Institution

<p><b>&nbsp;</b><strong>According to their official website:&nbsp;</strong><br></p><p><strong>PURPOSE</strong><br></p><p>Our purpose is to promote justice and equal treatment in employment, economics, housing, recreation, social endeavors, and any other area of human aspiration, primarily but not exclusively within the Latino community.</p><p><strong>MISSION</strong></p><p>The mission of El Centro of Topeka is to improve the lives of families and individuals through education and empowerment.</p><p><b>Spanish Translation/Traducción en Español</b></p><p><b>No es común que un centro comunitario esté localizado en el centro de un vecindario. Localizado en Oakland, a una cuadra de distancia de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe, El Centro de Topeka fue fundado en 1972 por un pastor católico llamado Padre Ramón Gaitán. El Padre Gaitán fue enviado a ser el nuevo cura de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Topeka, Kansas. El tenía una dedicación de servirle a personas de pocos recursos, especialmente inmigrantes en necesidad de ayuda. A través de los años, El Padre Ramón Gaitán aumentó su tiempo sirviendo a estas personas hasta que se dió de cuenta que él mismo necesitaba ayuda. Eso fue cuando estableció El Centro con la ayuda de los miembros de la comunidad para servirle a aquellos bajo de recursos. Para él, conectar la iglesia con la comunidad fue el centro de su práctica religiosa.</b></p>

Website

English/Spanish It is not everyday that a community center is located in the middle of a neighborhood. Located in Oakland, a block away from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, El Centro de Topeka was founded in 1972 by a Catholic priest named Father Ramon Gaitan. Father Gaitan was sent to be the new priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Topeka, Kansas. He had a passion for serving people with few resources, especially immigrants in need of assistance. Over the years, Father Ramon increased the time he spent serving families in need until he realized he needed help. That is when he established El Centro with the help of community members to serve those with needs of resources. For him, connecting the church with the community was at the center of his religious praxis. 




El Centro de Topeka

Director

In this tour, you will enjoy a tour of Latino history in Topeka, Kansas. Latino history in Topeka begins when Topeka was in its infancy and track it settlement, development, and progress of the City of Topeka and the recent arrival of Latino immigrations. The true story of Topeka can only be understood by telling by telling the story of Latino experience. 

Finally, these designated places in the tour are nostalgic about the era before television, when everyone in the community worked together, talked to each other and afterwards, gathered around these places to support and entertain themselves. Therefore, the results of their collective efforts despite discrimination and racism to succeed in their journey is worth exploring. We hope that you will enjoy the journey.

<div>“These murals, located at the corner of Seward &amp; Lake in the Oakland neighborhood were completed in the summer of 2013. Artists Maria Guzman and Jamie Colon completed their pair of works which represent family, neighborhood, culture and connectedness. Thanks to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation, the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission and a long list of individual supporters who made this project a reality.”</div><div><br></div><div>In the Oakland neighborhood of Topeka, KS, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as German (30.3%) or Mexican (17.1%). However, some residents report English roots (14.2%), and also some Irish ancestry (10.2%), along with some Dutch ancestry residents (3.9%), among others.</div><div><br></div><div>Some important buildings in Oakland include El Centro de Topeka, a Puerto Rican restaurant called El Criollo Montañez Restaurant, the Santa Fe shops, the historic Santa Fe train tracks, the Oakland Community Center and more.</div><div><br></div><div>Spanish Translation/Traducción en Español&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>El vecindario de Oakland en Topeka (no debe confundirse con Oakland, CA) es un sitio sobresaliente y acogedor con un paisaje y estilo de vida único. Este espacio méxico-americano es el hogar de panaderías mexicans, iglesias bilingües y la abandonada escuela Guadalupe lo cual mezcla lo mejor de las culturas kansanianas y mexincanas. El vecindario tiene bellos murales hechos por los artistas, María Guzman y Jamie Colon. De acuerdo a Arts Connect Topeka,&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“Estos murales localizados en la esquina de las calles Seward y Lake en el vecindario de Oakland fueron completados en el verano del 2013. Los artistas María Guzman y Jamie Colon completaron este par de trabajos los cuales representan la familia, el vecindario, la cultura y la conexión. Gracias a la Fundación Burlington Northern Santa Fe, la Comisión de Kansas Creative Arts Industries y una larga lista de apoyadores individuales que pusieron hacer este proyecto realidad.”&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>En el vecindario de Oakland en Topeka, KS, los residents mayormente se identifican étnicamente o de ancestros alemanes (30.3%) or mexicano (17.1%). Sin embargo, algunos residentes reportan tener raíces inglesas (14.2%), de ancestros irlandés (10.2%), así también como residentes con ancestros de holandés (3.9%).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Algunos edificios importantes en Oakland incluyen El Centro de Topeka, un restaurante puertorriqueño llamado El Criollo Montañez, las tiendas Santa Fe, los ferrocarriles históricos de Santa Fe, el Centro Comunitario de Oakland y mucho más.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div>

The Oakland neighborhood of Topeka (not to be confused with Oakland, CA) is an outstanding tight-knit place with unique looks and lifestyle. This Mexican American enclave is home to Mexican-style bakeries, restaurants, bilingual churches, and the former Guadalupe school, thus, blending the best of Kansan and Mexican cultures. The neighborhood has beautiful murals by leading artists Maria Guzman and Jamie Colon. According to Arts Connect Topeka, 



Topeka's historic Mexican American Oakland Neighborhood 

<div>n 1933, during the great depression many parish and community volunteers began to created fundraisers by serving food in high proportions. Today,&nbsp; The fiesta is Our Lady of Guadalupe Church’s annual fundraiser for Holy Family School, a Roman Catholic elementary school that is jointly administered and supported by Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and Sacred Heart-St. Joseph Parish continues its fiesta along with fiesta arts, mercados and merchants out in the midway in order to keep the crowd entertained.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Next to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, The Amigos of the Marlo Cuevas-Balandran Activity Center is a non-profit organization formed in 2006 for the sole purpose of raising additional funds to insure the maintenance of the Marlo Cuevas-Balandran Activity Center. The Amigos have raised thousands of dollars since its inception in support of the Cuevas-Balandran Activity Center through various fundraising activities.&nbsp; Some of the key events are: Bunco City event food sales, Knights of Columbus &amp; School of Religion Craft Shows and other opportunities of events that come up.</div><div><br></div><div>Additionally the organization is developing and implementing cultural, educational activities, and events that benefit the Latino community. Similarly, The Marlo Cuevas-Balandran Activity Center holds the colorful murals by the renowned Topeka artist Andy Valdivia including his famous painting, "Our History" and hosting their famous Fiesta Mexicana meals.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Spanish Translation/Traducción en español&nbsp;</div><div>Al entrar al Centro de Actividad Marlo Cuevas-Balandrán, uno automáticamente queda sorprendido de la belleza artística del muralismo de Andy Valdivia y el olor de las preparaciones para la gran Fiesta. Este edificio es considerado una joya para la comunidad méxico-americana. Los murales de Valdivia cubren más de un siglo de historia méxico-americana desde la participación de mexicanos en la segunda guerra mundial hasta la construcción de las parroquias, el activismo y mucho más.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>En el 1933, durante la gran depresión económica muchos feligreses y voluntarios de la comunidad comenzaron a crear actividades de recaudación de fondos a través de servir comida en grandes cantidades. Hoy, La Fiesta Mexicana es la actividad más grande de recaudación de fondos para La Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe para la escuela católica elemental, Holy Family School. Esta escuela es administrada y apoyada por las parroquias de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y Sagrado Corazón-San José.</div><div><br></div><div>Justo a lado de La Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe se encuentra, Los Amigos del Centro de Actividad Marlo Cuevas-Balandran. Los Amigos es una organización sin fines de lucro que se formó en el 2006 con el propósito de recaudar fondos para el Centro de Actividad Marlo Cuevas-Balandran. Los Amigos han recaudado miles de dólares desde su comienzo en apoyo para el Centro por medio de varias actividades. Algunas de estas actividades principales son: la venta de comidas en la ciudad de Bunco, la feria de manualidades de Caballeros de Colón y La Escuela de Religión y otras oportunidades y eventos que se presentan.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Adicionalmente, la organización está desarrollando e implementando actividades culturales y eventos educativos que beneficien a la comunidad latina. Además, dentro de El Centro se encuentran los murales coloridos del renovado artista de Topeka Andy Valdivia que incluye su famosa pintura “Nuestra Historia” ("Our History"). Dicho espacio también es donde toman lugar las famosas comidas de La Fiesta Mexicana anual.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div>

English/Spanish. Entering the Marlo Cuevas-Balandran activity center, one is automatically stunned at the artistic beauty of Andy Valdivia’s muralism and the smell of fiesta preparations. This building is considered a jewel for the Mexican American community. Valdivia’s murals transforms the building from an activity center into a gallery thereby encrusting the history of Mexican American history of Kansas onto the walls. Valdivia’s mural covers over a century of Mexican American history ranging from Mexicans in WWII, to the construction of churches, to activism and so forth. 

I

Marlo Cuevas-Balandran Activity Center

<div>On a hot July day in 1914, Pedro Lopez was at the railroad station to send off a package. While there he recognized a Mexican priest named Father Epifanio Ocampo.&nbsp; They began to talk and in the course of the conversation, Pedro Lopez expressed his and the Mexican community’s desire for their own Catholic parish.&nbsp; Father Ocampo agreed to help Mr. Lopez and then the pair began to talk to other priests in Topeka in an effort to gain support in the forming of a parish.<br></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Father Ocampo and Mr. Lopez were successful in their efforts, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was established on November 4, 1914. The first church, a small rented store on the corner of Crane and Branner, was blessed by Rev. John Ward, Bishop of the Catholic diocese of Leavenworth at 2 p.m.&nbsp; The first services were attended by 350 Mexican-American Catholics.&nbsp; The people attended mass weekly in this church until 1921 when a second church was built on Branner Street. The second church was truly a church of the people as parishioners donated their time, money, skills toward the eventual completion of their church.&nbsp;</div><div><br>Jorge Iber underscores the importance of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church,<br></div><div><br></div><div>"From this humble chapel emanated some of the earliest attempts to introduce the rich Mexican culture to the broader community. Among the undertakings used to share ethnic traditions with fellow Topekans were the Fiesta Mexicana, started in 1932, and the Christmas tradition of Las Posadas, first held in 1936. The Fiesta became not only a mechanism for displaying cultural pride, but also a substantial money maker. By the 1940s this enterprise was the principal fundraiser for the parish and helped pay for the construction of a new building, completed in 1948" (Iber, 2016)</div><div><br></div><div>Our Lady of Guadalupe Church has been and continues to be a center, a home, a haven, a refuge in time of trouble to thousands of immigrants and Mexican Americans in the community. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is the only parish in the Topeka community which offers masses in Spanish. The parishioners continue to share their faith and rich cultural heritage with Topeka and its surrounding communities through their actions and celebration of the Annual Fiesta Mexicana. The royalty food sales in Our Lady of Guadalupe Church sustain the neighborhood’s vitality and economic independence. Some traditional Mexican American food sold at the royalty food sales include:&nbsp; beef tacos, beef enchiladas, burritos and tostadas, tamales, rice and beans.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Spanish Translation/Traducción en Español</div><div><br></div><div>El 28 de agosto del 1963 fue una fecha importante para Virginia Gomez y John Mendoza. Ese día estos dos enamorados se vistieron en sus mejores vestidos matrimoniales y decidieron casarse en una de las iglesias mas importantes y llevada en los corazones de los residentes del vecindario de Oakland. Virginia y John&nbsp;se casaron en la parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Topeka, Kansas.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Fundada en 1914, la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe fue organizada debido al entusiasmo e interés de veinte familias quienes emigraron de México para escapar la pobreza y La Revolución del 1910. El movimiento de estas familias fue influenciado debido al crecimiento de vías de tren y la necesidad de trabajar durante y después de la primera guerra mundial. A través de la historia de la parroquia, sin importar los desafíos, los feligreses han mantenido su fe y fortalecieron sus esfuerzos para mantener la parroquia abierta. Los feligreses han contribuido generosamente a su progreso y crecimiento.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>En un día caluroso de julio en el 1914, Pedro López estaba en la estación de ferrocarriles para enviar un paquete. Mientras estaba allí reconoció a un cura Mexicano llamado Padre Epifanio Ocampo. Empezaron a hablar y en el transcurso de la conversación, Pedro López expresó su deseo, y el de la comunidad mexicana en tener su propia parroquia católica. El Padre Ocampo estuvo de acuerdo con el Señor Lopez y ambos empezaron a conversar con otros curas en Topeka para ganar su apoyo en la creación de una parroquia.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>El padre Ocampo y el Señor López fueron exitosos en sus esfuerzos resultando en la fundación de la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe el 4 de noviembre del 1914. La primera iglesia, una tienda pequeña rentada en la esquina de las calles Crane Y Branner, fue bendecida por el Reverendo John Ward, sacerdote de la diócesis católica de Leavenworth a las 2:00 p.m. Las primeras misas contaron con la presencia de 350 católicos Mexico-Americanos. La gente asistió a misa semanalmente en esta iglesia hasta el 1921 cuando una segunda iglesia fue construida en la calle Branner. La segunda iglesia fue realmente una iglesia del pueblo. Los feligreses donaron su tiempo, dinero y habilidades hacia la finalización eventual de la iglesia.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Jorge Iber subraya la importancia de la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe,&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“De esta humilde capilla salieron algunos de los primeros intentos en presentar la rica cultura mexicana a la comunidad mas ampliamente. Dentro de las varias maneras de compartir tradiciones etnicas con otros residentes de Topeka estuvo la Fiesta Mexicana la cual se comenzó a celebrar en el 1932 y la tradición de navidad de las posadas en el 1936. La Fiesta en un mecanismo de demostrar un orgullo cultural y una manera de generar dinero. En los años de la década de los 1940 esta empresa se convierte en la manera principal de recaudar fondos para la parroquia y ayudó en la construcción del nuevo edificio el cual se completo en el 1948” (Iber, 2016).</div><div><br></div><div>Our Lady of Guadalupe Church has been and continues to be a center, a home, a haven, a refuge in time of trouble to thousands of immigrants and Mexican Americans in the community. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is the only parish in the Topeka community which offers masses in Spanish. The parishioners continue to share their faith and rich cultural heritage with Topeka and its surrounding communities through their actions and celebration of the Annual Fiesta Mexicana. The royalty food sales in Our Lady of Guadalupe Church sustain the neighborhood’s vitality and economic independence. Some traditional Mexican American food sold at the royalty food sales include:&nbsp; beef tacos, beef enchiladas, burritos and tostadas, tamales,&nbsp; rice and beans.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe ha sido y continúa siendo un centro, un hogar y un refugio en tiempos difíciles para miles de inmigrantes y méxico-americanos en la comunidad. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe es la única parroquia en la comunidad de Topeka que ofrece misas en español. Los feligreses continúan compartiendo su fe y su rica herencia cultural con Topeka y las comunidades a su alrededor por medio de sus acciones y la celebración anual de La Fiesta Mexicana. El dinero de las ventas de comida de la parroquia sostiene la vitalidad e independencia económica del vecindario. Algunas comidas mexico-americanas tradicionales se venden incluyendo: tacos de res, enchiladas de res, burritos y tostadas, tamales, arroz y frijoles, siendo todo barato y agradable.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div>

Founded in 1914, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish was started and organized because of the enthusiastic interest of twenty families who migrated from Mexico to escape poverty or the Revolution of 1910. The movement was influenced by the growth of railroads and the need for labor during and after World War I. Throughout the history of the parish, no matter the challenges that were faced, the parishioners maintained their faith and strengthened their efforts to keep the parish open. The parishioners have contributed generously to its growth and progress. 



Our Lady of Guadalupe Church

<p>History of Mariachi Estrella de Topeka</p><p>Mariachi music is a folk music that comes from Mexico, and upon hearing its trumpets, violins, and guitars, it is instantly recognizable. This genre dates back to before the arrival of the Spanish, though the modern incarnation of mariachi is associated with the early 20th century. </p><p>It was first introduced in Mexico City in 1905, and in the 1920s, the music was broadcast throughout the country through several radio networks. The first mariachi groups in the United States came from California in the late 1950s and 1960s. Up until the appearance of Mariachi Estrella de Topeka, the music genre was heavily related to machismo culture, particularly in terms of drinking tequila and womanizing.<sub>1</sub> </p><p>In the later 1970s in Topeka, at the request of a Guatemalan priest who was asking for livelier music in the church choir, seven women joined together to form the first all-female mariachi group, “Mariachi Estrella de Topeka”. These women brought the typical mariachi instruments from Mexico to Topeka and began playing at Topeka’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. </p><p>The group consisted of Teresa Cuevas, Connie Alcala, Isabel Gonzalez, Rachel Galvan Sangalang, Dolores Galvan, Dolores Carmona and Linda Scurlock, and prior to playing at the church, they had little mariachi experience. They learned quickly, however, as they practiced the traditional mariachi instruments in a self-taught atmosphere. </p><p>After attending a mariachi conference in San Antonio in 1980, the women had caught mariachi fever and cemented their goal to play mariachi on a broader scale. The self-taught musicians returned to Topeka after the conference, practiced diligently, and even had women’s mariachi regalia tailored for them. Soon enough, the seven women were playing across the Kansas State and garnering widespread popularity.<sub>2</sub></p><p>The Walkway Collapse at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City</p><p>Mariachi Estrella de Topeka had a gig to play at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City on July 17th, 1981. Unfortunately, they never played due to one of the worst structural disasters in United States history (it was unsurpassed until the collapse of the World Trade Center in 2001). </p><p>That evening, around 1,600 people stood in the atrium as well as on the fourth-floor and second-floor walkways watching a tea dance. The members of Mariachi Estrella de Topeka were about to perform for the Fuller Brush company, and with their outfits on, they were traversing the skywalk when the walkway collapsed. </p><p>The fourth-floor walkway (the skywalk) crashed into the second-floor walkway, and then both walkways fell into the lobby below. In total, 114 people died and 219 were injured. Four of these deaths included Linda Scurlock, Dolores Galvan, Connie Alcala and Dolores Carmona. Only Rachel Galvan Sangalang and Teresa Cuevas survived the fall. The seventh member, Isabel "Bolie" Gonzales, was not at the Hyatt Regency that fateful day. </p><p>This marked the virtual end of the first all-female mariachi group, but they immediately became legendary, almost mythic figures in Kansas’s Latino community. In fact, they have served as an inspiration to thousands of girls in the state, showing them that when you have a passion for something, you can go out and do it.</p><p>According to Cuevas, “We kept at it, the girls and me. We had a lot of fun when we played. I think when you’re doing something that you’re doing yourself, you feel very fortunate. It gives me a lot of peace. It has been a very good thing in my life.”<sub>3</sub></p><p>Memorial Unveiling</p><p>In 2006, the one-of-a-kind monument was unveiled at the Topeka Performing Arts Center, memorializing and paying tribute to the mariachi group. The eight-foot tall memorial standing on a two-foot pedestal was designed by the Denver-born sculptor Emmanuel Martinez. </p><p>The statue features a woman in a traditional mariachi costume, and she holds her right arm in the sky while holding a sombrero against her leg. The base relief of the statue features the four women who died in 1981.<sub>4</sub> </p><p>Inscription on the Memorial</p><p>In 1977, seven women from Kansas banded together to share with America, the traditions, culture and music of Mexico - and Mariachi Estrella de Topeka was born. Originally a choir of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, the group rose to become regional performing artists. In the male-dominated world of mariachi, these pioneering women became the first all-female mariachi in Kansas and one of the first groups of its kind in the U.S. Their success, however, was cut short on July 17, 1981, when four members lost their lives in a tragic accident.</p><p>[Relief](l-r), Dolores Galvan, Connie "Chae" Alcala, Dolores Carmona, Linda Rokey Scurlock</p><p>And their music lived on through mariachi members left behind</p><p>Teresa Cuevas, Rachel Galvan, Isabel "Bolie" Gonzales</p><p>This Mariachi Estrella de Topeka Musical Tribute ensures that the story and the music of these seven women will forever be heard.</p><p>Dedicated July 12, 2006</p><p>Sculptor: Emanuel Martinez<sub>5</sub></p>

<p>Topeka has long been renowned for its contributions to music in every genre. However, throughout the history of the United States as well as Kansas, few musical groups have been as influential as Mariachi Estrella de Topeka. Consisting of seven women, Mariachi Estrella de Topeka rose to Kansas statewide prominence throughout the 1970s and especially in 1980 and 1981. More importantly, this group was the first all-female mariachi group (a musical genre typically dominated by males) in not only Kansas, but quite possibly the United States. Just as the group was taking off, they met a horrible tragedy in 1981 when the walkways at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City collapsed, killing four members and 110 other people. An eight-foot bronze statue of a female mariachi player rests in front of the Topeka Performing Arts Center, memorializing the musical pioneers. This story captures the importance of preserving Kansas’s Mexican American communities and culture, which are a crucial part of democracy in the United States.</p><p></p>

Mariachi Divina! - Mariachi Estrella de Topeka Musical Tribute

<div>His biography bears witness to the particular history of Latinos in the United States who’s Spanish surname became a familiar one when he signed with the Boston Red Sox amidst racial animosities after the 1977 World Series. The Herald American considered Torrez success as the American dream as they mentioned how Torrez had to hunt for food, work in gas stations, and growing up in a working class neighborhood in Oakland, Topeka in Kansas.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>His grandfather, an immigrant from Mexico, worked in the Topeka railroads worked tirelessly in order to give his grandson the opportunities in order to succeed despite segregation against Mexicans and Black Americans. As a youngster, he won a pitching contest sponsored by the ‘Class’ A Topeka Reds and was given tips by the teams’ star, Jim Maloney. After staring for American Legion teams in the area, Torrez was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. Torrez blossomed after a trade to Montreal in 1972, becoming one of the most durable starting pitchers of the decade. He had his best season, winning 20 games, with Baltimore in 1975.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Mike Torrez Park pays tribute to the man who exposed Topeka’s existence to many around the United States. The park consists of a sports complex which shares its baseball field with the football field.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Spanish Translation/Traducción en Español</div><div><br></div><div>Uno de los aspectos más notables de la cultural méxico-americana en Kansas es la cultura del béisbol considerado como una fundación sólida de las comunidades latinas. En casi cada vecindario méxico-americano (al igual que para otros latinos) existe una inmensa probabilidad de pasar por un parque de beisbol. Sin embargo, el legado de los méxico-americanos y el béisbol en Kansas no es fenómeno contemporáneo, sino que tiene toda una historia. A través de la ayuda de varias organizaciones y su inigualable talento, Mike Torrez se ha convertido el punto referencial histórico y cronológico en la historia de latinos en Kansas.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Su biografía es testigo de una historia particular de latinos en los Estados Unidos donde su&nbsp; apellido español “Torrez” se convirtió familiar cuando firmó con los Red Sox de Boston just en tiempos tensión racial después de la serie mundial del 1977. El periódico The Herald American consideró Torrez un éxito del sueño americano dado a que durante su niñez tuvo que cazar para comer, trabajar en estaciones de gasolina y se crió en un vecindario de clase trabajadora en Oakland, Topeka (Kansas). Su abuelo, un inmigrante de México trabajó en los ferrocarriles de Topeka y trabajó sin cesar para darle a su nieto todas las oportunidades para fuera exitoso a pesar del racismo y la segregación racial en contra de mexicanos y afro-americanos. Como niño ganó una competencia de lanzador de béisbol auspiciado por los ‘Class A Topeka Reds’ y también recibió consejos de la estrella del equipo, Jim Maloney.&nbsp; Después de empezar con equipos del ‘American Legion’ en el área fue contratado por los St. Louis Cardinals. Torrez se desarrollo exitosamente después de haber sido trasladado a Montreal en el 1972, convirtiéndose en uno de los lanzadores más duraderos principales de esa década. Torrez tuvo su mejor temporada en el 1975, ganando 20 juegos con Baltimore. El Parque Mike Torrez le rinde tributo al hombre que expuso la existencia de Topeka a muchos en los Estados Unidos. El parque consiste de un centro deportivo al lado de un campo de béisbol y fútbol americano.&nbsp;</div>

Engish/Spanish. One of the most notable aspects of Mexican American culture in Kansas is the culture around baseball revered as a solid foundation for Latino communities. In almost every Mexican American neighborhood, (and for other Latinos more broadly) there is a high chance of passing by a baseball park. However, the legacy of Mexican Americans and baseball in Kansas has a historical precedent and is not merely a current-day phenomenon. Through the help of community organizations and his own remarkable talents, Mike Torrez has become the historical and chronological reference point to the history of Latinos in Kansas. 



Latino History of Topeka

El Centro de Topeka

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information