History Of JW's in Corpus Christi Review

I chose to review this website because it is a topic that I have a personal connection to as a Jehovah Witness. I was very touched and pleased with the website because it taught me things about JW's in Corpus Christi that I did not know before. I didn't even know that the Brawner Hall was the first hall in Corpus Christi and I go there. What I liked the most about the website was the section on segregation because it displayed the true love brothers and sisters had for each other reguardless of race or regardless of what laws or even other people said was the norm. I was touched by seeing all the progress  JW's have made in Corpus  because it reminded me that although sometimes our efforts may seem fruitless they are not. This website for me was very beneficial and I loved how you can truly see the love and appreciation the creator has for the topic.

Corpus Christi Surf History Review

I chose to review Madelyn's project because I was interested in discovering the revelance of surfing in Corpus Christi, and I must say that I was quite pleased with what I learned from the website. The website displayed how surfing has evolved since it's beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, and also how the culture of surfing has been stereotyped by other  surfing states in the U.S.. Surfing in Corpus Christi is very unique than surfing in other states because it teaches surfers to learn how to  surf in any types of conditions which in the long run makes them work harder and be better surfers than if they lived in any other surfing state. I really enjoyed the person opinion the creator of the website included because it showed her personal connection and appreciation for the topic while also spurring an interest in surfing for the viewer.

Reflection

I'm not quite sure if my mind is capable of describing what I learned through this project or even how I feel about it, but this is my attempt at doing so. I must say that doing the research for this project and putting it together was a stressful yet beautiful experience. The greatest part of it all for me was being able to hear what it was like in Corpus Christi during WWII first hand from those people who lived through it. Their experiences, the details, and emotions they express are far beyond more beneficial and touching than any textbook could be, and it is their stories that I will truly remember. I guess I can say this project gave me a clearer view of what kind of person I want to be, and what kind of love the people of Corpus Christi should have for each other. Maybe it is outdated to be cordial to one another, to say please and thank you, or even to help out your neighbors in their time of need, but if simple gestures like these are outdated then what kind of community unity can Corpus truly say to have? The beauty of Corpus' experience during WWII is not in how many planes came from here or how many enemy lives were killed by Corpus Christi soldiers, it is in the sacrifices the people made for each other, and for their country. These sacrifices, this spirit of selflessness is something we see less and less today, and it is my mission to try to revive it, one kind act at a time.

Karankwa Indians

As I was driving to the beach this past Sunday with my parents I remembered the Karankwa historical markers was nearby at the Texas A&M trails. I proceeded to then scream like a maniac to my dad to take a right because I NEEDED to take a picture to which after some uncertainty he obliged. The Karankwa Indians were one of the first tribes Europeans came across in Texas; they were nomadic and would sometimes cover themselves with alligator grease to keep mosquitoes away. They were friendly with the Europeans up until reports of them being cannibals during the winters spread. European attempts to "civilize" the Karankwa population were never successful and their small population was made even smaller when they began to die due to European diseases. The remaining members of the Karankwa's then fled to Mexico in 1843 after many other disputes with Europeans and in 1858 the Karankwa tribe disappeared completely.

Putting the Pieces Together

Today is the big day!!! I'm just putting the finishing touches on my site and I'm pretty satisfied with the way it is turning out. It seems as if every article, every interview, every book page was made to come together for this project, and was made for me to learn about. I'm not going to lie, it has been a lot of work. I think the hardest part was picking the right information to put on my site, and figuring out which events during this time period were the most relevant to Corpus Christi residents. I think the best part of my project is being able to uncover how people truly felt while the U.S. was at war, and how grateful they are that they did not have to sacrifice as much as the European nations did. It makes me a whole lot more grateful for the blessings I have now.

1919 Storm

So as I was leaving The Lexington with my mom I spotted this historical marker and totally made my mom pull over. I had never realized how many historical markers Corpus really had until this project. Now whenever I'm driving I can't help but notice them, which is pretty crazy considering they have always been there but I never noticed them before. Anyways, this historical marker talked about the hurricane that hit Corpus Christi at 9:45 AM on Sunday, September 14, 1919. I was pretty shocked when I read that the people of the city did not have much time to prepare for the storm because they were notified just hours before it hit. The wind from the storm itself wasn't really caused over $20 million of damage but more the tidal waves the storm produced. 300 to 400 houses were destroyed, and 357 people died in Corpus Christi due to the storm The legacy this storm left on the city was the sea wall, before there was no barrier protecting the city from the sea, and we can thank the people who lived through this storm for the wall that now protects us from being swallowed by the ocean when a storm approaches.

The Lexington!!!

I was really surprised to discover that The Lexington was not counted as historical marker in Corpus Christi. I think this is due to the fact that it was converted into a museum, but either way it counts as a historical marker in my book. I chose to take a selfie with The Lexington because it is directly related to WWII which happens to be my topic for the local history project. The Lexington was actually built during WWII, and was mostly used during the Pacific War but was then later decommissioned and donated to the city of Corpus Christi as a museum ship. I thought it was funny how the Japanese used to call The Lexington "the blue ghost" because they thought they had destroyed the ship several times, especially because as I child I remember going on field trips and being terrified because of the several ghost stories my peers had shared with me about the ship. Although my topic is more geared towards the homefront in Corpus Christi during WWII it was nice to see how the U.S. government was utilizing all the materials they were receiving through rationing to defend their country. I think seeing The Lexington here in Corpus probably warms the hearts of the people who lived here during WWII because it probably reminds them of a time when the U.S. was really united, and maybe even of any loved ones they may have lost.

Today I visited the Central Library's Local History section in order to research my topic on the Corpus Christi home-front during WWII. What I found was that there were many various committees and organizations during this time that devoted themselves to gathering materials and selling bonds in order to help the United States' war effort. Among them were the tire rationing board, the scrap metal committee, bond committee and etc.. I found information about all these committees through  different articles in the Caller Times located in the library's vertical files. The conclusion I drew from just these articles that was for the most part the people of Corpus Christi were very supportive of the war effort, and they did anything they could to provide the materials necessary for the U.S.'s army. I think the greatest takeaway from this research I did today was that the people of Corpus Christi, much like the rest of the people in the U.S., were very patriotic during WWII , and were willing to make sacrifices for what they thought would benefit their country in a time of great despair.

Buc Days

I wish I had more to share on this topic but the truth is I really don't. When I asked my mom and dad about this they gave me a very vague answer that made me realize that the Buc Days has never really played a big part in my life. My parents told me they never went to the carnival because it didn't attract them but they did tell me that they knew it was usually a huge main attraction for many of their friends. Personally I have never attended the parade but I have gone to the carnival which was a big different than most carnivals because there was many distinct touches that made it unique to Corpus Christi. And although I have never really experienced the full on impact of Buc Days on Corpus Christi I can tell that it is an event that allows the community to come together and forget about their daily troubles and just have fun with their families and neighbors.

Historical Marker #1- Cheston L. Health School

So I know this picture isn't exactly a selfie but considering my phone camera is quite terrible and I happened to have Abigail (my camera) with me this day I hope you'll find it in your hearts to forgive me (yes, that is sarcasm). But BEHOLD Ismi, Anna, and I's selfie nonetheless! It was actually quite difficult to get together to take this picture we tried at least three times to get together to take it but something always seemed to come up. We took this picture right after the Senior pep-rally which is why Anna has rhinestones on the side of her face and I'm wearing a purple shirt I haven't worn since my Freshmen year. These factors could have added to the series of puzzled looks we got from people outside the courthouse one of which I recognized to be one of my cousins friends who were probably wondering why in the world out of all places in Corpus Christi we had decided to take the picture there... But I hope maybe seeing us take the picture there spurred their curiosity, and maybe, just maybe, got them to read what that marker said. And maybe I'm being to hopeful, but if they did read the marker I hope they thought about how far Corpus has come from those times, and I also hope this marker reminds them to be grateful for the sacrifices and hardships other people have had to endure for us to have the rights we have now such as me being able to attend Collegiate with kids of all races and backgrounds, and better yet me even getting a college education which would have been impossible to even dream of back then as a Mexican-American. 

History Topic- Moral and Emotional Effects of WW2 in Corpus Christi

I know this isn't quite an obvious topic for me considering I don't really have a direct connection to it, but how I came about to choosing this topic can mostly be contributed to Mr. Martinez. I remember sitting at my laptop staring at my Statistics homework when the idea came to me that maybe I would like to study WWII for my project. Well, actually now that I come to think of it I sort of had picked my topic long before this project... I remember studying one of the Watchtower magazines for the meeting and coming across an article that talked about a Jehovah's Witness experience in a concentration camp during WWII, and I remember thinking about the huge emotional affect WWII must have had on the world. Which brought me to thinking about how the holocaust and WWII could have possible affected my life. Well anyways after the idea surged in my head that Saturday I texted Mr.Martinez about wanting to study WWII for my project which then lead to a phone call which lead to me reading about an article about the home-front in Corpus Christi during WWII. What I gathered from the article is what really lead to me deciding to choose this topic because it really described the spirits of people in Corpus during the war, and the lingering cloud of emotions it left on the town. Which thus brings me to define my topic for you. My topic consists the study of how the war affected the way the people of Corpus Christi viewed war and most importantly the way the viewed the rights of other people regardless of race, religion, or values. I want to know how and what ultimate lesson, if any, people learned from the atrocities of WWII, how their morals were altered because of this, and what they did to make sure the world never saw such hate in the world ever again.