Guadalupe was founded by Yaqui Indians around the turn of the century when they fled their traditional homeland along the Yaqui River in Sonora. Mexico to avoid persecution and enslavement by the Mexican government under Porfirio Diaz. When the Yaqui people fled as refugees. many were able to find a home in the Salt River Valleys agricultural economy. One of the villages was in south Tempe. just north of the present Guadalupe site. A missionary Franciscan Friar. Lucius Zittier. petitioned President Woodrow Wilson for 40 acres of land so the Yaqui could permanently settle. The site. undesirable as uncultivable. is located in the center of the present community. known as "La Cuarenta." or "The 40." as some still call it today. Guadalupe also became home to many Hispanic families over the years. and it has become a stopping point for Mexican immigrant workers. As the community has grown. it has demonstrated its resilience in the face of difficult economic times. poverty. and racism. Many young men of Mexican and Yaqui descent answered the call for military service and defended our country.
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refugees immigrant