Sunday, April 20, 2014
WEEK FOUR BLOG ENTRY
For this week, talk about your own immigrant past. DO NOT DIVULGE ANYTHING unless you are entirely comfortable writing it in this forum. Just to start things off, on my father's side, my great grandparents came over from Germany in the 1880s. They went to Wisconsin and then ended up in Colorado. They left Germany because of economic and political strife. Arriving here, they had trouble holding onto their German roots. People made fun of them for their accents and tried to force them into road work only (meaning, you are a foreigner, go build a road![ahhh ignorance!]), and that may be one reason they stopped speaking German to the children in the family. On my mother's side, they have been in North Carolina for a couple hundred years. But you know, even my mother made the decision to move from NC to California, around 1955, so she too is an emigrant. I mean, how enormous and varied is the United States? You move across the country and that is 3000 miles? That is rather gargantuan as countries go! Especially in California, we are indeed all immigrants!
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My great grandparents on my dad's side left a small region in Sicily and arrived in Madison Wisconsin sometime in the early 1920's. My dad would tell me stories about how my great grandma absolutely refused to learn English and how outraged she would get about people driving short distances instead of walking. The whole family moved from Wisconsin to sunny Santa Barbara California in 1945. On my mom's side, my grandpa was born in Wales and was the oldest of twelve children. He wasn't able to stay in school beyond the sixth grade because he had to work to help the family. He enlisted in the American Army when he was old enough and high-tailed it out of there. I think I would need to strike out on my own also! While he was in the service he met and married my grandma while he was stationed in San Pedro. I don't know very much about my grandma's history other than she was originally from Canada. This entry is a good reminder that I need to brush up on my family history. It is, after all, my history!
ReplyDeleteI love little old Italian grandmothers... always stubborn yet they make the best food in the world. I would want to move to sunny Santa Barbara too to escape the harsh winters. It is amazing how many children people liked having back then. The more children the more help on the farm.
DeleteI absolutely love Santa Barbara, it is one of the most beautiful places in California, in my opinion. My Grandma is pretty stubborn too, she knows what is best for her and no one can tell her otherwise. haha
DeleteMy last name used to be Andres, but it changed to Cordova but I still have it as my middle name. Andres came from my ancestors of Spain. Spain once ruled the Philippines and somewhere between those years, one of the Spaniards guy married a Filipina girl. They produced their offspring and now I’m here. Neither, my grandparents nor their ancestors that I know of ever leave the Philippines. They lived there for the rest of their lives. My mother side resided in a small town called Pinili, Philippines, and my father side resided in a small town called Lipay, Philippines, (about 2-3 drive from Pinili) where I grew up and it is a lot smaller than Pinili. My mother side never left their hometown, but my father’s family were scattered. In 1990, my Aunt from my father side married a half-American-half Mexican guy in 1990 and he petitioned her right after they got married. In 1991, she was finally able to step on a foot in California, United States for the first time. She is the only one that is living in California, the rest are still living in the Philippines. They have 2 children; the oldest is about my age and the youngest is 2 years younger. In 2004, they wanted to get me, so they appealed a paper, and in 2 years, I was finally able to get here, so that is how my last name changed to Cordova from Andres. It took me a while to get use with the environment and eventually, I was finally able to catch on. And so that is how I got here and I love it.
ReplyDeleteWow that's interesting. I'm glad you are loving it here in California and things are working out for you! Was there anything in particular here in California that took some getting used to?
Deletehey Thanks! well the weather, it has 4 seasons, and in Philippine there's only 2, hot and warm. It was during December, when winter started and I was shaking haha, but i've gotten used to it. Now i loved winter and hate summer :)
DeleteOh that's crazy. No cold there? That definitely must've been rough when you first came here haha. It gets way too hot here! Praise the winter :)
DeleteOn my father's side, my grandparents were sponsored by a lovely Christian family to come over from Cambodia to California in 1982. My grandparents got to bring all of their children over, including my mom since she was married to my dad. My grandparents became very religious and grateful to have the opportunity to come over especially after the Khmer Rouge in the late 70s. My grandparents worked hard and went to church every Sunday. Just a few years ago, my grandpa and a few of his friends opened up their own church in Artesia, Ca. Even though my grandparents learned English fast and adapted to the western life style, they did not forget about their roots. Every now and then, they would go back to Cambodia to donate about a hundred bags of rice and preach at the local church. Every month, they donate money to Cambodia to help the churches there. My parents went to English classes and learned English at a local school and started a family. When I was in second grade, they opened up a donut shop in the mid 90s. It helped them practice their English skills with their customers. They still have accents, but it is very understandable. However, ever since I was small until now, my father would pronounce thanks as thank. I do not know why, but it puts a smile on my face every time he says that.
ReplyDeleteWow. Your grandparents sound like amazing people! Donating hundreds of bags of rice to those who need it. That is so amazing.
DeleteYou are lucky to have grandparents like them. Not a lot of people that does that. Your grandparents are such nice people. :)
DeleteYour grandparents sound like great people. I like how they haven't forgotten about where they came from and how they give back to their community.
DeleteNoelle,
DeleteI completely understand how you feel when you hear your father speak English. My maternal grandmother would try so hard to speak English to me. We would practice with her together all the time. My grandmother eventually received her citizenship in her 60's, which she was so proud of.
Thank you. They are awesome people. I wish my uncles and father would have learned from them. I was suppose to go to Cambodia with them this summer to help, but my grandma have gotten really sick since the past year. So I think they will not be going. Good thing, a few of his friends from church have kept the tradition. You're right Romalyn, not much people does that.
DeleteJulie, that is great that you practice with your mother. That must be a great bonding time for you guys.
What a wonderful thing your grandparent do! They sound like generous, caring people.
DeleteWell, too be completely honest I know next to nothing about my family history aside from my parents, grandparents, and a few cousins. I asked each of them if they knew anything about our history in immigration but nobody really knew anything, so as far as country to country immigration goes I have no information on that, unfortunately. But on my mom's side of the family there was a ton of moving around within the United States! My mom has lived in nearly every state in the US because my Grandpa always had to move to work at another job. My mom is originally from Texas where she and her parents resided for about 3 years when she was born. After the time in Texas she lived in Florida for the majority of her childhood. She has told me numerous stories of how different each state's culture was, too. She always tells me that the east coast is completely different than the west coast, especially New York and Florida in comparison to California. Her favorite way of showing cultural differences is really by showing or making food that originated in certain states. She always says, "to try to understand a different culture you have to try their food." I always thought, as a teenager at least, that the sentiment was a bit silly because it's just food, but now it actually makes sense. You notice all the distinctions between certain dishes made in different portions of the world and you can't help but feel like it is unique to a certain culture. I always thought the closest thing I have to experiencing and "knowing" another culture is through my mom, because I have no other experience or stories to go off of besides her life. I have no idea what life is like outside of California, personally. I've always resided here in Bakersfield all my life but I would love to see all of these differences with my own eyes fairly soon!
ReplyDeleteMy family didn't know their immigration history either so I understand how you felt. I ended up going along with my family's US history too.
DeleteYup it's tough figuring out history like that. But at least we know about our family's US history :)
DeleteIt's hard sometimes to really pinpoint where your family came from. The only way I know is because I (for some reason) was always interested in my grandparents' roots. My husband, like you, doesn't really know much about his family. I think it's really neat that your mom showed you the cultural differences of our country by introducing you to different foods! My father loves too cook, and he always tried to get us to experience new things with food as well. :]
DeleteEmily, it really is tough figuring out family history! I've honestly never thought about researching my family's history but now that nobody around me really knows much about it I'm very tempted to do some hardcore research haha. But yeah, my mom definitely has had her fair share of different cultures through her life so I appreciate how she tries to bring those cultures into a household. Food is a great way to experience different parts in the world, so that's cool that your father does the same :)
DeleteMy parents immigrated to America around 26 years ago from Nigeria. My mother was only 18 years old, married, and taking care of my older brother (only a few months old at the time). They set roots in Washington D.C where they moved around every few years to get a better home. My father drove a taxi for a living while my mom studied to become a nurse. Three years later, my older sister was born and three years after that, I came into the world. To help with babysitting the children my grandmother (mother’s mom) flew in and moved in as a live in nanny. My mother eventually graduated and began working as a full time registered nurse and rent became easier to make. My parents both have Nigerian accents but they usually do not hinder them in everyday life, however, there have been a quite a few incidents of racism. Being African American in D.C frequently leads to mistreatment by the police and strange behavior from other ethnicities. I even remember the strange divide in elementary school between the ‘true Blacks’ and the ‘fresh off the boat Africans.’ They would be tension as ‘black’ people threw ignorant slurs like ‘go back to Africa’ and a personal favorite of mine ‘black monkey booty scratcher.’ It still fascinates me to this day how the people who were the most hateful had the same skin tone as us but said such cruel things. In fact, my mother did not teach us Igbo (our language) because she was afraid that we would develop accents and become targets of more teasing. Eventually, my parents wanted a fresh start and just packed up and moved to California in 2008. Although I miss D.C sometimes, California is a cool experience that I appreciate every day.
ReplyDeleteNigeria is a rough country sometimes. One of my friends from that country said when he was 8 he saw a guy be-headed on the street ten feet away. It is strange how people hate each other over the weirdest things.
DeleteWow. But despite popular belief, Nigeria is a country just like any other 1st world. I am sure people are beheaded here in America as well. My parents just wanted to check America out since everyone says it is so amazing. They were both from the city and, i'm pretty sure, have never so much as seen a gun or street violence until they moved here haha.
DeleteYou have a really interesting history behind your family. I feel sorry for your parents hardships.
DeleteThe farthest that I can go about my immigration past is on my mother’s past. My grandmother lives in a different town, Shafter, so I do not see her often and when I do I do not think of asking her things of her past. I definitely do not know anything past her as well, but I do know that my mom is originally from Mexicali Mexico, my father is from there as well, and she came to the United States roughly 23 years ago. She first lived in San Diego for a few years and then relocated to live with my grandma in Shafter. She didn’t like Shafter because she said it was too small so she relocated to Bakersfield. When I was little, around 4 years old, we moved from Bakersfield, CA to Humptulips, WA. We lived there for roughly five years before moving back to Bakersfield. We stayed here for a while and moved back to Washington again, this time to a city named Tacoma. We went back and forth from Washington to California several times before finally permanently staying in Bakersfield when I was in 8th grade. Since then, our family has not moved from here and I don’t think we are planning on moving anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteDiana, Humptulips, WA? I thought you were testing to see if I was reading these posts, but it is indeed a real place. It has to be one of the most outrageous place names I have ever heard!
DeleteHumptulips is a funny name.
DeleteI lived in a small city in the Madera County called Chowchilla.
It kind of sounds fun to say.
I like cities with sweet, funny, or clever names. My mother is from Sweetwater, TX, I have always loved that. My favorite is Loveland, CO. Every year during valentines day Loveland does a Re-mailing Program. Approximately 60 volunteers gather to stamp a special message from the Sweetheart City on valentine cards sent to Loveland from all 50 states and more than 120 countries. What you do is place your valentine card in a pre marked and stamped envelope, then place that in a second envelope with another stamp and send it to Loveland, CO. On valentines day your loved one will open a card from you sent from Loveland, CO. SWEET right.
DeleteDr. Schmoll, i know that name is kinda wierd and sometimes its embarrassing to say, but it's a nice town, it's more like a forest though.
DeleteCristina, i too like saying that name, especially the Chow part haha. I looked it up and it looks about the size of Arvin doesn't it?
Abigail that sounds like a really cool tradition. We should do something like that here in Bakersfield but with baked goods Yum!! I would definitely participate.
My maternal side of the family consists of Italian and German immigrants. My grandfather immigrated from Calambria to Ohio. Calambria is on the tip of the boot of Italy. My maternal grandmother's parents went from Germany to Ohio. I learned some German from my grandmother as she spoke the language. Unfortunately I never met my maternal grandfather, to learn Italian, as he died of Valley Fever in the 1960s. Both my mom and dad eventually came to settle in modern day Sunland, Ca. My maternal grandmother worked for the newspaper and my maternal grandfather worked construction.
ReplyDeleteThe paternal side of my family is made up of English on my grandfather’s side and Scotch/French on my grandmother’s side. My paternal grandmother's ancestors immigrated to the French territory in the 1700s but most reside today in Illinois. My paternal grandfather's ancestry can be traced back all the way to Nottingham (where the story of Robin Hood originated) England to around the year 900. Before the year 900 there is no data as of yet for the Stone Clan. The Stone family came to the Americas in the 1640s to govern the territory of Maryland. William Stone was appointed to rule the territory but because of his beliefs (passing an act requiring religious tolerance) was exiled to Virginia. He was fought against the Crown on the side of religious puritans but was taken as prisoner. It is a somewhat complicated story (you can look up William Stone on Wikipedia for more clarification) but when England changed power twenty years later, the King granted him as much land as he could ride on horseback in one day as a “thank you” for his faithfulness. My family had ties with the British Crown until the formation of the United States. The Stone family has a strong history in the United States as the Deceleration of Independence bears my family name (it is right under John Handcock's).
Goodness, what roots!
DeleteWow, your family history is very interesting.
DeleteWow, that is really interesting. You have a lot of knowledge about your family history and your family sounds awesome.
DeleteGotta agree. This is quite awesome :). Very interesting!
DeleteWhat awesome family history! I'm not related to any famous founding fathers, but my family came from the same part of the world as yours. :] My great great grandparents were from Ireland, Scotland, and Germany, and my grandfather had scarlet fever when he was young. How neat that you know German!
DeleteWth, this is cool.
DeleteIt's great that you know so much about your family history! I'll be sure to look up the rest of the story on Wikipedia.
DeleteI don't know too well of both my mother's and father's side of the family. I only know about them, my grandparents, and my aunts and uncles. I asked my parents and both of them had very little information on both of the families' immigration past, so I don't have that much information on where both families have immigrated from or to. So, the farthest I can go on information is on my maternal grandparents of my mother's side of the family and my paternal grandparents from my father's side of the family. My mother's father ,my maternal grandfather, was born and raised in Texas and moved to San Diego when he was a teenager. My mother's mother, my maternal grandmother, was born in Kansas City, Missouri and was primarily raised in Oklahoma. She also moved to San Diego when she was a teenager. My mother's parents met when they were in high school and she says that it was love at first sight. My grandparents got married at a young age; my grandmother was 15 and my grandfather was 17. My mom was born in San Diego and lived there for nine years. Her, my aunts, uncles, and grandparents moved to Long Beach, San Francisco, and Oakland, until finally settling in Richmond, California. That city is where my mother mostly grew up in and where I also lived in for six months. The only information from my father's side of the family that I found was that both my paternal grandmother and paternal grandfather were born and raised in Alabama. Just like my grandparents, my father was born and raised in Alabama as well. My father has been around the country and the world because he used to be in the Air Force and the Army Reserve. My father moved to California in the 1970's and met my mother years later. They got married in 1982 and have been together ever since. My siblings and I were raised in Northern California all of our lives. I know there is more to both my father's and mother's family tree because both of my parents come from large families. So, I hope I can find out where both sides of my family tree came from.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat as you, honestly. I don't know a whole lot about my family's roots and where everybody came from. But it sounds like your family comes from all over the place here in the US so that is pretty awesome :).
DeleteI dont know a lot of detail on my families background either but like you I know where my parents came from and where my parents met.
DeleteKristine, I hope you do find out about the rest of your family members. I think it would be great. A few years ago, I found out I had a cousin my around my age. It was surprising because she turned out to live 10 minutes away from me. We became very close, and now I'm actually in her wedding this summer.
DeleteSame here Kristine, I know where my parents, myself, and my grandparents are from. Our last names are my father Lopez & Igerra, Mother Talamontes & Gonzalez. Not much to our family tree.
DeleteI hope to find out more about both sides of my families because they are both huge. Both of my parents have a lot of siblings and then there are the first cousins, second cousins, etc. of each family I want to know more about.
DeleteMy mother and father are both Filipinos. They were born and raised in the Philippines. My mother was born in the city of Bacolod and my father was born in the city of Larena, Siquior, Philippines. I am not sure on the exact year when my father immigrated to California, but i am positive it was around the 1980's. On the other hand, my mother migrated to California around the late 1980's as well. When my mom's side arrived in California they settled in the city of Salinas, Ca where i was born. They settled there because they had brothers and other relatives who where already living there. Just an interesting fact, but when my mom and her brother Ricky both graduated from the same high school that i did. I believe they are the class of '89 at Alisal High school. It's just nice to know that i graduated at the high school my mom and uncle did. My father settled in a city 20 miles from Salinas called Chualar. From there, my dad also had brothers and sisters and other relatives that have been living in the states. My mother and father got married a few years i was born, and are still happily married for almost 16 years. Just like a lot of people that immigrated to the United States, my parents did it for better opportunities in jobs and living style. It was a pretty rough path that my parents took. They started off as field workers who picked strawberries and eventually moved onto better jobs as they got more accustomed to the American life style. My mother pursued a career in nursing, and my father works for a well known pasta making company. I have to say that my parents really started from the lowest of lows and with many years of work and experience they were able to give me opportunities to go to college and keep my siblings well off as well. That's why i owe it to them to always try my best in school so when they become old i can support them when they need it. My parents are very traditional and whenever they try to guilt trip me my mom especially she says, "You are very lucky that you are living in the United States and not the Philippines." She gets me every time despite the fact that I have heard it thousands of times.
ReplyDeleteMy parents also tell me their stories and struggles they went through and how lucky I am to be here in the U.S and have what I have.
DeleteI also want to make my parents proud. I too, want to give back to my family, especially my mom, she's gone through a lot and I want to make her happy.
Yup, i just want a career that i love doing and that can help me support my parents when they grow older.
DeleteMy grandfather was a bit of a story teller and his favorite to tell was of an young Mexican traveler that met a beautiful Native American girl and he married her at the Mission at San Antoine, just above Paso Robles. This lovely young couple is suppose to be my great (x4) grandparents but my grandmother rolled her eyes every time he would tell the tale. My paternal grandmother is of Swiss-Italian descent and comes from a long line of butchers and sausage makers. My great-great-grandfather owned a butcher shop in Coalinga Ca. in the early 1950's and my great grandparents moved to Cambria, Ca. when my grandmother was in elementary school.
ReplyDeleteOn my mother's side, my maternal grandmother carried the last name of Henry and the blackest Irish hair. My maternal grandfather boasted of Scottish decent with flame red hair and freckles that covered his entire face. My maternal grandparents both migrated from Oklahoma as young children because of the Dust Bowel. They met here in Bakersfield and their families supported each other during the difficult time. After having five children, my maternal grandparents also moved to Cambria, Ca.
This is how my parents came to know each other and my story began. I didn't really get to know my father's family until I was about fifteen, so I had no real knowledge of family history on that side. When I began a relationship with them I was living in Coalinga, the very town my estranged grandmothers family had lived and worked. It is interesting to me that of the three places I have lived, my ancestors had roots that I knew nothing about until much later in life. If I drew a triangle between Bakersfield, Coalinga, and Cambria I would touch on the three most influential places of my very existence. Each city with its own personal story for me to tell.
At least you found out more about your family's history when you did. Just like you I didn't meet most of my father's side of the family until almost six years ago in 2008. I still haven't met some of my family members from both sides of my family because there are so many of us and some have passed away before I was born.
Deletesuch fabulous stories, everyone!
ReplyDeleteFamily history is not something I know much about. However, with the help of my mom and grandma we were able to come up with some important information about my mom's side of the family immigrating to the United States. My grandma's father's dad's family first moved from England to Canada, then to Wisconsin in 1844. When my grandma's grandmother and grandfather (from her dad's side) met they then moved to North Dakota. After the Civil War, in the 1870's, my grandma's mom's dad immigrated from Germany to North Dakota. My grandma's mom and dad met in North Dakota and after they had my grandma and her brothers and sisters they moved to Minnesota; unfortunately, at this point I am not sure about the years things happened. My grandparents met in Minnesota, got married, built a small cottage on a lake in Ottertail (which we still visit almost every summer), and had my two aunts. After all four moved to Lancaster, Ca and when my grandma was pregnant with my mom in 1960 they moved to Lompoc. When my mom was a few years old they went back to Lancaster and that is where they lived until my mom went to college in Long Beach. While attending college my mom met my dad and, unfortunately, moved back to the desert (Lancaster), where I have lived all my life, until I came to Bakersfield for school. The main information from my dad's side is the immigration from Germany to the United States. In some of the research my dad's father has done, he believes that some of our family may have come from Russia. Oh, a fun fact, my mom did some research of her own of my dad's family and found that one of my great grandma's relatives (I believe her aunt or great aunt) was engaged to Abraham Lincoln; however, they broke up before they could marry, but I still find it exciting.
ReplyDeleteWow that's pretty interesting. Did your Grandparents ever talk about if their parents had troubles moving to the United States? Sounds like a lot of your family originated from Europe, which is awesome. Also the last bit of information regarding Abraham Lincoln is great. I'd get excited about learning that stuff too haha.
DeleteOmg! Abraham Lincoln?! really! that's amazing!.
DeleteI would love to find out more information about my family so I can hopefully uncover a cool history like yours! That's interesting how you are tied to Abraham Lincoln.
DeleteMy parents both come from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. On my dad's side of the family, my great grandfather was Spanish and my great grandmother was Mexican. They lived in a small town called Real de Catorce, which is now considered a ghost town due to having once been a thriving silver mining settlement. My paternal grandfather first came to the U.S. sometime around the mid 1900s due to the Bracero program that was going on at the time. He was eventually able to bring some of his family, including my father, to the U.S., but would only stay temporarily for work. During that time my dad went to elementary school in Shafter and didn’t come back to the U.S. after that until he was about a junior or senior in high school at Arvin High. Around that time he met my mom back in the capitol of San Luis Potosi (also called San Luis Potosi). Her side of the family was primarily of Mexican descent with a bit of Spanish and some traces of Huastec Indian. In 1979, my dad brought my mom to the U.S. She was/is only the second person on her side of the family to leave Mexico and live in the U.S. Throughout the 80s and half of the 90s, my parents, siblings, and I lived on a route between Lamont and Arvin, California, but eventually moved to Bakersfield when I was six and have lived here since.
ReplyDeleteGabi,
DeleteMy paternal grandparents were part of the Bracero program as well. Although, they were from Texas it was still typical for many Mexican Americans to use the program for finding work.
My dad’s grandparents came over from Germany during the early 1900s and settled somewhere on the east coast (I’m not exactly sure which state). During the great depression, they came to Bakersfield and built a small house in an area that is now Oildale. I find it very sad because that little house was very neat and had fruit trees planted in the backyard. We lived in it for a short amount of time when I was very young after my great-grandmother died. Now, however, it’s totally ruined and owned by people who park their cars in the front yard. The little white fence I remember is now gone. My mom’s family came from Ireland and Scotland. Her father’s parents came from Ireland and moved to America, settling in Oklahoma. During the depression, his family moved to Bakersfield. He was very young, but he and his siblings helped their father tend to their crops instead of going to school. When he was a little older, he started school again. However, he became ill with scarlet fever and was forced to stay home and sacrifice his high school education. He stayed indoors and read so much that he taught himself from the books he would have read in school. After he became old enough, he joined the Air Force. My mom’s mother (my grandmother) was born in Indiana and her family moved to Bakersfield, where she attended North High School and met my grandfather. She married him very young and went with him where he was stationed, to Turkey. My mother was born in Nebraska, when my grandfather was stationed there. After he completed his service, they moved back to Bakersfield. My mother grew up here and met my father in church, where both of their families attended regularly. We don’t have a miraculously exciting past, but I think it’s pretty neat that through all of the moving, etc. my parents met.
ReplyDeleteThat is so interesting, through all the moving your mother and father met how funny how things work out. It is great that you know so much about your family it is pretty interesting to find out about your grandparents and where there family came from.
DeleteThanks, Cecilia! It's funny how things work out, isn't it? :]
DeleteWow that is a lot of moving! And amazing how both of their lives involved plenty of moving but they ended up meeting each other just like that at church. Pretty amazing stuff :).
DeleteBoth of my parents were born and raised in Mexico for most of their young lives. My dad immigrated to America at the age of sixteen. My mother moved at the age of twenty to America. My parents meet each other in a small town called Lost Hills after a couple years of living here. Now on my father’s side of the family, according to my grandparents my great grandparents came from Spain. However, they are unaware what year they moved. On my mother’s sided, I have no idea where their background is from because my grandmother doesn't know where her family immigrated from. My parents moved here because they wanted to live the American dream. My father also wanted a more stable economic life for him and my grandparents. There are times when I want to go online to ancestor.com to find out more about my families background, but I don't think I would find any information. My grandparents on my father’s side still live in Mexico. And on my mother’s side my grandmother moved to another part of Mexico, since my grandfather passed. My grandmother is resilient to move to America. She says she will lose her identity, and she wants her grandsons and granddaughters to come visit her and gain a little of her culture. My parents only have moved from Bakersfield to Shafter and every little to in-between. Other than that we haven’t moved since I was born and I am proud of where my family came from and the struggles they went through to give me and my brothers a better life.
ReplyDeleteHave you gone to Mexico to visit recently? I haven't been to Mexico for about 7 years I think. Its been awhile. What part of Mexico did your parents grow up in?
DeleteI also wanted to go on ancestor.com or a similar cite like that because my dad told me that my grandma's grandma was Italian but really I don't know if that's true. I can't ask my grandma anymore because she no longer is alive. But I am now interested in knowing more about my family's history.
I've always wondered where my grandparents' grandparents came from (they are also living in Mexico). For the longest time I just assumed they had always been there haha. Like Cristina, I am now curious to ask my grandparents more about their history.
DeleteI've always wanted to use one of those websites to find out more about my ancestors. Like you, I feel like I wouldn't find much, at least not any info from really far back.
DeleteI have a varied background from both my mom and dad's side. My maternal great grandfather was born in France and immigrated to the United States during World War II. He moved to Cajun Louisiana, where he held on to his French roots. He met my great grandmother and they had 10 children! One of the 10 is my grandmother who I adore. My grandmother and 3 of her sisters moved to a town in Northern California called Ukiah. There they all found husbands, got married and had kids. My maternal grandfather was originally from Taft, so my grandparents, aunt and mother moved to Bakersfield, which was close enough to Taft but had more job opportunities and better schools. My maternal grandfather also had Cherokee Native American roots. My paternal side of the family tree is a bit more complicated. Naturally, as a child I always asked my dad where his family came from and he told me he didn't really know for sure. He claims that part of our family was from Luxembourg, which is an extremely small country that is landlocked between Germany, France and Belgium. He also claims that residents of Luxembourg are the most "badass" people you will ever meet and that they can hold their own in a fight. So I guess I come from a long line of badasses, according to my dear old dad. I know for sure that my paternal great grandparents came to Bakersfield from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. To make a long story short, I am part Cajun French/Okie/Native American/Luxembourg. I hope to discover more of my roots one day.
ReplyDelete10 children is a lot. Both my grandmas had 11 children. So I have a really big family.
DeleteThe people from Luxembourg sound really interesting.
It must be very interesting to hear about all the different roots you have.
I find this question kind of hard. My family doesn't really have a known migration history. My great grandmothers were all born and raised in California. I have never met any of my great grandfathers. My family's life rate seems to be a bit longer for women than men. On my mother's side I only have one grandmother, and on my father's side I have three one grand parent and to great grandparents. My great grandmother was born and raised I Louisiana. She moved from there to California in the early 40’s and started her family. She lived in Los Angeles at the time. She had seven children. The second oldest was my grandmother Jackie. My grandmother moved around quite a bit but eventually settled in Bakersfield in the early 70’s. This is how my father ended up in Bakersfield. My Grandmother on my Mom’s side was one of two children who were raised in California. My mom actually wasn’t born or raised in California though. My mom is the second of five children. She was born in Virginia but her father was a naval officer. Their family moved along the east coast until her retired. At some point in time my grandmother divorced him and remarried someone else and moved all over the U.S. Eventually they settled in Sacramento where a majority of my family lives. They lived in Bakersfield for a few years but eventually moved back. My mother stayed at the YWCA for a few years and then met my father. I guess this isn’t much of migration story but more of how I ended up being born and raised in Bakersfield.
ReplyDeleteChelsea, its so interesting how we end up in the places we live as children and young adults.
DeleteSmall choices made by our parents and grandparents shape the lives we have.
It never ceases to amaze me if one little encounter had been different we wouldn't exist.
Both my grandparents and my parents were born in Jalisco a state in Mexico. I don't know much about my grandparent's parents. I know my grandma from my dad’s side lost her parents at a young age. My grandpa from my mom’s side was raised by his uncle but he wasn’t really cared for. My parents and many of my uncles and aunts came to the U.S as illegal immigrants. Their journey to the U.S was not an easy one, it was quite dangerous. Like many, most risk their lives hoping they will make it, in order to live a better life. My dad came when he was 17 years old. He said since very little he knew he wanted to come to the U.S. That was his goal and his dream, so he just left without telling his parents. He told his parents once he entered the U.S. My parents found jobs out in the fields. My dad was able to become a citizen; he went through the naturalization process. My mom is not a citizen. She is a legal resident. My mom came in when she was 23 years old. She doesn’t know English and that is a barrier for her to become a U.S citizen. My parents have only lived in California moving from Los Banos, to Chowchilla, then to Madera, and finally Bakersfield. My dad is happy with where he is at right now. He loves his job and is pleased with what he has. He came to U.S for a better life and living for himself and for me and my sisters.
ReplyDeleteit is amazing to learn about the struggles our parents have facd in order to give themselves and their future family a better living
DeleteI think it is very hard for anyone who immigrates here to make it, so im glad that your parents found a way to overcome the struggle. It sounds like your parents are fighters. Good for them, and your family!
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ReplyDeleteMy paternal grandparents are both from Texas. My paternal grandparents met in a town called Uvalde, Texas. They lived and worked in Texas as ranchers in Sabinal, Texas. The ranch provided food and by working on the ranch it also provided a home that they could live in rent-free. When my grandparents had their third child (my Aunt Petra) money became an issue. My Aunt Petra was diagnosed with epilepsy. Her doctor bills became overwhelming. My grandparents began to owe many people in the town for food, clothing, and medical care. My grandfather knew that the little money he made as a rancher would not be enough to pay his debts. So their migration to Bakersfield, CA began. They followed the Bracero Program to look for agricultural work. The program was an agreement between the U.S and Mexican governments that permitted Mexican citizens to take temporary agricultural work in the United States. My grandparents moved from Texas to Utah to Idaho to Oregon and then back to Idaho to work as laborers in fields and follow the different harvest seasons. They did everything from ranching cattle to picking potatoes to green beans. They then decided to travel to Arizona where the weather was warmer. My grandfather met a man who owned a dairy while passing through Bakersfield, CA and my grandfather was hired and started work immediately.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather on my mother’s side was from Harlingen, Texas. My grandmother on my mother’s side was from Monterey, Mexico. She came to the United States at infancy and my aunts are unaware how or why she came to the United States. She lived in Harlingen Texas and worked at a laundry store where she met my grandfather. They had eight children and decided to migrate to Lindsay, CA for work. They had family in Lindsay that was going to help them find work. While traveling to Lindsay they had ran out of money in Bakersfield, CA and needed to find work immediately. My grandfather ended up working as a mechanic and grandmother worked in a carrot factory. If it weren’t for their migration, dedication, struggle, and work ethics I would not be who I am today.
I'm sorry that your family had to go through many struggles. I believe that we become better people when we go through our struggles though. Your family seem such hard workers, and the great thing about it is that they did not give up.
DeleteMy mom and dad met in Mexico in the late 1980's, got married, and made the giant leap of moving to America. Like most immigrants, the main reason why they moved to such a strange and unknown place was to seek a better life. I am first generation Mexican-American. Most of my family lives in Mexico, but I do have some family in Texas. I occasionally go every summer and visit grandparents and cousins in Mexico. I love coming from two different worlds, not only does that make me a well rounded individual, but it also gives me a different perspective. Growing up my parents set the perfect example that hard work and sacrifice will get you somewhere in life.
ReplyDeleteMy niece loves having family in Mexico and in California. She goes with her dad once every two years. She is first generation Mexican-American too. Her father moved here when he was eleven and its always humbling to hear the stories of how he grew up. He is always appreciative to a point that it humbles me and reminds me that there are many who live with much less than we do.
DeleteI can definitely relate!
DeleteI know what you mean. I think it 's a lot of fun being bilingual. Being able to understand two worlds. It also gives you a good perspective and motivation to do well not only for yourself but for your race. Unfortunately i haven't been to Mexico but hopefully i too can go some day to meet my family there.
DeleteMy parents got married in Nicaragua in the early 1980s. Due to the economic struggles at the time, my dad was forced to immigrate into this country. At the time, Nicaragua was under war against its own unjust government. It was a literal communistic society. As a young married couple, my parents faced hardships. Everything was rationed. When my mom was five months pregnant with my older brother, my dad went to war as a Contra (against the government) for about five years, and my mother didn’t know whether he was dead or alive. Soon after returning from the war, my dad faced harsh conditions, traveling through five countries just to make it to America. As soon as he was able to gather enough money, he was able to bring my mom and brother to the US with a VISA. Even though I was born in the US, I never forget my roots. My parents take us frequently to Nicaragua, and it feels like a second home. I admire my father’s perseverance and desire to achieve the “American Dream.”
ReplyDeleteYour father went through a lot of dangers, he was very brave and had lots of courage.
DeleteIt must have been really hard for your mom not knowing whether your father was died or alive.
It is difficult when their is conflict with the citizens and government.
The good thing is that all of you are together as a family and it's great that you can go back and visit your parents birthplace and enjoy it.
It sounds like your dad would have a lot of interesting stories to tell from all those years in which he dealt with so much! I'm glad to hear (read) that things turned out well.
DeleteI honestly do not know a whole lot about my family and where they come from. I have never thought to ask about it and there are really not a lot of family members left in my family who would know this information. It also blows my mind to think about where I came from on a large scale. I know that my mom’s side of the family is from the Scotland/Ireland area and my dad’s side of the family comes from England. On a closer level, my dad’s mom is from Oklahoma and his dad is from California. My mom’s parents were both born and raised in California. Myself along with my parents, have been born and raised in Bakersfield all of our lives. I know that my Grandma moved to California during the Dust Bowl. My grandparents lived through some tough times and their hard work has paid off. It is so cool to see how diverse the United States is. It is hard to understand sometimes the magnitude of it all just because I feel like I have lived in my little Bakersfield bubble for too long. I do really love this town though and I will raise my family in the same Bakersfield bubble because it is the only thing that I have ever known. Maybe when I have time, I should take a look further into where my family has come from.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the same boat as you Austin. I do not know much about my family's roots mainly because i just never asked. I think im going to make that a goal this summer is to talk to my grand parents from my mother's side and ask them questions about the family tree.
DeleteThis assignment has really made me reconsider wanting to learn about my family. I want to some day be able to pass the information on to my children.
DeleteBoth my parents were born and raised in Punjab, India. I don’t know too much of my family history on my mom’s side of the family. I know my maternal grandfather was a farmer. On my dad’s side of the family, I know a lot more, about 5 generations back, but I won’t get into that. My paternal great grandfather was in the British military, when the British ruled over India, and my grandfather was a politician and farmer. My maternal grandfather came to the US in the 1980s and petitioned for the rest of his family to come here. He worked in the fields for many years until he started doing carpentry. After my parents got married in India, they came to the US in 1991. They lived a short while in San Jose with some family, and later moved to Bakersfield. Here in Bakersfield, my mom got a job at Bolthouse Farms while my dad drove an ice cream truck for a few years, and later invested in some apartment units. Everyone from my mom’s side of the family is in the US while a lot of my dad’s family is still in India. I go every few years to visit them.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool that your parents are originally from India!! It is cool that your parents found their way to the United States as well. They really have not been living in the United States for very long if you think about it. Do your parents still keep the Indian culture alive or do you incorporate American traditions and cultures as well??
DeleteI am born and raised in Bakersfield, CA. My father was born in a city called Guamuchil, in Sinaloa, Mexico in 1955. He was raised on a ranch where he began to work and support his family. After sixth grade he did not finish school due to being the eldest of five brothers and one sister. My grandfather on my father’s side is a Lopez and he was born in Phoenix, Aarizona. My grandmother on my father’s side is a Higuera she was born and raised in the same place as my father, Guamuchil, in Sinaloa, Mexico. Therefore, my father is a quarter American Indian and three quarters Mexican. My father came to Bakersfield, CA in 1972 at the age of seventeen, in search of fieldwork. My father found work in the fields working for a low pay of $3.10 per hour. My mother was born in Sweetwater, Texas in 1961 and raised in Winters, Texas until the age of eight. She was born to a father from a city called Piedras Negras, in Coahuila, Mexico. My great grandfather was German with a last name of Talamontes and my great grandmother was Spaniard with a last name of Leiva. My grandmother on my mother’s side was born in Sweetwater, Texas and raised in Winters, Texas. My grandmother’s father was a Gonzales and her mother a Diaz. My grandmother is Mexican and Apache Indian. Therefore, my mother is a quarter Spaniard, a quarter German, a quarter Indian, and Hispanic. Wow, what a mouthful. Well my mother came to Bakersfield, CA with her large family of five boys and five girls. My mother came to Bakersfield,CA in 1969 at the age of eight, in search of fieldwork also. She began working in the fields at age nine during the summer months with her brothers and father. Makes me sad to know how hard my parents struggles as children.
ReplyDeleteMy mother’s grand parents migrated to the united states from Hungary and settled as farmers in Idaho. When my mother’s grandfather died my mom’s grandmother moved to Ohio where she had my grand mother. My maternal grandmother and grandfather were both born and raised in Kettering Ohio. When my mother was in her 20’s she moved to California where she met my dad. All that I know about my father’s family is that He was born in Louisiana and moved Los Angeles when he was a teenager. My mother and father got married and had my twin brothers in 1991. I was born in Long beach March 27th 1992 and adopted by my parents in 1994.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting that your grandparents came all the way from Hungary and settled in Idaho. You family sounds very diverse in the fact that they have lived in so many places within the United States. It is cool to see that our country has such great diversity in it.
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