Leonel Pacifico Viera Jr. Interview
Item
Title
Leonel Pacifico Viera Jr. Interview
Creator
Viera Jr., Leonel Pacifico
Contributor
Bacus, Julia Taylor
Language
ENG
Relation
Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute
Date
11/6/2021
Identifier
SCUAD_pbbi_00031
extracted text
Julia Taylor Bacus: Okay um, what is your full birth name?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: My full birth name is Leonel Pacific Vieira,
Junior. That's L E O N E L. P A C I F I C. V I E I R A. And then
Junior, J R. Actually it was Pacifico, and we've shortened it to
Pacific.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Oh. Um were you named after anyone, and is there a
story behind your name?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I was named after my father, but as far as I know,
there was no, no story behind that.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Mm. When were you born?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I was born June 24, 1947.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Okay. And where were you born?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I was born in Fresno, California.
Julia Taylor Bacus: And where were your parents born?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: My dad was born in Madeira. My grandfather and on
my mom’s side was born in the Azores.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Okay. And then what early memories do you have as
a child in the Portuguese American community?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Um uh, living on a farm. Doing uh, oh being with
family a lot. Doing a lot of family things. I I remember like on
Easter, my grandmother would uh, I think Mom would cook um sweetbread,
and we used to have sweetbread. And then sometimes they’d cook and put
an egg in it. And that, sometimes it was like, that was the prize when
you got the sweetbread with the egg in it. And uh, that's about it.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Uh, when did your family immigrate to the United
States?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: My dad came over in about 1943. And my grandfather
came over in the 1920s. That's my mom's dad.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Oh, why did your family leave the Azores?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I think they were just looking for a better life.
And uh, my uh grandfather had seven brothers I believe. And and a lot
of them were um, they were in the ministry, and they were um
missionaries. They worked, they went to the to Angola and um, to
Brazil, different parts of the world and they were they were like um,
the medical profession because they would help people that were in
need.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Mm. Where did your family settle, and why there?
What was your like, family trail?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: My family trail, okay. My grandfather again on my
mom's side, he settled in and uh Rhode Island and I'm not sure if he
knew people in Rhode Island, but anyway that there's a large
contingents of Portuguese people in Rhode Island and uh. From there he
headed west to California and settled in uh the town of Laton. And
that's where he, he worked on the dairy. He worked on a dairy with my,
where my grandmother lived and they end up marrying my grandmother and
then they had a dairy in Caruthers. And then in the late 40s I think
it was, the dairy business changed a lot, so he went into farming. My
dad, he came uh like I said from Madeira and he uh settled in Mount
Vernon, New York with an aunt and uncle. And he was there about
anywhere from 10 months to a year. Then he joined the Navy, and uh
after basic training at in Virginia, he ended up going to um, get
stationed out in California. And he was on the ship in uh, off in the
Bay Area, Treasure Island, or Port Chicago, I'm not sure which. And he
had some friends there that lived in Caruthers and they uh, he they
noticed he was lonely. So they asked him said, we know some Portuguese
people in Caruthers, how about you come in and visit and. And he did,
he came to visit in Caruthers and that was a regular stop for him
after that. He met my mom and he stayed with um another family there
during the war years. And then uh in 1946 my mom and dad got married.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um, did your parents or grandparents ever tell you
what it was like to adjust to life in a new country? And what stories
were passed down regarding their early experiences?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: You know, it didn't sound like it was hard. I know
they lived during the Depression so that was uh, that might have been,
that was probably tough on them. But uh, they were just looking for a
better life and I think um, they got it.
Julia Taylor Bacus: You are a member of the first, second, or third
generation of your family.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I'm first generation on my dad's side and second
generation on my mom's side.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Okay, and how important was it for um your parents
to, for you to be raised with a strong Portuguese identity?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I think I think it meant more to my dad because
he’d always tease me when I was younger. But my mom, she, but she
didn’t, she never said anything one way or the other about it. We
never, we weren't pushed to be a Portuguese this, fly the Portuguese
flag or do anything like that in those days.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um how was this identity expressed? The language,
food, traditions, and festivals?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Repeat that again.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Uh, how was this identity expressed through
language, foods, traditions, and festivals? I guess if
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Well we did
Julia Taylor Bacus: You had answered the first one as, they weren't
really pushed.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Right.
Julia Taylor Bacus: You weren't really pushed to express your identity
through like that. So then it probably, that's already answered, so we
could do 12.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Okay.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um so 12 is, what cultural traditions have you
maintained? And what, why has it been important for you to maintain
them?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Well it's growing up we uh we maintained the uh,
we’d go to the celebrations like I said earlier. Uh in starting in the
spring would have Portuguese celebrations in the large community would
get together in say Caruthers, Riverdale, Layton all over the place
and get together, have these celebrations. And they they went on from
from Riverdale to Hanford to the Pismo Beach.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um, have you been to the Azores? And what was the
experience like? And do you want to go and why?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I've never been to the Azores, and I probably will
never go there. I'm not, I don't I don't want to go there. But uh,
well my dad came from the Medeira Island. I would like to go there.
That's uh more or less um more like a tropical island. It's uh on the
same line as Hawaii and it's uh, it's really nice right here.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um trace if you will some of your experiences
growing up in the Portuguese American community in the Valley
throughout your life.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Well, we were, growing up around in the community
there was a lot of Portuguese families around the area we lived. We
lived on a a 60-acre farm and all around us was uh Portuguese
families. And and American families too if you want to call it that.
But uh it was it was nice. We grew we grew we grew up in a nice simple
life.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um of all you have accomplished, what are you most
proud of and what proud moments do you remember in the Portuguese
American community?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Well I'll tell you what, I’m I say I'm proud to be
an American. I've uh, raising a good family. I’ve got I got um, I had
three daughters and all good girls . They all they're all married now.
Got eight grandchildren, one great grandchild. That's what I'm proud
of. My family.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Uh, to what extent do you believe being Portuguese
American has shaped the way you moved through life, both
professionally and personally?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: For me, probably a conservative life. I was uh
raised by a, you know, conservative family and uh we, we weren't out.
We weren't, never had a lot, but we didn’t, we took care of what we
had.
Julia Taylor Bacus: What does being Portuguese American mean to you.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: As far as background goes, it’s it’s, I'm proud of
it. Like we don't go around flying the flag but uh we’ve we’re we're
proud to be uh, we were all proud to be from the Portuguese community.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um how do you see the Portuguese American
community today?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I don't think it's as close knit as it once was,
but uh it's still a it's still a good community. They still have a lot
of celebrations; the same ones they've had for the last for. Well,
I've been alive around 73 years and um they were going on before that
and they're going still going on so. It's a good community. Good
people.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um and is there anything we didn't cover that
you'd like to share?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: No, I think we've ‘bout covered it all.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Alright. Thank you.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: We might. Thank you Julia.
Julia Taylor Bacus: You're welcome.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: My full birth name is Leonel Pacific Vieira,
Junior. That's L E O N E L. P A C I F I C. V I E I R A. And then
Junior, J R. Actually it was Pacifico, and we've shortened it to
Pacific.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Oh. Um were you named after anyone, and is there a
story behind your name?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I was named after my father, but as far as I know,
there was no, no story behind that.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Mm. When were you born?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I was born June 24, 1947.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Okay. And where were you born?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I was born in Fresno, California.
Julia Taylor Bacus: And where were your parents born?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: My dad was born in Madeira. My grandfather and on
my mom’s side was born in the Azores.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Okay. And then what early memories do you have as
a child in the Portuguese American community?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Um uh, living on a farm. Doing uh, oh being with
family a lot. Doing a lot of family things. I I remember like on
Easter, my grandmother would uh, I think Mom would cook um sweetbread,
and we used to have sweetbread. And then sometimes they’d cook and put
an egg in it. And that, sometimes it was like, that was the prize when
you got the sweetbread with the egg in it. And uh, that's about it.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Uh, when did your family immigrate to the United
States?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: My dad came over in about 1943. And my grandfather
came over in the 1920s. That's my mom's dad.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Oh, why did your family leave the Azores?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I think they were just looking for a better life.
And uh, my uh grandfather had seven brothers I believe. And and a lot
of them were um, they were in the ministry, and they were um
missionaries. They worked, they went to the to Angola and um, to
Brazil, different parts of the world and they were they were like um,
the medical profession because they would help people that were in
need.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Mm. Where did your family settle, and why there?
What was your like, family trail?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: My family trail, okay. My grandfather again on my
mom's side, he settled in and uh Rhode Island and I'm not sure if he
knew people in Rhode Island, but anyway that there's a large
contingents of Portuguese people in Rhode Island and uh. From there he
headed west to California and settled in uh the town of Laton. And
that's where he, he worked on the dairy. He worked on a dairy with my,
where my grandmother lived and they end up marrying my grandmother and
then they had a dairy in Caruthers. And then in the late 40s I think
it was, the dairy business changed a lot, so he went into farming. My
dad, he came uh like I said from Madeira and he uh settled in Mount
Vernon, New York with an aunt and uncle. And he was there about
anywhere from 10 months to a year. Then he joined the Navy, and uh
after basic training at in Virginia, he ended up going to um, get
stationed out in California. And he was on the ship in uh, off in the
Bay Area, Treasure Island, or Port Chicago, I'm not sure which. And he
had some friends there that lived in Caruthers and they uh, he they
noticed he was lonely. So they asked him said, we know some Portuguese
people in Caruthers, how about you come in and visit and. And he did,
he came to visit in Caruthers and that was a regular stop for him
after that. He met my mom and he stayed with um another family there
during the war years. And then uh in 1946 my mom and dad got married.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um, did your parents or grandparents ever tell you
what it was like to adjust to life in a new country? And what stories
were passed down regarding their early experiences?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: You know, it didn't sound like it was hard. I know
they lived during the Depression so that was uh, that might have been,
that was probably tough on them. But uh, they were just looking for a
better life and I think um, they got it.
Julia Taylor Bacus: You are a member of the first, second, or third
generation of your family.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I'm first generation on my dad's side and second
generation on my mom's side.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Okay, and how important was it for um your parents
to, for you to be raised with a strong Portuguese identity?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I think I think it meant more to my dad because
he’d always tease me when I was younger. But my mom, she, but she
didn’t, she never said anything one way or the other about it. We
never, we weren't pushed to be a Portuguese this, fly the Portuguese
flag or do anything like that in those days.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um how was this identity expressed? The language,
food, traditions, and festivals?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Repeat that again.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Uh, how was this identity expressed through
language, foods, traditions, and festivals? I guess if
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Well we did
Julia Taylor Bacus: You had answered the first one as, they weren't
really pushed.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Right.
Julia Taylor Bacus: You weren't really pushed to express your identity
through like that. So then it probably, that's already answered, so we
could do 12.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Okay.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um so 12 is, what cultural traditions have you
maintained? And what, why has it been important for you to maintain
them?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Well it's growing up we uh we maintained the uh,
we’d go to the celebrations like I said earlier. Uh in starting in the
spring would have Portuguese celebrations in the large community would
get together in say Caruthers, Riverdale, Layton all over the place
and get together, have these celebrations. And they they went on from
from Riverdale to Hanford to the Pismo Beach.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um, have you been to the Azores? And what was the
experience like? And do you want to go and why?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I've never been to the Azores, and I probably will
never go there. I'm not, I don't I don't want to go there. But uh,
well my dad came from the Medeira Island. I would like to go there.
That's uh more or less um more like a tropical island. It's uh on the
same line as Hawaii and it's uh, it's really nice right here.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um trace if you will some of your experiences
growing up in the Portuguese American community in the Valley
throughout your life.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Well, we were, growing up around in the community
there was a lot of Portuguese families around the area we lived. We
lived on a a 60-acre farm and all around us was uh Portuguese
families. And and American families too if you want to call it that.
But uh it was it was nice. We grew we grew we grew up in a nice simple
life.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um of all you have accomplished, what are you most
proud of and what proud moments do you remember in the Portuguese
American community?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: Well I'll tell you what, I’m I say I'm proud to be
an American. I've uh, raising a good family. I’ve got I got um, I had
three daughters and all good girls . They all they're all married now.
Got eight grandchildren, one great grandchild. That's what I'm proud
of. My family.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Uh, to what extent do you believe being Portuguese
American has shaped the way you moved through life, both
professionally and personally?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: For me, probably a conservative life. I was uh
raised by a, you know, conservative family and uh we, we weren't out.
We weren't, never had a lot, but we didn’t, we took care of what we
had.
Julia Taylor Bacus: What does being Portuguese American mean to you.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: As far as background goes, it’s it’s, I'm proud of
it. Like we don't go around flying the flag but uh we’ve we’re we're
proud to be uh, we were all proud to be from the Portuguese community.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um how do you see the Portuguese American
community today?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: I don't think it's as close knit as it once was,
but uh it's still a it's still a good community. They still have a lot
of celebrations; the same ones they've had for the last for. Well,
I've been alive around 73 years and um they were going on before that
and they're going still going on so. It's a good community. Good
people.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Um and is there anything we didn't cover that
you'd like to share?
Leonel Vieira Jr.: No, I think we've ‘bout covered it all.
Julia Taylor Bacus: Alright. Thank you.
Leonel Vieira Jr.: We might. Thank you Julia.
Julia Taylor Bacus: You're welcome.