David: I think the beginning of it was more involving my mom and dad and what they had to go through and what I heard and saw. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is the fact that there was a sign up on the city limits. It said, “no Mexicans allowed”, and they had to go through that. Not only that, but they weren't allowed to go into restaurants, barbershops, that kind of stuff. And of course that wasn't my upbringing as much as theirs, but I do feel that it's necessary to state that. And, and it was sad because they felt the prejudice, of course, when they couldn't go into a restaurant or any of that type of stuff because they weren't allowed. But, uh, you know, they, they made it through that time, but yet I think they had some lasting memories of that and that they'd never forgotten. I saw a lot of prejudice with my parents. For example, they wanted to move on across the tracks, which in that day the Mexican people were on the west side of the tracks, but they were uncomfortable doing so. Even though dad and mom had the income to buy something or rent something on the other side, they didn't want to do that because of prejudice that they felt.

Shelby: Do you think that influenced how grandma and grandpa saw Worland? Like did that make them want to leave Worland or did that make them weary about visiting?

David: No, because the relatives were there, mom's,sisters and brother, so they wanted to go back and see Worland. I don't think they felt as much prejudice as when they were growing up.

Shelby: Do you remember what year you left Worland?

David: I left Worland after I graduated. I graduated in 1966 and left Worland after that summer. Late summer of 1966. 

Shelby: And you feel like in the time that you grew up from the late 1940s to 1966 that maybe Worland had changed, like there was less explicit prejudice?

David: Well, I think it changed the fact that they took signs down. People were allowed to go to restaurants but, I don't think down, deep inside the prejudice was done. It was still in their minds and hearts, and you know, you could feel it.

Shelby: You don't, you don't have to give any explicit examples if you don't want to, but how did you feel that? How did you experience that? How did you know that the signs were down, but people's perspectives and attitudes hadn’t changed?

David: Well, a good example of that is starting school. You know, I had some friends that their parents did not like the idea of them hanging out with me because I was Mexican. So that was, that was something. But, I got through that stage. I probably had an attitude when I left.

Shelby: What do you mean? Like in relation to people in that community or just like generally you felt like your attitude was bad?

David: No. People in that community.

Shelby: Did that make you want to leave Worland and or Wyoming?

David: It did. I was itching to get out of there when I graduated. And, working in the beet field was not very pleasant either, which my mom and dad did when they were younger just to help support the family. Of course, I did it because I wanted a little extra money. It was not easy to get a job as a young man or a young boy in that town because of the prejudice, I think.

Shelby: Wow. I didn't know that you worked in the beet fields, too.

David: Yep. It was voluntary. I had a paper route, and I asked grandpa if I could quit the paper route and work in the beet field, and that's probably the biggest mistake I ever made in my life. Beet field is not easy work. It's hard work.

Shelby: I bet that was hard work. Do you remember working out there for like an eight hour shift or more?

David: Nah, I never lasted that long, but we'd go out there at five, six in the morning and it'd be warm. By the time noon came around, it'd be hot, over a hundred. I remember that. It was not a good memory. The paper route was a good memory. I enjoyed that. I was eleven or twelve when I did that.

Shelby: Wow. Thanks for sharing all of that. What do you feel like you appreciated or loved the most about Worland or Wyoming?

David: Well, I think the fact that all the relatives lived there. And then of course I loved the Big Horn Mountains. And that was pretty much it. You know, on the lighter side, I found some friends there in the sixties and they became my lifelong friends and they were white people. They were white kids. And I still have a lot of friendships from that time growing up. And one of my best buddies just died about two years ago, and he was always for the underdog. He always ignored what people said and what his mom and dad said as far as hanging out with me. And, we just liked each other. That was a good memory.

Shelby: I'm sorry that he passed away. Do you want to share his name?

David: Randy.

Note: The transcript above has been condensed from its original audio recording to improve the flow and readability of the story.