The Editor: Efrain Gutierrez is creating a new film, "Al Norte , una

pelicula of our Raza as they made trips "al norte" as migrant farm
workers. Efrain is a great artist in the arena of Chicano cinematography,
from writing to prod ucing to directing, to acting in some of the first full
feature films by a Chicano. A great film familiar to many Chicanos is
the film known as "Please Don't Bury Me Alive." Efrain did not ask me
to ask you to help him, but the Editor knows and understands the costs
and sacrifices that Efrain has historically made for our Raza community,
so I am providing you with Efrain 's phone n umber and email address
and see how it is that you might assist him. You could consider inviting
him to your community, school or college so he could share with you
and your friends the history of Chicano cinema. You might want to
encourage your friends to shoot a few movie shots of your own to see if
Efrain might use them in his work. You can see one of Efrain 's movies,
''El Juanio'' in this Vimeo link:
https://vimeo.com/147061212
the password is: efraingutierrez.com
Use the password above, all of it.
The Editor
Efrai n Gutierrez
210-815-00I8
efraingutierrez_1@hotmail.com

Al Norte
By Efrain Gutierrez
Last summer, 2015, I went back to the Midwest where I worked as
a migrant in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. I went back to the Midwest
for a reunion with relatives that stayed and now live in Auburn, Indiana.
While in Auburn I visited the site of the migrant camp that was our
home when we worked in Indiana planting and picking tomatoes. No
trace is left of the camp, now a recycling plant. The pickle factor that we
picked pickles for, Sechlers Fine Pickles, in St. Joe and where my older
brother and older cousins worked is now a museum. There were many
pictures about the history of the factory but I was disappointed that not
one picture, of the hundreds of migrants that gave their blood, sweat and
tears, laboring to make the factory a success, was displayed.
Going back to visit places that I worked in as a migrant made me
have more appreciation for the many migrant families that have
contributed greatly to the mid-west.
Isolated from the more affluent neighborhoods and treated as
second class citizens, Mexican/Americans families from the poorest
neighborhoods in cities and towns in south Texas, educated in
segregated schools with little or no opportunity for employment,
migrated Al Norte. Because of blatant discrimination, and segregation
of Chicanos in the Texas school system, too many Chicano students
dropped out of school and never got the opportunity to attend college.
The few that were fortunate to graduate were not wanted in the major
Texas universities.
Seeking higher educational opportunities for their children, many of
these migrant families from Texas stayed and raised families in the
Midwest, taking advantage of the major universities in the Midwest that
recruited and welcomed them. I was happy to meet so many Chicanos
that are now business owners, own farms, and their children are now

medical doctors, Layers, artists, professors, teachers, politicians,

writers, media personalities .
When people speak about the farm workers contribution to the
food chain most Americans think, California and Cesar Chavez because
very little has been written about the thousands of migrants from Texas
that migrated to the Midwest. There were more migrants from Texas
that worked in states like Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin
and Missouri, than there were in all of California. When my family
started migrating, Al Norte, first to Indiana and Ohio in 1948, than
Michigan in 1956, we worked in many farms that needed our labor to
plant and harvest their crops. We planted sugar beets and picked
Cherries in Michigan, planted and picked tomatoes, potatoes, corn and
melons in Indiana and Ohio, picked cotton in Missouri and Texas.
Depending on the season or crop, we worked alongside Native
Americans (mostly from Canada), poor whites from the Ozarks, braceros
from Mexico and Haitians, African Americans, and Mexican
Americans or what I refer to as Chicano families, mostly from central
and south Texas. Migrants from Austin, San Antonio and Houston in
Central Texas down to Laredo and the valley and all small towns in
between contributed field labor to help feed America. The lack of job
opportunities in Texas made these families go Al Norte to put food on
the table; I remember the labor we did to feed our family not old enough
to know we were also feeding America.
While in Michigan I contacted Mr. Juan Marines, former Tejano
from Crystal City, Texas and now retired from Michigan State, as Assist
Director, Emeritus. He worked for 38 years for the Michigan State
University Extension. While in my Michigan journey he offered to help
me locate the cherry farm I and my family worked at in Traverse City in
the 50s and 60s. When the word got around about my visit to Traverse
City Michigan I was contacted by Sierra Gould and the Northwest
Michigan Migrant Resource Council who invited me to participate and
ride on their float in the Traverse City, Cherry Festival, and Parade.
Traverse City, Michigan, the cherry capital, where my family and I spent

many happy summers picking cherries and celebrated the 4th of July.
Needless to say I was honored to ride on their parade Ms. Gladys
Munoz and the Leelanau County League of Women Voters arranged for
us to screen one of our movies Barrio Tales: Tops, Kites, and Marbles
at the Immaculate Conception Catholic church hall, in Traverse City,
Michigan
I have started researching the history of Texas migrants, 19461970 and am writing and preparing to film a documentary about Texas
families that worked as migrants and now make their homes in Texas or
the Midwest, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. I plan to be in the Midwest
this summer, June-July, to interview and document some of these
inspiring stories that we need to record as part of our history.
I share these in hopes of contacting other migrants or children of
migrants that would like to share their stories and pictures for a
documentary in pre-production. As a fundraiser we will be celebrating
the 40th anniversary of Please Dont Bury Me Alive/Por Favor No Me
Entierren Vivo! El Paso celebrated the event with several screenings
February 23-25 at UTEP, two community colleges and one high school.
We will celebrate the anniversary in San Antonio with a free screening
from 7.00 pm-11:00pm on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 3403 South
Flores, San Antonio, Texas, 78207. All proceeds from these events will
benefit production of Al Norte

Respectfully,
Efrain Gutierrez
210-8150018
efraingutierrez_1@hotmail.com
Efrain Gutierrez is an award winning filmmaker who is recognized by
academia as the first Chicano (Mexican/American) to independently
produce a feature length film. His papers are archived at Stanford

University and three of his films are archive at the UCLA television and
film archives. In 2014 his first film Please Dont Bury Me Alive/Por
Favor No Me Entierren Vivo! was selected by the Library of Congress
to be included in the National Film Registry.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Preservation
and Foundation Programs selected Efrain Gutierrez to be part of the
permanent Academy Film Archive collection, where it will be presented
as a unique and personal window into motion picture history. Gutierrez
was interviewed at the Austin Film Society studio in Austin, Texas on
April 29, 2016 by Charles Ramirez Berg, University of Texas
Distinguished Teaching Professor in Media Studies, Department of
Radio-TV-Films.

https://vimeo.com/158283460/ae89aa64d4

Traverse City Cherry Festival Parade

Efrain thank you Im so happy it was a positive experience. I cant tell

you how many letters, emails, and verbal feedback Ive received from
students and colleagues about how much you inspired them. The
students at the Premiere cinema screening said it was so powerful and
strong. Im so sorry we wore you out. Muchisimas gracias from the
bottom of my heart for accepting the invitation and for giving so much
of yourself to our community. You inspired me tremendously.
Elvira Carrizal-Dukes
Lecturer, Chicano Studies
Graham Hall 104
The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX 79968-0563
Tel: (915) 747 - 5462