Cristobal Castillo
(In that time life was very difficult. Most of the people would work as campesinos for the people that would own the haciendas. The owners of the haciendas were primarily the rulers and owners of much land.)
What was life as a child?
Como nino casi no avia timepo para andar jugando. Porque si no le estabas alludando a papa en las terras estabas trallendo lena o cuidando a las animales. El unico dia para andar jugando era domigo o en las tardes antes de dormir.
(As a child there was hardly any time to be playing. Because if you were not helping papa in the fields then you were bringing wood or feeding the animals. The only day to be playing was Sunday or just before you went to bed.)
What type of games did you play as a kid?
Como no avia tanto dinero para andar gastando en jugetes caros uno tenia que usar mucho su imaginason. Como para ser un trompo de mesquite. En las trades cuando ya vianos acabado el trabago del dia todos no ponianos a jugar la loteria.
(Because there wasn't enough money to be spending on expensive toys you would have to use your imagination. At night when we were done with the everyday work, everyone would play the Mexican lottery.)
As you got older what type of job did you and your family do to sustain?
Como vivianos en un rancho que no era muy grande la gente se sustenia vendiendo la cosecha que se lenvantaban cada ano. Las cosechas de cada ano eran de maiz, frigo, y calabasa. Cuando era tiempo de levantar la cosecha se apartaba lo bueno y malo se preparaba para comida de animales. De lo bueno sacabanos para comer y para bender. Lo que ivaser para vender se tenia que desgranar la masorca. Luego se transportaba para la suida.
(Since we lived in a small town the people would live off from selling the harvest of every year. The harvest of every year was corn, beans, and pumpkin. When it was time to pick up the harvest we would separate the good crops and the bad ones would be prepared as animal food. From the good crops we take out for us to eat and sell. The corn husk was to be de-grained. The crops that were use for selling were to be transported to the city.)
At what age did you decide you wanted to come into the United States?
Yo nuca pense irme para los estados unidos pero la nesesida y las condiciones enque viviamos me tentaban a irme. Pero no era una de mis metas sair me de mi pueblo. A la eda de 28 medecidi a degar a mi familiar para viagar a los estados unidos atrabes de un programa de braceros. obligaron a pensar en irme.
(I never thought about going to the United States but the need of a better life came across. At first it wasn't one of my goals until the age of twenty eight, I decide to leave my family in search of a better life in the United States. With the new program by the name of the Braceros made me go to the United States.)
What was the Agricultural Act?
En el ano 1949 salio el programa del los braceros. Y este programa facilitaba la entrada a los estados unidos para poder trabagar legalment en el campo solamente. Como para cultibar tomate, algodon, fresa, nagranga, y manzana. Por que estados unidos estada falta de gente.
(In the year of 1949 the Agricultural Act came out. This Act made it easier going into the United States to work legally. This act came out because United States was in shortage of people to harvest the crops such as tomato, oranges, cotton, apples, and strawberries.)
How did you hear about the Agricultural Act?
Yo me salia de mi pueblo a trabajar en las ferias de trajabo. Estas ferias te llebaban a trabjar a diferents pueblos que nesesitaban gente en el campo. Ala genter que trabajaba en las ferias de trabajo se nos dio a conoser de una ley que facilitaba la entrada a los estados unidos a trabajar. Y los requisitos eran saber trabajar en el campo y sacar tu pasaporte. Y si eras aprovado tu pasaporte era visado y te daban un numero de seguro social.
( I would go out and work in what is call las ferias de trajabo. This ferias would take us to diffrent samll towns that would need help in their harvest. The people that would work in these Ferias were told about the Agricultural Act that would allow you to go to the United States to work. The requirements were simple, experience in the field and to have a passport. Then you would be be approved for a visa and were give a social security number.)
How much time were you allowed to stay in the United States?
Conando se asian las contratasiones nomas eran de 10 meses que se nos permitian quedarnos. Porque era el permiso de la visa. Depues de los 10 meses regresabanos a nuestro pueblo a ver a nuestra familia. Aunque aveses regresabanos mas pronto que los 10 meses porque las tormetas destruian las cosechas.Cuando venia la sigiente temporara se nos daba la opcion de renobar el permiso.
(When you would get hired it was only for 10 months that you were allowed to stay. This was because it was only a permit that you were given. After the 10 months we would return to our families. There were times when we would return early because the storms would wipe out the harvest. When the next harvest came around we would have the option to renewal our permit.)
In coming into the United States in what ways did it affect your life?
Al vinirme a los estados unidos mi vida cambio tamto para mi como la de mi familia economicamente. Aunque avia monetos que me queria ir porque extranaba mi familia. Aunque el dinero que ganaba no ira mucho pero era mas de lo que ganaba en mi pueblo.
(In me coming into the United States my life change as well as my family's economically. Even though there were time when I would miss my family and would want to go back. The money that I would make was not much but was more then what I would make in Mexico.)
Was the United States the way that you had pictured it?
Fue mucho mas de lo que yo pense porque ayi puedes comprar muchas mas cosas con unso cheque.
(It was more then I though because there you can purchase more than one thing with one paycheck)
What was the money that you send back to Mexico use for?
Parte de ese dinero era para que mi familia comprara lo nesesario para vivir. Y lo que sobrara para comprar material para ser una casa mejor porque la que tenianos era de adobe y techo de sotol.Tamvien para comprar uno que otro animal
(Part of my money was for my family to buy the necessary to live. What ever was left was to buy new material to built a better home since the one we had was made out of adobe. Also to buy some animals.)
Do you have any regrets coming into the United States?
Gracias a que conoci los estados unidos oy mis hijos viven en los estados unidos.
(Thanks that I got to know the United States now my kids live there.)
Has your homeland change since the first time you came into the United States.
Si a cambiado mucho, porque vemos que y muchas casa nuevas con un estilo mejor de viver. Y tamien vemos mas y mas gente se estabiniendo a trabajar para poder tener una vida mejor.
( Yes it has changed alot because we see that more and more new homes are being built and people have a better way of living. Ans we see that more and more people are going into the Unites States to work for a better life style.)
What do you do now for a living?
Por mi eda que tengo no puedo a ser mucho de lo que asia antes. Ya nomas a tiendo mi casa, mi ganado y las tieras. Y levanto las cosechas de cada ano paravender.
(Because of the age that I have now it doesn't allow me to do many thing that I use to. Now just take care of the house, animals and my land. I just pick up the harvest of every year to sell.)
What do you consider to be your most important achievements?
Como yo soy amante a los caballos y a fisionado a las careras de caballos por eso estoy dispuesto a jugarles a cualquir caballo. Y siento que e qumplido mis metas por e viagado asta el estrangero para mis careras.
(Because I love horses and i am hook on horse racing I am determine to race any horse. I feel that I have accomplish my goals because I have travel into the United States to host my horse races.)
Are you satisfied with your achievements?
Y siento que e qumplido mis metas porque e viagado asta el estrangero para mis careras de caballos. Y mi busqueda por el oro en las minas no a sido en vano porque anque no es mucho pero si e sacado.
( I feel that I have accomplish my goals because I have travel into the United States to host my horse races. And my search for gold in the gold mines has been a great accomplishment becasue even though I haven't found alot I have found small amounts.)
Now that you have a better life, what has been the hardest thing you to overcome?
A pesar que e complido mis metas algo que me duele muchos es la perdida de tu abuelita.
(Even though that I have accomplish my goals in life something that hurts me a lot is the lost of your great-grandmother.)
Would you ever go back to the United States?
No para vivir pero voy de visita.
(Not to live but just to visit.)
Now in days, what advice would you give to the young adults of your hometown that are looking into immigrating into the United States?
Se puede cumpir muchas de sus metas al venierse a los estados unidos aunque yo les digo que tengan mucho quidado con malgastar el dinero.
( You can accomplish many of your goals in going to the United States even though I tell them to be careful in wasting their money.)
1921, This is a link to a timeline that showes everything that was going on the time period that my great-grandfather grew up in.
San Luis Poto Si , MexicoThis is a link to a map of the state of Mexico. This map shows us the small town of Villa de Arista were my great-grandfather was born.
campesinosThis is a link to the online encyclopedia of Wikipedia. This links gave us the definition of the word campesinos.
loteriaThis is a link to a .com site that give us more information on how the game of loteria is played. Also in were to buy it.
Agricultural ActThis is a link to the site of Immigration Information. This site lets us know the Acts that had been put to use. This site as well gave us more information on the Agricultural Act that my great-grandfather applied under.
