Detroit Free Press, July 15, 1920, p. 26
Selected Sources: History of Latino/as in Detroit, MI
Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit by Publication Date: 2015From April 1932 through March 1933, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo were in Detroit against the backdrop of the Great Depression and amid labor protests in the city. Rivera created his Detroit Industry murals, one of the most important and accomplished works of art made in the United States in the 20th century, for the Detroit Institute of Arts. Kahlo, meanwhile, developed her own artistic identity almost unnoticed, emerging with an oeuvre of extraordinarily expressive work.
For this catalogue, Mark Rosenthal and a team of scholars have written essays that examine the artists, the city of Detroit in this period, and the commissioning of the murals. Rivera’s cartoons for the murals are highlighted along with new archival research conducted by Rivera’s grandson, Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera.
Featuring more than 100 color illustrations of works by both artists, this book presents Detroit as a profoundly important place for the artistic development of Rivera and Kahlo.
Detroit's Mexicantown by Publication Date: 2011Detroit's Mexicantown offers readers a glimpse into this rich and cultural community's beginnings. Mexican immigrants began to settle in Detroit at the beginning of the 20th century. They were attracted by the jobs available in the automobile industry and the rest of the rapidly expanding industrial base. Like other immigrant ethnic groups, Mexicans came to Detroit intent on providing a better life, and future, for their families. They opened businesses like specialty grocery and retail stores, barbershops, and restaurants. They bought homes, educated their children, served in all branches of the military, and became model Americans. What they brought to Detroit were family values, faith, and a strong work ethic. Detroit's Mexicantown offers a glimpse into when and where the community started.
Mexican Women and the Other Side of Immigration: Engendering Transnational Ties by Publication Date: 2010, University of Texas Press.The author examines a number of sociological factors centered around transnationalism, especially among Mexican women from San Ignacio Cerro Gordo in the state of Jalisco who migrated to Detroit, MI, and travel regularly between the two cities. This case study offers a feminist approach to recording the history and stories of Mexican immigrant women in Detroit. Chapters explore how gender/social norms, politics, and identities change after migration to the U.S. The author's sources include 50 interviews conducted from 2001-2004 with people, mostly women of all ages, from San Ignacio and Detroit.
Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Michigan by Publication Date: 2003This book explores the history of Mexican and Mexican American people in the state of Michigan. Roughly 100 years are covered, from 1900 to 2000. A search for "Detroit" in an electronic copy of the book yields 68 results across all chapters. The index shows that a broad range of topics are covered regarding Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Detroit, including education programs, political movements, labor union organizations, media, businesses, religion, and social organizations. 96 pages.
Latinos in Michigan by Publication Date: 2003, Michigan State University[Index] Detroit: 7, 8, 10-13, 15, 27, 30, 24, 41, 46, 47, 49-52, 57
Proletarians of the North: A History of Mexican Industrial Workers in Detroit and the Midwest, 1917-1933 by Publication Date: 1999, University of California Press
Fiesta, Fe, y Cultura: Celebrations of Faith and Culture in Detroit's Colonia Mexicana by Call Number: F 574.D49 M518 1995 (Purdy/Kresge Library)Publication Date: 1995With texts in both Spanish and English, this book gives a brief history of the Detroit Colonia Mexicana and the first comprehensive study of three Mexican-American religious fiestas in the Midwest: the Day of the Dead, the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and Los Posadas. The author draws on archival sources, field research, and oral interviews with Detroit's pioneering Mexican immigrants and their children. Includes color photographs.
Al Norte: Agricultural Workers in the Great Lakes Region, 1917-1970 by Publication Date: 1991This book covers the migration and settlement of Latinx people to the midwest. Topics particular to the Detroit area (from the index) include: automobile industry, Casa Maria Community, Catholic church, Mexican consulate, Mexican-descent workers, Operation Wetback, Puerto Ricans, repatriation efforts, and unionization.
Detroit's Pioneer Mexicans: A Historical Study of the Mexican Colony in Detroit by Call Number: F 574 .D49 M57 (Purdy/Kresge Library. Print only.)Publication Date: 1980, Little Shield Press (Grand Rapids, MI)This 102-page book begins with a history of immigration patterns to the Detroit area and how Mexican immigrants fit into that history. The author goes on to cover the establishment of a Mexican "colony," offering descriptions of the population, local businesses, and services for this community. There is a significant chapter on the role the Catholic Church had in the community, and then sections on other agencies that played a role in uniting, or attempting to unite, the community. These include groups centered around education, media, politics, identity, health, art, and more. Finally, the author discussed acculturation and assimilation issues including discrimination, language barriers, access to affordable housing, cultural differences, and more. The author lists 22 references and the names of 33 people he interviewed for this book.- Mexicans of Detroit by Call Number: F 574 .D49 M48 (Purdy/Kresge Library. Print only.)Publication Date: 1979, Wayne State University Center for Urban StudiesThe first third of this book covers history -- from indigenous cultures in what is today known as Mexico, to the arrival of the Spaniards, colonization, independence, and migration of Mexicans to the United States. A chapter covers why Mexicans settled in Detroit, and then the authors go on to cover time periods of Mexicans in Detroit before 1930, during the Great Depression, the 1940s, the 1970s, and the Detroit colonia "today" (note: the book was published in 1979). The final pages of the book cover some socio-economic statistics for the community.62 references. 89 pages.
- A Tour of Detroit's "Latin Quarter" by Call Number: F 575 .S75 R63 (Purdy/Kresge Library. Print only.)Publication Date: 1975This slim 15-page volume was put out by the Southeast Michigan Regional Ethnic Heritage Studies Center as Tour 4 of their Field Trip Series. The field trips were designed to expose students to the rich diversity of ethnic communities in the Detroit area. In just a little over three pages, the author discusses some history and then describes the location and characteristics of the Latinx community in southwest Detroit -- including religion, businesses, restaurants, events, entertainment, schools, public services, and sites of interest. The text is offered in both English and Spanish. An appendix offers recommended readings, and listings for community services and organizations, bars and lounges, churches, schools, factories, markets, restaurants, cinema and radio.
Of note, this source is authored by Sixto Rodriguez, who rose to fame as the subject of the critically acclaimed documentary Searching for Sugarman, which won a number of awards including an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2013. - Latino Life and Social Needs: A Detroit Survey by Call Number: F 574.D4 L38 (Purdy-Kresge Library. Print only.)Publication Date: 1973
- English Influences on Mexican Spanish in Detroit by Publication Date: 1970, De Gruyter Mouton (Berlin/Boston)This survey was conducted in 1972 for the Latin American Secretariat of the Archdiocese of Detroit. It provides a detailed snapshot of the lives and social needs of the Detroit Latinx community at the time. The purpose of the survey was to have a clear foundation of information for the development of social service programs. Both authors were from Wayne State University. Lebeaux was a professor in the School of Social Work and Salas was Director of the Office of Minority Programs.Their findings were based on interviews with community members in their homes, interviews with key staff at social service agencies, and data from the 1970 census. The findings are presented in eight sections: demographics, language issues, migrant stream settlers or "drop-outs," household income, children/youth issues, employment and work adjustment, health and health care, and housing issues. 121 pages.
The book is a revised version of a doctoral dissertation, which is available here.
Not all links will lead to full-text. Please use interlibrary loan for articles that are not offered in full-text through these links. Or, contact the librarian for help.
Mora, J. I. (2023). Managing the migration: Latino intermediaries and the expansion of United States migratory labor from World War I through the Bracero Program. Journal of American Ethnic History, 42(3), 103-129.
Martínez, F. (2022). Politics, language, and cultural identity: DetroitRicans and Puertoricanness in Detroit. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 9(4), 1-41.
Brett T. Olmsted. (2015). Mexican fiestas in Central Michigan: Celebrations and identity formation, 1920–1930. Michigan Historical Review, 41(2), 33–57.
Rodriguez, M. E. (2014). Mexicantown: Ordinary families making extraordinary choices. (cover story). Chronicle: The Quarterly Magazine of the Historical Society of Michigan, 37(1), 14–16.
Ravuri, E. D. (2009). Hispanic population change in southwestern Detroit and surrounding suburbs, 1990-2000: A study of the succession process. Journal of Cultural Geography, 26(2), 199–222.
Miner, D. A. (2005). El renegado comunista: Diego Rivera, La Liga de Obreros y Campesinos and Mexican repatriation in Detroit. Third Text, 19(6), 647-660.
Swartz, R. D. (1992). Hispanic and Polish commercial strips in the Detroit area: Strength and devolution. Michigan Academician, 25(1), 31–46.
Vargas, Z. (1991). Armies in the fields and factories: The Mexican working classes in the Midwest in the 1920s. Mexican Studies/Estudios Mexicanos, 7(1), 47–71.
Vargas, Z. (1989). Life and community in the “Wonderful City of the Magic Motor”: Mexican immigrants in 1920s Detroit. Michigan Historical Review, 15(1), 45–68.
Agócs, C. (1982). Who’s in on the American dream? Ethnic representation in suburban opportunity structures in metropolitan Detroit, 1940-1970. Ethnic Groups, 4(4), 239–254.
Valdés, D. N. (1981). Perspiring capitalists: Latinos and the Henry Ford Service School, 1918-1928. Aztlan: Journal of Chicano Studies, 12(2), 227–239.
Cardenas, G. (1976). Los desarraigados: Chicanos in the midwestern region of the United States. Aztlan: Journal of Chicano Studies, 7(2), 153–186.
Kiser, G., & Silverman, D. (1973). Mexican repatriation during the Great Depression. Journal of Mexican American History, 3(1), 139–164.
Learn about Norman Daymond Humphrey (1911 - 1955)
Humphrey, N. D. (1946). The housing and household practices of Detroit Mexicans. Social Forces, 24(4), 433–437.
Humphrey, N. D. (1945). Some dietary and health practices of Detroit Mexicans. The Journal of American Folklore, 58(229), 255–258.
Humphrey, N. D. (1945). Employment patterns of Mexicans in Detroit. Monthly Labor Review , 61, 913.
Humphrey, N. D. (1944). The changing structure of the Detroit Mexican family: An index of acculturation. American Sociological Review, 6(9), 622-626.
Humphrey, N. D. (1944). The Detroit Mexican immigrant and naturalization. Social Forces, 22(3), 332–335.
Humphrey, N. D. (1944). The education and language of Detroit Mexicans. The Journal of Educational Sociology, 17(9), 534-542.
Humphrey, N. D. (1944). The integration of the Detroit Mexican colony. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 3(2), 155–166.
Humphrey, N. D. (1943). The migration and settlement of Detroit Mexicans. Economic Geography, 19(4), 358–361.
Cotera, M. E., & Aparicio, F. R. (2017). El Museo del Norte: Passionate praxis on the streets of Detroit. In O. Valerio-Jimenez, S. Vaquera-Vasquez, & C. F. Fox (Eds.), Latina/o Midwest Reader (pp. 197–210). University of Illinois Press.
This chapter relates the "struggle to create a community space in the heart of Detroit -- El Museo del Norte." The movement was looking to create a space where Latino/as in the Midwest could unite to record their experiences. What ensued was a conflict between those who wanted to create a brick-and-mortar space and those who were in favor of creating a "structure of feeling" as an innovative way of coming together. There were also conflicts among interested parties on many other talking points that made it challenging to agree on the museum's mission and goals. The author of the chapter, Maria Eugenia Cotera, was uniquely involved in the process of the creation of El Museo del Norte, along with Elena Herrada, a Detroit community organizer, scholar, and activist.
Darden, J. T., & Thomas, R. W. (2013). Detroit: Race riots, racial conflicts, and efforts to bridge the racial divide. Michigan State University Press. (pp. 199–220).
Chapter 9 of this book, Old Minority and New Minority: Black-Latino Relations in a Predominantly Black City, discusses how two racial/ethnic minority communities in Detroit (Black/Latinx), have had to compete for resources that are controlled by neither group, but by powerful corporations. The authors give a history of Latinx immigration to Detroit, where they settled geographically within the city up to 1980, and then cover Latinx and Black residential segregation from 1980 - 2010. They cover socioeconomic differences between the two groups, including unemployment, occupations, income, education, home ownership, and business participation rates. The last section of the chapter talks about Latinos' struggle for representation in a majority Black city, and the authors offer some "conclusions" about Black-Latino relations in the city.
Vargas, G. (2011). CitySpirit: A people’s mural in Detroit’s Mexicantown. In R. O. Martinez (Ed.), Latinos in the Midwest (pp. 281–302). Michigan State University Press.
The author of this chapter is one of the creators of the mural CitySpirit, a Mexican American mural painted in 1979 in Detroit's Mexicantown (St. Anne & Bagley). The author writes about its history and offers analysis of the iconography in the mural.
Benamou, C. L. (2010). Mediating the public sphere in Latina/o Detroit: Heart and margin of an embattled metropolis. In R. Young & A. Holmes (Eds.), Cultures of the City: Mediating Identities in Urban Latin/o America (pp. 88–104). University of Pittsburgh Press.
This chapter discusses how Detroit is not adequately acknowledged as a "Latino metropolis," despite a number of indicators. It reviews Latinx waves of immigration to Detroit, the geographic cluster of Latinos in Southwest Detroit, and the communities ability to rely on a number of Spanish-language media -- newspapers, radio, and television. The author calls for more enfranchisement of this community, pointing out it has been largely ignored, and that Detroit is still largely seen as a bicultural city (Black/White).
Bustamante, J. J., & Mújica, C. R. (2007). Mexican communities and acculturation: A comparative study of "El Valle del Rio Grande" and Detroit's "Mexican Town." In M. Á. C. García & J. S. Romellón (Eds.), Nuevas Tendencias y Nuevos Desafíos de la Migración Internacional: Memorias del Seminario Permanente sobre Migración Internacional. Tomo 2 (1st ed., pp. 367–382). El Colegio de Mexico.
The authors employ qualitative methods of data gathering to discuss acculturation, assimilation, transnationalism, and identity mostly among first- and second generation Mexican-Americans. They compare these processes and qualities among people living along the U.S.-Mexico border and in the Midwest, including Detroit's Mexicantown. The two Detroit subjects, and their families, that they authors visited are described as Andres, a 17-year old in high school, and Pamela, a 15 year old middle schooler. The data from these subjects were gathered in 2002 and 2003.
Casey, G. M. (1989). Father Clem, Conscience of Detroit. Marygrove College.(pp. 118-158).
In this biography of Father Clem Kern, chapter 5 ("El Padre Clement Kern") focuses on his work with the Latinx community in southwest Detroit. Fr. Clem was a Roman Catholic priest who was appointed to Most Holy Trinity Church in Detroit's Corktown district, where he served for over 30 years. In addition to detailing how Fr. Clem immersed himself in Latinx cultures in order to better serve the community, it also offers a wealth of large block-quotes and full-text from primary source documents -- Fr. Clem's and Holy Trinity Church's papers from the Archdiocese of Detroit Archives. It provides a history of initiatives and services he developed specifically for Latinx people, plus an account of the tireless advocacy work he did on their behalf.
Weeks, J. R., & Spielberg Benitez, J. (1979). The cultural demography of midwestern Chicano communities. In S. A. West & J. Macklin (Eds.), The Chicano experience (229-252). Westview Press.
In this study, the authors aimed to make a "preliminary and admittedly incomplete analysis of the relationship between demographic processes (i.e., population size and heterogeneity) and organizational life in two contrasting midwestern Chicano communities." The two communities are Fremont, OH, and Detroit, MI. They compare some demographics including age, gender, education, occupation, and income, then discuss organizational life in the two communities. They look at organizations that formed in those communities through religion, work, social services, and more.
Salas, G., & Salas, I. (1974). The Mexican community of Detroit. In D.W. Hartman (Ed.), Immigrants and Migrants: The Detroit Ethnic Experience (pp. 374-387). Center for Urban Studies and Southeast Michigan Regional Heritage Study Center, Wayne State University.
The authors begin with a discussion of the number of Latinx people in Detroit, and how 1970 census numbers are not reliable due to poor methods of determining this population's identity. They relay some history and first-person accounts of how and why Mexican's settled in Detroit and other locations in Michigan in the 1940s. They cover the formation of community groups (religious, political, arts, unions), and the development of social services for this community, particularly Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development (LA SED), the Latin American Secretariat, and the Committee of Concerned Spanish-Speaking Americans (CCSSA). Finally, the authors discuss the rise of political movements and causes in the community, and how it led to the development of a Chicano Studies Program at Wayne State University called Latino En Marcha.
Militzer, M. A. (2019). Examining Physical Activity Levels of Pregnant Women of Mexican Origin in Detroit, MI: A Socioecological Approach. University of Michigan.
Olmsted, B. T. (2017). Los Mexicanos de Michigan: Claiming space and creating community through leisure and labor, 1920-1970. University of Houston. (Document search: 257 mentions of "Detroit")
Saenz, G. (2010). Transnational Life Histories: Mexican Origin Elderly in Southwest Detroit, Michigan. Michigan State University.
Valdés, D. N. (1992). Divergent Roots, Common Destinies? Latino Work and Settlement in Michigan (Occasional Paper No. 4). Julian Samora Research Institute, Michigan State University.
Vargas, Z. (1984). Mexican Auto Workers At Ford Motor Company, 1918-1933. University of Michigan.
Murillo, L. C. (1981). The Detroit Mexican 'Colonia' from 1920 To 1932: Implications for Social and Educational Policy. Michigan State University.
Rubalcava, L. A. (1980). Assimilation Among Urban Chicanos: A Structural and Cultural Analysis. University of Michigan.
Popp, S., Steider, M., Wheeler, J., Wichorek, M., & Young, D. (1970). Exploratory Study of the Mexican-American Community in Detroit, Michigan. Wayne State University.
Houtman, L. H. (1965). Response of Detroit Public Schools to Immigrant Groups. Michigan State University. (Chapter VI: The Transient Mexicans, 175-192).
Tsuzaki, S. M. (1963). English Influences in the Phonology and Morphology of the Spanish Spoken in the Mexican Colony in Detroit. University of Michigan.
Harris, P. B. (1949). Spanish and Mexican Folklore as Represented in Two Families in the Detroit Area. Wayne State University.
Humphrey, N. D. (1943). The Mexican Peasant in Detroit. University of Michigan. (No full text online available)
Osvaldo "Ozzie" Rivera writes a regular column titled "Pensamientos y Recuerdos" for El Central Hispanic News. In these columns he covers Detroit-area Latinx history.
In Rivera's inaugural "Pensamientos y Recuerdos" column (July 18, 2019), he states the purpose of the column is to "celebrate the achievements and too often unheralded contributions of some of our community's residents past and present." He offers a sampling of people who have made an impact -- brief paragraphs about a radio program host, a Mexican folkloric dance troupe director, community leaders, musicians, and baseball players. He notes some Detroit Latinx history that the column will explore including early Latinx communities, educational programs, labor unions, organizations, and immigration. (Read more about Ozzie Rivera at the bottom of this page.
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Rivera was born in Puerto Rico and has lived in Southwest Detroit most of his life. He has been active in community advocacy and human services. He served as a mental health director for ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services), as the executive director of Latino Family Services, and as Dean of Students at Wayne County Community College. He served for 10 years as the Director of Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Professor (Social Work/Sociology) at Madonna University. For four years, he led community engagement efforts for Southwest Solutions. In retirement, he consults for a number of social service and arts organizations.
Ozzie currently teaches Afro Latino History and Culture in the U.S. at Wayne State University, a course he developed in the 1990s. He also teaches at the University of Michigan's School of Social Work. He writes his "Pensamiento y Recuerdos" column covering oral history topics and current affairs for El Central.
Rivera is an amateur historian of Latin-Caribbean music, often presenting on Afro-Hispanic music, including as the director of the Afro Puerto Rican drum and dance troupe RicanStruction. During his lifetime he has led a number of performance troupes and bands, including the salsa/Latin Jazz band La Inspiracion.
[source]
Go to this page to see databases for searching local newspaper coverage of Latino/as in Detroit. If you need help doing newspaper research, please contact me.
Select Articles:
Green, L.C. (2024, March 10). Taco truck driving norther Mexican flavors through Detroit. Detroit Free Press.
Kozlowski, K. (2023, September 29). Historic marker shines light on Mexican community. Detroit News.
Aguilar, L. (2022, December 17). The tiny southwest Detroit taqueria that sparked a movement. Detroit News.
Aguilar, L. (2014, February 6). Take snacking to the extreme: Botana, a southwest Detroit original. Detroit News.
Aguilar, L. (2005, March 6). Mexicans bolster a corner of Detroit. Detroit News.
Madden, M. (2004, April 12). Puerto Ricans step into the limelight - This once-overlooked Latino community in Metro Detroit grows in numbers and cultural identity. Detroit News.
Donnelly, F. X. (2002, June 16). Mexican food industry's hot - Detroit's small enclave attracts Midwest business. Detroit News.
Cardenas, E. L. (2000, September 28). Hispanic influence keeps growing in Metro Detroit - Immigrants bring their traditions with them. Detroit News.
Kozlowski, K. (2000, September 21). Mexicans embrace southwest Detroit - Thousands flock to the city for better jobs, lifestyle. Detroit News.
Treen, J. C. (1959, August 20). At home in Detroit: Puerto Ricans fit into community. Detroit News.
Shades: Detroit Love Stories by Publication Date: 2019A short story collection that is distinctly Detroit. By touching on a number of romantic and sexual encounters that span the historical and temporal spaces of the city, each of these interconnected stories examines the obstacles an individual faces and the choices they make in order to cope and, hopefully, survive in the changing urban landscape.
Divided into two sections, Eastside and Westside, the collection gives a nod to the sometimes contentious geographical split marked by Woodward Avenue.
Cintrón takes readers through city streets--from neighborhood bars to burger joints--while painting lyrical portraits of the unique and multifaceted characters whose honesty shatters the illusion of endless love and happily-ever-after fantasies, as they clash with the circumstances of economics and race.
Women of Southwest Detroit: An Anthology of Prose & Poems by Call Number: Available through MeLCatPublication Date: 2004The writings in this slim volume are broken up into themes in four parts: 1) "Ser: To Be" are reflections on childhood, self-awareness, and identity formation. 2) "Family" focuses on heritage and how family members affected the lives of the authors. 3) "Neighborhood" addresses how neighbors, landmarks, and the city in general are significant in the authors' lives. 4) "Testimonials" are accounts of events personal to the authors and how they ascribe meaning to what they have experiences. There are also photos and brief biographies for each of the 16 contributors.
Produced by Madonna University's Southwest [Detroit] Women's Educational Empowerment Program (SWEEP) in cooperation with the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University
Journey Beneath My Skin by Publication Date: 2014This is the autobiography of Rodolfo Foster, who went by "La Palabra" as a musician. He was a child prodigy of music and is largely uncredited for having a strong influence on arranging romantic tunes as salsa tracks. Born in Cuba, his family moves to New York City in the 1960s and then to Detroit, just as the Detroit riots were starting. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 of this book are about his time here in Detroit, where he shares the stage with the Jackson Five and wins first place at the Detroit State Fair. Stevie Wonder recognizes his talent, and takes him to Los Angeles. His story is one of struggle and redemption.
Why am I so Brown? by Call Number: PS 3569 .A4692 W5 1991 (Purdy/Kresge Library)Publication Date: 1991Sanchez was born in Pontiac, MI, and has strong roots of service as a Jesuit brother in Detroit. The introduction notes that "pride emanates from the lines" of poetry in this book and that "Trino's work is a continuation of the vision and daring of...Chicano poets" who came before him. The poems are mostly in English, some are in Spanish only, and some are in both English and Spanish.
Máscaras, Tacuachitos, y un Montón Mas: Writings & Art by Jose L. Garza by Publication Date: 1989The introduction to this book is written by Trinidad Sanchez (see above). In the introduction, Sanchez says of Garza: "...his heart and feet are in southwest Detroit." This book includes poems, drawings, and graphics by Garza, and photographs from Casa de Unidad, a cultural arts and media center founded in Detroit in 1980.
Southwest Detroit Arts & Culture History
A YouTube channel to highlight past and ongoing oral history projects and interviews that document the rich history of arts and culture in Southwest Detroit.