Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Interview No. 1714, Cecilia Marquez

Combined Interviews

Cecilia Flores Marquez was born on April 11, 1945, and she grew up in Smelter Town. Her father worked in Asarco for 44 years and her mother worked in JCPenny for 11 years. Everyone in Smelter Town lived a happy life and everyone knew everyone. Back in the day, the houses weren’t in condition like they are now. Cecilia also mentioned that her family and she went to a church named Cristo Rey Church one thing that she remembers was that almost everyone in Smelter Town went to church with their kids.

Cecilia went to an elementary and middle school …

Interview No. 1713, Ismael Holguin

Combined Interviews

Ismael Holguin was born in Smelter Town (a community of people who lived near Asarco) on June 17, 1933, and he had 8 brothers and sisters. He grew up in Buena Vista. At the age of 14, his mother moved to Buena Vista so he went there with him. He worked at the El Paso Independent School district and in Asarco.

Ismael had a pretty calm life in Smelter town. He went to school and to the YMCA to play with his friends. He had the same routine once he moved to Buena Vista. He enrolled in the Navy when …

Interview No. 1718, Alicia Sarmiento Ramirez

Combined Interviews

Alicia Sarmiento Ramirez was born in El Paso Texas, on May 11, 1946, and she recently applied for the renewal of her passport and her birth certificate said that she was born in Smelter Town, Texas because at that time it used to be separate from El Paso it was like a separate county. Her father used to be a supervisor on an American Melter called ASARCO, and her mother was a housekeeper and she had 3 sisters and her mom took care of them. Her dad worked since 1945 at ASARCO as a supervisor, he got the position because …

Interview No. 1720, Ismael Ortega

Combined Interviews

His name is Ismael Ortega he was born on July 7, 1946, and raised in El Paso where he attended school, he went to El Paso High for High School. His mother was a servant for George Dickenson and lived at his house where she worked. He started working in ASARCO when he was 25 years old in the year 1974 on the month of July. He worked at the plant because he wanted to have a good future for his family, and they had good benefits, so he decided to work there. His first job at ASARCO was at …

Interview No. 1716, Anastacio Zavala

Combined Interviews

Anastacio Zavala was born in El Paso Texas, he used to live in an area called Francis. His father was a liver and he used to have a horse and they used to ride it. He started working at ASARCO on June 30, 1965, at the age of mid-30s, he started working because of the death of his neighbor, and they called him and he needed to have a high school diploma and he was able to work there. His first job was in the department and he was going to be transferred but someone had an accident and he …

Interview No. 1715, Frank Gallardo

Combined Interviews

Frank Gallardo was born and raised in El Paso, he started working at ASARCO because he had 3 uncles that used to work in there, he started working at ASARCO on August 26, 1972. His first shift on ASARCO began at 3 o'clock in the evening, he would go every Monday to see if there were any open positions for a job but for 3 years he didn’t get the chance, so one Wednesday he received a call from the industry to tell him that he was hired. He needed to meet some expectations such as the weight, that for …

Interview No. 1719, Gilbert Limon

Combined Interviews

His Name is Gilbert Limon “Wally” he was born in El Paso, Texas on August 29, 1957, he grew up in Canutillo that used to be a small town at the exit of El Paso, he graduated from high school in 1976 and then he started working at ASARCO when he was 19 years old from 1977-1999. He was amazed when he first started working there because there were a lot of people working there and, they will work like 40-60 hours a week. He first started as a minimum wage employee with 7 dollars an hour and then they …

Interview No. 914, Carolina Moriel Garza

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; describes mining camps La Prieta, Santa Bárbara and San Francisco del Oro; discusses education, social life, recreational activities, and housing.

Interview No. 920, Encarnación Sáenz Baca

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; recalls work experiences; describes duties and responsibilities; discusses differences between housing provided for mine workers and for management; comments on American personnel, mining operations, equipment, and production; describes diseases specific to mining industry; social activities in mining communities.

Interview No. 915, Amelia Rosas De Valdez

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; describes 43 years working experiences as secretary in Charcas, San Luis Potosí; discusses mine accidents; occupational hazards, effect of payment changes from U.S. dollars to Mexican pesos at the time Mexicanization; describes housing and camp social activities.

Interview No. 921, Paula Reyes De Sáenz

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; recollects spouse's career with ASARCO; describes housing social activities, and interaction with families living near ASARCO's mining camps; the celebration of North American holidays.

Interview No. 913, Guadalupe Baca De Ibarra

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; discusses husband's mining career; describes social activities of mining communities, housing, education system; details role of mine manager's wife.

Interview No. 892, Robert F. Limon

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; recollections of family's decision to leave Mexico during Mexican Revolution; move to U.S. and Argentina; details work as mining engineering for ASARCO units at San Luis, Potosí, La Prieta, Chihuahua, Taxco, Guerrero, and Plomosas, Chihuahua, 1944-1962; living conditions at mines; mines fires; changes in ASARCO following Mexicanization; IMMSA's (Industria Minera Mexico, S.A.) acquisition of Towne Mines' interests at Santa Bárbara, Chihuahua; impressions of Jorge Larea, CEO of IMMSA.

Interview No. 916, Juan Holguín Franco

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; discusses work experiences with Fresnillo, ASARCO, and IMMSA (Industria Minera México); changes in technology; developing the Inguaran Mine; modernization of mines at Santa Bárbara and Charcas; comments about Jorge Larea, CEO of IMMSA; employment with the government of the state of Oaxaca.

Interview No. 911, Ruperto G. Aguilar

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; Describes years at TCM; relates early professional career; experiences as independent mine operator; offers opinions of principal changes in mining in Mexico including implementation of new technology and mechanized equipment.

Interview No. 912, Kathryn Byrd

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; childhood recounts experiences moving with her husband to Mexico; details of housing, social activities in Mexican mining camp; decisions of move to South Africa; racial tensions there; relocation to other mining camps throughout the world.

Interview No. 923, Constance N. White

Combined Interviews

Biographical data; father's employment at ASARCO; the family's move to El Paso in 1927; attended Radford School for Girls and Scripps College; describes family residence in Smelter Terrace and housing for workers in smelter area; courtship, wedding, and honeymoon; activities of horsemanship clubs in El Paso; her involvement in the sport of tennis.

Interview No. 910, Evaristo Valdés López

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; describes early job experiences in San Pedro, San Luis Potosí, and Santa Eulalia; recalls starting his manufacturing company and supplying Mexican mining industry followed Mexicanization.

Interview No. 905, Kelly Spilsbury

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; discusses working and living conditions in Mexican mining operations; details changes in ASARCO after Mexicanization; impressions of Jorge Larea, former CEO of ASARCO Mexicana.

Interview No. 903, Melchor Moriel

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; details complexities of negotiating union labor contracts with mining companies; shares recollections of living conditions at La Prieta and San Francisco Mines.

Interview No. 901, Aurelio Torres Felix

Combined Interviews

Part of Mining in Mexico Oral History Project; praises ASARCO as the "best engineering school in Mexico"; discusses effect of Mexicanization on mining industry in Mexico.

Interview No. 746, Prisciliana Torres Rentería

Combined Interviews

Nació el 5 de enero de 1901 en la ciudad de Camargo, Chihuahua. Cuenta de anecdotas de la Revolución, cuando era ella muy pequeña aún. Se vino para El Paso y trabajó de sirvienta antes de casarse. Al casarse dejó de trabajar de sirvienta. Su esposo trabajó por mucho tiempo en Asarco. Cuando él murió, ella puso una tienda pequeña (adaptada en su casa), vendiendo sólo leche, huevo y pan en un principio. Posteriormente extendió un poco la tienda. En el mismo tiempo, debido a la falta de hombres por la Segunda Guerra Mundial, trabajó desempeñando trabajos para hombres en …

Interview No. 602, Julio Hernandez

Combined Interviews

Datos biográficos; su trabajo en ASARCO en México y problemas que tuvo; su participación en huelga en ASARCO; su trabajo en ASARCO en El Paso; su trabajo con McKee; experiencias trabajando con Peyton, incluyendo su participación sindical; su participación en una hualga en Peyton.

Biographical data; his employment with ASARCO in Mexico and El Paso, including working conditions, problems, and strikes; his employment with McKee Construction Co. in El Paso; his employment with Peyton Company, including his union participation, problems, and strikes.

Interview No. 568, Jesus Gutierrez

Combined Interviews

Incidentes en ASARCO; condiciones del trabajo; huelgas; diferentes sueldos a traves de los anos; depresion; resenas de su vida.

Interview No. 733, José Hidalgo

Combined Interviews

Trabajó desde pequeño en varias labores. Mantenía a su familia económicamente. Trabajó como vaquero, como trabajador en la construcción (1934), y como peluquero. Vino a Juárez en 1943, cruzó para El Paso y trabajo en un rancho. Se casó en 1945 y empezó a trabajar en ASARCO en 1947 hasta que se retiró en 1974. Narra accidentes, huelgas y salarios durante su empleo en ASARCO. Habla acerca de los sindicatos de empleados. como Mine and Mill Workers y Steel Workers. (Nota: Este transcrito contiene terminos dialécticos usados en el suroeste de Estados Unidos y han side escritos tal y como …

Interview No. 637, Andrés Gomez

Combined Interviews

Nacio en Morenci, Arizona; su familia fuerepatriada a Mexico en 1921;

habla de sus experiencias laborales en los Estados Unid6s en 1942; problemas en Texas cuandolesquitaronunas propiedades; Pancho Villa v Rodolfo Fierro; la epoca de la Influenza Espanola; su trabajo en ASARCO, incluyendo discriminacion, huelgas y problemas economicos.

Repatriation of his family to Mexico in 1921; jobs he acquired in the U.S. in 1942; problems in Texas in which his family's property was taken away from them; Pancho Villa and Rodolfo Fierro; the Spanish Flu; his work at ASARCO, including strikes, discrimination, and economic problems.

Interview No. 265, Pedro Saucedo

Combined Interviews

Biography; work experiences; discrimination; Mexican American supervisors at the railroad and their practices in dealing with other Mexican Americans and Anglo workers; dispute over wages paid to Mexican Americans at ASARCO; opinions about the Chicano Movement. ***The transcript of the interview has been translated into English by the transcribers.

Interview No. 195, Gaspar Cordero

Combined Interviews

Biography; Mexican Americans in El Paso; experiences with discrimination; the Casino Mexicano in El Paso; work with the Mexican Boundary Commission and ASARCO in Mexico; South El Paso; Ciudad Juarez in the 1920's and 1930's' views on the Bicentennial; future of Mexican Americans.

Interview No. 117, Jacob Rodge

Combined Interviews

Experiences as ASARCO company physician during the Mexican Revolution; topics of El Paso history.

Interview No. 2, Mrs. William Shapiro

Combined Interviews

El Paso during the 1940's; social and cultural activities; El Paso Symphony Orchestra; her involvement in the Conference for Human Welfare (group to promote integration in El Paso); strikers at ASARCO and Phelps Dodge refineries after World War II.