00:00:00.259 - 00:00:26.610

This is Irene Ruiz interviewing Mr. Dan Torres at West Branch Library located at 1936 Summit on June 23, 1981. Mr. Torres is a teacher at Rockhurst High School here in Kansas City, Missouri, and he is the president of Image. This is tape A. Mr. Torres, I

00:00:26.610 - 00:00:48.650

know you have been active with different organizations and in a variety of projects, but would you, to begin with, give us a little information about your early life, like where you were born and when? Oh, I was born in Las Vegas, Nuevo Mexico, 1949. I am

00:00:48.650 - 00:01:04.730

the oldest of four children. And I might add that I am, we were all abandoned by my parents when we were when I was 5 years old, so that I was raised in the barrios of Las Vegas, Nueva Mexico by a grandmother and a grandfather who

00:01:04.730 - 00:01:20.449

at that time were raising 6 of their own, all of us living in a two-room home. My grandmother, uh, took in washing and did a lot, a lot of other odd jobs in order to keep the family going. My grandfather worked as a custodian for the

00:01:20.449 - 00:01:44.110

highway department. At that time my schooling was all done in Las Vegas. I graduated from Robertson High School in Las Vegas, Nuevo Mexico in 1967, and after that I attended Highland University for one year, um, coming to Kansas City finally in 1969. OK. May I interrupt

00:01:44.110 - 00:01:56.250

you? Let's go back just a little bit. We'll go on from there, if you don't mind. But do you want to give me a little bit more information? Say, since you lived at one location with your grandmother or grandparents. Yes. For a length, some length of

00:01:56.250 - 00:02:13.684

time, um, what kind of, Neighborhood was it? What, what kind of barrio where everybody was Spanish speaking and what kinds of jobs or occupations did the majority of the people have? What are some of your recollections about that time? As I recall, the neighborhood was a

00:02:13.684 - 00:02:30.669

very poor neighborhood. And, uh, most of the people were people who had dropped out of high school. I would say 90% of the neighborhood, uh, was made up of dropouts, uh, mainly they dropped out for economic purposes. Um, it was very difficult to make a living

00:02:30.669 - 00:02:50.970

and people had to go to work. Most of the people worked, uh, either as custodians, dishwashers, um, uh, janitors, uh. Doing things that were, uh, we would consider not very professional but it was a very honest living uh sometimes and during the summers a lot of

00:02:50.970 - 00:03:05.339

us would go up to Colorado and work in the fields, mainly in, uh, the beet fields and the, uh, what we call scoa. Um, so we did a lot of that during the summers. A lot of the people would head down into southern New Mexico during

00:03:05.339 - 00:03:25.410

the summers and work in the peanut fields and, uh, the cotton fields in that area. Some went into the area of Western Texas where there was a lot of cotton around Amarillo and Lubbock. Panhandle of Texas. OK, well, since you had to work at a very

00:03:25.410 - 00:03:40.009

early age, did you, were you ever able to say, participate in in any, um, Have any kind of hobby or participate in any kind of sports, even in the early years, say, in the elementary years, your school years? Well, I felt that I was very fortunate

00:03:40.009 - 00:03:55.080

in that I had a, uh, especially a grandmother who supported me and I was an athlete in high school. I was, uh, an all-state baseball player from my high school as well as an all-state basketball player, and, uh, I participated in choir and I was a

00:03:55.080 - 00:04:10.630

future teacher of America in high school. So that I did have a grandmother who pushed me into education and also pushed the rest of my family, that is my other brother who is also a teacher, uh, my sister who, who works for the school system as

00:04:10.630 - 00:04:23.730

a secretary now in New Mexico, in New Mexico in Las Vegas as a matter of fact. I have another brother who is a district manager for a chain store, also in Las Vegas with me. Um-hum. So, that was the four of you more or less went

00:04:23.730 - 00:04:39.019

on to. We did well, yes. You did well. And how about your, the other children? You said there were 6 others that your grandparents were. Well, rearing along with you. Well, they, um, They haven't done as well. A lot of them have, uh, married and remarried

00:04:39.019 - 00:04:56.489

and divorced and there's been a lot of that. Um-hum. Um what were your grandparents' names, by the way. Uh, Jose and Dolores Torres. Torres. Um-hum. And, uh, they were wonderful. They were very supportive and, uh, they tried their best. Uh, I think with my family, they,

00:04:56.570 - 00:05:13.529

they did well with their own family, they, uh, they did well on, on, at least with half of the family, there's 3 who didn't do. Mhm. Did, uh, was your family active in the Catholic Church, even at that early? Well, they weren't. Well, but they were

00:05:13.529 - 00:05:29.279

members. They were Catholics, yes, but they were not active. Because at that time, and even more so now, we saw the church as being very oppressive. We saw the priests, for example, as being the uh the Anglo priests who would come into the barrio and tend

00:05:29.279 - 00:05:52.959

to, uh, teach the people of subversives. Uh, he would, uh. Uh, many times, uh, uh, treat the people as servants instead of the flock, as I would like to call it, uh, very always very critical of our culture and our way of life. Uh, there was

00:05:52.959 - 00:06:10.079

a lack of understanding in my opinion. There were no Spaniards or any Spanish speaking priests that you, not, not in my hometown. There were Spanish speaking priests, Franciscans, mainly in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, Gallup, but not in, but not in northern New Mexico. And as a

00:06:10.079 - 00:06:27.980

matter of fact, I like to add that in the whole country we didn't have a Mexican American bishop until 1970 with the coming of, uh, Patrick Flores. And our first archbishop was in 1973 with Roberto Sanchez, uh, who is now the bishop of Santa Fe, New

00:06:27.980 - 00:06:48.459

Mexico. Now, um, But when you went to school, say, even in the elementary or the high school. Grades were there children all the children there spoke Spanish or just part of them, or well, the, the, the school was very integrated. I think that I, I, I

00:06:48.459 - 00:07:03.500

experienced integration way before it was, uh, uh, there was any talk of integration. The school was integrated and people seem to get along well, but you were always aware of where you belonged. Uh, one side of the tracks belonged to the, the affluent, whether they be

00:07:03.500 - 00:07:17.399

Spanish or, or Spanish speaking, uh, and the whites. And the poor people always lived on, on, on the other side of the tracks. Um. We would be more on class. Yeah, that was. Maybe a social. It was more of a class distinction instead of race distinction.

00:07:19.420 - 00:07:34.179

Well, now, in high school, you said you were active in athletics. Were you involved in any other, uh, um, organization, club, newspaper, Or what have you. Well, just mainly the Future Teachers of America and, and, and the choir. You intended to be a teacher even then.

00:07:34.290 - 00:07:46.170

Yes, I, I think I remember, yeah, being wanting to be a teacher. Was, uh, were you able to save enough money or how did you, or did you get a scholarship or I got a scholarship to go to college at New Mexico Highlands, uh, to baseball,

00:07:46.459 - 00:08:10.480

uh, And uh I blew that scholarship in one year by getting involved with a, a group called La Raza, uh. We were very, very critical at that time of the, uh, Anglo mentality in our universities and as a result, we, uh, in 1968 we took over

00:08:10.480 - 00:08:27.679

the university, uh, and, uh, that was the end of my education and the end of my scholarship. OK, 1968 would have been, um, and you were talking about La Raza would be the when you said we you meant we, the organization took over the university and

00:08:27.679 - 00:08:46.989

what happened then? Well. We took over the university mainly because the former president of the university had resigned or retired. And the board of regents decided that they would select a man from Wisconsin to replace him. We felt that was an unjust thing to do, mainly

00:08:46.989 - 00:09:04.989

because we had a man by the name of Doctor Juan Aragon, who was qualified for the job. As it turned out, he, uh, Doctor Juan Aragon and, um, Doctor Graham. As I remember his name, were the last two people to be considered. The board of regents

00:09:04.989 - 00:09:20.849

chose Doctor Graham, and the result was that we took over the university in protest. Doctor Graham never took the position because we proceeded to intimidate him into not coming into Las Vegas. And the result was that Doctor Aragon did become the president of the university and

00:09:20.849 - 00:09:43.039

is still the president of the university. And then what happened to the other students and you that were well we were we were La Raza stood for what La Raza stood mainly for rights for Hispanic people not only in education but anywhere else. Uh, We decided

00:09:43.039 - 00:09:58.679

that. Uh, we would stay in the building to make sure that, uh, the new president did in fact get in. At that time, the National Guard was called. Governor David Cargo of New Mexico called the the National Guard in and uh we were forced to evacuate

00:09:58.679 - 00:10:16.700

the building. The result was many of us were arrested. In my case, my scholarship was taken from. And, um, then what, what happened? Did, you did finish that one first year of college. Yes, and I, I might add I did very well. As a matter of

00:10:16.700 - 00:10:35.450

fact, my overall grade point average in college was a 3.8 and in graduate school was a 4.0. Um, So, I've done very well. Uh, but what, where did you go from there? Did you? Oh, from there, I, I, I. Stayed out a year and during that

00:10:35.450 - 00:10:53.570

year I began to see things in a different way. I don't know if you would call it a spiritual experience or what. But for me, there came a real dependence, there, uh, I began to identify a lot with Jesus Christ as a man, not so much

00:10:53.570 - 00:11:07.849

as a God. But as a man who seemed to accomplish a lot by the way he was. Uh, I felt a loving person, a kind person, who was a person who created a lot of social change, and I began to identify with that, and, uh, in

00:11:07.849 - 00:11:26.020

one, a year after the takeover of the university, I came to Kansas City, um, to study for the priesthood for the diocese of Kansas City Saint Joseph, who at that time was headed by, uh, Bishop Charles Helmsing. Uh, the reason I came to Missouri to study

00:11:26.020 - 00:11:40.859

was because no other diocese would take me, uh, because of my involvement with radical groups. Uh, at that time, the bishop of Santa Fe told me he wouldn't touch me. He was, he was a man by the name of James Peter Davis, and he said he

00:11:40.859 - 00:12:05.130

would not even take a chance with me, uh, but Bishop Helmsin did, and I began my studies at, uh, Rockhurst College. And also at Penn Valley. Where I began to just take college courses, uh, after I finished at Rockhurst in 1973, I went into theology at,

00:12:05.169 - 00:12:20.409

uh, the Sacred Heart School of Theology. I spent a year there. From there I was sent by my superiors to Pecos Monastery in New Mexico. I spent a year there and then I spent two years doing graduate work in theology at Abble College of the Southwest

00:12:20.409 - 00:12:35.059

in San Antonio after that. Where I finished in 1976. Hm. San Antonio, Texas, right? San Antonio, Texas, right. You finished in '76. Right. And you were ready to be I was ready to be Ordained. I was ready to be ordained a priest. Uh, I felt, though,

00:12:35.099 - 00:12:48.409

that that was not what God was calling me to. I returned to Kansas City. And I continued to do, uh, community work with the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. I lived with them and I worked with them. And most of my work

00:12:48.409 - 00:13:07.190

was around Wayne Minor Health Center, juvenile court. What year was this? 77, 78. Um, then I took a job with the Kansas City School District as a building substitute at Westport High School, and I spent a year there. Uh, I then decided that, uh, God was

00:13:07.190 - 00:13:28.789

in fact not calling me to be a priest. I. I, I officially resigned, uh. As a seminarian and I um. Soon after that, I got married to Sharon Ferguson. And she is from here? No, Sharon, my wife is from, uh, Washington DC. And, uh, but she

00:13:28.789 - 00:13:45.609

happened to be working with the Society of Our Lady at that time as an administrator to one of their schools, uh, we are now the parents of a nine month old boy, Christopher. And we are living in the uh Brookside area. Here in Kansas City, we

00:13:45.609 - 00:14:04.020

decided to stay here. Um-hum. Well, in between there, though, you did work also, or was this the involvement that you had with Guadalupe Parish Center. That was more recent, right? Well, after I got through working at Westford High School, I, realized that I really wanted to

00:14:04.020 - 00:14:17.830

pursue my teaching but I was not certified. I didn't have a teacher certification, so I had to go back to college and pick up the certification. Uh, I, I did have a, a master's in theology and I had a degree in, in theology, but, you know,

00:14:17.909 - 00:14:33.890

you can't do much in, in education with that. In certain fields, huh. So, I went back to Rockhurst and picked up my, my degree in education. And, uh, during that time that I was working at, uh, from that degree, I worked at Guadalupe Parish Center. You

00:14:33.890 - 00:14:48.880

directed the center. Yes for what length of time? For about a year. About a year. Yes. And soon after that, I got my degree in education. I started teaching at Rockhurst High School. Which is where I presently teach. This, OK, you've taught then at Rockhurst, the

00:14:48.880 - 00:15:03.380

current school year, which would have been 1980 to 1981. Till now, yeah. OK. And, um, so, while you were here was, was that your first involvement then with the, with the people on the west side or? Well, not really. I think, uh, during the summer because

00:15:03.380 - 00:15:19.369

I was a seminarian for the diocese, I had to come back during the summers and work here in Kansas City, and I, I did a lot of work with the West Side and, uh, mainly with youth. Um, also did a lot of work with the black

00:15:19.369 - 00:15:35.090

community, uh, especially around Wayne Minor and with youth down at the East Bottoms. My dad at that time the East Bottoms had a lot of youth. They don't anymore. The trucking industry has taken over. But I was assigned to Saint Francis Seraph down at 809 North

00:15:35.090 - 00:15:57.000

Agnes at the East Bottoms. All right. And, um, your wife is, uh, still working with you. No, my wife had originally come from Washington DC to start the school, uh, for the Society of Our Ladies. She did that. The school is still operating and doing well.

00:15:57.780 - 00:16:14.469

Uh, but my wife, uh, left to become a full time, time housewife and a mother. This is her choice. I might add though that my wife's background is uh very interesting. She taught at Stone Ridge, a school for diplomatic Children in Washington. Uh, some of her

00:16:14.469 - 00:16:32.359

students are people like the Kennedys. Uh, Senator Eagleton's daughter, for example, was one of her students. Uh, the Siria is. These are all people that my wife taught. And she was from, from that area. Yes. She had. Yes, her family, her family still lives in, in

00:16:32.359 - 00:16:52.880

Washington DC. OK. And, uh, then when did you get involved with some of these other, um, say, organizations like Image or are you involved with some others? Well you mind talk a little bit about that? I got involved with Image in, uh, 1979. And I got

00:16:52.880 - 00:17:08.719

involved with them, uh, mainly because of my music. I, I do music, uh, I prefer country music, but I can, I can sing in Spanish. I, I, I like to do a lot of the traditional Spanish music, and they had invited me to do some, uh,

00:17:08.729 - 00:17:27.098

music at the Federal building while I was there. I met, uh, Mike Morado and, uh, Jose Gonzalez, Becky Jaramillo, and they invited me to join Image. Uh, and a year later. I became president of Image. I at the very beginning, I served as the chairman for

00:17:27.098 - 00:17:44.459

the education committee. And um I like to think that we made a lot of progress during that year and we for example we got 9 scholarships the first year that I was in as education chairman for children from the west side um. Unfortunately, though, we were

00:17:44.459 - 00:17:57.750

not even able to give them away. The kids just were not responding. They didn't want to go to college and that seems to be a real problem even now. Um-hum. We have scholarships available. You do, but you have not found students. Kids don't want to take.

00:17:57.819 - 00:18:16.489

Now image for the record, uh, originally stood for, Incorporated Mexican American American government employees, but now it, it, uh. It's gone beyond being a strictly Mexican, but it is Strictly Mexican. It's for all Hispanics or even, uh, I might add, uh, any other cultures. We have

00:18:16.489 - 00:18:31.699

people who are English speaking. We have black members. Uh, uh, and I might also add that image is no longer just concerned with the economic well-being of government workers or the upward mobility of government workers. We are also concerned with, uh, Hispanics in all phases of

00:18:31.699 - 00:18:50.609

the social life, uh, not just government. But I just thought we'd clarify for the record now, uh, roughly speaking, would you say, uh. What number, what figure would you cite as being the membership for image locally? It is a chapter. So, in other words, this is

00:18:50.609 - 00:19:05.569

a national. Yeah, this, this is one of one of 48 chapters in the United States. Um-hum. And. And we have 104 members in, in Kansas City. Um-hum. I believe that we'll have a lot more, uh, Within, uh, in the near future. We have a lot of

00:19:05.569 - 00:19:19.500

people that are becoming interested. Um-hum. Yeah. And then one of the, as you said, one of the main goals is this business of education, but. Right. We're very concerned about education because we feel that we can get people into teaching positions or government positions or any

00:19:19.500 - 00:19:37.219

kind of professional position, but they can't get there without the education. So, that education has become, uh, uh, I wouldn't say a top priority, but certainly a, a real priority with us. Um-hum. And for instance, right now, are you involved with some other organization or organizations?

00:19:37.349 - 00:19:55.890

Um, I'm, I, I'm very active, uh, with, with my parish at Saint Peter's. I, um, I am, um, on the liturgy commission at Saint Peter's. Uh, I, uh, I, uh, I am very active with the society of our ladies still. I, uh, Suppose, uh, oh yes,

00:19:55.969 - 00:20:14.630

I am on the commission for social welfare for the state of Missouri. Uh, I was recently appointed to that position. I was a delegate to the White House conference on families. And, uh. When he said he. Last summer. Last summer. And uh I was Governor Teasdale's

00:20:14.630 - 00:20:35.689

representative to that conference so that I feel that uh I, I, I have a real involvement with the community. I have a real uh. Uh, desire to see the community as a whole become, uh, uh, more united, but I'm very, very interested right now, especially with

00:20:35.689 - 00:20:52.099

the west side of Kansas City, uh, where I feel the community is in danger because of big business, uh, in, in danger of. Uh, uh, as far as being wiped out or moved out completely or. Yes. I, I, I feel that we have a lot of,

00:20:52.229 - 00:21:06.260

uh, big business people who, uh, would be very interested in this area, mainly because it is so close to the downtown and mainly because it is so close to places like Kemper Arena. And mainly because it's a, uh, an area that is easy, uh, to get

00:21:06.260 - 00:21:22.739

to almost any part of the city. Very accessible? Yes. Um-hum. Um-hum. And currently, what, what have you been teaching at, uh, Rockhurst? At Rockhurst I teach theology, but I am certified in sociology and in social studies. Um-hum. And you were telling me earlier too that you

00:21:22.739 - 00:21:40.060

are pursuing another master's, right? So. Yes, I, I, I hope within the next couple of semesters to pick up a, Master's in administration. Um-hum. And, um, as you look ahead, what, uh, what would you like to do or would you like to continue in teaching or

00:21:40.060 - 00:21:56.339

being an administrator and, uh. Well, I, I enjoy young people. I, I enjoy working with them. So, I, I, I, I'd like to think that I will stay in teaching for a long time. Uh, however, economics might pull me in another direction. I, I feel all

00:21:56.339 - 00:22:14.189

that. Whatever I do, I, I always want to work with people in whatever capacity, uh, that I can. Well, is there, um, have you received any for all your efforts and all your work? Have you received some kind of recognition or some kind of award or

00:22:14.189 - 00:22:27.319

awards? Not really. I, I think that, uh, uh, uh. Not yet. I, the only recognition I get is a pat on the back once in a while and say you're doing a good job. But I really feel that that's, that's OK. I, I, I'm really not

00:22:27.750 - 00:22:45.969

Seeking that. Seeking those things. Um-hum. Uh, I feel that, Uh, again, I, I, I lean on my religious values. I know that, uh, the greatest reward is to be rewarded someday in an afterlife, and I might add that both my wife and I, uh, my wife

00:22:45.969 - 00:23:04.449

has a master's in theology, uh, and, uh, and education. But we both have a very real commitment to to to to Christ and our whole life evolves around the person of Jesus Christ and while we don't preach it to people, we don't. Stand at the corners

00:23:04.449 - 00:23:17.420

with Bibles or anything like that. I hope that our life reflects that. Um-hum. And, um, well, what are some of the other things as, as you think, you know, in the future that you would like to do? As you said, you do want to continue working

00:23:17.420 - 00:23:32.449

with young people and I want to, I want to see, uh, the people of the west side especially become aware, and I would like to be, help them in that area, to become aware of the value of education. I am planning to run for the school

00:23:32.449 - 00:23:48.810

board the next time I, um, I understand that I have quite a bit of support in that area. I feel that at the present time as members of the school board that represent this area have been very negligent about the kind of of uh of a

00:23:48.810 - 00:24:07.050

response. Or should I say, in working with the, the people on the west side, uh, and for that reason, I plan to get my feet wet and hopefully I can do a little better. All right, now, is there something else that you would like to. And

00:24:08.089 - 00:24:25.369

Well, mainly that I think I, for example, here where the interview is taking place, I think that the community must become more aware of places like this. Uh, I know that there's certain resources of certain resources in the community and especially the library. I think that

00:24:25.369 - 00:24:39.790

if you don't know how to read and if you don't know how to study. You're not going to be able to really be an effective leader in the community, uh, I know that, uh, uh, people will tend to listen to you a lot more if you

00:24:39.790 - 00:24:57.609

have that credential. And so I urge the uh Spanish-speaking population of the West side to, to flock to a place like this to, to make use of it. Uh, I think the tendency in the Mexican-American community and in all Spanish communities has been to become sports-oriented.

00:24:58.300 - 00:25:11.410

Uh, there's a lot of softball, and there's a lot of tennis, and there's a lot of other things that preoccupy our minds, but I think that we've got to become illiterate people if we're going to be successful. Think I'd have to agree with you on that.

00:25:11.910 - 00:25:29.640

Uh, earlier you said that, uh, when you were, Uh, still in high school and you were thinking of going on into teaching. But then somehow along the way, um, somebody or something guided you, you know, differently, as you look back, is there 11 person or persons

00:25:29.640 - 00:25:43.010

that you feel way back there? Well, I think that my grandmother had a real impact on my life, but she really had no control of me. I know that, I, I, I forgot to mention, a lot of my friends have died. As a result. Friends of

00:25:43.010 - 00:25:55.369

your age you mean? Yes. Oh. Who grew up with me, uh, as a matter of fact. Who were involved in many things. Over 20 of them have either been murdered or committed suicide. They're very young people. And, in fact, my best friend who grew up with

00:25:55.369 - 00:26:08.050

me was one of the persons killed in the prison riot in New Mexico in February. Of this year? Yes, a young man by the name of Robert Lee Rivera. Uh, he was my best friend all through high school when we were growing up and he landed

00:26:08.050 - 00:26:25.969

in prison and eventually died there. Uh, but I, after the takeover of the university, I met a family, uh, Josephine and Albert Garcia. Uh, he is a building contractor in my hometown and, She's a housewife and they kind of adopted me while I was in the

00:26:25.969 - 00:26:44.170

seminary. They kind of took me in and they kind of supported me, uh, financially and otherwise, uh, as a matter of fact, they were here last week visiting me, uh, but they were very, very instrumental in, in at least, uh, encouraging me to be a man

00:26:44.170 - 00:27:02.300

of faith, to, to be a person who was positive and I think to they taught me that. We go through a lot of things in life, but the important thing is not to be bitter but to become better by what we go through. Uh, they also

00:27:02.300 - 00:27:19.609

taught me the, the meaning of hard work. My, I, I call them my foster parents, and that's what they are, uh, uh, he is very successful. Uh, he's a real estate and building contractor, rancher, and, uh, but he, while I was with him, uh, a short

00:27:19.609 - 00:27:33.709

time, he taught me the value of hard work and it's paid off, so that the economists would say that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and I agree with him. I feel we have to work harder. But uh they were very instrumental and I'm

00:27:33.709 - 00:27:43.329

very grateful to them. All right, Mr. Torres, I certainly want to thank you for this interview. And this concludes this interview. Thank you very much.