Mexicanos in Oregon: Their Stories, Their Lives

Testimonio by Loyola

202 Mexicanos in Oregon Testimonio by Loyola This testimonio is composed from excerpts of an interview conducted by Gonzales-Berry in 2004 in Loyola’s home in Woodburn which she shares with her two children, both of whom were away at college. Loyola was not working at the time because of a chronic illness, and she relied on her children for support. The interview was conducted in Spanish, and excerpts were selected, transcribed, translated, and arranged by the authors. I lived in a small village with my family. I married quite young—at sixteen— and I had my two children. By the time I was twenty, I was already alone, because my husband died that year. I had to work to support my children, and I worked for eight years in Mexico… . My brother came over and it was he who invited me, as he saw that I was in great need. He saw that I was alone and had no money, not even enough to come over. So he gave me money to make the journey. It was difficult knowing that you are going to another country where you don’t know anyone, but I had no choice because of my children. The preparations were mainly mental, because you have to think positively. You have to think that you are going to another country to work. That’s how I gave myself courage, but mostly it was my children. They had always gone to school—to kinder, then to grade school—and I thought it was best for them. I thought, no matter where we are in the world, they had to study. They didn’t have a father and they were my sole responsibility. I didn’t want them to drop out in order to work, and I was also aware of the fact that they were intelligent and they did well in school. I believed it was best for them if they could go on studying. The trip was long and tiring because we came by bus. When I arrived in the United States, I was shocked because I expected something very different. We arrived in November, when the leaves are falling and there’s water and mud. My brother lived in what they call cabins, little wood houses, without heat or any conveniences. They only had a stove, two bunk beds; that’s all. When I saw that, I felt very sad. I expected more. I thought something good awaited me here. I was frustrated, but I was here. With all the mud and leaves and rain, things I didn’t expect, I gradually became depressed. In Mexico one gets up early. There is sunshine and warmth. It’s quite lovely and one has a home, and a family, and a village… . 203 THEIR STORIES, THEIR LIVES Testimonio: Loyola My brother got me a job where he worked on a mink ranch. They killed the animals there, thousands of those little animals. They skinned them and dried the pelts. And since I knew how to work on a sewing machine, they gave me a sewing job. I would sew torn pelts. They would stuff them like teddy bears and sell them in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and different places. I worked there about three years, just sewing and sewing, and they paid me twenty-five cents per piece. I would have to work late into the night, and I became ill. When I got sick, the boss fired me. Then he took my cabin and told me I had to leave. He gave me three days. I turned to my church for help, and started fending for myself. My children had to adapt to many things in school. They came fairly advanced in their studies, but when they arrived here they put them in a low level and later [they] were placed in special education with children who were retarded. This set them back. Fortunately there are always conscientious teachers, and they placed them in another grade and helped my children get ahead. We have to be strong in order to face all situations, and I believe we have been prepared to do this. All I ever did here was work for my children. There are many who send money home to Mexico to build a house, buy some land, or for other necessities because that’s what they come for. I came with another goal. All my money was for them, so they could study...