By Miriam Meza –
The Aurora Public Library (APL) will be host to Dr. Antonio Delgado for a presentation entitled “Mexican Boxcar Communities of the Midwest.” The presentation will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25 at the Santori Library, 101 S. River Street, Aurora.
Dr. Delgado will share his research on the boxcar communities and their development as a result of Mexican immigration.
The impact and legacy left by Mexican railroad workers in Chicago and the Chicagoland area is one that we should be all aware of, both their vibrant cultural contributions and the injustices they suffered.
Attendees can learn about this unique facet of early 20th Century history and how these workers and their families lived in railroad boxcars on railway property, and what happened to those communities once the railroads were completed. These missing pages of American history exemplify the vital contributions of Mexican immigrant workers to the development of Chicago and the Midwest.
Dr. Delgado immigrated with his family as a small boy to Chicago from Mexico and became interested in the boxcar communities when hearing stories from his grandmother. Delgado was dean of Chicago City Colleges and served in the administration of two Chicago mayors, Harold Washington and Richard M. Daily.
He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in urban planning/public policy analysis, and specializes in public policy as it impacts minorities in the United States.
Please register for attendance at the the presentation at aurora.libnet.info/event/1500405.
Miriam Meza is communications manager for Aurora Public Library.