The Case File

Page from Alien Case File for Maria Jesus Campuzano. US National Archives.

Earlier in the month I mentioned receiving a copy of the Alien Case File for Maria Jesus Campuzano, sister of my great-grandfather Plutarco Campuzano. I'm now diving into writing about the contents of the file. The documents in the set contain a wealth of information, along with photos and testimony in support of her application. The file includes several references to my 2nd-great-grandfather and describes how the family initially came to Arizona in 1915. I already knew about Vicente's arrival date based on earlier research, but it is still fascinating to read about their arrival through this other account.

In June 1932, Maria Jesus completed an alien registration document. The document includes the addresses where she lived in Tucson and Arivaca between 1915 and 1932.

The file confirms she was born in Pitiquito, Sonora on 28 June 1891, which matches her birth record in Mexico. It also says she came to the US by horse-drawn wagon on 15 December 1915 with her father Vicente, her husband Francisco Grijalva, sister Concha Campuzano, brother Plutarco Campuzano and son Francisco Grijalva Jr. Plutarco had already come to the US in January 1915, so he must have crossed back earlier in the year. The document says they were coming to visit Ernesto Freeling in 1932, but this is a misspelling. They were coming to visit Ernesto Freilinger, who would marry Vicente's niece, Mariana Campuzano, in February 1916.

Maria Jesus had her affidavit and testimony in support of her application taken in Spanish and transcribed to English by an examining officer in Tucson in June 1932.

The file includes testimony in support by Miguel Martinez and Margarita Bustamante. I believe Margarita was a distant cousin. Maria Jesus says her husband Francisco rented a house from the Bustamante family when they first arrived in Tucson. I think Margarita was a sister of Victor Bustamante, who was married to Sara Suastegui, daughter of my 4th-great-grandfather Pedro Suastegui. Pedro was Maria Jesus' great-grandfather through her mother Maria Jesus Vasquez.