Mexicans in Houston: the Struggle to Survive, 1908-1975
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SUMMER I98I PAGE224 I I I MEXICANS IN HOUSTON: THE ) STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE, I9O8-1975 \ BY F. ARTURO ROSALES* I On the evening of March 2, 1908, a small number of Mexican immigrants I met at a Houston home and convened the first meeting of El Campo Laurel lodge. The organization became a chapter of the Woodmen of the World, an international mutual aid organization popular among Mexican workers in the I United States. The individuals who met that night recognized that their c numbers in Houston were sufficient collectively to address some of the prob- t- lems they encountered in the city. At least two thousand Mexicans were living n year- were young, separated from their ,s in Houston and its environs that Most families and roots in Mexico, and surrounded by a new world full of hostility, v loneliness, and insecurity.' Unlike their compatriots who had migrated to San Antonio or Los Angeles, cities whose Hispanic origins were still evident, Mex- t- icans who came to Houston did not find familiar surroundings.' El Campo ,1 Laurel became the first formal Mexican organization to offer the immigrants )l' fraternal companionship, recreation, and limited security in the form of life t, insurance.' Actually, Mexicans had been in the city since its founding in 1836 when, as prisoners taken at the Battle of San Jacinto, they were forced, along with K Negro slaves, to clear the swampy land along Buffalo Bayou in preparation for a land development scheme initiated by John and Augustus Allen, two New York entrepreneurs. Out of this enterprise Houston was born, and during the rest of the nineteenth century Anglo and European settlers poured in. In the *l would like to thank my wife Dilys for helping me organize this essay. '"Campo Laurel '2333' W.O.W., Marzo 2, 1908" (typescript), Woodmen of the World (small collection), Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library (hereafter cited as HMRC); Houston Chronicle, February 8, May l, October 12, November 10, 1908. 'See Alberto Camarillo, Chicanos in a Changing Society: From Mexican Pueblos to American Barrios in Santa Barbara and Southern California, 1848-1930 (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1979) and Francisco A. Rosales, "Mexican Emigration to Chicago, Houston and Tuscon: Comparisons and Contrasts" in Barry J. Kaplan and Rosales, eds., "Houston: The Twentieth Century Urban Frontier" (unpublished manuscript) pp. 20-45. 3"Campo Laurel," Woodmen of the World (small collection), HMRC. I981 PAGE 223 SUMMER SUMMER I98I PAGF.224 in this State University gives a historical overview of the Mexican experience history faculty' city. For seYeral years a member of the University of Houston Rosales utilized local documentation in writing his essay and was crucial in establishing the Mexican American archival collection at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, thus providing research material for future scholaiship. His article traces the Mexican American presence in Houston MEXICANS IN HOUSTON: THE from the time prisoners from Santa Anna's army were used to clear Buffalo Bayou, through the formation of the colonia as a viable community by 1920, STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE, I9O8-1975 until the present as Mexican Americans become one of the most rapidly grow- ing segments of our population. This essay is a needed point of departure for further studies. Washington is BY F. ARTURO ROSALES* The second article by Dr. Carlos B. Gil of the University of perhaps the most a biographical sketch of Houstonian Lydia Mendoza, On the evening of March 2, 1908, a small number of Mexican immigranl who began her famous living Mexican American cultural figure. A singer met at a Houston home and convened the first meeting of El Campo Laurt are, in many ways' career in the late 1920s and early'30s, her life and songs lodge. The organization became a chapter of the Woodmen of the World, a century' The third ar- representative of the Chicano experience of the last half international mutual aid organization popular among Mexican workers in th problems and possibilities of ticle by sociologist Tatcho Mindiola speaks to the United States. The individuals who met that night recognized that the as it has been for the Mexican American assimilation, an issue as alive today numbers in Houston were sufficient collectively to address some of the prot contem- Iast one hundred and fifty years of Texas history. Dr. Mindiola's lems they encountered in the city. At least two thousand Mexicans were livin local Mexican porary piece is followed by an edited letter written by a in Houston and its environs that year. Most were young, separated from the poignantly outlines American women,s organizalion in lg37 . This document families and roots in Mexico, and surrounded by a new world full of hostilit5 illustrates that they the difficult position oi Hirpunic residents in Houston and loneliness, and insecurity.' Unlike their compatriots who had migrated to Sa have traditionally assessed their condition within Texas society' Antonio or Los Angeles, cities whose Hispanic origins were still evident, Me> other schol- This speciut puuti.ution of The Houston Review anticipates icans who came to Houston did not find familiar surroundings.' El Camp hope to feature in upcoming arly articlei dealing with ethnic topics which we Laurel became the first formal Mexican organization to offer the immigrant without inclusion of issues. The considJration of our local history and culture fraternal companionship, recreation, and limited security in the form of lil Greek, Czech' our ethnic heritage, whether Mexican, German, Irish, Italian, insurance.' polish, African, French, or Chinese, would be woefully incomplete- Actually, Mexicans had been in the city since its founding in 1836 whel prisoners taken at the Battle of San Jacinto, they were forced, along wit THK as Negro slaves, to clear the swampy land along Buffalo Bayou in preparation f< a land development scheme initiated by John and Augustus Allen, two Ne' York entrepreneurs. Out of this enterprise Houston was born, and during tt rest of the nineteenth century Anglo and European settlers poured in. In tt *l would like to thank my wife Dilys for helping me organize this essay. "'Campo Laurel '2333' W.O.W., Marzo 2, 1908" (typescript), Woodmen of the World (smi collection), Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library (hereafter cited HMRC); Houston Chronicle, February 8, May 1, October 12, November 10, 1908. 'See Alberto Camarillo, Chiconos in o Changing Society: From Mexican Pueblos to Americt Barrios in Sonta Barbara and Southern California, 1848-1930 (Cambridge: Harvard Universi Press, 1979) and Francisco A. Rosales, "Mexican Emigration to Chicago, Houston and Tusco Comparisons and Contrasts" in Barry J. Kaplan and Rosales, eds., "Houston: The Twentie Century Urban Frontier" (unpublished manuscript) pp. 2O-45. "'Campo Laurel," Woodmen of the World (small collection), HMRC. PAGE 225 SUMMER I98I SUMMER I98I P AGE 226 meantime, Mexican merchants came to live and trade in Houston and presumably some of the prisoners also remained; but Mexicans, in the prerailroad era, were a small minority. A few were visible on market days as vendors, but the rest lived in relative isolation working as cooks, farmhands, and laborers.'Then the railroads, built in the 1880s and 1890s throughout Texas, transformed the state's economy. E E In rural areas, cotton plantations, using white o and black sharecroppers I and tenants, and vast cattle and sheep ranges yielded to modern methods of (u <) agriculture and livestock raising. Cities like Galveston and Houston became (J important entrepots that siphoned the products E of Texas to the world. The completion of the ship channel in l9l4 allowed large seagoing vessels to load (n o and disembark their cargos at the city's doorstep, and assured Houston,s X predominance 0) as the major port on the Gulf Coast. Finally, a combination of the port, the availability of oil, which was discovered in 1901, and easy access o to the fertile cotton fields of Texas made Houston an important manufactur- o ing center as refineries, textile plants, and compresses sprang up along the 0) Iength of the channel.' These dramatic changes throughout Texas also created a demand for more labor that could not be met by the resident population of ; the state, and employers increasingly turned to Mexico as a source of plentiful, cheap labor.u N 'e By 1908 Texas was the principal destination of Mexican immigrants seek- o0 L ing work in the United States.? In Houston the vast majority of the new ar- o rivals labored in the railroad yards or in building the ship channel. Initially, (.) most Mexicans resided near the railroad z depots in barrios like "El Crisol," so () named because it housed a plant which weatherproofed railroad ties with pungent q) creosote, a chemical that filled the air with its aroma.' After 1910 El -o o Segundo Barrio, located in the second ward near the downtown district, emerged as the major Mexican neighborhood. There the Southern Pacific and () L O other railroads became the major € employers. El Campo Laurel lodge started 'a there, and the Rusk Settlement House, which mainly helped Jewish im- o o migrants, also assisted Mexicans. Children who went to school attended Rusk -i0) oWorks ! Projects Administration, Houston, A History and Cuide (Houston: Anson Jones press, 1942),p.42; Marilyn J McAdams Sibley, The Port of Houston: A History (Ausrin: University of o Texas Press, 1968), p. 44;Lee Harley, "Texas Types in Contrast," Harper's MagaTine, vol. gl C. (June 1890), pp. 222-246. E (s U u 5For the history of Houston's economic development, see David McComb, Houston: The o Bayou Cll7 (Austin: University of rexas press, port r 1968) and Sibley, The of Houston- 6) .o E () uFor }U E an appraisal of Mexican labor recruitment early in this century, see Mark Reisler, By the w -? Sweat of Their Brow: Mexican Emigrant Labor in the United States, lg00-1942 (Westport, Conn.: e'r L ti I! Greenwood Press, 1976).