After a successful day at the park, nine victorious women gathered around the yard of a South Bend neighborhood to take a picture. Fridays were a time for gathering and community, but they were also a time for women to come together and play softball.
"They were all moms– first and foremost. Strong, intelligent, working women."
Becky Ruvalcaba recounts her upbringing on the West side of South Bend, surrounded by baseball and softball because of her parents. Everywhere in her community, tias and tios were gathered together to share the joy and opportunity of the sport. She comes from a generation of powerful people, but more importantly, powerful women. Becky recounts this photograph. Although she wasn’t present in the moment, she knew the women.
The strong-willed and gritty Tejanas instilled a deep sense of inspiration for Becky. Today, Becky Ruvalcaba is the Director of Pastoral Formation in the Masters of Divinity Program at Notre Dame. In her time outside of her academic duties, she helps those in need. At the core of her formation, however, are the women who came from far and distant lands, worked hard, and played ball.
PREFACE
I graduated from Harlingen High School South in 2022. When I moved to the United States in 2011, I made my first few friends through team sports. First, it was flag football, and then girls basketball. In these sports I formed pivotal friendships that gave me a sense of purpose in a new country, transcended the language barrier, empowered my broken English, and profoundly shaped my 956 identity. Now, as a Notre Dame student, I get to talk to people who share a similar background, and hail from the same area code. We are all just chasing new opportunities in new places – and creating new spaces. My family has always said Hispanics are some of the strongest people in the world because of the labor we have endured throughout history. These women are a testament to the strength of Mexican-Americans, the pride of the RGV, and the history of South Bend's West side. I want to extend my gratitude to Notre Dame for covering important stories that might otherwise go unheard. Puro Nine Five Six!!!
MIGRANT FARM WORKERS IN SOUTH BEND
In the 1970s, farmworkers from the southern tip of Texas embarked on seasonal work. In the summers, tens of thousands of migrant workers would set out to the Midwest to pick vegetables and fruit, along with the rest of their families. During downtime at the farms, the guys would use potatoes and picking gloves to play baseball. The sport was already an interest of Mexican-American identity, but during these periods of downtime, it became a part of migrant farmworker identity.
Migrant farmworkers were constantly on the move if they weren't already set on one place. However, regardless of where they went, baseball tagged along. It is widely known that baseball was popular in the United States during the 70s, but it was also popular across Latin America. The sport itself transcended language barriers – and for migrant communities, it became generational and open to both men and women. Las Tejanas were a product of family baseball.
WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT
They were moms, first and foremost.
Becky Ruvalcaba
Motherhood is at the heart of Las Tejanas. All team members were moms, and if they weren't volunteering at St. Stephen's or participating in other community efforts, they were at Pulaski Park practicing. The women didn't have jobs yet, so they were stay-at-home moms. Their children would sit on the sidelines, and older siblings were in charge of babysitting at the park while their moms played. Rosa Garza was 10 when her mom, Carmen Garza, pitched for Las Tejanas. The team's skill and excitement drove the family to the parks every Friday, and passion for the sport overall was unmatched. Carmen pitched while being pregnant.
Everybody brought their kids to the practices and the games. We used to have so much fun
Rosa Garza, Carmen Garza's eldest daughter.
Some of Las Tejanas, either during the team's existence or after, were heavily involved with St. Stephen's Church, and also advocacy within the community. Upon the dissolution of Las Tejanas, many took on factory jobs at AM General or Allied Products. Other women worked for Notre Dame laundry services, back when university students had their sheets and personal laundry done by university services. Now that these women had jobs, it was time to rally for a place that could take good care of their children.
Fig 4: From the Ricardo Parra and Olga Villa Parra Papers, Rare Books and Special Collections, Hesburgh Library
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) along with La Casa de Amistad in South Bend were avenues of advocacy and giving back for the women. Women were key players in helping the establishment when La Casa opened in 1973, and supported El Campito Day Care. These establishments were paramount as they provided a place of childcare when the women had to go to work.
St. Stephen’s Church also provided an avenue for organization and events, like Mother's Day picnics, which Maria Hernandez took great pride in. Along with their husbands and brothers and sisters, some of the women in the picture were parishioners. Other women were members of the Society of Guadalupanas at St. Stephens, which involves charity and organization for feast days in December.
In 2003, the St. Stephen’s building was demolished but the congregation has become part of St. Adalpert’s which is currently active on Olive Street in South Bend. The Society of Guadalupanas continues to exist today.
AT THE BAT
By the 1980s and later on, sports within the migrant community became more organized. However, before that could happen, women took on leisure sports as they watched their husbands and children looped into Sunday play. So, because the men had Sundays, the women played on Fridays. Ernest S. "Chapa" Hernandez, brother to Tejana Carmen Garza (not to be confused with Carmen's husband, Ernest V. Garza), decided to venture and coach the team. Rosa Fuentes, pitcher and shortstop for Las Tejanas, recalls how her teammates' kids were the team's biggest cheerleaders. Rosa Garza, Carmen's eldest daughter, backs this up, claiming that Las Tejanas were a tough team to play against, given how loud the crowds were during games.
After eating supper, Las Tejanas would rush with their kids to go out and play at the field. If it was a home game, it would be played before sundown at Pulaski Park due to the absence of lights. Pulaski was also where Las Tejanas regularly practiced. Away games would be played at Walker Field Park, which did have lights. Today, both parks are now home to soccer fields. Las Tejanas played a wide variety of local teams, traveling as far as Niles, Michigan, or La Porte, Indiana. They even played all-white teams.
The Championship Game: Las Tejanas vs. Red Doors
Rosa recalls a favorite memory of hers being the championship game between Las Tejanas and the Red Doors, an all-white women's team. Carmen Garza, Rosa's mom, had struck out one of the players for the Red Doors.
The Red Door player got mad, and flung her bat angrily. She ended up hitting a child... which didn't end nicely for the opposing team.
If you're from the [Rio Grande Valley], you know they're not messing around.
Rosa Garza
Hailing from South Texas, Las Tejanas were not afraid to show their roots, especially when it came to competition and disrespect from non-Hispanic people. Rosa claims that the Red Doors targeted Las Tejanas because of their non-white identity. At the heart of the competition were racial tensions. Las Tejanas didn't ask for this, and they certainly didn't start it, but if you mess with one, you'll get them all.
There was a line to being a bad sport and being racist, and the Red Doors had crossed it. So, upon hitting a child, Elva Bautista did not hesitate to stand up for her community. And Las Tejanas backed her up.
Following the violent incident, Las Tejanas emerged victorious in defeating the Red Doors. The picture taken after the championship is a photo that lives in almost every home, but is not part of the Garza collection. (It is not included in this site).
Friday weren’t just a time for women to play. They were a time to inspire and rally the community
Carmen Garza
Carmen was born in Brownsville, TX and moved to South Bend. Her brother, Ernesto S. Hernandez, started Las Tejanas and coached them as well. She was a parishioner of St. Casimir Catholic Church and was a pitcher for the Tejanas. Her other hobbies outside of helping others and playing softball were dancing, playing bingo, watching gameshows, rooting for the Cubs, and collecting elephant trinkets.
Her son, Ernesto Garza III (August 17, 1963 ~ February 6, 2016), served in the US Army and became a pitcher (and eventually coach) for the South Bend Padres and Holy Family.
Her eldest daughter, Rosa Garza, carries fond memories of her mom because of her childhood at Pulaski and Walker park. She loved watching her mom play for Las Tejanas. Rosa has a deep connection to her roots in the RGV, and frequently goes back to visit family.
Carmen passed away in 2013, and lived to be 70 years old.
Rita T. (Gaytan) Valdez
Rita was born in Brownsville, TX and later moved to South Bend like other migrant workers. She loved playing Mexican Chalupa, watching action movies, and spending time with her family. Her favorite hobbies were bowling, doing puzzles, dancing, singing, going to the casino, playing bingo, and of course, softball.
Rita passed away in 2024 and lived up to 84 years old. She had 7 kids, all of whom loved to come and support her during her games with Las Tejanas.
Maria Magdalena "Magda" Canul
Magda was born in Brownsville, TX, but moved to South bend like other workers. She enjoyed dancing, music, and playing on dart & bowling leagues along with softball.
Magda started working with AM General but later decided to work for Notre Dame. She retired in 2006.
Magda is sister to Carmen Garza. Teammate Rita Valdez was Magda's sister-in-law.
Elva Bautista
Elva was born in Weslaco, Texas, and moved South Bend in 1971. She played shortstop.
Elva was a business woman. She opened up Elva’s Fiesta Club in South Bend, which served as a social hall for Quinceaneras and other community gatherings. She was also employed with AM General for 30 years.
One of her four sons, Armando Bautista Jr. was the Disc Jockey at the social hall.
She is said to have been moved by Cesar Chavez, and interested in the movement.
Elva passed away in 2015 and lived up to be 71 years old.
Rosa Fuentes
Rosa was born in Alice, Texas, and moved to South Bend with her parents when she was about 12 years old.
Rosa recounts her time with Las Tejanas as memorable, especially because softball is her favorite sport to play. She is only 19 in this picture, and she played the positions of pitcher and shortstop. Rosa recalls that the sons of the other players were the team's biggest cheerleaders. Because Rosa didn't have children of her own during her time with Las Tejanas, her father (~1988) was her biggest supporter. He would be at every game. Her mom (~2003), 5 sisters, and 2 brothers also came to watch her play, but not her baby sister Lisa because she was still too young to come out and watch. Rosa played with Las Tejanas for 2 years.
During her time as a Tejana, she also loved to dance Cumbias and was part of a dancing group.
After the dissolution of the team, she went off to work for Allied Products Corp., where she was part of the quality control team for 32 years. The women at Allied made a softball league of their own, and the team was comprised of white, Black, and 4 Hispanic women, as Rosa recalls. She loved playing the game here as well.
"I was born with red hair and I'm Hispanic!"
Rosa's hair is red in this picture and she identifies herself as the "redhead in the photograph." Though her hair may be graying, her hair is not that different today thanks to red hair dye!
She has very fond memories of all the women in the team, and the memory of Las Tejanas lives on with her. As a matter of fact, many of them were family to her, like her Tia Escobedo.
Maria (Chiquita) Hernandez
Maria is known as Maria Chiquita within the community.
Becky described her as a “go-getter” due to her willingness to always volunteer at La Casa de Amistad. She wasn’t a part of larger advocate organizations, but she focused on local-level advocacy through LULAC. She enjoyed organizing at St. Stephens, with events like Mother's Day picnics. She was very good at getting things done.
Maria worked for ND Laundry Services along with Magdalena and Carmen.
A simple gathering for a photo after emerging victorious from a softball game carries the stories of women who came from Southern Texas, and paved the way for coming generations. They cared for their children, and fought for their educations through advocacy and volunteering at places like El Campito Day Care and La Casa. They incorporated sports into their lives, and certainly into their kids, some who were able to use sports as a means of breaking into higher education and other opportunities in life. Las Tejanas are an integral piece of the first generation of Mexican-Americans in South Bend. Their children, along with anyone who carries memories of them, also hold fond recollections of Fridays at the ballpark, and are ultimately inspired by the grit of Las Tejanas.
Credits:
Created with an image by Mark - "baseball diamond in a park where games should be played but now only has practices"