Dear Readers,

Today’s story tells some of Colorado’s little-known history. We often hear about the wild west, but we don’t often hear about the influences of the indigenous, Japanese, African American, or Latino families who, through the sweat of their brows and the strength of their hands, helped build Colorado’s economic foundation. Linda Arroyo-Holmstrom has made it her mission to tell the stories of her Latino family. They vigorously worked to build and find a place in Colorado. Their cultural identity was often rejected by those who didn’t understand or didn’t care to understand the Spanish language or the beauty of their ethnicity. Join me in the path of hearing Linda’s history and her efforts to chronicle the uncovered Latino stories. Reader, does your family have stories that have been buried because of your ethnicity?

Linda, now 65, is a retired school teacher. She identifies as Chicana to describe her heritage which is a long ancestry that reaches back to Mexico. When I asked her why Chicana instead of Latina or Hispanic, she explained that she was raised during the time of the Chicano Movement. This was a time during the 60s and 70s when those who had a Mexican-American heritage wanted to establish their own civil rights movement in America through their cultural, political and social identities. Linda said that using the term Chicana also, “identified you as an activist”. She explained, “My service is mostly to the Latino community.”

Linda and her husband Don, who she affectionately calls her “honorary Chicano”, are the parents of two grown children, Sonia and Stephanie. Linda was born and raised in Boulder, and she has a wealth of family stories that she often told to her daughters. Readers, join me as we go back in history to a time when Colorado was still developing itself as a state.

Both Linda’s parents were born in mining camps: her dad in Broadhead, Colorado and her mom in Chandler, Colorado. Coal miners were seasonal workers who worked in the winter and were laid off in the spring. So, when warm weather came, the families looked for work such as in the sugar beet fields. It was a peripatetic lifestyle. Mining, to the farms, and then from the harvest, back to the coal, “back and forth, year after year, is the life of the coal miner,” Linda said. Reader, have you ever lived a peripatetic life?

Several times, throughout United States’ history, the government enacted repatriation acts. Once established, officials made concerted efforts to find immigrants and send them back to their country of origin. We saw this in the 30s, the 50s, the 90s and even most recently. Some historians describe it as a way of “ethnic cleansing”; is it xenophobic choices? Immigrants – all our families, unless you are indigenous to America – trace their roots to foreign soils. England, Congo Republic, Ireland, Scotland, Greek, Italy, Mexico, France, Venezuela, Kenya – this list is long.  Immigrants helped to build our country, became our citizens, and were a much-needed workforce in many different businesses. However, in the 1930s, the agricultural families, along with the rest of the country, were going through the Great Depression. Individuals were looking for work and they did not want people from other countries taking their jobs. Where are your ancestors from, Reader?

Under the Repatriation Act in 1932, government officials would find and deport hundreds of thousands of immigrants, even those who legally were working and living in the country. In our Mexican-American history, the Latinos captured were put on trains or boats and taken to Mexico without regard for their health or safety. Many died in the deportation. No regard was given for where people were left on the shores or towns of Mexico. There were not initiatives to help people relocate. It was a matter of getting them out of the United States.  History tells us the raids and deportation were shown to be illegal and unconstitutional. However, that was not until long after families were expelled.

For three of Linda’s grandparents, the families had a long history of living in Colorado. In fact, on both sides, six generations of the families were Coloradans, and before that, many more generations lived in New Mexico. Before we were a nation, Linda’s family had its roots in this land.

However, Linda’s grandfather was caught in the Repatriation Act’s political upheaval. In 1932, he, his wife and young son (Linda’s father) were “picked up, put in a cattle truck and taken to the Union Station in Denver,” Linda said. From there, they were sent by train to the Mexican border.  For the next year, they lived in Penjamo, Guanajuato, a municipality in Mexico. Mexico was still struggling after the revolution, and work was difficult to find, she said. Have you or your family ever been forced from your home?

In 1933, Linda’s grandfather returned to the United States so he could find work to support his family. During that time, Linda’s grandmother was raising their son and living with family in Mexico. She was expecting another child when she said goodbye to her husband.  While he was in the States, Linda’s grandmother lost that baby. Alone, without her husband, it was a difficult time for the family to be separated.

Linda’s grandfather found work in the various beet fields.  A year later, in July 1934, he saved enough money to bring back his wife and young son to the United States to live with him.  Eventually, when their oldest son, Linda’s father, was 14-years-old, the family saved enough money to buy a house in Boulder, Colorado. It was 1945, and the home was on the corner of 21st and Pearl Street. Linda’s grandparents had a total of ten children, Linda’s father being the oldest. Three of the children died in infancy and one daughter died at age 15 of rheumatic fever.

In 1950, Linda’s father, Patrick Arroyo and mother, Diana, met when they went on a double-date with friends. Linda’s mother was shy, and she thought Linda’s dad was too forward – fresh – was the word she used to describe him. For example, when the car went around curves of the road, he would be sure to slide over against Diana. However, for Patrick, “it was love at first sight,” Linda said. Patrick won over Diana’s heart, and the couple married. As newlyweds, they initially lived with Patrick’s family. Do you have a fun love story, Reader?

People gravitated to Linda’s father. He was handsome. “He looked like Elvis Presley,” Linda said. He had a wonderful work ethic. As a parent, he taught his children “if you start something, you finish it, and do it right.” Linda said he practiced what he preached. If he used tools, he always cleaned them before putting them away. His workshop was always clean. Linda said, “I learned this from him, and it was the expectation.” Reader, what is a behavior you learned from your family values?

By the time Linda was 8-years-old, she had moved eight times; the family moved where Patrick could find work. One of Patrick’s jobs took them to California. However, three months into that move, the family experienced a difficult time. One day, Linda’s parents and siblings were shopping. Linda’s mom, Diana, instructed her daughter to stay and crossed the street to mail a letter to her mother. A driver crossed lanes to avoid stopping and drove his truck over Diana. Linda was six-years-old. She and her siblings were in a nearby store and heard the accident. Lying on the street, Diana whispered a prayer; she asked God to let her live so she could raise her children. Diana’s leg was broken in two places, her arm was broken, she had a shattered pelvis and her spleen ruptured. During that first night, she received 26 blood transfusions. She was hospitalized for three months, wore a cast for a year, and then a brace for another two years. She never complained, Linda said. “She was tenacious. She had this amazing spark and joy for life.” Diana’s mother came to California to help care for the children during this time. Do you know someone who has experienced a difficult situation, Reader? Is it you? What strengths developed in spite of the challenge?

That year, Linda’s family moved back to Colorado. They bought a home on 21st and Walnut in Boulder. They lived very close to Linda’s dad’s parents. She said of her grandparents, “they were a huge influence on my life.” When you came in the door, her grandmother would say “what do you want to eat?” Her grandfather had a huge workshop. When his grandchildren arrived, he would help them make wooden spinning tops that they decorated. He would make other toys too. The grandparents also had a large garden. “He would make a flute out of the stem of a zucchini plant,” Linda said. Linda described her childhood as one of a poor working-class family. “If we wanted something, we had to work for it,” she said. However, Linda is not complaining in that description. She said, “we were rich in family and love.”

Linda learned well her father’s lesson about having a good work ethic. As a young teenager, she often held down three jobs: babysitting, waitressing and running a concession stand. Saving her money, Linda purchased her own braces for her teeth at age 15. By age 16, she also bought her own car. Her dream was to become a teacher and be able to support herself. What is your work ethic, Reader?

Another big change in Linda’s life occurred after she graduated from high school. She and her sister got an apartment together, and she started her college career at University of Colorado Boulder. In her last year of college, she met Don Holmstrom, who was a law student. Linda graduated with a degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Bilingual Ed. In 1979, right after graduation she became a long-term substitute teacher in Lafayette. A few years later, in 1982, Linda and Don Holmstrom became reacquainted when they attended the same conference. As they grew in their friendship, they realized they were both interested in many similar activities. Shortly after a memorable date at a jazz bar, the Blue Note, the two cemented their relationship. They married in 1983. “I’ve been crazy about my husband ever since. I love him. I admire him; we get along well,” Linda said. She said that his character shows in the way he cares about people and causes that were important to both of them. 

Linda held a fulltime position at Columbine Elementary School in Boulder. Don finished his law degree, but it was eight years later before he took his bar exams. In the meantime, he became a blue-collar worker in an oil refinery. He also became a labor activist and eventually was elected as president of his union. This led to him later becoming the elected union leader for the western states.  He was required to manage grievances and arbitrations. By 1999, he was hired by the Chemical Safety Board (CSB). For this position, the family moved to Washington, D.C. In this role, Don investigated chemical accidents nationwide – particularly those accidents that caused fatalities. In 2003, the CSB requested Don to open and be the director of a branch office in Colorado.  So, they moved back to their home state.

By now, Linda had been teaching in elementary schools for 21 years. Moving back to Colorado, she became an English language development (ELD) teacher. For the next nine years she performed a variety of roles in middle schools for the Boulder Valley School system.

Then in 2011, Linda retired. That same year an article was printed in the newspaper that discussed issues in a section of Boulder that was known to be predominately occupied by African American families. The article addressed the disparity in property values compared to other sections of Boulder. Linda said that what was missing in the article was that it was part of a larger neighborhood where “people of color” lived. This included people from a Latino ancestry. Is your neighborhood one that welcomes all people? Are you a good neighbor?

This article sparked a conversation in the Spanish-speaking community about how to organize so that the Latino history was also recognized in their community. Phil Hernandez, an acquaintance and former state employee called Linda. “He knew my sister and I would want to be active in this,” Linda said. They organized and held a first meeting. Twenty-five community members attended.

By the meeting’s conclusion the consensus of the group, Linda said, was that, “we wanted to tell the stories that highlighted our contributions to the community and the state of Colorado.” They wanted to show the work of the veterans who fought in our wars, and the laborers – such as the coal miners and beet farmers – and all of those from the Latino community who had contributed greatly and were part of the backbone of Colorado’s growth.”  As well, they wanted to show the role of the woman and her contribution to the family and community. It became clear to the group that the way to tell these stories would be by creating an exhibit of pictures and artifacts. It would be an event that the community would be able to visit and see the family stories on display. Reader, what is a community issue that matters to you? How do you show your concern or interest in that issue?

The group’s goal became known as the Boulder Latino Family Project. Linda said it would tell the community, “who we were, what have we done, and where we are going.” Boulder Public Library’s main branch became the site for the exhibit. Endorsed by the library, Boulder Human Relations Board and the Boulder AARP, the May 2012 project was a success. The lives and contributions of sixteen families were told through the photos and artifacts. Linda said the only downfall of this successful project was, “when we took down the display, we had nothing to show for it.” This prompted Linda’s desire to want “something available and accessible to the community for now and for future generations,” she said.

Marjorie McIntosh, University of Colorado Boulder retired history professor started researching Latino history. The only information she could find was a newspaper article about the work that Linda and her colleagues had completed. Through the group’s discussion and experience such as Marjorie’s, the next step became how and where to house a repository of the family stories. In an effort to provide archival information for now and future generations, Marjorie created an advisor committee. Its purpose was to gather and collect the history of the Boulder County Latino community in Colorado’s history over the past century. More than one hundred volunteers responded to the call to help. As well, the committee had the assistance from many student interns. Their collection amassed over 600 sources. Everything was digitized and put on a website.

As well, Marjorie, the retired professor wrote two books: Latinos of Boulder County, Colorado, 1900-1980; volumes 1 and 2. Similarly, after their experiences with the project, students from the University of Colorado also wrote a book: Mi mamá Alicia Sanchez. Another exciting development followed the work of the Boulder County Latino History Project. Latino History Project core team presents workshops to kindergarten through 12th grade teachers. The purpose was to educate educators about local Latino history. Moreover, the trainings provided access to documents and artifacts that could be integrated into classroom curriculums. They were also invited to provide trainings through several different schools, community agencies and other institutions. Linda said that it was important to demonstrate to all students, but particularly Latino students that, “we have a history and a heritage. We have struggled, and contributed to our local communities, and to Colorado’s history overall. This includes our state’s economic development also.”

The project became an important tool statewide. Other Colorado communities recognized its worth and wanted similar historical and educational tools. Now, the committee members work to help others gather and preserve their local history. As well, Linda and the Latino History project staff work with teachers from school districts. They collaborate with Colorado museums, libraries and local experts in their communities. Educators are mentored on how they are able to use the documents and stories for their classroom curriculums. So far, Linda said, “we have been embraced by other communities.”

Before the 2020 pandemic, the committee was providing an average of six presentations a year. As well, they held a summer workshop in Boulder County. When COVID-19 arrived at our doorsteps, the committee created “About Face”, an online program to work with students. About Face is a project that gives Latino students an opportunity to explore their history, identity and perspective within their families and community. (More about About Face can be found at the end of the blog). Have your activities changed throughout the pandemic? How did you adjust, Reader?

Readers, one of the things that I learned in writing Linda’s story is that there is a lot of different terminology to use when talking about someone from the Latino community. At times, I struggled with what word and when to use it. Here is a list of just some of the words when talking about the community as whole: Latino, Hispanic (now considered an outdated word), Chicano, Spanish (not considered a good choice), Spanish-speaking, Latinx (pronounced Latin-X), Latine (pronounced Latin-A), Mexican, Mexican-American and so many more. I wanted to be sensitive to how to describe someone. Unknowingly, we can offend if we do not understand the context of words and the meaning given when talking about someone’s cultural heritage. For example, I hate being called a gimp, paraplegic, cripple, or disabled person. I prefer that someone call me by my name: Debbie. If you must talk about my disability you can refer to Debbie, the person who uses the wheelchair or Debbie, the person who is paralyzed. Notice – Debbie always comes first – not the person’s disability. So, it is with other cultures. Understand the meaning and the context of the words that we use. It is our way of practicing empathy to others.

As Linda and I summarized the interview topics, in our last meeting she said, “nationally, Latino history has been ignored. People are looking at how their ethnicity contributes to their communities.” Readers, I’ve said before in another blog but it bears repeating. When an ethnic group is not recognized in our education, it devalues their role and importance to our history. It ignores the celebration of the many nationalities’ importance to the formation of who we are. We need to allow students to analyze and have a better societal understanding of how we can improve with each generation.  Ethnic history explores the patterns, belief systems, and laws that operated and changed. It challenges both the subtle and palpable biases in which we operate as a nation and what we must do to improve. For textbooks to be reliable and a credible scholarly manuscript, we need to include all stories, not just the ones that are handpicked by the majority. Former president Jimmy Carter said, “We are of course a nation of differences. Those differences don’t make us weak. They’re the source of our strength.” Readers, how can we build a bond that values and respects others? For me, part of that answer is education.

Last month, you were introduced to Tracy Young. He showed great strength in healing steps that he took for himself and in support of others. Your responses were lovely.

• Sammie said, “Wow! I really enjoyed this. A great story. I learned a lot.”
• Vernie said, “What a story, it’s worth reading.”
• Chris said, “This story spoke to me.”

A larger number of readers said how much they enjoyed reading it. Thank you to Christopher, Ann, Ellie, Jon, Kathy, Ed and many others. 

 

Until next month, may peace be at your side,

Debbie Noel

We have several ways to interact with Debbie!

• Instagram: Find me with the handle @dropinwithdebbie or visit https://www.instagram.com/dropinwithdebbie/

• Facebook: Tag me with @DropinwithDebbie or visit https://www.facebook.com/DropInWithDebbie/  to like and follow!

• Email her at DroppingInWithDebbie@gmail.com

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• Send your letters to:

Debbie Noel
C/o Longmont Senior Center
910 Longs Peak Avenue
Longmont, Colorado 80501

 

About Face is a project sponsored by the Latino History Project. The project’s goal is to give students an opportunity to represent themselves, their families, and their communities via images and words. We will use a variety of reading selections to discuss identity and place. We will learn about local Latino history to provide a context of the contributions and struggles of previous generations. Students will be supported in the writing process and through discussions to create their final project. Two experienced and highly respected teachers from Columbine Elementary will lead the project; Hilary Barthel and Jeanette Scotti. They will lead a group of ten students along with Linda Arroyo Holmstrom, Latino History Project About Face Coordinator. Students will create a final project that is displayable that represents their understanding of place, identity, and heritage as it relates to their experiences of living in Boulder. A self-published book of this project will be given to each student. Their work will also be linked to the Latino History Project Website.

 For ways to find out more about the Latino History project you can visit the website at latinohistoryproject.org/  or find them on Facebook as the Latino History Project.