Presson 1

Kali A. Presson (gg8577)

Professor Ewing

HON 1000

11 October 2017

Anselmo: A Mexican American with a Dream

Five dollars a day five dollars a day five dollars a day. I laid in bed that night

staring at my ceiling and repeating these words over and over. I tried to fathom this idea but it

didnt seem real. Five dollars a day five dollars a day I dozed off that night to the thought

of the American dream, my American dream.

November 23, 1914 was an 92 and sunny day in San Antonio, Texas. I remember this

day as if it happened yesterday. It was unusually hot for this time of year. I was working on the

railroad beside my friend Emilio. He had just returned from Saginaw, Michigan where he was

working on one of the Great Lake Sugar farms for the sugar beet season. This was his third year

in contract with the company and traveling to and from Saginaw and San Antonio.1 They would

give him free transportation by train from San Antonio to Saginaw and provide him with meals

until his arrival.2 Emilio talked of the city Detroit. A city where mans dreams come true and

anything is possible. He told me of his prosperity while in Michigan, and I wanted that too.3 He

1
"Mexicans Find Safe Haven in Detroit." Detroit Free Press (1858-1922), Jul 15, 1920, pp. 26, ProQuest
Historical Newspapers: Detroit Free Press (1831-1922),
http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/566506227?accountid=14925.
2
Vargas, Zaragosa. Life and Community in the Wonderful City of the Magic Motor: Mexican
Immigrants in 1920s Detroit. Michigan Historical Review, vol. 15, no. 1, 1989, pp. 49. JSTOR, JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/20173156.
3
"MEXICANS JUMP TO BETTER LAND." Detroit Free Press (1858-1922), Oct 01, 1916, pp. 1,
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Detroit Free Press (1831-1922),
http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/566093679?accountid=14925.
 Presson 2

told me of a man by the name Henry Ford who was seeking out workers to work in his

automobile production line and would pay $5 a day.4 $5 dollars a day! I exclaimed. I knew in

that moment I had to go to Detroit. It would provide myself with a better life and allow me to get

away from the harsh racism that persisted in the south.

Its time! Emilio yelled to me. My heart was pounding as questions raced through my

head. Will this work? What is Detroit going to be like? Where will I live? Will I be

accepted? Its April 1, 1915 Im boarding a train in San Antonio to go to Detroit, Michigan.

Emilio is taking the same train to head to Saginaw, Michigan where he is going back to work on

the sugar beet farm. Emilio said the trip will take 2 days.5 I boarded the train ready to start my

new adventure.

Michigan Central Station!6 This was my

stop. I climbed off the train and was greeted by an

extravagant building. The building took my

breath away, it was so tall and had many intricate

details. I walked on to the street and was further

amazed. San Antonio was a city but it was very

different than the city of Detroit. San Antonio Michigan Central Station about 1920. Michigan Central Station -
Old Photos, Historic Detroit,
was city beautiful with a lot of Spanish influence www.historicdetroit.org/galleries/michigan-central-station-old-
photos/.
which was portrayed in many of the buildings. It had tall buildings but nothing as tall as what I

4
Alvarado, Rudolph Valier, and Sonya Yvette Alvarado. Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Michigan.
Michigan State University Press, 2003. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.14321/j.ctt7zt6ks.
5
Paullin, Charles O., and John K. Wright. Railroads and the Making of Modern America. Railroads and
the Making of Modern America | Search, Carnegie Institute of Washington and the American Geographical Society
of New York, pp. 138a, b, c, and d, drailroads.unl.edu/documents/view_document.php?id=rail.str.0241.
6
Austin, Dan. Michigan Central Station. Michigan Central Station , Historic Detroit,
historicdetroit.org/building/michigan-central-station/.
 Presson 3

was seeing here. Detroit was becoming city practical and that was shown through the skyscrapers

I was seeing. The people walking on the street came from all walks of life. The wealthy woman I

could identify by their large decorative hats and fitted dresses and the wealthy men wore suits

with a simple hat.7 The poor woman wore simple looser fitted dresses with simple hats and the

poor men wore more casual suits and simple hats.8 There were personal cars and street cars filled

with masses of men driving in the streets.9 I began walking and exploring while looking out for a

place to stay. I walked for about a mile when I came across a place called Corktown. I noticed

there were many white men, some African Americans as well as a couple Mexicans walking the

streets. I spotted a beautiful two-story house that was for rent and so I knocked on the door. A

white well-dressed man opened the door. I noticed him look me up and down with a distasteful

look. I could tell he was analyzing my features. My naturally tanned skin, black hair, and old

clothing. The man then said, If youre here about the house it is no longer available and closed

the door. I felt like I was being discriminated and turned away because I was a Mexican

American. However, I wasnt going to complain because back home in San Antonio and the

south in general racism was very alive and the response couldve been way worse.10 I brushed it

off and kept walking through Corktown. I came across a block that was heavily populated by

African Americans. I walked down and found another beautiful house where a room was being

rented out. I knocked on the door and an older African American woman answered. She was

7
Detroit News Photograph Collection (UAV002691). Digital Collections, Walter P. Reuther Library,
Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University,
digital.library.wayne.edu/digitalcollections/item?id=wayne:vmc20335.
8
Detroit News Photograph Collection (UAV002691). Digital Collections, Walter P. Reuther Library,
Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University,
digital.library.wayne.edu/digitalcollections/item?id=wayne:vmc16548
9
Detroit News Photograph Collection (UAV002691). Digital Collections, Walter P. Reuther Library,
Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University,
digital.library.wayne.edu/digitalcollections/item?id=wayne:vmc2825
10
Kildea, Josh. 1900-1940. 1900-1940, University of Michigan,
umich.edu/~ac213/student_projects07/migrants/Josh2.html.
 Presson 4

very kind and talked to me as if we were equals. We talked for a while and by the end of our

conversation I had decided to rent her spare room.

In that next week, I had learned that the womans name was Mary. She was a widow with

4 grown children. She was very involved in the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church which was in

the middle of the town.11 She often rented out her home to people who were only in Detroit

temporarily while they worked and eventually returned home. She helped me write a letter to

Ford Motor Company seeking a job. And although I was fluent in English there was still a bit of

a language barrier and she assisted me overcome some of my challenges.12

I was thrilled when I received a letter about an interview at the Ford Piquette Plant a

week later. Using the little money I had left I went into town and bought a suit. On the morning

of the interview I walked 3 miles to the Ford Piquette Plant. The man who gave the interview

asked me first about my ability to speak English and then my age, address and housing situation,

if I was a U.S citizen and if not if I plan to become one. He asked a few other questions that

seemed centered more around my background, living situation, and cleanliness, than my ability

to work.13 It seemed odd to me, but this was also my first experience with an interview like that

so I didnt have previous knowledge to compare to. At the end of the interview I was told that I

got the job.

Its now April 19, 1918 and I have been working for Ford for three years. The job is very

difficult work but the money has made it worth it. I found there to be a lot of expectations from

11
Vargas, Zaragosa. Life and Community in the Wonderful City of the Magic Motor: Mexican
Immigrants in 1920s Detroit. Michigan Historical Review, vol. 15, no. 1, 1989, pp. 51. JSTOR, JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/20173156.
12
Humphrey, Norman D. The Detroit Mexican Immigrant and Naturalization. Social Forces, vol. 22, no.
3, 1944, pp. 333. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2571981.
13
Ford Motor Company. Helpful Hints And Advice to Employees to Help Them Grasp the Opportunities
Which Are Presented to Them by the Ford Profit-sharing Plan. Detroit, Mich., 1915.
 Presson 5

the employees that were outlined in the Ford Manual.14 It was overwhelming at first but I have

now come to appreciate the unity and uniformity it offered me in my difficult transition from San

Antonio to Detroit. I still live in Corktown but I now own my own house. I married Marys

youngest daughter who was born the same year I was, 1890, and we have a 6-month-old child

together. Fortunately, because of my career, my wife and child can stay home while I work and

provide for them. Being a Mexican-American and married to an African American we still face

discrimination in Detroit but I feel more free and safe than I ever have in my life. The city of

Detroit opened my eyes to so many possibilities and helped me become a better and stronger

person. Moving here was the best decision I ever made. I have created a life for myself and my

family that I wouldnt have been able to create for myself in San Antonio.

Word Count: 1601

14
Ford Motor Company. Helpful Hints And Advice to Employees to Help Them Grasp the Opportunities
Which Are Presented to Them by the Ford Profit-sharing Plan. Detroit, Mich., 1915.
 Presson 6

Works Cited

Alvarado, Rudolph Valier, and Sonya Yvette Alvarado. Mexicans and Mexican Americans in
Michigan. Michigan State University Press, 2003. JSTOR,
jstor.org/stable/10.14321/j.ctt7zt6ks.
Austin, Dan. Michigan Central Station. Michigan Central Station , Historic Detroit,
historicdetroit.org/building/michigan-central-station/.
Detroit News Photograph Collection (UAV002691). Digital Collections, Walter P. Reuther
Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University,
digital.library.wayne.edu/digitalcollections/item?id=wayne:vmc20335.
Detroit News Photograph Collection (UAV002691). Digital Collections, Walter P. Reuther
Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University,
digital.library.wayne.edu/digitalcollections/item?id=wayne:vmc16548.
Detroit News Photograph Collection (UAV002691). Digital Collections, Walter P. Reuther
Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University,
digital.library.wayne.edu/digitalcollections/item?id=wayne:vmc2825.
Ford Motor Company. Helpful Hints And Advice to Employees to Help Them Grasp the
Opportunities Which Are Presented to Them by the Ford Profit-sharing Plan. Detroit,
Mich., 1915.
Ford Motor Company. Helpful Hints And Advice to Employees to Help Them Grasp the
Opportunities Which Are Presented to Them by the Ford Profit-sharing Plan. Detroit,
Mich., 1915.
Humphrey, Norman D. The Detroit Mexican Immigrant and Naturalization. Social Forces, vol.
22, no. 3, 1944, pp. 333. JSTOR, JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/2571981.
Kildea, Josh. 1900-1940. 1900-1940, University of Michigan,
umich.edu/~ac213/student_projects07/migrants/Josh2.html.
"Mexicans Find Safe Haven in Detroit." Detroit Free Press (1858-1922), Jul 15, 1920, pp. 26,
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Detroit Free Press (1831-1922),
search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/566506227?accountid=14925.
"MEXICANS JUMP TO BETTER LAND." Detroit Free Press (1858-1922), Oct 01, 1916, pp. 1,
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Detroit Free Press (1831-1922),
search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/566093679?accountid=14925.
Paullin, Charles O., and John K. Wright. Railroads and the Making of Modern America.
Railroads and the Making of Modern America | Search, Carnegie Institute of Washington
and the American Geographical Society of New York, pp. 138a, b, c, and d,
drailroads.unl.edu/documents/view_document.php?id=rail.str.0241.
Vargas, Zaragosa. Life and Community in the Wonderful City of the Magic Motor: Mexican
Immigrants in 1920s Detroit. Michigan Historical Review, vol. 15, no. 1, 1989, pp. 49.
JSTOR, JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/20173156.
Vargas, Zaragosa. Life and Community in the Wonderful City of the Magic Motor: Mexican
Immigrants in 1920s Detroit. Michigan Historical Review, vol. 15, no. 1, 1989, pp. 51.
JSTOR, JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/20173156.