Affidavit sworn by Henrietta Castillo to Alonso S. Perales
Item
Dublin Core
Title
Affidavit sworn by Henrietta Castillo to Alonso S. Perales
Subject
AFFIDAVITS
DISCRIMINATION
RACE discrimination
RACE discrimination - restaurants
RACE discrimination - public establishments
OUR Lady of the Lake College
Description
Affidavit sworn by Henrietta Castillo to Alonso S. Perales that states that Anita Gomez, Lucy Elizondo, and Henrietta Castillo were refused service in the dining are of PK Cafe. A waitress and the manager told them that Mexicans were served "around back" of the restaurant.
Creator
Castillo, Henrietta A.
Source
Perales, Alonso S. Are We Good Neighbors? 1948. EBSCO Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection: Series 2
Date
1947-02-21
Contributor
Perales, Alonso S.
Rights
Content compilation of The Latino/Hispanic American Experience Leaders, Writers and Thinkers copyright 2012 by Arte Publico Historical Collections. All rights reserved.
Relation
Gauthereau, Lorena. "Are We Good Neighbors?: Mapping Discrimination Against Mexican Americans in 1940s Texas." https://arcg.is/1C1bbv.
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
pera0099
Coverage
SAN Antonio (Tex.)
Scripto
Transcription
THE STATE OF TEXAS,
COUNTY OF BEXAR
BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority in and for said County, State of Texas, this day personally came and appeared Henrietta Castillo, to me well known, and who, after being by me duly sworn, did depose and say:
"Friday, February 14, at 3:00 P.M., Mrs. Anita Gomez, President of the Mother's Club of San Alphonsus Center, Lucy Elizondo, student of Our Lady of the Lake College and I, Henrietta Castillo, Field Worker of the Bishops' Committee for the Spanish Speaking, after buying $60 worth of materials at the New Braunfels Textile Mills went to the P.K. Cafe, 165 W. San Antonio Street at New Braunfels to dine. As we entered we sat at the first table in the cafe. The waitress came over to our table and told us if we wished to be served to go around the back. Mrs. Gomez got up immediately and walked out. Miss Elizondo walked out too. I got up, picked up my coat, walked to the back where the waitress was standing and asked her why we should go to the back when there was so much room in front. She told me that those were her orders and that I could talk to the manager. I asked her who the manager was and she pointed out a lady who was sewing the hem to a dress at the counter near the door and the cash register. I walked up to her and told her the waitress had refused to serve us in front where we were sitting. She said: "We'll serve you people but you have to go to the back, behind the screen." When I asked why, she said: 'The lady with you is obviously a Mexican and that is where we serve them.' By that time Miss Elizondo had walked back into the cafe and I said: 'We are Mexicans, too.' The manager answered: 'Well, that's where we serve you people.'
"Even though we were hungry, we came straight to San Antonio for fear of running into more of such discrimination".
Further affiant sayeth not.
[signed] Henrietta A. Castillo
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this the 21st day of February, A.D. 1947.
[signed] Alonso S. Perales, Notary Public, Bexar County, Texas
COUNTY OF BEXAR
BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority in and for said County, State of Texas, this day personally came and appeared Henrietta Castillo, to me well known, and who, after being by me duly sworn, did depose and say:
"Friday, February 14, at 3:00 P.M., Mrs. Anita Gomez, President of the Mother's Club of San Alphonsus Center, Lucy Elizondo, student of Our Lady of the Lake College and I, Henrietta Castillo, Field Worker of the Bishops' Committee for the Spanish Speaking, after buying $60 worth of materials at the New Braunfels Textile Mills went to the P.K. Cafe, 165 W. San Antonio Street at New Braunfels to dine. As we entered we sat at the first table in the cafe. The waitress came over to our table and told us if we wished to be served to go around the back. Mrs. Gomez got up immediately and walked out. Miss Elizondo walked out too. I got up, picked up my coat, walked to the back where the waitress was standing and asked her why we should go to the back when there was so much room in front. She told me that those were her orders and that I could talk to the manager. I asked her who the manager was and she pointed out a lady who was sewing the hem to a dress at the counter near the door and the cash register. I walked up to her and told her the waitress had refused to serve us in front where we were sitting. She said: "We'll serve you people but you have to go to the back, behind the screen." When I asked why, she said: 'The lady with you is obviously a Mexican and that is where we serve them.' By that time Miss Elizondo had walked back into the cafe and I said: 'We are Mexicans, too.' The manager answered: 'Well, that's where we serve you people.'
"Even though we were hungry, we came straight to San Antonio for fear of running into more of such discrimination".
Further affiant sayeth not.
[signed] Henrietta A. Castillo
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this the 21st day of February, A.D. 1947.
[signed] Alonso S. Perales, Notary Public, Bexar County, Texas
Text Item Type Metadata
Original Format
paper
Collection
Citation
Castillo, Henrietta A. , “Affidavit sworn by Henrietta Castillo to Alonso S. Perales,” Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Digital Collections, accessed April 29, 2024, http://usldhrecovery.uh.edu/items/show/3.