for Shell Oil in California, attending grammar school in Mexico, and working for the University of California library. He also discusses his interest in history of the Western United States, his evolving role in his construction businesses, life during the Great Depression, and being ineligible for the World War II draft. He also shares his views on illegal immigration, bilingualism, religion, and politics.

Interview with Catherine Reyes about her life and experience in Kansas City's Westside neighborhood. Born in 1931, she recalls her early life and education in Mexico City after being born in Independence, Kansas, their struggles during the Great Depression, her realization that she was a foreigner in Mexico, and moving to Kansas City on her own at the age of 17. She discusses working as an inspector and seamstress in a garment factory, marrying and raising children, being joined in Kansas City by her brother and mother, continuing to learn English, and going to work in the bilingual education program with Kansas City Public Schools.

Interview with Chris Medina about his life in Kansas City and his role with the Guadalupe Center. He recalls coming to the Westside neighborhood Kansas City as a young child after being born in Mexico City, and describes his Catholic education and businesses and redevelopment in the neighborhood. He also discusses the role the Guadalupe Center played in his life growing up, and returning to work there as a youth coordinator, and later director, as an adult.

Interview with IMAGE president and Rockhurst High School teacher Dan Torres about his life and work. Born in 1949, he recounts his early life being raised by supportive grandparents in Las Vegas, New Mexico, working as an agricultural laborer during the summer, and his family's distrust of English-speaking priests. He discusses being expelled from New Mexico Highlands University after a a protest with a Chicano political organization, moving to Kansas City at the age of 20 to study for the priesthood, completing his religious education, and ultimately deciding he was called to be a teacher and not a priest. He went on to work at Westport High School, the Guadalupe Parish Center, and Rockhurst High School, worked in other capacities with young people in the East Bottoms and Westside neighborhoods, and discusses his involvement with IMAGE and other organizations and shares his concerns about Westside development.