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About
GCI
History
Our Friends
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History
During the early 1900's in exodus of the hardships caused by the
Mexican Revolution, many Mexican nationals began to leave their homeland
in pursuit of a better life for both themselves and their families.
These Mexican immigrants followed jobs to the north in areas of migrant
farming, railroad and livestock. While many stopped in the already
predominant Mexican-American Southwest, others went further north and
decided to settle in the Westside Community of Kansas City, Missouri.
Upon their arrival, the Mexican immigrants faced yet another
hardship. Discrimination. Mexican children were not allowed into certain
schools, while their parents were not allowed to shop in many places.
The Mexicans were also exploited in the workplace and basic services
offered by area hospitals and government agencies were not granted to
the Mexicans. Not knowing where to turn or how to respond, the need for
basic services within the Mexican community continued to grow.
To answer this growing need, a Catholic women's club in 1919 decided
to establish a volunteer school and clinic for the underprivileged
Mexican immigrants who had settled in the Westside. Naming the entity
after the patron saint of Mexico, the Guadalupe Center became one of the
nation's first social service agencies for Latinos and has grown to be
the heart of the Latino community within Kansas City.
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