Gamez, Trinidad 1989-07-28
Trinidad Gámez talks about her family, education, cultural issues, work experiences, and difficulties Mexican-American people faced because of the lack of education and work opportunities. She also talks about segregation and exploitation of labor camp workers.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Trinidad Gamez
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: July 28, 1989
Location: Plainview, Texas
Interviewer: Yolanda Romero
Length:
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1:
Family background;
Childhood in Yorktown;
Learned from grandmother;
Mom worked with her dad because he was not a hard worker;
Moved to Waco 1939;
Charles Chaplin movies shown at school for only 1¢;
Moved to San Antonio because of dad’s medical condition;
Trinidad’s different responsibilities at work;
Married in 1947 at the age of 18;
Moved to Harper.
Tape 1, Side 2:
Father-in-law, labor contractor;
Labor camps in Harper;
Discrimination in Harper;
School discrimination;
Folk healers.
Tape 2, Side 1:
Teacher Aid work;
Teacher’s negative attitude;
High School, Harper;
Importance of parents involved in school;
Anglo domination of higher positions;
Labor camps in Texas;
Labor work contractors, before and after;
Effects of field mechanization;
Bilingual Education program;
O.S.H.A. Program;
Working as a Teacher Aid.
Tape 2, Side 2:
Graduated from Junior College in 1974, South plains night school;
Struggle as mother, wife, student, and worker;
Trinidad’s children motivation to study;
Teacher Aid Union;
Limited opportunities to improve lives of Hispanics;
Traditional roles in a family;
Challenging traditional roles of women;
Helping other women;
Judicial system.
Tape 3, Side 1:
Working with Texas Rural Legal Aid;
1950, election time and pressure tactics to gain Hispanic vote;
Participating in political issues;
School board direction, looking for changes in the town;
Meeting in Lubbock with Southwest Voter Registration;
Fighting for their rights to vote;
Americo Gámez (son) and Hispanic organizations;
Increasing Hispanic participation;
Won a lawsuit against the City Hall Administration;
Jesus Moya, Farmer’s Leader;
Delia Gámez (daughter) working in Austin;
Delia Gámez working in Chicago;
Trinidad Gámez and the Texas Rural Legal Aid;
Suits against labor contractors.
Tape Three, Side Two:
The workers rights;
San Lorenzo community, abuse of Mexican families;
Ranchers unhappy about Texas Rural Legal Aid;
Texas Rural Legal Aid’s cases;
Positive changes to benefit Hispanics;
Labor workers’ health problems;
Children in labor camps;
Abuse on labor workers;
Trinidad’s future plans.
Range Dates:
Bulk Dates:
Access Information
Original Recording Format: audio cassette
Recording Format Notes: digitized; CD available in Reading Room
Transcript: drafts of Spanish and English transcripts available in Reading Room
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