Antonio Rodriguez and Josefina Barrera Fuentes Family papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: Coll-50

Staff Only

The Antonio Rodriguez and Josefina Barrera Fuentes family papers include correspondence, unprinted manuscripts, ledgers of meeting minutes and membership rosters from clubs such as Alianza Hispano Americano, pamphlets, brochures, flyers, periodicals, clippings, newspapers, books, photographs, motion picture film, cameras, gavels, framed images, and other memorabilia and records. They include both the Fuentes library and materials he acquired as the last living legal trustee of Obreros Hall, from which some of these items came.

Dates

1915 - 1983

Creator

Fuentes, Josefina Barrera (Person)

Language of Materials

Materials are in English and Spanish.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

This material is made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to taking precautions against infringement of copyright and respecting the publication rights of reproduced materials. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Any materials used should be fully credited with their source according to the example given in the Preferred Citation note. Requests for assistance with citations and images of publication quality should be directed to specialcollections@tamucc.edu

Extent

36.5 Linear Feet

Biographical / Historical

Antonio Rodríguez Fuentes (1895-1988) and Josefina Barrera Fuentes (1898-1993) were two longtime Corpus Christi residents who ranked among the most involved individuals in early local Mexican American community organizations. Mr. Fuentes was born and raised on his family’s ranch near Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico, and received his education in Montemorelos. As a young man he moved to Laredo, Texas, to live and work.

Mr. Fuentes traveled from Laredo to Corpus Christi during the 1910s, where he was impressed by the beauty of Corpus Christi Bay and decided to take up residence. In Corpus Christi he became further self-taught, learning English and other skills. He met Josefina Barrera in Corpus Christi, a native of the city, and the couple married in 1918. When they married, Mr. Fuentes worked as a clerk for the local Mexican Consul. The Fuentes couple would have five children, including Ruben, Ophelia, Mercedes, Antonio, and Carmen. The couple instilled in their children a love of reading and respect for education.

Josefina Barrera was the daughter of José María Barrera and Roque Martínez Barrera, respected members of Corpus Christi Mexican American society. Because of her family’s affiliation with many organizations, Josefina and her husband naturally became involved in these groups as well as in the social network that these clubs comprised. The Fuentes couple was related to numerous local individuals, including such luminaries as Andres De Luna, one of the founders of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

Mr. Fuentes became active in the local Corpus Christi branches of Mexican American organizations including the Obreros y Obreras, Alianza Hispano-Americana, Woodmen of the World, and others, often holding office in these groups, working to keep them functioning, and traveling as a delegate to their out-of-town conventions. He also sold insurance for these organizations to their members, which was a vital service to the membership. For a time, he and his wife operated a dry goods store, though Mrs. Fuentes worked mainly in the home.

Mr. Fuentes was likewise a proficient photographer by avocation. As such he owned and took pictures with Kodak still camera and with a 9.5 mm French-made Pathex movie camera.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Three accessions were donated as gift to TAMUCC Special Collections and archives. The first was on July 7, 1992 containing records of Mexican American organizations in Corpus Christi. The second donation included the motion picture projector and reels of motion pictures of the family on June 15, 1995. On June 16, 1995 an additional 9 boxes of family papers were donated. All donations were given by Mrs. Mercedes Fuentes Peck, the daughter of Antonio and Josefina.