Histories

Interview Description Juan Mendez (25) talks with Juan Contreras (26) about crossing the border from Mexico to the United States and about the differences between life in Mexico and the United States and what they miss about Mexico. Facilitator Subject Log 1:44 En que trabajas? construcción but jobs have slowed down 5:08 JM goes to martial arts school; black belt; wants to teach martial arts classes 14:00 The story of why JC wanted to come...

Interview Description Siblings David De La Torre, 61, and Karen Ann De La Torre discuss their family genealogy and the nuances of their Latino identity. Facilitator Subject Log 1:35 Siblings discuss family genealogy on fathers side. Forefathers settled in California when state was still a Spanish territory. 12:00 Siblings discuss genealogy on mother's side. 14:35 KDLT shares memories of grandmother's house. 23:40 DDLT discusses...

Interview Description Leon De Leon (89) talks to his son Reuben R De Leon (40) about his life. Facilitator Subject Log 00:58 Leon talks about being born in Lompoc, CA, but also living in Mexico until he was 7-years-old. 07:50 Leon talks about becoming a signal-man in the Navy. He talks about why he joined the military. 12:30 Leon joined the Merchant Marines and talks about the scariest moment he ever had on a ship. He tells the story about...

Interview Description Mary Garces is interviewed by her daughter Lucinda Garces about how her mother came to the United States from Mexico and about her childhood in Texas and the discrimination that she felt as an American of Mexican descent. Facilitator Subject Log :54 Why did Mary's grandparents immigrate to the United States from Mexico? Crossed the river into the U.S. during the Mexican revolution 5:14 discrimination by white people; refers to...

Interview Description Clyde Gill talks to his daughters Tiffany Piña and Joslyn Gill about his childhood, school life, community life and worthies, family history and lineage, his Mexican heritage and family traditions, and happiest and saddest memories. Facilitator Subject Log 3:40 CG talks about the pride and joy of becoming a parent. 7:35 CG shares anecdotes of his daughters growing up. Daughters' skits and singing. 10:40 CG talks about...

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 Carol Jacques talks to her husband, Bill rumble about her grandparents' emigration to the US from Mexico at the turn of the century and the community of Chavez Ravine where her family had their home until the community was razed. Facilitator Subject Log 01:11 Carol's grandparents and stories of their lives in poverty in Mexico. When they emigrated to the US, the family carried a stone corn-grinder called a metate all the way....

Interview Description Felicitas Larios, 69, conversa con su hija Lorena Larios-Magaña, 41, acerca de su niñez en México, su vida adulta en los Estados Unidos y sus experiencias amorosas y laborales. [Felicitas Larios, 69, talks to her daughter Lorena Larios-Magaña, 41, about her childhood in Mexico, her adult life in the United States, and her love and work experiences.] Facilitator Subject Log 3:00 Vida de FL en el rancho donde nació. "Crecer ahí fue...

Interview Description Patricia Veliz Macal (42) habla con su mama Amanda Macal (72) de su trabajo con gente infectados con el virus VIH/SIDA. [Patricia Veliz Macal (42) talks with her mom Amanda Macal (72) about working with people with HIV/AIDS.] Facilitator Subject Log 00:40 Patricia nacio en Guatemala y es la menor de cuatro hermanos. 07:00 Patricia habla de la persona que la inspiro ha escribir una obra para educar gente de VIH/SIDA....

Interview Description José F. Maldonado, 67, talks to StoryCorps Mobile Facilitator Alejandro De La Cruz, 28, about his childhood, his worklife as an electronics engineers and musician, and his political views. Facilitator Subject Log 0:50 JM talks about his parents and siblings and his upbringing as a migrant farm laborer. 5:30 JM remembers traveling the country with his family picking crops and recalls an instance in which his family faced...