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Los Del Valle

Los Del Valle

The Los del Valle Oral History Project, begun in 1993 by Manuel F. Medrano, includes edited autobiographical sketches of people from the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas and accounts of historical and cultural events that document the rich heritage of the area. The thirty volume series includes personal interviews, photographs, film clips and music that convey the uniqueness of the area not usually found in traditional sources.

The collection divides the videos into two main categories:

Volume videos (titled "Volume 01," "Volume 02," etc.) — represent published interviews. These edited documentaries feature curated interviews, performances, scholarly commentary, and thematic narratives on topics like regional history, music, and personal stories.
Items titled with "[LDV Project Archive]" — contain the unedited original interviews, raw footage, multi-part recordings, B-roll, and supplemental materials that served as the source content for the published volumes.

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[LDV Project Archive] Ruby Woolridge Oral History, Part 3 of 4

Manuel F. Medrano and Ruby Woolridge

Part 3 of 4 of Ruby Woolridge's oral history. Woolridge recalls major events from the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Korean War, how she spent her leisure time after the war, Elvis Presley, the Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy debates, Kennedy's assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon's presidencies, Watergate, her political identity, and her career as a teacher.
[LDV Project Archive] Ruby Woolridge Oral History, Part 4 of 4

Manuel F. Medrano and Ruby Woolridge

Part 4 of 4 of Ruby Woolridge's oral history. Woolridge recalls her time with her students and how she would like to be remembered.
[LDV Project Archive] San Isidro Ranch Interview, Part 1 of 4

Manuel F. Medrano and Rodolfo Garza

Compilation: Footage of Rio Grande City and the sacred hill where there is an sculpture of Jesus Crucified. Footage of Los Ranchitos de San Isidro. Rodolfo Garza talks about his ranching life and the activities he used to do. Garza gives a tour of his ranch.
[LDV Project Archive] San Isidro Ranch Interview, Part 2 of 4

Manuel F. Medrano, Rodolfo Garza, and Anita Garza

Rodolfo Garza talks about his ranching life and the activities he used to do, such as dances and gatherings. Garza discusses the value of the ranching life, and shows the tools used for cattle ranching and old houses on his ranch. Rancher Anita Garza talks about her relationship with her husband in the 1940s.
[LDV Project Archive] San Isidro Ranch Interview, Part 3 of 4

Manuel F. Medrano, Anita Garza, Rodolfo Garza, and Omar Garza

An interview with rancher Anita Garza, who talks about her relationship with her husband in the 1940s. Garza recalls her family history, technology changes during her life, and the importance of education for her five children. Their son, Omar Garza, shares the importance of coming back to San Isidro after getting a Masters in Education from Texas A & M University.
[LDV Project Archive] Shrimp Industry Pictures

Manuel F. Medrano

Images of photographs and newspaper clippings about the shrimp industry at Port Isabel in Brownsville; and Christmas card images.
[LDV Project Archive] Texas Southmost College Distinguished Alumnus Américo Paredes Video and Award Presentation

Manuel F. Medrano, Americo Paredes, and Tish Hinojosa

This edited production video contains clips from \'Los Del Valle': The Life of Américo Paredes\ to introduce the 1995 Texas Southmost College Distinguished Alumnus. At 11:05, Mary Rose Cardenas presents Dr. Paredes with the Texas Southmost College Distinguished Alumnus Award.
[LDV Project Archive] Texas State Historical Association Presentation, Part 1 of 2

Manuel F. Medrano

Part 1 of 2 of the Texas State Historical Association Presentation (TSHA) conference 25th session titled \Conjuntos, Corridos y Cancioneros: Folk Music of the Rio Grande Valley.\ Panel speakers Dr. Manuel Medrano and Ramón de León discuss the historical context of the musical traditions of South Texas. Dr. Medrano presents about corridos and the hero themes within music, focusing on the legacies of Américo Paredes and Narciso Martínez. Includes a performance of \Gregorio Cortez\ by Rigo Garza (from San Benito, playing bajo sexto), and Moreno (from Mexico, playing accordion).
[LDV Project Archive] Texas State Historical Association Presentation, Part 2 of 2

Manuel F. Medrano and Aaron Rodrigues

Part 2 of 2 of the Texas State Historical Association Presentation (TSHA) conference 25th session titled \Conjuntos, Corridos y Cancioneros: Folk Music of the Rio Grande Valley.\ The panel concludes with comments by Aaron Rodrigues, Cal Poly professor of Politcal Sciences and Ethnic Studies, on the music traditions of South Texas and a question-and-answer session.
[LDV Project Archive] Textbook Hearing at the Texas State Board of Education / Frank and Mary Yturria: Stewards of the Land

Manuel F. Medrano, Maricela Flores, Lupita Ramirez, Tomas Gomez, Mary Yturria, and Frank Yturria

Compilation: A textbook hearing at the Texas State Board of Education, July 2002. Maricela Flores, who works at the University of Texas at Brownsville, talks about the role of women in society and their inclusion in textbooks. Lupita Ramirez, from the Colonia Cameron Park, discussed the need for greater representation of Mexican American people and culture in textbooks. Tomas Gomez talks about the lack of information of the pre-Colombian era and the influence of Latin America in the United States.

A documentary about Mary and Larry Yturria and their contributions to the South Texas area. Mr. and Mrs. Yturria talks about the influences in their life which led them to advocate for the conservation of wildlife in South Texas. Other interviewees include Richard Moore, Jim Chapman, Linda Laack, John Martin, and Larry Ditto.
[LDV Project Archive] The Américo Paredes Annual Lecture and Conference, 2001

Manuel F. Medrano and Americo Paredes

This video captures the end of Dr. Américo Paredes speech at his annual lecture and conference. The video is followed by a slideshow and B-roll of Dr. Paredes with \Que Me Lleven Canciones\ by Mazz playing in the background.
[LDV Project Archive] The Life of Américo Paredes/Tour of St. Luke's Episcopal Church

Manuel F. Medrano, Americo Paredes, and Tish Hinojosa

This video contains the edited production of \'Los Del Valle': The Life of Américo Paredes.\ The production contains interviews with Dr. Paredes about growing up in Brownsville, Texas, and his academic career. The second half of the video is raw footage of a tour of St. Luke's Episcopal Church.
[LDV Project Archive] The Shrimpboats are Coming Song Performance

Manuel F. Medrano and Antonio Briseño

Antonio Briseño, a keyboard player, sings a bilingual song titled \The Shrimpboats are Coming.\
[LDV Project Archive] Tish Hinojosa CD Signing

Manuel F. Medrano and Tish Hinojosa

This raw footage shows Tish Hinojosa signing CDs and interacting with her fans.
[LDV Project Archive] Tish Hinojosa Concert at UTB/TSC

Manuel F. Medrano and Tish Hinojosa

A B-Roll videorecording of a Tish Hinojosa concert at UTB/TSC Conference hall with footage of Américo Paredes books and Tish Hinojosa merchandise. Shows Tish Hinojosa performance for Américo Paredes tribute.
[LDV Project Archive] Tour of Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery with Benito Treviño, Part 1 of 5

Manuel F. Medrano and Benito Treviño

Part 1 of 5 of Benito Treviño's tour of Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery, which he owns. On the tour, Treviño highlights Indigenous practices, flaura, fauna, and wildlife.
[LDV Project Archive] Tour of Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery with Benito Treviño, Part 2 of 5

Manuel F. Medrano and Benito Treviño

Part 2 of 5 of Benito Treviño's tour of Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery, which he owns. On the tour, Treviño highlights Indigenous practices, flora, fauna, and wildlife.
[LDV Project Archive] Tour of Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery with Benito Treviño, Part 3 of 5

Manuel F. Medrano and Benito Treviño

Part 3 of 5, Benito Treviño continues his tour of Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery, which he owns. On the tour, Treviño highlights Indigenous practices, flora, fauna, and wildlife. Treviño is then interviewed where he remembers his grandparents, how he learned to use the land, attending the University of Texas at Austin, changing his career, and shares some of his knowledge of the flora and fauna surrounding him.
[LDV Project Archive] Tour of Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery with Benito Treviño, Part 4 of 5

Manuel F. Medrano and Benito Treviño

Part 4 of 5 of Benito Treviño's oral history. Treviño continues to share his knowledge of the flora and fauna that surrounds him, which Indigenous communities used for medicine, food, and other purposes. Treviño also names non-native plants brought from Spain. Treviño's tour of the Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursey continues.
[LDV Project Archive] Tour of Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery with Benito Treviño, Part 5 of 5

Manuel F. Medrano and Benito Treviño

Part 5 of 5 of Benito Treviño's tour of Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery and oral history. The tour ends with food samples prepared by Treviño and his family using resources found in the nursery. The video cuts to a presentation by Manuel Medrano about the Los Del Valle project. The presentation is followed by a musical performance.
[LDV Project Archive] Tribute: Américo Paredes

Manuel F. Medrano and Americo Paredes

B-roll video footage of the Américo Paredes Tribute. Clips show Dr. Paredes welcoming guests, musical and dance performances, and speeches by those close to him (speaker names are not given).
[LDV Project Archive] Valerio Longoria in Manuel Medrano's Class

Manuel F. Medrano and Valerio Longoria

Valerio Longoria, legend of conjunto music over 60 years, talks about his life as an accordion player in Dr. Manuel Medrano's class. Several presenters talk about the history of Tejano music while Longoria performs different songs playing the accordion.
[LDV Project Archive] Veteran's Ceremony at Porter High School with José M. López

Manuel F. Medrano and Jose Mendoza Lopez

This raw footage begins at a veteran's ceremony at Porter High School in Brownsville, Texas, with Sergeant José M. López in attendance. Sergeant López was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in World War II. The ceremony includes music and a speech by Sergeant López.
[LDV Project Archive] Video of Américo Paredes Family Reunion and Águila Azteca Award Reception

Manuel F. Medrano, Americo Paredes, Franco Gonzalez Salas, Maria Teresa, Ricardo Romo, Standish Meacham, and Josefina Vázquez Zoraida

The raw footage begins at Américo Paredes' family reunion. Dr. Paredes is sitting at a table with a group of men and there is a group of women in the kitchen. The second segment of the video (starting at 4:38) covers the ceremony when Dr. Paredes received the Águila Azteca Award. There are introductory speeches by Teresa Franco, Ricardo Romo, Standish Meacham, and Josefina Vázquez, honoring Dr. Paredes' work in the liberal arts, folklore, and Mexican American studies. The video ends during Dr. Vázquez's speech.
[LDV Project Archive] Video of photographs narrated by Rolando Hinojosa-Smith.

Manuel F. Medrano and Rolando Hinojosa-Smith

Video includes narration by Dr. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith of various photographs.
[LDV Project Archive] Video of Rolando Hinojosa-Smith in Mercedes, Texas, August 23, 1995, Part 1 of 3

Manuel F. Medrano and Rolando Hinojosa-Smith

This video consists of Dr. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith walking around his hometown Mercedes, Texas and discussing the town's history.
[LDV Project Archive] Video of Rolando Hinojosa-Smith in Mercedes, Texas, August 23, 1995, Part 2 of 3

Manuel F. Medrano and Rolando Hinojosa-Smith

This video consists of Dr. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith walking around his hometown Mercedes, Texas and visiting schools he attended.
[LDV Project Archive] Video of Rolando Hinojosa-Smith in Mercedes, Texas, August 23, 1995, Part 3 of 3

Manuel F. Medrano and Rolando Hinojosa-Smith

This video consists of Dr. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith walking around the cemetery in his hometown Mercedes, Texas and identifying his family members.