Sotomayor, Frank

This interview was recorded on January 15th, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona. It covers the following themes: 

b. 1943 

  • Family history in Tucson extending back to the mid-1880s. Ranch in northwest Tucson. Truck farming. Sale of the property during the Great Depression and father’s move to Barrio Hollywood and work at the El Conquistador Hotel. 

  • Father’s construction of his own adobe house with an outhouse in Barrio Hollywood. Neighborhood description. 

  • Childhood activities, the Santa Cruz River, and businesses in downtown Tucson. 

  • Starting at Davis School in 1949. The 1C English program at Tucson Unified School District. Race and ethnicity in school. Parents’ attitudes towards education. 

  • Family life and community. Chinese American markets. 

  • Attending John Spring Junior High. 

  • Barrio Hollywood and Menlo Park relationships. 

  • Attending Tucson High. Interest in sports journalism and taking a high school job at the Arizona Daily Star in 1960. 

Aengus Anderson