Memories Barrios Unidos Phoenix,...

Memories of life in the Barrios UnidosPhoenix, Arizona

Recuerdos - Barrios Unidos 2Recuerdos - Barrios Unidos2

A large land area located in south-centralPhoenix bounded in the east by 24th Street, onthe north by Washington Street, on the south byUniversity, and on the west by 7th Street has com-prised several neighborhoods of close proximity.These neighborhoods are called “Barrios Unidos”in Spanish, and each neighborhood or barrio hasits own distinct name. The barrios to the east of16th street, generally known as Golden Gate, arenow devoid of residents due to voluntary reloca-tion and, frequently, by forced-buy-outs, throughthe use of Eminent Domain, by the city ofPhoenix for expansion of airport related activity.The neighborhoods to the west of 16th street,Cuatro Milpas (often known simply as Milpas),Green Valley, and Campito are presently in themidst of voluntary relocation, also due to airportrelated activity.

Because of the impending disappearance ofthis body of collective neighborhoods known byan identified name, culture, and historical pres-ence, it was thought prudent to interview resi-dents before the dispersal, to record their identityand recollection of their life in these neighbor-hoods. Thus, these factual interviews transcribedand typed into brief paragraphs, record their livesas lived during the last fifty years and into thenew Millennium.

During the last fifty years, the neighborhood resi-dents experienced the environmental changes of theterrain, near the Salt River, from a farming andranching way of life on a dirt plain crossed by irriga-tion canals and creeks, and dotted with green beltsof grass lawns, trees, and orchards of fruit trees, cit-rus, and flower gardens, into an area with residentialhouses, stores, light industry, and designated streets.The residential neighborhoods represented a multi-cultural and a diverse ethnic society.

Equality in citizenship presented an importantvalue of American life within these neighbor-hoods; but, this value was challenged by differ-ences on appropriate forms of economic pursuit,

cultural ways of life, and language from outsideresidential and geographic areas. The equalitywithin the neighborhood was based on respect forindividual differences. To the extent this respectof, and appreciation for, these differences wasignored, there developed problems against thesought after equality, fairness, and equity in thesocial and political realities of barrio residents.The different ways of economic pursuit (employ-ment and salaries), and different levels of income,cannot remain different and at the same time pro-vide equality in social, political, and economicways of life unless those persons in control ofthese ways of life operate in an enlightened wayhelp create equality. The life stories as lived andtold by the persons interviewed demonstrated thisfactual experience. The economic growth anddevelopment process resulted in different situa-tions as evidenced on one hand by monetaryadvantages enjoyed by groups in economic andpolitical control, and on the other hand by theworking poor. The narratives tell of a transitionof life in a struggle for survival through differenteconomic and social changes. These changes were inthe form of new industrial, commercial, and trans-portation transformations brought about by railtrains, automotive cars and trucks, and airplanes.

This booklet presents the experience of theresidents who lived in the barrios of south-centralPhoenix. The paragraph narratives tell of theirlives, challenges, and tell of their streets, schools,stores, and family life. It is presented as told, butthe telling represents a recalled experience remem-bered through memory, renewed emotion, and atime-filtered perspective. Thus, the reader is cau-tioned against generalizing from one paragraphnarrative but is encouraged to read all of the nar-ratives and obtain a general idea about their wayof life lived in a much different context of realityand now told through remembrance.

Santos C. Vega

Forward


This booklet shows factual life experienceswritten in paragraph format that depicts a “sliceof life” or a small glimpse of life in the neighbor-hoods of an area in south central Phoenix. It isnot the whole enchilada or loaf of bread of life,only a thin slice, but hopefully the reader will geta taste of life as lived in these barrios. These nar-ratives tell of lives that were lived along a chrono-logical time-line of some fifty years showing dif-ferent environments, situations, and the telling ofa variety of struggles against some unseen, andothers seen, economic and political forces travers-ing through time. From the 1900s to 2003, thenarratives captured life changes brought about bynature and mankind.

The social revolution of Mexico (1910-1917),the First World War (1918), the Great Depression(1930s-1940s), the immigrations of AmericanAnglos caused by the Dust Bowl in Oklahomaand surrounding areas (1930s), and the SecondWorld War of 1940s all brought unseen forces ofmankind fueling social and political changes.These changes, and changes brought about bytechnology, population immigration, economicexpansion, government regulation at all levels ofpublic life, and international treaties, in some wayfound their way into the barrios of south Phoenix.The struggles for equal social and civil rights inhousing, education, and employment of the 1950s,the civil-rights movements of the 1960s-1970simpacted Phoenix and filtered into the barrios andbrought César Chávez with the United FarmWorkers to stay at Santa Rita Church.

Prior to the late 1940s there was housing seg-regation, documented in deeds that prohibitedMexican Americans from purchasing homes incertain areas. In 1947, Mexican Americans couldnot purchase a home on Pima Street in what isnow barrio area, but in later years they could.Civil rights changes did not all filter down to thebarrios and thus failed to bring some amenities tothe living areas in the barrios. In 1947, a Mexican

American remembers that the Campito neighbor-hood was all mesquite trees and dirt paths withno blacktop or sidewalks, a condition that contin-ues to this day, 2003, where there are still no side-walks in Campito and where there are 110 homesconstructed north of Buckeye Rd. in the shadowof Bank One Ball Park. This seems to be a naturalstate of affairs because, in the barrio areas, theneighborhoods of the working poor lacked pavedstreets, city services, street lights, and garbage col-lection until approximately the 1950s.

Yet, the open interviews allowed the residentsto talk about what they felt like talking about,and thus only inferences can be made about thegreat swirling social, political, and civil stormsthat drowned out old ways of life and fired upnew ways of life. Thus, this humble and modestparticipation of people in nuestro (our) barrio(neighborhood) is anthropologically based, contain-ing reflections that open a door towards a greaterunderstanding that it was the ordinary commonbarrio residents, in economically poor surroundings,that through their heroic lives helped our societytranslate from one social challenge to another andtransform our society for the better.

Hopefully, educators, political legislators, civicadministrators, and economic and industrialdevelopers can reflect on these social challengesand become increasingly inspired to effectivelypromote more humane ways and means for pro-moting beneficial progress for all Americans.These activities include working with, andaround, changing economic and political power-ful outside forces.

The primary aim of this booklet is to providean understanding of this slice of life as lived in thesouth-east central Phoenix neighborhoods threat-ened with extinction of a way of life lived in acollective familiar environment scarce now in amobile and transitory society of momentary timeand diminishing neighborhood supportive living.

However, this booklet may infer civil and

Introduction


political situations of past years, but the main rea-son the booklet was written was to help the read-er remember a people, neighbors, through theirown narrative. That is why it was written in asimple paragraph format, so as not to lose sightof their reality; and what we seek to accomplish,and what we hope the readers will get from thebooklet of factual paragraphs - are factual lifestories, miniature, but powerful as an atom, tohelp the reader reflect, associate, and compare. Inthis way, the booklet represents a conversation,the past with the present, neighbor to neighbor, atelling of a people’s life that is shared with others.The booklet is grounded in the premise that wemust live life as we encounter it and where weencounter it.

This booklet represents, also, a manner of oralhistory that, when combined with family genealo-

gy, creates an understanding that it is not onlywho our relations and neighbors were, where theylived, and how the context of their reality was intheir time, in what situation they lived, but, also,why did change happen or why did it take so longto happen for the best? What were the outsideand inside forces at play in their lives? This book-let may lead readers of all ages to ponder uponthe meaning of life and wonder about life realitiesthat make it worth living. All the people that wereinterviewed gave evidence of making their lifeworth living. We hope you enjoy reading theirfactual paragraphs.

Santos C. Vega, Ph.D.Hispanic Research Center

Arizona State UniversityFebruary 5, 2003

“The Rodeo Drive-In was situated in the middle of the neighborhood where residents could actually watch movies from their yardsand rooftops.”

See neighborhood map on back cover.


A labor of love such as this requires the support and participation of numerous people and organizations

Several persons were instrumental in the preparation of this historical booklet.

This is the list of those persons/organizations and their contribution.

Arizona Humanities Council – initial grant to fund the project

Braun Sacred Heart Center, Inc. – provided partial matching funds plus technical expertise.

List of transcribers – Sandra Soto Valdez, Adriana Duran, Lizbeth Salinas,

Sky Harbor International Airport – provided the funds for the reception

Wesley Community Center – provided development staff to spearhead the project

Jake Martinez – resident who provided early encouragement and support for the oral history project.

Neighborhood Partners Incorporated – for providing a staff person, Mike Valdez, to assist in inter-viewing, writing and project management.

Dr. Santos Vega of Arizona State University – for his invaluable assistance in evaluation, oral historytraining and writing and editing.

Dr. Pete Dimas of Phoenix College – for providing historical background research and assisting inwriting and editing.

Avelardo Moulinet of Pixels in Motion – for providing a majority of the graphic assembling and art ofthe book at a substantially reduced cost.

Bradley Printers – for providing the flexibility and affordability to print this book.

Resident Interviewers – Socorro Vela, Pedro Corrales, Velia Fernandez, and Mike Valdez

Wesley Community Center Development Staff.

Lucas Cabrera – Project Director.

Residents, past and present, for their priceless histories.

Acknowledgements


has been a residentthe Phoenix areas since 1969 and has lived in herpresent home in the Cuatro Milpas neighborhoodfor the past 32 years. Dominga was raised inTexas by her aunt and uncle and began a migrant

life at an early age. Her family followed cropssuch as cotton in Mississippi (where she met herhusband José), tomatoes in Indiana, sugar beets inColorado, and grapes in California. While inCalifornia her husband joined the grape strike ledby César Chávez. Dominga and José eventuallysettled in Phoenix in 1969, buying their presenthome for $14,000 in 1974. They raised five chil-dren. Dominga describes the neighborhood of the’70s as one of constant activity with many stores,

services, churches, and families. “Estaba lleno decasas aqui. Muy bonito.” The relocation of thenearby Golden Gate Community has had a devas-tating effect on the Barrios Unidos neighborhood.Thousands of homes were demolished resulting invast stretches of empty lots. Stores and servicesalong 16th Street were relocated and/or closed. Asa result, Dominga nowhas to drive quite a dis-tance to shop and to gasup her vehicle. Domingahas been a widow for 16years. This past summerher home, which hadbeen remodeled exten-sively over the years, washeavily damaged in amonsoon storm. Tired ofthe constant roar of air-planes and heavy com-mercial traffic in thearea, Dominga wishes torelocate to a sturdier,safer home in a quieter neighborhood.

Written by Lucas Cabrera

Dominga Villasaez

The Villasaez family is pictured here in the 1970s at 14th St andMohave. The houses in the background were demolished duringthe Golden Gate Relocation in the 1980s.

Photo Courtesy of Villasaez Family

Dominga Villasaez


91, and herhusband, Mike, 83, are both Arizona natives andhave lived in Barrios Unidos neighborhood forover fifty years. Josephine was raised in the min-ing towns of eastern Arizona while Mike wasraised in Mesa, Arizona. Both began to work at avery early age and describe growing up during the

Great Depression era (la crisis). For over fiftyyears, Josephine and Mike have lived in theirhome near the corner of 13th Street and Pima inthe heart of Las Cuatro Milpas neighborhood(milpas means field). They have witnessed thearea transform from a rural agricultural commu-nity to a neighborhood of 6,000 + residents. Asmall locally owned grocery store Ponchos(Austin’s Market) has been across the street fromtheir home for many decades. Many local resi-dents have gathered for years around the storeduring the day and in the evening hours. Muchcommunity socializing takes place and Josephineand Mike have enjoyed their “window on MainSt.” atmosphere. Both stress that though theirhome is humble, it is their “palacio” and prefer tolive here the rest of their lives.


Josephine Manriquez,

Josephine Manriquez has enjoyed living in the neighborhood forover 50 years.

Photo Courtesy of Manriquez Family


family his-tory is one that spans the history of the develop-ment of the state of Arizona and northern Mexicofrom the late 1800s to the present. This historyinvolves: 19th century merchant stores in north-ern Mexico; early mining towns in easternArizona; the building of Roosevelt Dam (eltapón); the early history of Prescott; the supportof St. Mary’s Orphanage in Phoenix; commercialdevelopment in Guadalupe, Tempe, and Chandler;and development of both sides of the Salt River

near downtown Phoenix. Following in the histori-cal footsteps of her family’s enterprises, Anitaworked at various jobs through the years to sup-port her own family. Currently, Anita lives in herhome of 50 years in Green Valley Park in BarriosUnidos and does not wish to relocate. Shedeclares, “Estoy muy a gusto.” She is very happyin her present home.


Anita Encinas Estrella’s

The Encinas family has two streets named for them in Phoenix and Guadalupe, Arizona.Photo by Lucas Cabrera


The life of and her family reflects muchof the history, vitality, and strength of the community. Born inSinaloa, Mexico, Carmen arrived in Phoenix in the 1920s whenher father Jesus Verdugo Valle, a printer, came with printingpresses bought by Pedro de la Lama, a publisher of Spanish lan-guage newspapers and a major figure in the Mexicano communityis this region. Her father later became a printer for the ArizonaRepublic for over 50 years. Beginning at the age of twelve, shestruggled to help raise her seven brothers and sisters after hermother’s death. Hard work was always a part of her life, workingin homes and as a migrant farmworker on local ranches and asfar as Washington State. She moved to Barrios Unidos in 1949when she and her husband had a house moved from Mesa,Arizona to 11th and Mohave street. Her son Jesus Gregory LopezJr., presently lives with Carmen. Carmen has witnessed the com-munity change from dirt roads to its present development and itis Carmen’s home - She does not wish to move.

Written by Pete Dimas

has calledBarrios Unidos home since 1961. Her home sitsacross the street from Ann Ott Elementary Schoolwhere her children learned English. Nearby isBarrios Unidos Park where her grandchildren andgreat grandchildren go to play. Margarita wasborn in Texas in 1932 and married at age 14.Most of her life was spent in migrant fieldworkand most of her 17 children were born in variousstates such as Oregon, Idaho, Texas and Arizona.She later raised an additional two grandchildren.She recalls the hardships of living a migrant lifewith children in tow. Her children at many timeshad to leave school early due to the family’s needto work. Margarita first came to Barrios Unidos in1961 and lived in the Green Valley neighborhood.At that time, there was no freeway. The vibrantcommunity had streets lined with well-cared homesbeautiful lawns and trees. Margarita moved to herpresent home in 1969. Stores and shops were plen-tiful along with many services available to resi-dents. With such a large family, Margarita had tobudget her money carefully and bought clothes forthe family at “los perros,” a swap meet located at40th street and Washington. Groceries werebought at Food City, a neighborhood grocery storethat is still operating. In the late ’70s and early’80s, the city of Phoenix began relocating residentsfrom the nearby Golden Gate community due to

airport expansion. Margarita recalls the relocationwhen many of her Golden Gate neighbors eventu-ally lost their homes due to higher taxes and utilitybills. She is very concerned about her future inBarrios Unidos. Margarita is very content in herhome and she feels safe with a few long time neigh-bors still living around her. Her family now includes57 grand children and 47 great grand children.

Written by Mike Valdez

Carmen López

Margarita De La Rosa

Jesus Verdugo Valle, was a printer who brought hiscraft to the United States from Mexico.

Photo courtesy of the Lopez Family

Margarita is pictured in her kitchen in Barrios UnidosPhoto courtesy of the De La Rosa Family


born in her parents’home at 1199 S. 13th street, has experiencedmany changes over the years in the BarriosUnidos area. Her mother came from Morenci,Arizona by way of Globe, Arizona. Her mother’sfamily were copper miners. Celia recalls that as alittle girl, her maternal grandfather would visitfrom Cottonwood bringing sacks of corn. Therewere thirteen in her large family. She describedthe barrio area as being without streets, a plain ofdirt that rain would turn into a sea of mud. Acanal traversed fields of cotton, corn, grapevines,fruit orchards, and some ranches. The childrenreturning home from school splashed, swam, andplayed with rubber tire inner tubes in the canal.Families cooked on wood burning stoves and keptfood fresh in iceboxes. They walked to downtownPhoenix to shop at Diamonds, Sears, the meat

shops, or purchase clothes and shoes. In lateryears, when they became available, her father, acarpenter who worked for the railroad, purchasedmore modern gas stoves, refrigerators, and wash-ing machines for their home. Celia has had a longhistory of being employed. After briefly attendingStevenson School, she worked in a fish market, asewing factory, a restaurant, and at the state hos-pital for twelve years. Later she cleaned offices atthe state capitol. Celia witnessed the developmentin the community such as the construction of theRodeo Drive In. She particularly enjoyed thedancing at the Calderon and Riverside Ballroomsand the fiesta patrias community celebration com-memorating Mexican Independence Day,September 16th, that was held annually at LewisPark on 13th Street. Celia presently lives in theCuatro Milpas neighborhood.

Written by Santos Vega

Celia Corrales,

has been a long time communityvolunteer, activist, and resident in the BarriosUnidos area. She has been in her present home inthe Cuatro Milpas area since the early 1960s.Here she raised three children, Paul, Cecilia, andDaniel. Josie was instrumental in organizing thefirst Block Watch in the community which laterbecame the first neighborhood association, LosOjos De La Comunidad. With capable leaderssuch as Luz Baeza and Joaquin Olivas, Josie andthe community group lobbied for communitydevelopment that resulted in: a Barrios UnidosCommunity Park; Los Ojos De La ComunidadGymnasium located at Wesley CommunityCenter; Maricopa County Skill Center and therelocation and construction of the new SacredHeart Catholic Church. In an Arizona Republicnewspaper article in 1984, Josie credits the com-munity support of Wesley Community Center as akey to the success of Los Ojos De La Comun-idad. She learned to read and write English atWesley Community Center and later served as aboard member. Battling back from severe headinjuries suffered in an auto accident, Josie contin-ues to be active in the Seniors Women Groupmonthly meeting at Wesley.


Josie Peru

Josie Peru enjoys a light moment with Arizona Attorney GeneralTerry Goddard at a neighborhood rally.

Photo Courtesy of Peru Family


are sisters. Fayettaentered the world in the time of the GreatDepression, delivered by a doctor who came toher house on Pima and 14th Street. Fayetta,recalling her neighborhood, said “I was eightwhen my dad built the other two houses justdown the street, still on Pima…” Betty Annrecounted some of her oral history, “Our great,great grandmother they came originally. UncleBob and them they came there in…that would bein 1925.” Betty Ann’s father came initially fromOhio. He met Betty Ann’s mother in Oklahoma.“They met in Oklahoma like I said and I wasborn there.” Their father worked for theGoodrich Tire Company and at another time forAllison Steel. About their life they agreed, “…youknow most kids don’t grow up young, but wedid. I mean back in those years people grew upyoung…” The Great Depression caused wide-spread pervasive poverty. “…in those days barterwas really the best thing…My dad could do onething, that person next door could do somethingelse. You would just exchange back and forth;you didn’t pay each other, “cause nobody had anymoney…” But Fayetta recalled good times.“Everybody was nice; it was just a wonderfulworld that’s all…Yeah, right up and down thestreet on Saturday nights, they would kind ofclose up (the streets), and they would have big dances with beautiful costumes. Both sistersattended Stevenson and Monroe for sixth, sev-enth, and eighth grade. Both of their parents werepolitically involved, “…our mother was a political

…precinct committee woman, and our daddy wasinvolved in it, too…” Fayetta and Betty Annrecalled the Palmira Water Company, the PhoenixElectric Company, and remembered several storeslocated downtown Phoenix where they worked orshopped, “…Kress’s, Korricks, Penneys,Walgreens,Newberrys, TimeValue, Baker’sShoes.” Theywould ride theelectric streetcarthat would takethem downtownfor a nickel. Theyenjoyed theStrand and theOrpheum the-atres for movies.


Fayetta Cain and Betty Ann Cain

The Cain sisters are pictured in front ofFayetta’s house.

Photo by Santos Vega


was born in Phoenixin 1934. His mother came from Red Rock, NewMexico and moved into Campito barrio in 1949.Freddie was the oldest of fourteen brothers andsisters. He attended Grant School. He remem-

bered visiting Campito when he was 14 years oldin 1947. There was field called Oak Creek thatconsisted of a few houses, dirt paths and noblacktop or sidewalks. There are still no side-walks to this day (2003). His stepfather, who wasfrom Mexico, bought a house at 806 S. 9th Place:“…it was made out of cardboard.” His motherworked in the fields and Freddie later worked inthe lettuce, cabbage, onions, and cotton fields.Freddie said that he worked for “…Arizona Mills,then they changed it to John Briscoe…now theychanged to Waste Management, I worked therefor about 13 years.” Freddie recalls the variouscommunity nicknames: “When I came here, it was

called Hollywood” and later the community cameto be known as Campito. According to Freddy,there was no trash pick up prior to 1950 and“…we had to dig a hole up and throw it back inthe hole.” Many services were within walking dis-

tance: Sunland Grocery, Santa RitaCatholic Church, Sacred HeartCatholic Church, Rodeo Drive InTheatre, and the CalderonBallroom. Freddie remembers thatthere were two stores in the nearbyGolden Gate. neighborhood:“…there was a bar there on 16thstreet and Conchita’s. Yea, I thinkit's Conchita’s, and then there wasa garage there, Trini’s Garage. Andon 16th street, yea, there wasConchita’s, Trini’s Garage, thenthere was a store then there wasBlue Barn, and there was SurreyProject by the railroad tracks.”And Freddy has also witnessed thetearing down of many neighbor-hood structures “…knocking all

those buildings down. He met his wife inCampito and later married her in 1965. Theyraised eight children. His wife passed away in2001. His wife liked the area “because she kneweverybody.” Freddy's mother still lives next dooras she has for many decades Commenting on thepresent aviation noise issue, Freddie explains thathe is accustomed to the airplane noise overhead.


Freddie Sardinas

10th St. and Tonto St. - Former site of an old, popular neighborhood tavern, the“Hollywood Bar” in the Campito neighborhood.

Photo Lucas Cabrera


demonstrates an abidingfaith in himself and his family in leading a success-ful life. José has a long history in the BarriosUnidos neighborhood moving here in the 1960s.He originally came to Phoenix area in the ’50sworking on various farms and ranches along sideMexican laborers or “braceros.” José later use hisSpanish, English and cultural skills as an inter-preter and liaison for an American heavy equip-ment company doing international business inMexico. José and his family were also migrantworkers making the yearly treks to the northernstates following seasonal crops. This type of work,which proved spotty and low paying, led José toemphasize the importance of education to his chil-dren and managing money wisely. His childrencompleted their education and this provided ameans of escape from the hard labor in agricultur-al fields. Three of his sons served honorably in thearmed forces, one each in the Air Force, Navy,and Marines. José and his wife, Juanita Deleon,who passed away in 2002, raised their family inLas Cuatro Milpas community.


José Corrales

The future Mr. and Mrs. Corrales in 1935.Photo courtesy Corrales family


family repre-sents the great upheaval during the GreatDepression era and subsequent movements offamilies from the Deep South to the westernstates. The Carmical family moved to Phoenix inthe 1930s. Neil has many neighborhood memo-ries as his father, Dewey Edwin Carmical, operat-ed Carr’s Barbershop on Mohave Street from1948 to 1978. He remembers the heart of the citynear downtown with all the vibrant commercialactivity including the large department stores. The

relocation of an entire largely Hispanic communi-ty, Golden Gate, in the 1980s left some bittermemories for Neil. Neil also has strong recollec-tions of discrimination of Hispanics particularlyin north Phoenix. Neil graduated from ArizonaState College and is actively involved in the localneighborhood association, Barrios Unidos AirportAction Coalition. Presently, Neil and his wifeBarbara live in Phoenix and own property inBarrios Unidos.


Edwin Neil Carmical’s

was bornin Phoenix, Arizona and has lived throughout thePhoenix area. Her father José Encinas owned a

store in Guadalupe, Arizona where he knew manyof the local residents. Jose was a fayuquero; hesold, bought and traded goods all over the south-west and northern Mexico. This family story isrooted in the 19th century and continues in theBarrios Unidos community. The determination ofthis family is present in the stories and testimoniesof Lucretia and her family. Lucretia finished theseventh grade and went directly to work in thefields. She has been living in Campito since 1951and her home was built on an empty lot that thefamily purchased for eight hundred dollars andwas recently remodeled to reduce aviation noise.The house still stands to this day. Lucretia hasmemories of Santa Rita Church, where she wasmarried and when César Chávez visited Campitoand the church. She explains how the churchserved many functions for the community, bothspiritual and social. Lucretia is very comfortablein her home and neighborhood.


Lucretia “Lucy” Holguin

Lucy Holguin has been living in Campito for more than 50 years.Photo Courtesy of Holguin Family


Alpha Patrick Hughes moved his family to Barrios Unidos in 1937 fromGlobe, Arizona after working in the harsh condi-

tions of Inspiration Mines. Alpha began buildinghomes for his family of eight children, grandpar-ents, and a great grandmother who lived to theage of 110. According to daughter Rose Hughes,Mary R. Hughes was a supportive, wonderfulwife and mother who raised her children duringthe harsh conditions of the Great Depression and

through a war time era. Alpha Patrick started awood company which served the community.Firewood was essential for survival in 1937. Itwas used for heating, construction, and cooking.This essentially gave birth to the A.P. HughesService Station on 11th and Henshaw Road (cur-rently Buckeye Road). The Hughes family lived infour homes behind the service station. As the chil-dren grew, they helped to operate and maintainthe business. Pumping gas, answering phones, andhandling the cash register was the norm for Roseand her sisters. Alpha Patrick had many occupa-tions. He was a certified public accountant andhelped many of his neighbors with their taxes. Hewas also involved in politics and campaigned forvarious candidates in city elections and alsoserved as a deputy sheriff. Alpha Patrick likedhelping his neighbors and community because heunderstood how hard it was to survive. TheHughes family has wonderful memories of BarriosUnidos including the Rodeo Drive-In Theatre, apopular source of community entertainment andsocial gatherings. One of Alpha Patrick’s daugh-ters met her future husband and held the marriageceremony at the Rodeo. Abraham Lincoln School,Sunland Market, and the Calderon Ball Room areall strong memories for the Hughes family. TheHughes family’s recollection of Barrios Unidos isthat of a vibrant community filled with things todo. Rose Hughes, a daughter, continues her rela-tionships with the people of Barrios Unidosthrough her participation in community meetings.


Rose Hughes andHughes Family

Mr. and Mrs. Alpha P. Hughes operated a general store on 12h St.and Henshaw Road, which is now Buckeye Road.

Photo Courtesy of Hughes Family


has lived in the Campito neigh-borhood since 1949. She was born in Globe,Arizona where her father, José Piña, worked forInspiration Mines for 18 years. María has earlymemories in Globe of a daily sky filled with blacksmoke for most of the day coming from themines, and the hard times of growing up in suchharsh conditions, and also the prejudices of peo-ple against “los mexicanos” like herself. Herfather was paid very little, not the same as theAnglo miners, an was often very sick from miningwork conditions. Like many others, the Piña fami-ly struggled but survived despite these hard times.The Piña family eventually moved to Phoenix insearch of better jobs. María found employmentimmediately among the many laundries located inand around central Phoenix. Her first job atPhoenix Laundry paid 52¢ cents an hour. María began working at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in

1981 and has continued there to this day. Sherecently paid off her home mortgage after 30years, a testament to her hard work and determi-nation. María has five children: Lupe, Gloria,Sylvia, José, and Vincent. All attended HerreraSchool. Among her memories is the downtownAzteca Teatro, the old Lowell School, and a polit-ical march through the neighborhood. Her sonJosé “Casper” Habre joined a boycott march withCésar Chávez against Smitty’s Grocery Storelocated at 16th Street and Buckeye Road. Maríais looking forward to moving in the voluntaryrelocation citing longtime city neglect as evi-denced by the lack of sidewalks, removal of theonly neighborhood park for industrial develop-ment, and allowing tractor trailer traffic throughthe narrow neighborhood streets.


María Piña

Emma is aformer resident of Barrios Unidos who lived withher parents at 11th Street and Yuma Street in theLas Cuatro Milpas neighborhood. Emma and herhusband Raul have been married for 52 years andhave six children. Emma’s parents, Pitacio “Pete”Benavides Jaramillo and GregoriaMaldonado Madero, were fromNew Mexico. Emma was born inGallop, New Mexico and raised inBelen. Her father worked on sheepand cattle ranches. He also playedvarious musical instruments in vari-ous bands to supplement hisincome. Emma began working atan early age, “…They kept takingoff and on in school. I never reallyhad schooling. I was helping totake care of the children” The fam-ily lived briefly in Albuquerque andin Grants, New Mexico where herfather worked in the CivilianConservation Corps (CCC) duringWorld War II. After the war, herfather worked for the Santa Fe

Railroad. Emma and her family moved toPhoenix where she began her career as a waitressworking in various restaurants including theGrand Café and the Rice Bowl. Emma was activein community celebrations and competed forFiesta Queen. Raul, her husband, was raised in

the agricultural lands of westPhoenix and worked for theSouthwest Flower and SeedCompany in Glendale, Arizonafor a few years. Although Raulnever attended college, heexcelled in mathematics andworked as an engineer forGarret Research (later namedHoneywell) for more than 30years. They are both retiredand presently live in Phoenix.


Mary Emma Jaramillo and Raul Noriega Moreno

Emma and Raul are pictured in front oftheir Phoenix home

Photo by Lucas Cabrera


who is the current chair ofthe neighborhood association, Barrios UnidosAirport Action Coalition, is a long time communi-ty resident and exemplifies the spirit of communi-ty activism and volunteerism so prevalent in the

community. His parents arrived in the area in1961 from Harlingen, Texas in search of betterwork opportunities. His father Nicolas, worked atvarious jobs and at the Phoenix Country Club.His mother, Petra, was a homemaker. They raisedtwo daughters and four sons. Rick and his sib-lings spent a great deal of their youth at GreenValley Park taking advantage of the various sportsprogram available including basketball, football,baseball, and track and field events. Rick and hisolder brother became accomplished baseball play-ers at the semi-pro level. After receiving trainingat Cochise College, Rick was married and beganto work. He bought a house after three years and

starting raising a family. They raised two daugh-ters. With time, Rick became concerned with thedevelopment of the neighborhood youth andbegan his involvement with the neighborhoodassociation. With the help of other residents, Rick

applied for a Fight Back grantfrom the city of Phoenix toestablish a neighborhood asso-ciation and began implement-ing programs to address youthproblems, security and beauti-fication issues. Later the issueof excessive airport noiseforced the association toregroup and address a poten-tial voluntary relocation of theneighborhood due to thenoise. Rick and the rest ofBUAAC are fighting for fairtreatment and rights of all res-idents in the planned reloca-tion. Another major concernfor Rick has been the apparentlack of infrastructure improve-ments in the neighborhoods

over the years. Until very recently, the neighbor-hood had not received any new streetlights foryears and sidewalks still remain non-existent.Speed humps that had been sorely lacking arenow in place in some streets. Rick has attributedthis recent success to support from such groups asWesley Community Center, Neighborhoods forJustice, Morris Institute for Justice, and Neighbor-hood Partners.


Rick Cortez,

Rick Cortez attends neighborhood meetings at Wesley Center.Photo by Lucas Cabrera


Brought to Barrios Unidoswithin a few weeks of his birth in Casa Grande,Manny Soto has seen Cuatro Milpas and GreenValley transform from an agricultural area to itspresent condition of 1,000 homes and 6,000+ res-

idents. Hehas fondchildhoodmemoriesof a close-knit com-munity inGreenValley.After grad-uating fromPhoenixUnion HighSchool and

working a few years as a baker, Manny joined theNavy and eventually flew combat missions overVietnam. Manny later was employed by ArizonaPublic Service where he met his wife, Josie. He

remained at APS for 22 years. Together with hiswife, he was able to expand his house in the AnnOtt neighborhood into a large two-story home forhis two daughters. Both girls have graduated fromthe University of Arizona. Memories includespending time in downtown Phoenix at theWoolworth’s and Newberry’s. Manny also experi-enced prejudice and discrimination, especiallyagainst Mexicanos at the Orpheum Theater.Manny has been involved in community activismafter witnessing how “progress” affected the bar-rio. First was the construction of a major freewaydown the heart of the neighborhood. Second wasthe increasing noise and pollution from the ever-expanding Sky Harbor Airport. As a result,Manny feels that property values and his qualityof life have been greatly diminished. He hopesthat through unity, the neighborhood can eventu-ally benefit from the economic boon that hebelieves will result from the future developmentsuch as the Rio Salado Project.


represents the positiveimpact that people from the mining towns ofArizona have had on the community developmentof the barrios of central Phoenix. Born inSuperior, Arizona, Luis, after serving in the Armyduring the Korean War, went to what is nowArizona State University and in1955 began teaching at LincolnSchool in Barrios Unidos. He even-tually became Superintendent of thePhoenix Elementary School District.He remembers the love the peoplehad for education and its impor-tance to the children. Luis has keptin touch with many former students.He also remembers the visits CésarChávez made to the neighborhoodsand the barrio homes that Chávezstayed in. Luis also has been appre-ciative of the positive impact thatWesley Community Center has hadon the community and “the kids.”As for the transformation of BarriosUnidos, Luis notes that family busi-

nesses have given way to creeping industrializa-tion. Interestingly enough, Luis’ father-in-law’sproduce business was located where the ArizonaDiamondbacks now play, Bank One Ball Park.


Manny Soto

Luis Rodriguez

Luis helped to design the underground schools of Ann Ott and Herrera.Photo by Lucas Cabrera

Manny Soto at Wesley Community CenterPhoto by Lucas Cabrera


has resided in her Green Valleyneighborhood home for fifty-one years. Her par-ents emigrated from Mexico to California andbrought Vicki to Arizona as a child. Vicki com-ments, “I guess like everybody else, you know…

looking for a betterlife…” Her familylived and worked onranches in and aroundPhoenix. Vicki attend-ed Roosevelt Schooluntil the fourth grade.She met and marriedFrank Silva whopassed away in 1986.Frank worked for theCity of Phoenix andattained his GeneralEducation Diploma(G.E.D.). Frank’sorganization skillswere evident in hiswork and his commu-nity. He served as the

Ann Ott School PTA President and frequentlyhelped out in fiestas and jaimaicas in the localneighborhood church, St. Mary Magdalene. Healso was involved in union organizing at his jobin the City of Phoenix. When the Silvas bought

their home in the 1950s, Green Valley was awide-open spacious area. “Everything was empty,no warehouses, no nothing. From here, you couldsee down to 16th Street and dirt…it wasn’t pavedor anything.” The community continued to growand Vicki fondly remembers their four daughtershappily playing in the front yard or at the neigh-borhood park. Vicki often rode the city bus toshop in downtown, “…Penny’s, Korrick’s, Wards,Sears, Skaggs…all the stores were there, theLearners…a bunch of stores.” For her groceries,Vicki shopped at Food City, and still does. In the1960s, the community suddenly began to changewith the construction of a freeway that sliced thecommunity and reduced the size of the park.Vicki recalls, “I can remember, because that’swhen I was pregnant with my last daughter…Ihad her about ’63.” Now the neighborhood hasbecome a mixture of empty lots, abandonedhomes, industrial warehouses, and residences.Vicki is now a great grandmother and has agrandson living across the street. She lives alonein her spacious beautiful home and does not wishto relocate. She explains, “I am very comfortablehere…if they don’t pay enough money for theproperty…I am too old to start over, you know?”

By Lucas Cabrera

recollections of the Milpasbarrio include religious practices and communitycelebrations. Celia attended many neighborhoodNovenas and Posadas that were, and still are, twoimportant traditions of the Catholic faith. Noven-as were prayer services that were conducted inhomes and churches in response to individualrequests. Most novenas were for funerals or othertypes of family crisis. Fellow parishioners wouldalso sing at funeral wakes or the “veloria.” DoñaMariallita was a local church volunteer leaderwho led singing at wakes and also led novenas inthe barrio. Posadas involved processionals orgroups of persons marching house to house tosing traditional Christmas carols. Many commu-

nity celebrations involved “bailes” (dancing) andone of the more popular spots was the park on13th Street on the “plataforma,” an outdoor plat-form. Celia recalls, “they had a band, theyplayed, and everybody danced. I wasn’t oldenough to dance.” At the same park was theannual 16th of September Celebration that cli-maxed with the crowning of the festival reina orqueen. Many young beautiful barrio ladies com-peted for the honor of reina.


Vicki Silva

Celia Molina’s

Vicki Silva and her late husband,Frank.

Photo Courtesy of Silva family


was born in Columbus,Arkansas in 1927. She has been living in LasCuatro Milpas community since 1982 and is oneof the few African American residents that residein the Barrios Unidos community. Gertha and herhusband Sei moved to Barrios Unidos uponGertha’s arrival to Phoenix in 1982; Sei hadalready been living in Arizona since 1942. Seiowned a home in the no longer existing GoldenGate community just west of Sky HarborInternational Airport. Sei also had a business on7th Street and Yavapai, where he came to knowmany of the Barrios Unidos residents. “When hefirst bought the house it was boarded up. It hadburned on the inside and we have done a lot ofremodeling since I have been here.” Gertha is veryhappy in her home, a humble home that sitsacross from the new Sacred Heart Church. Happyin her neighborhood, she declares that “in fact ithas been a nice neighborhood as far as I know…I

got to know many of my neighbors through myhusband.” Since 1982 Gertha has volunteered hertime at Sky Harbor Family Services cooking andserving meals to residents, and also helping withgames like Bingo. A giving person, she enjoysspending her time helping others. AlthoughGertha has become accustomed to the heat ofPhoenix, she never really enjoys the Arizona sum-mers. She has also become accustomed to all thenoise from Sky Harbor. Traveling from Arkansas,she still remembers her first impressions of all thewonderful sites and views of Arizona. Once here,Gertha remembers the beautiful Japanese Gardenson Baseline Road, and all the wonderful drivesshe use to take around the city. Gertha is happy inBarrios Unidos, “a nice neighborhood, I have noproblems.”


rem-embers the neighborhood through the eyes of achild. She would spend much of her playtime withher friends, Velia Fernandez, Esther Delgado, andFrances Espinoza López near a canal that ranfrom Buckeye Road down to Pima Street, wherethe present post office is located. Ladies from theneighborhood would hide Easter eggs in andaround the wildflowers and rocks that grew bythe “canalito” for the children of the community.For some unknown reason, Dora recalls feeling illaround Easter time every spring. She recalls fond-ly an elderly lady who would sell her homemadecorn (maiz) tortillas in the neighborhood. Doña

Macaria, as everyone called her, would carrythem in a basket and would walk the streets ofthe neighborhood until they were all sold. Thosesame tortillas supplied many of the lunches forDora who came home from school at noon eachday to eat. Dora treasures many of her barriomemories including Doña Macaria, “Nunca se meolvida la viejita.”


Gertha Sullivan

Dora Rentería Quintanilla


and the Rosales familyhave been resident homeowners in Barrios Unidosfor nearly 30 years. Their present home sits in theheart of the Las Cuatro Milpas barrio at 10thStreet and Cocopah Street. The family originally

came fromGuadalajaraand Penjamo,Mexico.Enedina was ahomemakerand her hus-band,Antonio, wasa barber innorthernMexico andlater southernArizona. Aftermany years ofmoving backand forth andin and around

small Arizona towns, the Rosales family decidedto put down roots in the Barrios Unidos area in1970. Presently five generations live close to eachother in the community. Enedina and her daugh-ter Natalia have witnessed many changes in theneighborhood over the years. Natalia commentsthat the neighborhood is much more tranquil thanin years past. Natalia remembers the great shop-ping stores in downtown Phoenix including JCPenney, Woolworth’s, Lerners, and all the smallrestaurants. Natalia raised her own family hereand all the children were educated at Lincoln andHerrera Schools. The most important change inthe neighborhood has been the increasing noisefrom airplanes over the years. Natalia and hermother have grown accustomed to the noise butshe voices concerns about the children’s hearing.Natalia and Enedina have not decided if they aregoing to relocate from the neighborhood.


recalls thewonderful memories of her childhood playmatesin Barrios Unidos. Her parents’ house was direct-ly across from the plataforma, or platform, wheredances would be held for the community. Sherecalls that she was too young to dance but didsocialize with all the youngsters running andyelling during the festivities. “…Jugaba con every-body” Francis says in her mixture of English andSpanish. She does recall fondly that she never feltfear or danger from other persons, especiallyadults, at any time in the neighborhood. Francisexplained that all adults helped to supervise thechildren. “…Grownups and everybody lookedafter all the people, you know their kids…we

were just like a big family really.” One reminderof the grinding poverty was brides who carriedlaureles or oleanders for the bouquet as oleanderswere found everywhere in Barrios Unidos. Francisdid remark on one very important time in heryouth and that was the Bible study class that sheattended at Las Casillas Baptist Church with herBible teacher, Mrs. Miles, “...It was a good timein my life…”


Enedina Rosales

Francis Espinoza López

Pictured are Enedina’s daughter, Natalia,late grandson, Roberto, and grandchildren.

Photo Courtesy of Rosales Family


a Barrios Unidos resident for over 47 years,presently lives in the Green Valley area with hiswife, Sylvia. His parents emigrated fromZacatecas and Tabasco, Mexico and settled in the

Willams/Flagstaff, Arizona area. His familyincluded two brothers and six sisters. Marshalland Sylvia have known each other since the age ofseven. Moving to the Phoenix area in 1955,Marshal and Sylvia bought their present home in

1963 and raised four boys and two girls.Marshall worked in the construction trades as aplaster tender and helped erect several giant high-rise buildings in the central Phoenix area. Familygatherings have been a priority along with camp-ing trips and vacations. Christmas remains a focalpoint of family reunions. Marshal is also an avidhunter and fisherman. Marshal described theGreen Valley area as a beautiful community in the’50s and ’60s. Then the freeway was built downthe heart of the community and effectively sealedoff Green Valley from the rest of Barrios Unidos.Marshal’s words were, “…it was like a giant graywall suddenly appeared and you could no longersee the rows of beautiful homes. It was a shock.”Then began the introduction of large commercialbusiness warehouses and large tractor-trailer rigsbegan parking in the residential streets. At thatpoint, many homeowners decided to leave.Marshal was one of those who decided to stayand still is very comfortable in his home despitethe aircraft and freeway noise. Marshall wouldlike to take advantage of the home exchange pro-gram if two conditions are met: 1) “I want to goto a place where I want to go” and 2) “…I get ahouse that is equal to mine, ‘cause I don’t want tohave no more mortgage payments.”


has a unique perspectiveon the Barrios Unidos history. Her main recollec-tion is that of religious instruction. According toEsther, there were many Catholic catechism class-es to attend with play time before and after class-es. The two main instructors were DoñaMariallita and Mary “la chapita.” Although mostclass members were fond of Mary, in later life,Esther and her friends began to appreciate DoñaMariallita for her firmness that helped to shapetheir young lives. Esther also remembers attendingdifferent churches which offered youth programs.One particular neighborhood memory that standsout was a processional that Esther participated

with her father. She recalls that some of the chil-dren had velitas or candles and marched fromBuckeye Road to Pima Road and then back again.She can not remember the purpose of the proces-sion but remembers it so well. There was also acivic club for men and later women called theSociedad Mutualista Benito Juarez in which herfather, Mariano, was the treasurer. Some of themembers were Mr. and Mrs. Luis Mejilla, PanchoRuiz, Charley Diaz, and Juan Rodriguez amongothers. The club was instrumental in organizingcommunity celebrations.


Marcelino “Marshal” Valdez,

Esther Delgado

Pictured are Valdez family members: Marcelino, Sylvia, Jesus“Chuy,” Rosie and Veronica “Ronnie.”

Photo Courtesy of Valdez Family


was born to Santiago andSally Fraijo. The Fraijo story begins on theApache Reservation of San Carlos, where Sallywas born and raised, and in Magdalena, Sonorawhere Santiago was born. “My mother’s

Grandparents are from Camp Verde, Arizona.The story goes that my mother’s Grandfather gotinto some trouble with the authorities; he wasrunning with Geronimo and other Apaches.Instead of sending him to prison, they sent him toCarlisle College in Pennsylvania where he learnedthe tricks of a carpenter and was then sent backto San Carlos…In those days they would central-ize all the Apaches, keep them cornered and oncethe area settled down, those who wanted to goback to Camp Verde could and my grandmachose to remain in San Carlos.” Santiago Fraijo,born in Sonora, also served the United States inWorld War II. The very first Fraijo to come northworked in a cattle ranch and was given a parcelof land by the owners. These four acres were latergiven to the City of Irwindale in California. TheIrwindale City Hall and police station now standon this former Fraijo land. There are still celebra-tions in California where Fraijo family members

still live. At age 18 Santiago, along with hisfather, slowly migrated to Phoenix. They boughttheir first and only house at 1118 E. Yuma inBarrios Unidos. James remembers, “there was nopaved streets in those days just dirt…everybodylooked out for one another…Oh when it rained…the streets were a good place to play. As kids wewould play in the canal that ran through 11thand Pima…a great place to go swimming…webuilt a tree house just next door to us.” Jamesremembers that each neighborhood had a littlegrocery store. He has wonderful memories ofAbraham Lincoln School where he attended. Hehad wonderful teachers like Mr. Diaz and Mr.Rodriguez. James recalls the Rodeo Drive Inwhere he saw monster movies like King Kong andFrankenstein. Sunland Market, on Buckeye just asyou enter the Campito neighborhood, was a goodplace to shop. James recalls the places and activityof the neighborhood: all the little mom and popshops along Henshaw Road (now Buckeye); pas-try stores, ice cream and snow cones being soldout of houses; social functions at the CalderonBallroom; the jamaicas at the churches; going toCampito to buy menudo on Sundays; neighborsthat made and sold tamales. “There was alwayssomebody in the neighborhood who was like amedicine women or curandera who could helpyou.” Sears, Montgomery Wards, WoolWorth,and the old downtown are still vivid in his memo-ry. James continues his artwork and shares his tal-ent with the kids at Wesley Community Centerwhere he continues his activism within his nativeheritage. He is very proud of his upbringing in theBarrios Unidos neighborhood. James, a visualartist wood carver, is presently artist-in-residencefor the Arizona Commission on the Arts.


James Fraijo

James is pictured on the grounds of Wesley Center.Photo by Lucas Cabrera


91 years young, liveson the corner of 10th and Pima and has been inthe same house since 1947. Her humble home sitsacross the street from Nuestro Park where she hasa wonderful view of the neighborhood kids play-ing. Aileen was born and raised in Maple,Wisconsin. She has very little recollection of herbiological parents who died when she was onlytwo months old; just an old photograph that wasgiven to her just a few years ago by one of hercousins who lives in Finland. Growing up, Aileenremember working on her family’s farm rakinghay, “20 acres mother and I use to rake, imaginethat!” Aileen left Maple, Wisconsin at age 19 andmoved to Chicago, the North Shore. In 1938 shemet and married her husband Joe W. Johnston.He was in the army, the Cavalry. They married inChampaign, Illinois. In 1944 Aileen moved toPhoenix, “we just decided to go somewhere wehadn’t been before, that was the only reason.”Aileen first lived at 1818 E. Washington Street atthe Washington Street Cottage Building Court. Itwas 1947 when Aileen moved to Pima street; thehouse was the last one to be built by MaryAnderson and her son on Pima Street. Aileenrecalls Abraham Lincoln School, “it was such ashame because it was such a nice building, thenthey tore it down and built this one, because it’s

suppose to be sound proof for the coming of theplanes.” Aileen remembers that Pima street wasn’tpaved until 1974 and that it was just dirt untilthen. Aileen remembers all her original neighborson Pima Street: the Agustos, the Downfolds, theBerks, the Hinsons, and the Waige families. “I amthe only one left…they wouldn’t allow colored orSpanish people here, it’s only from Seventh Streethere. I don’t know why it is that way.” Aileenremembers that the city promised it would put insidewalks but never did, “Oh, I don’t know howmany petitions I’ve carried around here…still noside walks.” Aileen is 91 years young and stillcontinues to do her part for her community. Shecontinues to be active in the neighborhood associ-ation, remains active in community clean ups, andcontinues to support all efforts to develop andbetter her neighborhood. Aileen is very comfort-able in her present home, and the noise from theplanes is something that she has gotten used to.She recalls that one day she phoned the airportand asked them, “when is the air show going tobe over?” She jokes now, because she can evenafter years of noise and pollution, but she willcontinue to fight for justice for her community.

Written By Mike Valdez

Aileen Johnston,

This popular neighborhood market, which is known by many names, such as Poncho’s, Simon’s and Austin’s, has been around since the1950s.

Photo by Lucas Cabrera


family history reflectsthe growth of a united caring community despitetough economic times. Velia’s mother, MaríaLuisa Guevara de Rentería, was born in Mexicoand brought to Arizona 45 days after she was

born. Mariano Rentería, Velia’s father, leftMexico at an early age in search of better work.María and Mariano met and married in Phoenixand lived for a time at la sesion, a housing projectfor railroad employees in central Phoenix. Theyraised five daughters, three nephews, and threenieces in a house that Mr. Rentería remodeledover the years. Velia remembers the Milpas as a

closeknit community, “…our home was alwaysfull (of visitors)…Everybody seemed to knoweach other and everyone kind of looked out, youknow, for each others kids…they…advise some-thing you shouldn’t do and brought you out andsent you home.” Velia recalls much resident bar-tering and commerce, especially on weekends,“…the Aguayos made pottery…we’d…buy theollas and …decorate…for piñatas….DoñaPomposa sitting on her porch, sold raspadas…Mr.Vercancum that sold menudo…the Mejillas…hadthe ovens in the wall…and sell pan de huevo….Mitzi’s mother sold eggs and milk…” Small localgrocery markets provided fresh meats and othercommodities. Tough economic times were reflect-ed in the community. Most homes had no runningwater and bought water from neighbors who did.Outdoor toilets or outhouses were common. Mosthomes also had no electricity or phones. Despitethe grim economic conditions within the barrio,residents banded together to build a strongercommunity. Velia’s father and others organizedfiestas and jaimaicas. Holidays such as the 16thof September were times of widespread celebra-tion among residents, “…fiestas, queens, princes,princesses…dancers, speeches, reciting poetry…Igot stuck one year with that (reciting poetry)…Iwas really teased about that one…” Local moth-ers formed a youth club (Mother’s Club) to pro-mote activities for girls and boys. Her father wasalso involved in La Sociedad Mutualista BenitoJuarez, a Lationo civic organization. Velia is nowretired from a banking career and lives in Phoe-nix. Her daughter is married.


Velia Fernandez’s

Velia currently lives in Phoenix.Photo by Lucas Cabrera


is the current ExecutiveDirector of the Wesley Community Center, a non-profit faith-based community center of the UnitedMethodist Women of America. Betty became the9th director in 1994. The center is located in theheart of Las Cuatro Milpas and has been in oper-ation since 1950. Several programs are aimed atthe youth and the elderly including: organizedsports, tutoring, dance, after school meals, guitar,community garden, English as a second language,sewing classes, community development, Back toSchool, Home Repairs, Senior Women programs,Christmas-Adopt A-Family, an Oral HistoryProject, and, soon to come, a Health Centeraimed at diabetes treatment and prevention.Many of the youth attending Wesley through theyears have gone on to live useful and productivelives. One such example is the current neighbor-

hood president, Rick Cortez. A large volunteerbase has been the backbone of Wesley’s success.Though there have been some lean years, WesleyCommunity Center has continued its service tothis low-income community. Some of the manypartners who have helped keep Wesley openthrough the years include: United Way, ArizonaDiamondbacks, Sky Harbor Airport,Neighborhood Partners, Discover Card, localUnited Methodist Churches, MedtronicCorporation, Rotary Club, Boys Scouts ofAmerica and many, many more. With everyone’shelp, Wesley will continue to “Empower PeopleThrough Positive Change.”


Betty Mathis

Wesley Community Center holds a monthly food distribution for the entire neighborhood.Photo by Lucas Cabrera


has a strong bond tothe Barrios Unidos community. Rueben spent fif-teen years working in Texas with HispanicChurches and communities. In 1969, Rueben wastransferred to Phoenix, Arizona and took chargeof the Primera Iglesia Metodista, located at 701 S.1st Street. Rueben remembers, “when I came toPhoenix in ’69, it was the time when the Chican-os, Chicanos Por La Causa, was born. The sametime I came in, Father Frank Yoldi…was thePastor of Sacred Heart Church. We became reallygood friends.” This gave birth to the workingrelationship between Rueben Carrico and theBarrios Unidos community Rueben’s efforts insocial justice are reflected in the amount of timehe has spent in inner-city barrios and in grass-roots organizing. Rueben served on the Board ofWesley Community Center, an organization dedi-cated to improving and raising an awareness ofthe conditions of the Barrios Unidos neighbor-

hoods. He also served on the board of ChicanosPor La Causa, advocating for social justice withinChicano/Mexican communities. Rueben has wit-nessed the changes of the Barrios Unidos commu-nity. He has witnessed the relocation and extinc-tion of the historic Golden Gate Barrio and fearsthat the city of Phoenix has an unseen agenda forthe inner-city area of Barrios Unidos. Rueben hasdeveloped friendships over the years working inBarrios Unidos and continues those relationshipswith the long-term residents of Barrios Unidos.Rueben continues his support for Barrios Unidosand extends any assistance to Barrios Unidos intheir journey for justice.


Rueben Carrico

Food City has served the community since the early 1930s when it was known as Kirk’s Food City.Photo by Lucas Cabrera


Helen Brock came to the Barrios Unidosareas from Oklahoma, when she was a younglady. In 1947, “I came on a Greyhound bus, gotoff at 24th Street and Washington, and that wasfarm land out there, that was open fields…”Helen lived through all the changes that haveoccurred in the neighborhood. She experiencedthe I-17 or Maricopa freeway construction. “It’san elevated freeway,…but before they built thefreeway we didn’t have the airport noise…It wasa very, very small airport, around the railroadtracks…” However, in time, freeways, airportgrowth and development, buyouts and force-outs

from theneighbor-hoods nearthe airport bythe city gov-ernment’senforced useof theEminentDomain lawsbroughtabout manychanges.Helenremembers,

“What I loved about south Phoenix, when I set-tled here was that it was a beautiful green belt,green lush trees, irrigation canals, water every-where, so everybody had beautiful greenlawns,…fruit trees and citrus…there was nocrime, so your children would get out to the mid-dle of the street and play ball…” Her childrenattended Stevenson School when Ann Ott was theprincipal. She became active in her neighborhoodthrough her church. She said, “We did sewing forthe poor and made quilts, and we fed poor peo-ple, and we took care of the homeless in mychurch.” She added, “When the airport and thefreeway and all the problems were starting tohappen with the city, we got involved with theneighborhood groups that were fighting for theresidents’ rights, and also to fight crime.” Sherecalls her neighborhood, “We had everything inour neighborhood. We had clothing store,…many

grocery stores…Shoes stores,…TV repair, barber-shop, and beauty shop. We didn’t have to leaveour neighborhood; we had a lot of churches, avariety of churches that have gone, disappeared.Buckeye to Mohave and from Twenty-fourthStreet to Sixteenth Street to Seventh Street wereneighborhoods that Helen Brock remembers, “Wehad our entertainment, we had our movie, ourdrive-in movies here, we had nightclub life,…wehad restaurants, we had our shopping…every-thing you need.” And she remembers the wonder-ful flower aromas, too. “We could smell the per-fume from the Japanese garden all the way down-town, and the orange blossom, there was a lot ofcitrus, too…when I came here the sky in Arizonawas so gorgeous…big floating clouds, snow-whitelike angel hair, and the plump skies would be soblue. There was no pollution in the air…it wasjust so lovely.”


The background of this picture would laterbecome the Maricopa Freeway.

Photos courtesy of the Brock family

Helen is pictured in front of her home in the 1950s.


of Sacred Heart Church located in Los CautroMilpas area came from San Jose, California. Hehas served the Barrios Unidos area for manyyears. He remembered the old Sacred Heart in

Golden Gatelocated on16th Street andTonto. Hisexperience wasone of seeingthe barriochurches close,people moveaway, but yetreturn toattend servicesand participatein church relat-ed programsand festivals inthe currentchurch, SacredHeart. Prior toits closing, herecalls Santa

Rita. “I served Mass at Santa Rita.” He said ofSt. Mary Magdalene, “There’s a center forHispanics from the diocese…” Father Luis is fromNew Mexico and knew Father Albert Braun,OFM, “…when he went to the service I kind ofkept in touch with him…he was aChaplain…Second World War…imprisoned…serving the prison camp …with Japanese.”Father Baldonado has for some years served Masseach Christmas day at the old Sacred HeartChurch for people who formerly lived in GoldenGate. “…we have a Mass here every ChristmasDay, the whole church is full of people we knewfrom the old timers used to be there.” Father Luiscontinues serving the needs of his parishionersand has active groups such as a St. Vincent dePaul, Catechism Class for children, and churchfestivals. “…it’s good to be together.” As concernsthe possibility of another property buyout by thecity for continued airport expansion and how thisaffects the people of the neighborhood, he says,“…it’s harder to sell and try to get a chance to goto another place. The old folks want to stay, youknow.” Father Luis, now retired as a pastor, con-tinues to serve Sacred Heart Church.


was raised in the Milpas neigh-borhood at 11th Street and Mohave. The proper-ty, which is now a vacant lot, originally belongedto his stepfather, Rollo Todd, who had a businesscalled the Todd Box Company. He served areafarmers by providing crates and boxes for pro-duce. There were large agricultural plots in thearea. Don remembers people riding onmules on Mohave Street and also thelarge baseball stadium, MunicipalStadium at the corner of Mohave andCentral. He and his friends could notafford to attend the baseball games butwaited outside to catch stray fouls balls.A fire destroyed the buildings on Don’sproperty some time ago and Don has hadto continue paying property taxes on avacant lot. This has been a sore pointamong many vacant lot owners in BarriosUnidos. He does not know how muchlonger he can afford to pay the taxes.Don has let his feelings be known

through the local neighborhood association,Barrios Unidos Airport Action Coalition. Dontries to maintain community ties even though heand his wife live in Show Low, Arizona. A sister-in-law, Mitzi Metcalf still resides in the communi-ty on Pima Street.


Father Luis Baldonado, OFM,

Don Clegg

Father Luis meets with parishioners follow-ing Christmas Day Mass, 2002 at the OldSacred Heart Church.

Photo by Avelardo V. Moulinet

Pictured is Don’s large vacant lot property on 11th St. and Mohave.

Photo by Mike Valdez


was born in a small community in Phoenix namedLincoln Acres. This community no longer existsand was located where Sky Harbor InternationalAirport presently is. Native to Phoenix, theDuncan family has lived all over the centralPhoenix area. “On the other side of the rail roadtracks, we’d never go across the rail road tracks.”Not crossing the railroad tracks was the norm for

many of the Barrios Unidos residents, most of thenecessities were provided within the neighbor-hood. Clothing, food, social functions and gather-ings all took place within the community. As akid, Mary remembers the celebrations on 13thPlace, sitting on her neighbor’s fence and enjoyingthe mariachi music, the beautiful customs and allthe festivities. The Duncan family enjoyed takingtheir blankets to Miller’s Drug Store on BuckeyeRoad to watch movies that were shown upagainst the stores wall. The movie nights thenchanged to Friday nights at Food City. “Theyused to have movies for the kids, at like FoodCity…In the parking lot you could take yourblanket and sit down in the parking lot andthey’d show movies.” The Metcalf home waslocated on the corner of 14th and Pima, directlysouth of Austin’s Market. Mary remembers sleep-ing outside as a kid with her brothers and sisters,“it was quiet back then, no airplanes…” Maryremembers that in 1957 her home exploded, theexplosion was so strong that it shattered windowsof homes blocks away. Some residents describedthe sound as a bomb. The explosion was featuredin the newspaper and was said to be caused bythe storage of fireworks in the Duncan home.Other eyewitnesses have contradicted the newspa-per’s account. The Duncan family enjoyed goingto downtown Phoenix on the bus for a nickel, toshop at Newberry’s, Woolworth’s, Heartfields andFranklin’s department stores. Mary would also goto the State Fairgrounds to watch her fatherwork, he would do the fireworks for the fair.Wonderful memories like the Riverside BallRoom, Luhrs Tower, and the old downtownPhoenix are what Mary remembers the most.


Mary “Mitzi” Duncan Metcalf

The Duncan family posed for this picture in the snow in 1939 on14th St. and Pima.

Photo courtesy of Metcalf family


The history of theDiaz Family in Green Valley is one of over-comingobstacles, realizing dreams, and giving back to thecommunity. Frank Lee Diaz, a taxi driver, andReyes Alaffa Diaz, a migrant worker, were mar-

ried inEdinburghTexas in1949. Theycame toArizona in the1950s. Theyhad four girlsand threeboys. ThoughMr. Diaz haspassed away,the legacy heleft behind isextraordinary.Despite hislimited formaleducation(6th grade),Mr. Diaz hadsome great

accomplishments. While in the U. S. Army, hebecame an avid reader and began to accumulateknowledge that he would later put to effectiveuse. He started Diaz Scrap Metal business inGreen Valley. This successful enterprise allowedhim the time and resources to begin his volunteer

contribution of giving back to the community.Frank encouraged the community youth by fund-ing uniforms and equipment and coached them aswell. He saw how drug substance abuse wasaffecting his community and learned to writegrants and programs that led to the creation ofSouth Help, a drug-abuse shelter of which he wasthe volunteer Executive Director. He witnessedthe hunger and need for clothing in this low-income community and began cooperating withother neighborhood leaders and the City ofPhoenix to begin addressing these basic needsthrough the L.E.A.P. program. This program wascentrally located at 12th Street and Mohave, cur-rently the site of Carolina’s Mexican FoodRestaurant. There was also an additional site inGreen Valley Park. Frank also encouraged hisown children by having them work in the fields toappreciate how hard it is without an education.He acquired watermelons for the kids to sell doorto door in the neighborhood to see how it feels toown your business. This valuable education hasallowed the children to have their own successfullives. Above all else, Frank knew and understoodthe value of family. According to his children andwife, his last request was “…always promise methat you will remain united as a family.” Nancyand her mother relate that Frank accepted JesusChrist as his personal saviour and is waiting forthem in Heaven.


Nancy Diaz Family

Mrs. Reyes Alaffa Diaz and her late husband, Frank.

Photo courtesy of Diaz family


Dolffie, as Adolfowas know in the neighborhood, was born in theMilpas neighborhood in 1935 and has been a life-long resident of the Phoenix area. His father, whoworked in warehousing, also operated a smallstore selling canned food, raspadas and gas

for stoves in his home on Yuma Street. After hisparents divorced, Dolffie kept in close contactwith his two sisters and three brothers. After mili-tary service, Dolffie met Virginia Cota. They weremarried in 1957 at St. Mary Magdalene Churchin the Green Valley neighborhood. They have twochildren, Mark and Dena. Their first home on12th Place was given to them by his father-in-law,who helped them with extensive repairs andremodeling. Their home was so close to theRodeo Drive-In that the family enjoyed watchingmovies from their yard. Dolffie worked in variousdepartments for the City of Phoenix and is cur-rently retired. He attended night school over theyears and received a degree from Phoenix Collegein civil engineering. Dolffie’s neighborhood mem-ories include weddings and other celebrations atCana Hall on 12th Street. His uncle, JohnHernandez, still resides next door to Cana Hall.He and Virginia currently live in west Phoenixand own properties in the Barrios Unidos areaand are active in the local neighborhood associa-tion, Barrios Unidos Airport Action Coalition.


Adolfo “Dolffie” Mazon Hernandez

The Hernandez’ were married in 1957 at St. Mary MagdaleneChurch

Photo courtesy of Hernandez family


tracesher family, the Cotas, back to Sonora, Mexico,through the mining town of Superior and finallyto Barrios Unidos in the 1940s. Some of the top-ics covered included: political instability inMexico in 1915, northward migration patterns,

mining town experiences, housing discriminationin Phoenix, and community involvement in innercity Phoenix. Virginia is especially proud of thecommunity contributions by her father, ManuelCota. Along with other local community leaderssuch as John Gomez, George Patten, and Frank

Diaz, he brought relief to some of the poorer resi-dents and homeless persons through boxes offood and clothes. This effort led to the present-day community service center, Sky Harbor FamilyCenter. Virginia remembers that their large houseon Cocopah was the site of numerous communitymeetings. Her father was also very active in hischurch, St. Mary Magdalene and with the otherchurches within Sacred Heart Parish, such asSanta Rita, St. John and Sacred Heart, andworked closely with the local priest, Father AlbertBraun on related community issues. Manuel alsowas active in the Ann Ott School Council,Sociedad Porfirio Diaz, a service organization,and St. Vincent de Paul. Virginia recalls fondlythe family home that her mother loved so much at1206 E. Cocopah “…our house had two bed-rooms and a basement, a kitchen, a living room, abathroom, and the upstairs has two bedrooms, abathroom, a kitchen and a living room…it waspainted southwestern, the shower and the bath-room had a mural painted…southwestern sceneover the tub, the kitchen had little Mexican paint-ings on all the cabinets, the basement kitchen hadglass windows on the doors, glass doors and theyhad little Mexican designs on the windows. It wasreally unusual and it was really beautiful.” Herparents also served as foster parents to many chil-dren over the years.


Virginia Cota Hernandez

Manuel and Margarita Cota are pictured with their son, Daniel, in1971 on Cocopah Street.

Photo courtesy of Hernandez family

was born in La Jarra, Colorado in1933. His mother was born in Puerto Rico andhis father in Bojap, India. Joe and his family livedin Colorado on a farm, Joe recalls as a young boyworking alongside his family on their farm, pick-

ing cotton, cauliflower, and other vegetables theygrew. As the family continued to grow, Joeremembers moving around a lot. In the mid1930s during the era of the Great Depression, Joeremembers moving to Casa Grande, Arizona and

the hardships his family faced during this period.He remembers his family continuing to work inthe fields struggling to make ends meet. It wasn’tuntil the 1940s that Joe and his family moved toPhoenix and they lived in the Marcos De Nizahousing projects while Joe attended LowellElementary School. Joe attended Phoenix Techwhere he received his diploma and then went onto the National Guard were he served honorablyfor ten years. Joe settled in Barrios Unidos in1956. He remembers his home back then, “well itwas a small house…it wasn’t that bad…but with-in years I made it a little bigger and made it com-fortable. Oh yeah…in ’56 this was county then.”Joe has wonderful memories of the quiet barrio,until the airport began to grow in the eighties. Heremembers the old Sacred Heart Church where heattended in the no-longer-existing Golden Gatecommunity. He remembers shopping at Smitty’s,Walgreen’s, and Food City. Joe is very comfort-able and happy in his home.


Joe Dean


recalls thewonderful memories of her childhood playmatesin Barrios Unidos. Her parents house was directlyacross from the “plataforma” or platform whereall the dances would be held for the community.She recalls that she was too young to dance butdid socialize with all the youngsters running andyelling during the festivities. “…Jugaba con every-body.” Francis says in her mixture of English andSpanish. She does recall fondly that she never feltfear or danger from other persons especiallyadults at any time in the neighborhood. Francisexplained all that adults helped to supervise thechildren. “…grownups and everybody looked

after all the people, you know their kids…wewere just like a big family really.” One reminderof the grinding poverty were the brides who car-ried laureles or oleanders for the bouquet as ole-anders were found everywhere in Barrios Unidos.Francis did remark on one very important time inher youth and that was the Bible study class thatshe attended at Las Casillas Baptist Church withher Bible teacher, Mrs. Miles, “…It was a goodtime in my life…”


Francis Espinoza López

Joe Dean is pictured in the 1970s.Photo courtesy of Dean family


Ann Ott Former teacher and principal ofStevenson School located in Barrios Unidos

Barrio Neighborhood

Barrios Unidos Neighborhoods United; Namechosen by residents to identify all four neighbor-hoods being united

Bracero Mexican field worker, especially a tempo-rary worker supplied by treaty with Mexico

Campito the camps; A Neighborhood locatedwithin Barrios Unidos

Canalito A small canal

Chicano/Chicana U.S.-born of Mexican descent

La crisis The Great Depression of the 1930s

Curandera Mexican healer and/or Medicinewoman

Fayuquero trader; Merchant

Fiestas Patrias-Community Celebrations ofMexican Independence

Green Valley Park City Park located in BarriosUnidos

Golden Gate Barrio No longer existing communi-ty located directly west of Sky HarborInternational Airport. Relocated in the ’80s

Jaimacas Social gatherings within a community

La Sociedad Mutualista Benito Juarez MutualAid Society

Las Cuatro Milpas The Four Corn Fields; Aneighborhood within Barrios Unidos

Laureles A flower; oleanders

Los Ojos de la Comunidad The eyes of the com-

munity; A community block watch founded bythe residents of Barrios Unidos in the 1980s

Los Perros Park ’N Swap located in Phoenix,Arizona at the Greyhound park on 40th Streetand Washington

Mexicano Mexican-born citizen

Nuestro Barrio Our Neighborhood; Name chosenby residents in the 1980s by the neighborhoodassociation

Novenas Prayer services within the Catholic faith.Ollas-cooking pots

Palacio A palace

Piñatas used in celebrations, filled with toys andcandies

Plataforma platform

Poncho’s Austin’s Market located in Las CuatroMilpas Community

Posadas processionals or groups of persons walk-ing and singing traditional Christmas carols

Raspadas snow cones

Reina A Queen

Santa Rita A church located in the Campitoneighborhood

Sociedad Porfirio Diaz Mutual Aid Society

St. Mary Magdeline Church located in GreenValley community

El Tapón The Roosevelt Dam

Veloria Funeral wakes

Viejita An older woman; elder

Glossary


Maps created with help of Nikki Davis

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