Museum of Nature & Science to present Los Barrios exhibit

by PegNews wire

The Dallas Mexican-American Historical League will present a slice of life in the lives of Mexican-Americans in Dallas from 1907 to 1970 at the Museum of Nature & Science during the State Fair of Texas Sept. 26 to Oct. 19. Many league members have been residents of Dallas for 50 years or more. The exhibit, Los Barrios: The Impact of the Mexican-American Barrios in Dallas, 1907-1970, shows the importance of education, religion, music, sports and work ethic to Mexican-Americans in Dallas during the era of barrios (neighborhoods in Spanish).

“Our generation is the last generation that remembers the barrios. This exhibit provides a link to the contributions made by Mexican-Americans in Dallas as far back as 1907,” said DMAHL President Jesse Tafalla. “This exhibit is a small way in which we can show Dallas residents and fair-goers the important roles Mexican-Americans played in early Dallas. We will pass on the legacy of this history to our children and grandchildren.”

The exhibit depicts the work Mexican-Americans did as cement workers, brick layers, cooks and as new immigrants who built the railroads in Dallas. “The barrio era was destroyed in the 1960s when progress and not preservation caused two very large and well-known barrios, Little Mexico and El Pozo to be destroyed when such roads as the North Dallas Tollway and Interstate 30 were built,” said Taffalla.

The barrios highlighted in this exhibit are: Little Mexico, El Pozo (the hole), La Estrella (the star), Ledbetter/Eagle Ford and Exall Park. It also pays tribute to musica del barrio and the local Mexican-American musicians that formed bands and were part of the Tejano music movement from the 1950s and 1960s.

The exhibit is located on the second floor of the Nature Building at the Museum of Nature & Science, 3535 Grand Ave. in Dallas’ historic Fair Park. Museum admission during the Texas State Fair is only $1 per building (Planetarium $2, includes Live Sky Show) with purchase of fair admission. During the fair, MNS will maintain extended hours and be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Source: Museum of Nature & Science

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alexander troup, says:

Los Barrios, of Dallas and of the soon to be mythical Little Mexico of Dallas, Really is an intresting event for the 2008 TEXAS STATE FAIR I would note, since the community has been under developers change and removal since the 1970s, while we should ask where did the Hispanic Tejano culture come to Dallas and when, the 1900 census record for the West End of Dallas by Law, and Carter street, list many families that came to exist under names that are by the census takers pen as Mexcian...while Little Mexico became such by the 1920 era after the World War of 1918 and the United States recession of 1920 and 1921 which forced a lot of vets to come back to Dallas and ask where did my job go, well the Mexcain Amercian would apply and take care of the home land while the anglo men were off in Europe, and what made the Barrio,s so unique was it crammed and almost family like life, of people who would come togther through thick or thin,after the war in the once Jewish neighborhood called little Jerusalem in the 1880s and on into the 1900s, founded by the dry good store brothers of Sangers from New York, thus the area later became Little Mexico,..... from getto to barrio in Dallas Texas,such a place should get as much press and respect for what it came to exist as, while many an artist did and some historians also,played a role in creating that cultural history,and so I hope You will enjoy the exibit at the 2008 State Fair of Texas, I will, until then Alexander Troup Historian.