TRANSCRIPTION
What are your earliest childhood memories?
Growing up on the westside attending Crockett elementry, having visiting my grandmother. Only remembered or knew my grandmother Maria Isabel De la Pena Valdez lived to be about 93 years old.
What was it like growing up as a child?
You were seen but not heard very harshly by my parents. I was raised in a strict Catholic Environment.
What wars were happeneing while growing up?
Korean Conflict and the Peace agreement, signed the North Koreans and U.S.My father and I walked everywhere or rode the bus, did not have transportation. Vietnam in 1973 in sevice druing the conflit. 1959 i was 12 years old and it ended when i was 24 years old.
What schools did you attend?
Attended public school at Crockett Elementry, from kinder to 6th grade. In 7thand 8th grade i attended Sacred Heart. Went to Central Catholic High School in 1963. My college years I attended St. Mary's University, U.T. Health Science Center School of Nursing to recieve my BSN,and Trinity University to recieve my Masters.
Why did they send you to Catholic School?
Best education were to be reccieved was at a Catholic School. Also the public schools had gang activity in the late 60's and my parents wanted to me to have the best education.
What jobs did your parents work at?
My mother was a stay at home mom. My father worked 40yrs as a mastered tailor at a store that no long exists called Frank Brothers.
Did your family ever go on any family vacations?
Yes we were limited went to Galveston or Texas City,Texas, Alivin and Lamar, Texas. These are all places where my mothers families lived.
Did you have any favorite teachers while attending schools?
Only two teachers, Principle at Crockett Elementry. Sadie Ray Powell encouraged me to do better, didn't knock any students down, didn't teach, but was the Principle. Nun in the 7th grade, Sister Scholastica. Also on that encouraged students to do better, and praised the students.
Where you in any school activities?
Yes in highschool I was in ROTC, drill team, Senior commander of the freshman drill team know as the lloyd Rifles. Also Varsity team called Charmmin guard and both teams were winning teams. In 1966 the freshman team beat the Varsity team in a drill competion at a Parade. Also on the Student Council, Booster club. At St.Marys belonged to ROTC for 4 years I was a philler alterly. In the Rahochi Fraternity.
What jobs did you work while growing up?
Through highschool. My father didn't allow us to work only had to work at school, needed to be top 10% or top 5% of our class. My first job ever was pumping gas at the gas station. Where when a car pulls up you go and pump their gas. I did that job for about 3 weeks. My dad didn't want me to work anymore so I had to quit.I was about 17 years old when i worked at the gas station.
How has San Antonio changed in the past couple of years?
Size of the city, growing up less than half a million people; now were almost about a million in a half of people. Neighborhood that i grew up werer dirt streets not paved but roads. When it would rain the roads were muddy. There was not a highway express system. Everyone would practically ride the bus, or walked. At night you can sit outside without the fear or someone shooting at you. You can leave your door unlocked at night while you were sleeping and nobody would come in and do anything. The City council know as the Government League rather that the Council people coted from a district. They were voted coming on at large, usually had one or no hispanics. Run by non hispanics. Never had a black on the city council. Rode the bus, certain bus lines you couldn't sit in the fron of the bus, had to sit in the middle of the bus. The difference between the North, South, West, and East side of San Antonio. Where you lived in the westside you stayed out of the othere sides of town. While growing up there was only 48 states. Alaska and Hawaii didn't exist.
Growing up how has the civilization changed?
The town has got bigger. Their are mall franchise and a medical school, which we didn't have while growing up. It was built in 1968 or 1970. People are more friendly and open to except you as who you arel, then rather where you come from. Back then you were labled as either a mexican, negro, eastsiders, southsiders, county, hick, or if you were from the northside you had money.
What were prices like back then?
Compared today they seem cheaper, but actually were expensive. People who ran gas stations would check air in the tires, open up the hood of your car to make sure your batter, radiator, and oil were all good to go. Cleaned your windows and pumped your gas. When you would pay them they would give you gold stars and each time you had so many, they would give you plates.
Do you still talk to some of your old friends?
Most of them are dying off. The ones i grew up with are still somewhat in the neighborhood. Run into this one guy i went to elementry with and he was shocked because i knew him by name .
What would you do for fun?
Watch t.v. On Sundays if my Father didn't work we would take the bus to the zoo or museum, or park. If it was an extra special day he would take us to the movies, which ment paying for a ticket, soda, and popcorn, at the price of $1.50
What do you miss most about growing up?
Quiet, not as hectic, don't have to run all over the palce to all these meetings. I attend six or seven meetings a month.
How has your community changed from growing up on Monterrey St?
The 2200 block has not changed from when i was growing up. Majority of people won their homes, but a lot of homes have been converted into apartments. Different values, because when i was growing up few hispanics lived there, their were moslty germans and anglos. Now in the neighborhood are hispanics. Most of them don't own their homes so they don't take ccare of their property.
Since you've attended Central Highschool how has it changed?
Gotten to be very expensive. When i was attending my father only paid $25 a month on a monthly basis. Now the tuition is 9,000 a year and you have to pay it up front by getting a loan or having the money. The tuition payment is almost as much as a house payment.
How did you and your family spend your holidays?
Either go to the park or stay at home. Watch t.v. , not rich , poor so very hard to do anything. Only on christmas and new year's my aunt would visit from mexico and everyone would get together at my grandmothers house because it was big. Celebrating by the women baking cookeis and buemelos and making tamales. Everyone would stop and 10pm to get dressed and bunch in to two or three cars and attend midnight mass at the Our Lady of Guadelupe. Then we would come back and eat what was cooked and open presents. Did exactly the same thing for New Year's expect for attending church. Celebrated by shooting off fireworks and the kids that were under 18 can have one glass of wine more like a shot of the Christ of Blook.
Why did you choose to join the army?
I had no choice, either i drafted or join. My case I joined the army, but as an officer than as an listed man. Hat to full-fill my duty. When you turned 18 you had to go down to the postoffice and their was a recurit their. Selective service office and rigistered. You either had a letter or number in the lottery system and that would choose if you were ready to be drafted.
How did you like attending St. marys University?
I attended st. marys university for four years. I enjoyed very much of it. I participated in ROTC and joined a fraternity called RHOCHI.
How did it make a difference in your life by going to college to further you eductation?
Allow me to get a better job, allowed me to things other people couldn't do. Opened alot of doors politically, professionally, and business.
What made you decide to go to st. mary's university? Why did you choose St. Marys?
Is a marianist University basically becuase it a catholic school.
Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
NO you pretty much covered everything, the only thing is there has been alot of changes to computers and technologies. Had to use phone booth to call someone and it would cost 25 cents which was alot. Their was Sputnik Satellite, operated and orbited ny the russians. Ther berlin wall that was built and then torn down. Alot of history basically took place.
