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Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project
A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant
Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department
Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project
América Reyes Interview
Total Time – (36:58)
Interview by Penny Burillo, February 11, 2016
Translated into English by Kassie O’Brien, June 2016
Family Background – (recording 1)
• Her maiden name was Trigo
• América was born in El Realito, Tamaulipas
• Her parents were repatriated American citizens
o They were given land in Mexico
o América’s parents were born in the U.S. but returned to Mexico
• She lived in Mexico for all of her childhood
• Her father was born in Lockhart, Texas, and her mom was born in Texas as well
• Her mother lived in El Realito, Tamaulipas, in the municipality called Valle Hermoso
o Her father lived in the same municipality
• Her mother had a daughter from her first marriage
o Her mom had three sons and three daughters with América’s father, who were
all born in El Realito
• América went to school there through sixth grade
Coming to the United States – (4:27, recording 1)
• Her father was the first to come to the U.S. to work, and her mother stayed in Mexico
with all the kids
• América came to the U.S. when she was 22 years old
o She came with her brother
o They lived in Dallas
• She worked in a framing factory in Dallas for about two years
Her marriage – (5:45, recording 1)
• She got married in Dallas
o Her husband’s name was Arturo Reyes and was from San Antonio, Texas
• América was 23 years old when she got married
�Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project
A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant
Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department
•
They first had a civil marriage, and then two years later they got married by a church in
San Antonio
• América has three children with Arturo, one girl and two boys
Working as a migrant – (6:55, recording 1)
• She started working as a migrant in 1997 when she separated from her husband
• She came to Walkerville with her mother and brothers
• She started by taking care of her brothers’ children, and later she started picking
asparagus
• She had never worked in farming before
• Picking asparagus isn’t hard; the weather is what really is hard
• They would start very early, like around 4:00am
o They would end late sometimes too, like at 9:00pm or 10:00pm
(Recording 2)
• She worked with Carlos Moreno
• They lived in some sort of small house
The Beginning of Her Time in Oceana – (1:04, recording 2)
• She felt very alone and really far from stores and everything else
• It was hard not knowing her way around
• América’s kids stayed in San Antonio during this time
• América and her family would come in April or May and leave in November
• They also worked with apples and zucchini
• At the beginning, she arrived eager to work
o But as time went on she missed her children
Farming Work – (3:52, recording 2)
• At first they were paid all in one check, but later on they got paid individually
• They would pick vegetables in pairs, and América was paired up with her brother
• They would return to San Antonio or sometimes to San Juan, Texas, in November
o Her mother lived in San Juan
• América has come from Texas with her family to work here every year since 1997
o Sometimes they went to different places, and she would work in a cherry factory
or would pick grapes
• She has worked indoors and also outdoors on tractors
�Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project
A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant
Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department
Her Daughter – (recording 3)
• América has a 15-year-old daughter named Xochitl who was born in Texas
o She was born in April of 2000, when they were going to come up to work
• They put her daughter in a migrants’ daycare in Walkerville
• At two months old, they detected that her daughter had a heart problem
o When she was nine months old, she had a heart operation in Grand Rapids
o Everything turned out well, and she doesn’t even take medications anymore
• América stayed in Hart for the first time in winter in 2000
o It snowed a lot
o She didn’t know anyone
o The only person that helped her was a woman named Randa, who especially
helped during the daughter’s medical operations
Current Work and Life – (4:11, recording 3)
• América now works at Michigan Freeze Pack
• She has worked there varying years, and when they don’t have enough work she goes to
other places like Indian Summer
• It depends on where there is work available
• She is now 57 years old
• She does not have a pension plan because the places where migrants work do not offer
insurances or similar things
o When her family gets Medicaid, they use that
o Her daughter always has Medicaid
• América has more friendships here in Michigan than she does in Texas
• She has some friends from work and some friends who have been social workers
Future Thoughts – (8:45, recording 3)
• She likes the air here as well as the peacefulness of the town
• She doesn’t want her daughter to ever work in the fields
o Her daughter is in ninth grade right now
• América wants a stable job, because the work in the fields is seasonal
�Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project
A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant
Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department
•
•
o Her daughter needs more medical insurance because América can’t pay for all
the things needed to be done, like dental work
She wants to stay in Michigan
It is hard for her to pay for car insurance
Advice for Young People – (12:20, recording 3)
• She would say that it is okay to work part-time in the fields, but it is better if they study
because working in the fields will not provide them with enough to live on
• There are many things that a single women in this line of work cannot do
o For example, a single woman can’t buy a house or a car because the expense is
just too high
o She would have to buy something second-hand, but this can be dangerous
Final Thoughts – (15:06, recording 3)
• Her older children came one season but they didn’t like it
• She has gotten tired of always coming and going every year
o She wants to stay in one place
o It has been a big struggle in the schools in Texas; they aren’t very easily
accepting
o América has decided to stay in Oceana due to all of this
• Life is easier now, but at the beginning they still fought to find a place to stay
• Everything has been improving now
o People are living in better housing than they used to
�
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Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project
A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant
Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department
Una comunidad que cultiva: El proyecto de la historia agrícola de Oceana
Entrevista de América Reyes
Tiempo total – (36:58)
Entrevistado por Penny Burillo, 11 Febrero 2016
Antecedentes familiares – (grabación 1)
• Trigo es su apellido de soltera
• Nació en El Realito, Tamaulipas
• Sus padres eran ciudadanos americanos repatriados
o Les dieron tierras en México a sus padres
o Los padres de América nacieron en los Estados Unidos, pero regresaron a México
• Pasó toda su niñez en México
• Su papá nació en Lockhart, Texas, y su mamá en Texas también
• Su mamá vivía en El Realito, Tamaulipas, en el municipio de Valle Hermoso
o Su papá vivía en este municipio también
• Su mamá tenía una niña de su primer matrimonio
o Con el papá de América, tenían tres niños y tres niñas, y todos nacieron en El
Realito
• América fue a la escuela allí hasta el sexto grado
Venir a los Estados Unidos – (4:27, grabación 1)
• Su papá se venía primero a los Estados Unidos para trabajar, y su mamá se quedó en
México con los niños
• América vino a los EEUU cuando tenía 22 años
o Se vinieron ella y su hermano
o Vivieron en Dallas
• Trabajó en una fábrica de cuadros en Dallas y duró allí unos dos años
El matrimonio – (5:45, grabación 1)
• Se casó en Dallas
o Su esposo se llama Arturo Reyes y era de San Antonio, Texas
• América tenía 23 años cuando se casó
�Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project
A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant
Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department
•
Se casaron para el civil primero, y después de dos años se casaron por la iglesia en San
Antonio
• América tiene tres hijos con Arturo, una mujer y dos hombres
Trabajar como migrante – (6:55, grabación 1)
• Ella empezó a trabajar como migrante en 1997 cuando se separó de su esposo
• Vino con su mamá y sus hermanos, y llegaron a Walkerville
• Empezó a cuidar a los niños de sus hermanos y luego piscó espárragos
• Nunca había trabajado antes en la agricultura
• Piscar espárragos no es duro; lo que es duro es el clima
• Empezaba muy temprano, como a las 4 de la mañana
o A veces terminaba muy tarde, como a las 9 o 10 de la noche
(Grabación 2)
• Trabajó con Carlos Moreno
• Vivían en un tipo de casa pequeña
Al principio de su tiempo en Oceana – (1:04, grabación 2)
• Se sentía muy solo y muy lejos de las tiendas y todo
• No saber los caminos era difícil
• Los hijos de América se quedaron en San Antonio durante este tiempo
• La familia y América llegaban en abril o mayo y se iban en noviembre
• También hicieron manzanas y calabacín
• Al principio llegaba con ganas de trabajar
o Pero con el tiempo les echaba de menos a sus niños
El trabajo en la agricultura – (3:52, grabación 2)
• Se pagaba en un solo cheque, y luego se pagaba individualmente
• Piscaban por parejas, así América estaba con un hermano
• Regresaban a San Antonio o a veces a San Juan, Texas, en noviembre
o Su mamá vivía en San Juan
• América ha venido de Texas con su familia para trabajar todos los años desde 1997
o A veces iba a lugares diferentes y trabajaba en una fábrica con cerezas o piscaba
las uvas
• Ha trabajado adentro y también afuera en un tractor
�Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project
A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant
Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department
Su hija – (grabación 3)
• América tiene una niña de 15 años que se llama Xochitl, y nació en Texas
o Nació en abril de 2000, cuando iban a venir a trabajar
• La pusieron en la guardería de los migrantes en Walkerville
• A los dos meses, detectaron que su hija tenía un problema de corazón
o A los nueve meses, la hija tenía una operación de corazón en Grand Rapids
o Todo salió bien y ya no toma medicinas
• América se quedó en Hart durante el invierno por primera vez en 2000
o Se cayó mucha nieve
o No conocía a nadie
o La única persona que le ayudó a América fue la señora Randa, y especialmente
ayudó durante las operaciones de la niña
Trabajo y vida actual – (4:11, grabación 3)
• Ahora América trabaja en Michigan Freeze Pack
• Ha trabajado allí años variados, y cuando no hay trabajo allí ella va a otro lugar como
Indian Summer
• Depende donde hay trabajo
• Ahora tiene 57 años
• No tiene ningún plan de pensión porque los lugares en que trabajan los migrantes no
tienen seguros o cosas así
o Cuando su familia recibe Medicaid, usa esto
o La niña siempre tiene Medicaid
• América tiene más amistades aquí en Michigan que en Texas
• Tiene amigas de trabajo y también amigas que son trabajadores sociales
Pensamientos futuros – (8:45, grabación 3)
• Le gusta el aire que hay aquí y le encanta que hay mucha paz en el pueblo
• No le gustaría que su hija trabajara en el campo
o Ella está en el grado nueve
• América quiere un trabajo seguro, porque el trabajo con vegetales es por temporada
o La niña necesita más seguro médico porque América no puede pagar por las
necesidades de los dientes y otras cosas
�Growing Community: Oceana’s Agricultural History Project
A project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant
Project Director: Melanie Shell-Weiss, GVSU Liberal Studies Department
•
•
Desea quedarse en Michigan
Pagar las seguranzas de carro es difícil para ella
Consejos para jóvenes – (12:20, grabación 3)
• Diría que está bien trabajar en los campos a tiempo medio, pero mejor que se estudie
porque trabajar en el campo no da suficiente para vivir
• La diferencia de una mujer sola trabajar en este tipo de trabajo es que hay muchas cosas
que no se puede hacer
o Por ejemplo, no puede comprar casa o carro porque el gasto sería demasiado
o Tendría que comprar algo de segundo mano pero eso puede ser peligroso
Reflexiones finales – (15:06, grabación 3)
• Sus hijos mayores vinieron por una temporada pero no les gustó
• América ya se cansó de ir y venir cada año
o Quisiera quedarse en un lugar
o Se batalla mucho en la escuela en Texas; no les aceptan muy fácil
o América decide quedarse en Oceana a causa de todo eso
• Ahora la vida es más fácil, pero a los principios allí todavía se batallaba mucho para
encontrar un lugar para quedarse
• Todo ahora ha ido mejorando
o La gente se queda en mejores viviendas que antes
�
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oceana County Migrant Labor History Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shell-Weiss, Melanie
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Growing Community: A Century of Migration in Oceana County." This project was a collaboration between El Centro Hispano de Oceana, the Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society, and Grand Valley State University funded by a Common Heritage grant from the United States National Endowment for the Humanities. The materials in this collection document the history of communities in Hart, Shelby, and Walkerville and explore themes of migration, labor, religion, family, belonging, national and cultural identities, regional, national, and international connections, and citizenship.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Oceana County (Mich.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
El Centro Hispano de Oceana; Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society
Relation
A related resource
Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage project)
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-06
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
image/jpeg
audio/mp3
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Image
Sound recording
Language
A language of the resource
eng
spa
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oceana County (Mich.)
Hart (Mich.)
Shelby (Mich.)
Farms
Farmers
Migrant agricultural laborers
Hispanic Americans
Account books
Diaries
Oral history
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Título
Spanish language Title entry
Reyes, America (entrevista de audio y resumen)
Descripción
Spanish language Description entry
Entrevista de historia oral con America Reyes. Entrevistada por Penny Burillo. Idioma en Español. Febrero 11, 2016. América Reyes nació en El Realito, Tamaulipas, en México. Pasó toda su niñez en México. Vino a los Estados Unidos cuando tenía 22 años y vivía en Dallas, Texas. Se casó allí y tuvo dos niños y una niña. En 1997, América y su mamá y sus hermanos vinieron a Walkerville, Michigan. Empezaron a trabajar como migrantes, recogiendo vegetales en los campos. Ahora América trabaja en Michigan Freeze Pack. Desea quedarse en Michigan en el futuro.
Sujetos
Spanish language Subject terms
El Realito
Tamaulipas
México
San Antonio
Texas
Fábrica
Espárragos
Matrimonio
Agricultura
Invierno
Michigan Freeze Pack
Seguro
Temporada
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-06_Reyes_America
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Reyes, America
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-02-11
Title
A name given to the resource
Reyes, America (audio interview and summary)
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history interview with America Reyes. Interviewed by Penny Burillo. Spanish language recording. Summary in English and Spanish. February 11, 2016. América Reyes was born in El Realito, Tamaulipas, Mexico. She lived in Mexico for all of her childhood. She came to the United States when she was 22 years old and lived in Dallas, Texas. She married there and had two sons and one daughter. In 1997, América and her mother and brothers came to Walkerville, Michigan. They began working as migrants, picking vegetables in the fields. América now works at Michigan Freeze Pack. She wants to stay in Michigan in the future.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Burillo, Penny (interviewer)
Shell-Weiss, Melanie (director)
Subject
The topic of the resource
El Realito
Tamaulipas
Mexico
San Antonio
Texas
Factory
Asparagus
Marriage
Farming
Winter
Michigan Freeze Pack
Insurance
Season
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Growing Community (NEH Common Heritage)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mp3
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
spa