TRANSCRIPTION
Where were you born and where the communities around like?
I was born in El departamento de San Miguel de San Luis de la Reina, El Salvador. I lived like on the country side of town where we had farm animals.
How was your childhood when you were younger?
When my father was alive, my childhood was one of those where I grew up like in the country side of town where we had cows, horses, goats and chickens. We were filled with agricultural foods and stuff. We couldn't complain and say that we were missing something. I lost my father at the age of 7, but before he died he let me and my siblings know the places we could go within our land.
Can you compare yours from the child hood that you had, to your children and grandchildrens have had or are having?
I can say that in some ways I can compare them because there is a lot more freedom here. When i was growing up there was a bit more respect towards people. Young people had manners, I'm not saying some don't now and days, but usually you run into those kind of people. Not everyone is the same because everyone raises their kids differently.
How did you meet your husband?
We met because of my mother and his father who were like business people and during that time they were communicating a lot due to the fact that they had a great deal goin with my mother's meat factory. Since they communicated a lot from then on we would start to talk and get to know each other a bit more. We met in Honduras which is the same place we got married.
How were you both able to handle taking care of all your kids and still manage to work so much?
The life that we were living back then, was a bit more easier than today's because we could live of from our own land by growing crops and such things like that. We were able to survive because we had a great business going with a meat store. We had workers that would help us with the store and that would help me withkids. Because of the help, I would just check what was missing around the store or tell some of the workers to help out on this or that.
Why did you and your family leave El Salvador?
The reason we left is because i wanted to free my children from such a terrible time period in my country. Since I had a good business going with my meat factory, in two occassions some thieves tried to mug me. On the 3rd time, they were able to take my money. I thought to my self and figured out that this was something serious and if I don't do anything they might kidnap my husband or one of my kids. So I went and got my passport in order to be able to fly out of the country.
How bad did that affect you and your family?
The experience of crossing the border and the long trip was one of the bad things I can say, but other people have had worse experiences. What was really sad is that we had payed some people to build us a big house for me and my family in order for us not to be missing anything in our lives. We thought we could be happy in our new home, but instead not even within a year that it was done I realized that, the house had brought us a bigger chance for thieves to come once again and try to do something to me or my family, which is why I decided to leave with my family.
When you crossed over here to the United States, how was the experience?
An uncle of mine worked in the Salvadorean Embassy and he helped me with some papers to be able to make it to Guadalajara, Mexico by plane. From then on we took a bus and made it to Tijuana, Mexico. There a man helped us crossover the border in his car with the lights so we couldn't be seen by the border patrols. That's when i realized more how powerful god is because he helped us not get caught. At first the "coyotes" wanted to seperate me from my family, but I told him no because I for one knew how bad the life was in Mexico.
Did you bring all your kids with you at once, or how did you do it?
No, what I did was that I sent my oldest children to the United States. A couple months later I went on the long trip amon with a nephwe of mine and my youngest children.
What was the most difficult part for you leaving your country?
The most difficult part was when we were going to cross Tijuana, Mexico because everything was going to be done at night in the long desert.
When you came to the United States, where did yo go to and how did you know about that specific place?
The first time that I came to the U.S, I came with my oldest song and we were on our way to Alaska where we passed by Los Angeles, California and saw how the communities around there were.
How was your first couple days in a new country for you?
It was very difficult for us at first, but the main thing was since we still had some money left over back in my country, I was able to bring all my children which is what I really wanted. We were able to rent a place to live for a while so we can try to get back on our feet. I started selling tamales and other stuff in order to try and save up some more money. There was a point where I was selling food in the streets with my kids, but the cops would not let us. Worst of all is that one of my youngest daughters and my husband as well got really sick so we had to work a little bit more in order to have enough money to pay for their medicines and stuff.
What did you and your family do to start your life's all over again?
All we could do was eventually just work as hard as we can to survive and we put the youngest ones in school.
Did you guys ever go back to visit, if so how and how did you feel when you saw that things may have changed?
Yes, we went to visit like 4 years after the war was over. It was really sad to see what had happened to the country and that it was no longer a place we could call home.
How did you feel when you came back to your new home here in the U.S?
It was a strange feeling because everything that I had worked for was gone. The home what was going to be ours was completely transformed in to like a bar and was barelly standing.
How did you feel when through out the years you saw your husband getting more sick and what helped you stay strong and handle it?
It was hard seeing what what was going on because it's something that you don't want. I was able to stay strong because I'm one of those people that are from old age where the strenght that I have comes from believing in god.
How much of an impact did the death of your husband affect you?
It was very difficult because after so long of being together with my husband and my kids, it seems like I'm all alone. In reality all I lost was my husband because my kids are still with me. Since they have all got married and started their families I feel like this, but thankfully they are still there when I need support.
What has managed to keep you strong and standing?
The support and love of my kids has helped me stay strong because they know how I feel. Believing in god and asking him to help me is one of the main things why I'm still here in this world.
If you had one thing you could go back in time and change, what would it be?
I would have loved to have been more time with my parents because maybe my life would have turned out differently. I'm not saying that I regret how my life turned out, but I wish I could have spend more time along my parents.
Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
No
