Migration and Culture
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The men in the picture consist of my great grandfather (furthest to the right), his 2 brothers, and his 2 brother in-laws. My great grandfather’s name was Pedro Jose Mendoza. He was the son of a ranch owner in Chihuahua, Mexico.
The Mendoza family was a great supporter of Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution. When he and his men came into town, livestock was slaughtered to provide a feast for revolutionaries and aid was rendered in whatever way was needed.
As the story goes, the ranch owners seemed to have a certain responsibility to the people that worked for them. It seems that a couple men in town mistreated a daughter of one of the ranch hands. My great grand father then went into town and beat the 2 offenders in the street in front of the local tavern. These men then hired a group of hit men to kill him.
Some time later, my great grandfather’s horse had found its way back home with him dead in the saddle. He had been shot in the back, murdered at the age of 27.
During Villa’s next visit, he learned of my great grandfathers demise and sent a group of men into town to deal with the 2 men who placed the hit. When they were found, they were hung from a tree in the court area of the town.
The Mendoza’s remained huge supporters of Villa and his cause. 2 of my great uncles went on to fight in several battles along the Mexican/American border. They were so deeply involved with the Revolution that when Pancho Villa was assassinated, they feared retribution from the Mexican government. It was then that the family, my grandmother included, fled from Chihuahua and came to the United States.