TRANSCRIPTION
Why did your parents move around?
Because of work, working in the fields.
Did you like moving?
It was fun knowing people, getting to know new people
Were you close to your parents & who your mom or dad?
Both of them… yes… well my dad was a truck driver at some time and he was out of the house so I was I could say l was closer to my mom.
How was your childhood?
Childhood? Well I was raised with six brothers I was a real tom girl and instead of playing girl stuff I played boy stuff… (laughs)
Did you get into trouble?
Trouble? In trouble no not really
How many siblings did you have?
6 brothers… Adolfo, Jesse, Leroy, David, Daniel, Kicko
Were your siblings ever over protective with you?
My, the next to me was…Jesse, he would uh wanna know where I was at and why?
Did you have any chores when you were small?
Umm yes help around the house. Well I remember helping my mom making tortillas in the morning. Tortillas for all of us for all day.
Did you complain about doing chores?
ugh I complained about washing dishes, I didn't like washing dishes.
Did you'll ever take family vacations?
We would go to the coast that would be our vacation, get in the water.
What was school like?
School well it wasn't like it is right now! You wouldn't get in trouble as easy as you get in trouble now and days.
Did you enjoy going to school?
Yes, just seeing my friends everyday.
Were you quiet in school? I wasn't quite if they looked for me they'd find me!
At what age did you stop going to school/why?
I'd say about age thirteen I was in the seventh grade, because I got married.
Do you regret not completing school?
Yes, Because of a better position, better job, better pay.
Anything else you regret in your life?
Not get married as young as I did and finishing school.
Did anything exciting happen in your life?
Exciting… exciting was when we would move around…and having to pack and go on the road.
What jobs did you have when you were younger/did you like them?
I..I worked in the fields and I liked working in the fields and I worked as a bus girl and I liked working as a bus girl.
In the fields we would pick whatever was in season and it would be either strawberries, greenbeans ,umm potatoes…cherries depending on what was on season. I also did work as a call service "i think that's what it's called" calling people up to see if they needing re-modeling on their homes or set up appointments for contractors.
How much did you get paid?
No, now that I don't know cause my dad was the one In charge of that, he was your boss, he was the one that would now how much I would make and all.
How did you learn how to drive?
I don't know I just did, by myself by thirteen I was driving
Did you have your own car?
No,no it was a family car. I can't remember the year but it was a
red pontiac car. I used to just drive around with either my family or
friends around the park.
Were you able to go out and date when you were younger?
Go out on dates...yes I was uh huh.
How did your parents feel about you getting married?
Well I'm sure they weren't happy because I was so young.
Did they like him (Jose Molina)?
Well they really didn't know him and I really didn't know him either than at all.
What do you mean you really didn't know him?
Well my cousin had picked me up and taken me with some friends of her's and then she ended up leaving me alone with them at some place. Well I ended up just hanging out with him (Jose) and didn't come home until the morning. I had found out that my mom was crying because
she didn't know where I was at and my dad's eyes were blood shot red from looking for me. I had told them were I was so once everyone found out what I was doing and who I was with they assumed I had done something with Jose. So they said if ya'll eloped then you mine as well should get married! But I hadn't slept with him or anything we were just were hanging around. Back in those days in someone found out you had done something like that they just made you get married.
Why didn't you say anything to your parents?
I was dumb and wasn't thinking about that! But my mom never asked me do you want to get married or anything? They just said if that's what you'll want to be doing then get married that,so we did.
Did you know how many kids you wanted when you were younger or thought of ever getting married?
I never thought of how many I wanted. I know I didn't want as much as we were in the family we were seven all together and I know I didn't want that many (Laughs).
Did you like your in-laws from your first marriage?
Yes, especially my mother in law she was very good to me. Yes we were very close, we got along real good.
What you and your mother-in-law do?
Well we would be cooking and talking (pauses) just got along real good.
Why did you get divorced?
Because we just didn't get along and it was always just fighting and fighting and we didn't make it.
Did you have any other jobs when you were married?
Yes, I used to be a cafeteria worker at McCollum High School. I would usually be the one in charge of making the bread.
How did you meet Grandpa Estrada?
I meant him as a bus girl in the restaurant.
How would your kids treat you?
My kids…how did they treat me? They knew who was the head of house hold so, they woldnt talk back and all that maybe they did talk the way they werent supposed to when I wasn't around they wouldn't sass at me or anything.
Did they treat each other differently because they didn't have the same dad?
NO, they treated each other like if they weren't step sisters or brother.
They all got along with each other.
Do you have a favorite child?
I don't favor any of them. I love them all and treat them all the same. I think its ugly when people say that.
How did you feel about your daughter(Delma) gettin pregnant at a young age?
I wasn't happy about it because she was still in high school but I did give her the choice of either living with the father
or staying at home with us. She decided to stay at home and I told her that she had to
obey our rules still!
Can you tell me about that house ya used to live at on Villaret?
It was a small house and only had one bedroom, kitchen, one bathroom and living room. We used to pay $58 dollars for rent. My husband was working at CPS "City Public Service" and he wasn't making more than two dollars an hour.
Do you have any favorite foods to eat?
My favorite, my favorite… este if I go out to eat I prefer shrimp "seafood" cause they way I see it that tortillas beans and rice I can make that all at home
Is there anything you like to collect/why?
I love hummingbirds and I think because they're pretty.
What do you like to do on your spare time?
Just relax… watch novellas or read a book go out where I haven't been, I like to work in the yard a lot, pull weeds around my flower beds and plant, plants.
How do you think our generation will be in the future?
Hard. Especially if you're not educated were you can get paid well it's gonna be hard… very hard
Is there anything you would like to accomplish in your life?
Accomplish. Well I just when I'm not around I'd like my kids to get along with each other. I've always told them that, to help each other, and umm to get along… see each other and I hope that when I'm not around they keep doing that.
Overall how satisfied are you with your life?
Good, good. Everythings ok
Where do you see yourself in the years to come?
Umm where I'm at right now I guess! (laughs)
Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
I'd like… too with my grandkids like with my mom she has a lot of grandkids' and a lot of sons. And not all of them go to see her to visit her to see what she needs. What she doesn't need, and the grandkids' like they don't talk Spanish and that's all she talks they don't visit she hardly sees them and I like umm for my grandkids to see me especially as I get older and for them to get to know me.
