Rivas, Maria S. 2010-02-03

This interview features Maria Rivas as she discusses her life and background living in Texas. In this interview, Rivas describes her love for education and how she got a job in the educational field, and the trials and tribulations she faced while growing up. Maria Rivas, a Texas Tech University Alumnus, talks about her experiences growing up in Pecos, Texas and life at Texas Tech University during the mid 1960s. She discusses her views on bilingual education, racial discrimination and Los Tertulianos (Texas Tech’s first minority student organization.)

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Maria S. Rivas

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: February 03, 2010

Location: Lubbock, Texas

Interviewer: Daniel Sanchez

Length: 02:31:12

Abstract

Introduction; Background; Family members; Lived in Pecos, Texas; Her mother worked many jobs; Ran a cantina; Worked in a Laundromat; Single mother; Attended school in Pecos; Childhood activities; Low income family; Family experiences; Bilingual education; Racial segregation; Combined schools in high school; Graduated as valedictorian; Discrimination in athletic programs; Extracurricular involvement; Family education level; High drop-out rate; High school administrative assistance; Scholarships for college; Community financial support; Published as valedictorian; Emphasis on racial differences; Attended Texas Tech University; Differences from her roommates; Worked at a theater; Social groups; Academic experiences; Achieved good grades with minimal effort; Differences between college and high school; Changes in responsibilities; Priorities throughout college; Influence of teachers; Traditional role of women; Became a professor; Job opportunities after college; Raised her son; Bilingual program in Lubbock Independent School District (LISD); Moved to Austin, Texas; Trained teachers; Wrote curriculum; Hired by Austin Independent School District; Moved to Kansas; In charge of University bilingual program; Achieved doctorate in three years; Moved to UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso, Texas); Worked at Southwest Texas State University; Life obstacles; Positive outcomes of bad experiences; Had polio as a child; Positive effects of illness; Differences between generations; Ability to survive and adapt; Barriers of failure; Environmental or innate personality; Moved to Texas Tech University; Coordinated the bilingual program; Importance of bilingual education; Division of labor; Integration of languages in the classroom; Need for bilingual education; Special education programs; Enjoyed teaching students; Her son’s experiences; He spent time in school with her; Stayed home while she was teaching; Balanced her time between work and her son; Opportunities for parental advice; Personal responsibilities; Met her husband in Lubbock; Worked together at Texas Tech University; Married Dr. Jim Goss after six months; Dynamic of the relationship; Kept her last name; Community service involvement; Hispanic associations and celebrations; Child abuse programs; Resigned from Texas Tech University; Concerned about drop-out rates; Mentored pregnant teenagers; Differences in responsibility between girls and boys; Issues with poverty; Lack of continuity in education; Decrease in grade average; Health care reform; Job market problems; Current political involvement; In charge of caucus in her precinct; Supported Hillary Clinton; The state of the economy; Racial prejudices; Political orientation; Local politics; Party loyalty; Differences in policies; Changes in demographics; Problems on the City of Lubbock City Council; Elections; Minority influence; Fought for community improvements; Racial insensitivity; Differences among cultures; Political correctness; School system segregation; Educational accommodations; Ethnic biases; Lack of bus transportation; Uncertified teachers; Discrimination; Racial labels on students; Difference between Mexican-American and Hispanic; Increased level of education; Hispanic community; City Council votes.

Access Information

Original Recording Format: born digital

Recording Format Notes: CD copy available to listen in reading room

Transcript: Transcript available on dspace https://hdl.handle.net/10605/361866

---

Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.