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Cook's Point economic survey report, 1963
1963-10 Racial Justice in Iowa Page 10
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LABOR Volume 26, No. 16A November, 1963 Discrimination and Davenport Mexicans, 1963 Recently pairs of St. Ambrose College sociology students ( Richard Vanyo, Michael Elwood, David Michalek, Michael Hughes, Thomas Consolati, Charles Theirgardt, John Schaffner, Vargas, President of Davenport's LULAC) visited the homes of the Mexican families which had been evicted from Cook's Point. The students sought information of general sociological value, but their primary aim was to learn something of the present socio-economic status of these families and of any discrimination suffered by them. Some of the families, of course, departed the City and could not be contacted directly. But indirectly the interviewers were able to learn that practically all of these had found adequate housing and jobs, experiencing discrimination comparable of that which we discuss here. To the best of our knowledge all the evacuated families still living in Davenport were contacted. We checked the findings noted herein with Henry Vargas, who lived in the Cook's Point area and has long been a leader among his people. The interviewers found the families most willing to cooperate and to answer questions, even personal ones, with frankness and honesty. They ask no favors and betray deep pride of their race. A certain innate pride impelled them to speak to their " American" neighbors only when spoken to first. One of the interviewers quoted as apropos the remark of one man recently move into a new home in a new neighborhood. He said: " I must be extra careful and work twice as hard with the upkeep of this home because all the people in the neighborhood had their eyes fixed on me". Obviously, then, some forms of prejudice confront these people to this day. Our interviewers learned that the owner of a trailer court near the Blue Grass Road whither some Cook's Point Mexican families moved sought in vain to keep them out. And another family, moving into an "American" section of West Davenport, was confronted with a neighbor who also sought to keep the Mexican family out - again in vain. Presently there is one white family in a group of Mexican families in which the mother permits her children to play with the little Mexican children but refuses to speak herself - even when she enters the Mexican yard to get her own children. But again our interviewers generalized that by and large the Mexicans were possessed of a racial pride of race which inclined them to ignore those " Americans" who seemed prejudiced. The interviewers found the families on the Blue Grass Road very kindly disposed toward those Ambrosians and other Davenporters who lent a hand at the time of the erection of their homes. Now as regards housing, the interviewers found all the families adequately housed. The homes were clean and well furnished. One interviewer waxed eloquent about the cleanliness and beauty of one of the homes recently built and occupied by a former Cook's Point resident. The site selected was judged impossible by others familiar with the location. However, there is discrimination against Mexican home seekers. Just recently an advertisement placed in the newspaper called for a couple to dwell in and manage an apartment building. However, their Mexican nationality was against them. In the same apartment building, a Mexican couple had just been asked to leave because of their nationality. Urged to protest to Davenport's Human Relations Commission, the couple showed reluctance suggesting their disinclination to intrude where they seemed not welcome. Rev. William T. O'Connor
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LABOR Volume 26, No. 16A November, 1963 Discrimination and Davenport Mexicans, 1963 Recently pairs of St. Ambrose College sociology students ( Richard Vanyo, Michael Elwood, David Michalek, Michael Hughes, Thomas Consolati, Charles Theirgardt, John Schaffner, Vargas, President of Davenport's LULAC) visited the homes of the Mexican families which had been evicted from Cook's Point. The students sought information of general sociological value, but their primary aim was to learn something of the present socio-economic status of these families and of any discrimination suffered by them. Some of the families, of course, departed the City and could not be contacted directly. But indirectly the interviewers were able to learn that practically all of these had found adequate housing and jobs, experiencing discrimination comparable of that which we discuss here. To the best of our knowledge all the evacuated families still living in Davenport were contacted. We checked the findings noted herein with Henry Vargas, who lived in the Cook's Point area and has long been a leader among his people. The interviewers found the families most willing to cooperate and to answer questions, even personal ones, with frankness and honesty. They ask no favors and betray deep pride of their race. A certain innate pride impelled them to speak to their " American" neighbors only when spoken to first. One of the interviewers quoted as apropos the remark of one man recently move into a new home in a new neighborhood. He said: " I must be extra careful and work twice as hard with the upkeep of this home because all the people in the neighborhood had their eyes fixed on me". Obviously, then, some forms of prejudice confront these people to this day. Our interviewers learned that the owner of a trailer court near the Blue Grass Road whither some Cook's Point Mexican families moved sought in vain to keep them out. And another family, moving into an "American" section of West Davenport, was confronted with a neighbor who also sought to keep the Mexican family out - again in vain. Presently there is one white family in a group of Mexican families in which the mother permits her children to play with the little Mexican children but refuses to speak herself - even when she enters the Mexican yard to get her own children. But again our interviewers generalized that by and large the Mexicans were possessed of a racial pride of race which inclined them to ignore those " Americans" who seemed prejudiced. The interviewers found the families on the Blue Grass Road very kindly disposed toward those Ambrosians and other Davenporters who lent a hand at the time of the erection of their homes. Now as regards housing, the interviewers found all the families adequately housed. The homes were clean and well furnished. One interviewer waxed eloquent about the cleanliness and beauty of one of the homes recently built and occupied by a former Cook's Point resident. The site selected was judged impossible by others familiar with the location. However, there is discrimination against Mexican home seekers. Just recently an advertisement placed in the newspaper called for a couple to dwell in and manage an apartment building. However, their Mexican nationality was against them. In the same apartment building, a Mexican couple had just been asked to leave because of their nationality. Urged to protest to Davenport's Human Relations Commission, the couple showed reluctance suggesting their disinclination to intrude where they seemed not welcome. Rev. William T. O'Connor
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