Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute Collection

Filomena Pimentel-Rocha Interview

Rocha, Filomena Pimentel

Borges, Diniz

ENG

Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute

5/3/2022

SCUAD_pbbi_00058

Zoom notification: This meeting is being recorded.
Diniz Borges: This is the Portuguese Oral History Project for the
California State University, Fresno through the Portuguese Beyond
Borders Institute. As we record oral history interviews for our
archive, our archive in the Portuguese American Oral History
Collection at the Fresno State Library and of course through our
YouTube channel as well. And so welcome everyone to another one of our
legacy projects, which is our Portuguese American family history
through our oral history collection. And so, we're going to start,
what is your full birth name?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: My full birth name is Filomena Conceição, and
my maiden name is Pimentel, but my married name is Rocha.
Diniz Borges: And so, uh Filomena, were you named after anyone? And is
there any particular story behind your name?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: So, my dad's middle name is Filomeno so I'm
after his middle name and then I believe Conceição was his village's
patron saint.
Diniz Borges: Uh Wonderful.
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: So, Terceira.
Diniz Borges: And uh when and where were you born?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Um I was born in 1978 in Tulare, California.
Diniz Borges: So, what early memories, Filomena, do you have as a child
um in the Portuguese American community and was uh Portuguese your
first language?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Yes, Portuguese was my first language. Um, I
went to school not knowing nothing of English. Um, everything was
Portuguese at home. I guess my earliest memories, childhood memories
is my parents would always talk about things that they would do back
in their old country in Terceira. So, I remember with my parents, my
grandparents, we would have matanzas, um, we would make our own aneis
[assumed spelling]. Um, just the, you know, having our traditional
foods like the alcatras, and bofanas um and bacalhau, and I remember
going to festas and bull fights and uh at one point, my uncles were um
in the suicide squad and then my other uncle was one of like the
pastors for the bulls. So those are all memories I've had growing up
and then um I was involved in danças Carnaval and um so I have a lot
of childhood memories and I think a lot of it stems from my parents
just constantly feeding me with, with stories of what they would do
and how they would live back in Terceira.

Diniz Borges: So, who immigrated, I believe both of your parents are
immigrants. But so, who immigrated from in your family? Uh your mom
and dad and what trajectories did they take?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: So, my mom actually came first, they both came
in 1977. Um my mother arrived first with my um with my dad's parents
because he had to finish his term in the army. And then he followed
and then they were married here in Tulare. Um my mother's family, they
immigrated to Toronto, Canada. So, she was the only one here in
California and that was I think my grandparents in Canada immigrated
like in 1976.
Diniz Borges: And so, on your father's side, the whole family
immigrated to this area?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: They correct. They all immigrated before him
because he needed to finish his term in his army, in the army.
Diniz Borges: And so, um what did they tell you from
as you said you were raised very Portuguese with the
foods and the traditions. What did your family, both
even grandparents tell you, what was the main reason
Azores?

as you know, you,
stories and the
your parents and
why they left the

Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: So, part of it was, I guess uh part of it was
so no one would go to Angola at that time um because it was still,
there's still turmoil going on. So, there was there was that fear of
having your sons because my grandmother only had five sons um of
having to go to war. And the other part was, you know, previous family
had come already to California and speaking of, you know, the American
dream and the good life and, and opportunities. And so, they all came
for that same, same reason, the American dream, owning a home, those
kinds of things and having opportunities because as you could probably
imagine at that time, on a small island, uh opportunity for growth in,
in any, any field was probably limited.
Diniz Borges: So why did your family, the one that's, that came here,
of course, to Tulare County, why did they settle in this area?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Dairies. Rodney all, we, they all worked on
the same dairy, which is the dairy I grew up on, Nunes Brothers out on
Road 124. Um and it was very, there was dairies in our valley and
that's what brought them because they had their own levota [assumed
spelling] back in Terceira, in uh a small one and, and so that was
their life, that's what they knew and so they came here for dairies
and farming um versus going into, you know, big cities like my, on my
mother's side, my family went to Canada to work factory and
construction. Um because that was more of what my uncles knew of how
to do.

Diniz Borges: What did your parents tell you as far as because
obviously when you were born, they had been here already a few years?
So, they were a bit adjusted to America. What would the, what did your
parents tell you when you, as you were growing up, what it was like to
adjust here to this country? Both your mom and your dad, what kind of
stories or what kind of uh difficulties, uh and even when you were a
child, the difficulties that you may remember that they had?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Yeah, I would remember them talking about
stories about António Salazar and how strict things were even like, to
the point of, like, cigarettes and lighters and, um, and how this is
kind of, oh, different from that, more democracy more democratic. Um,
and it was difficult to adjust. I think it was more difficult for my
mom because she was the only one here versus, you know, my dad had his
whole family here and cousins and other uncles and so I think it was
easier, but the challenge was you know, not knowing the language, not
really knowing the land yet, like your area, except for Tulare. Right.
They, if any, anything further and that was more of a challenge. Um I
think to this day they still have saudade, that home sickness feeling
um because it's not truly the same. Yes, they've grown, they've had
opportunities and they're doing well. I think it's still that home
life that, um, very close-knit community that they would have back on
Terceira. Um, and some of those traditions. But, um I think it's those
first years of just adjusting and, and um as time grows on it's so
this is what it's like to be in America. Like it's work. It's, it's,
you know, almost like what we say is adulting, you know, there's
working and there's you know, life changes and, and, and trying to do
the education that was a whole other challenge because there was no
way for them to communicate with, with teachers or schools. So, we had
to a lot of times we depended on someone else for that translation for
them. But, over time they learned and were able to, to, to adjust and
to communicate and those types of things.
Diniz Borges: For your parents although they, they came here already as
adults but young adults, um, how important was it for them that you
and also your sisters, uh continue with the language, culture and
traditions. How important was it for them?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: I think it was very important. And to this day
we still try to, I mean, when we go to mom and dad's, it's only
Portuguese is spoken. Um when we're, we've all tried teaching our
children uh to speak Portuguese. Um it’s the only way we communicated
with our grandparents. It, it's, it's um how do I explain it? It's,
it's almost like a comfort feeling. Um it’s home, it's, it's natural
kind of. Um but yeah, they did a phenomenal job of just keeping and
always telling us the stories that goes behind the traditions you
know, and telling us how they would, you know, with, for example,
danças Carnaval is coming up and oh, we would start on a Saturday and
we won't finish ‘til Fat Tuesday and then we'd have to go work the

lavoura on the next day, you know, doesn't matter how drunk you are
you still gotta go because your, your Avô would let us know and it's
just hearing those stories and passing it along and now they're
passing it on to their grandkids and it just, it, it ties, it's like,
it's like I'm a part of Terceira, but I'm not. Even though I wasn't
born there, their stories and the way they just tell about it every
day, it's something different. You feel very much connected even
though I've not been there or born there, I feel connected because of
the stories my parents gave us.
Diniz Borges: So, you were also raised on your paternal side and your
dad's side with grandparents locally. Uh as you said they all worked
in the same dairy.
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Yes.
Diniz Borges: How uh how important was that to, to have a grandparents
that had even a different um experience than your parents did because
your parents, as, as you said, came in their uh they were young, you
know, they were in their twenties or around twenty, but your
grandparents were much older already?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Right.
Diniz Borges: And so how, how did you, do you have any stories from
that adjustment and what do you remember of your grandparents?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Um they were kind of like the matriarch and
the patriarch of the family. Um you know, everybody was working,
everybody worked. Um I remember my grandmother in the kitchen cooking
for everybody. I remember her trying to teach me stuff. I have
pictures of me on the chair over the stove, you know, trying to make
[inaudible] and those kinds of things. Um I think it was more, I think
it probably wasn't as much of a challenge because they came together
as a whole. And so, there was that support system, right. I think it
would be different if they came alone in trying to do that versus is
coming as a whole group and and supporting each other.
Diniz Borges: And you yourself. So now you have a family and of course
you have, uh, so your mom and dad now have grandkids, um, and, uh,
from, from your family and your sister's families, what's uh, what
cultural traditions have you and your husband maintained? And, and,
um, why has this been important to maintain them?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Um my mother-in-law would probably tell you,
I'm more Portuguese than my husband and when it comes to traditions
and foods and doing these things, um, just, in fact my daughter and I
were planning, hey, are we going to the danças tonight? Um, so I've
always exposed them. I've always taken them to festas. I've explained
to them like what it means with the Holy Ghost Festas, what danças
Carnaval means. And of course, my parents are always telling their

stories. Um I think it just keeps the traditions and, the, and the
stories alive. We have to pass those down if we don't pass them down
and if we don't communicate those and share those, it kind of dies and
it ends. So, they're not gonna know and, and, you know, if you talk to
my daughter, she'll be like, I remember bisavô you know, and she'll
tell you something that she remembers about bisavô. Um and even like
my sister, she's got a blended family. So, my niece is Portuguese and
Hispanic so, she's teaching both and you know, this is how the
Hispanic culture does this, this is how Portuguese culture does this.
And so, we're, we're, and she's learning both. And so, um I think it's
just important to just share those stories um and enjoying those
moments and, and that way it goes, passes along because you never know
if, if they'll die. You know, I don't, it would be sad to see those
stories just die and end. You know it’s, it's great to share those and
continue and, and reliving those and, and those just, it's, those are
happy memories and happy thoughts and it just, it, it would be sad to
see those types of things just stop.
Diniz Borges: Real quick, professionally you've worked of course in,
um, in retail. Um, and then you decided to make a switch into
education. So, tell us a little bit about your, your professional
career and why did you switch to education? What, what have you found
there?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Yes so, yeah, I worked 19 years in retail, um,
and management Um, and I did make the switch to education. I've always
had a pull for education either in teaching, uh, being a teacher or in
the education realm. I'm still working towards that. Um, and, and to
see things, I guess I could, you could say I'm one of those parents
that I want to see growth in every student, whether it's a special
needs student, whether it's a program and we have phenomenal programs
in, in uh the school district, I work with, you know, supporting those
kids and supporting, because I believe that they are our future. So,
the more we support our students now um and give them growth, they
will become, you know, role model citizens as part of our community,
those are gonna be our future community members as well as the future
of the country. Um so yeah, that was why I chose to go into education.
I've always been a parent volunteer in classrooms. I've always worked
closely with, with teachers, you know, my children's teachers. So, the
teaching and education realm has always been something I've, I've
wanted to do.
Diniz Borges: And in the Portuguese American community, you mentioned
that your parents, you know got you involved, and you were, you know,
involved in Carnaval. So, tell us a little bit about the different uh
organizations and volunteer work and things that you've done within
the Portuguese American community?

Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: So I uh so I was in danças Carnaval, in the
early ‘90s. Um and I've noticed it's changed quite a bit because I'm
like, where's the [inaudible], and that's not how we used to dance the
danças panade [assumed spelling] where's the danças prada [assumed
spelling] give me a good um danças prada And then uh Tulare Angrense
is the local soccer club and I was the queen for that, Um my sister
was a queen for the filarmónica, the Tulare Filarmónica, the
Portuguese filarmónica. Um like I said, we've always attended our
festas. I was involved with Luso American, the youth program um and,
and danced folklore through them, Um and then I kind of like in that
high school, college realm kind of toned out, still attended things.
But now as an adult, you know, um you know, and my kids are in school,
supporting their activities in the Portuguese community, um supporting
like events like the what, you know, through Fresno State, trying to,
you know promote um you know, talking to people even at work just
sharing your culture. I mean, you would be amazed how food connects
people, you know, or in cultures. Um and, and I, I'm, I would like, I
see a future of getting more involved. It's just at this time in my,
in my life uh you know, I heavily involved with, you know, school
organization and uh leading the union for the school district. So
those things kind of consume my time. Um I have been asked to sit on,
on, you know, to assist like, you know, with the soccer club. Tony
Fraga was like, hey, I want you to join our E board. And I'm like, at
this time, Tony, I, I could see myself doing it but at this time with,
with the other extracurricular curricular activities that I do and
with my son, uh still it's his senior year. Um now wouldn't be the
right time for me to do it, but I do see myself getting more involved
in those organizations.
Diniz Borges: And to what extent do you believe uh Filomena that being
Portuguese American um or an American of Portuguese background, as you
said, um because your parents are both immigrants has shaped the way
you are and how you've moved through life, both, you know, the
professional and the personal? So, what, how has been Portuguese
American, how has it shaped you and your life in many ways?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: I think, I believe our hard work ethic has
definitely shaped a lot in both personal and professional. I don't
think I could say, I mean, there's hard workers but I could probably
say like Portuguese people are probably the hardest working. They are
so determined; they want so much for their children. Um they sacrifice
themselves and seeing that sacrifice for my parents for us, you know,
to attend, you know, moving on to college and, and extracurricular
activities, you know, because I do talk to others and they didn't have
the opportunity for college or, or sports or those types of things and
so, um those, that molded how I was gonna raise my kids and that
molded how I was gonna perform and work and, you know, be honest, be
on time, you know those kinds of things that they had instilled in

them has been instilled in me and so hard work ethic, you know, being
honest, loyal, um, those types of, uh, traits have carried me far. Um,
and so I think that's stuff that's been instilled from my parents.
Diniz Borges: And, uh, how do you see yourself, as you said, um, food
can go a long way. Uh so how do you see yourself in your professional
life, um, in American mainstream, uh in a school district uh, or how
do you see yourself connecting to others and sharing your culture with
them? How do you, how, how do you do that?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: So, I'll, so I am the union president for our
chapter, and I could say it was very difficult at first because in the
Hispanic and Portuguese culture, women being of an uh authoritative um
position isn't welcomed easily. So, that took a lot of hard work on my
part to earn trust. Um so I've earned, I've obviously have earned
their trust to be elected for a third term. So, um it took hard work
to, to break that, that mold that old mold of, you know, women in
power kind of thing, women in authority. But um we do, we do share you
know, and it's funny we sit around, we're talking and they're like,
hey, uh you know, my mom would just show us a chancla and we would
behave and I'm like, really my grandma, my mom would show me a wooden
spoon, same concept, same thing, you know, and, and it's just those
kinds of things that connect us without even knowing they connect us
like just casual conversations. Um you know, with foods. I do, you
know if we do share foods or we have potlucks and a lot of them like,
well you know, and a lot of them do and I'm glad that they're open and
they feel comfortable coming to me like, hey Mena, um so why do we
have this festa in Tulare? What's it all about? I mean, we go for the
food but what it’s really about. And to, to share like what's based on
it, on the, on a story of, you know, Queen Isabela and you know,
sharing that they're like, oh, it makes sense. So those kinds of
things and that, that they feel comfortable enough to ask me, that's
what I, I like. That they feel enough comfortable to ask our questions
like about any, you know, bull fights or what's it like over in this,
you know, what was it like for your parents on a small island? You
know, those kinds of things. Um and it's just, it's just really
communicating being open, open minded, listening to their, their
culture, other cultures, other, other stories and be like, hey, we do
the same thing and not knowing that we've shared a lot of those
similarities in the way we're raised, um in some of our foods. How did
our foods cross paths kind of thing? In our, in our traditions. Very
similar and it's great to, to share those.
Diniz Borges: Um how do you doing kind of uh comparison and contrast
between the Portuguese community that you were born and raised um and
the Portuguese community today, that's where you're uh a mom uh and
who knows, maybe you know, not very far, not very far from the future
a grandma as well? So how do you, how do you see the community from
when you were a child and a teenager um and the community today a few

decades today? Any comparisons that you can make contrasts, any
differences?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: I… there's, there's opportunity for growth. Um
What I see is different is even people my age, they've stopped
speaking the language at home or, or, and they've stopped talking
about how our parents lived, you know, with no electricity, no
refrigerators, you know, things like that and not sharing it with
their children. So, it's kind of a skewed um a skewed story, right?
Because everybody wants to start the story of when they arrived here
in America and that's where their story starts, where the story
actually starts before that. Um so I see that kind of a change um not
wanting not really using your language and not sharing that. Um but at
the same time, I see us as being very diverse um and, and what I mean
is we have is that the younger generation has the opportunity to
continue um sharing our culture and diversifying it when, what I mean,
I guess by diversifying is its okay to, to let other cultures into our
traditions. Um, it's okay for them to share in what we do. It, it
doesn't, you don't have to be Portuguese to enjoy our culture. You
could be of other cultures, enjoy what we do and it's okay to do that.
And I think it's, it's, we're in that middle um, that, I think that's
where I see the difference It's not this old, just Portuguese.
Portuguese, Portuguese I think now we're meshing in with other
cultures. And to me, I, to me it's exciting because you see growth and
it gives growth and it, and it opens up so that you know, someone like
my niece who is Hispanic and Portuguese can feel comfortable being in
either culture, cultural event. And I have to worry about, am I
Portuguese enough? Am I Hispanic enough? And I think that's where I
see the difference, where growing up it's, it was just Portuguese
culture and all you saw was the Portuguese culture and now when you
go, it's, you see Portuguese, you see Hispanics, um Indian. So, you
see more diversity and so I kind of, that's where I see the biggest
difference is it's growing.
Diniz Borges: Do you think the community is open to that diversity? Do
you see an openness in the community that as you said, when you were
growing up was very closed? Uh and very everything was, you know, only
Portuguese people went to the Portuguese festa, you know, 25 years
ago, 30 years ago. Do you see that the community is ready for this
openness that, that, uh is, uh the new America?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: It can be. I think we're still probably at the
baby steps. Um, but I think it can be. I think, I mean even in talking
to my parents, you know, at one time maybe they were that old hardcore
Portuguese, but I think somewhere down the line they've broken that
mold and so, you know, when I, when they told him, hey, they, I was
elected for president and they're like yeah, right on or I want to
play sports. Yeah. You know, it's that whole mentality of, you know,
they were questioned like you're gonna let your daughters do this?

He's like, what's wrong with that? You know so somewhere down the line
that thought process has changed. And so, I think somewhere down the
line it's happening, it's just happening slowly, and I think it's
gonna be probably my generation and probably my sister's generation
that's gonna open that up more to be a lot more open. We're getting
there, we're getting there and you're seeing it and, and, um, but I
think it's gonna take probably our generation, my generation and
probably my sister's generation to really expand that openness, but I
do see it happening.
Diniz Borges: Have you been to the Azores?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: I have not, it is on my bucket list. I do
watch a lot of YouTube. Um, I feel like I know it just, like I said,
from listening to my parents, they were able to go in 2017. Um, they
went to my grandmother's house. My grandmother still has a house
there. Um, I have an aunt that still lives there. My husband has an
aunt that lives there. My dad has cousins that live there. We all
communicate through Facebook so it's like, you know, um, you know,
and, and that's the thing, like I like, I'll be like, oh, yeah, my,
parents were at the canetsa [assumed spelling], and they're like,
where's the canetsa, I'm like, oh, it's so, you know, and I haven't
been, there but I can tell them a little bit about it just because I'm
reliving it through their stories or, but I have not been. It is on my
bucket list.
Diniz Borges: Do you think your kids as well would enjoy this, this, uh
experience you know, because they have been raised also very
Portuguese? Uh, and that, that's what, two-part question. First of
all, how have your kids been obviously not of the same generation as
you are but have your kids been raised Portuguese first? And would
they enjoy, uh, an experience to see the, the, the so-called old
country, the islands themselves?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: They have raised Portuguese. Um, and I think
they would my daughter's talked about it many times. She wants to see
more of the, um, the history part like the architect and the, the
[inaudible], and those kinds of things. And my son has many times said
he wants to go see bull fights so he could laugh at people and watch
the bull take over. That's his favorite part. Oh, and then he's like
and I wanna eat that, that sandwich that Vovô makes me which is a
bifana. Um but he loves watching the videos too and he does ask
questions and I think we've all at one time we were like, so mom and
dad, why did you guys leave your island to come here again? You know,
because it looks beautiful. It's you, you, you you have your home like
and again, it's, it comes back to, well, there was an opportunity at
their time. This was the American dream, and this is where the
opportunities were and that's why they came. So, we understand that
part. It's just sometimes we're like, hm, is there job openings over

in Terceira that we could possibly go back to but um I think they
would absolutely thoroughly enjoy it.
Diniz Borges: And what does it mean to you to be Portuguese American
What does that mean?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: Oh, what does it mean to me? Um it means
there's this pride, I guess I feel proud to be Portuguese. I'm not
afraid to tell people, “Oh, I'm Portuguese.” Um you know, I don't, I'm
not afraid to share. Uh you know, I share my, my um experiences like,
yes, I was an ES, I was an ESL student. I didn't go to school with
English I, it, by second grade is when I was probably fluent in
English, those kinds of things. Um there's a pride of like knowing the
challenges that our parents and grandparents came through, went
through for me to be where I am today, you know, successful um good
job you know, having a family, those kinds of things. Knowing how I
got here and the history of it, that's what brings me the pride um and
knowing your culture and loving your culture and, and just loving our
people. Our people are just so, the Portuguese people are, they're
just so warm and inviting and they just make you feel cozy like it,
like a big hug from everybody's your tia, everybody's your cousin,
everybody's your uncle, that kind of feeling and it, it's just, it's
just a comforting feeling and knowing that those people are the ones
who are gonna support you.
Diniz Borges: Well Filomena, thank you so much uh for being part of the
Portuguese American Oral History Project at Fresno State. And is there
anything that I didn't cover that you'd like to share?
Filomena Pimentel-Rocha: I just think this is something wonderful that
you're doing. Uh because it's, I would love to hear, I love listening
to other people's stories and, and connecting on what, what were the
same and what was different. And I think it's, it's beautiful that
we're able to do this and connect with, with people from all over and
um so I thank you for the opportunity.