For as long as I can remember, there have been a number of things consistent for me that fed my hunger for learning more about my family’s history. One of those things has been the ties that my family has to San Antonio. While little is known by those still living, one thing that has been repeated by many is that our links to this city are concrete enough that we have seen some of the expansion of San Antonio. As I moved into college and came upon a more in-depth knowledge of some of the founding years of San Antonio, it excited me to expand on areas I thought pertained to my story. More specifically, this accrued for me in the spring of 2015 when I took a class titled “Tejano Texas” with Dr. Gilberto Hinojosa at Incarnate Word University.
For years I had heard of the many accolades of Dr. Hinojosa. Currently Professor Emeritus, stories of his time at UIW commonly filled a room when discussing the early years at UIW. For me, it was intriguing to hear these stories because as a kid, my formative years were very selectively filled with a Latino figure in which to emulate. In learning of Dr. Hinojosa leading up to enrolling for his class, I found many similarities in our upbringing. As a result of this, I was able to see what was possible for a Latino who didn’t necessarily have the odds in his favor. It was during his class that significant pieces of Latino history were brought to my attention, reigniting a fire in me that I didn’t know remained. Additionally, a constructive pride for this university I had found myself was cementing itself as I was only one semester away from being able to say I was a college graduate.
Fast forward now to the spring of 2017. As I assume is common for all graduates, from time to time I found myself back at UIW. Exact to every other trip I made, before leaving campus I always make it a point to stop by the offices of old professors to say hello. Being a professor Emeritus, it isn’t always easy to find Dr. Hinojosa but, on this day, he happened to be in his office. As he has always done, upon seeing me, as I approached he invited me into his office for a seat. It was during this conversation in between jokes and family updates that he began to talk to me about a project he was starting. He mentioned it was similar to another project a colleague of his was producing, a Dr. Gerald Poyo. He explained to me it was going to be a photographic exhibit on the history of the sisters of charity of the Incarnate Word. He revealed to me that while he was still in the planning phase, he planned to reach out to the students of the university for input regarding what they sought in memorializing their university
Excited by this idea I immediately informed him of my willingness to assist on this project in any way possible, assuming he was open to allowing me. This may have been the plan all along because he immediately agreed and expressed that he would communicate with me as needed. As time Passed and the semester came to an end, I actually began to worry as I wasn’t hearing from Dr. Hinojosa. Concerned that maybe I might have been misled, I sent Dr. Hinojosa an email reaffirming my interest in his project. Too much excitement, this email was returned with an invitation for pecan pie and coffee. Thru the end of the spring semester and into the summer of 2018, these occasional meetings continued where we talked about his ideas over pecan pie and coffee. Realizing now that my role in all this was merely as an advisor of sorts, I took pride in knowing that he was acknowledging my ideas. For me, just to have the opportunity to work in some capacity with him was so rewarding. Little did I know, in working with him it would stir a new fire in me for Public history. As I move forward in my journey pursuing a degree at St. Mary’s, never will I forget the role Dr. Hinojosa played not only in my undergrad but in beginning my pursuit toward a graduate degree.
This is a pretty cool story, and it’s nice to find out more about what led you into history from your past major. We’ve all had a professor like that, and if you’re lucky, a handful of them. It’s really great to hear how inspired he made you and your journey so far.
Thanks for sharing John! I once met Dr. Hinojosa over tacos at St. Mary’s when I was an undergrad and we talked about one of his books. I always appreciated how down to earth he has always been.
If that exhibit is still up at UIW, I would love to go visit it with you. I used to work at UIW and spent some time learning about the history of the university. I have some stories about the Brackenridge Villa and details passed down to me from someone who worked at Incarnate Word for nearly 50 years.
I’d love to chat with you more about the Sisters of Charity, Incarnate Word and the history of the university sometime.
Really cool story. It is always nice to connect with personal history, but to have an opportunity to educate others in the process makes it all that much better. It was neat to read about how your interest grew into a project that will impact others. Documenting the history of underrepresented groups is very important in this day and age. Having more sources to tell their stories makes the history that much better.
It’s always a good time when a student is able to connect with their professor on a personal level. I’m glad you were able to assist in a project that captured your interest, and kind of fateful that you’d hear about Dr. Poyo before enrolling in the Public History program, and his Hispanic SA course. Cool story!