BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Abner Aruaza was born in Crystal City, Texas. While growing up, Abner spent his summers traveling to different regions of the country to find work. It was the harvesting of sugar beets that brought Abner to the Clay County area. Abner attended school at Minnesota State University Moorhead and finished with a degree in Mass Communications. After receiving his degree, a position opened up at MSUM. Abner took a job as Associate Director of Student Support Services and Multicultural Affairs at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Abner's role at MSUM involves bringing minority students into the university. He also assists them throughout their schooling whenever possible. Abner also runs a Latino radio program, which he uses as a way to inform and educate the community.

In this interview, Mr. Aruaza details his childhood in the migrant worker stream between Texas and, among other places, the Fargo-Moorhaed region. He describes his love for his work, the importance of education in his life, and the changes he has seen in the Fargo-Moorhead area, especially in regards to the community's response to newcomers. He also briefly discusses the effects of the so-called "Romkey Park Riot" of 2002 on the area's Hispanic population, and the commuity at large.

Abner Arauza was interviewed on April 22, 2002 (10:30am) by Muthoni Mwangi and Tim Volk.

SAMPLES FROM THE INTERVIEW

ON HIS CHILDHOOD AS A MIGRANT WORKER:

"...you know, looking back at it, it's a lot different than having been right in it. At that time it's a way of life, so it's just like yours. And yours, and yours [ referring to the interviewers]. You know, you live with it . . . .whether it's good or bad. You know, sometimes we have some curcumstances that we realize are not as . . . glamorous, as nice as for other people, but you don't see them as bad either, or worse. They're just life."

ON HIS WORK AS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS AT MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MOORHEAD:

"I really love my position. I...I really love what I do . . . . I guess that because of my background . . . . I can not...not only empathize and sympathize with what a lot of the students of color go through. But I experienced that extra . . . . how do you call it? Extra baggage that you have to carry around just because you are a student of color, you know. Even given the same circumstances, the same background with a white student and a student of color, you know, the student of color still experiences more obstacles. More hardships, less opportunities."

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

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