Alex

Alex

An oral history from Durango, Mexico to Garden City.

Alex grew up in Garden City, Kansas and his parents are from Mexico. In this interview, Alex talks about the importance of education, family, and community. He also talks about feeling out of place at times during his time at the University of Kansas. Towards the end of this interview, he talks about wanting to know more about his family history.

Marta Caminero-Santangelo

Alex

Video

English

Alex (A): Do you want me to start, I guess, like just quick quickly clarifying live with my parents stories and other kind of became into my story that sort of thing.

A: And…so a lot of stuff that I know actually it came about in…uh...different snippets. So like everything they tell me it wasn't like but they sent me down one time and it's like here's our entire story sometimes it's like every once in a while I’ll sit down and they'll be like and then they'll tell me like another snippet of what happened and so it's like learning little bits and pieces as I go along, and so a lot of things i'm going to be honest, like I may not be like 100% accurate and I feel like that's just part of like the storytelling in a piece of it because it's like well.

A: I don't really know…they [Alex’s parents] just get sometimes we're just like having lunch or dinner or something, let me down and be like oh yeah, by the way we also did this, we were younger and I'll be like oh I didn't know that.

A: But like essentially the story, as I know it is…so they were growing up in the little village in Durango. It was about a couple hundred people–wasn't something that was big.

A: Their area really didn't have like a lot of like electricity didn't have like you know Internet like indoor plumbing like none of that; it was a pretty rural community.

A: And so my parents actually didn't finish school all the way: they had to drop out of school so they can [sic] help my parents and my grandparents on the farm. My grandpa on my dad's side would come over to the States to work in some kind of industry. He would make his way all the way up to Chicago actually because that's where other people that he knew were at and so he would go up there, they worked in the industry and he would leave behind like my grandma with my aunts and uncles: there was [sic] quite a few of them, I think there was like seven of them seven or eight of them.

A: And so when my dad came of age, he actually started going up with my grandpa over to Chicago and started working in such too..ummm..I think he was actually maybe a little younger than I was because I'm 26 and [he] might have been this early 20s when it started happening.

A: So it's interesting because a lot of it's like he also kind of grew up here in the states as well, in a way, because of that reason.

A: And so, he would do that stuff…he lived up here, I want to say for maybe like almost a 10 years he did that and then he went back down to Mexico and in the same village that they were at he married my mom.

A: And then afterwards they started…he started come up here and work again and then my mom came over here and started working.

A: I actually remember like bits and pieces of stories about how my mom told me how she came over here. She crossed the the border just kind of like a train. It was like a train tracks kind of area there was like–walk across. This was before they [the U.S. government] started paying like huge attention to like the southern border and stuff too so see just seems kind of came.

A: And then see what tell me how that was also her first time getting on an airplane because they went to I don't remember exactly the name of the town, but they went a certain town and from there, she caught like an airplane to like another city and met with met up with my dad here in the States.

A: I remember her telling me that, like how like everyone around her was like kind of like afraid because she was coming in with a group of people like she was relatively young so she didn't really like you know, like she wasn't really aware of how big the situation was like that how I don't want to say grave, but like how like you know just these the seriousness of it all.

A: And so, she thought it was funny that some people were really nervous and whatever. She knows she got on an airplane and came over here.

A: But eventually they did that, for a while, then they came to Colorado actually. They came to–I think it was like an onion or a pickle plant or something it was near or is La Junta, Colorado…so is a couple miles, maybe a couple hours like three hours roughly West where the currently at now so it's Eastern Colorado.

A: And they lived there with family until my sister was born. My sister was born in Colorado, actually.

A: And then they heard about an opportunity at the meat processing plant town, because I had an uncle who worked there. My uncle was like hey like, if you want somewhere steady where your kids can grow up and it's a nice environment, you know small, quiet. and calm. You can come work over here and like there's opportunity here because there's work and everything, and so my family moved over there and.

A: I only recently found out about this, but like it was my dad's intention to actually go back up to Chicago someday. But because the environment in Garden [City] was like so quiet and nice and everything so he's like well, this is a good place for me to raise my family that isn't like a city, environment and I don't want my kids to go into like gangs or to do any of that stuff so they stayed there.

A: So I was actually born in Garden [City]--it was like 1995.

A: I don't know how long they live there actually but I know it's been a minute since…few years.

A: And I was born and raised there…went to school there and did everything else too.

A: You know it wasn't…For me, like I was described Garden [City] as an interesting place to live generally because whenever I tell anybody like the reason why they know about it it's either because, like they know about it because they studied it like it's some kind of like diversity thing that people look at and that's mainly the reason why they hear about it.

A: So usually my elevator pitch is to tell people about it like from my house I can walk over…you know there's some like authentic Vietnamese food, I can get some like some authentic spring rolls there's like that goes there's like tacos..and then there's Long John Silver's and all that stuff like traditional American traditional like Mexican and traditional Vietnamese all in one strip [mall].

A: So I can just walk in and get all that stuff there.

A: And part of that's because Tyson…you know the way they bring different waves of immigrants over and everything else too.

A: You never know exactly like who exactly is being brought over this time. So one time, I was talking to my dad it's like oh yeah now they’re [Tyson] is bringing Cubans over you know.

A: And so there was a way of the Cuban people coming over and so it's just like different waves of people that just happened to come over.

A: You know, and then it's interesting because I didn't until I actually started studying Garden [City] I didn't realize the like the actual history of it, where it's like Tyson or like back then, it was IBP made the intentional effort of like opening offices and Mexico City and actually telling people, they would bring him over and like stuff like that to him.

A: In Garden [City] there's a trailer park called “trailers de IBP.”

A: I didn't know why that was…like I just like..oh that's just I just assumed that just because we're a bunch of people work at IBP lived at. But it actually turns out that IBP had a thing, where it's like hey we're they actually had property of that and they're like we have these trailers here, so our workers can live in. So they actually made the intention of getting them housing and stuff too, and I did not realize that wasn't part of the history of that they're just like oh that's interesting.

A: But anyways you know…like the biggest connection that I always saw like between like the way my parents grew up in the way that I grew up with this…that education piece was always huge because they would always tell me it's like you have to go out get education, so you don't end up working like in a similar like place like we are you know we're working all these long hours.

A: So and that's generally like the way it works…like Tyson is the boogeyman of the town like if you don't study, if you don't like any education, then like you're gonna end up working there.

A: And that's how it is for everybody, like you know, because the major employers of the area are like Tyson, the school district, or the hospital.

A: And so like one thing that I tell everybody also about Garden City is that, like a lot of us don't realize how like I guess like rough, the situation is because we're all pretty homogeneously broke…like where the same income bracket and…we're all generally like majority Latino, majority working at Tyson so it's like in a way it's like it's pretty homogenous in that sense.

A: But, as I was saying…yeah like the education piece is pretty important to them early on, and so you know I always tell like my parents like are you I’m gonna go. I’m gonna go to university. I'm going to university and they're like yeah and you know, like finish high school for us, you know it's one step at a time that sort of thing too.

A: And so…I got lucky in the sense, like, I found like a good group of friends that were all we all kind of wanted to go to university and we all kind of decided that, like we were going to…we were going to study we actually wanted to go out of state, preferably.

A: And it was interesting because, like the our school was pretty open about like that they were not preparing us for college and at one point of our like our freshman year actually.

A: And like there was, like several instances of is like…freshman year the principal like you know assault freshmen are just sitting and, like in this big gymnasium…Garden City High School was like 2000 students and so like the freshman class was pretty big I don't like maybe like 500 or something.

A: And so there's this all of us sitting there and, like the the principal like says “Okay, all of you stand up like this half sit down to have to just sit down like half of you are not going to make it to graduation.
A: And so, like that was the way, like we were introduced to it like looking back at it like now I'm just like you know why the hell, would you do that, but like at the time I was just like okay like you know, like in and then.

A: There were other instances later on to such as like we had asked one of our principals in like How are we supposed to get ready for college when all you're doing is like classwork is just like state tests and getting us ready for that and he's like well we're not getting ready for college we're not getting you ready for college we're getting you ready for the state test, and that was another thing or just kind of like okay well like that's that's you know that's that's bad for a lot of reasons.

A: And then amplifying the situation just making it worse, is also that Garden City is also pretty isolated.

A: So we don't have the benefit of having like a universities around us, or we can actually like go to them, and you know, like visit them and stuff too, like any trip we make to university.

A: Does that take us a few hours out so like we're flipping Western Kansas it's like minimum like three to go to like Wichita State or something…so it's definitely a few hours out but that education piece like I said was important.

A: So like I ended up going to KU you obviously and while I was there that's when I really begin to notice that, like well you know a lot of people actually don't look like me; a lot of people are actually have like a lot more money, like there was a particular class project where I made a survey and ask some of our classmates you know, like what is it that your parents do like how much do we, you know household income things like that, too.

A: I was like actually pretty surprised to see how many like people were like the the six digits and you know triple whatever and how many people like parents are doctors or lawyers everything else too.

A: So, so all that to say is like I guess like that that's been like a major theme throughout my life, at least in something that when I graduated like it's not going to be lost on me where it's just like all right, like this [my education] is important because, like I think about it, like my great grandfather only finished, like the third grade and then my grandpa like the sixth grade and then like…well, actually, not an accident think my great grandfather will just go and I think about it, but like my grandpa finished, like the third grade; my dad like the sixth grade, and then you know my finished, like the the 10th grade or whatever.

A: And for me that's like that's something that's always stays in the back of my mind like how big of an impact that is just because it's almost like honestly, like the diploma…I just better it's a piece of paper to me; I didn't even picked up my undergraduate diploma yet like it's still sitting there like okay you. I haven't picked it up yet, but I do intend to pick them both up and just kind of give them to my parents almost because I know it's more important to them than it is to me.

A: And I see this like being connected back to this, the idea of like generational trauma right because I feel like they weren't able to do like a lot of their education. And complete a lot of it, because they were like…lived in poverty and like they had to go work in the fields and everything else too… and then for me to all of a sudden, have access to this level of education and to be able to complete it…isn't necessarily like I think by itself meaningful, but like when when you add it to that context I think it's very important and that's something that's kind of a lesson that stuck with me.

A: And just in terms of trying to think of like…what else in particular here. But I don't know it's hard because, like a lot of like when I think about like retelling of stories and how I learned about different things it's all it all came very…it's all like orally told, and so I think about this like maybe not even just like stories of itself, but like I also think about like medical records and medical pasts and…and things like that, too, because there was a while, where like I didn't know our family’s medical history because that's just something that didn't exist because they didn't have any formal records or anything like that.

A: And so it was a…when I started going through my mental health issues and then my dad told me he's like hey like your grandma actually has like goes through like epileptic episodes I'm like I didn't know that like when this when is this like I feel like.

A: I mean, especially when doctors tell me like…is it asked me like you know, is there, like a history of xyz thing and your family like whatever. Unless it's like super obvious I just kind of go I don't know like I honestly don't know, like all these things are just kind of they just come out at random moments.

A: And then the thing that I found interesting about that too is that there's a you know, like the stigma with everything about like mental health and the stigma associated with like other medications and everything else too and it's just like it's just it that's like an interesting dynamic of like what is shared and what isn't shared.

A: So I think for me like that's been the biggest thing is that, like there's so many unknowns about like my past.

A: And about like I know like I’ve heard these stories and, like some of these stories are like I know they're like incomplete and that's why like I also did like back pedaling a little bit, but that's also why I decided to do like my undergraduate or like my minor in Latin American studies to because I felt like that was an opportunity for me to learn more about like my stories like indirectly.

A: That helps um I mean, I was able to learn certain things and I was able to like when my parents spoke about certain things be able to articulate relate to it more and be like okay yeah cuz I kind of like learned from it, you know or study this and looked into that.

A: So I think yeah that's…I think that some of that’s… Is there any clarifying questions you may have anything?

Marta Caminero (M): Yeah…So..Here's just an actual clarifying question: So when your dad was going with your granddad to Chicago was it the kind of circular migration, where they were coming back seasonally? Or yearly?.

A: It was just yeah…they would make…they would go up and they would actually would make money come back down and obviously was all to help the family and such to but because I remember my dad talking about specifically how they were periods in time, which my grandpa would leave and, like my grandma would stay there, and they would come back in and just go through that process until they're old enough to go out there.

M: And, can you tell me a little bit about what it was like growing up in Garden City? I mean you said that you didn't really realize that not everyone looked the way you did until you got to KU…so What was it like growing up in a community where you weren't identifiably I were there were lots of Latinas and what was it like growing up in a school that was poor? I mean you told me a little, but…

A: Right, I mean I…I actually enjoyed it, I mean like I think that, like I didn't really realize like how because it mean I didn't realize how…how good I had it until I left so like you know, like now I’m looking back at the experience it was actually I enjoyed a lot because, like a it was almost like a full of em like…your whole identity was included as opposed to.

A: Like because you know you go to you would go to Walmart and they'd be like not just one aisle on Latino things but it'd be ubiquitous…ubiquitously spread everywhere and then like we'd go to McDonald's and then my mom could order in Spanish, as opposed to like having to talk broken English whatever you know, like so you can you can do everything in Spanish, and just live like a normal life there like like you know quote unquote normal.

A: And it was…it was interesting to me, also because I feel like I don't know like I just didn't know that like…like how different everything else was because there was a certain faction of people who were more affluent so they were you know they were like just statistically speaking, they were more white as well, and they have like their own little community outside of the city.

A: It's called Southwind and that's where like a lot of like the rich people go that's where they live and then you know they have like more nicer houses and building like outside the city stuff too so it's it was it's like a microcosm of what's happening like elsewhere.

A: And so I thought that was particularly interesting and, like you, didn't you didn't notice all these things because you're in the middle of it and, like you know, like all your friends are like look like you have the same income everything else too.

[speaking over each other]

M: But…did you code switch or what was..what was it like, with your friends?

A: Um it wasn't…we so…we spoke majority of the time we spoke English, most of us understood Spanish, though, but like whenever you go to someone's house you know, like you have to saludar and say buenas tardes and everything else too.

A: It's..it is code switching but there's also like a component of that that's like more… it's a little deeper than being just like Mexican…so like, for example, because, like a lot of people came from like poor rural backgrounds like there is certain behavioral expectations that they have so you have to be like more…I guess more conservative more like, “how do you do” more like “please, and thank you” kind of thing, as opposed to like more which I feel like more like urban Mexican where it's like a different culture almost.

A: So everyone had…like a similar background of like coming from like more…whose parents came from more rural urban or like rather rural more poor and so like there was like an expectation of a behavior almost.

A: For example, my parents whenever someone my friends wouldn't they wouldn't say hi my parents would be like “has andado con un niño que no saluda”...you know you're with a kid that doesn't say hi?

A: So there's always an expectation of like we have to say “hi” like get to be courteous like manners…manners is super super important and so like there is there's a little bit of like I guess like almost switching in that sense.

A: And then the other thing too is like it's interesting also to like because they had like major celebrations there too…so, like the Mexican Independence Day was huge; they'd have a parade and have people there, you know the stuff in the park afterwards huge events.

A: And it was kind of funny for me to see the…other part of this, too, was seeing how…instead of like it was almost like…we had to accommodate…

A: cuz let me give an example, so, for example, like when I went to there's a place, you can eat it's called Mariscos Puerto Nuevo…and I was like seafood and stuff too… it's a pretty popular spot, and so one thing one thing that I saw one time that was pretty interesting was…You know, I was sitting there with friends, we were eating that's like the local place to eat like we're pretty open pretty late at night.

A: And then, so this white person comes in, and they they're the ones that are struggling to order you know food they're the ones that are struggling to say what they want, like the other point stuff on the menu and stuff like that, too, and then my head, I was like wow, this is an interesting thing that probably doesn't happen, a lot of places.

A: Where it's like English people that people know…English other ones struggling and other ones that come in, have been here and like…and they're the ones that sound like you know they're using the broken language or whatever to and so it's it's a reversal of roles that like you don't really seen a lot of different places.

A: And I didn't really fully appreciate that and looking back, I was like wow this is pretty unique to the area, and you know you don't you don't realize that until it's like okay like now, all of these things are are starting to make sense, once you go away and come back.

M: Have you been back recently? Is it still that way? And I'm wondering, are there really Cubans there, and like what would influx of other Latinx people from different countries?

A: I know I don't know if there was actually a wave of Cuban people coming into [Garden City]. My dad was just saying things because sometimes they [my parents] just say things I don't know like because....

A: I know that there was a wave of Somali immigrants; I know for sure that Laos and Vietnamese…I don't know if actually there was a wave of Cuban immigrants.

M: Latin Americans?

A: Yes, there are other Latin Americans, but like…it's I feel like they almost get consumed by like the dominant culture, the Mexican culture so it's hard to like find different subsets because everyone just assumes that you're Mexican and everyone just kind of like it's a very like…it's like Mexican is a dominant culture and so like that's the one that's kind of like it eats all the other ones, and so that's how I kind of feel about ‘em.

A: And then, and then the other thing I will say is that…one of the…the not so fun parts about like this is that, like in when you have a different wave of like…[END].

Mexico

Garden City, Kansas