Lower Rio Grande Valley (Tex.)

Correspondence, creative works, printed material, sound recordings, photographic material, and artifacts reflect the life and work of Américo Paredes (1915-1999). Paredes was a folklorist, teacher, novelist, poet, musician, academic administrator, and Mexican-American activist. Born in Brownsville, Texas, he spent his career at the University of Texas at Austin.

Javier García Peña collection includes radio programs (Checking It Out and Sabor del Pueblo), film, and newscast sample tapes. The radio programs focused on the culture of the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, from social conditions and traditions to the daily lives of Mexican Americans in the Valley.