Shelton, Thelma Perales; Vara, Vanessa Reyes; Vara, Valencia (grandmother/daughter/granddaughter). Discovery Green Park, 2009-12-06T12:30:00

File — Interview-ID: MBY006027

Interview Description

Thelma Perales Shelton (59) talks with daughter Vanessa Reyes Vara (38) & granddaughter Valencia Vara (12) about her childhood.

Facilitator Subject Log

01:10 Thelma talks about her family's ancestral roots in Guanajuato, Mexico. She has also traced her family's history back to Spain and the Moorish Empire.

09:00 Thelma talks about her mother working for a cigar company when she was 9-years-old. There weren't child labor laws back when her mother worked so she was allowed to work.

18:00 Thelma talks about her "barrio "[neighborhood] and the people that lived around her. She talks about her experiences as a Mexican-American student as well.

27:00 Thelma talks about her first job as a baby-sitter when she was 12-years-old. She also recalls her second job as a bus girl for a Mexican restaurant.

33:00 Thelma offers advice to her daughter and granddaughter and talks about what she hopes for herself and for her family in the future.