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Jesse:——Jesse Holloway—— Gustavo:——Gustavo Alvarez—— Rosa:——and Rosa Ferreyra, student historians from the Anderson Valley High School North Coast Rural Challenge Network Oral History Project. Viri: Hoy estamos aquí con la familia Soto——Efren Soto, padre, su hija Esther, y sus hijos, Manuel, Antonio, y Ernesto. Gracias señor Soto y familia por haber venido hoy a hablar con nosotros. We are here today with the Soto family——Efren Soto, father, his daughter, Esther, and his sons, Manuel, Antonio, and Ernesto. Thank you all for being here to speak with us. Esther: Thank you for having us. Manuel: Gracias por invitarnos. Thank you for inviting us. Jesse: Your family was one of the first families to come here from Mexico. Can you tell us how you ended up in Anderson Valley? Efren: Ya hasta se me olvidó como llegamos. I already forgot how we got here. Esther: Llegamos en——cuando llegamos, Pops? We got here in——when did we get here, Pops? Efren: Caminando, en enero de 1980. Es dificil dar una explicación al respecto de los acontecimientos. Son duro a momento que los hace uno. Si se recuerdan tras el transcurso de veinte años. No es fácil. ¿Verdad? Pero para empezar… Walking, in January of 1980. It’s hard to give an explanation about what happened——it’s hard the moment you do it. To remember twenty years ago——it’s not easy, right? But to begin… Antonio: No, pero la pregunta es que cómo llegamos aquí. No, but the question is how did we get here? Efren: Y las respuestas son algunas, de muchas maneras. And the answers are some with different ways. Manuel: Pues dílas. Por ejemplo mi tío nos invitó aquí. Well, tell them, for example, that my uncle invited us here. Well, tell them… Esther: Papi, en enero de 1981, Manuel se vino primero y después se vinieron tú y mi mami. Ahora dilo tú. Daddy, in January of 1981, Manuel came first, and then my mother and you came. Now tell it. Efren: No, pero your mom fue la qu hizo la decisión de movernos para acá para buscar la diferencia que buscamos todos. También… No, but your mom was the one who made the decision to move here, to look for the difference that we all look for. Also… Esther: Y cuál es esa diferencia, Pops? And what is that difference, Pops? Efren: Diferente educación. Different education. Esther: Mejor educación para tus hijos. Y que más papa? Better education for your children. And what else? Ernesto: ¿Por qué este valle? Why did you choose this Valley? Esther: ¿Por que escogiste aquí, Pops? ¿Por qúe te gustó Anderson Valley para nosotros? Why did you choose here, Pops? Why did you like Anderson Valley for us? Efren: Bueno pues, por ejemplo, toda la gente era muy amigable. Y no es fácíl encontrar en estos tiempos un lugar así, más o menos, verdad? Well, for example, all the people are friendly. And it’s not very easy to find a place like this in these times, right? Ernesto: Opuesto a como era la vida cuando vivías en Chicago. As opposed to how life was when you lived in Chicago. Efren: Bastante, cualquier familia que se mueva, los primeros tiempos son muy difíciles. Sufren, ¿verdad? Sufren de todas indoles…no solamente… bueno… Plenty, whenever a family moves, the first times are really difficult. They suffer. Right? They suffer from everything…not only…well… Manuel: También podríamos agregar que la llegada fue bastante difícil porque no teníamos nada. Also we can add that the arrival was difficult because we had nothing. Efren: No, no, por eso te digo yo que se sufre bastante. Sería dificil explicarlo. Nos tomaría todo el día. No, no, that’s why I tell you that you suffer a lot. It would be difficult to explain. It would take us the whole day. Manuel: Todavía no tenemos pero antes teníamos menos. We still don’t have much, but before we had less. Efren: Sí por eso digo yo. ¿Qué tal? te parece que cuando nos ibamos a mover…(sneezes). OK, cuando nos movimos a la casa, allí enfrente de la Lemons’ no teníamos donde sentarnos. Compramos unos platos y allí mismo comía uno parado. Estufa había allí, se cocinaba. Y siempre que es a lo mismo que yo digo. Sufrimos unas experiencias que nunca se le olvida a uno. Hay unas que sí se olvidan pero esas no se olvidan. No teníamos mesas, sillas, y yo no me acuerdo que teniamos cobija, si nos ladiabamos así también. A fe que al trascurso del tiempo todas las cosas cambian. Trabajas y te portas bien con la gente, vale mucho. Yeah, that’s why I tell you. What do you think? When we were about to come…(sneezes)…OK, when we moved to the house there in front of Lemons’, we didn’t have anywhere to sit. We bought some plates, and there we ate standing up. There was a stove there where you cooked. And it goes back to what I said. We suffered experiences that we will never forget. We had no tables, chairs, and I don’t remember if we had blankets or not. As time goes by, everything changes. You work, and you, you treat people right. That is worth a lot. Antonio: ¿Ya? Are you done? Gustavo: ¿Cómo era aquí cuando de primero llegaron? How was it here when you first arrived? Esther: Cuando llegamos aqui… When we got here… Manuel: En ese caso yo sería el más indicado para contestar esta pregunta. Yo me llamo Manuel Soto, desde luego mi padre es Efren Soto y mi madre, Maria Trinidad Soto. Cuando yo llegué aquí en abril del 1979, la cantidad de hispanos en el valle era completamente reducida. Había tres o cuatro familias establecidas. Y la de nosotros sería la número cinco o seis. En aquel tiempo como yo venía a trabajar en agricultura, fue lo que me tocó hacer. Yo veía que había más manzanas de las que hay hoy. ¿Que más seria? Help! In that case I would be the one suited to answer this question. My name is Manuel Soto, of course, my father is Efren Soto, and my mother, Maria Trinidad Soto. When I got here in April of 1979, the quantity of Hispanics in the Valley was completely reduced. There were two or three families already established and ours would have been the fifth or sixth. At that time, because I came to work in agriculture, that’s what I did, I realized that there were more apples back then, than today. What else was there? Help? Esther: Había mucho trabajo en los bosques juntando madera. There was a lot of work in the forest, harvesting wood. Manuel: Había también bastante trabajo en la madera. Mucho más que lo que hay hoy. Habían muchas menos casa de las que hay hoy. Me estoy referiendo hace veinte años. Las viñas que habían las podías contar, dos o tres chiquitas. Y una estaba al lado opuesto de la escuela elementaria. Que todavía están allí unas viejas. La tolerancia de la cultura Latino Americano en este valle, no la había mucha como lo hay hoy. Hoy creo que es un poca mejor. There was enough work in the woods. A lot more than there is today. There were fewer houses than there are today. I’m refering to twenty years ago. The vineyards that there were could be counted——maybe two or three little ones——and one was on the opposite side of the elementary school. There are still some old ones there. The tolerence for the Latin American culture in this Valley was minimal. Today I think it is a little bit better. Rosa: Señor Soto, ¿podría usted explicar como era vivir en México? Mr. Soto, can you explain what it was like to live in Mexico? Efren: El vivir en México…¿tú si has ido a México, verdad? Es bastante muy diferente la vida en Mexico. Menos servicios, tienes tu casa pero no tienes los mismos servicios que aquí. Living in Mexico…you have gone to Mexico, right? It’s quite different, the life in Mexico——fewer services, you have your house, but you don’t have the same services as you do here. Manuel: Menos derechos. Fewer rights. Esther: ¿Como cuá les servicios? Like what services? Efren: Como todos. Como si voy a mi casa, allá donde fueron y me acuesto, los alambres me pegan en la espalda, me pican los del spring donde se acuestan en la cama. Esa cama, tiene casi cuarenta años.Y te mantiene despierta toda a noche porque te mueves y te hace SHHH! Entonces es bastante muy diferente. Tengo la casa pero no tengo… Like every one. Like if I go to my house over there where you went, and I lay down, the wires hit me in my back. The springs from the bed poke me. That bed is over forty years old and keeps you awake all night, because if you move it creaks. That’s why it is much different. I have the house, but I don’t have the … Manuel: Una cosa muy importante–menos derechos. Menos derechos como civil. One important thing–fewer rights. Fewer, like, civil rights. Efren. Ahora la otra explicación que les voy a dar, es que esa casa que tengo la compré con dinero de aquí también. No con dinero que se produció allá. Now the other explanation that I am going to give is that the house that I own over there, I bought with money that I earned here, not from money that was earned over there. Viri: Señor Soto, hemos escuchado que usted fue un gran jinete. ¿Es verdad esto? Mr. Soto, we have heard that you are a great cowboy. Is that true? Efren: Se trató de hacer. La necesidad los lleva a uno a unos casos que tiene uno que lanzarse.Lo desempeñes o no. Porque a mí me pagaban por hacer eso y lo hice. I tried to do it. Necessity takes us to where we have to give it all you’ve got whether you succeed or not. Because they paid me to do it, I did it. Antonio: Pero tu no eras jinete, eras charro. Antonio: But you weren’t a bronc rider, you were a charro. Efren: No, pero si no me hubiera sabido quedar arriba no es facíl. Por eso digo yo que en este mundo nada es fácíl. La necesidad lo lleva a uno a… por empezar un buen comportamiento para que te puedan emplear y tú puedas ganar dinero. Porque si tu a empezar a trabajar con alguien aquí o en México te portas mal, al siguiente día te desocupan. Dicen no, esta persona no quiere. Entonces yo siempre traté de controlar eso, y lo he llevado acabo. Ya tengo mucho tiempo viviendo , bueno se me hace poco pero ya son algunos años y yo no he trompezado con problemas con nadie. Y eso tampoco es fácíl. No, but I wouldn’t have known how to stay on; it’s not easy. That’s why I say that nothing in this world is easy. Necessity takes you to... to start you must behave properly so that people will employ you and you can earn money. Because if you start working for somebody, here or in Mexico, and you behave badly, they will fire you the next day. They will say, "No, this person doesn’t want to work." I always tried to control that and I have succeeded. I have lived a long time. Well, it hasn’t been long enough, but it has been a few years and I have never run into problems with anyone. That is also not easy. Manuel: Incluyendo por necesidad nos movimos a este país. Including that we moved to this country out of necessity. Ernesto: Regresando a eso de ser charro, siempre te ha gustado a tí eso. Returning to the topic of being a cowboy; you’ve always liked being one. Efren: Las cosas ya cuando esta uno de edad ya no te sirven. When you get older, things don’t work like they used to. Antonio: No puedes... You can’t… Efren: Ahorita si quiero lazar, tengo donde tengo animales en mi casa, pero quiero lazar y me duele aquí las coyonturas de los hombros. Cuando uno va a lazar hay que tirar la soga rápido y cuando es tiempo. Y tener tiempo de lazar y levantar la soga. Now if I want to rope, I have animals at my house, but if I try to rope my shoulder joints ache. When one is about to rope one must throw the rope quickly and on time. You must have time to rope and recover the rope. Manuel: Ser ágil. Be agile. Efren: Y ahora no puedo. Si lazo a veces no alcanzo a juntarla pasa el animal. Now I can’t. Sometimes when I rope, I don’t retrieve it on time. The animal goes by. Ernesto: Efren, y si te va arrastrando, soltarla ¿verdad? Efren, and if you are being dragged, let go of the rope right? Manuel: Ahora no vas a decir que a ti te laza el toro. Now you’re not going to say that the steer is going to rope you. Efren: No. El otro dia lazamos un novillo y ¡ay estaba yo asustado! Es muy peligroso el trabajo. No, the other day we roped a steer and I was scared. It is very dangerous work. Efren: Pero el trabajo ese es muy peligroso, el trabajo de la charrería. Yo no sólo lazé pero también me montaba el animal los brutos. Pero yo mi pantalón era 29 mas o menos de cintura. Y ahora soy 38. But that work is very dangerous, the work of a cowboy. I not only roped, but I also broke many wild animals. Back then my pants were a 29 waist, now they’re a 38. Antonio: Y eso ¿qué quiere decir? And what does that mean? Efren: Pués que estoy muy pesado. Well, that I’m too heavy. Antonio: Ah! Efren: Porque yo si iba corriendo el animal, con la soga arrastrando, yo de corriendo, me agachaba y la levantaba del animal. Ahorita si me agacho me voy al piso. Because if an animal was running with a rope dragging, I could ride along it, reach down from my horse, and pick up the rope. If I try that now, I’ll go to the ground. Manuel: Ernesto, why don’t you tell that story when we were roping that calf. That’s a good story, I mean—— Ernesto:——ah, uh——we had some steers that we were going to take to the market, and there was one on top of the hill. We went to rope it, and Manuel, my dad and I were trying to rope it right? Well, I rope it, but it turns out that I roped it from his hoof, on his front hoof. Well, Manuel came down to help me stop it and I figured, you know…the both of us can stop it…anyway… Manuel:——he went up hill where I caught it… Ernesto:——yeah, he ripped the rope out of my hands and went uphill where Manuel caught up to it.
Manuel:——and held it uphill! Ernesto:——yeah, but you see——this is important——you see it is easier to hold it uphill than when it is going downhill! Manuel:——but you didn’t know that! Right? Ernesto: I ran so I could help him catch it. I got in front and I was holding it, while the steer turns around… Manuel:——my dad got on top of the hill and missed. Ernesto: What ended up happening was that I grabbed the rope and here I am thinking, well, Manuel has it too, so he’s not going anywhere, but little did I know that someone let go… Manuel:——because I heard that my dad say, "Let go——you can never stop a steer that weights 500 pounds and is going downhill." Ernesto: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Manuel: He said, "Let go," and I let go. Efren: Manuel es un miedoso. Manuel is a scaredy-cat. Ernesto: I thought if I let go it’s gonna drag Manuel. I didn’t know that he was going to let go and the steer was going to drag me ten feet. Manuel: You flew! Ernesto: He dragged me on my shoulder. Antonio: He owes you one. Ernesto: That’s the safest thing to say. Esther: Mi papi dice que tu eres un miedoso! Por eso le soltaste! My daddy said that you are a scaredy-cat! That’s why you let go! Ernesto: My dad was pretty angry! Manuel: I don’t think that we would have been able to hold it myself. When my dad said, "Let go," I let go! He hung on; it took him for a ride! Ernesto: Yeah, yeah right! Manuel: Let’s stop there before it gets personal. Efren: Yo lo hubiera detenido hasta de las orejas! I would’ve held on from his ears if I had to. Manuel: Yeah, right. Ernesto: You see, even my dad said that he would’ve held onto his ears. Efren: Una vez no se me pudo soltar una vaquilla más grande que ese, la tenía detenida de las orejas. Pero yo tenia 30 años o 27. No luego no se me safaban tan fácil. Pero Manuel se quedo así. (Makes a scared face). One time a little calf couldn’t get away from me. I had him by the ears. But I was thirty years old or twenty-seven by then. No, but before they wouldn’t escape from me very easily. But Manuel stayed like this…(makes a scared face). Antonio: ¿No le dijiste que cerrará la boca aunque sea? Did you tell him to at least close his mouth? Efren: OK. Jesse: You were some of the first Spanish-speaking students to come to Anderson Valley schools. How was that like? Manuel: That refers to them three because I never went to school here. Andale, Esther, echa tus mentiritas. Tell us your tales, Esther. Esther: There were five of us who started school here, Efren and I were the only ones except for two other Mexican girls that started school in junior high. It was hard. It was very difficult. There was only one part-time assistant that worked only for two hours and she worked here and in the elementary school. We were put in lots of vocational classes instead of the academic classes. It was difficult because the teachers didn’t know what to do with us. Because they couldn’t communicate with us. It was– Antonio: No, but that was easy because there were just six or seven of us and they would just throw us in a room with one teacher and you learn faster. They use to have–remember the flashcards? Esther: Yeah. They said, ‘The boy is running; the girl is running.’ Antonio: They would actually show us a picture. I think that that is easier, and that’s a better way of learning than just trying to read of a book. You know? Esther: See, you started in elementary, and we started in junior high. Antonio: In fourth grade. Esther: Yeah, in fourth grade. See, in junior high it was a different situation because we were just submerged into the classroom. It was either you sink or you float. Luckily, we had strong skills in Spanish so we knew how to write fairly well. So I think that that helped us learn English much faster because we just had to learn the academic part; we knew a lot of the academic part. Ernesto: For my part I can’t say that I had that same experience because I started out in kindergarten, and it wasn’t that difficult for me to learn, you know– Manuel: Just like seeing Ricardo right now. Just going right along. Ernesto: So, I think that when you come when you’re older and you try to learn a different language it’s harder——mostly it’s because of various reasons—-one, you’re embarrassed, you know? You think "Oh, they’re going to laugh at me." And when you’re young, nobody cares. Antonio: And if they laugh, who cares? Manuel: That was my case. I never went to school here. Rosa: And how did you learn English? Manuel: (Points around the room). By hearing her, him, and him, and all of you. Esther: He loves to read. He would pick up a book, and he was a fast learner. Manuel: I read one or two hours a night. I don’t only read about birds, I went from birds to psychology and biology every night. Antonio: Entonces ya casi eres maestro ¿no? So you’re almost a teacher, right? Manuel: I like to read. There’s lots of people here that might not believe I never went to school here. I mean——all my brothers, we’re all citizens, we all passed the test and for them it was like——"big deal"——but it was for me, because you had to be able to read and write——not a whole lot, but you had to have some kind of a knowledge to pass the test. There’s so many other tests to come here to the States, not knowing the language, which I went through over the twenty years. I’m still going through this so often, through the tests in my life. Esther: One…I think that one thing that I would like to add here is that we have parents that are very supportive who helped us through all this hard times and who told us, "I want you to keep your Spanish." Spanish to them was very important. They wanted us to learn English and get to know the culture, so that somehow we could integrate with the culture here, and at the same time keep our values and our beliefs. Manuel: Without putting it in you guys’ face. Esther: And to respect. To learn how to respect the people around us. And we had, in junior high, a very hostile time. There were some times that we went home crying saying that we didn’t want to go back to the school because it was so hard; they didn’t know what to do with us. Now I don’t see much of that. I don’t see–I think that the kids that come from Mexico to junior high have a good teaching staff that can support them. There’s people who speak their language, and I think that it helps having people who can communicate with you. It makes you feel comfortable. And more if you put the effort in learning the language because you want to communicate. Antonio: I think that having less students you put more effort in learning the language. And if you have thirty or forty students of your age you say, "Oh, I can communicate with them, I don’t need you." And by being five or six of us, you have to study harder so you can communicate with them. Esther: Well, and plus, the teachers——it was harder because they didn’t want us in the classrooms. Antonio: Well, it’s not that they didn’t want us, it’s that they couldn’t communicate with us. Manuel: And it was frustrating. You guys might want to add that we’re not crying——the experience has been really great. I mean we’re not crying saying, "Oh, poor us,"——none of that. Esther: Yeah. Manuel: And that’s what makes us who we are——because we fought and tried to understand your sounds. And I think that we’re in a level where we can talk. Esther: It’s not that we’re crying, but… Manuel:——we want to make sure that it doesn’t sound like were crying. Esther: The teachers like Jan Pallazola who was the eighth-grade math teacher, I mean, math is a universal language, but there is a pretty good amount of language involved. I mean, she would just take a seat and she dedicated lots of her time to teaching us the math. Manuel: Still… Esther: And she still does. I mean, look at Gloria Ross——she was in food service and she said, "I’ll take those students. I don’t care if I have to sign to them." Manuel: I would say that Gloria Ross is … an angel! Not because she helps needy kids, but she’s the right one for those needs. Manuel: There’s other people too like Mr. Mendosa and Jan. They have the ideas about knowing our lives, and we do appreciate it. Rosa: Your family seems to be very important to you. Esther: Yeah, our family is very important to us. There are six children, four boys and two girls. We are all married now and have our own kids. Manuel: And we see each other every weekend. We manage not to get in trouble or fight. And if we disagree just like anybody else– Esther: We leave! Manuel: Yeah, we leave. Every weekend there is four to five kids at my mom’s house. Antonio: Poor Mom, huh? Manuel: And when we’re not there my mom is saying——"What, they’re not here!" Esther: It’s quiet around the house. Ernesto: So, maybe that’s the key if you’re angry at somebody—— Manuel:——just leave. Ernesto: Tomorrow they’ll be happy. Manuel: I think we really need to emphasize about my mom. My mom is like an engine of this whole deal here——Mom and Dad. My mom is always pushing us, and my dad is always supporting us. She is always pushing us to the best, not only for ourselves, but for everyone. And really emphasize that we need to give respect and maybe we can get something back. But we have to give first. Esther: And always be honest. And no matter what, follow the right path no matter if it looks hard at that time. She still says that that is the way it has to be because it is the right path. Manuel: If you ever get a chance to meet my mother you will like her as a person. She’s the one. I mean…I won’t leave you behind, Dad, but since you cannot give birth, she’s the one. Antonio: Don’t forget it takes two. Manuel: My mom——in my personal life——when she dies, I will miss her. Very much. Antonio: No la mates todavía. Don’t kill her yet! Manuel: She’s quite a character. I mean she’s even helping me now raise my own child, whose name is Justin. Esther: I think that she has a very important role for being the grandmother of our children. Our kids have lots of respect for her. In a way they even ask her for advice more than they do to their own parents. Like having three kids that are going through the teenage years, sometimes it’s hard. If I tell them something they say, "Oh, no, that’s not what Gramma said." I mean, she’s a great role model. Antonio: And then you call my mom, "Hey Mamá!" Manuel: Guess what? This might sound unusual, but my mother and father get along just fine with new six strangers that come to the house——that came to the house, which are my wife, his wife, (gestures towards his respective siblings) her husband, his wife and so on. We have a difference, yeah, but we don’t make an issue of it. Esther: We have different cultures, too. Mom has three Mexican-Japanese grandchildren, and she has Irene, which is Anglo, and she has two Mexican-American… Ernesto: Irene is not her grandchild. Esther: Well, yeah she’s not her grandchild, but I’m talking about the mixtures of cultures, and that we’re able to get along and respect each other. So, it’s not always easy. Manuel: Japanese and Mexican cultures are kind of similar, but they’re different. And we manage to have a good relationship with my sister—in—law and then my other sister-in-law. And with Anglos such as Irene. We leave everybody’s business alone and we just touch the points that are important to keep the family together, and that’s what we do. Esther: But not only leave everybody’s business alone, but whenever we need somebody we’re always there for each other. We’re always there for… Manuel: Yeah——but without——I don’t tell you what to do. Esther: No, you do try and tell me what to do. Manuel: We forgot one thing that probably you guys know by now. We’ve got a great sense of humor. Even my grampa who passed away a month ago, he was great! When we lost our grampa it was very sad for us because he was the man! Now the Sotos are in a different area with no grandparents. It’s very different. Rosa: Do you speak Spanish or English at family gatherings? Manuel: Both. We emphasize Spanish. Antonio: Casi más hablamos español. We mostly talk in Spanish. Esther: Yeah, we mostly talk in Spanish. Manuel: For example, Erika, Ken and… come on help me, and Anita, they know three languages, well, one of them doesn’t, but the two older ones——they know Spanish, English and Japanese. There we don’t talk Japanese with them, we talk just English and Spanish. Esther: Around my mom, and around my mom’s house, it’s always Spanish and our kids learned Spanish first. Antonio: That’s the law of the land. Esther: That’s the law of the land.
Antonio: Yeah. Manuel: Our sons——they’re both——I mean mine is four years old and speaks two languages. Mr. Mendosa: (Looking at Ernesto). Does your wife speak Spanish? Ernesto: No. Esther: But she understands, she does. Ernesto: She speaks a little bit. Yeah. She is not fluent in Spanish yet. Manuel: I talked to her in Spanish and she says yes or no in English. Esther: Yes, she understands Spanish. Manuel: I think she is starting to really know us and get into it. I can see it coming and eventually in a couple of years I’ll be talking to her in Spanish, because she’s got great pronunciations. She’s got patience. I think, because the words she says perfectly later. Esther: And she trusts to use what she knows, so that’s good. Manuel: Yeah. Rosa: Efren, puede informarnos sobre su familia? Efren, can you tell us about your family? Efren: Voy a tratar de hacerlo, pero yo no sé que clase de información necesitan. I’m going to try, but I don’t know what kind of information you need. Rosa: Como a qué se dedican cada uno. Like what do each of them do. Antonio: A que se dedican ahorita. What each of us do now. Esther: Como qué están haciendo Manuel y lo que hace cada uno de nosotros. Like what does Manuel do, and what do each of us do. Efren: ¿Como Manuel, en qué trabajas? Like Manuel, what do you work in? Antonio: Te están preguntando a ti. They are asking you. Efren: Pués yo los voy a entrevistar a ustedes, ustedes saben más bien que yo. Well, I’m going to interview you guys, you guys know better than I do. Antonio: Debes de decir pues Manuel, Esther, Ernesto… You have to say, well, Manuel, Esther, Ernesto… Esther: Antonio…. Antonio: Son empleados de aquí de la escuela, no tienes que entrar en detalles. They are employees here in the school, you don’t have to give specific details. Ernesto: Antonio ve televisión todo el dia. Antonio watches TV all day. (Laughs). Efren: Antonio ¿estás bien? Antonio, are you OK? Antonio: Yo estoy bien y tú? No, pero dí o sea para que acabes. I’m OK, and you? No, just say it so you can finish. Efren: Para mi sería más facíl que ustedes dijeran lo que ustedes hacen. Para que le digan ustedes más bien a ellos lo que ustedes piensen desifrar. For me it would be easier if you said what you guys do. So you can tell them what you are planning to do? Manuel: Pero ¿tú no te lo has aprendido todo lo que hacemos?. So you haven’t learned what we do? Efren: Piensen desifrar, como yo diría para terminar con Manuel que sería empleado de la high school, Esther es empleada de la escuela y Ernesto. Antonio es empleado de– What are you planning to do, like Manuel is an employee of the high school, Esther is an employee of the school, Ernesto. Antonio is an employee of– Antonio: De todos. Of everyone. Efren: Randy Falk. Esther: Amelia… Manuel: Y tiene su propio trabajo. And he has his own business. Efren: Amelia tiene– Amelia has– Manuel: De maquinaria. Of machines. Esther: Va a la escuela. She goes to school. Manuel: Va a Sonoma State. She goes to Sonoma State. Efren: ¿Ella va a Sonoma State? Yo no sé. Does she go to Sonoma State? I don’t know. Antonio: Y Efren, él no trabaja. And Efren, he doesn’t work. Manuel: Efren es un padre de familia. Trabaja cuando quiere. Efren is a parent. He works when he wants to. Gustavo: Quién es el menor de la familia? Who is the youngest in the family? Esther: El bebé aquí es– (Points to Ernesto). Here is the baby– Efren: Ernesto. Antonio: Te ven y dicen, "¡…hay cabrón!" They see you and say "...oh damn!" Efren: Es una cosa que se discute muy seguido ahí cuando van todos los nietos, porque el lugar de el abuelo es bastante muy fácíl, porque los nietos tienen su papá y su mamá. Cuando hacen mucho ruido en mi casa yo nomás me salgo porque no me toca a mi estar molestandolos porque van por dos horas. Yo aguanto dos horas sin ruido. Su mamá y su papá son los que tienen la responsabilidad de hacer eso en caso que quieran. Si no quieren es su problema. Cada papá tiene que asumir una responsable, como está diciendo la niña que el abuelo de ella se iba a tomar okay eso le gusta a él ¿verdad? otra persona tiene otra responsabilidad necesitan ser responsable a tu persona respetar la gente empezando con tu papá y tu mamá, y luego los de afuera. Porque no me vas a creer que no me ha agarrado la policia nunca por nada. Son sesenta años cincuenta nueve años, yo no tengo ningun record policiaco. Trato de portarme bien, no es fácil, nada es fácil. Pero ustedes están jovenes y tienen un futuro grandisimo, bueno, si ustedes quieren. Desde luego que es más fácil agarrar el camino mal que el bueno. This is one of the things that is discussed frequently when all the grandchildren come over to our house, because the role of grandfather is really easy, because the grandchildren have their mother and their father. When they make a lot of noise in my house, I just go outside, because I don’t like to bother them because they just come for two hours. I can live with noise. Their father and mother are the ones with responsibility to do that if they want to. If they don’t want to, it’s their problem. Every father has to assume a responsibility, like the girl said, that her grandpa likes to go drink, ok that’s what he liked to do right? Another person has a different responsibility to their person. You have to respect other people, starting with your father and mother, and then the ones around you. You’re not going to believe me that, I haven’t been stopped by the police for anything. It’s sixty years, fifty-nine years, and I don’t have a police record. I try to behave well, but it’s not easy. Nothing is easy. You guys are still young and you have a big future coming up, well, if you want it. Of course, it’s a lot easier to go the wrong way than the right way. Manuel: Y no los regañes. Don’t lecture to them anymore. Efren: Es solo una platica. It’s just a conversation. Antonio: Es un consejo. It’s advice. Efren: Es un consejo para ellos, ellos son jovenes. It’s advice for them; they are young. Antonio: Es un consejo para llegar a viejo. It’s advice to get to an older age. Efren: Porque si que pasaría si yo supiera llegar a cién años y que me platicara el señor también que llegara a mil años y no tuviera ningun record policiaco malo de ninguno– Because if I knew how to become one hundred years old and the man could also become one hundred years old and didn’t receive any bad records from the police– Manuel: Deja agrego algo Efren que tú nos dijiste. Padre que diga discúlpame. Mi papá nos dijo a nosotros que si algun día cualquiera de los seis que somos, caiamos a la cárcel. El no nos conocía. Let me add something, Efren, that you told us–sorry, I mean, Father. My father told us that if any of the six were put in jail, he wouldn’t know us. Ernesto: Oh sea, que si te dan una llamada no la gastes para con él porque no va a ir por tí. In other words, if we got a free call, not to waste it on him, because he would not come for us. Manuel: Ni te va a sacar. He wouldn’t even get us out. Antonio: Llama un abogado. Call a lawyer. Efren: No pero que lo pagaran con su propio dinero de ustedes desde luego. If you paid it with your own money, of course you could. Ernesto: What my dad always told if you get in trouble with the law, if you end up in jail, don’t waste your phone call on me because you only get one—— Antonio:——call an attorney. Manuel: I don’t know you’re here– Esther:——because he was talking about– Manuel:——so maybe that’s a little bit of a way of doing business. We always had something to go up against. And believe me, when I was a youngster like you, I always thought of that. I want to get in a little fight like you guys here, and I would say, "…wait a minute, if I carry on, guess what, it’s me." And I think I see that a lot of kids here where a lot of the parents come and rescue, "…oh, my baby!" Not with us! You’re responsible for your own actions. That’s what he says. Ernesto: Exactly, because we had the support for everything else, but when you knew that he was not going to be there for that you thought twice before doing what you were going to do. Esther: Gustavo, para contestar tu pregunta del mayor y el menor, son dos hombres,Manuel es el mayor, y luego dos mujeres y luego son dos hombres. Gustavo, to answer your question about the oldest and the youngest—— first there are two men, then the two women, and then two more guys. Manuel: So, soy yo, Efren (hijo), Esther, Amelia, Antonio, y Ernesto. It’s me, Efren (junior), Esther, Amelia, Antonio, and Ernesto. Viri: Alguna vez los confundían de edad, como a mí me confunden que soy mayor que Iris? Do people ever get your ages confused like people think I am older than Iris? Esther: A Manuel y a mí. Pero sin conocernos la gente. Manuel and I, without people knowing us. Manuel: Me decían, "Esther es tu hermana?" Sí. Y me decían, "Se parecen." Pero una cosa que sí experimenté cuando yo era joven es que tuve un aspecto más maduro. Yo teneia 15 años o 18 años, y podía hacer algunas cosas que no les voy a decir que.Que eran legales para un adulto.Y esas cosas en una cierta parte pues, no esta bien. Pero ese era mi economía. De que diario me miraba mayor, más de lo que era. They would tell me, "Esther is your sister?" "Yeah." And they told me, "You guys look alike." But a thing that I did experience when I was young was that I had a mature look in my face. I was fifteen or eighteen and I was able to do stuff that I’m not gonna tell you what, but were legal for older people. And that thing for one reason is not good. But that was my way of making a living. That usually I would look older than what I really was. Gustavo: ¿Como ha cambiado Anderson Valley desde que ustedes han estado aquí?. How has Anderson Valley changed since you guys got here? Efren: Bastante ha cambiado. Más servicio, más moderno de todo porque cuando nosotros caímos aqui, pues yo estaba escuchando que había menos servicios en la escuela. Se supone que haya habido menos alumnos también. It has changed a lot. More services. Everything is more modern, because when we got here, well, as you were hearing, there were fewer services in the school. There were fewer students than there is now. Antonio; Otra cosa que ha cambiado desde que nosotros llegamos aquí es que antes conocías a toda la gente Hispana, la gente Mexicana. Another thing that has changed is that when we got here everybody knew each other. All the Hispanics, which is the Mexican people, knew you. Efren: Todos nos conocíamos. We all knew each other. Antonio: Decías: " Irá allá viene julano." Y hora pues sabe quién será. You would say, "Look here comes that person." And now you don’t even know who goes by or who comes around. Efren: Yo me acuerdo que habían diez mexicanos o doce. I remember when there were ten or twelve Mexican people here. Esther: Pero todos sabían quién eras,todos te conocían. But everyone knew who you were. Manuel; Todos nos conocíamos. We all knew each other. Efren: Y ahora ya no porque son muchos. Y de los cambios tratandose de todo lo que se ha movido, de la Agricultura yo diría porque solamente cuando caíamos la winería del señor Bennette, no era winería, estaban haciendo el local, y el tenía como decir un acre o dos acres y medios de uva. Y la de enfrente esa sí ya estaba , no sé cuanto tiempo pero ya estaba. Pero solamente dos. Ahorita ¿cuanta uva creen más o menos que hay ahorita? And now we don’t because there are many people. And the changes that I’ve seen since I’ve been here is agriculture. When we first got here, Mr. Bennett’s winery was not there yet. They were barely making the place. And it had one or two-and-a-half acres of grapes. The one that is in front of that one was already there. But only two wineries. Right now, how many grapes do you think we have? Antoino: Mucha. A lot. Efren: Mucha. Todo lo que se ha podido es uva. A lot. Everything that is easy making is grapes. Manuel: Se podría decir como unas 17 mil acres. Es un cambio drástico para el valle porque en ese tiempo no era eso. You could say like… 17 thousand acres. It’s a drastic change for this Valley, because this wasn’t what it was before. Esther: Que al mismo tiempo trae trabajo al valle pero no hay casas.Eso crea… At the same time it brings jobs to the Valley, but no houses and that causes… Manuel: Fricciones. Friction. Esther: Fricciones entre ambas culturas porque si no hay casas la gente va a venir a trabajar sin importarles donde vivan. Algunos viven en sus carros, algunos viven amontonados 5,10 en una casa. Friction between cultures, because if there is no housing, people come to the Valley looking for a job without caring where they live. Some live in their cars, some crowded at home with five to ten people.
Manuel: En el verano, en el arroyo. In the summer, at the creek. Esther: Oh, hasta abajo de un puente. Or under a bridge. Viri: Yo oí, que van a hablar con los patrones que cada quien tiene que like, hacer casas para los trabajadores, porque tienen trabajo, pero no tienen vivienda donde pudan vivir. I heard that they were going to talk to the employers and tell them that they need to construct houses for their employees. Because they have jobs, but they don’t have housing for them. Manuel: Una cosa que debemos de agregar aquí, es que también algo de lo que nosotros hemos sido se lo debemos a varias personas de la cultura anglosajona. Que nos ayudaron y tras el tiempo han seguido siendo nuestros amigos. Yo por ejemplo les puedo nombrar una persona que se llama Randy Falk. Para nosotros es una pesona como nuestro segundo padre. Y otra persona que es bastante amiga que donde vivimos ahorita se llama Larry y Linda Martz. Son unas persona muy personas. One thing that we should add to this is that we owe a big part of what we have to lots of people of the Anglo culture who helped and, as time passed, have continued to be our friends. Someone I could name is Randy Falk. For us, he is like our second father. And other persons that have been great friends are Larry and Linda Martz. They are real people. Efren: Y amigos también. And friends, too. Manuel: Y personas por allá David Norfleet, Mitch Mendosa, Jean Mann, All the staff of Anderson Valley are our friends. And people like David Norfleet, Mitch Mendosa, Jean Mann. Esther: Refiriendonos a lo de Randy Falk. Le tenemos mucho respeto hacia él. Porque cuando nosotros llegamos aquí mi papá trabajaba para él. Y el tomó. El era de las personas que su esposa era una de las personas que nos tomó sin imporatarle que no nos conocía, y nos llevó cuando iba a empezar la escuela, a mí esto nunca se me va a olvidar porque todos cuando llegamos aquí venimos sin ropa, sin dinero, y ella nos llevó y nos dijo." Escojan, lo que quieran." Referring to Randy Falk, we have a lot of respect for him. Because when we got here my dad worked for him and he took us…he was one of the people whose wife took us when school was going to start, without knowing us. Because you know how everyone who comes from Mexico comes without clothes, without money, and she took us and told us, "Choose whatever you want." Manuel: A él lo llevaba a practicas de béisbol Dejaba de trabajar para ir a llevarlo a el sí conoces a B.J. Falk? Nadie la conoce. He would take him to baseball practice. (Points to Antonio). He would leave work to take him. Does anybody know B.J. Falk? No one knows her? Efren: Si hija de…Randy Yeah. Randy’s daughter. Manuel: Dejaba de trabajar para llevarlo a él y a su hija B.J a practicar, He left from work to take him and his daughter, B.J., to practice. Viri: Todavía están vivos? Are they still alive? Manuel: El vive en Ukiah, y todavía nos ayuda. Cuando puede, allí está. He lives in Ukiah and he still helps us. When he can, there he is. Viri: Algo que a mí tampoco se me va a olvidar es que cuando mi papá llegó, de trece años, Arturo Pinoli él que vive en una casa roja le daba trabajo. Porque casi ni un patrón aceptaba trabajadores menores de quince años. Y a mi papá nunca se le puede olvidar quién y quién lo ayudaron, pero murió hace dos años. Something I won’t forget is that when my dad got here, he was thirteen years old; Arthur Pinoli, the guy that lives in the red house, gave him a job. Because not many bosses accepted minority employees. My dad is never going to forget who helped him when he needed the most help. Rosa: Pues muchas gracias, Sr. Soto, Manuel, Esther, Antonio y Ernesto por hablar con nosotros. Thank you very much for talking to us, Mr. Soto, Manuel, Esther, Antonio, and Ernesto. Rosa: This has been Rosa Ferreyra—— Viri: Viridiana Perez—— Gustavo:——Gustavo Alvarez—— Jesse:——and Jesse Holloway, in Anderson Valley for the North Coast Rural Challenge Oral History Project. |
