Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute Collection

Luis Rebelo Interview

Rebelo, Luis

Valentin, Giovanny

ENG

Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute

4/27/2023

SCUAD_pbbi_00054

Giovanny Valentin: Yeah, I think we’re good. All right so, um good
afternoon. My name is Giovanny Valentin. And uh well, the first
question here is um, what is your full birth name?
Luis Rebelo: Uh my name is Luis Gabriel Rebelo.
Giovanny Valentin: Were you named after anyone?
Luis Rebelo: Uh yeah, I was, I was named after my dad. Um it wasn't
their first choice but it's what stuck in the end.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah, that's the story behind your name or?
Luis Rebelo: Yeah, pretty much. Just named after my dad.
Giovanny Valentin: When were you born?
Luis Rebelo: 1993.
Giovanny Valentin: Where were you born as well?
Luis Rebelo: Here Visalia, Tulare area.
Giovanny Valentin: [inaudible] Right, um what early memories do you
have as a child in the Portuguese American community or of Portugal?
Luis Rebelo: I, I grew up here in the Portuguese community in Tulare,
uh my parents were heavily involved in different things, the folklore
group, uh Carnaval group, soccer group teams and such. So, I kind of
always grew up, I grew up around all of those things as a kid. Um and
that's kind of pretty much where I made most of my friends growing up
was the kids of other parents involved and so, uh I grew up around
that. So naturally I'm you know, became part of the, the folklore
group, all the other stuff and band and everything. Um, so I've, I
mean, I've spent my entire life kind of involved in these different
organizations and different groups um, and so that's been, you know,
the, the 30 years of growing up in the Portuguese community here.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah. Uh, when did your family immigrate to the
United States?
Luis Rebelo: Oh, boy, um let me try to do some math here. I think my
mom would have her and her family would have immigrated, I think uh
that would have been probably mid ‘70s. Yeah, because she came over
here as a teen and she was born in ‘63. So, let's say kind of late
‘70s. Um and then my dad didn't immigrate here till a little bit later
in the, I think ‘80s already.
Giovanny Valentin: You said you were from Visalia or Tulare?
Luis Rebelo: Yeah, I was born in Visalia hospital, but I've grown up in
Tulare.
Giovanny Valentin: Uh why did your family leave the Azores?

Luis Rebelo: Um my mom's family, uh they grew up pretty, they, they, I
mean they, they were pretty, or they were one of the poorer kind of
families around there. Um and my uh mom's uncle uh was already living
here in uh California down south and so they decided to come over
here, you know, more opportunities um and all that. Um and so they
kind of had an uh you know, with a connection here with uh my great
uncle, you know, it paved the way for that so it's more so just, you
know, find better opportunities. Uh my dad, he kind, of similar boat.
He had his brother living here or who had moved here. So, he kind of
came over here to find some work, make some money. The plan was to go
back to Portugal at some point. But uh um my mom and you know, us, me,
and my sister, you know, changed those plans. So, we ended up sticking
around here.
Giovanny Valentin: Where did your family get settled and like why
there?
Luis Rebelo: They um they kind of, they settled in Tulare. Uh I think
mostly because of the kind of uh industry that they're already
especially for my mom's family. There was kind of a very uh Portuguese
adjacent, you know, uh job market you know, you have your dairies and
construction and all of all of that, so that was easier for my uh my
mom's family to come over here, same with my dad, um and then it works
out that they had family and friends that ended up in this area as
well. And so, it was an easy move plus a lot cheaper than living down
south or, or some big city.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah. Um did your parents or like grandparents or
tell you what it was like to adjust in the, to a new life in a new
country?
Luis Rebelo: Oh, yeah, we've heard, um, I've heard all kinds of
stories, you know, there's always, you know, the, the language barrier
and kind of the issues that come with that. Um, my grandparents, my
mom's parents, they never really learned English. Um so they, they've
always kind of relied on their kids, my mom and, uh, her siblings to
kind of do a lot of the navigating here in America. Um, my mom, uh,
she came as a teen so she kind of picked it up faster than, you know,
like as an adult. Um, there's you know, there's always adjustments
when you're like with food and everything. I know when, uh, when they
first came over, my godmother, my mom's sister, she didn't know any
other English words or English words for food except for like fries
and apple pie. So that's what she ate for like a lot of weeks in a row
so, you know, there's always those adjustments. Um and then same with
my dad and my dad came a little older. So, it's a little trickier to
learn a new language and everything when you're not kind of in the
school setting. Um, but, you know, there's adjustments to all of that
and how kind of America uh works and you come here and it's a lot
bigger also. People aren't, that's one thing you, you don't think

about you know, we think about driving
drive, but there, where they come from
go around the entire island and you're
there's adjustments like that everyday
of in between.

here to LA is just a three-hour
three hours is pretty much you
done for the day. So, you know,
life and, and everything kind

Giovanny Valentin: Um, how important was it to your parents, like, was
it to your parents that you, that you'd be raised with a strong
Portuguese identity?
Luis Rebelo: Oh, yeah. Um like I said before, like my mom used to go to
folklore practice when, when I was a kid and you know, you weren't
getting babysitters back then or whatever. So, you know, we went
along. So, um I was always, you know, in the back for folklore
practice, Carnaval practice I was hanging out um at my dad's soccer
practices. So, it's, you know you, you meet all these people, you make
all these connections and friendships and you kind of fall in love
with different Port-- uh different aspects of the Portuguese kind of
culture and the community and it's an easy way to kind of transition
into that.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah, are you a member of like of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd
generation of your family?
Luis Rebelo: I am first generation American so, yeah. So, me and my
sister, my, yeah, my parents are both immigrants. Yeah.
Giovanny Valentin: Uh you said, how is this identity expressed? Like
through language, foods, traditions, festivals? Like I know you said,
like you, you do the, like folklore and all that.
Luis Rebelo: it’s, it, it kind of, I mean, it comes out in all of those
things. Um, no, I, I don't regularly speak Portuguese. Uh, more so
than most people for sure. You know, I speak to my dad in Portuguese.
I still speak or, uh, I speak to my grandparents and others in
Portuguese. Um you know, we, we do, uh I'm in the folklore group in
the Carnaval and that involves a lot of speaking Portuguese as well.
Um and so, and then naturally with food, um there's all kinds of
different Portuguese foods that are, that have been a part of my
everyday life. And that's maybe one thing that I get, I lose my
Portuguese card on is because I can be a little picky with Portuguese
foods. Um but for the most part, you know, it's, it's always been a
part of my life, you know, making uh different kind of uh breads for
sure, sweet bread. Um that’s, that's the number one there for me. Um
But yeah, that, that's a big part. Um it's, it's like you said, all
the different you know, it's folklore dancing, it's uh playing music
with the band, uh going to Portuguese festas and kind of uh spreading
kind of the cultural uh awareness in that way or kind of keeping those
uh cultural kind of organizations and groups alive. That's kind of
where most of my Portuguese kind of expression ends up going.

Giovanny Valentin: Yeah. What, um, what cultural traditions have, like,
have you maintained and why has it been, like, important to you to
maintain them?
Luis Rebelo: Sorry, can you say that again.
Giovanny Valentin: Uh, what, what cultural traditions have you
maintained and why is, why has it been important to you like to you,
to, to maintain them?
Luis Rebelo: Um, I mean, I, I keep saying the same stuff with, like the
folklore and the Carnaval and whatnot. Uh I've, I've, those are always
been the things that I've tried to maintain. I'm the director for the
folklore group. Um I've been director for now like, uh about 10 years.
Um and it, it kind of, I mean, I, I always enjoy all the aspects of
you know the dancing, the music and everything. Um, but, you know,
growing up, that's where I made most of my memories, that's where I
made most of my friendships and so a lot of my motivation with kind of
maintaining those cultural uh aspects and keeping them alive comes
from this idea that I think that there's still a lot there for, for
people uh or like future, you know, kids or whatever to get involved
and you make these memories and you make friendships that end up
lasting a long time or for life. Um and so I think that's an important
aspect. Um that's kind of my motivation I got, you know, I got a
nephew now who's, he's gonna be one. And so I like to think that if,
if I can, I'd like to help maintain those cultural aspects so that
when he's older, you know, he can enjoy them as much and, you know,
make his friends and everything and that kind of gets expanded to, you
know, just any kids that are, are the future members of the community
and so that, that ends up being kind of the push.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah um, have you been to the Azores, and if you
have, like, what was that experience like for you?
Luis Rebelo: Uh, yeah, I, I've been a dozen times. Uh, we've, we, my
dad still has his mom and some other family there. So that's always
been kind of a regular trip for us every few years or so it's kind of
been, it's always, and that’s always kind of been our vacation
destination just because of family. Um, so we, we go there every once
in a while. I, I went there, um, two years ago. I'm planning on going
this year, uh, just for personal reasons. Uh, next year our Portuguese
band, was invited to go and play for one of the big festas. Um, so I
kind of, I mean, for me, I've grown up there more or less. So, it's,
it's kind of normal. I mean, there are aspects that are a little
different, you know, there's always different weather, different kind
of, the lifestyle is always different. Um, here, you know, here in
America everything's about a rush. You gotta to get places on time and
it's, you know, you're working overtime and you're doing all this
stuff and there, its way more laid back. Um, and it's just a, it's a
completely different atmosphere in that respect and then, you know,

you have the food, the music and all that stuff is always, it's, it's
always nice because it's stuff that I'm familiar with here, but you
kind of see it from the source and everything there. So, it's, it's a
really fun experience and of course, there's always fun and friendly
people there. So, A plus or thumbs up, double thumbs up for me for
that one.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah. Um trace if you will like some of your
experiences growing up in the Portuguese American community in the
Valley throughout your life.
Luis Rebelo: Um, I mean, we, I like the Portuguese Band. Uh, that's
been a big part and that ends up being, you know, a lot of traveling.
You kind of, you travel out on the weekends going to different vest
festers up and down the state of California and uh that's fun. You, I
mean, you on one hand, you kind of have these trips with your friends,
uh that you go on and, and you get to have fun and you also and on the
other hand, like you go to all these different places, you meet new
people and you kind of see, um all this different stuff and so that's,
that's kind of one of the more exciting parts. I mean, it, it does
take its toll, you know, for us we got festas every other weekend that
we have to travel to. But in general, uh, it's, it's a good time. Um,
I mean you go on these bus trips and especially when you get older,
you kind of drink and you have a good time and you know, it, it ends
up kind of being the motivation to kind of keep it going.
Giovanny Valentin: Of all you have accomplished what are you most proud
of? What problems do you remember in the Portuguese American
community?
Luis Rebelo: Um I, so again, I sound like a broken record but uh being
the director of the folklore group for the last like 10 years, that's
kind of been my major uh real kind of project there. My, my uh my
accomplishment is uh has been kind of in that and it's just been, you
know, growing the group uh in terms of members, in terms of the kind
of different music and uh dances that we do and kind of the different
um again, I don't know how familiar it was with the folklore outfits,
but like, or folklore in general but like, there's a lot of different
outfits and everything that kind of goes along with it and I, I think
my greatest kind of accomplishment on my own kind of personal level is
kind of growing that group and seeing where it’s come.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah. To what extent do you believe, do you believe
being Portuguese American has shaped the way you have moved through
life, both professionally and personally?
Luis Rebelo: Um personally it's, it's, you know, it's been a big part
of my life. Um, and like I said, it's where I've made most of my
friendships um, and, and, and those relationships um, and, and it ends
up being, it, it kind of, uh it, it, it shapes the way my interest,

you know, I wouldn't be into music as much probably if I wasn't you
know, in the Portuguese community just because I kind of got, uh,
started off playing music was for the Portuguese band and everything
else. Um, professionally um, I mean, it, it, it does, it helps a
little bit in terms of, I mean, me personally, when you're involved
with these different organizations, you end up having to, you learn to
work with a lot of different people, um, and making these kind of
bigger plans work out and kind of that translates, uh, pretty well
into a professional world and it's not something, I mean, you see that
kind of, those kind of things and not in a non-Portuguese kind of
community, but for Portuguese, when, when you're in the Portuguese
community there's so, it's everywhere, you know, you're getting
involved with the hall with this and that, and it ends up kind of
becoming your first kind of experience in terms of, kind of like a
professional world even if it is, you know, all volunteer.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah. What does being Portuguese American mean to
you?
Luis Rebelo: Um that, to me that's, that is, you know, upholding and
kind of maintaining those, those important Portuguese cultural aspects
um and introducing them and reshaping them to kind of fit into uh the
American kind of uh landscape, you know, uh it, it, you know. It's
bringing those kind of cultural aspects and making them known to, you
know, a bigger audience here in California and kind of seeing how
those things um I think there, it's kind of fun to see how Portuguese
and American kind of different aspects mix and, and um and kind of, I,
I guess playing with that, I guess that's the real kind of push in
being, you know, quote unquote Portuguese American is bringing these
values and kind of adapting them to American life.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah. How do you see the Portuguese American
community today?
Luis Rebelo: Um you know, the Portuguese American community is in a
pretty complicated spot, um you know, there's definitely areas where
it's dying away. Um there’s areas where it’s growing. Um I think we're
definitely at a point where uh there's a lot, there's a lot of still
there's a lot of work to be done and we got to kind of rethink how we
grow as a Portuguese community and, you know, move forward. A big part
of it is, you know, the language in teaching the language and how
important that is. Um and so I, I think if I, I think there's, and you
see it in some places, but there's definitely a push for, you know,
teaching the language and, and maintaining those uh cultural aspects.
So, I, I, you know, I'm hopeful for the future of the Portuguese
community um with what I've seen with some of the younger people. Um,
but, you know, as it is now, I think it's, it still has its issues,
but I think it's still coming along, going along strong.

Giovanny Valentin: Mhm. Um, well, I mean, is there anything that we
didn’t cover that you'd like to share?
Luis Rebelo: I don't think so, I think we’ve talked enough.
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah. Uh, well, I mean, I think that's pretty much
it.
Luis Rebelo: Okay. Oh, do you mind if I ask where, where are you from
originally?
Giovanny Valentin: Originally or like my parents or, or?
Luis Rebelo: Uh, no, I mean, like, are you, you're not, are you from
Fresno?
Giovanny Valentin: Oh no, I’m from Salinas, by Monterey.
Luis Rebelo: Oh cool, cool. My, uh, my girlfriend lives over in Aromas,
have you heard of Aromas?
Giovanny Valentin: Yeah.
Luis Rebelo: Yeah, small town. Yeah, yeah big red barn, super popular
over there.
Giovanny Valentin: Uh, yeah, Granero roja, that’s what we call it.
Luis Rebelo: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so, so is this kind of, I
just, this is on my, I'm just curious. I don't wanna, now it's my turn
to interview you but before going to college, did you, were you aware
of Portuguese culture or Portuguese people or anything like that?
Giovanny Valentin: Uh, not much about the culture but, like, just like
I, well, I mean, I guess, you know, like, I, I watch soccer, you know,
I watch soccer a lot.
Luis Rebelo: Of course.
Giovanny Valentin: So, like, yeah so, I mean, I know about the
countries, all of Portugal and you know Spain and all that. But, um,
originally, well, I mean, it's, it's a GE class but I looked at it
and, I mean, I thought like Portuguese sounds cool, you know, so I was
like, I'm gonna take it like, learn about the culture and everything.
Luis Rebelo: Very cool. I, I'm always just curious how, you know, nonPortuguese people kind of get involved and from my side, like, I'm
always trying to see what we can do in Tulare community to attract
more non Portuguese people in terms of, you know, because I, I
personally think that there's some value here and if it doesn't kind
of connect to non-Portuguese people, it's gonna die sooner than later.
So, I'm always curious when non Portuguese people kind of get involved
or to any degree. I know, I know you're just doing a class and you
have to do this but so, I'm just curious.

Giovanny Valentin: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it's just, the culture is pretty
cool though. Like, I like it, you know, like one day would be cool,
like to travel to Portugal or the Azores.
Luis Rebelo: Oh, for sure. I recently I tried like the linguiça, like
there like that was pretty good. I tried it, it was really good.
Luis Rebelo: They were saying like at the school?
Luis Rebelo: Oh, okay. Okay. Um trying to think there's, I don't know
if there's much Portuguese food available around there. But yeah, and
then in terms of. Yeah, I, I highly recommend if you get a chance uh
to travel, uh, the island that my family is from, Terceira. Uh, the,
that's the, that's the, the fun one that's the party island. So, if
you ever get a chance I highly recommend going over there and it's,
it's a good time and it's not very, it's they say it's the Portuguese
uh Hawaii just because it's like this real nice uh islands but way
cheaper than Hawaii, so definitely a plus. But yeah, yeah, very cool.
Giovanny Valentin: Um well, I think that's pretty much it like that.
That's why all the questions and everything. I think I just need like
a couple of pictures. Like if you could like send me like three of
them, I think I have to like put in my presentation.
Luis Rebelo: Okay. And it's just, it, it, do you need any kind of
specific like do you need me doing Portuguese things? Does it matter
or just whatever?
Giovanny Valentin: Uh I think it's just like one of you and that's it.
Luis Rebelo: Okay.
Giovanny Valentin: I don’t think I have to do like anything specific.
Luis Rebelo: Okay I'll send you uh you said you need a few of them.
Giovanny Valentin: Um yeah [inaudible].
Luis Rebelo: Yeah. Okay.
Giovanny Valentin: All right.
Luis Rebelo: Okay. Sounds good. All right then. Well, thank you.
Giovanny Valentin: No, thank you for your time and have a good day.
Luis Rebelo: Have a good day. Thank you, man. I appreciate you too.
Giovanny Valentin: Thank you.