Dallas Mexican- American Historical League

By A. Govea

August 12, 2015

Dallas Mexican- American Historical League

In our time, when a Republican candidate is leading the 2016 Presidential pack with anti- Mexican rhetoric, it’s easy to get discouraged about our nation’s political and social direction.

Nonetheless, while some politicians spew hate and lies, there is a group of HISTORIANS dedicated to preserving our rich history – stressing la verdad (the truth) – right here in North Texas.

That group is the Dallas Mexican-American Historical League (DMAHL), founded in 2008 by FOUR community-conscience individuals:  Jesse Tafalla Sr and his wife Nellie and Albert Gonzalez and his wife Frances Gonzalez. DMAHL's mission goes deep and wide: To research, collect, document and preserve the Mexican-American history of the City of Dallas and to educate the public about past, present and future civic, humanitarian and social contributions of Mexican-Americans.

The League works to preserve the history by presenting pictorial exhibits, oral/video interviews and lectures that are part of DMAHL's Jesse Tafalla Speaker Series of DMAHL. That helps tell the story of Mexican Americans in Dallas. .

The exhibits/findings already presented are impressive, as follow:

·      _“2014 Pike Park: From Little Jerusalem to Little Mexico – 100 Years of Settlement was a story of today’s Little Mexico’s transition from a Jewish community to a Mexican/Mexican-American community since the park was built.

·      _“2013 – The Mexican American Struggle for Civil Rights in Dallas “had its main focus on the killing of Santos Rodriguez by a Dallas Police officer, timed to coincide on the tragedy’s 40th anniversary.

·      _This year will see the League’s celebration and acknowledgment of Mexican-Americans in service to our country via “The Untold Story: A Tribute to Dallas’s Mexican-American Veterans and Families.”

“As a Vietnam veteran myself, I think it is time to acknowledge what my fellow vets went through,” current League President Albert Valtierra said.  “It was not a popular war, and we were not welcomed back with open arms as was the case (for veterans) in previous wars,” he said.  “Vietnam vets were sent to do a job, and we did our job.  But we do acknowledge it was a political war.”

Mr. Valtierra went on to say that DMAHL's motivation for this exhibit is to tell the story of Mexican-Americans in service to our country, both in war and peace.  “It is a story that has not been told,” Mr. Valtierra said.  I asked him about his role as board president and why the League has taken on this mission.  “I have been the president of this organization for three years,” he responded.  “The people that make up the board are VERY passionate about preserving the history of Mexican- Americans in Dallas and preserving the history of their barrios, some of which no longer exist. But the history is still there.    “As the president, I just drive the bus; they (board members) are the engine that makes it run.”

“To those who question why we do what we do, we tell them that it is our responsibility to educate everyone about the contributions that Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have made to the City of Dallas.  We built the levees in the 1920s, which afterward helped prevent the flooding of downtown Dallas; we worked at the cement plants in West Dallas, helping to mix the cement that helped build the infrastructure for Dallas as it was expanding in the 1930s through the 1970s.”

I asked how others can get involved in the League’s work.  Mr. Valtierra said:  “DMAHL is ALWAYS looking for volunteers.  We have different committees; so all anyone needs to do is go to our Website, www.dmahl.org .  “And like everyone else on this planet, they can find us on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.  Membership dues are $12 per calendar year, or as I say in my sales pitch for new members, ‘that's $12 per year or $1 per month OR 25 cents a week.”  “Becoming a member of DMAHL just says that they believe in our mission, which is simple: ‘To preserve the history of Mexican-Americans in Dallas.”

We at Nuestra Voz commend the DMAHL Board and membership for their valuable contributions honoring those who came before us, built the City of Dallas and paved the way for all of us who came later.