Ruben Mendoza Oral History Interview

Granite City, Hispanic, immigration, Lincoln Place, Olympic, soccer, sports

Mendoza, Ruben, “Ruben Mendoza Oral History Interview,” Madison Historical, accessed April 25, 2024, https://madison-historical.siue.edu/archive/items/show/1019.

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This oral history interview with Ruben Michael Mendoza was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History.

The interview centers on Mr. Mendoza’s life as a soccer player and coach. Mr. Mendoza begins his interview by painting a picture of what life was like living in Mexico, and his first encounters with the game of soccer at age ten. He moves back to Lincoln Place when he was sixteen. He tells about where soccer was being played back in the St. Louis area; describing his journey to the Public School Stadium where most of the soccer games were played. It was there that he reunited with his love for soccer, and decided to join a team in St. Louis. Mr, Mendoza tells about his experiences playing against teams from Germany, Mexico. Italy, and many others.

There were two interviews conducted with Ruben Mendoza as part of the course. The other interview was conducted by Jennifer Haselhorst.

• Louisa H. Bowen University Archives and Special Collections

Fall 2001 Granite City Oral History Interviews

• Lincoln Place
• immigration
• sports
• Granite City

Mendoza, Ruben

October 28, 2001

• Granite City
• Lincoln Place

English

• Oral History

• mp3
• pdf

• 1:04:39

Smithe, Lisa M

Mendoza, Ruben

Lincoln Place, Granite City, Illinois

1411 kbit/s

• Lincoln Place
• Granite City, Illinois

• Mendoza-Ruben-O-001
• Original archive accession number: A02:43