Descriptive Summary
Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Acquisition Information
Biography
Scope and Content
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: Pedro J. Gonzalez Papers,
Date (inclusive): [1915 - 1978]
Collection number: 60
Creator: Pedro Gonzalez
1895-1991
Extent:
15 linear feet
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.
Chicano Studies Research Center, UCLA
Los Angeles, California 90095-1490
Abstract: A telegraph operator for Pancho Villa during the
Mexican Revolution; a radio personality and popular recording artist in Los
Angeles; an immigration activist framed for political purposes and sent to San
Quentin prison; and finally, a man fighting for the rights of his fellow
veterans of the Division Del Norte in Mexico for plots of land (ejidos) that
they could call their own. Pedro Gonzalez played all these roles and this
collection consists of his papers, correspondence, music, serialized fiction
about him, and many photographs and photo montages documenting his interests and
those who participated in his active life.
Researchers who would like to indicate errors of fact or omissions in this
finding aid can contact the archivist at archivist@chicano.ucla.edu
**Please note that accents have been eliminated in order to accommodate and
facilitate the use of all types of web browsers.
Physical location: Stored at the Chicano Studies Research Center
Archive, 180 Haines Hall, UCLA.
Access
Access is available by appointment for UCLA student and faculty researchers
as well as independent researchers. To view the collection or any part of it,
please contact the archivist at archivist@chicano.ucla.edu or the librarian at
yretter@chicano.ucla.edu
Publication Rights
For students and faculty researchers of UCLA, all others by permission only.
Copyright has not been assigned to the Chicano Studies Research Center. All
requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted
in writing to the Archivist and/or the Librarian at the Chicano Studies Research
Center Library. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the UCLA
Chicano Studies Research Center as the owner of the physical items and is not
intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also
be obtained.
Any use of this collection (The Pedro Gonzalez Papers) for purposes that
generate income must return a negotiated part of the profits to the benefit of
the library at the Chicano Studies Research Center at UCLA
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Pedro J. Gonzalez Papers, 60, Chicano Studies
Research Center, UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles.
Acquisition Information
Collection donated to UCLA by Pedro Gonzalez; letter of gift on file at the
CSRC archive office, 144 Haines Hall.
Biography
Pedro Jose Gonzalez Ramos was born on April 28, 1895 in Carrizal, Chihuahua,
Mexico. In his youth, his schoolteacher mother emphasized the importance of
education and sent him to school in Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas. In 1909,
at the age of 14, Pedro became a telegraph operator with the Ferrocarriles
Nacionales de Mexico (Mexican National Railroads). One year later, the Mexican
Revolution erupted, but Pedro continued his work with the railroads until 1914
when he was drafted into Francisco Pancho Villa's Division del Norte (the
Northern Division). Pedro served as Villa's telegraph operator under the command
of Raul Madero (brother of former Mexican president Francisco Madero). In 1916
the United States recognized Venustiano Carranza instead of Pancho Villa as the
legitimate leader of Mexico. Villa and his troops fell out of favor in both the
U.S. and Mexico. Pedro found work loading mail at the train station in El Paso,
Texas and later across the border as a telegraph operator in Ciudad Juarez. In
1921 he returned to work as a telegraph operator with the Ferrocariles
Nacionales de Mexico in Tampico, Taumalipas, Mexico, and then in Chico,
Chihuahua, Mexico.
In 1924 he was working as a telegraph operator with the Mexican and Northwest
Railroad in El Paso, Texas. Three years later he left his job in El Paso to take
his family to Los Angeles, California. They settled in Wilmington, Ca. where
Pedro worked as a longshoreman on the docks in San Pedro. Shortly after, he
began to exploit his musical talent and recorded Spanish language songs for the
Columbia, Okey, and Maya record companies on the 78rpm record format.
Pedro's experience as a telegraph operator along with his fascination with new
technologies led him into the early years of radio broadcasting in Los Angeles.
Working at KMTR, KFBD, KMPC and KELW in Los Angeles, he broadcast and recorded
commercials in Spanish for U.S. companies and products. Soon Pedro sought out
commercial accounts and formed his own radio show, becoming one of the first
Spanish speaking radio announcers in the United States. By 1930 his immensely
popular show was broadcast daily between 4 and 6 a.m. and featured his own
musical group, Los Madrugadores (The Early Risers). Pedro was lead singer and
composed many of their songs which were recorded on Columbia, Maya, and Okey. In
Los Angeles in the 1930s many new Spanish speaking singers and musicians made
their debuts on Pedro's radio program. Pedro J. Gonzalez fan clubs sprung up
over the Southwest and thousands of radio listeners clamored to attend the
show.
By the mid 1930s the Great Depression intensified anti immigrant attitudes in
Los Angeles. Pedro's immense popularity made some Los Angeles city officials
fearful of Pedro's potential influence among the Mexican and Spanish speaking
population. They feared Pedro might rally his listeners against the Anglos in
the city. After unsuccessfully trying to revoke his broadcasting license, city
officials found a young woman who had had problems with the law and pressured
her into accusing Pedro of rape.
The trial drew the immediate attention of the media. The key witness perjured
herself, but in 1934 the all Anglo jury sent the Mexican community's most
popular recording star to San Quentin prison for 50 years. Novels and plays were
written about his case. In Los Angeles, the young victim said she had lied
because the city officials had promised to keep her out of reform school if she
accused Pedro. The judge refused to admit her affidavit. In prison, Pedro served
as a translator and de facto liaison helping fellow Spanish speaking inmates and
was instrumental in a hunger strike that led to the reforms in the California
penal system. Pedro J. Gonzalez defense committees sprung up throughout the
Southwest and northern Mexico. Pedro's family, fans, and the Mexican consul in
Los Angeles worked tirelessly on his behalf until finally in 1940, he was
released from prison on the condition that he be deported from the United
States.
Pedro and his family settled in Tijuana where Pedro was instrumental in the
development of the radio broadcasting industry. He formed a new group of
Madrugadores and broadcast daily. While living in Tijuana Pedro became active in
forming a national organization to recognize and defend the rights of the
Veterans of the Mexican Revolution. The organization was able to get land grants
for veterans as well as health and pension benefits. The land grants were given
in the form of ejidos, and Pedro kept detailed records of their activities and
of the owners of each of the land parcels. His activities frequently put him at
odds with the ambitions of local politicians and land speculators.
In 1973 Pedro and his wife moved to San Ysidro, California to escape the
opposition against Pedro in Tijuana and to be near their children, all U.S.
citizens who had settled in southern California. He continued his activities in
support of the Mexican Veterans and of the civil rights of people of Mexican
heritage in the U.S. until his death sometime in 1991.
Scope and Content
A telegraph operator for Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution; a radio
personality and popular recording artist in Los Angeles; an immigration activist
framed for political purposes and sent to San Quentin prison; and finally, a man
fighting for the rights of his fellow veterans of the Division Del Norte in
Mexico for plots of land (ejidos) that they could call their own. Pedro Gonzalez
played all these roles and this collection consists of his papers,
correspondence, music, serialized fiction about him, and many photographs and
photo montages documenting his interests and those who participated in his
active life.
Researchers who would like to indicate errors of fact or omissions in this
finding aid can contact the archivist at archivist@chicano.ucla.edu
**Please note that accents have been eliminated in order to accommodate and
facilitate the use of all types of web browsers.
This collection consists of 15 linear feet of Pedro J. Gonzalez's papers,
photos, and phonograph albums. It ranges from the beginning of the twentieth
century up to the 1970s.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Ejidos
Pancho Villa
San Quentin Prison
Spanish language radio