Award-winning author, Air Force veteran, Arizona historian and speaker, Albert “Al” Monreal Quihuis, was born on October 16, 1951, when South Phoenix consisted of fruit stands, cotton fields and flowers at the base of the mountain. Quihuis grew up in South Phoenix where he cultivated a passion for writing, reading and fostered community.
Quihuis’s grandparents’ town of Nogales was raided and destroyed. The Quihuis family looked for work, and traveled to Phoenix, among many other Mexican-American families. It was the early 20th century, and the combination of the Mexican Revolution and World War I had created demand for Egyptian cotton, which was now farmed in the Phoenix area.
“They needed people to work the fields to pick the cotton…they loaded up on their wagon and went down 7th Street and they provided a tent along the canal here,” said Quihuis.
They had seen flyers for work in Arizona and were provided a tent on 7th Street and Baseline, where his father and aunt were born. His mother had lineage in Arizona that traced back to the 1700s, and his father found his way back to his roots by buying five acres of land on 32nd Street and Vineyard; it was a country-based lifestyle for Quihuis growing up.
All the while, Quihuis was observing his family as they farmed, worked and made tamales every Christmas. With the passing of his mother, he realized how familiarity can become fleeting and special. Before long, he was inspired to write, “Something that seemed so routine was his tradition, his family history.’”
“I really am making an effort to make sure that they know my story and the stories of all the sacrifices of all the people that came here, how they came here… so, how many stories are out there that we are not telling,” said Quihuis.
He wrote a children’s book, and it took him three years. Quihuis told those untold stories in his novel, “The Legacy Journal”, where he connects the dots of personal, family and generational struggle into an inspirational story. He even wrote a novel, “Better Than Me”, based on his wife’s family history, and her journey from Rocky Point, Mexico to Arizona when she was ten years old.
As Quihuis grew up in South Phoenix, he rode horseback through the Western Canal, went to various high schools and eventually ended up at South Mountain High School. He had graduated in 1969, at the end of the Civil Rights major milestones in the movement. He found diversity, inclusion and community in this school that he had never experienced before.
“When I came to South, I found it so interesting, because I thought everybody was so nice, and it was such a diverse school at that time… that was during the 60s, and they had the Civil Rights movement,” said Quihuis.
He now sees this tolerance and community as an opportunity to encourage younger Latino generations to reach their full potential, despite the barriers.
After being drafted into the Air Force in 1971, Quihuis was stationed across the U.S. and the world. Quihuis always looked back to the comfort of the mountains. He even spent his free time going to libraries, looking to learn.
When he came home from four years of service, he decided to pursue education with passion. In his financial degree, there were peaks of community involvement and speaking opportunities where he encouraged minority groups to seek out higher education.
Albert Monreal Quihuis’s contributions to Phoenix history carry on. He continues by encouraging others to tell their stories, inspiring others and writing history that would otherwise be forgotten. Knowing your roots is Al Quihuis’s goal, and he invigorates others to do so through his writing and speeches.
Al Quihuis upholds communities of the elderly and children by reading stories and talking about Territorial Arizona. He upholds his legacy by writing novels to inspire young people to pursue education, to learn their own history and to be ambitious and curious. Quihuis now reads his books to many different audiences in South Phoenix, from children to the elderly, leaving each audience enriched.
SMCC faculty member, Dr. Summer Cherland, interviewed Quihuis on behalf of the South Phoenix Oral History Project faculty on February 5, 2024.
Written by SMCC Student Ash Velez, Fall 2025
Previously published by SMCC’s “Good Stories“
Click for Al’s Interview Index
| Narrator | Albert “Al” Monreal Quihuis |
| Birthdate | October 16, 1951 |
| Place of Origin | South Phoenix, AZ |
| Place of Residence | South Phoenix, AZ |
| Role | Author, Air Force Veteran |
| Years active in South Phoenix | 1950s- |
| Interview Date | June 4, 2024 |
| Location | South Mountain Community College |
| Duration | 1:26:48 |
| Interviewed by | Faculty Researcher: Summer Cherland, PhD |
| Story Written by | Student Researchers: Ash Velez |
South Phoenix Oral History Project 