MARLIN – Frank Dávila’s memoir “An Outburst of Dreams” documents his family’s time as migrant workers throughout Texas.
Dávila, brother of Manuela Rosas and Josie Martinez of Rockdale and uncle to Gloria Zapata of Rockdale, will read from his memoir in Dallas on Friday.
In his self-published memoir, he chronicled the time he spent as child attending public school in Marlin and having to leave school to help his father, Francisco, work in the cotton fields. Dávila senior was the head of a migrant group.
His parents Felícitas (Chi-ta) Salas Dávila from Thorn-dale and Francisco of Concepción del Oro, Zacatecas, MX, met in Oakwood. His father crossed the border through Piedras Negras/ Eagle Pass in 1919, when he was 13 years old.
“While they lived in Concepción del Oro, they harvested potatoes and corn and raised chickens, goats and hogs,” Dávila wrote. “Dad and my uncles attended public school before moving to the United States. Dad only went as far as fourth grade.”
This upbringing lead Dávila into the field education, where he received his doctorate in leadership studies at the University of Colorado-Denver. He was a former classroom teacher, school principal, administrator, university instructor and English language acquisition director in Colorado. Dávila also served in the U.S. Army.
He served as the charter president of LULAC in Den-ton and was editor of Latino Monthly.
He works as the coordinator for an eight-state association that identifies and supports migrant students to help them succeed academically at the university level.
He volunteers with the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) to mentor educators and teaches at the university level.
Dávila, a first-generation, Mexican American has four children and ten grandchildren.
“Our life is a perpetual journey and this book relives the sweet memories of multi-generations of family and friends mixed with struggles of hard work and survival highlighting episodes of leaving their home and traveling to the far off migrant camp,” Dávila wrote. “It captures the lives of individuals in their moments of strength and vulnerability...”
To purchase Dávila’s book contact him at 720-532-9704 or fdavila10@comcast.net.
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