Part Two: The Interview

By Felissa DeLaTorreGeography 10

10/08/13

The only thing I know about my family is that we were from Mexico. I didn’t know where I didn’t know why. So not only did I want to find out where we came from but the story of my family. So I looked for the best interview questions so get as much detail as possible.

Before Interview

Getting Together

After informing my mother about this family history project, she was looking forward to getting interview. She did inform me however that we don’t have any pictures because they were lost in Mexico. I was a little disappointed because I would have loved to see how my grandparents looked like. So after dinner one afternoon we sat down and the process began.

The Interview

Q: What is your full name?

A :Maria Adela Gomez

Q:Why did your parents select this name for you?

A: Adela was the name of both my grandparents.

Q:Did you have a nickname?

A: Where I was from they would just a “lita” to the end of your name, which means little. So My nickname was Adelita.

Q: When and Where were you born?A: I was born on Nov 27, 1956 in Guadalajara

Mexico.

Continued

Q:How did your family come to live there?A: My grandmother lived there(Adela) and well as her grandfather. They both worked as well. Grandmother was a teacher grandfather was a construction worker.

Q: Were there other family member in that area?A: Everyone on my grandmother’s side lived in the same area.

Continued

Q: What was your house like? How many rooms? Electricity? Bathrooms?A: I lived in the city I had bathrooms and electricity, I remember the house had four bedrooms and I had my own.

Q:Were there any special items in the house that you remember?A: I remember the furniture was colonial style, I had to dust in every Saturday. But I loved the wood style.

When coming into the interview I assumed

my mom lived in Mexico with no plumbing and it was bad condition. I don’t know where I got that idea from so hearing this information was very interesting. I was looking forward, from this point, to find out new things about my family.

Thoughts

Interview Continued

Q:Can you describe the personalities of your family member?A: Well my grandmother was sweet but everyone on my grandfather’s side would always talk about how much money they had.

Q:Can you describe the kind of games you played growing up?A: I don’t know why you think it was so different, I played hide and seek just like you did as a child.

Continued

Q:Did you have any family chores?A: I was the oldest so it was my chore to babysit, which I hated to do.

Q: Did you get any allowance?A: No, after sixth grade I received 5 pesos every Sunday. *Side Note* My uncle continued this tradition and named it Sunday Dollar. He admired how my grandmother would always give them money so he does that with his nieces and nephews.

Continued

Q: How was school like for you as a child?A: I was very smart so I loved school. My father was a teacher so I would always be in a new school every year (for grade school).Q: What were your best and worst subjects?A: I loved learning new things so all the subjects were my favorite.

Q: Did you finish your education?A: Yes I graduated from Cal State Fullerton, but when I was in Mexico in lost 2 years of school. Where I lived in Mexico , Middle school was in a different town so I didn’t go after sixth grade. I stopped school for 2 years them went to high school in California.

Continued Interview

Q:What school activities and sports did you participate in?A: I loved dance and poetry , so I was in poetry club and well as Folklórico.

Q:Do you remember any fads of your youth?A: I had so many shirts with flowers and bell bottom pants.

Continued..

Q: Did you have any childhood heros?A: First my father was because she was smart and always talked about education but after the years my grandmother because my role model because she was a strong women (Women on the left).

Interview Continued

Q: What was your religion growing up?

A: My family has always been catholic. So I’ve been going to church my whole life.

Continued

Q: What world events had the most impact on you while growing up?A: The Ronald Regan Immigration Act . Q: Did it personally affect your family?A: It was a positive impact, it gave my brothers and sisters a pathway to citizenship.

"I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally," Ronald Reagan said in 1984.

Continued

Q:Is there a naming tradition in your family?A: They used to name the first born after someone in the family, but that tradition broke when we came to the U.S. * My middle name is Adele so that’s similar*

Q: Who was the oldest relative you remember as a child?A: My great great aunt. She was 92 and we would go visit her every week.

Continued

Q: What stories have come down to you about your parents?A: We have a lot of scary stories passed down and one about my grandfather.I would always hear that my grandfather moved to U.S and started a new family here.

Another cool story was about a house that was haunted by a rich man trying to show my mother were he hid his money. But my mother was scared so she moved out.*I will pass these stories down to my kids*

Continued

Q: Are there any physical characteristics that run in your family?

A: On my side, we have a big foreheads, on your father’s side there's long faces and big noses.

* Picture of my grandfather (father’s side)

Q: Of all things you learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable?

A: I admired my parent’s patience, so I feel learning to become patient myself was valuable.

Last Question

This was the first time I heard the stories

about my mother’s side. I never knew were my mother came from before this, and it was very interesting to see how life was like for her.

After Interview

The Interview