▁Bel tr án ' s ▁were ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁mus icians . ▁Her ▁mother , ▁Gu ad alu pe , ▁played ▁mand olin , ▁all ▁of ▁her ▁sib lings ▁played ▁instruments , ▁and ▁her ▁father ▁a ▁Major ▁in ▁the ▁military ▁band ▁of ▁Mexican ▁President ▁P orf i rio ▁Dia z . ▁The ▁d angers ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Revolution , ▁combined ▁with ▁her ▁father ' s ▁political ▁connections , ▁forced ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁fle e ▁into ▁the ▁mountains ▁of ▁Dur ango . ▁Bel tr án ▁would ▁be ▁hidden ▁with ▁Car mel ite ▁n uns ▁until ▁she ▁was ▁old ▁enough ▁to ▁travel ▁with ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁During ▁the ▁family ' s ▁attempts ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁they ▁were ▁vict ims ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁a ▁train ▁he ist , ▁which ▁left ▁them ▁str and ed ▁with ▁no ▁money ▁or ▁b agg age ▁in ▁San ▁Pedro ▁de ▁las ▁Col on ias . ▁ ▁The ▁family ▁arrived ▁in ▁San ▁Antonio , ▁Texas ▁after ▁travel ing ▁for ▁two ▁years . ▁Her ▁father ▁started ▁a ▁music ▁studio ▁and ▁taught ▁band ▁classes , ▁insp iring ▁his ▁daughter . ▁Bel tr án ▁graduated ▁from ▁San ▁Antonio ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁and ▁began ▁teaching ▁Spanish ▁and ▁working ▁for ▁a ▁Spanish ▁language ▁publishing ▁firm . ▁She ▁wrote ▁for ▁Spanish - language ▁journ als ▁in ▁San ▁Antonio ▁and ▁worked ▁on ▁radio . ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁she ▁had ▁a ▁brief ▁marriage ▁and ▁two ▁daughters , ▁Norm a ▁and ▁Y ol anda . ▁At ▁her