TRANSCRIPTION
Grandmother, as a little girl what did you want to become?
She shouted "a wrestler" then right away it got silent.
Why are your eyes getting watery?
Krystal it was so hard being a female back then, I had to only dream of becoming a wrestler, I had to face that living in the time I was in I had to play the role like every other women.
What was life like growing up?
It was almost like today, I had to do chores like the way you all kids now. My mother would make me wash dishes and make sure my room was always clean. If she saw anything out of place boy she would get mad.
How was school like since you went to a private school?
She laughed and said school was where kids got hit. The nuns had every right to hit you with a ruler on your hand and because her sister was bad she would kneel on her knees till the nuns said to get up. She smiled so big squinting her eyes saying that's why I was a good girl. We were taught how to become a lady and to honor our future husbands the way we honor our fathers.
Grandmother who was your role model growing up?
She put her hand on her heart and said my beautiful sister Ofelia of course. She did everything for me, she raised me and showed me love. Remember Krystal I was adopted and my adopted mother was there of me but not like sister. When my adopted mother past away my sister cared for me like her own. She never left me by myself.
What types of jobs were there?
Women had girl jobs at those days, secretary, cafeteria lady, and waitressing.
What was your first job?
In 1968 I remember my husband and I migrated to Ohio to work on the field picking strawberries, tomatoes, grapes, and potatoes.
What was your second job?
In 1968 I worked at a warehouse making ketchup and tomato sauce. We moved back after because picking season finished. Then when I got back to San Antonio I worked at a bar downtown called Esquire Bar.
What difference do you see in jobs today?
She put her hands on her head saying oh man a lot has changed with jobs
What was the fashion like when you were growing up?
Oh Krystal you would have loved it. Your style is like the way I use to dress. Long beautiful dresses and the big beautiful hats that you like wearing. Yeah women couldn't show much skin like we had to wear long dresses and skirts. Now it has changed I see everyone wearing shorts and pants. Back then it was a no no for a women to wear a suit. I see women all downtown wearing female suits
Grandmother what advice can you give me?
The best and most important advice I can give you my beautiful smart young woman and to other young women out there is education is important because as I was growing up you didn't need education you were already set on what to do house wife or work in the fields.
ANALYSIS
Interviewing my grandmother I saw her face reactions and the different tones of her voice which made this interview so important. She told me things that I had never knew and I wouldn't have known if I didn't ask. One thing I didn't know if the different jobs she had and that her sister worked in an elevator, I have only seen that in old movies where someone works in the elevator just assisting the guest. The view of my grandmother has changed a bit, when she would get mad at me on saying how spoiled I am and how hard it was back then, also how I should appreciate more. After interviewing her I do realize what she means but I still think she's over exaggerate on my part. I am glad I did this oral history project on my grandmother because not only did I learn more about her but I can understand her more when she gets in her moods about some things at home, on news, or just with herself. So much has changed since my grandmother was growing up. Only way I verified on the info my grandmother told me during interview is her face expressions tells it all. The way she answered questions was like if she can close her eyes and see it all happening again. Out of this assignment I now want to go and interview so many other people out there from my family and people I don't even know. Everyone has a story behind their lives and I would love to hear and learn about it.
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