Mexican Americans

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 Anna Barreto Favrow, joined by her mother Mary Barreto, about her father Hector Barreto Sr., founder of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She discusses her father's opinions on the importance of education, political power, and economic power, his relationship with his family, and chamber leadership that came after him.

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 Taqueria Mexico owner Arturo Romo about his experience with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City. He recalls moving to Kansas City in 1992, opening his restaurant in 1993 with the assistance of Hector Barreto, Sr., becoming a member of the chamber a few years later, and being invited to join the board of directors. He discusses the social and banking connections he was able to make through the chamber, expanding to new locations, and bringing his family to join him in Kansas City.

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 Carmen Rangel about her life and the history of her family in the Argentine neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas. She recounts her parents' early life in Leon, Mexico, their immigration to Kansas City by way of Newton, Kansas, and her own early life in Argentine where she attended St. John the Evangelist and St. John the Divine schools. She discusses the social life of the area, including church fiestas, neighbors on 24th and 25th Streets, local businesses along Strong Avenue and facing anti-Mexican discrimination. She also shares memories of her brother's service in World War II and the impact of the1951 flood on her family.