Victoria Courts - Victoria Commons (San Antonio, Lubbock: apartments, home, safe neighborhood)

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by wehotex

Silly Question, but where are the victoria courts?

In 1955 the Victoria courts were located near downtown. The main street was
E. Durango.


This is today, Cesar Chavez Blvd. facing west.

To the left where you see those buildings was located the courts.
Back then there was no freeway, Institute buildings or Hemisfair park.
Mostly broken down buildings & parking lots.
As a kid of ten, it never occurred to me that we were poor. Everybody
in the neighbor was in the same situation. If there were rich families I
probably would've noticed the differences. We had a b&w tv with the
rabbit ears. My dad never finished high school, but he worked hard .
And we never went hungry. My best friend Henry & I walked to the
Majestic to see Davy Crockett (Fess Parker) in person. Although my folks loved
me, there was little motivation to do better in school. They were very
busy making sure that we ate & had clothes. It was an uncle who helped me.
He told me that if I wanted something it was up to me. So as*mud* stated,
I chose to do something about it.

[geargrinder70]

[quote=*mud*;33970175].
.
.
none of us are born winners. or losers.

we are born choosers.
.
.
.[/quote

The only problem is the ones that choose to be a loser always seem to blame someone or something else for their problems.

[r.r. garza]

In response to WilGar,

Thanks, but I think I owe it all to my family. We were dirt poor as I mentioned. My grandmother had lived through the Great depression, lost her husband and their farm in Floresville, TX. She always worked in whatever she could find. She was the real foundation in our family. Yes she had to finally take the Victoria Courts as a "temporary home" as she would often say. She was very strict, firm, and always loving. Sometimes you don't realize the influence good people have on you as you grow up. Breaking the cycle was not an option it was a requirement. We had to do it. I had to do it and get out of the "Courts". I could not wait to turn 17 so I could join the Marine Corps. It was the Viet Nam era. I did not finish high school is S.A. I did in the Marines and later continued on to college. My point being that, it is a frame of mind, something taught early on. Teaching your kids that it is not money or success that makes you happy, it is the understanding that there is a better life, however you can find it. The good stuff always seems to follow. At this point I must mention my grandmothers name, she would think it a hoot to be on the internet since she was born in 1901. Her name was Lucia. Grandma Luz.

[huckster]

Some people think that Poverty is a result of the moral failing of the individual caught in such a circumstance. Not so. As though industriousness were not a part of the makeup of their character.
Your family, Garza and you, may not, probably would have not done so well in escaping poverty so quickly without public aid. That bare minimum assistance, Relief. Maybe even have gotten taken ill from malnutrition and died. Coming from such poverty as "the courts" your family's story says it all. With help you broke the cycle. Perhaps a generation or two more quickly than without it? The standard of living here in San Antonio back then was much lower than it is now.
So widespread was poverty here in South Texas during the years of the Great Depression that Armadillos were known colloquially as " Hoover Hogs ". So named after the great GOP Pres. Herbert Hoover.
Armadillo for dinner = Not Good Times. Money was tight.
Hard times indeed.

Originally Posted by r.r. garza

My grandmother, mother, and my siblings and I grew up in the Victoria Courts. Really a strange place for me as a child. But at the time there was no other choice, or way out. We were dirt poor except for the cinder block courts. Had to accept Relief as it was called then. Really bad feeling growing up that way.
However, somehow, we made it out. I wound up at San Antonio College, so did my sister. I continued on to Texas A&M. I wound up working for major brokerage firms, and now have my own business. My thought is if we had not had that assistance to survive, to somehow want to get out and find a better life, could we have done it without that bare minimum assistance?

[r.r. garza]

Originally Posted by L210

My family would have stayed homeless if it weren't for government assistance. I'm not sure if I would have been able to go to college without financial aid; I had a sibling to support leaving no extra money for anything else. In my situation, I found it easy to break the cycle. Unfortunately, some of my other families that are close to my age chose to make poor life decisions. The most important thing I did was to not have children out of wedlock, especially when I wasn't making much money. The second most important thing I did was to complete a college education.

Congratulations to you.

Good for you Girl. You did it and made it. There are so many of us who work hard, do our best, and I always see success in our efforts. Well, with those who try. No magic. Just that determination and idea that there is something better. To get out of the past and grow.

[r.r. garza]

Thank you for your reply. By the grace of God, and I am not that religious. But always grateful. My nieces and nephews now own there own homes. One works at a bank, another is a paralegal. And several are in college now. One is at Our Lady of the Lake is San Antonio. Go figure. But it is amazing to me how far this 5th generation of ours has come. We actually have been around since the 1880's.Dirt poor Mexicans. My great aunt would say she was not American, nor Mexican, she was a Tejana. She remembered when Texas was part of Mexico. But again, I must state, my great people who I come from were hard working and did their best. And guess what they succeeded with us.

[Sasha's]

You used assistance for the reason it was meant for. Not so you could use extra money for tv's, new cars, brand name foods, junk foods.
you used it for the bare
necessities, while working at becoming educated so you could be self sufficient.
I only hope you give back as much/equivalent money to the state/schools that you received in state aid and school grants.
You cannot be proud of yourself yet, unless you have paid it all forward.... DO YOU GIVE BACK AS MUCH OR MORE MONEY THAT YOU TOOK FROM THE STATE AND HIGHER EDUCATION? Or are you the kindof person that took the assistance, then brags that you are a successful person with money in the bank, new cars, house etc?
"Success also means paying forward", being truthful, giving and not taking, teaching your children what is important (not using texting, games in public, doing/giving to others- such as cutting the elderly neighbors lawn routinely happily, working at the soup kitchen on holidays, learning to be a better person in every way).
Success is more than graduating from college and having $$ and Bling.
Do you invite the widow/widower to dinner? Invite the elderly out to lunch?
Do you give of yourself?

[L210]

Originally Posted by Sasha's

You used assistance for the reason it was meant for. Not so you could use extra money for tv's, new cars, brand name foods, junk foods.
you used it for the bare
necessities, while working at becoming educated so you could be self sufficient.
I only hope you give back as much/equivalent money to the state/schools that you received in state aid and school grants.
You cannot be proud of yourself yet, unless you have paid it all forward.... DO YOU GIVE BACK AS MUCH OR MORE MONEY THAT YOU TOOK FROM THE STATE AND HIGHER EDUCATION? Or are you the kindof person that took the assistance, then brags that you are a successful person with money in the bank, new cars, house etc?
"Success also means paying forward", being truthful, giving and not taking, teaching your children what is important (not using texting, games in public, doing/giving to others- such as cutting the elderly neighbors lawn routinely happily, working at the soup kitchen on holidays, learning to be a better person in every way).
Success is more than graduating from college and having $$ and Bling.
Do you invite the widow/widower to dinner? Invite the elderly out to lunch?
Do you give of yourself?

I think EVERYONE should try to give back when they can. Even the wealthy who were never on welfare received their money somehow from customers (and even taxpayers) directly or indirectly. It's the reason why you see companies like H.E.B. trying to give back. It just doesn't sound right to tell someone that because his or her family was poor through no fault of his or her own, that he or she needs to give back more than others. The OP's mother and grandmother were the recipients of the government assistance; the OP was just a child. A child shouldn't be responsible for the debts of his or her parents.

Most college students receive some form of financial aid. Because those with college degrees tend to make more money, they end up paying more taxes. The OP is probably paying more taxes than most people with just a high school diploma including those who have never received government assistance.

[huckster]

Nonsensical premise as though it should shame one to accept aid. Of course a person can take pride in deeds, whether intellectual, athletic, business, work or any other endeavor.
Not only a degree. Degrees don't always mean a lot anyway.
A person can take pride in their accomplishments. Success does not come easy. Especially at such long odds as these folks had at the outset of their struggle. There is plenty to look back upon with pride. Mowing lawns happily? Being truthful? Video games?
Never smile on Sunday, it is wicked.
Do not use text in public ? Evils all, I guess ? This last one is hilarious. Go to the restroom and text
you brat ? I have seen many,many sinners texting and using laptops at airports.
It is good that you have risen from poverty and are no longer a burden upon society, former Victoria Court resident, this is enough to take pride in. You are now a contributor, not a taker. That helps others that occupy the place you were in, when you next send a substantial check in to the IRS remember , you must also happily mow lawns and frown upon texting in public.
We have a long way to go with this texting rule.

Originally Posted by Sasha's

You used assistance for the reason it was meant for. Not so you could use extra money for tv's, new cars, brand name foods, junk foods.
you used it for the bare
necessities, while working at becoming educated so you could be self sufficient.
I only hope you give back as much/equivalent money to the state/schools that you received in state aid and school grants.
You cannot be proud of yourself yet, unless you have paid it all forward.... DO YOU GIVE BACK AS MUCH OR MORE MONEY THAT YOU TOOK FROM THE STATE AND HIGHER EDUCATION? Or are you the kindof person that took the assistance, then brags that you are a successful person with money in the bank, new cars, house etc?
"Success also means paying forward", being truthful, giving and not taking, teaching your children what is important (not using texting, games in public, doing/giving to others- such as cutting the elderly neighbors lawn routinely happily, working at the soup kitchen on holidays, learning to be a better person in every way).
Success is more than graduating from college and having $$ and Bling.
Do you invite the widow/widower to dinner? Invite the elderly out to lunch?
Do you give of yourself?

[r.r. garza]

In Atlanta now for several years. great business I have. Still miss the old hood, well, not really. But there were some great people there and I learned a lot. Life in the Victoria courts was a mess, but, hey here I am. As my grandmother would say "That's what I expected of you, and that's what you did".