Resilience en el Valle History Harvest (2017)

"Resilience en el Valle: Remembering La Matanza of 1915" symposium held at the UTRGV Brownsville campus on October 14, 2017.

Refusing to Forget Project along with UTRGV CMAS hosted a series of events to commemorate the unveiling historical maker that recognizes the violence done to Mexican American people here in the Rio Grande Valley during an event which is referred to as “The Matanza [The Massacre] of 1915” a period of widespread, state sanctioned anti-Mexican violence along the Texas-Mexico border (1910-1920). This is a critical time in the shaping of the Rio Grande Valley and often a forgotten part of our history where the Texas Rangers, more commonly known as “the Rinches” spearheaded much of the lynching’s and violence against Mexicans and Mexican Americans.

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Switch View to Grid View Slideshow

Newspaper clipping and draft of article - WWII Veteran's Day Tribute - Pharr's four Gonzalez brothers

Pat Gonzalez

Newspaper clipping and draft of article - WWII Veteran's Day Tribute - Pharr's four Gonzalez brothers; Leo Gonzalez, Johnny Gonzalez, Gilbert Gonzalez, Patricio Gonzalez, as well as Antonio Alvarez, Medardo Perez, Daniel Ramirez, Emmanuel Ramirez, and Esequiel Guajardo. Portraits of the men, stories, brief biographies, recollections, and photographs taken during the war are included in the pages.
Event photographs - 001 - Joe and Rosa Perez

Color photographs. Joe and Rosa Perez performing ballads at the UTRGV Student Union for the Resilience en el Valle Symposium.
Event photographs - 002 - UTRGV Marimba Ensemble Band

Color photograph. UTRGV Marimba Ensemble performing at the Resilience en el Valle Symposium.
Event photographs - 003 - UTRGV MAS Faculty with UTRGV Library Staff

Color photograph. From left: Dr. Christopher Carmona, Dr. Noreen Rivera, Sophia Benavides, Millie Resendez, Jesus Resendez, William Flores.
Event photographs - 004 - UTRGV Students with Oral Interview Particpants

Color Photograph. From left: Kelly Saenz, Ricardo Cantu, Juanita Rosales Cantu, Robert Hinojosa.
Event photographs - 005 - UTRGV Student Conducting Oral Interview

Color Photograph. Robert Hinojosa interviewing Juanta Rosales Cantu.
Event photographs - 006 - Digitization Volunteers

Color photograph. UTRGV MAS and History students alongside UTRGV Library Staff at digitization station.
Event photographs - 007 - Digitization Volunteers

Color photograph. UTRGV MAS and History students at digitization station.
Joe and Rosa Perez ballad performance, Dionicio Maldonado

Año de mil novecientos fecha buena el día primero.

Mataron tres Mexicanos esos rinches de Laredo.

Cuando llegaron a Bruni Las puertas tenían candado.

El que fue a pedir las llaves fue Dionicio Maldonado

Cuando ya abrieron las puertas Aguilar ya estaba herido.

"Fuerzas son las que me faltan valor siempre lo he tenido."

Oliveira como era hombre le dio riendas a su caballo.

"Éntreles rinches cobardes a pelear con este gallo."

Un rinche que estaba allí corazon de una gallina.

Salió corriendo pa' afuera cuando vio una carabina.

Si les preguntan sus nombres, no la vayan a negar fue Dionisio Maldonado, Oliveira y Aguilar.
Joe and Rosa Perez ballad performance, Gregorio Cortez

As ashes flow along the Rio Bravo

Where it spills into the Gulf of Mexico

Cenizas se revuelven por los mares

Y un muerto sigue su destinación

On a ranch across the border in Tamaulipas

An old man calls his memory from afar

From the days his father sang the old corridos

While Americo Paredes played guitar

They sang about the Tequileros, contrabandos y traiciones from the past

El corrido de Jacinto Trevino

And the ballad of Gregorio Cortez

Corridos que devuelven la memoria

Con paso de regreso al corazón

Cenizas se revuelven con los mares

Y un muerto sigue su destinación

To sing the ballad of los Tequileros, contrabandos, y traiciones from the past

El corrido de Jacinto Trevino

And the ballad of Gregorio Cortez

And the ballad of Gregorio Cortez
Joe and Rosa Perez ballad performance, Los Sediciosos

En mil novecientos quince que días tan calurosos

Voy a cantar estos versos, versos de los sediciosos

Ya la mecha está encendida por los puros Mexicanos

Y los que van a pagar las son los México-Tejanos

Decía Aniceto Pizana en su caballo cantando

Donde estan por hay los rinches que los vengo visitando

Gritaba Teodoro Fuentes hay que pasar por Mercedes

Para enseñarles a los rinches que con nosotros no pueden

Pues pasaron por Mercedes y También por San benito

Iban a tumbar el tren a ese depot en Olmito

Ya se van los sediciosos ya se van de retirada

De recuerdos nos dejaron una veta colorada

Ya se van los sediciosos ya se van de retirada

De recuerdos nos dejaron una veta colorada
Resilience en el Valle: Remembering the Matanza of 1915 flyer

Flyer containing descriptions, order of events, and presenters.
Interview with Ricardo M. Cantu

Ricardo M. Cantu and Kelly Saenz

Ricardo M. Cantu talks about growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, his father's work with the Valley Fruit Company, Hurricane Beulah, his time as a Disc Jockey in KURV and KRGV, academics, the Pharr Riot, and discrimination he has faced as a Hispanic. Interview conducted on October 14, 2017 by Kelly Saenz in Brownsville, Texas. Ricardo passed away on August 12, 2020.
Interview with Juanita Rosales Cantu

Juanita Rosales Cantu and Robert A. Hinojosa

Juanita Rosales Cantu born on April 21, 1950, talks about her life, including: her childhood, working as a migrant worker, her battle with breast cancer, medicine in the United States, her time as a mother, language exams to enter Pan American College, University of Texas Pan American, pesticide related illnesses, and her time working with U.S. Customs Service. She also tells of family stories, including: bootlegging, violence against Hispanics, and U.S. Customs Service.
Documents and correspondence pertaining to Dr. Irene Ledesma

Documents and correspondence pertaining to Dr. Irene Ledesma, a former UTPA professor. Juanita Cantu includes a letter to the editor containing a brief biography of Irene, an article written by Dr. Ledesma titled, Texas Newspapers and Chicana Workers' Activism, 1919-1974 [https://doi.org/10.2307/970655], and guidelines for the Irene Ledesma Prize for Ph.D. graduate student research in the history of women in the American West.
Transcript of U.S. Corp. of Engineers member, Patricio Gonzalez, talking about World War II and a wing piece belonging to a Lockheed YP-38 American aircraft fighter

Patricio Gonzalez

Transcript of U.S. Corp. of Engineers member, Patricio Gonzalez, talking about World War II and a wing piece belonging to a Lockheed YP-38 American aircraft fighter.
Newspaper clipping regarding Jacinto Treviño

Newspaper clipping regarding Jacinto Treviño who apparently killed Jimmy Darwin and another man in Los Indios, Texas on May 28, 1910. Article is titled "Jacinto Treviño rides again"; published in the Valley Morning Star.
Newspaper clippings - Rosales siblings recall Pearl Harbor

Maro Robbins

Newspaper clippings regarding four Rosales siblings of Pharr, Texas recalling the attack of Pearl Harbor. The names of the four brothers are: Jose Rosales, Francisco Rosales, Juan Rosales, and Israel Rosales.