Longtime RGV newscaster Darrell Davis uploaded some dainty 1982 KVEO 23 TV-Promos that are making me nostalgic for a time period in which I wasn't even born yet. The first set of promos has a breakdown on the KVEO programming schedule and of the different news personalities. One of the vignettes that caught my eye was a locally produced series called "Valley Magazine". If some footage exists of that it would be great to see some more vintage Valley footage. Also, the novela highlighted here looks so deliciously tacky.
Now, here's the opening intro and closing video of the KVEO News 23 program. The 1980s aesthetic is way too charming. I love the sounds of the closing bit, it brings back memories of Atari 3600.
In 1939 the United States Farm Security Administration established a camp north of town on what is now Highway 83. The $250,000 camp, the first of its kind in Texas built expressly for the purpose of housing migrant farmworkers, became known as Weslaco North.
So, with that information out of the way, we get to the real treat of this entry: the photographs. Thanks to this incredible blog known as Shorpy, I found some fantastic photographs of 1939-1942 era that deal with Weslaco life. I would have preferred some photographs of the downtown area and dirt roads in general, but I'll take what I can get. I was trying to think of which one was my favorite, but it's difficult to pick just one since most of these are incredibly charming photographs. Enjoy.
Since everyone and their mothers is now on Facebook, I thought it would be a good idea to create a fan page for the Pharr From Heaven blog. On it, I will post a link to every new entry that is posted on this blog and share some historic Rio Grande Valley photos that I've become enamored with. So, if you have a Facebook account and love the Rio Grande Valley as much as I do, please check out the Facebook fan page at:
Note: Some may wonder why I wrote this article that is mainly about mixed martial arts on a site that is specifically for the Rio Grande Valley. While Roger Huerta wasn't born in the Valley, he did live here and spent his childhood and teenage years in the streets of Pharr. He had street fights in Pharr and Memorial Middle School, and was on the high school wrestling team for one year at PSJA North High School. He was also once a member of the notorious Tri-City Bombers aka TCB, one of the Valley's most well known gangs. So he's as Pharr as it gets in my eyes, as he was able to overcome being a homeless kid in the rough neighborhoods of Pharr to become one of the top fighters in MMA.
I love this old photograph of McAllen's Cine El Rey. I've never seen the film "Juan Charrasqueado", but Pedro Armendáriz is such a great actor. Great presence and his work in "La Perla" and "María Candelaria" is top notch. If you want a great history of the Cine El Rey theater, it could be found here.
Here's a couple of classic photos of two of Pharr's most famous theaters. They were found thanks to this great site, the first pair of photos is of the Texas Theater, located in downtown Pharr. This theater was basically deserted for ages now but it has been recently remodeled and it is trying to get across the image of a classy theater that holds plays, one man shows, business meetings and serves as a ballroom for events like a Quinceañera. But back in the day, it was known as the type of theater that Travis Bickle would take a date to...
Next, this Cactus drive-in theater was built by Interstate Theatres, and it opened around 1950 or 1951. When it was first opened in the early days, it was managed by a man named John Connelly. This drive-in theater was located on Highway 83, what's left now in its place is a Workforce Solutions building (which used to be a Wal-Mart for a brief period then later evolved into the chains discount experiment Bud's in the 1990s) and a few stores like a dollar store, a thrift store, and a nice Mexican restaurent.
I love how is it says "The Most Beautiful Theatre in the World - Pharr, Texas" on the bottom. I wish more photos were available on this place.
What an insane life this guy has had. He has gone from one of the most famous world class athletes in the world to becoming an incredibly controversial figure due to performance enhancing drugs to him getting destroyed by a giant in the middle of Japan in the Mixed Martial Arts company DREAM...
When I was a young lad, I loved visiting Moreno's Feed & Pet Store in Pharr, TX. I was filled with so much joy when I looked over the ducks and all the various animals there. But the back of the store, that was a different albeit more Fellini-esque story. To enter the back area you had to pay an admission fee, as it was a genuine state of the art "freak zoo". This sideshow was heaven if you wanted to see gigantic snakes, 3 or 4 legged chickens, weird memorabilia, cows with two heads, and tiny adult animals. You have no idea how much I loved these incredibly bizzare and unusual animals when I was a kid. Seriously, as a Pharr kid, I would have done anything to be able to own one of these awesome animals as a pet. Lately, I've started thinking of this forgotten place, and I was wondering if I could find any information about this wonderful sideshow attraction. So when I found out some informartion, I was surprised that the information I found was on corridos and accordion icon Ramon Ayala's wikipedia:
In 1990, Ramon Ayala wrote and recorded "Cumbia del Zoologico" (15 Cumbias Legendarias Album), a song about Danny Moreno's mini zoo and museum in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, which sold over 1 million copies. "Doctor" Danny (his show name) exhibited over 75 freak-mutant animals including "two pigs with human-like heads," hundreds of hard-hitting collectibles and memorabilia including: two Elvis Presley jackets, Mother Teresa hair locks, and meteorites from the moon. Autographs include: Pope Paul II, M. L. King Jr., etc., all with certificates of authenticity. On major TV shows, Danny wrestled seven giant snakes exhibited in the mini zoo. (his "Cage of Death" dare devil stunt act). Ayala mentored Danny for years about promotion, networking and show business. The young student and apprentice "Doctor," Danny and Ayala were featured on Good Morning America, Ripley's "Believe It Or Not," Ocurio Asi, Hola America, tabloids, La Alarma, in over 300 newspapers, radio shows, etc. Ayala had the vision to promote the museum to international status which turned into a total "media frenzy" and "media circus" that converted the museum into the most jaw-dropping "phenomena" and "legend" to ever hit the Valley. "Doctor" Danny operated a five-star feed and pet store next to the museum, and was the original "exotic animal health care consultant" for Ayala's private famous ranch, "Rinconcito En El Cielo." Tejano Superstar Selena initially consulted Danny with fashion ideas for his "freaked out" wardrobe. Over 550,000 visitors toured the museum in the nine years it was open, Due To Ayala's Cumbia About The Museum.
Now I'm flabbergasted, how could no one have told me that Ramon Ayala had created a song about Pharr's Moreno's Feed & Pet Store?!?!? Also, yes, this song is fantastic! Ramon Ayala captures the true essence of what it was like to be at the sideshow freak zoo inside Moreno's Feed & Pet Store. Ayala does have some really over the top exaggerations, but he could pull it off because he's the grand Rey del Acordeon. Also, I never knew Danny Moreno wrestled the gigantic snake, that must have been so epic. Here's the amusing song for all of you to enjoy:
I'm a sucker for Werner Herzog stories, and I thought I would share one of his silly stories from Herzog on Herzog that involves his time in McAllen, Reynosa, and Mexico:
Interviewer - And that's where you learned Spanish?
Werner Herzog - And where I also developed this real fascination and love I have for Latin America. Of course, while I was there I had to make a living and discovered that there was a weak spot on the border between the twin cities of Reynosa in Mexico and McAllen in Texas. There was a lot of daily commuting between these towns, Mexicans working in McAllen during the day and returning at night. Tens of thousands each morning who all had special stickers on their windshields that would allow them to pass virtually free through the border. I stole one of those stickers and bought some television sets for people who wanted them down in Mexico where they were very expensive. One time a rich ranchero asked me to buy him a silver colt pistol which he was not able to find in Mexico, so I bought one and took it down there for him. I made fairly good money on all these things. From this came the legend that I was a gun runner.
Then I spent a couple of weekends as a rodeo rider in charreiadas. The way it worked was that they would have three cowboys or charros in the ring who would catch the bulls, usually very fast animals. They would use lassos to bring the bull to the ground and then tie a rope around its chest. You have to squat on the animal and grab the rope while he is on the ground. They release him and immediately he explodes in rage. I have seen bulls jumping clear over a six-foot wall. Every single week I was injured and one time had to fix up my bad ankle one time with two rulers I got from some school kids. I could not even ride a horse, something that soon became patently clear to the spectators, so I appeared under the name El Alamein, which after Stalingrad was the biggest defeat of the German forces in the Second World War. They all just loved to cheer the idiot on!
One time I was in the ring with a bull who got on his feet and just stood there staring at me. I scream, 'Burro! You donkey!' I can still hear the cheers of the young women in the crowd. Of course, it was pretty angry at me and tried to pin me to the stone wall. I caught my leg between the animal and the wall, and sustained an injury that was so bad I quit the job there and then. Today it all sounds quite funny and I do see it with a certain humour, but my time down there was quite banal and partially miserable too. It was 'pura vida' as the Mexicans say, 'pure life'. But I thank God on my knees that after America I did not go straight back to Germany.
A gentleman with the username videostejano uploaded some really wonderful videos on his YouTube account. These videos have such a unique place in South Texas history, he's doing a great service to us all by providing these videos of major acts on the classic Johnny Canales show. I've only watched a few videos so far, but I've looked over his uploads library, and I'm so excited to go over each one. I found his account by stumbling upon this video of San Benito's own Freddy Fender and the legendary Valerio Longoria.
Valerio Longoria is an incredibly influential musician, he first picked up the accordion at the age of 7 years old here in the Rio Grande Valley. Valerio often gets credited for being the first musician that combined lyrics to Conjunto and accordion music. When he was a teenager, Longoria was known for playing his unique sound at weddings in the Valley, specifically in Harlingen, TX. Little Joe Hernandez remarked in the great documentary "Songs of the Homeland" (which airs on PBS every once in a while) how one of the noteworthy things Valerio did was to incorporate a drum set into Conjunto music in late 1940s. So enjoy seeing a couple of South Texas legends on The Johnny Canales Show.
Way before we had South Texas Fighting Championship putting on very entertaining Mixed Martial Arts events, the Valley was host to a couple of shows put on by ES - Extreme Shootout. The shows had a few names that would be familiar to longtime fans like Shannon Ritch and Aaron Riley, but I thought I should bring attention to the most accomplished fighter that fought for this promotion here in the Valley. Yves Edwards was at one point a world class fighter, who is revered for unleashing some of the most spectacular KO's in both the UFC and EliteXC. Also, unique circumstances led Edwards to being hailed as the uncrowned UFC world lightweight champion.
At UFC 41 (2/28/03), we had BJ Penn vs Caol Uno in the finals to a lightweight tournament that was set to crown the new UFC lightweight champion. But since the fight was ruled a draw, the title continued to be vacant and the idea of crowning a champion was scrapped for a few years. During this title-less time period, Penn moved up to welterweight, and after winning the title there in a shocking upset over Hughes, he left the promotion for K-1. Uno, after getting KO'd by Hermes Franca at UFC 44, left the promotion to compete in Shooto and K-1. So when all this was going on, Yves Edwards bounced back from his first two UFC loses (Serra and Uno), and started building an impressive string of victories in the octagon. Yves scored strong wins over Nick Agallar, Hermes Franca (who was fresh off knocking out Uno), and Josh Thomson. At the end of 2004, Edwards' was the #1 lightweight in the UFC and the uncrowned UFC lightweight champion.
But this was years before he could claim to be the top lightweight in the top mixed martial arts organization in the world. This is at the Villareal Convention Center in McAllen, TX, and he's fighting Anthony Holiday, a fighter whose only two professional fights took place in McAllen. It's not much of a fight, it's Yves Edwards displaying his beautifully violent knees from the clinch and destroying Holiday in bloody fashion. This is also interesting to see just to witness how much MMA has grown from what it was in the 1990s to now. These two guys were fighting with no gloves on AND after the fight, the ring announcer is asking if there is a medic in the house to take care of some of the injuries the fighters had sustained. Also, keep a sharp look out to see who happens to be the referee for this fight. Here's a clue, he's a Hall of Fame-level fighter that ruled the light-heavyweight division from 2000-2003...
Yves Edwards vs Anthony Holiday (ES - 6/25/99)
This guys whole YouTube account is worth checking out, but I'm still puzzled as to how this France native got a hold of McAllen MMA? Also it's worth noting that tomorrow night in Austin, TX, Yves Edwards is finally making his return back to the UFC after a lengthy four year absence.
It must have been a really, really, really slow news day. No offense to whoever wrote the narration, but it's so corny it seems like it's coming out of a Christopher Guest parody. "To many, it may sound like a scene from a movie, but to Gonzales, it's a reality! And something that can land Weslaco on the map." Well, let's say for hypothetical purposes, that UFO's exist. Why would they want to come to Weslaco of all places? Man, people from outside Earth would probably be more fascinated by Alamo's Pulga or by Las Milpas than Weslaco. Oh wait, I forgot...
On Rick Diaz's Con Mi Gente segment this week, he did a nice little report on the PSJA Memorial School that is located here in Pharr. In a previous entry, I uploaded a pic of the historical marker that is on this school. I grew up a few blocks away from this school so it's great to see some old photographs of it from back in the day.
Over at The Monitor, they have a nice article on the co-writer of Machete, Alvaro Rodriguez. Talks about his relationship with his cousin Robert, about the film Escape From New York, the previous work the two have done together, and the Rio Grande Valley. Also, Alvaro puts over Los Comales in Edinburg as his favorite place to eat in the Valley (I'm a guy that really loves restaurant recommendations). Good article, and congrats to Alvaro Rodriguez on the success of this film!
This video makes me want to ask a lot of questions. What exactly were the major problems that happened in previous concerts? Did the people of the Valley have a terrible reputation in regards to how they acted during concerts? What were the massive arrests from years past? Probably drug related. I do love how the radio show host Denny Christensen has to beg the audience to behave responsibly so that we could be trusted to have more concerts in the Valley. Apparently, some undercover cops were there to check for minors using drugs, but it's a shame Will Ripley wasn't around back then. He surely would have caught them all in charismatic and dramatic fashion, and I would have been so pumped up.
Also, a little side note, that reporter Peter Torgerson ended up winning a $37 million Texas Lottery jackpot! Since he bought that ticket with a friend, he ended up splitting it and keeping a healthy sum of $19.4 million. Obviously, he retired soon after hitting the jackpot but I wonder what he's been up to.
I love everything about this. Even the reporters name, Darrell Davis, sounds like the name of a man you would instantly trust. He's got this great voice, a casual sounding respectable voice that dryly informs us about a toad that's 14 inches long and about how the toad would scare lovely ladies in their gardens. Also, that toad is ridiculously huge! Seriously, I got so much enjoyment out of this video.
I want to know more about this Golden Jersey creamery, it seems like it would be tasty!
Awww Freddy Fender, San Benito's favorite son. When no one is around, I sing along to "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" and "Before the Next Teardrop Falls". This reminds me, Mission needs a Tom Landry water tower asap!
At GenDisasters, they posted an original newspaper article of the famous plane crash in San Juan. I remember hearing about this famous story as a kid from my mom, who remembers the day and has talked about the sight of the flames emanating from San Juan. This is a story I've been curious about for ages now, so thanks to GenDisasters for posting this information online and making this famous Valley story available to the masses.
MAN CRASHES PLANE INTO VALLEY SHRINE.
230 ESCAPE INJURE; LOSS IS $1.5 MILLION.
San Juan (AP) -- A former schoolteacher crashed a small plane into a Roman Catholic church Friday, destroying it and an adjoining cafeteria. Acquaintances said the pilot deliberately smashed into the structure after issuing a strange radio warning. About 30 priests at Mass in the church and 200 schoolchildren at their noon lunch fled safely from the Church of the Shrine of the Virgin of San Juan and the cafeteria. Officers identified the pilot as FRANK B. ALEXANDER, about 50, considered an authority in teaching migrant children. He resigned his school job with the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school system last spring. ALEXANDER also was a flying instructor. ALEXANDER'S body was recovered from the destroyed structures. It still was strapped in the pilot's seat when found. Charles Wardroup in the control tower at Miller International Airport at nearby McAllen said an all-point radio call was received from a pilot identified later as ALEXANDER. The call was on an emergency frequency. The flier ordered fire departments to evacuate all Methodist and Roman Catholic Churches between Hidalgo and Edinburg and Weslaco and McAllen, all in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Asked the reason for his strange order, the pilot replied: "because of a serious plot." Moments later the four-place plane smashed into the church and fell at the point where the cafeteria and church proper joined, setting both afire. The church and the cafeteria were destroyed by the fire, with only steel beams remaining. The Rev. E. A. Ballard, chancellor of the Bownsville diocese of which the church complex is a part, estimated the loss at $1.5 million. He said the church and cafeteria destruction was total. The church is part of a complex which also contains St. John's Catholic School and a retreat house. The school is across a street at the rear of the church but the children eat in the cafeteria which forms a wing of the church. The retreat house is also across a street and a parking lot. The Shrine of the Virgin of San Juan is famous to Roman Catholics in Northern Mexico and in Texas. The Virgin of San Juan is venerated in a centuries-old Mexican belief. The white church, of stone and brick, was about the height of a two-story building. The steeple towered four or five stories high. It could contain about 800 worshippers. "We first heard an explosion and we all rushed out," said Rev. Ronald Anderson, vice chancellor of the diocese. A spokesman for the Upper Valley Aviation Co. in McAllen said Alexander rented the Piper Cherokee 180, a single-engine, four-place plane. The aviation firm's spokesman said ALEXANDER, about 50, was well known to employes of the company. He was an instructor-pilot and often rented the company's planes. The spokesman for the aviation company said the crash was no accident -- that it definitely was a deliberate crash. The spokesman said he also heard the radio orders from ALEXANDER. On the strength of the mysterious radio evacuation directive, orders went out to clear all churches of persons in them, said Capt. Joe Garza of the McAllen Fire Department. A spokesman for the McAllen police department said, however, there was no time to evacuate anyone. "As we were picking up the phones and dialing the plane crashed," said spokesman, "so the evacuation was not ordered in McAllen." The aviation company said ALEXANDER rented theplane about 11 a.m. and said he planned to fly in the local area. Employes of the airplane firm said they noticed nothing unusual about ALEXANDER'S manner. Sister Margaret, principal of St. Johns' Catholic School, 50 yards from the church, said she saw the plane strike the church. "I saw the plane coming," Sister Margaret said. "It was making all sorts of noise and shaking ... Suddenly it curned and hit the top of the church. I saw the fire burst out and I thought, 'Oh, the children.' I ran to the cafeteria to get them out." Mrs. Romelia de la Rosa, a teacher's aide who was in the cafeteria with about 200 children, said: "We only heard a noise. A father came in and said the church was on fire and we got the children out of there." The children left their lunch half-finished. Classes were immediately dismissed for the day and they were sent home. Mario Reyna, 11, a sixth grader who was in school cafeteria, said: "We heard the plane, then the explosion. I looked over to the church and saw a lot of smoke." A huge crowd and traffic jammed the area as fireman from several Valley towns fought the blaze unsuccessfully. One wing and part of the fuselage lodged between the church itself and the cafeteria. Sheriff Claudio Castaneda said Department of Public Safety officers searched the still burning wreckage of the plane but did not locate the pilot at once. Supt. Dean Skiles of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo schools said ALEXANDER, a resident of San Juan, resigned as a teacher April 28 effective at the end of the last school year. Justice of the Peace Dario Garcia of McAllen said an autopsy had been requested by the Federal Aviation Agency.
The Perros started off with a lot of fire, Perrito looked fantastic running in with his rapid fire brawling. Perro really looked to be hurting and struggling at times, but he's always so interesting to watch and no one matches the emotion and charisma he brings to pro wrestling. I mean, at this point I really think Perro Aguayo Sr. may be the most charismatic pro wrestler ever. No doubt I've seen bad matches with Perro Aguayo Sr. in them, but I've never been bored or ever thought of turning it off, he has a real star presence and his battered scarred up face is iconic (also I can't imagine wrestlers 50 years from now having the sort of legendary faces that Perro Sr. or Villano III have). When I first watched "When World's Collide", the most memorable image of the show was of teenage girls hugging and kissing the battered Perro Aguayo, who happened to be covered in blood in the most gruesome violent manner possible. Also, I must admit that sentimental value may be involved here since Perro Aguayo Sr. was the first genuine star I ever saw as a kid at a live pro wrestling show in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.
As expected, the first two falls are very short and quick, but what really stood out was how great Los Hermanos Dinamitas were at working these two short falls. Both guys were eating Perro and Perrito's offense in a very entertaining fashion, but what was even better was how great their teamwork was. Everything they did together offensively, from hitting simultaneous moves or hitting the same moves one after another just flowed so smoothly. It was pretty simple but it was so pleasing to watch what they were doing. As the final fall opens and we see some more great work from the brothers, it dawns on me that this is one of the great career matches of Mascara Año 2000. He was incredible at everything in this match. He was awesome dishing out hard headbutts and strikes to Perro Aguayo Sr. and just as cool when he was beating the shit out of Perrito by slamming him on the steel rampway. I was really impressed at how he would eat Perrito's dropkick during transitions and how he would throw himself and fly to the outside in such a spectacular way. Mascara Año 2000 was so great in here, he's one of the main reasons why this match is as good as it turned out to be. Perrito is also great at making a big comeback in the third fall, and beating the shit out of a Mascara Año 2000 (especially when he was stuck to a ringside chair). I can see how some people would be turned off by how histrionic and how much of a scene-chewer Perrito could be at times, but I just really dig how much energy he brings to these type of matches.
What I really loved about this whole spectacle, was the layout of the match (especially the way the tercera caida unfolds) and I was thrilled at how well it worked for this match. It was so precise and tight, it made this whole thing feel epic in a way that we don't see often anymore. It was like a formula B-movie that exceeded its expectations due to some fine craftmanship, the talent and charisma of its performers. I don't really want to spoil exactly what happens in the third fall since it's a very exciting conclusion but I'll give some details. They manage to fill this final portion of the match with some pretty clever twists, exciting nearfalls (from great high-end moves executed from Mascara Año 2000 and sold perfectly by Perrito), failed double team moves, well timed eliminations, outside interference, momentum changes, referee distractions (and referee bumps), and miscommunication spots. During the third fall, I was thinking how much better this would have been if Black Terry Jr. was at ringside filming this, just so we could get a good taste at how hot this Arena Mexico crowd was. They really seemed like the hottest crowd ever, but we'll never know thanks to how terrible Mexican TV audio is. But back to the main point, this match really delivered the goods.
It's still early in 2010, but one of the most amusing rivalries of the year is the Rave Scene vs KRGV Channel 5, which should win Feud of the Year for 2010. The anticipation was building quite strongly and a buzz was in the air when this promo started airing on KRGV Channel 5. 18 and 19 year old kids that would never dare keep up with the local news were all calling each other on the phone to make sure they would at least see this news program.
The great Will Ripley released this statement on his twitter:
"Been getting some hate mail and threats about the Raves and Ecstasy investigation. It airs tonight at 10."
Dos', the promoter of the raves in question, knowing how terrible he looked in the upcoming Channel 5 News report, announced this statement on YouTube:
Then the video that got everyone all heated up, from parents worried about their kids to kids feelings that their scene was being morally judged, aired on February 4th, 2010 at the 10:00 PM newscast, and it made a shocking announcement that there is a connection between RAVES and DRUGS!?!?! Ok, I'm sure anyone that has even the most limited knowledge of raves would be aware that there is a connection with ecstasy and raves. But apparently, this was the worst thing in the world cause the scene thought they were being unfairly picked on and how dare they criticize something that involves electronic music.
Dos: "You know what dude, to tell you the truth....can I talk to you myself. I really, really don't fucking appreciate you guys coming out here, its fucking offensive. This is the only way we could expose eletronic music to the masses here in the Valley, so...we're trying to do our part."
Will Ripley: "So do you think the drug stuff is just an unfortunate side effect for that."
Dos: "Why the fuck do you keep bringing that up?"
Seeing Dos' react so immaturely in that Channel 5 newsreport, makes me wonder, who wrote his "official statement" for him on his little YouTube announcement. Seriously, he reacted worse than when Vince McMahon was being interviewed by Armen Keteyian on HBO Real Sports. The rave scene was up in arms, furious over Channel 5 questioning their lifestyle, and it was pretty hilarious. But now, this has turn from funny to downright lame with this myspace website that was created by a bunch of thin skinned ravers:
http://www.myspace.com/fukkkchannel5
Maybe Dos', his followers, and the rave scene should follow the advice on Dos' t-shirt in his official YouTube response, "Don't get emo". Seriously, the people that are so deeply hurt about Channel 5 reporting on them should stop playing the victim, it's pretty embarrassing. I heard Will Ripley got a promotion based on this, good for him.
This is amusing, Channel 4 reports on a local faith healer and his tales of exorcisms. Highlights include footage of "exorcisms", and footage of The Exorcist intercut between interviews:
So "329" is spray painted everywhere here in East Side Pharr, so does anyone know what the numbers 329 mean in this case? Any help would be appreciated.
EDIT:
I figured this out for myself. Reverse the numbers and you'll get.
This was originally broadcast on 11/29/68 and deals with the famous Edcouch-Elsa walkout. So this is a interesting video of a much talked about moment of Rio Grande Valley history:
Here is some background and a list of demands by the protesting students (this list was originally found on this very useful site)
LIST OF DEMANDS We, the student body of Edcouch-Elsa Junior and Senior High School, demand of the officials and administrators: 1. That no disciplinary action be taken against any student or teacher that has taken part in this movement and that all suspended students and teachers be re-instated to their previous post or office and that any mention of such action omitted from school records. Also all intimidations should stop, 2. That no threats, intimidation or penalties be made against any student by teachers or administrators for membership or attendance of meetings of any club or organization outside of school. 3. That the students be allowed to select their own candidates for Student Council --- it should be the students Student Council. 4. That excessive and unfair penalties and punishments stop being given students for minor infractions or completely ridiculous reasons, for example: a) student suspended three days for failure to keep appointment with teacher after school. b) student suspended for three days for failing to stand at school pep rally! c) if something (shorts, tennis shoes,) are stolen from lockers the students are punished (paddled or sent to do manual Labor) for not being able to suit up! Likewise, that due process be followed in cases of suspension or expulsion of students, that is, that a student be given opportunity to defend himself and that evidence be presented to both administrators and parents. Also no paddling should be given student until explanation for punishment be given to parents, if students request such explanation. 5. That no teacher or administrator shall use profanity or abusive language in presence of students and in no case shall any teacher or administrator lay a hand on a student. 6. That, in the case of tardy or absent students, the students be allowed to re-enter class and no points taken off until his excuse is verified or not. Students should not be kept out of class till parents call school. 7. That either the price of the cafeteria lunch be lowered to a more reasonable price or that more and better foods be served. 8. That, as Chicano students, we be allowed to speak our mother tongue, Spanish, on school premises without being subjected to humiliating or unjust penalties, 9. That courses be introduced, as a regular part of the curriculum, to show the contributions of Mexicans and Mexican Americans to this state and region. For instance, factual accounts of the history of the Southwest and Texas, courses in Mexican history and culture. Also, that qualified, certified teachers be hired to teach these courses.
10. That all college preparatory courses be signalled out for students by time they enter high school. 11. That more effective counseling be given students from understanding counselors that are able to relate to students. Present student-counselor ratio is too great, we need more counselors. Likewise, more assemblies on career opportunities, availability of scholarships', grants, loans, college entrance requirements, etc. 12. Finally that the blatant discrimination against the Mexican American students in this school stop immediately. We demand Justice. 13. That regulations for "passes" be set down clearly and defined so that no question remains as to when passes are needed or not. The present system, or lack of it, is ridiculous. 14. That special attention be given the situation a great number of Edcouch-Elsa students find themselves in — that is, they are migrant workers. a) Student choices of subjects in spring registration be respected and adopted in the fall term, these subject forms are often disregarded. b) Migrants leave school early, they take part in an accelerated program Advance tests are supposed to be given before they leave. Often teachers do not let migrants take tests or do not send tests to students up north after them. All tests should be given to migrant students before they leave. , 15. That school facilities be improved, renovated, replaced or installed where appropriate. For example: a) Fans-teachers often use fans only for their own comfort, ignoring students. b) Heaters-The heaters are for the most part outdated and not in working order. We need new heaters. c) Restrooms-Some of the restrooms and toilets are not cleaned and inoperable; constantly out of repair. d) Windows-Fix broken windows. e) Walls-repair holes in wall. Give school buildings a face-lifting. f) How about Hot water for the showers. We want to be proud of our school. Recommendations 1. Teachers have been driving buses for the district up till-now. We recommend that either students, senior students, or townspeople be hired to fill these positions. 2. We recommend that longer periods of time be given to get to classes between classes. Five minutes would be sufficient. STUDENT COMMITTEE November 7, 1968
