Finding Aid for the James and Margarita Mendez Papers, 1918-2003 CSRC.127
Doug Johnson
Chicano Studies Research Center Library
July 2019
144 Haines Hall
Box 951544
Los Angeles, California 90095-1544
librarian@chicano.ucla.edu
Contributing Institution:
Chicano Studies Research Center Library
Title: James and Margarita Mendez Papers
Creator:
Mendez, Margarita
Creator:
Mendez, James
Identifier/Call Number: CSRC.127
Physical Description:
4.8 Linear Feet
(4 boxes; 3 flat boxes; 2 oversize flat boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1918-2003
Abstract: This collection contains material on the lives of James and Margarita Mendez. It consists of photographs, printed matter,
memorabilia, correspondence, and realia. It includes material on Garfield and Roosevelt High Schools, the foreced relocation
and incarceration of Japanese Americans, the World War II service of James Mendez and Margarita's brother Eloy Duran, and
material related to Margarita's career as a social worker.
Physical Location: COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Library
and Archive for paging information.
Language of Material: Materials are in English, Spanish, and Japanese.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Victor Duran Mendez, June 7, 2011.
Arrangement
The collection was arranged by an unknown person, who seems to have attempted to retain the donor's original order.
Biographical / Historical
James Aleman Mendez was born July 21, 1921 in Los Angeles. He attended James Garfield High School and Frank Wiggins Trade
School before joining the United States Army. He served in the 127th Infantry Regiment of the 32nd Infantry Division and fought
in New Guinea and the Philippines. After the war he worked as a salesman for the General American Life Insurance Company.
Margarita Acosta Duran was born on December 5, 1925 in Los Angeles. She attended Theodore Roosevelt High School, UCLA, and
USC, where she earned a Master of Social Work degree. As a social worker, she specialized in youth and mental health issues.
She was repeatedly recognized by professional organizations, the city and county of Los Angeles, and the State of California
or her contributions to her profession and community. She died on February 26, 1996 in Bellflower.
Margarita's younger brother, Eloy, served in the same Army regiment as James. Though there is no evidence in the collection,
it is possible that he introduced them. James and Margarita were married on December 23, 1950. They had at least four sons.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], James and Margarita Mendez Papers, 127, UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, University of California,
Los Angeles.
Processing Information
The collection was arranged by an unknown person. The collection was described by Doug Johnson, July 2019.
Related Materials
Scope and Contents
This collection contains material on the lives of James and Margarita Mendez. It consists of photographs, printed matter,
memorabilia, correspondence, and realia. There is a great deal of material on their secondary school years at both Garfield
High School and Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles. Both schools had large populations of Japanese American students whose
educations were interrupted by forced relocation and incarceration. Margarita had many Japanese American friends throughout
her life and perhaps because of this fact she retained material from the Gila River and Poston camps. During the Second World
War, James served in the 127th Infantry Regiment of the 32nd Infantry Division alongside Margarita's brother Eloy. Both men
retained a significant amount of material from their service in the Pacific War and, in Eloy's case, the American Occupation
of Japan. While there is only a small amount of material related to James's career as an insurance salesman, there is a great
deal on Margarita's career in social work. There is material on her education, including a draft of her thesis, material on
various positions she held, publications, and information about Trabajadores de la Raza, an association of student and professional
social workers founded in 1969. There are also a number of plaques and certificates bestowed on Margarita throughout her career.
Conditions Governing Use
These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user
must assume full responsibility for any use of materials, including but not limited to infringement of copyright and publication
rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Theodore Roosevelt High School (Los Angeles, Calif.)
James A. Garfield High School (Los Angeles, Calif.)
World War, 1939-1945
Japanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 32nd
United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 127th
Social service
Trabajadores de la Raza (Organization)
Box 1, Folder 1
Printed material
1946-1979
Scope and Contents
Includes: flyer and mimeographed songbook from the Mexican American Youth Conference, 1946;
California Youth Authority Quarterly, Winter 1962;
The New Republic, 1964-03-28; "Directions," April 1979 (newsletter of the Child Abuse and Neglect Project, New Region IX); program for a reception
in honor of Dorcas Hardy.
Box 1, Folder 2
Correspondence
1942-1995
Scope and Contents
Includes: letter explaining that high school student Marguerita Duran had been judged the third best speaker in Southern California,
1942-05-11.
Box 1, Folder 3
Awards and certificates
1948-1996
Scope and Contents
Includes: certificate of appreciation from Harry Truman, 1948-12-29.
Box 1, Folder 4
University documents
1944-1971
Scope and Contents
Includes: UCLA associate degree; USC MSW degree; USC bulletins, 1949; copies of transcripts.
Box 1, Folder 5
USC School of Social Work
1982-2000
Scope and Contents
Includes: Hispanic Caucus material; bulletin, 1994-1996; program for "A Summer Tardeada" benefit in support of the Margarita
Mendez/Juan Ramos Endowed Fund.
Box 1, Folder 6
Trabajadores de la Raza
1990-1992
Scope and Contents
Includes correspondence regarding the establishment of a School of Social Work at Cal State LA; report "Challenge for Social
Work Education in a Multi-Cultural Society in the 21st Century: A Latino Perspective."
Box 1, Folder 7
Trabajadores de la Raza
1976-1995
Box 1, Folder 8
Social work certifications
1969-1979
Box 1, Folder 9
Essays
1950-1991
Scope and Contents
Includes: thesis "The Role of the Worker in Terminating Services to Groups" by Margarita Duran; untitled essay for USC class,
1991.
Box 1, Folder 10
Facilities
1996-1998
Scope and Contents
Includes material on social welfare facilities posthumously named in honor of Margarita Mendez.
Box 2, Folder 1
Thesis
2000
Scope and Contents
"A Case Study of Culture and Social Work Practice" by Erica Rodriguez Bawek.
Box 2, Folder 2
Memorials
1996-2003
Scope and Contents
Includes: eulogies, cards, and other material memorializing Margarita Mendez; also includes information on the Margarita Mendez
Lecture in Social Work at Cal State LA, which was instituted in 2003.
Box 2, Folder 3
Miscellaneous
1948-1986
Scope and Contents
Includes: identification cards; wedding announcement; copy of marriage certificate; wedding congratulations from John Anson
Ford; resume; letters of recommendation.
Box 2, Folder 4
Panel of Americans
1944-1945
Scope and Contents
Contains material on a group of female UCLA students of different religions and ethnicities who engaged in a state-wide speaking
tour. Includes: text of Margarita Duran's speech; program; clippings; photographs with Paul Henreid, Victor Francen, Fletcher
Bowron.
Box 2, Folder 5
Photographs of Margarita
1926-1981
Box 2, Folder 10
Photographs - vacation
circa 1945
Scope and Contents
Includes Yosemite.
Box 2, Folder 13
Photographs
1960s-1970s
Scope and Contents
Includes Margarita with Kenneth Hahn.
Box 3, Folder 1
Schools
1934-1990
Scope and Contents
Includes: James's memory book, inscribed by his classmates; Garfield High School graduation program and diploma, 1939; Garfield
High Class of 1940 50th anniversary program.
Box 3, Folder 2
Schools
1938-1941
Scope and Contents
Includes; report cards; Robert Louis Stevenson Junior High yearbooks, 1940 and 1941.
Box 3, Folder 3
Roosevelt High School
1939-1993
Scope and Contents
Includes: student handbooks, 1939 and 1942; literary magazine, 1941;
Je Sais Tout French Club publication;
Hi-School magazine, February 1942; Ephebian Society initiation program, 1943; commencement program and diploma, 1943; programs for
25th and 50th reunions [the 50th reunion program includes a tribute to the Japanese-American students who could not complete
school because of the incarceration].
Box 3, Folder 4
"Select photos"
1940-1996
Box 3, Folder 5
Japanese incarceration
1943-1946
Scope and Contents
Includes: "A Year at Gila Anniversary Booklet"; "The Displaced Japanese Americans"; "Poston Notes and Activities"; copy of
James's honorable discharge from the Army.
Box 3, Folder 6
Mendez family documents
1918-1988
Scope and Contents
Includes: registration cards for the draft and the Alien Poll Tax; Frank Wiggins Trade School documents; certificates of naturalization
for Santiago and Concepcion Mendez, James's parents; Garfield High School diploma; ballots for Mexican legislative elections,
circa 1950; press release and photograph of James presenting a scholarship.
Box 3, Folder 7
General American Life insurance
1956-1968
Scope and Contents
Contains material relating to James's career as a life insurance salesman; includes convention programs and photographs; certificates.
Box 4, Folder 1
Duran, Eloy - Pacific
1944-1946
Language of Material: Material is in Japanese and English.
Scope and Contents
Contains material relating to Margarita's younger brother's service with the 127th infantry regiment during and after World
War II. Includes: a few photographs from the Philippines and Papua New Guinea; many photographs from postwar Japan; post cards;
War Department Japanese phrase book; Japanese flag; letter from Eloy discussing his work in intelligence in Fukuoka during
the Occupation;
Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors, a Meiji-era code of conduct for the Japanese military.
Box 4, Folder 2
Miscellaneous
1953-1991
Scope and Contents
Includes: photographs; insurance company planning calendars; Ruben Salazar column reprints.
Box 4, Folder 3
Photographs - James in uniform
1944-1946
Box 4, Folder 4
32nd Infantry Division
1942-1946
Scope and Contents
Includes: booklet "The 32nd Division: The Red Arrow Division"; memo from Major General W. H. Gill; booklet "13,000 Hours";
notebook with notes on various weapons and pieces of equipment; cards for the Domain of the Golden Dragon and the Domain of
Neptunus Rex; U.S. Navy postcard book; booklet "I Am a Doughboy"; essay "Noose that Tied Japs on Luzon" by Russell Brines;
booklet "Ninety-Fourth Infantry Training Battalion"; program for Easter Sunday service aboard the U.S.S. General W.F. Hase;
program for Christmas mass in New Guinea; newsletters; memorial program for Staff Sergeant Ysmael R. Villegas, who was posthumously
awarded the Medal of Honor.
Box 5
Among the Valiant by Raul Morin
1963
Box 5
Glass plaque
1992
Scope and Contents
Awarded to Margarita by the Latino managers at the Department of Child Services.
Box 5
Realia
circa 1972-2003
Scope and Contents
Includes: pins; brass business card holder monogrmmed for Margarita from ELAMHS [East Los Angeles Mental Health Services?];
Elks Lodge nameplate for James.
Box 6
Yearbooks
1938-1943
Scope and Contents
Four Garfield High yearbooks; four Roosevelt High yearbooks.
Box 7, Folder 2
Certificates of appreciation
1961-1996
Box 7, Folder 3
Publications
1945-1946
Scope and Contents
Icludes:
Yank, 1945-08-31;
Pacific Stars and Stripes, 1946-12-25;
Box 7, Folder 4
Photographs
1919-circa 1940
Box 7, Folder 6
National Chicano Moratorium poster
1990
Box 8, Folder 1
Publications
1939-1945
Scope and Contents
Includes:
Santa Ana Register, 1939-11-21 and 1939-12-11;
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1941-12-07 [reprint];
Sixth Army News, circa 1945;
Los Angeles Daily News, 1945-04-14 [front page only; FDR funeral];
San Francisco Chronicle, 1945-08-15 [incomplete; "PEACE"];
Pacific Stars and Stripes, 1945-12-08 and 1945-12-30 [incomplete].
Box 8, Folder 2
School newspapers and photographs
1936-1945
Scope and Contents
Includes: Belvedere Jr. High panoramic photograph, 1936; Stevenson Jr. High panoramic photograph, 1940; Roosevelt High
Rough Rider, 1941-10-08 and 1942-12-10;
Long Beach Poly High Life, 1945-10-19.
Box 8, Folder 3
Business
1958-1971
Related Materials
The original photograph used in the newspaper is in Box 3, Folder 6.
Scope and Contents
Includes: photographs from General American Life Insurance Conventions, 1958 and 1959;
The Huntington Park Bulletin, 1971-06-03, with cover photo of James presenting scholarship awards.
Box 8, Folder 4
Clippings and certificates of appreciation
1982-1999
Box 9
Plaques and trophies
1957-1994
