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Migrants in the city. The other night I was kicking back at my townhouse listening to the radio thinking about possible ideas where to go for this class project. Just then the Disc Jockey on the station came on talking about some concert tickets that he was going to give way later that night. The only thing I can remember clearly was when the DJ said he was broadcasting out of the middle of Guadalupe. That’s it, that’s were I’m going to go to, Guadalupe. Guadalupe is an annex two-mile stretch surrounded by Tempe and the I10 freeway just south of the Arizona Mills mall (Priest & Baseline). Drive down (heading South) on priest from baseline for about a quarter mile when you will enter a border adventure right here in Phoenix. 
Driving threw Guadalupe, like I did so many times before when I worked at 98 KUPD and KDUS 1060 AM "DA Duce" two radio stations owned and operated by Temper broadcasting company, but this time it was different. I was looking at the same tiny ran down houses in a new way. Most of the houses look a lot like the houses in Mexico. Missing some stucco, dirt front and back yards and dogs everywhere. Driving on the old wore out barely paved roads feeling every bump reminded me about our class trip to Nogales Sonora Mexico. The colors of the buildings were brighter more distinguished then in the surrounding areas. Young men to middle aged men were sitting near the curbs of the street waiting for some to offer them work. Resembling the deportation station we spent some time at.  The most riveting part of this different cultural experience right here in the greater metro Phoenix area was the old fashioned Catholic church that is located exactly in the middle of Guadalupe. Backed up to the I10 freeway. Old roads and dirt fields surround the church, there are gravesites sticking up from the ground just like what our class saw when we drove by the cemetery and everything near the church looks old and run down but the church itself looks perfectly clean and preserved.
Here is some quick information about - Guadalupe is a Yaqui Native American and Hispanic community between Phoenix and Tempe at the base of South Mountain. The town proudly maintains a strong cultural and ethnic identity. It is named for the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico.Guadalupe was founded by Yaqui Indians around the turn of the century. The Yaquis' had fled their traditional homeland along the Yaqui River in Sonora to avoid persecution and enslavement by the Mexican government under Portfolio Diaz. Many Yaquis entered Arizona and several villages were established. Over the years many Hispanic families have also located in Guadalupe. The town of Guadalupe was incorporated in 1975 and is approximately one square mile in area. It will remain this size since it is "surrounded" by man-made boundaries; Interstate 10 and the city of Phoenix on the west; Baseline Road and the city of Tempe on the North; the city of Tempe on the South; and by the Salt River Project's Highline Canal on the East. I was able to get all of this information and all of the pictures from the Guadalupe town website. (I was not able to take any pictures of my own, due to the town of Guadalupe does not allow any photography in their township) http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/waggoner/guad/guadalupe.htm |
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