Spanish speaking peoples in Utah, oral histories: book 1, numbers 1 through 10

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INTERVIEW: Francis Yanez Page 25 VM: Forty-three? FY: Uh huh, that the state, you know, finally ah----for ah recognized into the state and that, you know, and bonded about nineteen­forty- three. But this is a good organization, you know, especially for the Mexicans. VM: What were your initial activities? About the same thing as you have today, the same type of activities---fifth of May celebrations, and stuff? FY: They're----they're getting a lots better now. Where we used to have the Terrace, you know, the Terrace Ballroom, which is Boyd, what's his name, Boyd Jenson, he's manager from the Terrace, and Kimbel, ah---they've been working with the Mexicans from the Mexican Civic Center. They---they can see what we're striving for, and they can see it's a group---a small group of people that are trying to keep the culturals from Old Mexico, you know, the language, the dance, the dress, food----and when you get into the churches, there's lots--­there's lots outside that are trying to do the same thing, but then they get religion mixed up, see---politics. And we don't. We don't mix in religion or politics in any way whatsoever. We let the citizen know that they're supposed to be voters, you know,---get them to vote as a citizen, but when it comes to politics and religion, we're just deaf towards