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Teatro
Center for Art and Cultural Empowerment
Story by Bianca Rawlings Photos by Felicia Frazar & submitted by Alphonso Rincon
I
n 1970, Vickie De La Rosa moved to Seguin as a middle school math teacher at the newly integrated Ball Jr. High School. De La Rosa grew up and graduated high school in Crystal City, Texas. “Crystal City High School produced the biggest walkouts of students because the Mexican American students there were their largest population, and they had no representation or rights,” she said. Unfortunately, this political action did not come until De La Rosa was in college, but she was able to bear witness to the change that she knew was badly needed in her hometown. “I felt all the racism and all the discrimination while I was in that high school and town of Crystal City,” De La Rosa said. 10 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING
Despite the daily discrimination she faced, her family support and sense of self was so strong that she was able to take the negativity and transform it into positivity. “When I arrived in Seguin ISD it was a bit of a cultural shock, because the majority of the students, almost 70%, were Anglo,” She said. Even in the Mexican American community, there was a lack of culture. De La Rosa would go to fiestas and felt they were devoid of culture, they were simply a party with lots of drinking, eating, and letting loose. She knew she needed to take action and tightly hold onto the rich culture of her ancestors for herself and her children. She integrated herself into Our Lady Guadalupe Catholic Church,
