Thirteen years ago, in 1995, Wells Fargo joined with Banamex , Mexico's largest bank, to inaugurate a program of sending money between people in the United States and Mexico. It became enormously popular quickly — four years ago, Wells Fargo's remittances could be cashed at 4,000 branches and 10,700 ATMs.

This program, while innovative in itself, merely continued Wells Fargo's twentieth-century presence in Mexico. In 1924, following the Revolution , the express business still operated in Mexico, shipping produce to the United States and selling farm equipment. Wells Fargo also ran the largest tourist and travel agency. Wells Fargo's services included Gray Line bus tours  and elegant hotels, such as the Rancho Telva in the silver mining town of Taxco .

These express-related services ended in the early 1960s, to be followed by Wells Fargo Bank's financial services in later decades. On November 9, 2001, Wells Fargo became the first financial services company to accept Mexican Government-issued identification cards and consular-issued Matricula cards as primary forms of identification to open accounts in the United States.

Posted by Charles at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Agriculture, First-hand Accounts, Hispanic Heritage, Latin America, Mexico, Misc, Remember, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

September 15th through October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month every year. (In case you're wondering why it starts mid-September, read here).  It's a time that's special for me, being Salvadoran-American, and it's also the time of year when Wells Fargo celebrates Latino heritage. Posters and brochures at our museums, as well as our website, illustrate how Wells Fargo has served and employed Latinos since its founding.

At the Los Angeles museum last month, we had an opportunity to continue this legacy of involvement with the Latino community. We opened our doors and shared a little bit of history with "Trancazo Musical,"  a local Spanish language television show. KRCA , which carries the show, conducted a TV shoot here for a segment on "Trancazo Musical."

They used the museum as the backdrop for an interview with renowned Norteño band , Los Cadetes de Linares. Los Cadetes  sure make an impression on people. The band (or conjunto) walked into the museum in the traditional outfit. (Also called conjunto!) Clothes, hats and boots all matched. People really took notice. A small group gathered outside our front glass walls to see these modern-day cowboys meet the Wells Fargo stagecoach and delve into some Western history.

During the shoot, the host spoke to Los Cadetes about their new album — no doubt featuring many new corridos . These ballads usually tell the stories of famed criminals and heroes in the rural areas of the US-Mexico border, and they are the type of songs that have made Los Cadetes famous. The host casually incorporated bits of Wells Fargo history into the different segments. She also interviewed our Curator, Juan Colato, and encouraged the audience to visit our "beautiful museum." It was a fun experience.

But there's a question I should've asked Los Cadetes: Who makes their ornate and decorative outfits? Kudos to their tailor!

Posted by Ileana at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in At Work, Events, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Hispanic Heritage, Latin America, Misc, Museums, Music, Participate, Perspective, Stagecoach, Wells Fargo Bank, Westerns