National Wrestling Hall of Fame

A S THE LATINO POPULATION IN THIS NATION HAS EXPANDED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST 50-PLUS YEARS, Spanish-speakers have become a larger and larger component of academic research in areas such as History and Sociology (among others). Academicians have provided broad analysis of the story of the members of this group, and how they have fit in, and actually how they are changing the American political, social, and demographic landscape. If current trends continue, the Spanish-surnamed will make up approximately one- quarter of all Americans by the year 2050. Indeed, some of the fastest growing populations of Latinos are in states which previously had had almost none (mostly in the South), or relatively few (mostly in the Midwest). One other aspect of these changes has been that as Spanish-speakers move into more and more areas of the country, the offspring of these families are becoming a common sight on the athletic fields of communities throughout the rural parts of the U.S. A recent essay in the New York Times entitled "Hispanics Reviving Faded Towns on the Plains" made this argument, and featured a photo of such children playing basketball in Ulysses, Kansas. Further, in a recent book (entitled Latinos in U.S. Sport: A History of Isolation, Cultural Identity, and Acceptance) by one of the authors of this small work, the participation of such atletas on basketball courts and football gridirons in places such as Iowa and Nebraska was a topic of discussion and analysis. To this author's regret, the project overlooked the contributions of wrestlers, but he now hopes to make amends by co-authoring this specific study of Latinos in this sport. Given such developments as noted above, it is not surprising that a similar occurrence is taking place on wrestling mats throughout the nation. As we will note the roughly 60-plus pieces found herein, several institutions, for example Randall (Texas) High School (near Amarillo) and Garden City (Kansas) High School, have in recent decades depended on the ability of Latino wrestlers to bring notoriety and success to their storied programs. What might be surprising to some is that this is not by any means a recent phenomenon. Latino grapplers have made their mark on the sport, at the high school and collegiate levels, since the dawn of the 20th century. As this population continues to burgeon, this circumstance should become even more familiar. With this in mind, we offer wrestling fans this small book, filled with the triumphs and stories of a number of men and women who have succeeded at the collegiate level, simultaneously often overcoming obstacles of discrimination, economic depravation, and family issues. The stories you will find herein are tales of individuals who are the best that this community and sport can offer. These individuals worked diligently to succeed at their craft, and achieved remarkable triumphs; all-the-while retaining great pride in their ethnic backgrounds and seeking to serve as role models for all. We hope that you enjoy getting to know their stories and will be inspired as we were in conducting our research for this work. BY JORGE IBER, PHD LATINO WRESTLING LATINO WRESTLING EXPERIENCE NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM | 3

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