Ernesto Calderon WW2

Ernesto Calderon WW2 p²

However, the winter months proved to be a bigger struggle and financial hardship for Calderon's family due to their lack of income.

"During the harvest, the whole family worked," Calderon said. "So, we had a fairly good income -- based on our standards, not the population in general."

Calderon attended South Waco Elementary School, which was only 15 blocks away from his home. After elementary school, he went to South Waco Junior High School where he reached the ninth grade and decided to quit and help his family harvest crops.

When he was in school, Calderon said school was his refuge.

"I really enjoyed school, I mean I looked forward to going to school because to me it was a hell of a lot better than picking cotton, it was a lot better than picking corn," Calderon explained. "I've always been curious and curiosity lead to reading books and asking questions and things like that."

Calderon would explore, read and study about the indigenous people of Mexico, which included the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas.

"We couldn't relate to Plymouth Rock and other stories like that because our ancestors were from Mexico," Calderon said.

While other students faced the struggles of having to learn in an all-English speaking classroom, Calderon said he was unaffected by the language barrier and even helped fellow classmates in understanding the days' lectures.

"We didn't have trouble with English like most of the kids that we hung around with were having. Most of them spoke strictly Spanish," Calderon said. "I guess to some extent we tutored the kids that were having problems while walking ... home or while we were playing and stuff like that."

Waco did not have segregated schools, perhaps, Calderon said, because the Chicano population in Waco was so small.

"I don't suppose the system saw us as a threat so it was pretty well integrated," he said.

Calderon obtained a GED and later received his Bachelor's Degree in Business in 1974 from Tarelton State University in Stephenville, Texas.

Calderon and his wife Ruby currently reside in South Austin and have two sons and a daughter: T. Reynaldo, T. Francisco and Diana Anne Calderon.