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Velasco, Gus (audio interview #1 of 1)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This short interview was conducted by a student. 5/1/1972
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- 2020-03-20
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- SUBJECT BIO - Gus Velasco was a teacher and school administrator . He became a teacher at Los Nietos elementary school which he had attended as a child. In school, he avoided gangs by taking an interest in his studies and participating in sports. He noted that his sisters, who had darker skin than he did, faced even more discrimination than he did. Later Velasco quit teaching to take a job as a school administrator because he believed he could influence more students that way. He also volunteered at a community center to help local residents. This short interview was conducted by a student TOPICS - Topics included on this side of the tape include, growing up, going to school, sports, teaching, 1968 high school strike, school administration and activities at a local community center;
- *** File: mamgvelasco1.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-5:20)... Gus Velasco was born in Los Angeles; his parents moved to the US in the 1920s. He graduated from Whittier High School in 1958 and later from California State University, Los Angeles. Then he became a teacher at Los Nietos, the elementary school he'd attended as a child. Although he was an American citizen, Velasco's parents taught him to respect his Mexican heritage. (5:20-9:27)... When Velasco was growing up, he heard racial slurs, but tried to ignore them. His sisters had even more problems in school than he did because they had darker skin. Some teachers said his sisters would not be able to succeed in college preparatory classes. Velasco himself was a good student and participated in sports. (9:27-14:45)... Velasco avoided the gangs when he was growing up and concentrated on sports. In addition, he joined groups that were involved in the Chicano movement. Even in college, he noticed that Chicano students were discriminated again by other students. Only a small fraction of Chicano students that he grew up with went on to college. (14:45-17:35)... In college, Velasco was focused on graduating and getting a job. He was became less involved in political movements. When he found a job and began teaching, he was dismayed to hear many of the other instructors say that Chicano students had no future and could not learn at the same rate as other students. (17:35-20:30)... The East Los Angeles high school strikes in 1968 occurred while Velasco was teaching at Los Nietos elementary school. Many of the other faculty members and administrators at his school did not understand why the students were demanding changes in their education. Velasco advocated cooperation rather than militant action in working for change. (20:30-24:28)... Velasco decided to leave his teaching to take an administrative position because he believed he could do more to improve education in his new job. As a teacher, his influence seemed to be limited to his own classroom. As an administrator, he could have an impact more than one classroom. (24:28-30:10)... In the neighborhood where he lived, Velasco helped out at a community center which offered education, medical information, and encouraged neighbors to become involved in local politics. The center benefited people on an individual basis as well as the community as a whole. End of tape
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