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Another great read is Sandra Cisneros, "Caramelo". There's a lot a
great references to the Reyes' family being "cleansed" by having an
ancestor who was from Seville, Spain. As if marrying a spaniard was moving
"up". It's a hilarious look a life in Mexico and in "el otro lado".
Funny funny funny. Sandra Cisneros is truly gifted.
Peggy
A great book to read to get some perspective on how our ancestors lived
and how and why they left during the revolution is Rain of Gold by Victor
Villaseñor, or Lluvia de Oro. I read it in both Spanish and English and I
cried both times. It also gives some insight into what the immigrants
experienced when they came to the US. For those of us who have our roots in
Mexico it's a very powerful book, very long but impossible to put down. It was
required reading for my son's class in Mexican American History in
college.
Alicia
Margarita Vallazza
<TeaCozyGran@...> wrote:
What
a wonderful story you have shared! When I went to Jerez in late
November
2000, I was only there for a few hours because the altitude
was killing
me...my husband and I stayed in Zacatecas city and man!!!
was I ever
sick. We cut short our trip and flew to Juarez, crossed the
border to El
Paso, spent the night at my sister's house, drove to
Albuquerque, and
then drove home to KC.
I loved being there...and wanted spend more
time there. As far as I
know, my grandmother had no living relatives
there left, I did touch
base with some very, very distant relatives and
spoke about family
history. My grandmother's madrina was Trinidad
Berumen, which is the
name of a famous poet's mother. There are numerous
family names we
share.
Let's do more of this! Marge:)
On Jun
26, 2005, at 1:02 PM, Erlinda Castanon-Long wrote:
>! ; My
paternal line is also from District of Jerez Zacatecas. In 1936 my
>
father was there for 3 months working and living with his grandparents
> (Sanchez/Reveles.)Â He said for breakfast they had a mush
made from
> pumpkin and milk. At noon time while they worked
in the fields the
> women would bring taquito's made from corn
torillas, beans and white
> cheese on the side. Dinner was
light. He talked about them drying
> chili's on the ground and
someone having to stay up all night with
> them so the animals
wouldn't eat them. He said the old men would
> roll 'tunas"
from the cactus on the ground to remove the thorns for
> the
children and peel them with a really sharp knife. Â He said while
> the men worked the women would take the laundry to the river to
wash
> on the rocks and then jump in to bathe with all their cloths
still on.
> very modest.! Â He said they ate nopales
which grew everywhere. He said
> they road horses to Jerez
which was 5 mi! les away.
> Â
> Â When I visited 2
years ago they were still doing all this except
> jumping in the
river. They had washers but most still washed in a
> cement
tub. Turns out the washers were gifts from their children on
>
this side of the border. They prefered the old ways. The locals said
> during the revolution when many left, like my gr-grandparents
> (Castanon/Caldera) Â in 1916, El Durazno was called the
village of the
> dead and starving. In doing the records from
this time period I was
> amazed at how many were described as died
from starvation or found on
> the roadside dead from
starvation.Â
> Â
> Â I found the customs in the
area to still be from the old school. I
> wanted to walk alone
at 6am to t! ake photos and observe. I was told
> this would reflect
poorly on my family for me to walk the streets
> alone, I was 58 at
the time. They got their daughter of out bed to
> accompany
me. Old traditions still abound. I was also told it was my
> responsibility to go to the senior member of my family and offer my
> respect. I didn't even know I had family there when I
arrived. I
> ended up going to 14 homes offering my and my
families respect. When
> it was time to leave I had to go back
and "despenser" sp.. myself. At
> 11pm the last night a family
came who said I didn't visit them so they
> came to me... I had no
idea.. They also asked why their American
> cousins had forgotten
them? I had no answers for them. The senior
> member
was 96 years old and remembered my grandmother, her Tia. They
> pulled out photos of me when I wa!! s 2 years old! When it
comes to
> customs and manners I found I had a lot to learn from new
found family
> members and thier old world ways. I'm sure
others visiting the "Old"
> country have found similar
experiences.
> Linda
>
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