Peña, Esther 2008-05-28
Peña long time Lubbock resident, was interviewed for the Hispanic oral history project. She reminisced in detail about her life growing up in Lubbock, Texas including family stories.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Esther Peña
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: May 28, 2008
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Interviewer: Daniel Sanchez
Length: 01:20:28
Abstract
Background; Father from Mexico; Occupation; Children working in the fields; Dad leaves; Seven Children; Mother; Cleaning houses; Seamstress; Makes & sells tamales; How they made tamales; Mother’s background; Born in United States; Mother’s parents; Mother has “awesome” stories; Work as a seamstress (again); About age gaps of siblings; Dad’s parents from Mexico; Grandparents from mother’s side; Hardly remembers grandmother; House they lived in at 6th& Ave. R, Lubbock, Texas; 3 bedrooms; Tornado tore down their home; Relocation; Lived in 2 bedroom while rebuilding damaged home; Neighborhood life at 6th & R; Attended nearby school (K. Carter); Circus would walk animals to coliseum past their home; Neighborhood went through changes of deterioration; Walked to nearby convenient store & The Pancake House; Traditional home or not?; Dating life and Marriage life; Graduated high school and got married; “Very strict family”; Not such thing as going out on a date; College never spoken about; Get pregnant, get married, start working; Religion plays a role; “Limited” things that were allowed; Elementary and Schools Attended; Learning Spanish in 3rd Grade; Transition to junior high/high school; Jr. high was a hard transition; “Mean Mexicans”; Friends were mostly Caucasian; Public vs. private school; Plans as a young child; Met husband and plans went out window; Went to Tech for Fashion Merchandising for 1 semester; Then got pregnant; Work Experience; Good work ethic; Pena’s husband goes to college; Occupational careers; Moving up in the work place with no degree; Pena’s Children; Upbringing of children; 3 children; Emphasis on education & college; “you’re not done until you finish college”; Sports interests ‘basketball’; “you pick one sport,” she tells children; About Pena’s marriage; Thoughts about divorce; Think about the children; A lot invested to let go of marriage; Last thoughts about tornado as a child.
Access Information
Original Recording Format:
Recording Format Notes:
Transcript: Transcript available in reading room
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