Gladys Deniz Interview
Item
Title
Gladys Deniz Interview
Interviewee, Interviewer
Deniz, Gladys
Williamson, Hannah
Relation
Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute
Date
11/18/2019
Identifier
SCUAD_pbbi_00024
extracted text
1
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:08,520
Speaker 1: Okay, so, first question, what is your full birth name?
2
00:00:09,060 --> 00:00:10,380
Speaker 2: Gladys Rose Denise.
3
00:00:12,180 --> 00:00:15,690
Speaker 1: And were you named after anyone or is there a story behind
your name?
4
00:00:16,470 --> 00:00:20,460
Speaker 2: I don't know about my first name, but my middle name is my
grandmother's name.
5
00:00:20,660 --> 00:00:36,890
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm just writing little notes, write a whole bunch.
Where? When were you born?
6
00:00:37,550 --> 00:00:40,280
Speaker 2: November 13, 1956
7
00:00:41,180 --> 00:00:42,800
Speaker 1: And where were you born?
8
00:00:42,890 --> 00:00:44,090
Speaker 2: Madera, California.
9
00:00:50,990 --> 00:01:01,370
Speaker 1: Okay. What early memories Do you have of a child in the
Portuguese American community or in portugal?
10
00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:54,520
Speaker 2: I have a lot of memories growing up on our farm because we
were in an area in a colony called Dixieland, and that colony pad like a
Portuguese farm, next to an Italian farm next to a German
farm next to a Dutch farm, and we were all one community, but we were
almost like mini United Nations. So that's what I remember growing up.
And I remember that we didn't we had our own. But I mean,
we were like self sustaining, and we didn't need government. I mean, we
never we never even had to go to town. We had our own food. We had our
own water.
We were pretty much self sufficient growing
up.
11
00:01:57,810 --> 00:02:07,230
Speaker 1: When did your family immigrate to the US and while you're born
in Madera, but when did your family immigrated to the US?
12
00:02:07,590 --> 00:02:10,560
Speaker 2: My grandparents immigrated from Tersada.
13
00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:11,010
Speaker 1: Okay.
14
00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:40,610
Speaker 2: My grandmother came when she was 16. She was from Victoria.
And my grandfather came when he was 16. He was from court to sail. And
those are my grandparents on my dad's side. Then my
grandparents on my mother's side. My grandmother came from Faial and my
grandfather he came from Brazil. Both my mom and dad are born in
15
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:40,840
Speaker 2: Madera.
16
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:41,140
Speaker 1: In America
17
00:02:43,570 --> 00:02:44,320
Speaker 1: Oh, Madera.
18
00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:51,640
Um, why did your family leave the Azores?
19
00:02:52,360 --> 00:03:03,400
Speaker 2: my grandparents left the Azores because the farm was too small
for all of the siblings. There were like 10 siblings, and there is not
enough land to support them.
20
00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,980
Speaker 1: Where did your families settle and why there?
21
00:03:09,870 --> 00:03:34,440
Speaker 2: Well, they first came through Ellis Island. And then they
traveled to California because that's where their sponsors were in the
dairy industry because my grandparents were all in the dairy
industry. So they stayed with their sponsors the owls and then worked for
them and saved their money until they could start their own dairy.
22
00:03:37,980 --> 00:03:43,920
Speaker 1: Did your parents your grandparents ever tell you what it was
like to adjust to life in a new country?
23
00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:59,970
Speaker 2: Well, my grandmother didn't speak English. So she she only
went to third grade here in the States. Because I mean, all the kids they
all worked on the farms.
24
00:04:07,649 --> 00:04:12,839
Speaker 1: Do you know of any stories that were passed down to you
regarding their experiences or
25
00:04:13,410 --> 00:04:44,550
Speaker 2: I remember my grandmother told me how she had to get onto the
boat. And the big ship was out further away from the harbor. So they had
to take this little boat out to the big boat and the
waves were really high and choppy. And then she said she had to climb
onto a rope, a rope a net rope to get on to the ship. And she said some
people just fell off. They didn't make it. It was it was
dangerous.
26
00:04:44,600 --> 00:05:02,600
Speaker 1: Oh, wow. You are a member of the first second third generation
of your family to be born in the US. How important was it to your parent
you'd be raised with a strong Portuguese identity?
27
00:05:03,470 --> 00:05:43,940
Speaker 2: Well, I'm second generation. So that was born in the US. It
was very, very strong identity in our Portuguese culture. And we always
kept all of the Portuguese traditions. I literally grew
up like I was in the Azores except I was here. And they kept all of the
same traditions that for the food for the milking the cows, for all of
the activities we had, it was always going to the festas,
always about the Portuguese celebrations. So
28
00:05:47,720 --> 00:06:04,580
Speaker 1: how, oh, you told me part of it. How this was how this How was
this identity express your language foods traditions festivals, I already
got that. You guys milks for your family would milk
by hand?
29
00:06:04,740 --> 00:06:06,540
Speaker 2: Yes, it was all by hand.
30
00:06:06,870 --> 00:06:08,550
Speaker 1: Is that still going today? Or
31
00:06:08,639 --> 00:06:17,279
Speaker 2: no, gradually, it became more and more mechanized. And then
finally, my dad sold all the cows and planted almonds. Oh, that's smart.
32
00:06:20,060 --> 00:06:25,520
Speaker 1: What cultural traditions have you maintained and why has it
been important to you to maintain them?
33
00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:57,320
Speaker 2: I think this generation since I'm second that the cultural
traditions that I've kept basically are a lot of the traditional foods, a
lot of the traditional holiday celebrations and going to
the Festas. I think I go to more Festas than even my parents did. My
parents, they only went to their own local festa that they didn't go to
any outside festa.
34
00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,280
Speaker 1: Have you been to the Azores?
35
00:07:04,910 --> 00:07:05,930
Speaker 2: I've been four times.
36
00:07:07,070 --> 00:07:09,290
Speaker 1: And what was that experience like for you?
37
00:07:10,080 --> 00:08:00,090
Speaker 2: My first experience was shocking. I was so shocked to see how
small everything was. It was like being in a time capsule in a miniature,
like one of those little miniature houses where
everything is real tiny. And their field. I mean a whole when I looked at
my grandparents, my grandfather's land, it'd be like, one whole parcel
was like the size of my living room. And there was only
10 of those parcels. And then I really understood why they couldn't stay
there and because it was so small. And then I grew up in California where
everything is so big, and like, you know, you go and
farm 360 acres or you go on farm a section is like you know, it, it just
goes on and on forever.
38
00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:00,630
Speaker 1: Yeah.
39
00:08:00,660 --> 00:08:03,540
Speaker 2: So it was really shocking to see how small everything was.
40
00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,400
Speaker 1: Very pretty though very?
41
00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:45,470
Speaker 2: So gorgeous, everything right on the ocean was the air was so
clean is so beautiful, so calm and peaceful. And so the temperature was,
I love that kind of temperature, moderate all year.
And I remember going to the cemetery to look for my relatives. And then I
learned that each family only gets one cemetery plot. And every seven
years they have to dig up the bones of the person that
died before and then they put them in a separate vault so they can bury
somebody new. And I was like, it just is a real eye opener how small that
island.
42
00:08:45,470 --> 00:08:46,490
Speaker 1: That's wild.
43
00:08:46,490 --> 00:08:53,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's everything there is so sustainable and just really.
44
00:08:53,270 --> 00:08:53,780
Speaker 1: Yeah.
45
00:08:54,290 --> 00:08:56,810
Speaker 2: Unbelievably, just
46
00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:04,100
Speaker 1: Because I mean, even though you're putting them in a bowl, I
would find that almost like disrespectful, dig them up and just move
them.
47
00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,110
Speaker 2: It's the only they have no other space.
48
00:09:06,110 --> 00:09:06,530
Speaker 1: Yeah.
49
00:09:06,770 --> 00:09:07,790
Speaker 2: It's the only way.
50
00:09:08,170 --> 00:09:19,930
Speaker 1: Wow, didn't know that. Um What are some of your experiences
growing up in the Portuguese American community in the valley throughout
your life?
51
00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:44,830
Speaker 2: I mostly remember the Festas and the Queens because my cousins
that live in Livingston, the corrals, they were always Queen of some
Festa. And then my sister, she was my mom forced her to
be one of the side queens when she was little, and she cried and
screamed. So she only made it I think one of one festa.
52
00:09:44,890 --> 00:09:45,550
Speaker 1: Oh
53
00:09:45,610 --> 00:09:52,720
Speaker 2: that I really remember is when we were little we always always
went to the Chowchilla festa.
54
00:09:55,870 --> 00:10:03,040
Speaker 1: Of all you have accomplished what are you most proud of what
proud most do you remember when the Portuguese American community?
55
00:10:09,390 --> 00:10:47,790
Speaker 2: I think the most proud moment, I think was when I um, they
started putting up the pictures of the UPC presidents or the presidents
of the Portuguese Hall in Chowchilla. And my grandparents
supposedly were the first president my grandfather. And then when I put
the picture up, I come to find out that there was actually one person
before him. So but still, they were some of the founding
members of that hall, and then after it burned down, to rebuild it. So
56
00:10:51,020 --> 00:10:58,070
Speaker 1: To what extent do you believe being Portuguese American has
shaped the way you have moved through life both professionally and
personally?
57
00:10:59,050 --> 00:11:49,570
Speaker 2: I think being Portuguese American really instilled in me a lot
of integrity, and a lot of values for family and faith. And I think just
a consistency to never give up. And I see that in my
family, all of my relatives that you know, no matter what the hardship,
no matter what the struggle, mean week, we would be out in the field, and
then start to rain on the raisins. And I mean, all of
the cousins, all of the neighbors, everybody would come around and just
start throwing those bundles of raisins into the hopper. So the way to
get it into the barn, and it was like, you know, it's
always like everybody helps each other in, you know, trauma where tiles
and but you never give up.
58
00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:52,870
Speaker 1: very strong.
59
00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:57,730
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're very strong, very strong ideals for our country.
60
00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,230
Speaker 1: What does being Portuguese American mean to you?
61
00:12:03,580 --> 00:12:10,990
Speaker 2: Well, it means that I, my blood is Portuguese DNA. And I live
in the country of America.
62
00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,580
Speaker 1: How do you see the Portuguese American community today?
63
00:12:24,390 --> 00:13:11,100
Speaker 2: I think some of the ideals are weaker now. I think there's not
quite the same family stability. As when I grew up. And the family
cohesiveness when I grew up. I mean, you never, my
grandmother was like the matriarch of our family. We, we would, every
time we were in her presence, we'd save this of all we kiss ring finger.
So there was a lot of respect for your elders. I don't
see that too much anymore in generations now. I don't see that same
respect for their elders.
64
00:13:14,700 --> 00:13:18,360
Speaker 1: Oh, is there anything we didn't cover that you would like to
share?
65
00:13:20,430 --> 00:14:03,480
Speaker 2: Well, I think that there's hopefully a resurgence in young
people, young Portuguese people that are trying to continue the culture
and the traditions of the Festas and support for people
and my cousins are now a part of that presidents of the UPC organization.
So they're very young, he's only he's less than 30. So it's, I'm hoping
you know that there's a new younger people that are
going to revive those cultures and traditions.
66
00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,480
Speaker 1: That looks like that's it, so thank you.
67
00:14:09,690 --> 00:14:10,590
Speaker 2: You're very welcome.
68
00:14:15,030 --> 00:14:28,320
Speaker 1: Alright, I don't think there's anything else for you to fill
out. need to ask him about this because it asks the interviewee can you?
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:08,520
Speaker 1: Okay, so, first question, what is your full birth name?
2
00:00:09,060 --> 00:00:10,380
Speaker 2: Gladys Rose Denise.
3
00:00:12,180 --> 00:00:15,690
Speaker 1: And were you named after anyone or is there a story behind
your name?
4
00:00:16,470 --> 00:00:20,460
Speaker 2: I don't know about my first name, but my middle name is my
grandmother's name.
5
00:00:20,660 --> 00:00:36,890
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm just writing little notes, write a whole bunch.
Where? When were you born?
6
00:00:37,550 --> 00:00:40,280
Speaker 2: November 13, 1956
7
00:00:41,180 --> 00:00:42,800
Speaker 1: And where were you born?
8
00:00:42,890 --> 00:00:44,090
Speaker 2: Madera, California.
9
00:00:50,990 --> 00:01:01,370
Speaker 1: Okay. What early memories Do you have of a child in the
Portuguese American community or in portugal?
10
00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:54,520
Speaker 2: I have a lot of memories growing up on our farm because we
were in an area in a colony called Dixieland, and that colony pad like a
Portuguese farm, next to an Italian farm next to a German
farm next to a Dutch farm, and we were all one community, but we were
almost like mini United Nations. So that's what I remember growing up.
And I remember that we didn't we had our own. But I mean,
we were like self sustaining, and we didn't need government. I mean, we
never we never even had to go to town. We had our own food. We had our
own water.
We were pretty much self sufficient growing
up.
11
00:01:57,810 --> 00:02:07,230
Speaker 1: When did your family immigrate to the US and while you're born
in Madera, but when did your family immigrated to the US?
12
00:02:07,590 --> 00:02:10,560
Speaker 2: My grandparents immigrated from Tersada.
13
00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:11,010
Speaker 1: Okay.
14
00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:40,610
Speaker 2: My grandmother came when she was 16. She was from Victoria.
And my grandfather came when he was 16. He was from court to sail. And
those are my grandparents on my dad's side. Then my
grandparents on my mother's side. My grandmother came from Faial and my
grandfather he came from Brazil. Both my mom and dad are born in
15
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:40,840
Speaker 2: Madera.
16
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:41,140
Speaker 1: In America
17
00:02:43,570 --> 00:02:44,320
Speaker 1: Oh, Madera.
18
00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:51,640
Um, why did your family leave the Azores?
19
00:02:52,360 --> 00:03:03,400
Speaker 2: my grandparents left the Azores because the farm was too small
for all of the siblings. There were like 10 siblings, and there is not
enough land to support them.
20
00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,980
Speaker 1: Where did your families settle and why there?
21
00:03:09,870 --> 00:03:34,440
Speaker 2: Well, they first came through Ellis Island. And then they
traveled to California because that's where their sponsors were in the
dairy industry because my grandparents were all in the dairy
industry. So they stayed with their sponsors the owls and then worked for
them and saved their money until they could start their own dairy.
22
00:03:37,980 --> 00:03:43,920
Speaker 1: Did your parents your grandparents ever tell you what it was
like to adjust to life in a new country?
23
00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:59,970
Speaker 2: Well, my grandmother didn't speak English. So she she only
went to third grade here in the States. Because I mean, all the kids they
all worked on the farms.
24
00:04:07,649 --> 00:04:12,839
Speaker 1: Do you know of any stories that were passed down to you
regarding their experiences or
25
00:04:13,410 --> 00:04:44,550
Speaker 2: I remember my grandmother told me how she had to get onto the
boat. And the big ship was out further away from the harbor. So they had
to take this little boat out to the big boat and the
waves were really high and choppy. And then she said she had to climb
onto a rope, a rope a net rope to get on to the ship. And she said some
people just fell off. They didn't make it. It was it was
dangerous.
26
00:04:44,600 --> 00:05:02,600
Speaker 1: Oh, wow. You are a member of the first second third generation
of your family to be born in the US. How important was it to your parent
you'd be raised with a strong Portuguese identity?
27
00:05:03,470 --> 00:05:43,940
Speaker 2: Well, I'm second generation. So that was born in the US. It
was very, very strong identity in our Portuguese culture. And we always
kept all of the Portuguese traditions. I literally grew
up like I was in the Azores except I was here. And they kept all of the
same traditions that for the food for the milking the cows, for all of
the activities we had, it was always going to the festas,
always about the Portuguese celebrations. So
28
00:05:47,720 --> 00:06:04,580
Speaker 1: how, oh, you told me part of it. How this was how this How was
this identity express your language foods traditions festivals, I already
got that. You guys milks for your family would milk
by hand?
29
00:06:04,740 --> 00:06:06,540
Speaker 2: Yes, it was all by hand.
30
00:06:06,870 --> 00:06:08,550
Speaker 1: Is that still going today? Or
31
00:06:08,639 --> 00:06:17,279
Speaker 2: no, gradually, it became more and more mechanized. And then
finally, my dad sold all the cows and planted almonds. Oh, that's smart.
32
00:06:20,060 --> 00:06:25,520
Speaker 1: What cultural traditions have you maintained and why has it
been important to you to maintain them?
33
00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:57,320
Speaker 2: I think this generation since I'm second that the cultural
traditions that I've kept basically are a lot of the traditional foods, a
lot of the traditional holiday celebrations and going to
the Festas. I think I go to more Festas than even my parents did. My
parents, they only went to their own local festa that they didn't go to
any outside festa.
34
00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,280
Speaker 1: Have you been to the Azores?
35
00:07:04,910 --> 00:07:05,930
Speaker 2: I've been four times.
36
00:07:07,070 --> 00:07:09,290
Speaker 1: And what was that experience like for you?
37
00:07:10,080 --> 00:08:00,090
Speaker 2: My first experience was shocking. I was so shocked to see how
small everything was. It was like being in a time capsule in a miniature,
like one of those little miniature houses where
everything is real tiny. And their field. I mean a whole when I looked at
my grandparents, my grandfather's land, it'd be like, one whole parcel
was like the size of my living room. And there was only
10 of those parcels. And then I really understood why they couldn't stay
there and because it was so small. And then I grew up in California where
everything is so big, and like, you know, you go and
farm 360 acres or you go on farm a section is like you know, it, it just
goes on and on forever.
38
00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:00,630
Speaker 1: Yeah.
39
00:08:00,660 --> 00:08:03,540
Speaker 2: So it was really shocking to see how small everything was.
40
00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,400
Speaker 1: Very pretty though very?
41
00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:45,470
Speaker 2: So gorgeous, everything right on the ocean was the air was so
clean is so beautiful, so calm and peaceful. And so the temperature was,
I love that kind of temperature, moderate all year.
And I remember going to the cemetery to look for my relatives. And then I
learned that each family only gets one cemetery plot. And every seven
years they have to dig up the bones of the person that
died before and then they put them in a separate vault so they can bury
somebody new. And I was like, it just is a real eye opener how small that
island.
42
00:08:45,470 --> 00:08:46,490
Speaker 1: That's wild.
43
00:08:46,490 --> 00:08:53,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's everything there is so sustainable and just really.
44
00:08:53,270 --> 00:08:53,780
Speaker 1: Yeah.
45
00:08:54,290 --> 00:08:56,810
Speaker 2: Unbelievably, just
46
00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:04,100
Speaker 1: Because I mean, even though you're putting them in a bowl, I
would find that almost like disrespectful, dig them up and just move
them.
47
00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,110
Speaker 2: It's the only they have no other space.
48
00:09:06,110 --> 00:09:06,530
Speaker 1: Yeah.
49
00:09:06,770 --> 00:09:07,790
Speaker 2: It's the only way.
50
00:09:08,170 --> 00:09:19,930
Speaker 1: Wow, didn't know that. Um What are some of your experiences
growing up in the Portuguese American community in the valley throughout
your life?
51
00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:44,830
Speaker 2: I mostly remember the Festas and the Queens because my cousins
that live in Livingston, the corrals, they were always Queen of some
Festa. And then my sister, she was my mom forced her to
be one of the side queens when she was little, and she cried and
screamed. So she only made it I think one of one festa.
52
00:09:44,890 --> 00:09:45,550
Speaker 1: Oh
53
00:09:45,610 --> 00:09:52,720
Speaker 2: that I really remember is when we were little we always always
went to the Chowchilla festa.
54
00:09:55,870 --> 00:10:03,040
Speaker 1: Of all you have accomplished what are you most proud of what
proud most do you remember when the Portuguese American community?
55
00:10:09,390 --> 00:10:47,790
Speaker 2: I think the most proud moment, I think was when I um, they
started putting up the pictures of the UPC presidents or the presidents
of the Portuguese Hall in Chowchilla. And my grandparents
supposedly were the first president my grandfather. And then when I put
the picture up, I come to find out that there was actually one person
before him. So but still, they were some of the founding
members of that hall, and then after it burned down, to rebuild it. So
56
00:10:51,020 --> 00:10:58,070
Speaker 1: To what extent do you believe being Portuguese American has
shaped the way you have moved through life both professionally and
personally?
57
00:10:59,050 --> 00:11:49,570
Speaker 2: I think being Portuguese American really instilled in me a lot
of integrity, and a lot of values for family and faith. And I think just
a consistency to never give up. And I see that in my
family, all of my relatives that you know, no matter what the hardship,
no matter what the struggle, mean week, we would be out in the field, and
then start to rain on the raisins. And I mean, all of
the cousins, all of the neighbors, everybody would come around and just
start throwing those bundles of raisins into the hopper. So the way to
get it into the barn, and it was like, you know, it's
always like everybody helps each other in, you know, trauma where tiles
and but you never give up.
58
00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:52,870
Speaker 1: very strong.
59
00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:57,730
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're very strong, very strong ideals for our country.
60
00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,230
Speaker 1: What does being Portuguese American mean to you?
61
00:12:03,580 --> 00:12:10,990
Speaker 2: Well, it means that I, my blood is Portuguese DNA. And I live
in the country of America.
62
00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,580
Speaker 1: How do you see the Portuguese American community today?
63
00:12:24,390 --> 00:13:11,100
Speaker 2: I think some of the ideals are weaker now. I think there's not
quite the same family stability. As when I grew up. And the family
cohesiveness when I grew up. I mean, you never, my
grandmother was like the matriarch of our family. We, we would, every
time we were in her presence, we'd save this of all we kiss ring finger.
So there was a lot of respect for your elders. I don't
see that too much anymore in generations now. I don't see that same
respect for their elders.
64
00:13:14,700 --> 00:13:18,360
Speaker 1: Oh, is there anything we didn't cover that you would like to
share?
65
00:13:20,430 --> 00:14:03,480
Speaker 2: Well, I think that there's hopefully a resurgence in young
people, young Portuguese people that are trying to continue the culture
and the traditions of the Festas and support for people
and my cousins are now a part of that presidents of the UPC organization.
So they're very young, he's only he's less than 30. So it's, I'm hoping
you know that there's a new younger people that are
going to revive those cultures and traditions.
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Speaker 1: That looks like that's it, so thank you.
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00:14:09,690 --> 00:14:10,590
Speaker 2: You're very welcome.
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Speaker 1: Alright, I don't think there's anything else for you to fill
out. need to ask him about this because it asks the interviewee can you?