Autobiography - History of Migration by Nicholas Balderas

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-21 23:16:58 UTC

Nick is a 4th generation U.S. citizen born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. He currently resides in the RGV where he has lived his whole life.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-21 23:44:46 UTC

Nick's parents, Raul and Leticia, were both born and raised in the U.S. in the Rio Grande Valley. They were high school sweethearts and have been together ever since.

The history of my father's migration.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-21 23:45:41 UTC

Nick's father Raul is a 3rd generation U.S. Citizen born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. His father, who was originally from Los Ramones, Mexico, migrated to the U.S. in the 1950's. Raul's Mother was a 2nd generation U.S. citizen who was born and raised in the RGV. Both his parents met in the RGV in the late 1950's and had 9 children.

The history of my mother's migration.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-21 23:51:28 UTC

Nick's mother Leticia is a 2nd generation U.S. Citizen who was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. Leticia's father was born in the United States whose parents migrated from Dr. Arroyo, Mexico in the early 1920's. Leticia's mother who is originally from Las Aldamas, Mexico, migrated to the U.S. in 1947 and currently resides in the RGV. Leticia's parents had 9 children.

Ramiro, my grandfather

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 00:19:50 UTC

Leocadia, my grandmother.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 00:20:53 UTC

Rio Grande Valley

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 00:24:02 UTC

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 01:18:42 UTC

Grandpa Ramiro, originally from Los Ramones, Mexico worked as an agricultural laborer along with his father who was a "Bracero", a Mexican agricultural laborer who came to the U.S. under the Bracero Program during WWII and the post-war era between 1942-1964. After formally establishing his citizenship in the late 1970's, Ramiro still resides in the RGV today. Ramiro's grandparents who were wealthy landowners in Los Ramones, MX owned livestock in Los Ramones. They eventually passed leaving the inheritance to his uncle from which he and his siblings sought new life in the U.S. in poverty.

Journey from Los Ramones to the U.S. (RGV)

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 01:21:10 UTC

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 01:21:44 UTC

Grandma Leocadia, was born and raised in the United States in the Rio Grande Valley where she lived her whole life raising 9 children. Leocadia passed away on March 21, 2024 survived by her spouse Ramiro. Her parents, along with her grandparents, moved to the Rio Grande Valley from Cuero, TX in 1920's. It was believed that her grandfather worked alongside the Texas Rangers in Cuero, Texas during the mid 1800's. It was also believed that Leocadia's great grandmother was of German descent who migrated into the German settlements in Spanish occupied Texas region in the late 1700s, who ultimately changed her last name to assimilate herself due to certain prejudice against Germans during this time.

Journey from Cuero, TX to South Texas

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 01:23:27 UTC

Felipe, my grandfather.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 01:26:34 UTC

Elena, my grandmother.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 01:34:03 UTC

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 02:32:10 UTC

Grandma Elena was born in Las Aldamas, Mexico where she migrated to the US in 1947 when she was 17 years old. She moved to the Rio Grande Valley with her mother and younger brother who left the small town of Las Aldamas after her father was killed at a 'cantina' (local bar) due to a disagreement. Elena gain her citizenship during the 2000's at 72 year of age. She is now 95 years old and still lives in the Rio Grande Valley today. Her mother who has since passed lived to be 101 years old.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 02:32:24 UTC

Grandpa Felipe is a 1st generation U.S. citizen born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. His parents migrated from Doctor Arroyo, Mexico to the U.S. in the early 1920's. His parents owned farmland in Mexico which they eventually sold off and bought farmland in the U.S. to settle permanently giving birth to their son Philip. Philip was a farmer throughout his life and his sons continue this work today.

Journey from Las Aldamas, MX to U.S. (RGV)

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 02:32:38 UTC

Journey from Doctor Arroyo, MX to U.S. (RGV)

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 02:34:29 UTC

Museum of South Texas History

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 02:50:56 UTC

South Padre Island

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 02:54:27 UTC

Rio Grande River

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 02:57:16 UTC

UTRGV

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 02:59:00 UTC

Journey from Sonara, MX to the U.S. (RGV)

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 03:04:45 UTC

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 03:10:59 UTC

Leocadia's lineage was also partially confirmed with the help of a genealogy test performed by her daughter. Her daughter later confirmed she was 35% percent German based on the genealogy assessment.

The article is a potential connection to migration as it relates to German settlements from a previous Spanish occupied Texas.

Yaqui deer dancer

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 03:13:33 UTC

https://www.britannica.com/place/Sonoran-Desert

South Texas Geography

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 03:21:17 UTC

RGV Farmland

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 03:22:23 UTC

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-22 03:26:04 UTC

It has been discovered that Ramiro potentially has lineage to The Yaqui, an indigenous people primary located in the Sonora Region of Mexico with a significant diaspora in the United States. This was observed when Ramiro's daughter spoke with potential relatives of Ramiro after conducting a genealogy test.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-23 13:53:58 UTC

In the history of Cuero, TX, there was a significant event associated with the Texas Rangers, 'The Sutton-Taylor Feud' in the late 1860's. Extended family have made the claim that Leocadia's grandfather worked alongside or as one of the Texas Rangers during this time; but this information cannot be confirmed. This story extends into its bloody history as stopping point on the Chisholm Trail in Cuero, TX.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-06-23 14:02:12 UTC

No further information on the lineage of both of my grandparents on my mother's side has been provided.

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-07-31 13:46:00 UTC

This project was created for academic purposes. Please give appropriate credit if using or referencing any part of this work. Unauthorized copying or distribution is not allowed without permission.

Contact Information

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-07-31 13:49:16 UTC

Nicholas Balderas M.S.C.S

Graduate Student, Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Nicholas.Balderas01@utrgv.edu

Start Here:

nicholasbalderas01 — 2025-07-31 13:53:02 UTC

This project is a map of a personal history of migration starting with myself, extending to my parents, and into the personal history of my grand parents.