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Gaitán (Henry) International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's
Union (ILWU), Local 13 Collection
URB.ILWU-HG
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Henry Gaitán International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union (ILWU), Local 13
Collection
Creator:
Gaitán, Enrique
Identifier/Call Number: URB.ILWU-HG
Extent:
0.64 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1952-1983
Abstract: The Henry (Enrique) Gaitán Collection
documents the unity between ILWU, Local 13 and their union counterparts throughout the
shipping ports of Mexico. The collection contains correspondence between members of various
longshore unions in the ports of Colima, Mazatlán, Sonora, Veracruz, and Yucatán, Mexico and
the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union to organize travel itinerary,
visas, and contacts for the Mexican workers coming to the Los Angeles waterfront. Several
items of correspondence provide insight into the personal friendships that developed between
Henry Gaitán and some of the Mexican workers after they completed their training. Documents
indicate that upon retiring, Henry Gaitán continued to be actively involved as Treasurer and
President with the Southern California Pensioners of the ILWU.
Language of Material: English,
Spanish; Castilian
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union's Mexican Worker Program was established in
the early 1960s by representatives within ILWU, Local 13. Committee members included Henry
Gaitán, Tony Cedillo, Tom Motta, and Earl Cordova. ILWU, Local 13 extended invitations to
various Mexican longshore unions, inviting their members to work temporarily on the Long
Beach/Wilmington docks with the intention of sharing different cargo handling and mechanized
methods used by U.S. longshoremen. More importantly, ILWU members hoped to create stronger
union relations on the Pacific coast, both north and south of the border.
The Mexican guest workers that came to Los Angeles were able to observe and participate in
hands-on training to learn the various work methods used by one of the largest mechanized
ports in the 1960s. The records found in the Gaitán papers exhibit the professionalism,
friendships, and solidarity built between union members from both sides of the U.S. – Mexico
border during this period.
The
Henry Gaitán International Lonshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union
(ILWU), Local 13 Collection
documents the unity between ILWU, Local 13 and their
union counterparts throughout the shipping ports of Mexico. The collection contains
correspondence between members of various longshore unions in the ports of Colima, Mazatlán,
Sonora, Veracruz, and Yucatán, Mexico and the International Longshoremen's and
Warehousemen's Union to organize travel itinerary, visas, and contacts for the Mexican
workers coming to the Los Angeles waterfront. Several items of correspondence provide
insight into the personal friendships that developed between Henry Gaitán and some of the
Mexican workers after they completed their training. Documents indicate that upon retiring,
Henry Gaitán continued to be actively involved as Treasurer and President with the Southern
California Pensioners of the ILWU.
Digital reproductions of selected items in this collection are available electronically as
a part of the
Latina(o) Cultural Heritage
Archives
project.
Other Information:
The collection was processed under a Title V Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Grant
from the U.S. Department of Education.
Related Material
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Tony Salcido. 1997.
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Rebecca S. Graff, Margarita Zamora; 2004
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Documents
Photographs