Maria Simoes Interview
Item
Title
Maria Simoes Interview
Description
Maria Fernanda Simões was born on the island of Pico, Azores. She emigrated to the US in her twenties and has been very involved in the local community in Kings County and throughout the state. She was supreme president of the fraternal organization SPRSI and had a Portuguese language radio program for many decades. She is an artist with exhibits featured throughout California and the Azores and is a published author.
Creator
Simoes, Maria
McCoy, Kelley
Relation
Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute
Identifier
SCUAD_pbbi_00004
Date
01-06-2020
extracted text
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Maria Simoes: My full birth name is Maria
Fernanda Melo Soares Simoes.
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Kelley McCoy: Were you named after anyone?
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Maria Simoes: Yes. My first name is after
my mom. My second name, Fernanda, is after
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my father who was Fernando. And then my mom's
middle name, and then my father picked my
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name -- I don't have my father's last name
because my father wanted me to have his mom's
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name. He was a little boy when his mom passed
away. So he wanted me, since I was his first
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daughter, to have his mom's name. So my name
is Soare, which is supposed to be Souza. And
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the Simoes, that's my husband's last name.
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Kelley McCoy: When and where were you born?
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Kelley McCoy: When and where were you born?
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Unknown Speaker: No. Kelley -12
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Kelley McCoy: No?
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Unknown Speaker: Stop.
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Kelley McCoy: I thought you said keep it rolling.
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Unknown Speaker: No. We need to keep rolling,
but not you. Because I got to fix this.
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Maria Simoes: What happened?
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Kelley McCoy: I don't know. How was that so
far?
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Unknown Speaker: Great.
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Kelley McCoy: Do we have to do that over?
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Unknown Speaker: No, I just don't like the
lighting.
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Kelley McCoy: OK. All right.
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Maria Simoes: OK.
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Unknown Speaker: I'm trying to get this shadow
-- look at Kelley, please.
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Maria Simoes: OK.
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Kelley McCoy: Yeah, that's a fascinating -- I
love that story. It's so sweet of your father
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to do that. To want to honor his mother that
way.
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Maria Simoes: Yeah. So my last name is my
grandmother's-28
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Kelley McCoy: Oh, yes.
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[ Inaudible speakers ]
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Maria Simoes: Well, yeah. Especially my sister.
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Kelley McCoy: Yeah. Oh, I can see how that
might -32
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Maria Simoes: Because she didn't have my -33
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Kelley McCoy: The same name?
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Maria Simoes: The same last name.
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Unknown Speaker: OK, we're ready.
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Kelley McCoy: OK.
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Unknown Speaker: We're back.
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Kelley McCoy: So when and where were you born?
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Maria Simoes: I was born on June 18, 1942.
In Pico Island in the little place they call
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Terra, which means land. So, that's what I
-- was my little village.
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Kelley McCoy: So -42
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Maria Simoes: Azores, of course. Azores islands.
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Kelley McCoy: Please tell me a little bit
about your childhood and your teen years.
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How many were there in your family?
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Maria Simoes: Just my sister and I. My parents
just had two kids. And I was the oldest one.
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That's why -- it's interesting, because my
mom when she got pregnant, they didn't know
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if it was a boy or girl. Of course, those
days, no -- and so they decided to have the
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name if it was a boy be Immanuel Fernando.
If it was a girl, Maria Fernanda. I am. And
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so -- but I was the only child for a long
time. Eight years. And I was always sad because
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I didn't have a sister. In those days, a sister
or brother, because in those days, couples
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they used to have a lot of kids. One after
the other. Most two years apart. So I was
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sad because I didn't have a kids. And my father
was the youngest one in the family. Because
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my father had an interesting story, too. It's
-- when my grandmother had my father, she
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was 45 years old, and my grandfather was 60.
They were 15 years apart. So my cousins, they
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are all so old. Some of my cousins are older
than my father. My grandparents already had
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grandkids when they had that boy. So I was
kind of living -- my life was just among old
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people. Practically, I lived with my father's
oldest sister. I was sleeping with her. She
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was 25 years older than my dad. And so I was,
like, probably spoiled because [of the older,
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But I had a good life. A good life. Always
want to go to college. I always want to go
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to college, but my father never went. Because
my father wanted me to marry and to bring
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home a man to help him in his agriculture.
Because my father always was an agriculture
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man. He had land, always working in fields.
He had his own land from my grandfather.
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Kelley McCoy: So what was it about college
that called to you? Why did you want to go
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to college?
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Maria Simoes: I always want to go to school
and go to college. Always since I was a kid,
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I wanted to be a teacher. Since I remember.
I even used to play with my books -- put the
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books in front of me and pretend I was teaching
with those books. Always want to, but my father
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never want. Never. Until I was 16 years old,
I want to go to college. That's when I went
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to college but, the problem was, we had to
go to college to another island which was
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Faial Island. And I went there, and that's
when I was 18 years old when I graduated to
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be teacher.
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Kelley McCoy: So when you went to college,
you left your sister at home?
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Maria Simoes: My sister -- yes. I went to
college. My sister was -- when I started -- I
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was 16. My sister was seven or eight years
old. Yes. We were eight years apart.
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Kelley McCoy: So did your father change his
mind once he saw you going to college?
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Maria Simoes: He never changed. He never.
But because I insist -- my mom was on my side,
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and my mom -- you know. Even my aunt didn't
want me to go to college because she told
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me that they -- when I graduate and I came
back from the other island with my degree,
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and she said you have that but until I'm alive
you won't go anywhere. Because -- and it's
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true. I never went. But I thought two years
in my village when she was still alive.
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Kelley McCoy: What did she mean by that, when
she said that you would not go anywhere? She
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would not go anywhere? What did she mean?
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Maria Simoes: See, the story was, when I was
six years old, she did -- how I'm going to
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say? -- No, I cannot do it. She did her will
for me when I was six years old.
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Kelley McCoy: Her will?
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Maria Simoes: Her will--which was her house,
her land, everything--was mine. So her dream
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was I live and I don't need -- she never worked.
And it was just like, hey, you can live like
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I live. But life is not like that. And she
had the same dream that my dad did. To get
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married and take care of her and my father
was the same way. I was the dream girl according
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the way I -91
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Kelley McCoy: So there was a lot resting on
you to get married and have children?
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Maria Simoes: Yes. Yes.
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Kelley McCoy: So -94
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Maria Simoes: And they were picking on my
boyfriends. They didn't want -- they had to
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be a man who – until -- because, like you
asked a little while ago, how was my -- but
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I had -- when I was a teenager, I had a very
happy life. Because my parents were the type
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of man and wife. They used to go to dances,
and our folklore, the groups. They liked [ teach
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kids that dancing the square dances. My parents
used to do that. Though I was always dancing
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at celebrations and things like that. My parents
always -- every five years, they would celebrate
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the Holy Spirit’s festas. I was always very
happy in one way. But they picked not every
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boy would be qualified to marry me. Until
one day, when I went to college, and then
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I came back. They told me no. But for two
years they called me to teach in our village.
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My parents -- that's when my father was so
proud of me because I was the teacher in the
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village. And my aunt, too. But I was already
married when this happened.
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Kelley McCoy: So then, to make sure that we
understand this. So then, you got married.
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You returned to your island, and your aunt
and your father who at first were not supportive
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were now your biggest fans.
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Maria Simoes: Yes. They were. Because I married
first. I married a man. But it's interesting
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because it was so hard to get, like I told
you, boyfriends because they were very picky.
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Until one day, I was in my aunt's house because
I was sleeping with her -- staying -- we didn't-111
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when I talk, I say “sleep with her” in
the same room, not in the same bed, you know.
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Because that was for company. She never got
married. And I had a letter from a soldier
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who was asking me to be his pen pal. Like
a pen pal or, in Portuguese, they call them
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“godmother”, “war godmother”, something
like that. So my aunt, the first thing asked,
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was “Who is that letter-- who wrote to you?
Who is –.” She was always -- I said, “I
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don't know. This is a man who is inviting
me to be his pen pal.” And they kind and
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I was having doubts. But then I said, “Well,
poor guy is in Africa as a soldier. And I'm
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not going to tell him no. He's supporting
our country, defending our country, and we
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aren't going to tell him no. He's in Africa.
It doesn't hurt me at all to write letters
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to him.” And that's it. My mom agreed because
I want you to know, my father didn't know
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how to write or read. My mom did. She was
an educated lady. So, anyway, I started to
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write letters to my husband. Who was my husband
now. And we started to write letters back
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and forth for one year. He treated me like
if I was the godmother and I was reading it
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like if it was my godson. No problem. Until
one day was our celebration. That year my
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father was going to do the celebration in
the village. So I was so proud because I was
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going to be the Queen. And the celebration
was a big honor because of my father every
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five years, like I mentioned. So and I wrote
a letter to him and he said, “I wish you
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were in our island.” Because he was different
island than mine. “I wish you were in our
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island. I could invite you for our celebration.
My father this year is going to be the man
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who is going have the first, like they say.”
He said, “Yes. It's one of my dreams. As
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soon as I get out of here to meet you. Because
I love you already.” And I said, “Well,”
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I wrote back to him and I said, “I have
respect and I care about you, but love … If
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you don't see, you cannot love.” You know,
what I mean it's the whole saying you know
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in Portuguese we say that. So what happened
was, I told him, “Only thing I can do is
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wait until you come back. Then we will see.”
And that's what happened. We wrote letters
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back and forth for three years. Three years.
And we fell in love. It's true. And we are
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-- that's my husband. And we are married for
almost 56 years. I have two beautiful daughters.
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But anyway, the thing I say my father's dream
was fulfilled is because we didn't know who
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he was. I didn't know if he was a farmer.
Until later on, in the letters he mentioned
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his father was a farmer, too, like my father
was.
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Kelley McCoy: Was that important to you?
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Maria Simoes: Yes. Well, it was important
for my father and my aunt. We had that land.
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My father needed a man. That's part of -- when
my husband asked-- wrote a letter -- he asked
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-- he wrote a letter to my parents to ask
for my hand to marry me. Usually they ask
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for the hand of your daughter. And my father
said if he's a farmer and if he comes to our
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place, it's OK. If it isn't, no.
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Kelley McCoy: So what was -148
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Maria Simoes: So my husband came over to see
me. My father was so happy because he went
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to milk cows in the morning, my husband went
with him. He started to milk cows like everybody
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else. You know, like a -- so he was his dream
man for my dad.
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Kelley McCoy: So when did you get married?
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Maria Simoes: In 19-- when? In 1964.
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Kelley McCoy: And you were still there in
Portugal?
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Maria Simoes: In my -- still there. And it's
funny. Two things happened. Soon I got married,
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in September, and they asked me to teach in
[October]. That's my first time I went to
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teach. And I was pregnant with my oldest daughter.
And my husband was the first man until now,
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my aunt, as soon as we got married, he came
back. We went to the honeymoon to my husband's
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island. Which then, I didn't tell you, [diniz
borges’island, the same island of my husband.
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They were both from the same island. And we
came back from our honeymoon from that island,
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and my aunt told my husband, “You have to
take care of me here.” He said yes because
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all my land all my stuff is for Maria. So
nobody knew. Until I was 22 years old when
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I got married and my aunt did her will when
I was six. Can you imagine? That woman kept
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that secret all those years?
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Kelley McCoy: Right.
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Maria Simoes: He never -166
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Kelley McCoy: So when did you immigrate to
the United States? And what brought you here?
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Maria Simoes: OK. We never planned to come
to the United States, to tell the truth. Never
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was in our dreams. Because then after -- then
I'll get there and I'll tell you. Because
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then after teaching in my island for two years,
I had to move to another island. Teach there
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for two years but then my husband had his
family here. He had his brothers in Tulare,
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and his mom was already in here, too, because
she was weird when they came to stay with
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her kids. And they wrote a letter to us for
us to come over here. And I told him, no,
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go by yourself. See if you like it. Because
I have a good job and we can stay in here.
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He said no, we are going together. And I had
to come over. Follow him.
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Kelley McCoy: What was it like leaving your
family? And how did your aunt feel about this?
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Maria Simoes: That time my aunt already passed.
So she wasn't alive. She passed away. Oh,
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if she was alive, I can guarantee I wasn't
-- I wouldn't be an heir, you know? Come over
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here -- no.
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Kelley McCoy: So I imagine that you heard
a lot about the United States before moving
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here.
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Maria Simoes: Yeah.
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Kelley McCoy: What were your first experiences
like? And was the country what you thought
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it would be?
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Maria Simoes: Yes. I thought it was a good
country. Because both my grandparents, they
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were here. My father's father came over here
hunting whales around the world for three
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years. And the contract was he was in that
boat hunting whales for three years with a
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contract to leave him in here in the United
States, which he left him in here in Mendocino
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place. His brother was already in Mendocino.
So my grandfather stayed in here for about
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13 years, and then he went back. That's when
-- with the money he bought a lot of land.
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He was a wealthy man. He bought a lot of land
and he spoke English because all my -- both
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my grandparents spoke English. Together. I
never -- since I remember -- I was six years
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old when my grandfather passed away. They
always, my grandparents, speak English at
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home.
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Kelley McCoy: Did they tell you anything about
life in the United States? What it was like?
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Maria Simoes: My -- one of my -- my mom's
father called this country [ Terra Amada which
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means “terra that I love.” He loved this
country. But my other one, no. He always said
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it's good to work to make money, and so that's
why I came over here because I want my kids
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to have -- to go there and to work. Because
at that time, [he was older. A lot older than
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the other one. He said there was a lot of
slaves in this country. That's why. He worked
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like a slave. He wasn't a slave, but was working
in the mills where they were cutting those
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trees. He worked in the mills. You know, he
made a lot of money in those things.
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Kelley McCoy: So when you came to United States,
did you and your husband then settle -- where?
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Tulare? Hanford?
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Maria Simoes: Yeah, in Hanford. On Seventh
Avenue. So we just moved to nine
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Kelley McCoy: Why Hanford?
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Maria Simoes: Well, because when we came over,
we came to Tipton. But we stayed there just
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one week. And we were looking for jobs. And
my husband, of course, he had to look for
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a job with a dairy. Because Hanford and Tulare
there is dairies. And my husband the only
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thing he wanted to do was milk cows. He always
milk cows.
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Kelley McCoy: So I imagine it wasn't as big
of an adjustment as it would've been because
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there was already a pretty dynamic Portuguese
community here. Is that true?
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Maria Simoes: Yeah. There were. But, when
I can move here, my brothers in-laws, they
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were all milking cows. And my sister-in-laws
are always no jobs for women at that time.
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They were always in the house. And to me it
was like I got sick. I was very sick. Staying
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home, stress, a lot of -- I was feeling-I told my husband I want to go back. But I
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could not go back because I lost my job.
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Kelley McCoy: What made you want to go back?
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Maria Simoes: I want -- it was because of
my job.
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Kelley McCoy: Because of the job.
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Maria Simoes: The job. But God was with me
I always say after I went to school I told
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my husband, I have to go to school because
I want to learn English. And I went to school
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in 1973. And then, one day I was in school,
in adult school.
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Kelley McCoy: In Hanford.
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Maria Simoes: In Hanford. That old building
they tore down. So, and then I was there.
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And the teacher, Mr. Furtado, he had a lot
of kids. A lot of kids. They just started
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Portuguese classes. And he needed somebody
to help him and he knew I was coming from
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his island, and he asked me, “Do you want
to go to work with me and help me?” I said,
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“Oh, I would love to go there and to do
that.” And then he talked to the people
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in the high school -- the principal or whatever,
and he could hire -- they hired me to help
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him.
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Kelley McCoy: So that was your first experience,
then, kind of being a bilingual tutor?
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Maria Simoes: Before that helping Mr. Furtado
teaching, but it was funny because I was teaching
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not the ones -- the other kids who speak Portuguese.
And they just wanted to learn how to write
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and read. That's the ones I was teaching.
And adults, too. And Mr. Furtado was with
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the other ones, you know, but I was still
in high school to graduate. And I graduated
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from high school. But I had a hard time in
that time because I had my daughters at home.
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Not at home, they go to Carson and they were
kids and I had a life. I had to cook, and
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other Portuguese women, we have to do everything.
And then I graduated in 1977. I graduated
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from high school.
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Kelley McCoy: OK. So let me make sure I understand
this. So first you started off at adult school
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and then you went to high school to get a
high school diploma?
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Maria Simoes: I was in both. Because first
of all, I started high school to learn English.
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And then I started teaching. In the meanwhile,
Mr. Furtado knew about me and that's when
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he invited me. And then, I worked with him
for about three years probably. Helping him.
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Kelley McCoy: So how old were you then, when
you graduated high school in Hanford?
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Maria Simoes: Okay. I graduated in '77. So
I came over. I was 29 years old in '77. I
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was born in '42-- I was 30-- 30—30-something.
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Kelley McCoy: What was it like being -- taking
high school classes with kids who were teenagers?
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What was that like for you?
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Maria Simoes: It was no problem. Because with
my grammar and the education I had from Portuguese
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helped me a lot. I just bought a dictionary,
a small one, and I was with both languages
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and that's it. In two years, I had my diploma.
And that year in 1977, was it '77 or '76??
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Now I'm kind of more or less. The only thing
I know was I took my American citizen papers
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the same year because I could not work in
Lakeside School without having American citizen
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papers. That's the first thing they ask you.
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Kelley McCoy: Is if you are a citizen?
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Maria Simoes: Yes.
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Kelley McCoy: So you became a citizen.
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Maria Simoes: Yes. On February 14 I went to
take my citizen papers. And then I graduated
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on May 15 or May 17 something like that.
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Kelley McCoy: So was it like for you becoming
an American citizen?
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Maria Simoes: Oh, it was the best day of my
life. I was happy. Because I could have dual
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citizen. I was Portuguese. I never lost my
Portuguese. And I still have. And I was so
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happy to have my -- I felt so proud, so big,
and at that time I was already speaking English,
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too, because I took -- nobody -- people use
to have somebody helping them to take -- but
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I was in high school, and I-- the teachers
and school helped me fill out the papers and
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everything to be American citizen. I was so
proud of that.
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Kelley McCoy: So let me ask you a couple questions
about your experience becoming a bilingual
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tutor. And then I want to talk also about
radio. But we will talk about radio in a minute.
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How did you get into tutoring bilingual kids?
They were from the Azores, right? You were
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teaching them English.
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Maria Simoes: And some of them are from this
country.
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Kelley McCoy: Oh, OK.
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Maria Simoes: Some kids are from this country
because their parents they came over and then
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they were milking cows in the dairies, and
the kids went to school. They didn't speak
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but just Portuguese and they needed help.
And when I was helping Mr. Furtado, at that
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time they were looking for bilingual aides
and bilingual tutors. Migrant aides, things
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like that to help with different programs.
And then Lakeside School knew about me. I
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don't know if you know anyone in Hanford,
Mr. Drew who was the principal. Dale Drew?
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He's well-known. And, he -- something told
him and he called me if I want to work in
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Lakeside School. And I never applied. I said
yes, I do because it was a full-time job there
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in the Lakeside School. And the experience
I had from teaching Portuguese and being a
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teacher and working at Hanford High, Mr. Furtado
was just a couple hours a day. It wasn't that
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much. But there was full-time job and benefits
and everything. And I was going classroom
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to classroom to help where they had Portuguese
kids. They need help. Not just the ones -- they
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came from Azores, of course. When we had earthquake
in 1980 was a lot of people came over because
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of the islands were -- three islands were
kind of destroyed almost. And so, I was-288
00:28:56,799 --> 00:29:05,210
it was easy for me to help the kids. I even
had one kid -- I don't know if you know her,
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but Adelia, who has her business in here in
Hanford in Farmers Insurance? I was her teacher
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for just one year because she was 14 years
old. And I was just going there to the classroom
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to help her in fractions and things like that.
Because she knew, it was just to help her
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to adjust to the math and things like that.
That's what I -- it was easy for me to it
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adapt myself to those.
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Kelley McCoy: What was the most rewarding
aspect of being a bilingual tutor for you?
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What did you get the most joy from?
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Maria Simoes: First joy I had it was because
when I left my country and left my job behind
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me and I came over, to Seventh Avenue living
in a ranch with nothing to do. You ever heard
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that? What's going to do, Marie, and an empty
home? That's what I -- I didn't have anything.
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Just we came over with the luggage in our
hand. You know. And I had that job. I felt
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like I was in my country. I had my job back.
That's when I felt so happy. I start to love
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this country. And to me it was the most joy
I had when I started to work there. But I
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kept going to work, go to college, I didn't
stop at Hanford High. I went to COS, kept
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going. Graduated COS the same year my daughter
graduated from high school. Wasn't it? If
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I'm not mistaken, I think it was. And then,
my dream, I said now I'm going to be a teacher.
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But then I was -- started thinking, oh, I
just got five years more. I'm getting old.
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And I had a good job working full-time. Full-time
coverage, you know, having insurance and everything.
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And I kept going. So I worked there most 30
years and that's it. And then my husband retired
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when he was 65. I was 63. “Let's retire
both.” And that's it. And we have been.
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Kelley McCoy: So in addition to your experience
teaching, you also got into Portuguese language
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00:31:44,330 --> 00:31:46,230
radio for 20 years.
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Maria Simoes: Over 23 for sure, but more than
that, probably.
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Kelley McCoy: So had you had experience in
radio in Portugal?
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Maria Simoes: No.
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Kelley McCoy: Or what -- how did you get into
this?
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Maria Simoes: No. That's when I told you in
the beginning, I got sick. That's my first
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00:32:00,999 --> 00:32:11,659
job. I got sick, and the priest was the priest
in our church [immaculate of][a] mary. He
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went to visit us -- visit me and I complained
to him. I said I don't know why. I want to
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go back. And I was -- don't even want to talk
about because he said, “Maria, why don't
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you go into radio business? You speak Portuguese
so well; you could have -- go to those businesses.”
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“Oh, I don't know anything about the radio
business.” He said, “Yeah. Go to town.”
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He helped me. He said, “I will go with you
to talk to a radio station to buy one hour.”
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First of all, I bought one hour. And then
you go to town and you look for commercials
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and people who can support you and so forth.
I remember I went to town with my friend because
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I didn't know. This was just in 1973 and I
came over in 1971. So I got a friend of mine
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who knew a lot of businesses because it was
small business. Now it's a lot of big business
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they go on TV. We don't have those small businesses
anymore. And on the first day, I had seven
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houses who support me. And I said I have enough
to pay to the station because the point was
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to have the business who will support you
to pay the station and the rest is yours.
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And that's what happened.
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Kelley McCoy: What kind of content did you
have on your program?
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Maria Simoes: Okay. I signed up with a consul
of -- do you know what is the consuls? Like
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we have a consul. I know Spanish people they
have a consul -- Mexican consul in Fresno.
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The people when you meet the -334
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Kelley McCoy: Oh. Consulate? Like a consul.
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Maria Simoes: Yes.
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00:34:14,260 --> 00:34:15,260
Kelley McCoy: Yes.
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00:34:15,260 --> 00:34:21,780
Maria Simoes: We call consul. We have one
in San Francisco. I signed up. To say, you
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know, I'm going to have this communication.
It took a couple months to set up that. And
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they started to send to me information from
Portugal so I would have information. Community,
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00:34:39,050 --> 00:34:47,620
well, I had to look for interviews, talking
to friends, and like we are doing in here.
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00:34:47,620 --> 00:34:53,950
It's almost the same procedure. Talking to
friends, people's birthdays and things like
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00:34:53,950 --> 00:35:02,940
that. Playing Portuguese music, like a regular-I see Spanish people they have that. And that's
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when I started. People started to like. And
I started to talk to them about our business,
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you know, like memories, like our ancestors
will do like ladies will do this, bake bread,
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00:35:22,630 --> 00:35:32,170
talk about stories. And my daughter will start
to go with me to help. And we will dialogue
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about grandmother. I was a grandmother; she
was a granddaughter asking me questions. Like
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00:35:37,690 --> 00:35:39,530
you asking me almost the same thing.
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Kelley McCoy: Like Dear Abby.
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Maria Simoes: Yes, and we will do things.
People love it. It was just one hour and I
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had a contest. I remembered to have contests,
asking things. And people will have a little
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token to give it to them, you know.
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Kelley McCoy: So, it sounds like Portuguese
language radio really plays an important role
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00:36:03,690 --> 00:36:04,730
in terms of communicating.
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Maria Simoes: Yes. Yes, yes. So, now I feel
like I'm glad Dennis has that. And because
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we basically communicate with our people.
I started to know everybody. We knew when
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somebody passed away. We knew somebody's birthdays.
We knew when somebody, you know, go to someplace,
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00:36:29,230 --> 00:36:33,360
celebrations, Festa, weddings. I used to go
everywhere. Everywhere.
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Kelley McCoy: For the radio.
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00:36:35,150 --> 00:36:40,380
Maria Simoes: Because of the radio. I was
in -- people will invite me for weddings,
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for birthdays and for things, and then we
will say, “Hey, it’s so-and-so's birthday,
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let's congratulate all those people.” And
jobs. Mainly I found jobs for so many people.
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Because people from the dairies will call
us and say, “Hey, I need a man. I need a
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00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:07,990
worker.” And we will look for jobs. And
sometimes people will pass away and they didn't
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have money. I would ask donations. We help
in everything. Not just me, all the other
365
00:37:14,020 --> 00:37:25,080
colleagues who did that. We helped people
so much that. So I feel like our community,
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00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:33,370
it's worse now. Even though we are more educated,
everybody speaks English and so forth, but
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00:37:33,370 --> 00:37:41,390
we miss a lot, the radios. But businesses
are like this. The new income, the new stuff.
368
00:37:41,390 --> 00:37:44,440
Kelley McCoy: Miguel Canto e Castro still
has -369
00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:45,440
Maria Simoes: He still is, yes.
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Kelley McCoy: Yeah. Do you ever listen to
his programs?
371
00:37:46,700 --> 00:37:50,810
Maria Simoes: I haven't had time to listen
to him in here.
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Kelley McCoy: Because of the reception?
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00:37:51,910 --> 00:37:53,190
Maria Simoes: Yes. Yes. Yes.
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Kelley McCoy: Yeah. So, when did you give
up radio?
375
00:37:55,830 --> 00:38:04,510
Maria Simoes: Well, because this radio station
over here went to sell, and people -- the
376
00:38:04,510 --> 00:38:11,970
same way Dennis did, everybody stopped. You
know? Because no more support. Especially
377
00:38:11,970 --> 00:38:18,970
because -- we had a small business here in
town. Local. The other day I was talking to
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00:38:18,970 --> 00:38:25,870
a friend of mine, who they were thinking the
little stores we had in Hanford in downtown
379
00:38:25,870 --> 00:38:32,920
-- like in downtown Hanford it has all small
businesses. Do we have those there? No. It's
380
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big malls and so forth.
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Kelley McCoy: Right. Especially -- yeah.
382
00:38:37,050 --> 00:38:46,310
Maria Simoes: Yeah. They don't want to advertise
with you in the radio. They go in TVs and
383
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so forth.
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Kelley McCoy: So you are also a painter and
a published writer and poet.
385
00:38:52,490 --> 00:38:53,890
Maria Simoes: Yeah. Well -386
00:38:53,890 --> 00:38:54,940
Kelley McCoy: Yes?
387
00:38:54,940 --> 00:39:02,070
Maria Simoes: Yes. I -- but start this way
-- when I finish the radio, I had so many
388
00:39:02,070 --> 00:39:08,890
articles I used to write and things. And I
said, what am I going to do with these? Because
389
00:39:08,890 --> 00:39:17,200
I'm not going to throw these away. I had a
hard time to write these. It's part of us
390
00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:25,290
history. And I decided to write a book over
that. Which I called the name of [ Memories][b]
391
00:39:25,290 --> 00:39:35,060
of our roots. That's the name I -- it's in
Portuguese, but -- so and I was so happy with
392
00:39:35,060 --> 00:39:40,930
the success because I don't have more of those
books. I still have those, but the guy made
393
00:39:40,930 --> 00:39:48,230
a mistake and they put my name right. So,
I have given them away. Anyway. And then I
394
00:39:48,230 --> 00:39:54,830
said no, I'm going to write about how the
women used to wash clothes and so forth. And
395
00:39:54,830 --> 00:40:02,320
I did. It was a good one. I went to Portugal
and I did that there. And there they loved
396
00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:03,320
the book.
397
00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:07,540
Kelley McCoy: So you wrote about how women
in Portugal washed clothes?
398
00:40:07,540 --> 00:40:08,800
Maria Simoes: Yes. And they're great!
399
00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:10,270
Kelley McCoy: And you went to Portugal?
400
00:40:10,270 --> 00:40:16,510
Maria Simoes: Yes. Well, how I did. How I
used to wash our clothes in the creeks. Like,
401
00:40:16,510 --> 00:40:23,150
you know, creeks were running or in the ponds
and we had -- on those islands, that's the
402
00:40:23,150 --> 00:40:24,150
way it was.
403
00:40:24,150 --> 00:40:27,430
Kelley McCoy: And your poetry, as well? Did
your poetry focus on -404
00:40:27,430 --> 00:40:32,300
Maria Simoes: Yeah. It's about focus on the
same things, but I love poetry. And that's
405
00:40:32,300 --> 00:40:35,580
why-- I'm always writing poetry. I love that.
406
00:40:35,580 --> 00:40:38,790
Kelley McCoy: So where you get your inspiration
from?
407
00:40:38,790 --> 00:40:52,480
Maria Simoes: Well, when -- because in Azores,
men are always and woman, we are always singing.
408
00:40:52,480 --> 00:41:00,520
Singing, you know. The folklore and those
things. And they do those rhymes people are
409
00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:06,970
rhyming, and I always love that. Talking to
people and writing in words. Yeah.
410
00:41:06,970 --> 00:41:10,630
Kelley McCoy: Where you get your inspiration
for your paintings?
411
00:41:10,630 --> 00:41:17,890
Maria Simoes: That's another thing and interesting
in this country. When I was sick, a lot of
412
00:41:17,890 --> 00:41:31,110
things happened. I was very sick. And my husband's
boss -- I don't know if you know her, but
413
00:41:31,110 --> 00:41:41,020
she's from Brazil. They live on Seventh Avenue.
And Virginia was painting. Across the street
414
00:41:41,020 --> 00:41:49,790
from us on Seventh Avenue, was a girl there,
Linda Freitas. The Freitas girls. And she
415
00:41:49,790 --> 00:41:59,780
was a painter. She majored in art. And she
was kind of a teacher. She doesn't live in
416
00:41:59,780 --> 00:42:06,970
Hanford anymore. She moved to San Diego, and
she teaches there. And she was painting. And
417
00:42:06,970 --> 00:42:15,640
Virginia was painting with her. And she said,
“Oh, Maria --.” I remember. Her mother-in-law
418
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:21,190
was the one who spoke Portuguese and was speaking
Portuguese with me, and she said, “Oh, my
419
00:42:21,190 --> 00:42:25,291
sister -- my daughter-in-law told me maybe
you want to go and paint. You know it will
420
00:42:25,291 --> 00:42:31,490
be good for you and so forth.” I said, “I'd
love to do that. I want to do something.”
421
00:42:31,490 --> 00:42:40,320
And then she said she can help you. And they
talked to the girl. And she went to Visalia
422
00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:46,580
because there wasn't a place in Hanford we
could buy the paintings and the canvas and
423
00:42:46,580 --> 00:42:53,010
everything. And she took me to Visalia. She
didn't speak Portuguese. I didn't speak any
424
00:42:53,010 --> 00:43:00,810
English. And when I got there, she told me
by signs and one word here and another one
425
00:43:00,810 --> 00:43:06,260
there, we bought the painting. We bought the
canvas and I started to paint. And that's
426
00:43:06,260 --> 00:43:10,900
my first painting. The one over there on that
wall. So -427
00:43:10,900 --> 00:43:12,900
Kelley McCoy: Did you love it right away?
428
00:43:12,900 --> 00:43:18,820
Maria Simoes: Yes. And the girl I remember
-- I started to paint and the girl said, “Oh,
429
00:43:18,820 --> 00:43:25,290
Maria, you painted before.” I said I've
never touched a brush or anything. But I started
430
00:43:25,290 --> 00:43:35,050
to paint. And as soon as I finished, I came
home and I showed my husband. And I was crying.
431
00:43:35,050 --> 00:43:39,300
My husband said, “You went to paint. You
were supposed to feel better. You're still
432
00:43:39,300 --> 00:43:48,070
crying.” And I started to cry and some of
the paintings I paint I cry because I cried
433
00:43:48,070 --> 00:43:54,660
because of the memories. And I could see my
island coming alive to me in the canvas. Canvas
434
00:43:54,660 --> 00:44:01,500
is white, you know? And then painting and
I saw my island and the lagoons and the things
435
00:44:01,500 --> 00:44:10,460
and I started to cry tears. But it was good
for me because it took from inside of me what
436
00:44:10,460 --> 00:44:20,170
I have. What I have. Painting was -- painting
and radio. Those two things are the major
437
00:44:20,170 --> 00:44:27,320
things for me to start to feel better in this
country. Give me life. And then in the meanwhile,
438
00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:34,680
too, ladies knew how -- they -- I don't know
how, but they started to know about me or
439
00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:40,530
something. And they invited me to be a member
at the lodge. That's another thing. And then
440
00:44:40,530 --> 00:44:48,180
in 1994 I was supreme president of the lodge
to this country. Can you imagine? I never
441
00:44:48,180 --> 00:44:51,940
went to this country-- California, I'm talking
about California.
442
00:44:51,940 --> 00:44:53,480
Kelley McCoy: Was it a Portuguese Lodge?
443
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:54,480
Maria Simoes: Yes.
444
00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:55,480
Kelley McCoy: Yeah.
445
00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:56,480
Maria Simoes: Yeah.
446
00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:58,260
Kelley McCoy: So do you paint for yourself?
Do you sell your paintings?
447
00:44:58,260 --> 00:45:04,060
Maria Simoes: No. Well, I gave -- first one
-- I saved the ones that mean the most to
448
00:45:04,060 --> 00:45:05,060
me. I kept them.
449
00:45:05,060 --> 00:45:06,060
Kelley McCoy: Yeah.
450
00:45:06,060 --> 00:45:10,830
Maria Simoes: And the other ones I gave away.
Some they are -- I gave them to museums, my
451
00:45:10,830 --> 00:45:15,760
friends, family, and I enjoy painting my grandkids
and so forth.
452
00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:23,760
Kelley McCoy: So you mentioned grandkids.
You have two daughters. How important was
453
00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:31,080
it to you and your husband to raise your daughters
with a strong sense of being Portuguese?
454
00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:38,550
Maria Simoes: You have to explain that me
again.
455
00:45:38,550 --> 00:45:39,980
Kelley McCoy: You have two daughters.
456
00:45:39,980 --> 00:45:40,980
Maria Simoes: Yes.
457
00:45:40,980 --> 00:45:42,480
Kelley McCoy: And they both speak Portuguese.
458
00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:43,810
Maria Simoes: Yes, they do.
459
00:45:43,810 --> 00:45:49,030
Kelley McCoy: Why was it so important to you
and your husband that they retain the language
460
00:45:49,030 --> 00:45:50,030
-461
00:45:50,030 --> 00:45:51,030
Maria Simoes: Oh, OK.
462
00:45:51,030 --> 00:45:52,030
Kelley McCoy: -- and a sense of being Portuguese?
463
00:45:52,030 --> 00:45:58,010
Maria Simoes: Number one, I'm going to tell
what my husband says. My husband always milked
464
00:45:58,010 --> 00:46:05,850
cows. He never learned. He understands I'm
not saying -- but he understands what's going
465
00:46:05,850 --> 00:46:13,881
on, but he cannot communicate making a conversation.
So he said the cows they teach them. They
466
00:46:13,881 --> 00:46:21,060
speak the same language as the cows in Azores.
All the cows say moo. And so my daughters
467
00:46:21,060 --> 00:46:25,850
-- and we came over -- because when I came
over my youngest daughter was four years old.
468
00:46:25,850 --> 00:46:34,500
The other one was six. There was no way to
lose the primary language. It was no way.
469
00:46:34,500 --> 00:46:40,840
So we kept the language because-- in the house
we always spoke Portuguese. My husband didn't
470
00:46:40,840 --> 00:46:47,860
speak any other language. We had to speak
Portuguese. So my parents came over from Azores
471
00:46:47,860 --> 00:46:53,720
over here to live with me here and then afterwards
they didn't speak English either. My daughters
472
00:46:53,720 --> 00:47:00,300
-- we kept. And it's a habit. My daughters
and I, we never -- even though I speak English
473
00:47:00,300 --> 00:47:07,450
now -- my daughters never speak English with
us. Never. It's a habit.
474
00:47:07,450 --> 00:47:13,570
Kelley McCoy: So in addition to the language,
Maria, what other Portuguese traditions was
475
00:47:13,570 --> 00:47:16,810
it important to you to raise your daughters
with?
476
00:47:16,810 --> 00:47:24,490
Maria Simoes: It's everything. I like my daughters
to be -- I don't know why-- I guess it's in
477
00:47:24,490 --> 00:47:31,320
the blood. I don't know. My daughters -- they
will not just speaking, but they cook, they
478
00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:38,390
bake bread, and even if they want to do something
Portuguese and they don't remember they call
479
00:47:38,390 --> 00:47:46,200
me. Even there the one who lives in Monterey,
and we talked-- she never will do Portuguese
480
00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:52,380
stuff because she was more Americanized. But
she doesn't. She calls me. “Mom, I'm this.
481
00:47:52,380 --> 00:47:57,920
How do you do --? How do you put--?” They
always call me and it's in their blood. I
482
00:47:57,920 --> 00:48:01,100
don't know. It's our culture. It's our life.
I don't know.
483
00:48:01,100 --> 00:48:04,310
Kelley McCoy: Is it important to you that
they maintain that?
484
00:48:04,310 --> 00:48:05,980
Maria Simoes: It is very important.
485
00:48:05,980 --> 00:48:06,980
Kelley McCoy: Why?
486
00:48:06,980 --> 00:48:11,140
Maria Simoes: I don't know. Even though I
love this country, sometimes when I worked
487
00:48:11,140 --> 00:48:18,350
in the school I was tried to be Americanized.
You ever heard that if you go to Rome you
488
00:48:18,350 --> 00:48:23,320
do with the Roman people do? When I'm outside
of my house I do what my -- like, I'm American,
489
00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:33,010
but then in my house it's a habit. I don't
think I know how to live different way.
490
00:48:33,010 --> 00:48:35,510
Kelley McCoy: So I only have a couple more
questions
491
00:48:35,510 --> 00:48:36,510
Maria Simoes: OK.
492
00:48:36,510 --> 00:48:37,630
Kelley McCoy: And it does focus on being Portuguese-American.
493
00:48:37,630 --> 00:48:39,000
Maria Simoes: OK.
494
00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:41,420
Kelley McCoy: So you have dual citizenship?
495
00:48:41,420 --> 00:48:42,730
Maria Simoes: Yes.
496
00:48:42,730 --> 00:48:49,090
Kelley McCoy: So to what extent do you think
being Portuguese-American has made you the
497
00:48:49,090 --> 00:48:50,760
woman that you are?
498
00:48:50,760 --> 00:49:01,360
Maria Simoes: Well, number one, I'm very proud
to be Portuguese. No doubt. But I'm very proud
499
00:49:01,360 --> 00:49:09,410
to be American, too. I love this country.
And it's funny because if I go to Portugal
500
00:49:09,410 --> 00:49:16,950
almost every year. And if I heard of people
there talking about bad about my country or
501
00:49:16,950 --> 00:49:25,470
about our you know anything. I defend my country,
you know. Hey, you don't talk about my country
502
00:49:25,470 --> 00:49:33,880
like that. Even though I have -- and Portuguese.
It's you, know, I live in this country for
503
00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:38,990
48 years. I consider myself an American woman,
too.
504
00:49:38,990 --> 00:49:45,070
Kelley McCoy: So what does being Portuguese-American
mean to you? Is a family? Is it tradition?
505
00:49:45,070 --> 00:49:46,070
What is it?
506
00:49:46,070 --> 00:49:55,350
Maria Simoes: Family, too, is very important.
Because this is a beautiful country to live.
507
00:49:55,350 --> 00:50:05,700
They don't realize that. First of all, I wasn't
too happy you know, to come over. But afterwards
508
00:50:05,700 --> 00:50:13,630
to know how this country is -- This is the
best country in the world to live.
509
00:50:13,630 --> 00:50:18,270
Kelley McCoy: What makes it the best country
in the world to live, in your mind?
510
00:50:18,270 --> 00:50:28,320
Maria Simoes: Oh, this is the country of opportunities.
This is the country of opportunities.
511
00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:33,390
Kelley McCoy: So the last question that I
have to ask you has to do with the Azores.
512
00:50:33,390 --> 00:50:36,420
How often do you go back? It sounds like you
still have close ties?
513
00:50:36,420 --> 00:50:47,440
Maria Simoes: I go there almost every year.
I still have my house there. My land. I'm
514
00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:53,320
happy when I go there. After staying there
for a little while, I want to come back.
515
00:50:53,320 --> 00:50:56,210
Kelley McCoy: What is it about there that
makes you so happy?
516
00:50:56,210 --> 00:51:04,190
Maria Simoes: Because -- I don't know. It's
just like I'm home when I go back. But then
517
00:51:04,190 --> 00:51:15,220
I start to realize you know what I tell -- you
know, I told the people when I'm there? And
518
00:51:15,220 --> 00:51:23,220
that's the way I feel. Sometimes it kind of
hurts me, is when I'm going there, I don't
519
00:51:23,220 --> 00:51:30,040
consider or people don't consider me as a
Portuguese woman. They think, oh, she's from
520
00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:37,082
America. She's an American woman. When I'm
in here, oh, that's Portuguese. That's a Portuguese
521
00:51:37,082 --> 00:51:46,230
community. And I feel like I don't have place.
I'm on air. Because when I'm there I'm not
522
00:51:46,230 --> 00:51:53,190
Portuguese anymore. People think we are American.
And here we are Portuguese. And what I am?
523
00:51:53,190 --> 00:52:03,070
I'm here. That's it. I'm here. I don't know
if I answered you some of the -524
00:52:03,070 --> 00:52:04,070
Kelley McCoy: Yes.
525
00:52:04,070 --> 00:52:05,401
Maria Simoes: -- questions, but that's the
way I -526
00:52:05,401 --> 00:52:06,401
Kelley McCoy: You did a-527
00:52:06,401 --> 00:52:10,430
Maria Simoes: -- feel like. You know? But
it's true. This is true. That's why it bothers
528
00:52:10,430 --> 00:52:15,620
me when I go there and they don't treat me
like I'm a Portuguese woman.
529
00:52:15,620 --> 00:52:18,130
Kelley McCoy: They treat you like an American
woman.
530
00:52:18,130 --> 00:52:19,130
Maria Simoes: Yes.
531
00:52:19,130 --> 00:52:21,570
Kelley McCoy: How are American women treated?
Out of curiosity.
532
00:52:21,570 --> 00:52:30,450
Maria Simoes: I don't know. That's what they
think. Number one, they say, we smell different.
533
00:52:30,450 --> 00:52:38,780
It's true. Our clothes are stuff smells different.
Second, we speak Portuguese with an accent.
534
00:52:38,780 --> 00:52:44,490
We lost part of our accent. Even though and
here we have Portuguese accent but when we
535
00:52:44,490 --> 00:52:50,260
go there, we have American accents. And it's
just like I told you I feel like I'm on air.
536
00:52:50,260 --> 00:52:54,800
Kelley McCoy: So when they say that you smell
probably like laundry detergent -537
00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:55,870
Maria Simoes: Yeah. That's right.
538
00:52:55,870 --> 00:52:59,430
Kelley McCoy: Yeah. Or when you speak with
an accent, do they say it in a way that's
539
00:52:59,430 --> 00:53:00,840
critical or are they teasing?
540
00:53:00,840 --> 00:53:07,310
Maria Simoes: And we don't speak as good as
we used to. To tell the truth, we don't. Because
541
00:53:07,310 --> 00:53:14,750
when you get there, everybody is educated.
They speak Portuguese and we lose a lot of
542
00:53:14,750 --> 00:53:16,941
our Portuguese words. You know, because we
are not used to, you know -543
00:53:16,941 --> 00:53:22,420
Kelley McCoy: But you still go back every
year.
544
00:53:22,420 --> 00:53:29,960
Maria Simoes: Well, I do. But believe me,
I try to speak, you know, properly with them
545
00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:35,830
because they say, “Oh, Maria, you don't
speak Portuguese like, you know.” And I
546
00:53:35,830 --> 00:53:41,620
tell it because everybody is educated. They
-- when I was there, not too many people went
547
00:53:41,620 --> 00:53:47,630
to college and so forth. Now everybody is
educated. Computers, they have the same thing
548
00:53:47,630 --> 00:53:54,120
we have. It's not that I don't go there and
see all. In America we have this. We live
549
00:53:54,120 --> 00:53:57,830
comfortable in here. But there is different,
too.
550
00:53:57,830 --> 00:54:02,250
Kelley McCoy: So do your-- have your daughters
gone to the Azores, as well?
551
00:54:02,250 --> 00:54:03,250
Maria Simoes: Yeah.
552
00:54:03,250 --> 00:54:04,250
Kelley McCoy: And your grandchildren?
553
00:54:04,250 --> 00:54:10,680
Maria Simoes: Yes. Yes, my grandchildren go.
They go with me every time I go. They all
554
00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:11,680
-- we are going.
555
00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:13,290
Kelley McCoy: What has that experience been
like for them?
556
00:54:13,290 --> 00:54:19,860
Maria Simoes: The first time it was a good
experience. They were looking -- it was so
557
00:54:19,860 --> 00:54:25,920
amazing. And they asked me several times,
“Grandmother, why are you going to America?
558
00:54:25,920 --> 00:54:34,070
This is so beautiful. Nature, the sea is right
there.” The island of course, you know,
559
00:54:34,070 --> 00:54:40,910
the sea is -- you know. When I'm in bed -- sitting
in bed or at my window, I can see the sea
560
00:54:40,910 --> 00:54:47,140
right there. That's something my grandkids
love it. And my other daughter goes there
561
00:54:47,140 --> 00:54:52,720
even. She went there last year two times.
I didn't go with her husband. This one the
562
00:54:52,720 --> 00:54:57,220
oldest one went there one time. She was 12.
Yeah. But -563
00:54:57,220 --> 00:55:02,900
Kelley McCoy: How wonderful, then, that even
your grandchildren now are getting that sense
564
00:55:02,900 --> 00:55:03,900
of their history.
565
00:55:03,900 --> 00:55:13,400
Maria Simoes: Oh, they love to go there. And
my grandson -- my daughter's, my oldest daughter's
566
00:55:13,400 --> 00:55:19,990
son, told me, “Grandmother, move over here.
I will be with you.” I said, “No.” I
567
00:55:19,990 --> 00:55:26,290
mean you have more opportunities over here.
Which is true. Because in a small place it's
568
00:55:26,290 --> 00:55:32,550
just like you go around, around, around and
you don't go anywhere. And in this country,
569
00:55:32,550 --> 00:55:37,890
it's the country of opportunities.
00:00:06,659 --> 00:00:13,134
Maria Simoes: My full birth name is Maria
Fernanda Melo Soares Simoes.
2
00:00:13,263 --> 00:00:15,280
Kelley McCoy: Were you named after anyone?
3
00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:22,680
Maria Simoes: Yes. My first name is after
my mom. My second name, Fernanda, is after
4
00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:30,820
my father who was Fernando. And then my mom's
middle name, and then my father picked my
5
00:00:30,820 --> 00:00:37,800
name -- I don't have my father's last name
because my father wanted me to have his mom's
6
00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:45,519
name. He was a little boy when his mom passed
away. So he wanted me, since I was his first
7
00:00:45,519 --> 00:00:52,409
daughter, to have his mom's name. So my name
is Soare, which is supposed to be Souza. And
8
00:00:52,409 --> 00:00:55,030
the Simoes, that's my husband's last name.
9
00:00:55,030 --> 00:00:58,039
Kelley McCoy: When and where were you born?
10
00:00:58,039 --> 00:01:01,030
Kelley McCoy: When and where were you born?
11
00:01:01,030 --> 00:01:02,030
Unknown Speaker: No. Kelley -12
00:01:02,030 --> 00:01:03,030
Kelley McCoy: No?
13
00:01:03,030 --> 00:01:04,030
Unknown Speaker: Stop.
14
00:01:04,030 --> 00:01:05,030
Kelley McCoy: I thought you said keep it rolling.
15
00:01:05,030 --> 00:01:07,330
Unknown Speaker: No. We need to keep rolling,
but not you. Because I got to fix this.
16
00:01:07,330 --> 00:01:09,990
Maria Simoes: What happened?
17
00:01:09,990 --> 00:01:12,939
Kelley McCoy: I don't know. How was that so
far?
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Unknown Speaker: Great.
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Kelley McCoy: Do we have to do that over?
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Unknown Speaker: No, I just don't like the
lighting.
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Kelley McCoy: OK. All right.
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Maria Simoes: OK.
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Unknown Speaker: I'm trying to get this shadow
-- look at Kelley, please.
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Maria Simoes: OK.
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Kelley McCoy: Yeah, that's a fascinating -- I
love that story. It's so sweet of your father
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to do that. To want to honor his mother that
way.
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Maria Simoes: Yeah. So my last name is my
grandmother's-28
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Kelley McCoy: Oh, yes.
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[ Inaudible speakers ]
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Maria Simoes: Well, yeah. Especially my sister.
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Kelley McCoy: Yeah. Oh, I can see how that
might -32
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Maria Simoes: Because she didn't have my -33
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Kelley McCoy: The same name?
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Maria Simoes: The same last name.
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Unknown Speaker: OK, we're ready.
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Kelley McCoy: OK.
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Unknown Speaker: We're back.
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Kelley McCoy: So when and where were you born?
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Maria Simoes: I was born on June 18, 1942.
In Pico Island in the little place they call
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Terra, which means land. So, that's what I
-- was my little village.
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Kelley McCoy: So -42
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Maria Simoes: Azores, of course. Azores islands.
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Kelley McCoy: Please tell me a little bit
about your childhood and your teen years.
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How many were there in your family?
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Maria Simoes: Just my sister and I. My parents
just had two kids. And I was the oldest one.
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That's why -- it's interesting, because my
mom when she got pregnant, they didn't know
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if it was a boy or girl. Of course, those
days, no -- and so they decided to have the
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name if it was a boy be Immanuel Fernando.
If it was a girl, Maria Fernanda. I am. And
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so -- but I was the only child for a long
time. Eight years. And I was always sad because
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I didn't have a sister. In those days, a sister
or brother, because in those days, couples
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they used to have a lot of kids. One after
the other. Most two years apart. So I was
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sad because I didn't have a kids. And my father
was the youngest one in the family. Because
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my father had an interesting story, too. It's
-- when my grandmother had my father, she
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was 45 years old, and my grandfather was 60.
They were 15 years apart. So my cousins, they
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are all so old. Some of my cousins are older
than my father. My grandparents already had
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grandkids when they had that boy. So I was
kind of living -- my life was just among old
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people. Practically, I lived with my father's
oldest sister. I was sleeping with her. She
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was 25 years older than my dad. And so I was,
like, probably spoiled because [of the older,
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But I had a good life. A good life. Always
want to go to college. I always want to go
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to college, but my father never went. Because
my father wanted me to marry and to bring
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home a man to help him in his agriculture.
Because my father always was an agriculture
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man. He had land, always working in fields.
He had his own land from my grandfather.
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Kelley McCoy: So what was it about college
that called to you? Why did you want to go
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to college?
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Maria Simoes: I always want to go to school
and go to college. Always since I was a kid,
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I wanted to be a teacher. Since I remember.
I even used to play with my books -- put the
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books in front of me and pretend I was teaching
with those books. Always want to, but my father
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never want. Never. Until I was 16 years old,
I want to go to college. That's when I went
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to college but, the problem was, we had to
go to college to another island which was
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Faial Island. And I went there, and that's
when I was 18 years old when I graduated to
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be teacher.
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Kelley McCoy: So when you went to college,
you left your sister at home?
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Maria Simoes: My sister -- yes. I went to
college. My sister was -- when I started -- I
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was 16. My sister was seven or eight years
old. Yes. We were eight years apart.
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Kelley McCoy: So did your father change his
mind once he saw you going to college?
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Maria Simoes: He never changed. He never.
But because I insist -- my mom was on my side,
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and my mom -- you know. Even my aunt didn't
want me to go to college because she told
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me that they -- when I graduate and I came
back from the other island with my degree,
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and she said you have that but until I'm alive
you won't go anywhere. Because -- and it's
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true. I never went. But I thought two years
in my village when she was still alive.
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Kelley McCoy: What did she mean by that, when
she said that you would not go anywhere? She
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would not go anywhere? What did she mean?
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Maria Simoes: See, the story was, when I was
six years old, she did -- how I'm going to
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say? -- No, I cannot do it. She did her will
for me when I was six years old.
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Kelley McCoy: Her will?
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Maria Simoes: Her will--which was her house,
her land, everything--was mine. So her dream
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was I live and I don't need -- she never worked.
And it was just like, hey, you can live like
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I live. But life is not like that. And she
had the same dream that my dad did. To get
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married and take care of her and my father
was the same way. I was the dream girl according
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the way I -91
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Kelley McCoy: So there was a lot resting on
you to get married and have children?
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Maria Simoes: Yes. Yes.
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Kelley McCoy: So -94
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Maria Simoes: And they were picking on my
boyfriends. They didn't want -- they had to
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be a man who – until -- because, like you
asked a little while ago, how was my -- but
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I had -- when I was a teenager, I had a very
happy life. Because my parents were the type
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of man and wife. They used to go to dances,
and our folklore, the groups. They liked [ teach
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kids that dancing the square dances. My parents
used to do that. Though I was always dancing
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at celebrations and things like that. My parents
always -- every five years, they would celebrate
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the Holy Spirit’s festas. I was always very
happy in one way. But they picked not every
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boy would be qualified to marry me. Until
one day, when I went to college, and then
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I came back. They told me no. But for two
years they called me to teach in our village.
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My parents -- that's when my father was so
proud of me because I was the teacher in the
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village. And my aunt, too. But I was already
married when this happened.
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Kelley McCoy: So then, to make sure that we
understand this. So then, you got married.
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You returned to your island, and your aunt
and your father who at first were not supportive
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were now your biggest fans.
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Maria Simoes: Yes. They were. Because I married
first. I married a man. But it's interesting
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because it was so hard to get, like I told
you, boyfriends because they were very picky.
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Until one day, I was in my aunt's house because
I was sleeping with her -- staying -- we didn't-111
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when I talk, I say “sleep with her” in
the same room, not in the same bed, you know.
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Because that was for company. She never got
married. And I had a letter from a soldier
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who was asking me to be his pen pal. Like
a pen pal or, in Portuguese, they call them
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“godmother”, “war godmother”, something
like that. So my aunt, the first thing asked,
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was “Who is that letter-- who wrote to you?
Who is –.” She was always -- I said, “I
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don't know. This is a man who is inviting
me to be his pen pal.” And they kind and
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I was having doubts. But then I said, “Well,
poor guy is in Africa as a soldier. And I'm
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not going to tell him no. He's supporting
our country, defending our country, and we
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aren't going to tell him no. He's in Africa.
It doesn't hurt me at all to write letters
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to him.” And that's it. My mom agreed because
I want you to know, my father didn't know
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how to write or read. My mom did. She was
an educated lady. So, anyway, I started to
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write letters to my husband. Who was my husband
now. And we started to write letters back
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and forth for one year. He treated me like
if I was the godmother and I was reading it
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like if it was my godson. No problem. Until
one day was our celebration. That year my
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father was going to do the celebration in
the village. So I was so proud because I was
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going to be the Queen. And the celebration
was a big honor because of my father every
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five years, like I mentioned. So and I wrote
a letter to him and he said, “I wish you
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were in our island.” Because he was different
island than mine. “I wish you were in our
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island. I could invite you for our celebration.
My father this year is going to be the man
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who is going have the first, like they say.”
He said, “Yes. It's one of my dreams. As
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soon as I get out of here to meet you. Because
I love you already.” And I said, “Well,”
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I wrote back to him and I said, “I have
respect and I care about you, but love … If
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you don't see, you cannot love.” You know,
what I mean it's the whole saying you know
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in Portuguese we say that. So what happened
was, I told him, “Only thing I can do is
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wait until you come back. Then we will see.”
And that's what happened. We wrote letters
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back and forth for three years. Three years.
And we fell in love. It's true. And we are
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-- that's my husband. And we are married for
almost 56 years. I have two beautiful daughters.
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But anyway, the thing I say my father's dream
was fulfilled is because we didn't know who
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he was. I didn't know if he was a farmer.
Until later on, in the letters he mentioned
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his father was a farmer, too, like my father
was.
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Kelley McCoy: Was that important to you?
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Maria Simoes: Yes. Well, it was important
for my father and my aunt. We had that land.
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My father needed a man. That's part of -- when
my husband asked-- wrote a letter -- he asked
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-- he wrote a letter to my parents to ask
for my hand to marry me. Usually they ask
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for the hand of your daughter. And my father
said if he's a farmer and if he comes to our
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place, it's OK. If it isn't, no.
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Kelley McCoy: So what was -148
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Maria Simoes: So my husband came over to see
me. My father was so happy because he went
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to milk cows in the morning, my husband went
with him. He started to milk cows like everybody
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else. You know, like a -- so he was his dream
man for my dad.
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Kelley McCoy: So when did you get married?
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Maria Simoes: In 19-- when? In 1964.
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Kelley McCoy: And you were still there in
Portugal?
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Maria Simoes: In my -- still there. And it's
funny. Two things happened. Soon I got married,
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in September, and they asked me to teach in
[October]. That's my first time I went to
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teach. And I was pregnant with my oldest daughter.
And my husband was the first man until now,
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my aunt, as soon as we got married, he came
back. We went to the honeymoon to my husband's
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island. Which then, I didn't tell you, [diniz
borges’island, the same island of my husband.
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They were both from the same island. And we
came back from our honeymoon from that island,
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and my aunt told my husband, “You have to
take care of me here.” He said yes because
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all my land all my stuff is for Maria. So
nobody knew. Until I was 22 years old when
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I got married and my aunt did her will when
I was six. Can you imagine? That woman kept
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that secret all those years?
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Kelley McCoy: Right.
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Maria Simoes: He never -166
00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:22,290
Kelley McCoy: So when did you immigrate to
the United States? And what brought you here?
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Maria Simoes: OK. We never planned to come
to the United States, to tell the truth. Never
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was in our dreams. Because then after -- then
I'll get there and I'll tell you. Because
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then after teaching in my island for two years,
I had to move to another island. Teach there
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for two years but then my husband had his
family here. He had his brothers in Tulare,
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and his mom was already in here, too, because
she was weird when they came to stay with
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her kids. And they wrote a letter to us for
us to come over here. And I told him, no,
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go by yourself. See if you like it. Because
I have a good job and we can stay in here.
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He said no, we are going together. And I had
to come over. Follow him.
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Kelley McCoy: What was it like leaving your
family? And how did your aunt feel about this?
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Maria Simoes: That time my aunt already passed.
So she wasn't alive. She passed away. Oh,
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if she was alive, I can guarantee I wasn't
-- I wouldn't be an heir, you know? Come over
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here -- no.
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Kelley McCoy: So I imagine that you heard
a lot about the United States before moving
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here.
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Maria Simoes: Yeah.
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Kelley McCoy: What were your first experiences
like? And was the country what you thought
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it would be?
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Maria Simoes: Yes. I thought it was a good
country. Because both my grandparents, they
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were here. My father's father came over here
hunting whales around the world for three
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years. And the contract was he was in that
boat hunting whales for three years with a
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contract to leave him in here in the United
States, which he left him in here in Mendocino
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place. His brother was already in Mendocino.
So my grandfather stayed in here for about
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13 years, and then he went back. That's when
-- with the money he bought a lot of land.
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He was a wealthy man. He bought a lot of land
and he spoke English because all my -- both
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my grandparents spoke English. Together. I
never -- since I remember -- I was six years
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old when my grandfather passed away. They
always, my grandparents, speak English at
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home.
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Kelley McCoy: Did they tell you anything about
life in the United States? What it was like?
195
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Maria Simoes: My -- one of my -- my mom's
father called this country [ Terra Amada which
196
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means “terra that I love.” He loved this
country. But my other one, no. He always said
197
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it's good to work to make money, and so that's
why I came over here because I want my kids
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to have -- to go there and to work. Because
at that time, [he was older. A lot older than
199
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the other one. He said there was a lot of
slaves in this country. That's why. He worked
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like a slave. He wasn't a slave, but was working
in the mills where they were cutting those
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trees. He worked in the mills. You know, he
made a lot of money in those things.
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Kelley McCoy: So when you came to United States,
did you and your husband then settle -- where?
203
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Tulare? Hanford?
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Maria Simoes: Yeah, in Hanford. On Seventh
Avenue. So we just moved to nine
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Kelley McCoy: Why Hanford?
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Maria Simoes: Well, because when we came over,
we came to Tipton. But we stayed there just
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one week. And we were looking for jobs. And
my husband, of course, he had to look for
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a job with a dairy. Because Hanford and Tulare
there is dairies. And my husband the only
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thing he wanted to do was milk cows. He always
milk cows.
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Kelley McCoy: So I imagine it wasn't as big
of an adjustment as it would've been because
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there was already a pretty dynamic Portuguese
community here. Is that true?
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Maria Simoes: Yeah. There were. But, when
I can move here, my brothers in-laws, they
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were all milking cows. And my sister-in-laws
are always no jobs for women at that time.
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They were always in the house. And to me it
was like I got sick. I was very sick. Staying
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home, stress, a lot of -- I was feeling-I told my husband I want to go back. But I
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could not go back because I lost my job.
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Kelley McCoy: What made you want to go back?
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Maria Simoes: I want -- it was because of
my job.
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Kelley McCoy: Because of the job.
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Maria Simoes: The job. But God was with me
I always say after I went to school I told
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my husband, I have to go to school because
I want to learn English. And I went to school
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in 1973. And then, one day I was in school,
in adult school.
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Kelley McCoy: In Hanford.
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Maria Simoes: In Hanford. That old building
they tore down. So, and then I was there.
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And the teacher, Mr. Furtado, he had a lot
of kids. A lot of kids. They just started
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Portuguese classes. And he needed somebody
to help him and he knew I was coming from
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his island, and he asked me, “Do you want
to go to work with me and help me?” I said,
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“Oh, I would love to go there and to do
that.” And then he talked to the people
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in the high school -- the principal or whatever,
and he could hire -- they hired me to help
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him.
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Kelley McCoy: So that was your first experience,
then, kind of being a bilingual tutor?
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Maria Simoes: Before that helping Mr. Furtado
teaching, but it was funny because I was teaching
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not the ones -- the other kids who speak Portuguese.
And they just wanted to learn how to write
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and read. That's the ones I was teaching.
And adults, too. And Mr. Furtado was with
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the other ones, you know, but I was still
in high school to graduate. And I graduated
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from high school. But I had a hard time in
that time because I had my daughters at home.
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Not at home, they go to Carson and they were
kids and I had a life. I had to cook, and
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other Portuguese women, we have to do everything.
And then I graduated in 1977. I graduated
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from high school.
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Kelley McCoy: OK. So let me make sure I understand
this. So first you started off at adult school
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and then you went to high school to get a
high school diploma?
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Maria Simoes: I was in both. Because first
of all, I started high school to learn English.
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And then I started teaching. In the meanwhile,
Mr. Furtado knew about me and that's when
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he invited me. And then, I worked with him
for about three years probably. Helping him.
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Kelley McCoy: So how old were you then, when
you graduated high school in Hanford?
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Maria Simoes: Okay. I graduated in '77. So
I came over. I was 29 years old in '77. I
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was born in '42-- I was 30-- 30—30-something.
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Kelley McCoy: What was it like being -- taking
high school classes with kids who were teenagers?
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What was that like for you?
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Maria Simoes: It was no problem. Because with
my grammar and the education I had from Portuguese
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helped me a lot. I just bought a dictionary,
a small one, and I was with both languages
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and that's it. In two years, I had my diploma.
And that year in 1977, was it '77 or '76??
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Now I'm kind of more or less. The only thing
I know was I took my American citizen papers
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the same year because I could not work in
Lakeside School without having American citizen
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papers. That's the first thing they ask you.
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Kelley McCoy: Is if you are a citizen?
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Maria Simoes: Yes.
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Kelley McCoy: So you became a citizen.
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Maria Simoes: Yes. On February 14 I went to
take my citizen papers. And then I graduated
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on May 15 or May 17 something like that.
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Kelley McCoy: So was it like for you becoming
an American citizen?
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Maria Simoes: Oh, it was the best day of my
life. I was happy. Because I could have dual
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citizen. I was Portuguese. I never lost my
Portuguese. And I still have. And I was so
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happy to have my -- I felt so proud, so big,
and at that time I was already speaking English,
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too, because I took -- nobody -- people use
to have somebody helping them to take -- but
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I was in high school, and I-- the teachers
and school helped me fill out the papers and
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everything to be American citizen. I was so
proud of that.
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Kelley McCoy: So let me ask you a couple questions
about your experience becoming a bilingual
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tutor. And then I want to talk also about
radio. But we will talk about radio in a minute.
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How did you get into tutoring bilingual kids?
They were from the Azores, right? You were
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teaching them English.
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Maria Simoes: And some of them are from this
country.
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Kelley McCoy: Oh, OK.
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Maria Simoes: Some kids are from this country
because their parents they came over and then
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they were milking cows in the dairies, and
the kids went to school. They didn't speak
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but just Portuguese and they needed help.
And when I was helping Mr. Furtado, at that
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time they were looking for bilingual aides
and bilingual tutors. Migrant aides, things
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like that to help with different programs.
And then Lakeside School knew about me. I
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don't know if you know anyone in Hanford,
Mr. Drew who was the principal. Dale Drew?
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He's well-known. And, he -- something told
him and he called me if I want to work in
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Lakeside School. And I never applied. I said
yes, I do because it was a full-time job there
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in the Lakeside School. And the experience
I had from teaching Portuguese and being a
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00:28:17,090 --> 00:28:24,040
teacher and working at Hanford High, Mr. Furtado
was just a couple hours a day. It wasn't that
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much. But there was full-time job and benefits
and everything. And I was going classroom
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to classroom to help where they had Portuguese
kids. They need help. Not just the ones -- they
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00:28:40,490 --> 00:28:49,009
came from Azores, of course. When we had earthquake
in 1980 was a lot of people came over because
287
00:28:49,009 --> 00:28:56,799
of the islands were -- three islands were
kind of destroyed almost. And so, I was-288
00:28:56,799 --> 00:29:05,210
it was easy for me to help the kids. I even
had one kid -- I don't know if you know her,
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00:29:05,210 --> 00:29:13,379
but Adelia, who has her business in here in
Hanford in Farmers Insurance? I was her teacher
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00:29:13,379 --> 00:29:20,529
for just one year because she was 14 years
old. And I was just going there to the classroom
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to help her in fractions and things like that.
Because she knew, it was just to help her
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00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:36,409
to adjust to the math and things like that.
That's what I -- it was easy for me to it
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adapt myself to those.
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Kelley McCoy: What was the most rewarding
aspect of being a bilingual tutor for you?
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What did you get the most joy from?
296
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Maria Simoes: First joy I had it was because
when I left my country and left my job behind
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00:29:56,429 --> 00:30:04,659
me and I came over, to Seventh Avenue living
in a ranch with nothing to do. You ever heard
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00:30:04,659 --> 00:30:11,020
that? What's going to do, Marie, and an empty
home? That's what I -- I didn't have anything.
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Just we came over with the luggage in our
hand. You know. And I had that job. I felt
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like I was in my country. I had my job back.
That's when I felt so happy. I start to love
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this country. And to me it was the most joy
I had when I started to work there. But I
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kept going to work, go to college, I didn't
stop at Hanford High. I went to COS, kept
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00:30:47,049 --> 00:30:55,321
going. Graduated COS the same year my daughter
graduated from high school. Wasn't it? If
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I'm not mistaken, I think it was. And then,
my dream, I said now I'm going to be a teacher.
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00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:16,840
But then I was -- started thinking, oh, I
just got five years more. I'm getting old.
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And I had a good job working full-time. Full-time
coverage, you know, having insurance and everything.
307
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And I kept going. So I worked there most 30
years and that's it. And then my husband retired
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00:31:31,389 --> 00:31:37,499
when he was 65. I was 63. “Let's retire
both.” And that's it. And we have been.
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00:31:37,499 --> 00:31:44,330
Kelley McCoy: So in addition to your experience
teaching, you also got into Portuguese language
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00:31:44,330 --> 00:31:46,230
radio for 20 years.
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00:31:46,230 --> 00:31:51,350
Maria Simoes: Over 23 for sure, but more than
that, probably.
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Kelley McCoy: So had you had experience in
radio in Portugal?
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Maria Simoes: No.
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Kelley McCoy: Or what -- how did you get into
this?
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00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:00,999
Maria Simoes: No. That's when I told you in
the beginning, I got sick. That's my first
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00:32:00,999 --> 00:32:11,659
job. I got sick, and the priest was the priest
in our church [immaculate of][a] mary. He
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went to visit us -- visit me and I complained
to him. I said I don't know why. I want to
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go back. And I was -- don't even want to talk
about because he said, “Maria, why don't
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00:32:26,299 --> 00:32:35,200
you go into radio business? You speak Portuguese
so well; you could have -- go to those businesses.”
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“Oh, I don't know anything about the radio
business.” He said, “Yeah. Go to town.”
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He helped me. He said, “I will go with you
to talk to a radio station to buy one hour.”
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First of all, I bought one hour. And then
you go to town and you look for commercials
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00:32:55,679 --> 00:33:01,559
and people who can support you and so forth.
I remember I went to town with my friend because
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I didn't know. This was just in 1973 and I
came over in 1971. So I got a friend of mine
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who knew a lot of businesses because it was
small business. Now it's a lot of big business
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00:33:21,990 --> 00:33:30,429
they go on TV. We don't have those small businesses
anymore. And on the first day, I had seven
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00:33:30,429 --> 00:33:38,759
houses who support me. And I said I have enough
to pay to the station because the point was
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00:33:38,759 --> 00:33:45,070
to have the business who will support you
to pay the station and the rest is yours.
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00:33:45,070 --> 00:33:46,070
And that's what happened.
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Kelley McCoy: What kind of content did you
have on your program?
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00:33:50,190 --> 00:34:00,289
Maria Simoes: Okay. I signed up with a consul
of -- do you know what is the consuls? Like
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00:34:00,289 --> 00:34:09,550
we have a consul. I know Spanish people they
have a consul -- Mexican consul in Fresno.
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The people when you meet the -334
00:34:11,230 --> 00:34:13,260
Kelley McCoy: Oh. Consulate? Like a consul.
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00:34:13,260 --> 00:34:14,260
Maria Simoes: Yes.
336
00:34:14,260 --> 00:34:15,260
Kelley McCoy: Yes.
337
00:34:15,260 --> 00:34:21,780
Maria Simoes: We call consul. We have one
in San Francisco. I signed up. To say, you
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00:34:21,780 --> 00:34:29,520
know, I'm going to have this communication.
It took a couple months to set up that. And
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00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:39,050
they started to send to me information from
Portugal so I would have information. Community,
340
00:34:39,050 --> 00:34:47,620
well, I had to look for interviews, talking
to friends, and like we are doing in here.
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00:34:47,620 --> 00:34:53,950
It's almost the same procedure. Talking to
friends, people's birthdays and things like
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00:34:53,950 --> 00:35:02,940
that. Playing Portuguese music, like a regular-I see Spanish people they have that. And that's
343
00:35:02,940 --> 00:35:12,810
when I started. People started to like. And
I started to talk to them about our business,
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00:35:12,810 --> 00:35:22,630
you know, like memories, like our ancestors
will do like ladies will do this, bake bread,
345
00:35:22,630 --> 00:35:32,170
talk about stories. And my daughter will start
to go with me to help. And we will dialogue
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00:35:32,170 --> 00:35:37,690
about grandmother. I was a grandmother; she
was a granddaughter asking me questions. Like
347
00:35:37,690 --> 00:35:39,530
you asking me almost the same thing.
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Kelley McCoy: Like Dear Abby.
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00:35:40,750 --> 00:35:48,760
Maria Simoes: Yes, and we will do things.
People love it. It was just one hour and I
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had a contest. I remembered to have contests,
asking things. And people will have a little
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00:35:55,570 --> 00:35:58,130
token to give it to them, you know.
352
00:35:58,130 --> 00:36:03,690
Kelley McCoy: So, it sounds like Portuguese
language radio really plays an important role
353
00:36:03,690 --> 00:36:04,730
in terms of communicating.
354
00:36:04,730 --> 00:36:12,650
Maria Simoes: Yes. Yes, yes. So, now I feel
like I'm glad Dennis has that. And because
355
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we basically communicate with our people.
I started to know everybody. We knew when
356
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somebody passed away. We knew somebody's birthdays.
We knew when somebody, you know, go to someplace,
357
00:36:29,230 --> 00:36:33,360
celebrations, Festa, weddings. I used to go
everywhere. Everywhere.
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Kelley McCoy: For the radio.
359
00:36:35,150 --> 00:36:40,380
Maria Simoes: Because of the radio. I was
in -- people will invite me for weddings,
360
00:36:40,380 --> 00:36:46,080
for birthdays and for things, and then we
will say, “Hey, it’s so-and-so's birthday,
361
00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:55,690
let's congratulate all those people.” And
jobs. Mainly I found jobs for so many people.
362
00:36:55,690 --> 00:37:00,480
Because people from the dairies will call
us and say, “Hey, I need a man. I need a
363
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:07,990
worker.” And we will look for jobs. And
sometimes people will pass away and they didn't
364
00:37:07,990 --> 00:37:14,020
have money. I would ask donations. We help
in everything. Not just me, all the other
365
00:37:14,020 --> 00:37:25,080
colleagues who did that. We helped people
so much that. So I feel like our community,
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00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:33,370
it's worse now. Even though we are more educated,
everybody speaks English and so forth, but
367
00:37:33,370 --> 00:37:41,390
we miss a lot, the radios. But businesses
are like this. The new income, the new stuff.
368
00:37:41,390 --> 00:37:44,440
Kelley McCoy: Miguel Canto e Castro still
has -369
00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:45,440
Maria Simoes: He still is, yes.
370
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Kelley McCoy: Yeah. Do you ever listen to
his programs?
371
00:37:46,700 --> 00:37:50,810
Maria Simoes: I haven't had time to listen
to him in here.
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Kelley McCoy: Because of the reception?
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00:37:51,910 --> 00:37:53,190
Maria Simoes: Yes. Yes. Yes.
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00:37:53,190 --> 00:37:55,830
Kelley McCoy: Yeah. So, when did you give
up radio?
375
00:37:55,830 --> 00:38:04,510
Maria Simoes: Well, because this radio station
over here went to sell, and people -- the
376
00:38:04,510 --> 00:38:11,970
same way Dennis did, everybody stopped. You
know? Because no more support. Especially
377
00:38:11,970 --> 00:38:18,970
because -- we had a small business here in
town. Local. The other day I was talking to
378
00:38:18,970 --> 00:38:25,870
a friend of mine, who they were thinking the
little stores we had in Hanford in downtown
379
00:38:25,870 --> 00:38:32,920
-- like in downtown Hanford it has all small
businesses. Do we have those there? No. It's
380
00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:35,580
big malls and so forth.
381
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Kelley McCoy: Right. Especially -- yeah.
382
00:38:37,050 --> 00:38:46,310
Maria Simoes: Yeah. They don't want to advertise
with you in the radio. They go in TVs and
383
00:38:46,310 --> 00:38:47,310
so forth.
384
00:38:47,310 --> 00:38:52,490
Kelley McCoy: So you are also a painter and
a published writer and poet.
385
00:38:52,490 --> 00:38:53,890
Maria Simoes: Yeah. Well -386
00:38:53,890 --> 00:38:54,940
Kelley McCoy: Yes?
387
00:38:54,940 --> 00:39:02,070
Maria Simoes: Yes. I -- but start this way
-- when I finish the radio, I had so many
388
00:39:02,070 --> 00:39:08,890
articles I used to write and things. And I
said, what am I going to do with these? Because
389
00:39:08,890 --> 00:39:17,200
I'm not going to throw these away. I had a
hard time to write these. It's part of us
390
00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:25,290
history. And I decided to write a book over
that. Which I called the name of [ Memories][b]
391
00:39:25,290 --> 00:39:35,060
of our roots. That's the name I -- it's in
Portuguese, but -- so and I was so happy with
392
00:39:35,060 --> 00:39:40,930
the success because I don't have more of those
books. I still have those, but the guy made
393
00:39:40,930 --> 00:39:48,230
a mistake and they put my name right. So,
I have given them away. Anyway. And then I
394
00:39:48,230 --> 00:39:54,830
said no, I'm going to write about how the
women used to wash clothes and so forth. And
395
00:39:54,830 --> 00:40:02,320
I did. It was a good one. I went to Portugal
and I did that there. And there they loved
396
00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:03,320
the book.
397
00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:07,540
Kelley McCoy: So you wrote about how women
in Portugal washed clothes?
398
00:40:07,540 --> 00:40:08,800
Maria Simoes: Yes. And they're great!
399
00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:10,270
Kelley McCoy: And you went to Portugal?
400
00:40:10,270 --> 00:40:16,510
Maria Simoes: Yes. Well, how I did. How I
used to wash our clothes in the creeks. Like,
401
00:40:16,510 --> 00:40:23,150
you know, creeks were running or in the ponds
and we had -- on those islands, that's the
402
00:40:23,150 --> 00:40:24,150
way it was.
403
00:40:24,150 --> 00:40:27,430
Kelley McCoy: And your poetry, as well? Did
your poetry focus on -404
00:40:27,430 --> 00:40:32,300
Maria Simoes: Yeah. It's about focus on the
same things, but I love poetry. And that's
405
00:40:32,300 --> 00:40:35,580
why-- I'm always writing poetry. I love that.
406
00:40:35,580 --> 00:40:38,790
Kelley McCoy: So where you get your inspiration
from?
407
00:40:38,790 --> 00:40:52,480
Maria Simoes: Well, when -- because in Azores,
men are always and woman, we are always singing.
408
00:40:52,480 --> 00:41:00,520
Singing, you know. The folklore and those
things. And they do those rhymes people are
409
00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:06,970
rhyming, and I always love that. Talking to
people and writing in words. Yeah.
410
00:41:06,970 --> 00:41:10,630
Kelley McCoy: Where you get your inspiration
for your paintings?
411
00:41:10,630 --> 00:41:17,890
Maria Simoes: That's another thing and interesting
in this country. When I was sick, a lot of
412
00:41:17,890 --> 00:41:31,110
things happened. I was very sick. And my husband's
boss -- I don't know if you know her, but
413
00:41:31,110 --> 00:41:41,020
she's from Brazil. They live on Seventh Avenue.
And Virginia was painting. Across the street
414
00:41:41,020 --> 00:41:49,790
from us on Seventh Avenue, was a girl there,
Linda Freitas. The Freitas girls. And she
415
00:41:49,790 --> 00:41:59,780
was a painter. She majored in art. And she
was kind of a teacher. She doesn't live in
416
00:41:59,780 --> 00:42:06,970
Hanford anymore. She moved to San Diego, and
she teaches there. And she was painting. And
417
00:42:06,970 --> 00:42:15,640
Virginia was painting with her. And she said,
“Oh, Maria --.” I remember. Her mother-in-law
418
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:21,190
was the one who spoke Portuguese and was speaking
Portuguese with me, and she said, “Oh, my
419
00:42:21,190 --> 00:42:25,291
sister -- my daughter-in-law told me maybe
you want to go and paint. You know it will
420
00:42:25,291 --> 00:42:31,490
be good for you and so forth.” I said, “I'd
love to do that. I want to do something.”
421
00:42:31,490 --> 00:42:40,320
And then she said she can help you. And they
talked to the girl. And she went to Visalia
422
00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:46,580
because there wasn't a place in Hanford we
could buy the paintings and the canvas and
423
00:42:46,580 --> 00:42:53,010
everything. And she took me to Visalia. She
didn't speak Portuguese. I didn't speak any
424
00:42:53,010 --> 00:43:00,810
English. And when I got there, she told me
by signs and one word here and another one
425
00:43:00,810 --> 00:43:06,260
there, we bought the painting. We bought the
canvas and I started to paint. And that's
426
00:43:06,260 --> 00:43:10,900
my first painting. The one over there on that
wall. So -427
00:43:10,900 --> 00:43:12,900
Kelley McCoy: Did you love it right away?
428
00:43:12,900 --> 00:43:18,820
Maria Simoes: Yes. And the girl I remember
-- I started to paint and the girl said, “Oh,
429
00:43:18,820 --> 00:43:25,290
Maria, you painted before.” I said I've
never touched a brush or anything. But I started
430
00:43:25,290 --> 00:43:35,050
to paint. And as soon as I finished, I came
home and I showed my husband. And I was crying.
431
00:43:35,050 --> 00:43:39,300
My husband said, “You went to paint. You
were supposed to feel better. You're still
432
00:43:39,300 --> 00:43:48,070
crying.” And I started to cry and some of
the paintings I paint I cry because I cried
433
00:43:48,070 --> 00:43:54,660
because of the memories. And I could see my
island coming alive to me in the canvas. Canvas
434
00:43:54,660 --> 00:44:01,500
is white, you know? And then painting and
I saw my island and the lagoons and the things
435
00:44:01,500 --> 00:44:10,460
and I started to cry tears. But it was good
for me because it took from inside of me what
436
00:44:10,460 --> 00:44:20,170
I have. What I have. Painting was -- painting
and radio. Those two things are the major
437
00:44:20,170 --> 00:44:27,320
things for me to start to feel better in this
country. Give me life. And then in the meanwhile,
438
00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:34,680
too, ladies knew how -- they -- I don't know
how, but they started to know about me or
439
00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:40,530
something. And they invited me to be a member
at the lodge. That's another thing. And then
440
00:44:40,530 --> 00:44:48,180
in 1994 I was supreme president of the lodge
to this country. Can you imagine? I never
441
00:44:48,180 --> 00:44:51,940
went to this country-- California, I'm talking
about California.
442
00:44:51,940 --> 00:44:53,480
Kelley McCoy: Was it a Portuguese Lodge?
443
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:54,480
Maria Simoes: Yes.
444
00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:55,480
Kelley McCoy: Yeah.
445
00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:56,480
Maria Simoes: Yeah.
446
00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:58,260
Kelley McCoy: So do you paint for yourself?
Do you sell your paintings?
447
00:44:58,260 --> 00:45:04,060
Maria Simoes: No. Well, I gave -- first one
-- I saved the ones that mean the most to
448
00:45:04,060 --> 00:45:05,060
me. I kept them.
449
00:45:05,060 --> 00:45:06,060
Kelley McCoy: Yeah.
450
00:45:06,060 --> 00:45:10,830
Maria Simoes: And the other ones I gave away.
Some they are -- I gave them to museums, my
451
00:45:10,830 --> 00:45:15,760
friends, family, and I enjoy painting my grandkids
and so forth.
452
00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:23,760
Kelley McCoy: So you mentioned grandkids.
You have two daughters. How important was
453
00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:31,080
it to you and your husband to raise your daughters
with a strong sense of being Portuguese?
454
00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:38,550
Maria Simoes: You have to explain that me
again.
455
00:45:38,550 --> 00:45:39,980
Kelley McCoy: You have two daughters.
456
00:45:39,980 --> 00:45:40,980
Maria Simoes: Yes.
457
00:45:40,980 --> 00:45:42,480
Kelley McCoy: And they both speak Portuguese.
458
00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:43,810
Maria Simoes: Yes, they do.
459
00:45:43,810 --> 00:45:49,030
Kelley McCoy: Why was it so important to you
and your husband that they retain the language
460
00:45:49,030 --> 00:45:50,030
-461
00:45:50,030 --> 00:45:51,030
Maria Simoes: Oh, OK.
462
00:45:51,030 --> 00:45:52,030
Kelley McCoy: -- and a sense of being Portuguese?
463
00:45:52,030 --> 00:45:58,010
Maria Simoes: Number one, I'm going to tell
what my husband says. My husband always milked
464
00:45:58,010 --> 00:46:05,850
cows. He never learned. He understands I'm
not saying -- but he understands what's going
465
00:46:05,850 --> 00:46:13,881
on, but he cannot communicate making a conversation.
So he said the cows they teach them. They
466
00:46:13,881 --> 00:46:21,060
speak the same language as the cows in Azores.
All the cows say moo. And so my daughters
467
00:46:21,060 --> 00:46:25,850
-- and we came over -- because when I came
over my youngest daughter was four years old.
468
00:46:25,850 --> 00:46:34,500
The other one was six. There was no way to
lose the primary language. It was no way.
469
00:46:34,500 --> 00:46:40,840
So we kept the language because-- in the house
we always spoke Portuguese. My husband didn't
470
00:46:40,840 --> 00:46:47,860
speak any other language. We had to speak
Portuguese. So my parents came over from Azores
471
00:46:47,860 --> 00:46:53,720
over here to live with me here and then afterwards
they didn't speak English either. My daughters
472
00:46:53,720 --> 00:47:00,300
-- we kept. And it's a habit. My daughters
and I, we never -- even though I speak English
473
00:47:00,300 --> 00:47:07,450
now -- my daughters never speak English with
us. Never. It's a habit.
474
00:47:07,450 --> 00:47:13,570
Kelley McCoy: So in addition to the language,
Maria, what other Portuguese traditions was
475
00:47:13,570 --> 00:47:16,810
it important to you to raise your daughters
with?
476
00:47:16,810 --> 00:47:24,490
Maria Simoes: It's everything. I like my daughters
to be -- I don't know why-- I guess it's in
477
00:47:24,490 --> 00:47:31,320
the blood. I don't know. My daughters -- they
will not just speaking, but they cook, they
478
00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:38,390
bake bread, and even if they want to do something
Portuguese and they don't remember they call
479
00:47:38,390 --> 00:47:46,200
me. Even there the one who lives in Monterey,
and we talked-- she never will do Portuguese
480
00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:52,380
stuff because she was more Americanized. But
she doesn't. She calls me. “Mom, I'm this.
481
00:47:52,380 --> 00:47:57,920
How do you do --? How do you put--?” They
always call me and it's in their blood. I
482
00:47:57,920 --> 00:48:01,100
don't know. It's our culture. It's our life.
I don't know.
483
00:48:01,100 --> 00:48:04,310
Kelley McCoy: Is it important to you that
they maintain that?
484
00:48:04,310 --> 00:48:05,980
Maria Simoes: It is very important.
485
00:48:05,980 --> 00:48:06,980
Kelley McCoy: Why?
486
00:48:06,980 --> 00:48:11,140
Maria Simoes: I don't know. Even though I
love this country, sometimes when I worked
487
00:48:11,140 --> 00:48:18,350
in the school I was tried to be Americanized.
You ever heard that if you go to Rome you
488
00:48:18,350 --> 00:48:23,320
do with the Roman people do? When I'm outside
of my house I do what my -- like, I'm American,
489
00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:33,010
but then in my house it's a habit. I don't
think I know how to live different way.
490
00:48:33,010 --> 00:48:35,510
Kelley McCoy: So I only have a couple more
questions
491
00:48:35,510 --> 00:48:36,510
Maria Simoes: OK.
492
00:48:36,510 --> 00:48:37,630
Kelley McCoy: And it does focus on being Portuguese-American.
493
00:48:37,630 --> 00:48:39,000
Maria Simoes: OK.
494
00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:41,420
Kelley McCoy: So you have dual citizenship?
495
00:48:41,420 --> 00:48:42,730
Maria Simoes: Yes.
496
00:48:42,730 --> 00:48:49,090
Kelley McCoy: So to what extent do you think
being Portuguese-American has made you the
497
00:48:49,090 --> 00:48:50,760
woman that you are?
498
00:48:50,760 --> 00:49:01,360
Maria Simoes: Well, number one, I'm very proud
to be Portuguese. No doubt. But I'm very proud
499
00:49:01,360 --> 00:49:09,410
to be American, too. I love this country.
And it's funny because if I go to Portugal
500
00:49:09,410 --> 00:49:16,950
almost every year. And if I heard of people
there talking about bad about my country or
501
00:49:16,950 --> 00:49:25,470
about our you know anything. I defend my country,
you know. Hey, you don't talk about my country
502
00:49:25,470 --> 00:49:33,880
like that. Even though I have -- and Portuguese.
It's you, know, I live in this country for
503
00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:38,990
48 years. I consider myself an American woman,
too.
504
00:49:38,990 --> 00:49:45,070
Kelley McCoy: So what does being Portuguese-American
mean to you? Is a family? Is it tradition?
505
00:49:45,070 --> 00:49:46,070
What is it?
506
00:49:46,070 --> 00:49:55,350
Maria Simoes: Family, too, is very important.
Because this is a beautiful country to live.
507
00:49:55,350 --> 00:50:05,700
They don't realize that. First of all, I wasn't
too happy you know, to come over. But afterwards
508
00:50:05,700 --> 00:50:13,630
to know how this country is -- This is the
best country in the world to live.
509
00:50:13,630 --> 00:50:18,270
Kelley McCoy: What makes it the best country
in the world to live, in your mind?
510
00:50:18,270 --> 00:50:28,320
Maria Simoes: Oh, this is the country of opportunities.
This is the country of opportunities.
511
00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:33,390
Kelley McCoy: So the last question that I
have to ask you has to do with the Azores.
512
00:50:33,390 --> 00:50:36,420
How often do you go back? It sounds like you
still have close ties?
513
00:50:36,420 --> 00:50:47,440
Maria Simoes: I go there almost every year.
I still have my house there. My land. I'm
514
00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:53,320
happy when I go there. After staying there
for a little while, I want to come back.
515
00:50:53,320 --> 00:50:56,210
Kelley McCoy: What is it about there that
makes you so happy?
516
00:50:56,210 --> 00:51:04,190
Maria Simoes: Because -- I don't know. It's
just like I'm home when I go back. But then
517
00:51:04,190 --> 00:51:15,220
I start to realize you know what I tell -- you
know, I told the people when I'm there? And
518
00:51:15,220 --> 00:51:23,220
that's the way I feel. Sometimes it kind of
hurts me, is when I'm going there, I don't
519
00:51:23,220 --> 00:51:30,040
consider or people don't consider me as a
Portuguese woman. They think, oh, she's from
520
00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:37,082
America. She's an American woman. When I'm
in here, oh, that's Portuguese. That's a Portuguese
521
00:51:37,082 --> 00:51:46,230
community. And I feel like I don't have place.
I'm on air. Because when I'm there I'm not
522
00:51:46,230 --> 00:51:53,190
Portuguese anymore. People think we are American.
And here we are Portuguese. And what I am?
523
00:51:53,190 --> 00:52:03,070
I'm here. That's it. I'm here. I don't know
if I answered you some of the -524
00:52:03,070 --> 00:52:04,070
Kelley McCoy: Yes.
525
00:52:04,070 --> 00:52:05,401
Maria Simoes: -- questions, but that's the
way I -526
00:52:05,401 --> 00:52:06,401
Kelley McCoy: You did a-527
00:52:06,401 --> 00:52:10,430
Maria Simoes: -- feel like. You know? But
it's true. This is true. That's why it bothers
528
00:52:10,430 --> 00:52:15,620
me when I go there and they don't treat me
like I'm a Portuguese woman.
529
00:52:15,620 --> 00:52:18,130
Kelley McCoy: They treat you like an American
woman.
530
00:52:18,130 --> 00:52:19,130
Maria Simoes: Yes.
531
00:52:19,130 --> 00:52:21,570
Kelley McCoy: How are American women treated?
Out of curiosity.
532
00:52:21,570 --> 00:52:30,450
Maria Simoes: I don't know. That's what they
think. Number one, they say, we smell different.
533
00:52:30,450 --> 00:52:38,780
It's true. Our clothes are stuff smells different.
Second, we speak Portuguese with an accent.
534
00:52:38,780 --> 00:52:44,490
We lost part of our accent. Even though and
here we have Portuguese accent but when we
535
00:52:44,490 --> 00:52:50,260
go there, we have American accents. And it's
just like I told you I feel like I'm on air.
536
00:52:50,260 --> 00:52:54,800
Kelley McCoy: So when they say that you smell
probably like laundry detergent -537
00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:55,870
Maria Simoes: Yeah. That's right.
538
00:52:55,870 --> 00:52:59,430
Kelley McCoy: Yeah. Or when you speak with
an accent, do they say it in a way that's
539
00:52:59,430 --> 00:53:00,840
critical or are they teasing?
540
00:53:00,840 --> 00:53:07,310
Maria Simoes: And we don't speak as good as
we used to. To tell the truth, we don't. Because
541
00:53:07,310 --> 00:53:14,750
when you get there, everybody is educated.
They speak Portuguese and we lose a lot of
542
00:53:14,750 --> 00:53:16,941
our Portuguese words. You know, because we
are not used to, you know -543
00:53:16,941 --> 00:53:22,420
Kelley McCoy: But you still go back every
year.
544
00:53:22,420 --> 00:53:29,960
Maria Simoes: Well, I do. But believe me,
I try to speak, you know, properly with them
545
00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:35,830
because they say, “Oh, Maria, you don't
speak Portuguese like, you know.” And I
546
00:53:35,830 --> 00:53:41,620
tell it because everybody is educated. They
-- when I was there, not too many people went
547
00:53:41,620 --> 00:53:47,630
to college and so forth. Now everybody is
educated. Computers, they have the same thing
548
00:53:47,630 --> 00:53:54,120
we have. It's not that I don't go there and
see all. In America we have this. We live
549
00:53:54,120 --> 00:53:57,830
comfortable in here. But there is different,
too.
550
00:53:57,830 --> 00:54:02,250
Kelley McCoy: So do your-- have your daughters
gone to the Azores, as well?
551
00:54:02,250 --> 00:54:03,250
Maria Simoes: Yeah.
552
00:54:03,250 --> 00:54:04,250
Kelley McCoy: And your grandchildren?
553
00:54:04,250 --> 00:54:10,680
Maria Simoes: Yes. Yes, my grandchildren go.
They go with me every time I go. They all
554
00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:11,680
-- we are going.
555
00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:13,290
Kelley McCoy: What has that experience been
like for them?
556
00:54:13,290 --> 00:54:19,860
Maria Simoes: The first time it was a good
experience. They were looking -- it was so
557
00:54:19,860 --> 00:54:25,920
amazing. And they asked me several times,
“Grandmother, why are you going to America?
558
00:54:25,920 --> 00:54:34,070
This is so beautiful. Nature, the sea is right
there.” The island of course, you know,
559
00:54:34,070 --> 00:54:40,910
the sea is -- you know. When I'm in bed -- sitting
in bed or at my window, I can see the sea
560
00:54:40,910 --> 00:54:47,140
right there. That's something my grandkids
love it. And my other daughter goes there
561
00:54:47,140 --> 00:54:52,720
even. She went there last year two times.
I didn't go with her husband. This one the
562
00:54:52,720 --> 00:54:57,220
oldest one went there one time. She was 12.
Yeah. But -563
00:54:57,220 --> 00:55:02,900
Kelley McCoy: How wonderful, then, that even
your grandchildren now are getting that sense
564
00:55:02,900 --> 00:55:03,900
of their history.
565
00:55:03,900 --> 00:55:13,400
Maria Simoes: Oh, they love to go there. And
my grandson -- my daughter's, my oldest daughter's
566
00:55:13,400 --> 00:55:19,990
son, told me, “Grandmother, move over here.
I will be with you.” I said, “No.” I
567
00:55:19,990 --> 00:55:26,290
mean you have more opportunities over here.
Which is true. Because in a small place it's
568
00:55:26,290 --> 00:55:32,550
just like you go around, around, around and
you don't go anywhere. And in this country,
569
00:55:32,550 --> 00:55:37,890
it's the country of opportunities.