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Cook's Point economic survey report, 1963
1963-10 Racial Justice in Iowa Page 2
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LABOR Volume 26, No. 9 October, 1963 Racial Injustice in Iowa We had often walked past Cook's point holding our noses because of the nearby City Dump. Those walks had left their impressions. We could recall the sight of the little boys and girls playing around in the debris looking for shiny things, always with an eye peeled for huge water rats. Later we were to reflect that even the little ones must have been repulsed by their milk, the taste of which was affected by the foul odor of the Dump. At this late date it would be difficult to explain the exact nature of the discrimination they suffered, but they had no means to compete for property of housing and they lacked the education nd skill to qualify for so many jobs. Not many of the young men and women of Cook's Point managed to persevere through high school. But among those who did was one " Chief" Garcia who played fine football with us on St. Ambrose Academy's Midget team. He never grew enough for the Academy Varsity or Juniors as they were called in those days. Nor did Garcia live long after finishing high school. He died of tuberculosis. Somehow his mother lived on to come in for visits after Masses at Bettendorf's " Our Lady of Lourdes Church". This occurred many years after her son's death, but her conversation was ever about her son and our days together. Shortly after the War (World War II) we were to administer the Last Sacraments conditionally to Mrs. Garcia, found alone and dead in her attic abode, rather hovel. There had been little but work and grief to her, but she persevered in her Faith. So generally accepted was the philosophy of economic individualism that public apathy, indifference to the plight of these Mexican families should not be surprising. However it, will always be hard to understand how the religious leaders of Davenport failed to come to grips with this problem of the Mexican Catholic families. At any rate, it seemed imperative that our St. Ambrose Human and Industrial Relations Club make a study of the problem for their own sakes and to help focus the attention of the City on the intolerable situation. This study was not in the nature of a sampling. Dozens of students visited every home and used an exhaustive questionnaire or rather data sheet to accumulate facts. Hence the results of the study could hardly be disputed in any way. It i safe to say that the other Mexican families of the Tri-Cities, not studied at that time, did not rise far above the socio-economic level of the Cook's Point families. The following is a summary of the findings of this survey: COOK'S POINT ECONOMIC SURVEY Tabulation of Results The information given below was collected by members of the Industrial and Human Relations Club of St. Ambrose College and tabulated by students of Ecclesiastical Department. The survey was taken among the residents of Cook's Point, chiefly by families of Mexican origin. Historical Background The nucleus of the present Mexican settlement is made up of families who were brought to Bettendorf in 1917 to work in the W.P. Bettendorf foundry. They were lodged in company dwellings in an area then called " Holy City". Unemployment increased steadily after 1918, and many were forced to move from that area. The first arrivals at Cook's Point came in 1925. The foundry went out of business in 1930, and all non-naturalized workers were sent back to Mexico. In 1940 government purchase of the foundry property forced its remaining residents to leave. With the exception of twenty families who settled elsewhere in Bettendorf, this group came to Cook's Point. Other Mexican families have moved there from Rock Island, from Silvis and from Minnesota beet fields. Rev. William T. O'Connor
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LABOR Volume 26, No. 9 October, 1963 Racial Injustice in Iowa We had often walked past Cook's point holding our noses because of the nearby City Dump. Those walks had left their impressions. We could recall the sight of the little boys and girls playing around in the debris looking for shiny things, always with an eye peeled for huge water rats. Later we were to reflect that even the little ones must have been repulsed by their milk, the taste of which was affected by the foul odor of the Dump. At this late date it would be difficult to explain the exact nature of the discrimination they suffered, but they had no means to compete for property of housing and they lacked the education nd skill to qualify for so many jobs. Not many of the young men and women of Cook's Point managed to persevere through high school. But among those who did was one " Chief" Garcia who played fine football with us on St. Ambrose Academy's Midget team. He never grew enough for the Academy Varsity or Juniors as they were called in those days. Nor did Garcia live long after finishing high school. He died of tuberculosis. Somehow his mother lived on to come in for visits after Masses at Bettendorf's " Our Lady of Lourdes Church". This occurred many years after her son's death, but her conversation was ever about her son and our days together. Shortly after the War (World War II) we were to administer the Last Sacraments conditionally to Mrs. Garcia, found alone and dead in her attic abode, rather hovel. There had been little but work and grief to her, but she persevered in her Faith. So generally accepted was the philosophy of economic individualism that public apathy, indifference to the plight of these Mexican families should not be surprising. However it, will always be hard to understand how the religious leaders of Davenport failed to come to grips with this problem of the Mexican Catholic families. At any rate, it seemed imperative that our St. Ambrose Human and Industrial Relations Club make a study of the problem for their own sakes and to help focus the attention of the City on the intolerable situation. This study was not in the nature of a sampling. Dozens of students visited every home and used an exhaustive questionnaire or rather data sheet to accumulate facts. Hence the results of the study could hardly be disputed in any way. It i safe to say that the other Mexican families of the Tri-Cities, not studied at that time, did not rise far above the socio-economic level of the Cook's Point families. The following is a summary of the findings of this survey: COOK'S POINT ECONOMIC SURVEY Tabulation of Results The information given below was collected by members of the Industrial and Human Relations Club of St. Ambrose College and tabulated by students of Ecclesiastical Department. The survey was taken among the residents of Cook's Point, chiefly by families of Mexican origin. Historical Background The nucleus of the present Mexican settlement is made up of families who were brought to Bettendorf in 1917 to work in the W.P. Bettendorf foundry. They were lodged in company dwellings in an area then called " Holy City". Unemployment increased steadily after 1918, and many were forced to move from that area. The first arrivals at Cook's Point came in 1925. The foundry went out of business in 1930, and all non-naturalized workers were sent back to Mexico. In 1940 government purchase of the foundry property forced its remaining residents to leave. With the exception of twenty families who settled elsewhere in Bettendorf, this group came to Cook's Point. Other Mexican families have moved there from Rock Island, from Silvis and from Minnesota beet fields. Rev. William T. O'Connor
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