Published by amboling –

Published by latina1955a – Thu, 2004-12-02 15:18 | Permalink

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Recently, I discovered that my Villarreal connection was Jewish through the research that others had been doing.  When I asked my aunt of this connection, she said yes we are, but it was kept secret because of the discrimination against the Jews in Mexico.  Turns out the Jewish secret had been kept since the 1500's.

 

Esperanza

Published by eanrolis – Fri, 2004-12-03 19:35 | Permalink

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That is a great idea.  It also helps if you give them
the questions ahead of time.  It gives them time to
think about it and you get better information.  Make
sure you have a good video camera and a good mic. 
Good sound is key.  You may also want to give them old
pictures so as to help them remember.

I have found that my mother feels most confortable
talking about the family history is about the table
when she is making tamales.

good luck.


--- Pacorro73@... wrote:

> In all honesty, recording Oral History is a truly
> beautiful gift we can give 
> our future descendants.  Not only is oral history a
> significant aspect of 
> genealogy, but it is what recording family history
> is all about.  We need to 
> remember that the names that we see and research in
> our files, were those of real 
> living breathing human beings too.  Now that they
> are no longer with us, we 
> must preserve their memory, and remember who they
> were.
> 
> Although I must admit I have not yet done this, I
> have read that you should 
> prepare before you just start video taping your
> elders.  If you ask really good 
> questions, you will get really good answers.  Be
> prepared to be flexible and 
> reactive to your interviewee and sit and back and
> enjoy while listening to the 
> stories and let them reminisce and remember.  You
> will see that the past and 
> countless family stories and anecdotes, will make
> your family's history come 
> alive.  Blend your questions in lively conversation
> that allow the memories to 
> develop and branch out, but be ready to guide the
> chat back if you go off on a 
> tangent.  But on the other hand, these tangents can
> provide the most 
> interesting, fascinating, sad, glorious, happy, or
> nail-biting stories of your 
> family's past, and you'll have them recorded for
> posterity.  Imagine what kind of 
> treasure they will become to our descendant's
> descendants?  It would be like 
> having a diary of your retatarabuelo's stories
> complete with pictures.  
> 
> You know know I have to do this as soon as possible
> myself, because I only 
> have one more grandparent left.  Mi Abuelita Cruz is
> my father's mother, and 
> I've already talked and she's shared many wonderful
> stories, but now I seriously 
> have to get them down on tape.
> 
> I hope you are now as inspired as I am to not waste
> any more time, and take 
> the time to record your family's oral history. 
> Remember, it's a labor of love. 
>  And if we don't act now, the opportunity to do so
> will have 
> passed...forever.  Don't let this happen.  Preserve
> your oral history.
> 
> Atentamente,
> Steven F. Hernandez
> 



		
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Published by rantosmuna – Sat, 2004-12-04 01:22 | Permalink

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A number of years of ago, in the midst of working on a business plan; I opted to work for a temporary employment agency to have some cash flowing in. One sunny Friday morning, I received a call for an assignment; I was advised that it would be in the immediate area.

 

However, late in the day, I was notified that the assignment would be in the middle of the most heavily traveled corridor, my first thought was to gracefully decline, but on second thought, I knew it was best to honor my commitment.

 

In th following weeks, I would encounter a young, soft-spoken man, Manuel, who I would meet at the door as I was attempting to dash out in the evening to get that two minute lead on traffic, and thus get to the gym, then home to work on my project. Our conversations were always short, and went something like this:

 

Manuel: In a few days I will be going to Cuidad Obregon, Sonora, to bring my parents to San Jose for a little vacation.

 

Helyn: My mother had a half sister, that she never met, that lived in Obregon

 

Manuel: What is your aunt's name?

 

Helyn: Antonia S. I have some photos of her when she was in her early 20's; do believe she was born in 1929. The only lead that I have is a Christmas card she sent my mother over 20 years ago before her passing

 

Manuel: I could try and locate her with the address on the envelope

 

Helyn: You have not seen my messy stack of photos, and papers that I have been attempting to organize for several years

 

Over the next few conversations, Manuel continued to pursue me with questions,

looking back, I do not know why I was being so evasive

 

Manuel: This is your last opportunity; I will be taking my parents back to Obregon in a few days.

 

That evening, I skipped going to the gym, and went straight to my disorganized stack. Well, lo and behold, staring me in the face was the Christmas card.

 

Upon his return, Manuel summoned me to meet him in the cafeteria. When I arrived, he suggested that I better sit down. Then he presented me with some photos he had just developed, and I instantly recognized the lady in the photos as my mother's sister. My heart skipped a beat.

 

Manuel proceeded to tell me that while he was at his father-in-laws home, he had told the family to excuse him as he was going to go out to attempt to locate an aunt for a co-worker. Manuel said that his wife asked for the name of the lady and he replied that she was a much older woman and he did not think that she would know her, but that her name was Antonia S.

 

Manuel said that his wife gasped..."what do you mean...she took care of us..she was my second mother".  With that, the family sped off in pursuit to find Antonia. The had several detours, but with the help of neighbors they finally found her.

 

On Saturday, I called my Tia Antonia, and I immediately wanted to go and meet her and her family however, I was told to stay away from the hot Sonora sun and to come when the weather was a bit cooler.  I was delighted to hear that in a few months her grandson would be getting married, and that her older brother, Tomas, would be attending the wedding.

 

So off I went with a camera, recorder, pens and notepads.

 

I returned with a treasure of Oral History from Tio Tomas, which is priceless. Also, I was given a photo of my great grandmother, Dionisia Magallanas, her name, I had never heard.

 

I was told the story of how their mother, Efedelia Herrera, ended up in Tepic, Nayarit from Tlaltenango, Zacatecas. I felt a bid of sadness that my mother never knew the other side of the story.

 

Talk about fate, and 6 degrees of separation.

 

Sadly, Tio Tomas passed away a few years later.

 

Oh, by the way, my newely found cousin had been engaged to marry the brother of Manuel's wife when they were young. Actually, this is a very long story with lots of twits and turns, but I have attempted to make it as brief as possible. And yes, I finally met Mrs. Manuel, a very special lady,...it was as if we had known each other for a long time...she said that she still get chills when she recants the long story.

Helyn de Castaneda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

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