A metal picture frame with the inscription, “#1 Dad.” This frame was found in a remote part of the Sonoran Desert near the Mexican border. The past 20 years has seen a rise in unauthorized border crossing, border enforcement procedures, and debates about who and how migrants should be let into the country.
As the US federal immigration enforcement strategy known as Prevention Through Deterrence (PTD) increased the security presence around urban ports of entry in the mid-1990s, there was a shift in undocumented migration towards more remote regions of the American Southwest. Those making the perilous journey through this inhospitable desert landscape faced extreme temperatures (summer temperatures as high as 100° F/38° C and winter temperatures approaching freezing), rugged terrain, abuse from coyotes (human smugglers), and the risk of getting caught by the Border Patrol.
The site where this was found likely served as a way station used by human smugglers or a site of Border Patrol apprehension. Typical items found at these sites include personal hygiene products such as combs, backpacks, excess clothes, and empty water bottles. This frame documents the generations of migrants that have come from countries south of the United States. Like the material culture of previous generations of migrants, this item may have held images of family members, or would have been for a gift from a son or daughter, a small token to remind someone of home.
Printed advertisement for the television series Popi. The monotone advertisement, cut from a newspaper or magazine, features a photograph of the title character, portrayed by Héctor Elizondo, alongside a young woman and two children. Text printed above the photo reads "HIS POCKET IS EMPTY BUT HIS HEART IS FULL" and below the photo "Popi's got two kids, three jobs, and great dreams of success. He's also got a knack for failing in the most hilarious way possible, and still keeping a grin on his face. It'll keep one on yours, too. Starring Hector Elizondo as 'Popi.'"
Popi was a sitcom produced by MGM Television that aired on CBS from January to August 1976. The series was an adaptation of the 1969 film of the same name and was one of the first American television series to feature a Latino cast and story. Popi starred actor Héctor Elizondo as a Puerto Rican widower. The show’s theme song was composed by Carlos Santana.
This black and white photograph shows 11 men in suits posing on a plot with two signs that read "H. B. Zachry Co. / General Contractor / San Antonio, Texas" and "Future Home of / KCOR / Radio / 1350KC / Television / Channel 41". The photo dates to the early 1940s, when KCOR was first going on air. KCOR was licensed and operated by Raoul A. Cortez (1905-1971), a pioneer of Spanish-language media in the United States. Cortez later established the KCOR-TV station in 1955, and programmed his stations to serve the Spanish-speaking community in Texas.
A pair of children’s size 3, synthetic-leather athletic shoes in white. On the side are ink pen inscriptions: "Te adoro" I love you, "Te extraño" I miss you, "extraño los besos" I miss your kisses. These shoes were collected in a remote part of the Sonoran Desert near the Mexican border. The past 20 years has seen a rise in unauthorized border crossing, border enforcement procedures, and debates about who and how migrants should be let into the country.
As the US federal immigration enforcement strategy known as Prevention Through Deterrence (PTD) increased the security presence around urban ports of entry in the mid-1990s, there was a shift in undocumented migration towards more remote regions of the American Southwest. Those making the perilous journey through this inhospitable desert landscape faced extreme temperatures (summer temperatures as high as 100° F/38° C and winter temperatures approaching freezing), rugged terrain, abuse from coyotes (human smugglers), and the risk of getting caught by the Border Patrol.
The site where this was found likely served as a way station used by human smugglers or a site of Border Patrol apprehension. Typical items found at these sites include personal hygiene products such as combs, backpacks, excess clothes, and empty water bottles. In preparation for the arduous journey across, migrants might purchase inexpensive sneakers like this one. They are often poorly constructed and ill-fitting and may cause discomfort and/or serious injuries along the way. Migrants often report forming severe blisters due to ill-fitting sneakers. Many times these shoes become damaged during the crossing. As seen on the shoes above, migrants will often personalize their personal items with motivational messages to help them make the journey more bearable. The inscription written in Spanish translate into “I love you, “I miss you”, and “I miss those kisses.”
Eduardo Kachskovsky had a long career at KMEX-TV (Univision) starting in 1980 and serving the Latino community. He worked from 1989 to 2004 in various roles from producer/director to creative director of live news and events. Such events ranged from award shows and political debates to the annual Rose Parade. Spanish-language TV stations were committed to co-sponsoring and televising events that promoted education, health, and civic understanding among communities of viewers. In addition, they invested in the needed staff, reporters, and technology to go on location and connect audiences to live events.
If there was an event in LA, “Kach” was probably there. His collection includes not only press badges and a KMEX jacket, but also photographs and an oral history.
In the 1950s, consumers made television the centerpiece of the home, fueling competition among broadcasters to create new products, new programming, new stations, and even new networks. Innovators, such as those behind the creation of independent Spanish-language stations and eventually the Spanish International Network (SIN), challenged established broadcasting companies by creating new programming in Spanish and catering to underserved audiences. Established in the early 1960s, SIN knit together independents and created new stations to serve a national audience. With a complex business and legal history, SIN eventually became Univision in the 1980s. In the decades after 1980, Spanish-language programing options grew with recognition of Latinx communities as powerful consumer groups and the advent of new broadcasting technologies such as cable and digital TV.
Description (Spanish)
Eduardo Kachskovsky desarrolló una extensa carrera en KMEX-TV (Univision) a partir de 1980 y sirvió a la comunidad latina. Se desempeñó en distintas funciones de 1989 a 2004, desde productor / director hasta como director creativo de noticias y eventos en vivo. Dichos eventos iban desde entregas de premios y debates políticos hasta el Desfile de las Rosas anual. Los canales de televisión en español se comprometieron a copatrocinar y televisar eventos que promovieran la educación, la salud y el entendimiento cívico entre las comunidades de televidentes. Además, invirtieron en el personal, los reporteros y la tecnología necesaria para trasladarse hasta los lugares y conectar a las audiencias con los eventos en vivo. Allí donde hubiera un evento en Los Ángeles, probablemente estaría "Kach". Su colección incluye insignias de prensa y una chaqueta KMEX, al igual que fotografías y una historia oral.
En la década de 1950, los consumidores hicieron de la televisión un componente central de sus hogares, fomentando la competencia entre las difusoras para crear nuevos productos, nueva programación, nuevas estaciones, e incluso nuevas redes. Los innovadores, como los creadores de los canales independientes de habla hispana y el Spanish International Network (SIN), desafiaron a las emisoras establecidas creando nuevos programas en español centradas en audiencias históricamente ignoradas. Establecido a principios de los sesenta, SIN unió a difusoras independentes y creó nuevas estaciones para responder a una audiencia nacional. Tras una compleja trayectoria empresarial y legal, SIN se convertiría en Univisión en la década de 1980. Durante las próximas décadas, las opciones de programación en español crecieron gracias al reconocimiento de la comunidad Latinx, como poderoso grupo de consumidores, y a la introducción de nuevas tecnologías de difusión, como el cable y la televisión digital.