Oral History of Camila Carido

Hensley:       When you got married did you move to Stockton?

Carido:          Oh yeah, soon as I get married I moved to Stockton. Yea we moved over here. We married in the first we would be married forty-eight years and a half. Yea in 1932 January thirty-first, we get married you know after that married six children eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren is one of the spoiled brats here.

Hensley:       Are you spoiled? Yeah “laughs”

Carido:          You know who [    ] be set for here my husband has to retire from McClellan he worked there for he worked in the government for eight-teen years he has…

Hensley:       Your husband did?

Carido:          As a civilian worker. He worked there.

Hensley:       What kind of jobs did he do throughout your whole marriage? He was a porter and then what?

Carido:          Farm. We work in the farm. We used to, when we would get married we use to get use to work in the [   ] processing asparagus. Carole I work in the packing [   ] celery packing celery I work sorting onion I work in the cherries I work in the potatoes. Any kind of work Carole as long as I could tackle it.

Hensley:       Did you work before or after you had all your children?

Carido:          After. I was raising my family Gloria was only… I stop working 1939 I have only three then. And then because in forty-three I give birth to Lourdes and then she died. Even when I have my children I bring my children to the camp as I said when I have Lourdes have here in, I leave her in you know like day care. I let stay with some people because they said too much for me to bring because Gloria was only about two years old and Leo and Carmen and  Pat went to school. And so when she died I didn’t have Gloria until 41. I mean [Franklin] 47 the street was a little bit farther see I have my children every two years and something see. I have thirty-three, thirty-six, thirty-eight, and then forty-one, forty-three and forty-seven. See I have two boys. [Franklin] I used to bring into the camp.

Hensley:       So you having kids didn’t stop you from working?

Carido:             I tell you Carole the time I... Nine o’clock I hit the bed goodbye I don’t care if the [   ] come over you were so tired Carole. You gotta cook at the same time I gotta wash.

Hensley:       Who made most of the decisions between you and your husband, did you or did he?

Carido:             Well we have to agree with it [            ]. When we were married in 1934 Carole, umm he has to work out there in Golden Island [celery] and there was no housing facility for them. We bought a tent for five dollars. And then during Christmas up to January while all the celery was slowing down because you know the people don’t use celery no more because after the Holidays. When he came back over there somebody stolen, have stolen the tent for five dollar he bought it. He make ten cent an hour Carole you know how much he make a day? Seventy-five cent because you have to pay board and, board and room. That’s how much I have to sacrifice but you know how much is my water bill? Fifty cent a month. How much my electric maybe a dollar, dollar quarter. But I paid my bill last month this month thirty dollars for gas and electric... I look at that air condition I don’t have that Carole. My uh, when we move into town, forty-five west Lafayette Street we stay there after we get married eleven dollars a month and I have the three burner gas stove of course you have the… you have two bedroom and a living room of course the bathroom like that it was electric already so it was ok you know. And you buy a [     ] for dollar and a half it last you about two days. The real [stick] the [             ] they hardly carry. The bread is two for twenty-five cents Carole I think fifty-cents, six uh, six like your dinner rolls you know that bakery over there except there expensive. My very first years Carole was [too] in [love] with that was two dollars. Real [leather] and my coat I bought it and there was no credit before. No body credit it has to be cash the children’s t-shirt and undershirt is ten cent a piece. My [slip] my dress is dollar and a half where you get it know?

Carido:         In other word Carole I’m just enjoying my retirement. I tell my children we are poor but we are not [   ] in other word. We could eat if you want a steak you can have a steak, if you want this you could have it as long as you eat it that’s our policy you know, that’s what I feel. That’s why I say when you were small and we were [   ] and work hard. I worked twenty-two years in the cannery.

Hensley:       Here in Stockton?

Carido:          Yeah right here in [    ] on top of that I work I work in the [camp] 13 years. With my children. Yea in the camp I have forty-three boys cook for them.

Hensley:       What kind of a camp was this?

Carido:          Pick pears in July we pick pears for about, like now. And then we have a break of about two weeks and [pretty soon] picking tomatoes. I have to get up three o’clock in the morning. I have my children in [  ]

Hensley:       You lived there?

Carido:          I bring my children that’s what I said. We bought this house in 1938 but we just leave it here you know like once a week I come here to pick up the [   ] and water and [   ] you know we walk there was no problem. Now no more [ I got no more [   ] everything is here. You know how it is now. But then I have them over there Leo and Carmen and [Pat] was the school over there, that’s stop on top the [levee] we lived below you know the levee were the I learned [   ] what you call that [   ] river over there then you go up you walk up there with the bus and I see to it that [   ] rides the bus when the afternoon come so they help me in the night time after everybody eat. I tell him hurry up because we go to the [  ] were gonna line up two hours there’s only one movies in [walnut grove] you know the good movies before. So we hurry up and I wash the dishes and put away the things somebody wipe it. Everything’s clean you see and then in the morning we have to get up early Carole and toast the bread and then set the table. Plus I tell him you have to learn because to me my husband and me feel that you gotta teach your children the hard way because if you just let them do it without doing nothing money is not no value to them, you gotta work for your money I said I don’t have that money to just give you I want this work for that money first I like my children [   ] everything Carole I said if I was raised boy whatever you ask maybe I could get this [    ] I give you. But don’t forget I work in the camp raising the children too. Franklin was born 1947 see I started working there 1939 see we go there the children [   ] there. I have understanding with the teacher there and here that I have to move them all I can’t leave them here. We stop brining the children in 1951 because Leo and Carmen were going to high school they start going to high school in Edison High. To me there education is more important you know so I didn’t quit the camp because I made money Carole my husband was making only thirty-five cents an hour. How you gonna support your family of course everything was cheap but you have lunch money for Leo lunch money for Carmen lunch money for Gloria and [Pat]. First they use bicycle and after they went out to junior college before that’s not Delta so Leo has to get the little car his gonna transfer his sister they ride together then somebody ride with him too maybe give fifty cent a week because the gas was only twenty-five cent. See it was cheap but it still you know so I we have to help. Carole it is impossible for five kids to go to school and thank goodness they have all there degree Gloria and Franklin has there BA Pat is the only one who don’t go high school he just went up to finish high school he don’t have AA Carmen has the AA. Carmen has the AA and the two has the bachelor of art. You gotta help Carole I don’t care if everything is cheap you can just one working plus us too, you know you have to feed. In other words we have to feed five, five of them plus us that’s seven of course everything was cheap but still you have money. So I have to help in fifty-one I tell my sister, my sister [Betty] I said [Beth] I have leave Carmen and Leo here because they are in high school I don’t want them to move from place to place because then they said to me that, you know maybe the.. Because they have to take the bus from where we live in [     ]  up to going to maybe [Rio Vista] or someplace else for high school  because the school that [    ] was only grammar school so I feel that, the less I could give them Carole is education I don’t have enough money to [give them]. But education I tell them, education is the most important one because nobody could take it away from you that’s all my gift to you. I used to tell my boy if you fool around too much lots of contractor in the camp that [     ] wants young people to work in the [    ] to be [  ] boy because he used to watch [    ] you know and his god father. And he said “ Mama that’s hard work “ I said I know it’s hard work that’s why if you fool around and you don’t enough education to work in the town or whatever you wanna you know out there. You are forced to work in the camp even graduate high school is not now, nothing now you gotta at least have the competition of your people over here is too big, too big []Carole. I said there’s lots of graduate now that has no work see you have to strive that’s what I tell him. I used to tell him were poor but I don’t care I sacrifice for you.