Reuben M. Cruz (nee Hava)

The Best Place to Grow Up

Reuben Cruz in his young years

Somerset, Texas

April 7, 2015

Andrea P. Cruz

Palo Alto College

History 1302 - Spring 2015

 

INTRODUCTION
TRANSCRIPTION
ANALYSIS
TIMELINE

 

INTRODUCTION

On August 3rd, 1957 Reuben M. Cruz was born to Anita and Jose Cruz. He has five sisters and three brothers. He was raised on the west and south side of San Antonio. He attend two elementary schools, Collier Elementary was one. His family moved around a lot because they didn't have a lot of money and could not afford to buy so they rented. He went to Southside Middle School then later attended Harlandale High School. He began working as a janitor at the age of 14 while still attend school. In the 9th grade he met his wife and continued to attend school until his junior year when he went to California with his uncle. A year after he returned to San Antonio but never went back to school to finish. On April 14th, 1977 he and his wife had their first child. He had many jobs working as a janitor, at a circle k gas station, welding, carpentry, construction and his final job as a garbage man. He now has 4 children, three boys and one girl. He moved his family to Somerset, TX and later got into an accident at his job that forced him into retirement. Now he has 13 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. He now lives the good life with his wife and daughter in Somerset.

 

 

TRANSCRIPTION

How was life in San Antonio different now than when you were younger?
"It was easier, food prices were cheaper. We used to be able to go everywhere we wanted to."


"I loved basketball. If I ate breakfast I ate breakfast. We couldn't afford a lot of food so whatever was on the table is what I ate. Bread we could never afford bread. I would walk to the community center to play basketball. In the summer time I would walk to the middle school and do like projects that they had for us there. I would eat whatever they gave us there and then go home and make sure everything was okay and do the same thing the next day."

What different jobs did you have and at what age did you begin working?
"I think I started working when we had La Salle High School through SANYO. That was one of the worst things the city of San Antonio took away from us when they had a lot of jobs for the kids during the summer time. I applied for a job and I was expecting to get a job a Kelly Air Force base but I got a job as a maintenance man. My age was 14 years old. But I had plenty of jobs. I worked at a circle K gas station for a while then went on to be a welder with my dad. I did carpentry, construction and my last job was a garbage man."

Reuben and his wife Beatrice

What side of town did you grow up on and how was the neighborhood?
"I grew up on the west side on Zarzamora with my grandma and my grandpa. Then we moved to the south side. The south side was considered right there on Southcross and Zarzamora at that time there was no Military Dr., no Southpark Mall, the only stores we had was Shoppers World and the Thrifty Mart. The neighborhood I lived in was okay there was no problems with gangs and stuff like that, like how it is now."

What one thing that you wish you had now that you had in your childhood?
"One thing that I wish I had now was my grandma and grandpa. My uncle, my favorite uncle because he took me everywhere with him and we would walk all the railroad tracks."

Reuben and his grandson G

How has San Antonio changed from the way it used to look?
"Gangs, fighting, I will never go back to San Antonio to live. I enjoy my country living. Raising animals and having space is what I do now"

How was downtown San Antonio when you were younger?
"My grandma had a little store on the west side where they sold soda water bottle. We used to collect the soda water caps and the Texas Theatre would let you go see movies like King Kong. It only took 3 or four Coca Cola caps and we would ride our bikes to see the movie. That was the most I would go downtown because I couldn't afford to go anywhere else."

Is there anything else that you would like to add to the interview?
"Take advantage of being young because it only happens once."

Reuben Cruz

 

 

ANALYSIS

History has a great deal to do with how life is now. From sports to cooking everything has its history. Just listening to one persons' story and seeing how things have changed over time is a part of history. Having the chance to interview someone from in and around you can impact the way you see the simplest things as such big treasures now. Through this whole process of this Oral History Project I've learned a lot about my father and how life in San Antonio was before my time. The way there was no Military Dr. or Southpark mall and now there stores all over the place, it's crazy to hear how things have changed in such a short amount of time. My view on my topic of "Growing Up in San Antonio" has change a lot, in the beginning I was just trying to get the project over with and done but coming out I learned many things about my father and how he lived growing up in san Antonio, from the struggles he faced living in a low income family to how him and his brothers would find ways to enjoy themselves a like movie with bottle caps. Things do change over time and sometimes it's good to forgive and forget but how would life be if we forgot everything from our past. How would we remember the fun times we had or how far we come from where we used to be. Looking back at my father's past, listening to how his life was and how things have changed gave me a new meaning to my life.

 

 

TIMELINE

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