Town Life

Interview Description Armando Gonzales (17) talks with his friend Eduardo Torrez (17) about their friendship, their love of rap music, football, and gangbanging. Facilitator Subject Log 5:23 how they met each other in the second grade; football 9:00 Eduardo has a lot of brothers and sisters; rapping together; how Armando started rapping; Houston rap versus Atlanta rap 14:00 verses and songs written; freestyling; experience freestyling...

Interview Description Sylvia Gonzales (65) is interviewed by her friend, Celia Vara Valles (49) about her career in law enforcement, her adoptive son Michael and her grandchildren whom she has raised. Facilitator Subject Log 3:46 Sylvia's role model was her mother; she taught her and her siblings everything they needed to know before kindergarten; Olga Solis got Sylvia a scholarship for college; Sylvia's parents' names 7:50 childhood was happy; family...

Interview Description Denise Ricks (29) interviews her father, Dennis Gonzales (56) about his life. Facilitator Subject Log 00:50 Denis talks about his ethnic background, and the progression of labels he identified himself as. 03:52 Dennis shares memorable stories from his childhood in Pueblo, CO. 09:40 Dennis talks about his parents. His mother was a stay-at-home mom and used to drive him to school. He recalls the cooking she did. She and...

Interview Description José Jesus Gonzalez (49) y Ernesto Aguilar (46) hablan de politica. [José Jesus Gonzlaez (49) y Ernesto Aguilar (46) talk about politics. Facilitator Subject Log 01:10 José Jesus habla de la elecciones de Houston y la nueva alcalde que gano la eleccion. 05:20 José Jesus habla de la caracteristicas de la nueve alcalde. José dice que no le gusta. 13:30 José habla de las leys en Houston que estan a contra de los...

Interview Description Robert A Gonzalez (62) talks with daughter Erica Gonzalez (32) about his life. Facilitator Subject Log 01:20 Robert talks about watching :Ozzie & Harriet "on television and fantasizing about a better life. 04:50 Robert talks about his experience working on farms when he was younger. He says that's where he learned to hate grapes. 08:52 Robert talks about the Vietnam War draft and getting drafted. 13:00...

Interview Description Fina Guevara (64), talks with facilitator, Carolina Correa (30s), about her parents and why she is so proud of them. Facilitator Subject Log 01:00 Fina came in to talk about her parents, Irene Casada Montagno and Antonio Montagno. They raised Fina and her 3 siblings in Los Angeles. 04:43 Fina talks about her parent's backgrounds. Her father, originally from Mexico didn't speak English. Her mother had a strong influence on her....

Interview Description Ana Hepler, 59, talks to her daughter Tracy Hepler, 26, about her immigration to the United States, including the difficulties she encountered on the road, and her first months in America. Facilitator Subject Log 4:55 AH's plans of going to America. 7:20 AH's problems encountered as she traveled through Mexico on way to Los Angeles: being abandoned by bus driver, being denied shelter by woman who had previously promised to help...

Interview Description Etelvina Hernandez (81) is interviewed by her daughters, Monica García (47) and Maribel Barrera (45) about her childhood in México, her life in the U.S. and her job with Mary Kay Cosmetics. Facilitator Subject Log 1:39 Etelvina nació en Michocan; su abuela; no le gusta el rancho 5:34 getting trouble in school; started working at 14 years old; hours she worded; money that she earned 18:41 making food: tortillas and...

Interview Description José F. Hernandez (86) talks with his daughter Marie-Theresa hernandez (57) about being a funeral home owner in Rosenberg, Texas. Facilitator Subject Log 00:50 José talks about his parents being from Cahuilla, Mexico. His parents were Julia Nieto and Laro Hernandez. José was only a month old when his parents moved to Texas. 04:00 José talks about being a bazooka man in the Army when he was stationed in Japan. He enlisted in the...

Interview Description Lourdes Hernandez (54) talks with facilitator Nina Porzucki (30) about her modest beginnings to attaining a law degree from Harvard. Facilitator Subject Log 00:50 Lourdes was born in Mexico to a single mother named Elgracia. Her mother's family were farmers and impoverished. 04:00 Lourdes traveled with her family to Calexico, TX when she was five-years-old and that's where she began school. She describes the first day of school...