Historias: Stories of El Paso - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso A virtual exhibition curated by our community Courtesy of: Julio Norman Jr. Title: The Calvillo Family and The Pass to the North El Paso, Texas Historia Type: Photograph The United States has been a destination for refugees as it was for my mother’s family during the Mexican Revolution. They left a stable and prosperous lifestyle for an uncertain future in a new land. Benita, my maternal grandmother, had heard that Pancho Villa was enlisting older children and men into his revolutionary army. Her only son, Jose, was 12 and she did not want to lose him to a war. They came to El Paso and lived for a short while across Sacred Heart Church in the Baray Apartments until they bought a home in now historic Sunset Heights. It was rough at first, each taking jobs as clerks for Elias Brothers, working on the railroad, cleaning homes, and making shirts from home to make a living. The family has done well and the original home in Sunset remains in the family and is located at 641 Upson. Grandma Benita was the center of family life and her five children– my aunts and uncles, grew up to be a watch master for Lombardy, an ASARCO sheet metal worker, a jewelry saleswoman for John Silverman and the Popular, and an American Airlines inspector. The drive to succeed was ingrained in them. My aunts and uncles were great role models for this third generation American family. We learned the importance of family where many cherished childhood values and memories are made. Because of our heritage, parents Julio and Consuelo Norman, encouraged us to get our college degrees and raised a NASA engineer, a social worker, a successful business owner, an ironworker, a financial advisor, an international business entrepreneur, and a police commander. The world has always had refugees, even before the times of Christ, and always will as they seek safety, security, freedom, and a better life for themselves and their families. Our current immigration issue regarding refugees is an attest to that. The value of keeping families united is key to meeting those ideals.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: Julio Norman Jr.

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

Rainbow over Downtown El Paso

Double rainbow over downtown El Paso.

Double Rainbow over downtown El Paso

Double rainbow over downtown El Paso

9-11 Memorial Ceremony October 11, 2001

Hundreds of people gathered at the El Paso Civic Center on ...

9-11 Memorial Ceremony October 11, 2001

Shock and grief but tremendous pride were the feelings that most ...

9-11 Memorial Ceremony October 11, 2001

A makeshift memorial was created outside the Civic Center where ...

9-11 Memorial Ceremony October 11, 2001

Civic leaders and ordinary citizens gathered together to honor ...

My Children at 9-11 Memorial Ceremony October 11, 2001

My children sharing their pain and grief but also their hope and ...

El Paso History Museum

History Museum Pop Culture 2013

El Paso History Museum

Segundo Barrio Exhibit 2013 - El Paso History Museum - El Paso, ...

I Am El Paso

I Am El Paso 2014

Fan Fiesta 2014

In Character 2014

El Paso It's All Good

#ItsAllGoodEP 2014

El Paso It's All Good

2014 #ItsAllGoodEP Rally

Junior League Christmas Fair 2013

Junior League Christmas Fair 2013

Keep El Paso Loco 2013

Keep El Paso Loco 2013

Kidspalooza

Kidspalooza 2011

Fan Fiesta 2014

Fungi Mungle 2014

El Paso Mural 2014

El Paso Mural 2014 This photo was taken inside the Rubin ...

Neon Desert Music Festival 2014

Neon Desert Music Festival 2014

Neon Desert Music Festival 2013

Neon Desert Music Festival 2013

home.search_collection