La Colonia Mexicana de Melvin

La Colonia Mexicana de Melvin is a landmark study of Mexican Americans in Melvin, Texas, and a powerful examination of how a small rural community helped shape the broader story of Texas history. In this deeply researched work, historian Arnoldo De León explores the lives of Mexican settlers who moved into the farming areas surrounding Melvin in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Committed to building stable lives in the United States, these pioneers, known as pobladores, created a thriving community rooted in faith, family, and mutual support. By the late 1910s, Mexican Americans in Melvin had cultivated a social and cultural space of their own, establishing institutions that sustained them in the face of adversity and discrimination.

Building Community in Rural Texas

Unlike many histories that focus on large urban centers, La Colonia Mexicana de Melvin centers on a small but significant rural town. The Mexican American families who settled near Melvin built churches, civic organizations, and social networks that functioned as protective bulwarks against prejudice and segregation. These institutions strengthened community resilience and preserved cultural identity in an often-hostile environment.

Through original research and archival work, De León challenges the myth that rural Mexican Americans in Texas were passive participants in history. Instead, he reveals a community that actively shaped its own destiny.

Leadership and the Fight Against Segregation

The story extends into the mid-twentieth century, particularly during and after World War II. Many young Mexican Americans from Melvin served in the military, and upon returning home, community leaders became instrumental in efforts to dismantle segregation in Texas public education.

Their activism contributed to broader changes in the state’s educational system and helped advance civil rights in Texas. By focusing on one rural community, La Colonia Mexicana de Melvin provides an important lens through which to understand Mexican American history in Texas and the long struggle for equality.

About the Author

Arnoldo De León is one of the foremost scholars of Mexican American history in Texas. The author or editor of 28 books, he earned his doctoral degree from Texas Christian University in 1974 and served on the faculty of Angelo State University from 1973 to 2015. A Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association since 1987 and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters since 1996, De León was named Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus upon his retirement. The Department of History at Angelo State now bears his name.

Why This Book Matters

La Colonia Mexicana de Melvin is essential reading for those interested in:

• Mexican American history in Texas

• Rural Texas communities

• Civil rights and educational desegregation

• Twentieth-century Texas social history

• The role of small towns in shaping state history

By telling the story of Mexican Americans in Melvin, Texas, De León restores historical visibility to a community whose influence extends far beyond its size.