Interviewer
Kimberly Sumano
Project
Ultraviole(n)t Exposures Project
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Born in El Paso in 1985, Jorge Alberto Peña grew up in Ciudad Juarez until he was a teenager. He moved to El Paso with extended family to study in the United States. Alberto first went to Irving High School, then El Paso Community College to do his basics and finally UTEP to study Piano Performance. Mr. Peña currently works as a music teacher at Guillen Middle School, and has his music band called Las Himalayas, which performs in both El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.
Summary of Interview
In this interview, Mr. Jorge Peña describes his childhood living in Ciudad Juárez. Walking to school, playing with other kids on the street, as well as his family are some of the memories he has from these early years. One that stands out is crossing to El Paso to eat at restaurants and go shopping, creating a positive impact in his desire to cross the border in the future. When the time came for Jorge to enter high school, he came to El Paso to live with an aunt. He then attended Irving High School, went to El Paso Community College and finally to UTEP to graduate as a pianist.
Ten years ago, Mr. Peña started teaching at the El Paso Independent School District. That led him to teach guitar and choir at Guillen Middle School. From this position within the school system, Mr. Peña has come to know not only the Segundo Barrio community, but also the different experiences and viewpoints of those students crossing the border every day to attend school. Most kids, he recalls, get to school on foot, and many experience daily issues before arriving to school. Segundo Barrio appears then as a community where families and identity play a pivotal role in the way of living.
In this interview, the contrast between life in El Paso and life in Ciudad Juárez highlights the border experience of thousands of people.
Date of Interview
6-19-2024
Length of Interview
1 hour 8 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1789
Transcript Number
No. 1789
Length of Transcript
18 pages
Transcriber
Institute of Oral History
Interview Number
No. 1789
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Jorge Peña by Kimberly Sumano, 2024, "Interview no. 1789," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.