Osvaldo Velez

Interview Summary

Mr. Velez grew up in Segundo Barrio during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He associates those times with gang warfare because of the introduction of guns. He also remembers that in Segundo Barrio, many families lived in tenements. With the number of people living in the tenements, there were a lot of activities in the community, including social gatherings, parties, and family parties. In the absence of technology, most time was spent outside, whether it was hearing local gossip, visiting family and friends, or socializing—that was life in a small community. He lived in a tenement on the corner of Campbell and Father Rahm with the famous Arturo Ramirez mural with Segundo Barrio on the top; the mural was from the La Campaña program organized by Carmen Felix’s beautification project to showcase the community and protect it from El Paso City plans to demolish the tenements in Segundo Barrio for commercial business. Mr. Velez remembers playing outside but also reminisces about numerous activities available at the recreation/community centers. These activities ranged from sports and movies to dances—any way to promote socializing and have activities for youth/teens. The recreation centers (Boys Club, Houchen, and Sacred Heart Church) were the most memorable for him. He remembers the Kermes, rides, playing around, festivals, and other city events that had rides and other city events. As Mr. Velez grew older, he couldn’t continue to visit the community centers because of gang involvement, but he remembers that, in his youth, someone was always playing a sport in Armijo field. When thinking of playgrounds, schools, and facilities in general, the one thing that stood out to him was the trees. There were lines of trees, a bunch of beautiful trees. There were trees in the practice fields at different schools; he remembers willow trees and many bushes everywhere. He recalled that this area was called El Bosque. Speaking of Segundo Barrio in the present, Mr. Velez feels that the community appeared to have just left from one day to the next, and then developers and property owners started cutting trees to save on irrigation. He recounts summers in the park under the trees for protection from the heat. Just as important as trees are his concept of community and its progression. He elaborates on components of community that are now missing: local stores, local restaurants, and lack of socializing. Mr. Velez also equates walking with socializing, which he believes is fundamental in the community. He concludes by sharing his vision of community, the importance of preserving history, and the responsibility of the community to provide activities and education for its children instead of focusing on the aesthetics of buildings.