Santiago Elizalde
Cross to work, in time succeed
|
|
Where and when were you born? (Cuando y donde nació?)
Where did you grow up as a kid? (Donde creció cundo era niño?)
What living conditions did you live in Mexico? (En que condición vivía en México?)
How was your relationship with your parents? (Como era su relación con sus padres?)
Born In August 19 1944 in El Orranteno Municipio de Saucillo Chihuahua Mexico, Santiago Elizalde was born. He lived in Orranteno for seven years and then move to El Consuelo Chihuahua where he was raise. Since then he has live in Nuevo Casa Grandes and Cd. Juarez Mexico. In 1964 he immigrated to the United States to Glendale Arizona. His knew both of his grandparents Juan Elizalde and Maria Elizalde and his parent's names were Roberto Elizalde and Elvia Elizalde. Santiago Elizalde had two brothers and six step brothers. His highest education level was elementary but he was though philosophy at home by a personal teacher. Throughout his life Santiago Elizalde has worked in the lemons, lettuce and onions fields in Calexico California, and also in a Levi's factory in El Paso TX. Married 1966 to Arcelia Parra who had a daughter called Silvia Elizalde. Few years later she divorced and remarried to Eva Bernal who had two children name Santiago Elizalde Jr. and Jesus Elizalde. His has a big political interest especially in social class issues. He enjoys reading about history, travel and eat and dance. Here is the life of another immigrant that left everything for a better future. This interview was conducted in Spanish.
What are your earliest childhood memories? (Cual es un recuerdo de niño que se acuerde?)
In one occasion my stepdad was chasing my mom shooting at her and my mom was running in throw the corn maze with me in her arms and my two brothers Roberto and Juan.
I was born in Orranteno Municipio de Saucillo in state of Chihuahua country Mexico.
As a kid a grew up in Chihuahua in different parts of the state.
Well what I remember is that there was no drinkable water , we had to go to irrigation ditch. There was no electricity we had to use Aparatos, we also had to used wood stoves and we had to go to monte to bring logs for the stove . After that we went to EL Consuelo another town few miles away to plant cotton and grain .
I didn't know my father but he was business man and he wanted the best for us. But I did had a stepdad we never got along really good he was mean to me. Because he couldn't speak that well so you dint really knew what he wanted so you had to guess if you were right you got lucky but if you didn't he would beat you up . My step dad use to be with Pancho Villa
How old were you when you left town? (A los cuantos años dejo su casa?)
Mmm I left my home like when I was twelve years old then I came back when I finish my time in the military.
Did you go to school if yes till what grade? (Fue a la escuela y si hasta qué grado?)
In El Consuelo I went to school till the 6th grade. In that time the schools in Mexico were not that good and there still that great .
How old were you when your parents die? (Cuantos años tenía cuando sus padres fallecieron?)
I was 16 yrs old when my dad die, when my mother die I had like 45 -50 yrs .
Where did you went when you left your house? (A donde fue cuando se fue de su casa?)
I went to Cd. Juarez to start working I was still a kid when I left my home.
Why did you left your house? (Por que se fue de su casa?)
Back in those day we had to leave to school to help the family or to my brothers because the obligation of the older brothers was to support the younger brothers
What were you working when you left your house? (En que trabajo cuando se fue de su casa?)
When I was still a young boy I started working in a tortilleria in Cd Juarez Chi. but I had to go back because I had to go help my family. Then I started working in the fields by the age of 7 yrs we already knew how to cultivate the land.
How was life in the military? (Como era la vida en el ejercito?)
When I turn seventeen years old I enroll to the military for a year. Well in Mexico you just go on Sundays and they teach you how to march and when you serve a year they would give you a cartilla that's a document that says you serve the military
What was the first city you arrive in the U.S ? (Cual fue la primer cuidad que migro en los estados unidos?)
The first city I immigrated to was
Did you migrated by yourself? (Con quien migro a los Estados Unidos?)
I migrated by myself.
How long did it take to get your passport ? (Cuanto duro el proceso de inmigración?)
Well I had to get first the form 13 after you had that form I was able to get my local passport. My uncle who gave my some letters that help me get my passport.
What was your first job when you arrive to the U.S? (En que trabajo cuando llego a los estados Unidos?)
When I first arrive to the United States I work with my uncle in a store but there was not a lot jobs then I left to Phoenix with my other uncle where I work in the fields picking up oranges ,limes and onions and you would only get paid $5 a day. When someone would go and ask for a job they would ask you if you were an illegal immigrant but most of the times they would give the job to the one that is legal to work in the united states they would give it to the illegal because it was cheaper.
What experience did you pass through when you were in the U.S? (Que experiencias paso viviendo en los estados unidos?)
I had an uncle that live here in El Paso in Staton and move to …………….well I don't really remember where but he had a store and I would go and help him then my uncle would offer me a job working on the weekends but it was a pain in the ass because I would always be watching out my back for the border patrol one time I spend an whole hour in a big cooler were my uncle use to put all the fruits and beer . The cashier would tell me "Chago" well don't remember exactly but she would give me sign then I knew that the border patrol was coming and I would stop everything and run into the cooler. Well what I needed to do was move boxes from one place to another to be in constant movement so I wouldn't freeze in there while the border patrol agents would be drinking a coke outside the store. They would come often looking for me.
Was the United States what you expected? (Los estados unidos fue lo que esperaba?)
Back then life was cheaper here in the United States now I don't really thing so because price's have been going up . But It was what I expected the United States to be like .
What was the first thing you did when you arrived to the U.S? (Que fue lo primero que hizo cunado llego a los estados unidos?)
The first thing I did was go to my Uncles were he offer me a job in his store.
How old were you when you got married? (Cuantos años tenía cuando se caso?)
I had 22 yrs when I got married to your grandmother
How did you meet your wife? (Como conoció su esposa?)
I met you grandmother in a weeding , we were in the weeding and my cousin told me to go dance with "Chela" she wants to dance and I told her witch one because there were a lot of girls and I dint knew witch one . I told my cousin she is too young, and later found out she just look younger she was older than me. Then we started dancing and we became really good friends and later married.
How did you felt when you had your first child? (Como se sintió cuando tuvo su primer hijo?)
In 1967 that's when your mom was born well it felt good because I was forming a family
Did you took your daughter and wife to the U.S? (Se llevo a su esposa e hijo a los estados unidos ?)
I took your grandmother to Phoenix after we got married then we went back to Cd. Juarez Chi. Your mother was still a baby , at the time my uncle told if he could take care of the store because he was going on vacation then when I was over there I saw this lady that had local passport and told her if she could pass her as her own daughter and she did.
How was life when you migrated to the U.S? (Como era su vida cuando migro a los estados unidos?)
When I became a resident in the U.S that's when I felt a big change to big that you could go crazy because in Mexico you struggle a lot then you move to the United State. That open a lot of doors for me and look at us know we still here.
Did you ever had a bad experience when living in the U.S? (Una experiencia mala que paso en los estados unidos?)
A bad experience when I got to Phoenix we were going to a dance I was with my cousin and there their friends wanted to go to Nogales at first it was nice we were dancing and drinking then when we decided to leave and they were falling asleep and they told me if I wanted to drive and I said yes well that night we roll over a cliff and we were all ejected when the car was rolling over since I was the driver I went out the front window breaking it with my head that's why I have this scar in my on side of my head. Then they knew where I was so they call the ambulance and pick me then they send me to Tucson were I was 15 days in hospital.
How was work in the United States? (Como era el trabajo en los estados unidos?)
When I started to work on picking up lettuce on the fields , if you didn't know how to do it your arms would get swollen, what I had to do was to put some nails un the wall and grab one from each side so I could support my arms . My uncle would tell me to get out because it was too dangerous and I could get kill . And I was determine to get quit that job but when I went to pick up my check there was a big difference I was getting pay way more than my previews jobs and I was like the hell with that I don't care if my arms fall I am not going to quit . And I did continue working there for a while.
Did you had an American dream if yes what was it? Did you accomplish it? (Usted tenía un sueño Americano y si cual ?lo cumplió?)
Yes well to me the America dream is living a way different life do everything I couldn't do on Mexico and till know I still dreaming .
If you could have finished school what would you have liked to study? (Que le fuera gustado estudiar si tuviera la oportunidad?)
I really like history so I would have liked to become a Lawyer in laws that's what I would like to become if had the change to study.
What do you considered one of you biggest accomplishment? (Que considera uno de sus grades logros?)
What I considered one of my biggest accomplishments is forming a family, having a roof for them so they don't have to struggle
If you could go back in time what would you change and why? (Si podría irse atrás en el tiempo que cambiaria ? Y por qué?)
If I could go back in time I would change having a stepdad because it was hard and I wouldn't what anyone go through that. That would be the only thing I would change .
What message would you give to the future generations? (Si podría dejar le un mansaje a las futuras generaciones que sería ?)
For the future generation would be to study. To study a lot because we live in a country that supports education.
What message would you give to your family? (Que mensaje le dejaría a su familia que fue su misión en la vida?)
A message for my family would be first respect the law to live in peace respect the laws of a country . I also recommend my family to be responsible and take advantage all benefits to live good. Work hard the ones having family to support their sons, like me I always supported my sons on everything to study to get career and if not work hard so in the future you could give to your sons.
