Doris Ceballos interview
Item
Title
Doris Ceballos interview
Description
Microsoft Word document, 23 pages
Creator
Ceballos, Doris
Lozano, Cathleen
Relation
StoryCorps Interviews
Coverage
California State University, Fresno
Date
4/16/2016
Identifier
SCMS_stcp_00001
extracted text
>> Cathleen Lozano: My name is Cathy Ceballos Lozano, and I am 53. And today is April 17th, 2016 and I
am in Fresno, California. And I am here today with my mother who I'll be interviewing.
>> Doris Ceballos: My name is Doris Martinez Ceballos. I am 86 years old. And today's date is April 17th,
2012?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Sixteen.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh, 12—16. I'm sorry. And in Fresno, California. And I'm here with my daughter. I'm
sorry I made a mistake. Do you know why? Because today would be the day my mother died.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, that April the 12th. Well—
>> Doris Ceballos: Sad, a lot of things sad.
>> Cathleen Lozano: —so you are 86 and you brought up your mom. And why don't you tell me how
many people were -- how many children in your family.
>> Doris Ceballos: There were 11 children in our family: six boys and five girls.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And what number are you?
>> Doris Ceballos: I'm number 10 in the family.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. And where did your parents come from?
>> Doris Ceballos: They came from the old country, Mexico, from Guanajuato, Mexico.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know you've told me the stories that when they came to the United States,
they moved around a little bit, but they pretty much settled in California and primarily there in Malaga,
California. Describe Malaga when you were young, because you lived there like in the 1930s and the
'40s. What was Malaga like?
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh it was very small. Smaller than it is now. It was a simple way of life there. There
were no streetlights and the families were large. Mainly Mexican families. And some of them are related
or were related.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And they were big families too.
>> Doris Ceballos: Big families, for sure, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know that you guys lived there and you've told me that the house where you
guys lived, there was 11 kids and then your parents. That's a lot of people and the house was really
small. And I know you've told me that like you didn't have a lot of modern things like running water.
Describe you know, your home life. Like what it was like.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, it was, like I say, simple life. No facilities. No running water. We had an outhouse
and no plumbing. And wood stove. You cooked on a wood stove. And when it was really hot, some of
the families cooked outdoors under a tree.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because they didn't have the fans and air conditioning like they do now.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, very, very simple. So, you 11 kids did have an opportunity to go to school,
right? I think you've shared with me that you guys all went to a grammar school.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, I was in Malaga Grammar School. We did not speak English. And one of the things
after we enter school, they said, "No Spanish spoken, at all."
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow.
>> Doris Ceballos: And so it was very hard because we did not know the language.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know that some of the older brothers and sisters, they had to work to help the
family. So many of them couldn't continue their education, you've told me. But, I know you actually got
to go to high school. How many of you got to go to high school?
>> Doris Ceballos: Just the two of us: myself and my sister.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Your younger sister.
>> Doris Ceballos: My younger sister, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, and the high school, it wasn't in Malaga, right?
>> Doris Ceballos: No. Malaga was from the K to 8, and then we were bussed to Fowler [assumed
spelling], to Fowler High School. And they would pick -- if we were students, they would pick us up at the
Malaga Grammar School and drive us to Fowler High School, and back.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. So you did graduate, right?
>> Doris Ceballos: I did graduate.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And you got your diploma.
>> Doris Ceballos: I sure did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: What year did you graduate, Mom?
>> Doris Ceballos: I graduated in 1949.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I remember you told me you were the class of the forty-niners.
>> Doris Ceballos: It was the class of the forty-niners.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, after you graduated from high school, you told me you got your first job. And
you got an opportunity to work at the general store there in Malaga. And how did that come about?
How did you get that job opportunity?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, I had just graduated from high school and I had my diploma of course. And we
traded there. We went to that store for almost everything. And they needed help. And because I was
bilingual, you know the two languages, because a lot of the families didn't speak English. So, he -- the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The owner.
>> Doris Ceballos: The owner told me if I was interested in working there. And I says, "Well, you know, I
don't have experience. I'm just out of high school." And he says, "Well, I'm willing to teach you. We
really need someone like you." And I says, "Well, I'll have to speak with my dad, and we're going to talk
about it, and I'll get back to you." So I did speak to my dad and he says, "Well, it's up to you. It looks like
a safe place where it's close to home. You could -- it's within walking distance. It's okay with me if that's
what you want to do." So I went back and told Charles, the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The owner.
>> Doris Ceballos: -that, yes, I would give it a try.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. So, what were you going to do at the store? What was he hiring you to do?
Can you tell me what your job was?
>> Doris Ceballos: I was to be a clerk, a cashier, postal clerk, and an interpreter.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow, it's pretty important stuff that I think he had you doing. So, I find it
interesting they call it a general store. But you told me they had a lot of different things in this store. Can
you describe, you know, some of the things that they would carry in this general store?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they carried fresh produce, dairy products. They had a meat market, and of
course they had the staples that the Mexican people would be buying like—.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: —Beans and La pina [foreign name], the flour and the [foreign name], for tortillas and
baking--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah
>> Doris Ceballos: -for the families.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then they had some over the counter medications. You know, like aspirin,
rubbing alcohol. Just things that you would--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, basic necessities. And then you told me too that they had like one gas pump.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh yes, one gas pump. A person would park their car and fill their tank or however
money they had, and then they would go inside and tell us that -- how much they had put in their--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: -tank.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then I think you also have mentioned to me when you've told me these stories,
that they had a telephone.
>> Doris Ceballos: For emergencies only.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Okay. Wow, because people didn't have phones at home.
>> Doris Ceballos: When the telephone lines came in, they were party lines.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: You could hear all the conversations and sometimes people would say, "Get off the
line. I know you’re hearing—I know you’re listening." And but, we had phones.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. If it was the phones and if someone had an emergency, they could run to the
general store to use the phone. Wow. So Charles, the owner, he said he was going to train you to work
in the store. And I know you told me that there was this old equipment -- well, by today's standards, it
would be like old fashioned antique equipment. Like an adding machine, an old adding machine, and the
old fashioned cash register. So, describe to me, like how you used to use these pieces of equipment
when customers used to buy things. Because I think this is real interesting.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, the people that came or the customers, if they paid cash, of course you know I
use a cash register. And that equipment was so old and heavy. When you hit the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The buttons.
>> Doris Ceballos: -the buttons, and it would make a loud noise, like a bell ring. And then if they -- the
store or they had -- they could buy on credit too. And they had a credit book for each family. And they
would have their name on it and when they came to purchase the merchandise, it was all written in long
hand--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, all the items had to be written down.
>> Doris Ceballos: And after that, I used the adding machine. That had this big handle that was kind of
heavy. And you would--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Tally.
>> Doris Ceballos: -tally out the whole--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Of what they bought.
>> Doris Ceballos: -of what they bought, and at closing time, they would put these books in a safe. And
again, the safe was big and--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Old.
>> Doris Ceballos: -old and clumsy and put the books in there for safekeeping at night.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, the people that were buying on credit, they needed to do this why?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they didn't have enough money to make it for the week. And used to get paid by
the week or by the month, whatever. So they needed this. This was an advantage for them, you know,
that they could charge their food or whatever they needed--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: -and pay at the end of the week.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, and then you told me Charles was really kind. Tell me what they used to do
when they would come and pay.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, when they would come and pay their bill, he would throw a handful of penny
candy for the kids.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, how cute. So, you mentioned that you were also to be a postal clerk, but you
had to do something rather important before you were able to even handle the mail. Explain to me what
it was that you had to do.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh, I had to be sworn in. And it had to be downtown in Fresno, California. And one
morning, Charles, my boss says, "We're going to go to Fresno and you're going to get sworn in." And so,
we went to Fresno and met the post general.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Postmaster general.
>> Doris Ceballos: Postmaster general. And we talked for a little bit and then he pulled out the bible.
And he says, "Put your hand on the bible." And so, he proceeded to swear me in, and Charles was the
witness.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So then you became--
>> Doris Ceballos: Then I became a clerk--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Clerk.
>> Doris Ceballos: -a postal clerk. Then I could sell stamps, make money orders, weigh parcels, put the
mail in their mailboxes. And everything that a clerk would do at a post office.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. I--
>> Unidentified speaker: Doris, do you mind if I just ask like what was going through your head at that
time? Did you feel really special or did you -- like, how were you reacting, if you don't mind telling
Cathy?
>> Doris Ceballos: Do you mean while I was at the job?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Or the postal--
>> Doris Ceballos: I had to learn from scratch. And it was kind of scary but I was willing to learn because I
knew these were skills that I could use later on. And that was a good motivation for me.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I am curious. I want -- I love to hear when you told me about how the mail came to
Malaga because it's not what one would think. How did the mail get to Malaga?
>> Doris Ceballos: It got to Malaga by train. The railroad tracks to the south and pacific were just about a
long block from the store. And Charles, the boss, would take this heavy bag that had a combination.
>> Cathleen Lozano: It was like a canvas bag?
>> Doris Ceballos: A canvas bag, with the mail in. And he would walk it over there to the railroad track,
and the train would slow down, and give -- take the out mail, give him the in mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: In mail.
>> Doris Ceballos: He's walk back.
>> Cathleen Lozano: How cute.
>> Doris Ceballos: And with his sack of mail, and he would put it on the counter, and we would sort it
out. And the post office had mailboxes that had combinations on them. And the customers could--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Get access.
>> Doris Ceballos: -get their own mail from the outside. But a lot of them didn't know how to use the
combination to get their mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: So they would walk in the store and I would get the mail for them.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then, like you said, a lot of them didn't know because they didn't read or write
in English. And tell me some of the things you used to do for them. Most of them being the Mexican
people in town. You've shared with me like how you would read some of their mail. Tell me about that.
>> Doris Ceballos: People would get their mail, and of course if it was English, they did not know how to
read it. So they would ask me to read it for them, and I would read it and then I would translate what
the mail. And then sometimes they had short mail, not too much in the mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: In the letter.
>> Doris Ceballos: In the letter. And they would say, "Is that all?" And I would say, "Yes." "Is that all? Are
you sure?" And they would kind of peek over it.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: They didn't know how to read the mail but they were peeking over.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Hoping there was some— [inaudible].
>> Cathleen Lozano: Hoping. How cute.
>> Doris Ceballos: Something that I missed.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Unidentified speaker: What's a kind of typical thing that you would translate for people? What kind
of letters?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: A lot of them were from the Old Country. And then some were from their loved ones
that were in the service.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: And that was sad because they would start crying, you know, when they got their
letters.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: And they would be so grateful, you know, that I had read the letter, that they would
bring a piece of fruit and give me a piece of fruit or a candy bar. They were so grateful and thankful. I
would say, "You don't need to do that." And they says, "I want to."
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. You were really helpful. I just think for someone being that young, with that
much responsibility, I think an awful lot of you mom. And I'm so proud of you. And everything that
you've accomplished. You were the first one to kind of work out of the home. A female in your family.
And you were the only female to even learn how to drive. And you're this small, petite lady, and a lot of
times when people see you, they may think that you're very timid. But I always thought of you as being
very strong. And you've been a very good role model for me. And you've always encouraged me and to
pursue my education. And I can remember when I was so afraid to accept a position at the county
library. They had asked me to kind of fill in for the secretary, and I came to you and said that I was
afraid. And you said, "Cathy, they picked you. You have the skills. You can do it." And just like you had to
try, I did too. And I love you, and I'm so thankful that I have you. And I'm very proud of you.
>> Doris Ceballos: Thank you, honey.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I don't know what else to say.
>> Unidentified speaker: I have some questions, if you don't mind?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: I was wondering Doris, if you remember any particular instances of translating?
If there's any specific stories that come to mind? And it's okay if you can't think of it, but you said it was
really sad when they got letters from the Old Country or from somebody that was in the service. Do you
remember anybody in particular that you helped and you had a big impact on that person? Take your
time.
>> Doris Ceballos: I'm thinking of the people that were in the service. You know, I would try to
encourage them. They're going to come back and they're going to be safe. You know. So, and then I was
there for them, you know, if they needed me.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Because sometimes you would have to write things for them, too.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, I did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: Was it common for folks to go into the service that were from Malaga?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, I think all the young men?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, because they--
>> Cathleen Lozano: All your--
>> Doris Ceballos: -the draft too.
>> Cathleen Lozano: All your brothers went.
>> Doris Ceballos: Three of my brothers. The others were too old already.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. So a lot of the town people, the young men--
>> Doris Ceballos: That qualified, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: Some of them left their families -- you know, their wives and children.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. Well even, you've told me that like, your brothers left the wives there at your
home, so that you guys could take care of their families. Their young wives and some of their young
children, while they were away at -- in the service.
>> Doris Ceballos: And my brother Frank and Elsie [phonetic], had just gotten married, and she was
pregnant when my brother left for the service.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And he didn't come back until I think the little girl was like three years old.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: So he didn't know his own child, and they didn't have the electronics that they do
have now. They had to rely on the Red Cross, you know, for information. And some letters that would be
so outdated already.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: But they mostly relied on the Red Cross for information about their loved ones.
>>Unidentified speaker: Cathy, do you mind asking your mom about her name and the story?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, yes. I know we were talking about the names of your siblings and your name.
And you know, you guys, most of you have Mexican names. And you told me, and I know my uncles and
aunts have told me, their names were changed when they got into school. And, but your name, I could
never understand because your name is so Anglo. It's not Mexican at all. And so tell me this little story
about how you received your name. You're named Doris.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because I was the only child born in the hospital. And if you weren't ready to give your
child a name, they would always say "Mary." And for the boys, it would be "Jose." And my mother didn't
speak English.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: She didn't understand. And so they just said, "Maria" or something.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, your name's Maria.
>> Doris Ceballos: Maria. And then my sister was already grown, you know, and she says, "Well who's
that?" And my mother said, "Well that's the name they gave the baby." And she says, "No, I want the
name Doris, like Doris Day."
>> Cathleen Lozano: The movie star and singer.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, and they changed it to—
>> Cathleen Lozano: She changed it. She went down and changed it and that's how you became Doris.
>> Doris Ceballos: I became Doris. Some of the Mexican people at the store would call me Dora.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Dora. Oh gosh.
>> Doris Ceballos: That's okay.
>> Unidentified speaker: How about, you know, when you were in school and you said that you weren't
allowed to speak Spanish. Do you remember teachers kind of giving you a hard time for that or--?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, it was forbidden.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So what would happen? Because I know, you guys have told us some stories, if you
guys spoke Spanish in school.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well you’d have to stay— stay after school for a few minutes or get a little lecture,
you know? "We want to help you. This is why we're saying do not speak Spanish, because we want to
help you to learn the language." They would give you a little talk, you know? And so the kids used to
sometimes whisper you know, in Spanish, to one another.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because they didn't want the teachers to hear.
>> Unidentified speaker: How did that feel? How did that feel to be told that you couldn't speak your
native language?
>> Doris Ceballos: It was so different because that was our language and that's how we knew how to
communicate. And all of a sudden, you know, it's a different language. Even today, I think Mexican and
Spanish before I think English, because that's how I was brought up.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, it's your first language.
>> Doris Ceballos: And the surroundings also. The Priest and--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Everything.
>> Doris Ceballos: -different everything was in Spanish.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And I find it interesting in my generation, when you were raising me, it was still kind
of frowned upon for us Mexican-Americans to be speaking English. So when I was raised, it was, you
spoke primarily English in the home. And it wasn't until I was you know, older and in school that I
actually learned some Spanish. And now, present day, it's kind of a -- sought after for someone to speak
multiple languages. So it's so interesting how it's gone from one extreme to the other in just the two
generations. So I appreciate the second language. I wish I knew it more, but there's still time for me to
learn more.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yeah.
>> Doris, I was wondering if you could paint a picture of Malaga, what it looked like, the town and the
surroundings and can you describe it?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well the homes were very small. And they were just put together.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And--
>> Cathleen Lozano: You've told me--
>> Doris Ceballos: Those trees—there was no streetlights. And like I said, you know, no facilities. And we
walked everywhere that we needed to go.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Tell me the story about the dirt and the grass. Remember the story you shared
about the first person that tried to grow grass?
>> Doris Ceballos: The lawn you mean?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah, because everybody had dirt in their lots.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then you remember, you told me about that first person that they had grass?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, they thought they were lazy. That they didn't want to pull their grass out.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Or the weeds, yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: The weeds. They were letting the weeds grow.
>>Unidentified Speaker: What was that story? That somebody tried to grow grass or--?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they were trying to grow a lawn, okay? And then the Mexican people, they
didn't know about growing a lawn, so they thought these people are lazy. They are not pulling those
weeds out. It was a lawn.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So--
>> Doris Ceballos: And I just have to tell this other little story that is so sad. But you know, Halloween
came around.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh.
>> Doris Ceballos: We didn't -- the parents didn't know about Halloween. We did at school but it was
just there and it was left there. But Halloween, people, you know, would get costumes and stuff but not
in our little town. So one of the families as kind of modern. And they had costumes. And they came
around dressed in their costumes, with their little bag for people to give them trick or treat. So they
came to our door and my -- and we knew the family. The kids were in costume but not their mother.
And she knocks on the door, the mother knocks on the door and my dad answers the door. And he says,
"Oh Josephina." Her name was Josephina. And [Foreign Language spoken]--
>> Cathleen Lozano: You can say it in Spanish.
>> Doris Ceballos: [Foreign language spoken] And my dad said, you know, "Are you needy? Do you need
help? Do you need food or anything like that?"
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, he didn't understand. Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: He didn't understand trick or treat.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: He thought that they were begging for food or money or whatever.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: So I thought, you know, those were the days.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, well, because it was just ignorance of certain things, not -- just because of not
being exposed to it. That's -- it's cute. It's funny.
>>Unidentified Speaker: We have about ten minutes left now. And I was kind of wondering, if you could
describe your parents and paint a picture of who they were in personality and looks?
>> Doris Ceballos: My dad was a hardworking man. He was really strong and he -- and you know, we had
to walk the line, especially the boys. He showed all his childr—sibli— sons to work hard and make a
living themselves. He worked from morning till night.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And he was small. He wasn't very tall.
>> Doris Ceballos: He wasn't very tall. He must have been about 5'6". My mother was a small woman
also. She loved her garden. Cooked, it seemed like all day, because they had to fix breakfast, and I mean
a full course breakfast. And then quickly, wash the dishes by hand, and start lunch. And then do some
gardening or do some washing or do other chores, come back and start the dinner. The tortillas by hand.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And things were not convenient. There were things like eggs had to be gathered.
And you know, there were not modern-
>> Doris Ceballos: They had to kill their own chickens.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then fix them. Fix the different recipes with--
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then tell about grandma. I never met her but she had a stroke.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, my mother had a stroke and was paralyzed for seven years.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And you must have been, I think about eighth grade. You had--
>> Doris Ceballos: High school, no just started grammar school.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Grammar school. And tell about how you -- where she was and how you had to go - how you got there to visit her.
>> Doris Ceballos: She was in the hospital and now we had to walk--
>> Cathleen Lozano: To Fresno.
>> Doris Ceballos: From Malaga to Fresno. And -- or take the bus, you know in--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The Greyhound.
>> Doris Ceballos: -into Fresno, the Greyhound bus into Fresno, then walk to the hospital check on my
mother. And she was there for seven years.
>> Cathleen Lozano: She was paralyzed from the neck down.
>> Doris Ceballos: Until the final stroke, and then she was gone.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, when grandma had the stroke, I remember you told me you were these young
girls, because most of the other siblings, because they were older, they were either married or starting
their own families. It kind of left the last three girls at home, and Aunt Margaret, your sibling right
before you, she had to take on the role of being the mother.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, she did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And she stopped school. She didn't go on with her schooling.
>> Doris Ceballos: No, she became a housewife.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, she took on the mother role. And I know it was hard for you guys because you
told me the story about -- because Grandma never let you guys cook. She did all the cooking. So tell me
how you guys learned how to cook.
>> Doris Ceballos: We had to learn on the job. Anyhow, we would start to cook, it was on top of the
stove.
>> Cathleen Lozano: A wood stove.
>> Doris Ceballos: A wood stove. And then what do you do next? Here you have a piece of meat or
whatever. What do you do next? You would put the oil or if you wanted to do a sauté or the oven or
whatever. But what do you—the spices—or how do you—
>> Cathleen Lozano: There were no cookbooks.
>> Doris Ceballos: So, no we didn’t have them. And we would go to the neighbors and here we'd take
the skillet with part of a food, and ask, "What do you do next?"
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And they would tell us, "Well, what did you put?" and they would put their finger and
taste, "No, no. You need this and you need--." So that's how we learned to cook.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And consequently, those -- you last three girls all cook differently.
>> Doris Ceballos: We all cook differently.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Because you learned from different neighbors, different people. Yes, I can't even
imagine.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because the houses were real close together.
>> Unidentified speaker: What kinds of foods did you cook most often?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, beans.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And rice. And always meat, but no bologna and all of that. It was just red meat or
pork.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Pork.
>> Doris Ceballos: And cheese.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Fresh produce if -- yeah. Fruit and vegetables. And you're a very good cook.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then on Fridays, my mother would bake empanadas. A big, big pot full of
empanadas, you know? She would layer them, you know? And some of the kids, they knew my mother
had the fresh baked goods, you know. And would come with us and there was enough for some of the—
>> Cathleen Lozano: Everybody.
>> Doris Ceballos: kids, some of our friends. But it was every Friday and she used the fruits that she had
canned during the summer.
>> Cathleen Lozano: But you didn't get to learn those recipes because she had her stroke and
consequently, like we've had to learn on our own, how to make tamales and stuff, and we don't have
her recipes. We've just had to try to figure it out because you lost her so young.
>> Doris Ceballos: I’m sorry.
>> Unidentified speaker: We just have about three more minutes left, so I wonder if you have any last
things that you want to say to each other.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Well, like I said, I'm very proud of you. I think -- I'm trying to pass on to my
daughter, "Don't forget your roots because there have been many sacrifices that have been made.
People have worked very hard to have what we have." And she's very fortunate that she's not had to go
through, nor I, had to go through some of the struggles that you went through growing up. Not that it
was necessarily a bad thing, because you guys had a lot of love, but it was difficult. Life was much more
difficult. And I just want my daughter to never forget that. And that's what I love about the three of us
having this time together, living with one another, because she still has the opportunity to hear these
stories from you. And I think she will keep all of this. She appreciates it.
>> Doris Ceballos: And I'm proud of you too honey.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Thank you, mom.
>> Doris Ceballos: And you’re doing a really good job with your daughter.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Thank you.
>> Doris Ceballos: She's a bright girl. And she's in the right track, all because of your guidance.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Well, and yours too. I learned from you.
>> Doris Ceballos: So, there's a lot of hope there.
am in Fresno, California. And I am here today with my mother who I'll be interviewing.
>> Doris Ceballos: My name is Doris Martinez Ceballos. I am 86 years old. And today's date is April 17th,
2012?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Sixteen.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh, 12—16. I'm sorry. And in Fresno, California. And I'm here with my daughter. I'm
sorry I made a mistake. Do you know why? Because today would be the day my mother died.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, that April the 12th. Well—
>> Doris Ceballos: Sad, a lot of things sad.
>> Cathleen Lozano: —so you are 86 and you brought up your mom. And why don't you tell me how
many people were -- how many children in your family.
>> Doris Ceballos: There were 11 children in our family: six boys and five girls.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And what number are you?
>> Doris Ceballos: I'm number 10 in the family.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. And where did your parents come from?
>> Doris Ceballos: They came from the old country, Mexico, from Guanajuato, Mexico.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know you've told me the stories that when they came to the United States,
they moved around a little bit, but they pretty much settled in California and primarily there in Malaga,
California. Describe Malaga when you were young, because you lived there like in the 1930s and the
'40s. What was Malaga like?
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh it was very small. Smaller than it is now. It was a simple way of life there. There
were no streetlights and the families were large. Mainly Mexican families. And some of them are related
or were related.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And they were big families too.
>> Doris Ceballos: Big families, for sure, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know that you guys lived there and you've told me that the house where you
guys lived, there was 11 kids and then your parents. That's a lot of people and the house was really
small. And I know you've told me that like you didn't have a lot of modern things like running water.
Describe you know, your home life. Like what it was like.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, it was, like I say, simple life. No facilities. No running water. We had an outhouse
and no plumbing. And wood stove. You cooked on a wood stove. And when it was really hot, some of
the families cooked outdoors under a tree.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because they didn't have the fans and air conditioning like they do now.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, very, very simple. So, you 11 kids did have an opportunity to go to school,
right? I think you've shared with me that you guys all went to a grammar school.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, I was in Malaga Grammar School. We did not speak English. And one of the things
after we enter school, they said, "No Spanish spoken, at all."
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow.
>> Doris Ceballos: And so it was very hard because we did not know the language.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know that some of the older brothers and sisters, they had to work to help the
family. So many of them couldn't continue their education, you've told me. But, I know you actually got
to go to high school. How many of you got to go to high school?
>> Doris Ceballos: Just the two of us: myself and my sister.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Your younger sister.
>> Doris Ceballos: My younger sister, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, and the high school, it wasn't in Malaga, right?
>> Doris Ceballos: No. Malaga was from the K to 8, and then we were bussed to Fowler [assumed
spelling], to Fowler High School. And they would pick -- if we were students, they would pick us up at the
Malaga Grammar School and drive us to Fowler High School, and back.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. So you did graduate, right?
>> Doris Ceballos: I did graduate.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And you got your diploma.
>> Doris Ceballos: I sure did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: What year did you graduate, Mom?
>> Doris Ceballos: I graduated in 1949.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I remember you told me you were the class of the forty-niners.
>> Doris Ceballos: It was the class of the forty-niners.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, after you graduated from high school, you told me you got your first job. And
you got an opportunity to work at the general store there in Malaga. And how did that come about?
How did you get that job opportunity?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, I had just graduated from high school and I had my diploma of course. And we
traded there. We went to that store for almost everything. And they needed help. And because I was
bilingual, you know the two languages, because a lot of the families didn't speak English. So, he -- the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The owner.
>> Doris Ceballos: The owner told me if I was interested in working there. And I says, "Well, you know, I
don't have experience. I'm just out of high school." And he says, "Well, I'm willing to teach you. We
really need someone like you." And I says, "Well, I'll have to speak with my dad, and we're going to talk
about it, and I'll get back to you." So I did speak to my dad and he says, "Well, it's up to you. It looks like
a safe place where it's close to home. You could -- it's within walking distance. It's okay with me if that's
what you want to do." So I went back and told Charles, the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The owner.
>> Doris Ceballos: -that, yes, I would give it a try.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. So, what were you going to do at the store? What was he hiring you to do?
Can you tell me what your job was?
>> Doris Ceballos: I was to be a clerk, a cashier, postal clerk, and an interpreter.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow, it's pretty important stuff that I think he had you doing. So, I find it
interesting they call it a general store. But you told me they had a lot of different things in this store. Can
you describe, you know, some of the things that they would carry in this general store?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they carried fresh produce, dairy products. They had a meat market, and of
course they had the staples that the Mexican people would be buying like—.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: —Beans and La pina [foreign name], the flour and the [foreign name], for tortillas and
baking--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah
>> Doris Ceballos: -for the families.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then they had some over the counter medications. You know, like aspirin,
rubbing alcohol. Just things that you would--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, basic necessities. And then you told me too that they had like one gas pump.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh yes, one gas pump. A person would park their car and fill their tank or however
money they had, and then they would go inside and tell us that -- how much they had put in their--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: -tank.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then I think you also have mentioned to me when you've told me these stories,
that they had a telephone.
>> Doris Ceballos: For emergencies only.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Okay. Wow, because people didn't have phones at home.
>> Doris Ceballos: When the telephone lines came in, they were party lines.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: You could hear all the conversations and sometimes people would say, "Get off the
line. I know you’re hearing—I know you’re listening." And but, we had phones.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. If it was the phones and if someone had an emergency, they could run to the
general store to use the phone. Wow. So Charles, the owner, he said he was going to train you to work
in the store. And I know you told me that there was this old equipment -- well, by today's standards, it
would be like old fashioned antique equipment. Like an adding machine, an old adding machine, and the
old fashioned cash register. So, describe to me, like how you used to use these pieces of equipment
when customers used to buy things. Because I think this is real interesting.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, the people that came or the customers, if they paid cash, of course you know I
use a cash register. And that equipment was so old and heavy. When you hit the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The buttons.
>> Doris Ceballos: -the buttons, and it would make a loud noise, like a bell ring. And then if they -- the
store or they had -- they could buy on credit too. And they had a credit book for each family. And they
would have their name on it and when they came to purchase the merchandise, it was all written in long
hand--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, all the items had to be written down.
>> Doris Ceballos: And after that, I used the adding machine. That had this big handle that was kind of
heavy. And you would--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Tally.
>> Doris Ceballos: -tally out the whole--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Of what they bought.
>> Doris Ceballos: -of what they bought, and at closing time, they would put these books in a safe. And
again, the safe was big and--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Old.
>> Doris Ceballos: -old and clumsy and put the books in there for safekeeping at night.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, the people that were buying on credit, they needed to do this why?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they didn't have enough money to make it for the week. And used to get paid by
the week or by the month, whatever. So they needed this. This was an advantage for them, you know,
that they could charge their food or whatever they needed--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: -and pay at the end of the week.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, and then you told me Charles was really kind. Tell me what they used to do
when they would come and pay.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, when they would come and pay their bill, he would throw a handful of penny
candy for the kids.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, how cute. So, you mentioned that you were also to be a postal clerk, but you
had to do something rather important before you were able to even handle the mail. Explain to me what
it was that you had to do.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh, I had to be sworn in. And it had to be downtown in Fresno, California. And one
morning, Charles, my boss says, "We're going to go to Fresno and you're going to get sworn in." And so,
we went to Fresno and met the post general.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Postmaster general.
>> Doris Ceballos: Postmaster general. And we talked for a little bit and then he pulled out the bible.
And he says, "Put your hand on the bible." And so, he proceeded to swear me in, and Charles was the
witness.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So then you became--
>> Doris Ceballos: Then I became a clerk--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Clerk.
>> Doris Ceballos: -a postal clerk. Then I could sell stamps, make money orders, weigh parcels, put the
mail in their mailboxes. And everything that a clerk would do at a post office.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. I--
>> Unidentified speaker: Doris, do you mind if I just ask like what was going through your head at that
time? Did you feel really special or did you -- like, how were you reacting, if you don't mind telling
Cathy?
>> Doris Ceballos: Do you mean while I was at the job?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Or the postal--
>> Doris Ceballos: I had to learn from scratch. And it was kind of scary but I was willing to learn because I
knew these were skills that I could use later on. And that was a good motivation for me.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I am curious. I want -- I love to hear when you told me about how the mail came to
Malaga because it's not what one would think. How did the mail get to Malaga?
>> Doris Ceballos: It got to Malaga by train. The railroad tracks to the south and pacific were just about a
long block from the store. And Charles, the boss, would take this heavy bag that had a combination.
>> Cathleen Lozano: It was like a canvas bag?
>> Doris Ceballos: A canvas bag, with the mail in. And he would walk it over there to the railroad track,
and the train would slow down, and give -- take the out mail, give him the in mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: In mail.
>> Doris Ceballos: He's walk back.
>> Cathleen Lozano: How cute.
>> Doris Ceballos: And with his sack of mail, and he would put it on the counter, and we would sort it
out. And the post office had mailboxes that had combinations on them. And the customers could--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Get access.
>> Doris Ceballos: -get their own mail from the outside. But a lot of them didn't know how to use the
combination to get their mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: So they would walk in the store and I would get the mail for them.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then, like you said, a lot of them didn't know because they didn't read or write
in English. And tell me some of the things you used to do for them. Most of them being the Mexican
people in town. You've shared with me like how you would read some of their mail. Tell me about that.
>> Doris Ceballos: People would get their mail, and of course if it was English, they did not know how to
read it. So they would ask me to read it for them, and I would read it and then I would translate what
the mail. And then sometimes they had short mail, not too much in the mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: In the letter.
>> Doris Ceballos: In the letter. And they would say, "Is that all?" And I would say, "Yes." "Is that all? Are
you sure?" And they would kind of peek over it.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: They didn't know how to read the mail but they were peeking over.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Hoping there was some— [inaudible].
>> Cathleen Lozano: Hoping. How cute.
>> Doris Ceballos: Something that I missed.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Unidentified speaker: What's a kind of typical thing that you would translate for people? What kind
of letters?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: A lot of them were from the Old Country. And then some were from their loved ones
that were in the service.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: And that was sad because they would start crying, you know, when they got their
letters.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: And they would be so grateful, you know, that I had read the letter, that they would
bring a piece of fruit and give me a piece of fruit or a candy bar. They were so grateful and thankful. I
would say, "You don't need to do that." And they says, "I want to."
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. You were really helpful. I just think for someone being that young, with that
much responsibility, I think an awful lot of you mom. And I'm so proud of you. And everything that
you've accomplished. You were the first one to kind of work out of the home. A female in your family.
And you were the only female to even learn how to drive. And you're this small, petite lady, and a lot of
times when people see you, they may think that you're very timid. But I always thought of you as being
very strong. And you've been a very good role model for me. And you've always encouraged me and to
pursue my education. And I can remember when I was so afraid to accept a position at the county
library. They had asked me to kind of fill in for the secretary, and I came to you and said that I was
afraid. And you said, "Cathy, they picked you. You have the skills. You can do it." And just like you had to
try, I did too. And I love you, and I'm so thankful that I have you. And I'm very proud of you.
>> Doris Ceballos: Thank you, honey.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I don't know what else to say.
>> Unidentified speaker: I have some questions, if you don't mind?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: I was wondering Doris, if you remember any particular instances of translating?
If there's any specific stories that come to mind? And it's okay if you can't think of it, but you said it was
really sad when they got letters from the Old Country or from somebody that was in the service. Do you
remember anybody in particular that you helped and you had a big impact on that person? Take your
time.
>> Doris Ceballos: I'm thinking of the people that were in the service. You know, I would try to
encourage them. They're going to come back and they're going to be safe. You know. So, and then I was
there for them, you know, if they needed me.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Because sometimes you would have to write things for them, too.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, I did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: Was it common for folks to go into the service that were from Malaga?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, I think all the young men?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, because they--
>> Cathleen Lozano: All your--
>> Doris Ceballos: -the draft too.
>> Cathleen Lozano: All your brothers went.
>> Doris Ceballos: Three of my brothers. The others were too old already.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. So a lot of the town people, the young men--
>> Doris Ceballos: That qualified, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: Some of them left their families -- you know, their wives and children.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. Well even, you've told me that like, your brothers left the wives there at your
home, so that you guys could take care of their families. Their young wives and some of their young
children, while they were away at -- in the service.
>> Doris Ceballos: And my brother Frank and Elsie [phonetic], had just gotten married, and she was
pregnant when my brother left for the service.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And he didn't come back until I think the little girl was like three years old.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: So he didn't know his own child, and they didn't have the electronics that they do
have now. They had to rely on the Red Cross, you know, for information. And some letters that would be
so outdated already.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: But they mostly relied on the Red Cross for information about their loved ones.
>>Unidentified speaker: Cathy, do you mind asking your mom about her name and the story?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, yes. I know we were talking about the names of your siblings and your name.
And you know, you guys, most of you have Mexican names. And you told me, and I know my uncles and
aunts have told me, their names were changed when they got into school. And, but your name, I could
never understand because your name is so Anglo. It's not Mexican at all. And so tell me this little story
about how you received your name. You're named Doris.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because I was the only child born in the hospital. And if you weren't ready to give your
child a name, they would always say "Mary." And for the boys, it would be "Jose." And my mother didn't
speak English.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: She didn't understand. And so they just said, "Maria" or something.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, your name's Maria.
>> Doris Ceballos: Maria. And then my sister was already grown, you know, and she says, "Well who's
that?" And my mother said, "Well that's the name they gave the baby." And she says, "No, I want the
name Doris, like Doris Day."
>> Cathleen Lozano: The movie star and singer.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, and they changed it to—
>> Cathleen Lozano: She changed it. She went down and changed it and that's how you became Doris.
>> Doris Ceballos: I became Doris. Some of the Mexican people at the store would call me Dora.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Dora. Oh gosh.
>> Doris Ceballos: That's okay.
>> Unidentified speaker: How about, you know, when you were in school and you said that you weren't
allowed to speak Spanish. Do you remember teachers kind of giving you a hard time for that or--?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, it was forbidden.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So what would happen? Because I know, you guys have told us some stories, if you
guys spoke Spanish in school.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well you’d have to stay— stay after school for a few minutes or get a little lecture,
you know? "We want to help you. This is why we're saying do not speak Spanish, because we want to
help you to learn the language." They would give you a little talk, you know? And so the kids used to
sometimes whisper you know, in Spanish, to one another.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because they didn't want the teachers to hear.
>> Unidentified speaker: How did that feel? How did that feel to be told that you couldn't speak your
native language?
>> Doris Ceballos: It was so different because that was our language and that's how we knew how to
communicate. And all of a sudden, you know, it's a different language. Even today, I think Mexican and
Spanish before I think English, because that's how I was brought up.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, it's your first language.
>> Doris Ceballos: And the surroundings also. The Priest and--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Everything.
>> Doris Ceballos: -different everything was in Spanish.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And I find it interesting in my generation, when you were raising me, it was still kind
of frowned upon for us Mexican-Americans to be speaking English. So when I was raised, it was, you
spoke primarily English in the home. And it wasn't until I was you know, older and in school that I
actually learned some Spanish. And now, present day, it's kind of a -- sought after for someone to speak
multiple languages. So it's so interesting how it's gone from one extreme to the other in just the two
generations. So I appreciate the second language. I wish I knew it more, but there's still time for me to
learn more.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yeah.
>> Doris, I was wondering if you could paint a picture of Malaga, what it looked like, the town and the
surroundings and can you describe it?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well the homes were very small. And they were just put together.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And--
>> Cathleen Lozano: You've told me--
>> Doris Ceballos: Those trees—there was no streetlights. And like I said, you know, no facilities. And we
walked everywhere that we needed to go.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Tell me the story about the dirt and the grass. Remember the story you shared
about the first person that tried to grow grass?
>> Doris Ceballos: The lawn you mean?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah, because everybody had dirt in their lots.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then you remember, you told me about that first person that they had grass?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, they thought they were lazy. That they didn't want to pull their grass out.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Or the weeds, yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: The weeds. They were letting the weeds grow.
>>Unidentified Speaker: What was that story? That somebody tried to grow grass or--?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they were trying to grow a lawn, okay? And then the Mexican people, they
didn't know about growing a lawn, so they thought these people are lazy. They are not pulling those
weeds out. It was a lawn.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So--
>> Doris Ceballos: And I just have to tell this other little story that is so sad. But you know, Halloween
came around.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh.
>> Doris Ceballos: We didn't -- the parents didn't know about Halloween. We did at school but it was
just there and it was left there. But Halloween, people, you know, would get costumes and stuff but not
in our little town. So one of the families as kind of modern. And they had costumes. And they came
around dressed in their costumes, with their little bag for people to give them trick or treat. So they
came to our door and my -- and we knew the family. The kids were in costume but not their mother.
And she knocks on the door, the mother knocks on the door and my dad answers the door. And he says,
"Oh Josephina." Her name was Josephina. And [Foreign Language spoken]--
>> Cathleen Lozano: You can say it in Spanish.
>> Doris Ceballos: [Foreign language spoken] And my dad said, you know, "Are you needy? Do you need
help? Do you need food or anything like that?"
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, he didn't understand. Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: He didn't understand trick or treat.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: He thought that they were begging for food or money or whatever.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: So I thought, you know, those were the days.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, well, because it was just ignorance of certain things, not -- just because of not
being exposed to it. That's -- it's cute. It's funny.
>>Unidentified Speaker: We have about ten minutes left now. And I was kind of wondering, if you could
describe your parents and paint a picture of who they were in personality and looks?
>> Doris Ceballos: My dad was a hardworking man. He was really strong and he -- and you know, we had
to walk the line, especially the boys. He showed all his childr—sibli— sons to work hard and make a
living themselves. He worked from morning till night.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And he was small. He wasn't very tall.
>> Doris Ceballos: He wasn't very tall. He must have been about 5'6". My mother was a small woman
also. She loved her garden. Cooked, it seemed like all day, because they had to fix breakfast, and I mean
a full course breakfast. And then quickly, wash the dishes by hand, and start lunch. And then do some
gardening or do some washing or do other chores, come back and start the dinner. The tortillas by hand.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And things were not convenient. There were things like eggs had to be gathered.
And you know, there were not modern-
>> Doris Ceballos: They had to kill their own chickens.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then fix them. Fix the different recipes with--
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then tell about grandma. I never met her but she had a stroke.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, my mother had a stroke and was paralyzed for seven years.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And you must have been, I think about eighth grade. You had--
>> Doris Ceballos: High school, no just started grammar school.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Grammar school. And tell about how you -- where she was and how you had to go - how you got there to visit her.
>> Doris Ceballos: She was in the hospital and now we had to walk--
>> Cathleen Lozano: To Fresno.
>> Doris Ceballos: From Malaga to Fresno. And -- or take the bus, you know in--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The Greyhound.
>> Doris Ceballos: -into Fresno, the Greyhound bus into Fresno, then walk to the hospital check on my
mother. And she was there for seven years.
>> Cathleen Lozano: She was paralyzed from the neck down.
>> Doris Ceballos: Until the final stroke, and then she was gone.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, when grandma had the stroke, I remember you told me you were these young
girls, because most of the other siblings, because they were older, they were either married or starting
their own families. It kind of left the last three girls at home, and Aunt Margaret, your sibling right
before you, she had to take on the role of being the mother.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, she did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And she stopped school. She didn't go on with her schooling.
>> Doris Ceballos: No, she became a housewife.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, she took on the mother role. And I know it was hard for you guys because you
told me the story about -- because Grandma never let you guys cook. She did all the cooking. So tell me
how you guys learned how to cook.
>> Doris Ceballos: We had to learn on the job. Anyhow, we would start to cook, it was on top of the
stove.
>> Cathleen Lozano: A wood stove.
>> Doris Ceballos: A wood stove. And then what do you do next? Here you have a piece of meat or
whatever. What do you do next? You would put the oil or if you wanted to do a sauté or the oven or
whatever. But what do you—the spices—or how do you—
>> Cathleen Lozano: There were no cookbooks.
>> Doris Ceballos: So, no we didn’t have them. And we would go to the neighbors and here we'd take
the skillet with part of a food, and ask, "What do you do next?"
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And they would tell us, "Well, what did you put?" and they would put their finger and
taste, "No, no. You need this and you need--." So that's how we learned to cook.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And consequently, those -- you last three girls all cook differently.
>> Doris Ceballos: We all cook differently.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Because you learned from different neighbors, different people. Yes, I can't even
imagine.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because the houses were real close together.
>> Unidentified speaker: What kinds of foods did you cook most often?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, beans.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And rice. And always meat, but no bologna and all of that. It was just red meat or
pork.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Pork.
>> Doris Ceballos: And cheese.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Fresh produce if -- yeah. Fruit and vegetables. And you're a very good cook.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then on Fridays, my mother would bake empanadas. A big, big pot full of
empanadas, you know? She would layer them, you know? And some of the kids, they knew my mother
had the fresh baked goods, you know. And would come with us and there was enough for some of the—
>> Cathleen Lozano: Everybody.
>> Doris Ceballos: kids, some of our friends. But it was every Friday and she used the fruits that she had
canned during the summer.
>> Cathleen Lozano: But you didn't get to learn those recipes because she had her stroke and
consequently, like we've had to learn on our own, how to make tamales and stuff, and we don't have
her recipes. We've just had to try to figure it out because you lost her so young.
>> Doris Ceballos: I’m sorry.
>> Unidentified speaker: We just have about three more minutes left, so I wonder if you have any last
things that you want to say to each other.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Well, like I said, I'm very proud of you. I think -- I'm trying to pass on to my
daughter, "Don't forget your roots because there have been many sacrifices that have been made.
People have worked very hard to have what we have." And she's very fortunate that she's not had to go
through, nor I, had to go through some of the struggles that you went through growing up. Not that it
was necessarily a bad thing, because you guys had a lot of love, but it was difficult. Life was much more
difficult. And I just want my daughter to never forget that. And that's what I love about the three of us
having this time together, living with one another, because she still has the opportunity to hear these
stories from you. And I think she will keep all of this. She appreciates it.
>> Doris Ceballos: And I'm proud of you too honey.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Thank you, mom.
>> Doris Ceballos: And you’re doing a really good job with your daughter.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Thank you.
>> Doris Ceballos: She's a bright girl. And she's in the right track, all because of your guidance.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Well, and yours too. I learned from you.
>> Doris Ceballos: So, there's a lot of hope there.
>> Cathleen Lozano: My name is Cathy Ceballos Lozano, and I am 53. And today is April 17th, 2016 and I
am in Fresno, California. And I am here today with my mother who I'll be interviewing.
>> Doris Ceballos: My name is Doris Martinez Ceballos. I am 86 years old. And today's date is April 17th,
2012?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Sixteen.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh, 12—16. I'm sorry. And in Fresno, California. And I'm here with my daughter. I'm
sorry I made a mistake. Do you know why? Because today would be the day my mother died.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, that April the 12th. Well—
>> Doris Ceballos: Sad, a lot of things sad.
>> Cathleen Lozano: —so you are 86 and you brought up your mom. And why don't you tell me how
many people were -- how many children in your family.
>> Doris Ceballos: There were 11 children in our family: six boys and five girls.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And what number are you?
>> Doris Ceballos: I'm number 10 in the family.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. And where did your parents come from?
>> Doris Ceballos: They came from the old country, Mexico, from Guanajuato, Mexico.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know you've told me the stories that when they came to the United States,
they moved around a little bit, but they pretty much settled in California and primarily there in Malaga,
California. Describe Malaga when you were young, because you lived there like in the 1930s and the
'40s. What was Malaga like?
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh it was very small. Smaller than it is now. It was a simple way of life there. There
were no streetlights and the families were large. Mainly Mexican families. And some of them are related
or were related.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And they were big families too.
>> Doris Ceballos: Big families, for sure, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know that you guys lived there and you've told me that the house where you
guys lived, there was 11 kids and then your parents. That's a lot of people and the house was really
small. And I know you've told me that like you didn't have a lot of modern things like running water.
Describe you know, your home life. Like what it was like.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, it was, like I say, simple life. No facilities. No running water. We had an outhouse
and no plumbing. And wood stove. You cooked on a wood stove. And when it was really hot, some of
the families cooked outdoors under a tree.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because they didn't have the fans and air conditioning like they do now.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, very, very simple. So, you 11 kids did have an opportunity to go to school,
right? I think you've shared with me that you guys all went to a grammar school.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, I was in Malaga Grammar School. We did not speak English. And one of the things
after we enter school, they said, "No Spanish spoken, at all."
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow.
>> Doris Ceballos: And so it was very hard because we did not know the language.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know that some of the older brothers and sisters, they had to work to help the
family. So many of them couldn't continue their education, you've told me. But, I know you actually got
to go to high school. How many of you got to go to high school?
>> Doris Ceballos: Just the two of us: myself and my sister.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Your younger sister.
>> Doris Ceballos: My younger sister, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, and the high school, it wasn't in Malaga, right?
>> Doris Ceballos: No. Malaga was from the K to 8, and then we were bussed to Fowler [assumed
spelling], to Fowler High School. And they would pick -- if we were students, they would pick us up at the
Malaga Grammar School and drive us to Fowler High School, and back.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. So you did graduate, right?
>> Doris Ceballos: I did graduate.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And you got your diploma.
>> Doris Ceballos: I sure did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: What year did you graduate, Mom?
>> Doris Ceballos: I graduated in 1949.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I remember you told me you were the class of the forty-niners.
>> Doris Ceballos: It was the class of the forty-niners.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, after you graduated from high school, you told me you got your first job. And
you got an opportunity to work at the general store there in Malaga. And how did that come about?
How did you get that job opportunity?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, I had just graduated from high school and I had my diploma of course. And we
traded there. We went to that store for almost everything. And they needed help. And because I was
bilingual, you know the two languages, because a lot of the families didn't speak English. So, he -- the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The owner.
>> Doris Ceballos: The owner told me if I was interested in working there. And I says, "Well, you know, I
don't have experience. I'm just out of high school." And he says, "Well, I'm willing to teach you. We
really need someone like you." And I says, "Well, I'll have to speak with my dad, and we're going to talk
about it, and I'll get back to you." So I did speak to my dad and he says, "Well, it's up to you. It looks like
a safe place where it's close to home. You could -- it's within walking distance. It's okay with me if that's
what you want to do." So I went back and told Charles, the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The owner.
>> Doris Ceballos: -that, yes, I would give it a try.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. So, what were you going to do at the store? What was he hiring you to do?
Can you tell me what your job was?
>> Doris Ceballos: I was to be a clerk, a cashier, postal clerk, and an interpreter.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow, it's pretty important stuff that I think he had you doing. So, I find it
interesting they call it a general store. But you told me they had a lot of different things in this store. Can
you describe, you know, some of the things that they would carry in this general store?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they carried fresh produce, dairy products. They had a meat market, and of
course they had the staples that the Mexican people would be buying like—.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: —Beans and La pina [foreign name], the flour and the [foreign name], for tortillas and
baking--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah
>> Doris Ceballos: -for the families.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then they had some over the counter medications. You know, like aspirin,
rubbing alcohol. Just things that you would--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, basic necessities. And then you told me too that they had like one gas pump.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh yes, one gas pump. A person would park their car and fill their tank or however
money they had, and then they would go inside and tell us that -- how much they had put in their--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: -tank.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then I think you also have mentioned to me when you've told me these stories,
that they had a telephone.
>> Doris Ceballos: For emergencies only.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Okay. Wow, because people didn't have phones at home.
>> Doris Ceballos: When the telephone lines came in, they were party lines.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: You could hear all the conversations and sometimes people would say, "Get off the
line. I know you’re hearing—I know you’re listening." And but, we had phones.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. If it was the phones and if someone had an emergency, they could run to the
general store to use the phone. Wow. So Charles, the owner, he said he was going to train you to work
in the store. And I know you told me that there was this old equipment -- well, by today's standards, it
would be like old fashioned antique equipment. Like an adding machine, an old adding machine, and the
old fashioned cash register. So, describe to me, like how you used to use these pieces of equipment
when customers used to buy things. Because I think this is real interesting.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, the people that came or the customers, if they paid cash, of course you know I
use a cash register. And that equipment was so old and heavy. When you hit the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The buttons.
>> Doris Ceballos: -the buttons, and it would make a loud noise, like a bell ring. And then if they -- the
store or they had -- they could buy on credit too. And they had a credit book for each family. And they
would have their name on it and when they came to purchase the merchandise, it was all written in long
hand--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, all the items had to be written down.
>> Doris Ceballos: And after that, I used the adding machine. That had this big handle that was kind of
heavy. And you would--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Tally.
>> Doris Ceballos: -tally out the whole--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Of what they bought.
>> Doris Ceballos: -of what they bought, and at closing time, they would put these books in a safe. And
again, the safe was big and--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Old.
>> Doris Ceballos: -old and clumsy and put the books in there for safekeeping at night.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, the people that were buying on credit, they needed to do this why?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they didn't have enough money to make it for the week. And used to get paid by
the week or by the month, whatever. So they needed this. This was an advantage for them, you know,
that they could charge their food or whatever they needed--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: -and pay at the end of the week.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, and then you told me Charles was really kind. Tell me what they used to do
when they would come and pay.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, when they would come and pay their bill, he would throw a handful of penny
candy for the kids.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, how cute. So, you mentioned that you were also to be a postal clerk, but you
had to do something rather important before you were able to even handle the mail. Explain to me what
it was that you had to do.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh, I had to be sworn in. And it had to be downtown in Fresno, California. And one
morning, Charles, my boss says, "We're going to go to Fresno and you're going to get sworn in." And so,
we went to Fresno and met the post general.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Postmaster general.
>> Doris Ceballos: Postmaster general. And we talked for a little bit and then he pulled out the bible.
And he says, "Put your hand on the bible." And so, he proceeded to swear me in, and Charles was the
witness.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So then you became--
>> Doris Ceballos: Then I became a clerk--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Clerk.
>> Doris Ceballos: -a postal clerk. Then I could sell stamps, make money orders, weigh parcels, put the
mail in their mailboxes. And everything that a clerk would do at a post office.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. I--
>> Unidentified speaker: Doris, do you mind if I just ask like what was going through your head at that
time? Did you feel really special or did you -- like, how were you reacting, if you don't mind telling
Cathy?
>> Doris Ceballos: Do you mean while I was at the job?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Or the postal--
>> Doris Ceballos: I had to learn from scratch. And it was kind of scary but I was willing to learn because I
knew these were skills that I could use later on. And that was a good motivation for me.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I am curious. I want -- I love to hear when you told me about how the mail came to
Malaga because it's not what one would think. How did the mail get to Malaga?
>> Doris Ceballos: It got to Malaga by train. The railroad tracks to the south and pacific were just about a
long block from the store. And Charles, the boss, would take this heavy bag that had a combination.
>> Cathleen Lozano: It was like a canvas bag?
>> Doris Ceballos: A canvas bag, with the mail in. And he would walk it over there to the railroad track,
and the train would slow down, and give -- take the out mail, give him the in mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: In mail.
>> Doris Ceballos: He's walk back.
>> Cathleen Lozano: How cute.
>> Doris Ceballos: And with his sack of mail, and he would put it on the counter, and we would sort it
out. And the post office had mailboxes that had combinations on them. And the customers could--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Get access.
>> Doris Ceballos: -get their own mail from the outside. But a lot of them didn't know how to use the
combination to get their mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: So they would walk in the store and I would get the mail for them.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then, like you said, a lot of them didn't know because they didn't read or write
in English. And tell me some of the things you used to do for them. Most of them being the Mexican
people in town. You've shared with me like how you would read some of their mail. Tell me about that.
>> Doris Ceballos: People would get their mail, and of course if it was English, they did not know how to
read it. So they would ask me to read it for them, and I would read it and then I would translate what
the mail. And then sometimes they had short mail, not too much in the mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: In the letter.
>> Doris Ceballos: In the letter. And they would say, "Is that all?" And I would say, "Yes." "Is that all? Are
you sure?" And they would kind of peek over it.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: They didn't know how to read the mail but they were peeking over.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Hoping there was some— [inaudible].
>> Cathleen Lozano: Hoping. How cute.
>> Doris Ceballos: Something that I missed.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Unidentified speaker: What's a kind of typical thing that you would translate for people? What kind
of letters?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: A lot of them were from the Old Country. And then some were from their loved ones
that were in the service.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: And that was sad because they would start crying, you know, when they got their
letters.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: And they would be so grateful, you know, that I had read the letter, that they would
bring a piece of fruit and give me a piece of fruit or a candy bar. They were so grateful and thankful. I
would say, "You don't need to do that." And they says, "I want to."
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. You were really helpful. I just think for someone being that young, with that
much responsibility, I think an awful lot of you mom. And I'm so proud of you. And everything that
you've accomplished. You were the first one to kind of work out of the home. A female in your family.
And you were the only female to even learn how to drive. And you're this small, petite lady, and a lot of
times when people see you, they may think that you're very timid. But I always thought of you as being
very strong. And you've been a very good role model for me. And you've always encouraged me and to
pursue my education. And I can remember when I was so afraid to accept a position at the county
library. They had asked me to kind of fill in for the secretary, and I came to you and said that I was
afraid. And you said, "Cathy, they picked you. You have the skills. You can do it." And just like you had to
try, I did too. And I love you, and I'm so thankful that I have you. And I'm very proud of you.
>> Doris Ceballos: Thank you, honey.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I don't know what else to say.
>> Unidentified speaker: I have some questions, if you don't mind?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: I was wondering Doris, if you remember any particular instances of translating?
If there's any specific stories that come to mind? And it's okay if you can't think of it, but you said it was
really sad when they got letters from the Old Country or from somebody that was in the service. Do you
remember anybody in particular that you helped and you had a big impact on that person? Take your
time.
>> Doris Ceballos: I'm thinking of the people that were in the service. You know, I would try to
encourage them. They're going to come back and they're going to be safe. You know. So, and then I was
there for them, you know, if they needed me.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Because sometimes you would have to write things for them, too.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, I did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: Was it common for folks to go into the service that were from Malaga?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, I think all the young men?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, because they--
>> Cathleen Lozano: All your--
>> Doris Ceballos: -the draft too.
>> Cathleen Lozano: All your brothers went.
>> Doris Ceballos: Three of my brothers. The others were too old already.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. So a lot of the town people, the young men--
>> Doris Ceballos: That qualified, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: Some of them left their families -- you know, their wives and children.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. Well even, you've told me that like, your brothers left the wives there at your
home, so that you guys could take care of their families. Their young wives and some of their young
children, while they were away at -- in the service.
>> Doris Ceballos: And my brother Frank and Elsie [phonetic], had just gotten married, and she was
pregnant when my brother left for the service.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And he didn't come back until I think the little girl was like three years old.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: So he didn't know his own child, and they didn't have the electronics that they do
have now. They had to rely on the Red Cross, you know, for information. And some letters that would be
so outdated already.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: But they mostly relied on the Red Cross for information about their loved ones.
>>Unidentified speaker: Cathy, do you mind asking your mom about her name and the story?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, yes. I know we were talking about the names of your siblings and your name.
And you know, you guys, most of you have Mexican names. And you told me, and I know my uncles and
aunts have told me, their names were changed when they got into school. And, but your name, I could
never understand because your name is so Anglo. It's not Mexican at all. And so tell me this little story
about how you received your name. You're named Doris.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because I was the only child born in the hospital. And if you weren't ready to give your
child a name, they would always say "Mary." And for the boys, it would be "Jose." And my mother didn't
speak English.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: She didn't understand. And so they just said, "Maria" or something.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, your name's Maria.
>> Doris Ceballos: Maria. And then my sister was already grown, you know, and she says, "Well who's
that?" And my mother said, "Well that's the name they gave the baby." And she says, "No, I want the
name Doris, like Doris Day."
>> Cathleen Lozano: The movie star and singer.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, and they changed it to—
>> Cathleen Lozano: She changed it. She went down and changed it and that's how you became Doris.
>> Doris Ceballos: I became Doris. Some of the Mexican people at the store would call me Dora.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Dora. Oh gosh.
>> Doris Ceballos: That's okay.
>> Unidentified speaker: How about, you know, when you were in school and you said that you weren't
allowed to speak Spanish. Do you remember teachers kind of giving you a hard time for that or--?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, it was forbidden.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So what would happen? Because I know, you guys have told us some stories, if you
guys spoke Spanish in school.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well you’d have to stay— stay after school for a few minutes or get a little lecture,
you know? "We want to help you. This is why we're saying do not speak Spanish, because we want to
help you to learn the language." They would give you a little talk, you know? And so the kids used to
sometimes whisper you know, in Spanish, to one another.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because they didn't want the teachers to hear.
>> Unidentified speaker: How did that feel? How did that feel to be told that you couldn't speak your
native language?
>> Doris Ceballos: It was so different because that was our language and that's how we knew how to
communicate. And all of a sudden, you know, it's a different language. Even today, I think Mexican and
Spanish before I think English, because that's how I was brought up.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, it's your first language.
>> Doris Ceballos: And the surroundings also. The Priest and--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Everything.
>> Doris Ceballos: -different everything was in Spanish.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And I find it interesting in my generation, when you were raising me, it was still kind
of frowned upon for us Mexican-Americans to be speaking English. So when I was raised, it was, you
spoke primarily English in the home. And it wasn't until I was you know, older and in school that I
actually learned some Spanish. And now, present day, it's kind of a -- sought after for someone to speak
multiple languages. So it's so interesting how it's gone from one extreme to the other in just the two
generations. So I appreciate the second language. I wish I knew it more, but there's still time for me to
learn more.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yeah.
>> Doris, I was wondering if you could paint a picture of Malaga, what it looked like, the town and the
surroundings and can you describe it?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well the homes were very small. And they were just put together.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And--
>> Cathleen Lozano: You've told me--
>> Doris Ceballos: Those trees—there was no streetlights. And like I said, you know, no facilities. And we
walked everywhere that we needed to go.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Tell me the story about the dirt and the grass. Remember the story you shared
about the first person that tried to grow grass?
>> Doris Ceballos: The lawn you mean?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah, because everybody had dirt in their lots.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then you remember, you told me about that first person that they had grass?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, they thought they were lazy. That they didn't want to pull their grass out.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Or the weeds, yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: The weeds. They were letting the weeds grow.
>>Unidentified Speaker: What was that story? That somebody tried to grow grass or--?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they were trying to grow a lawn, okay? And then the Mexican people, they
didn't know about growing a lawn, so they thought these people are lazy. They are not pulling those
weeds out. It was a lawn.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So--
>> Doris Ceballos: And I just have to tell this other little story that is so sad. But you know, Halloween
came around.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh.
>> Doris Ceballos: We didn't -- the parents didn't know about Halloween. We did at school but it was
just there and it was left there. But Halloween, people, you know, would get costumes and stuff but not
in our little town. So one of the families as kind of modern. And they had costumes. And they came
around dressed in their costumes, with their little bag for people to give them trick or treat. So they
came to our door and my -- and we knew the family. The kids were in costume but not their mother.
And she knocks on the door, the mother knocks on the door and my dad answers the door. And he says,
"Oh Josephina." Her name was Josephina. And [Foreign Language spoken]--
>> Cathleen Lozano: You can say it in Spanish.
>> Doris Ceballos: [Foreign language spoken] And my dad said, you know, "Are you needy? Do you need
help? Do you need food or anything like that?"
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, he didn't understand. Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: He didn't understand trick or treat.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: He thought that they were begging for food or money or whatever.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: So I thought, you know, those were the days.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, well, because it was just ignorance of certain things, not -- just because of not
being exposed to it. That's -- it's cute. It's funny.
>>Unidentified Speaker: We have about ten minutes left now. And I was kind of wondering, if you could
describe your parents and paint a picture of who they were in personality and looks?
>> Doris Ceballos: My dad was a hardworking man. He was really strong and he -- and you know, we had
to walk the line, especially the boys. He showed all his childr—sibli— sons to work hard and make a
living themselves. He worked from morning till night.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And he was small. He wasn't very tall.
>> Doris Ceballos: He wasn't very tall. He must have been about 5'6". My mother was a small woman
also. She loved her garden. Cooked, it seemed like all day, because they had to fix breakfast, and I mean
a full course breakfast. And then quickly, wash the dishes by hand, and start lunch. And then do some
gardening or do some washing or do other chores, come back and start the dinner. The tortillas by hand.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And things were not convenient. There were things like eggs had to be gathered.
And you know, there were not modern-
>> Doris Ceballos: They had to kill their own chickens.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then fix them. Fix the different recipes with--
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then tell about grandma. I never met her but she had a stroke.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, my mother had a stroke and was paralyzed for seven years.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And you must have been, I think about eighth grade. You had--
>> Doris Ceballos: High school, no just started grammar school.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Grammar school. And tell about how you -- where she was and how you had to go - how you got there to visit her.
>> Doris Ceballos: She was in the hospital and now we had to walk--
>> Cathleen Lozano: To Fresno.
>> Doris Ceballos: From Malaga to Fresno. And -- or take the bus, you know in--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The Greyhound.
>> Doris Ceballos: -into Fresno, the Greyhound bus into Fresno, then walk to the hospital check on my
mother. And she was there for seven years.
>> Cathleen Lozano: She was paralyzed from the neck down.
>> Doris Ceballos: Until the final stroke, and then she was gone.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, when grandma had the stroke, I remember you told me you were these young
girls, because most of the other siblings, because they were older, they were either married or starting
their own families. It kind of left the last three girls at home, and Aunt Margaret, your sibling right
before you, she had to take on the role of being the mother.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, she did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And she stopped school. She didn't go on with her schooling.
>> Doris Ceballos: No, she became a housewife.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, she took on the mother role. And I know it was hard for you guys because you
told me the story about -- because Grandma never let you guys cook. She did all the cooking. So tell me
how you guys learned how to cook.
>> Doris Ceballos: We had to learn on the job. Anyhow, we would start to cook, it was on top of the
stove.
>> Cathleen Lozano: A wood stove.
>> Doris Ceballos: A wood stove. And then what do you do next? Here you have a piece of meat or
whatever. What do you do next? You would put the oil or if you wanted to do a sauté or the oven or
whatever. But what do you—the spices—or how do you—
>> Cathleen Lozano: There were no cookbooks.
>> Doris Ceballos: So, no we didn’t have them. And we would go to the neighbors and here we'd take
the skillet with part of a food, and ask, "What do you do next?"
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And they would tell us, "Well, what did you put?" and they would put their finger and
taste, "No, no. You need this and you need--." So that's how we learned to cook.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And consequently, those -- you last three girls all cook differently.
>> Doris Ceballos: We all cook differently.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Because you learned from different neighbors, different people. Yes, I can't even
imagine.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because the houses were real close together.
>> Unidentified speaker: What kinds of foods did you cook most often?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, beans.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And rice. And always meat, but no bologna and all of that. It was just red meat or
pork.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Pork.
>> Doris Ceballos: And cheese.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Fresh produce if -- yeah. Fruit and vegetables. And you're a very good cook.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then on Fridays, my mother would bake empanadas. A big, big pot full of
empanadas, you know? She would layer them, you know? And some of the kids, they knew my mother
had the fresh baked goods, you know. And would come with us and there was enough for some of the—
>> Cathleen Lozano: Everybody.
>> Doris Ceballos: kids, some of our friends. But it was every Friday and she used the fruits that she had
canned during the summer.
>> Cathleen Lozano: But you didn't get to learn those recipes because she had her stroke and
consequently, like we've had to learn on our own, how to make tamales and stuff, and we don't have
her recipes. We've just had to try to figure it out because you lost her so young.
>> Doris Ceballos: I’m sorry.
>> Unidentified speaker: We just have about three more minutes left, so I wonder if you have any last
things that you want to say to each other.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Well, like I said, I'm very proud of you. I think -- I'm trying to pass on to my
daughter, "Don't forget your roots because there have been many sacrifices that have been made.
People have worked very hard to have what we have." And she's very fortunate that she's not had to go
through, nor I, had to go through some of the struggles that you went through growing up. Not that it
was necessarily a bad thing, because you guys had a lot of love, but it was difficult. Life was much more
difficult. And I just want my daughter to never forget that. And that's what I love about the three of us
having this time together, living with one another, because she still has the opportunity to hear these
stories from you. And I think she will keep all of this. She appreciates it.
>> Doris Ceballos: And I'm proud of you too honey.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Thank you, mom.
>> Doris Ceballos: And you’re doing a really good job with your daughter.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Thank you.
>> Doris Ceballos: She's a bright girl. And she's in the right track, all because of your guidance.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Well, and yours too. I learned from you.
>> Doris Ceballos: So, there's a lot of hope there.
am in Fresno, California. And I am here today with my mother who I'll be interviewing.
>> Doris Ceballos: My name is Doris Martinez Ceballos. I am 86 years old. And today's date is April 17th,
2012?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Sixteen.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh, 12—16. I'm sorry. And in Fresno, California. And I'm here with my daughter. I'm
sorry I made a mistake. Do you know why? Because today would be the day my mother died.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, that April the 12th. Well—
>> Doris Ceballos: Sad, a lot of things sad.
>> Cathleen Lozano: —so you are 86 and you brought up your mom. And why don't you tell me how
many people were -- how many children in your family.
>> Doris Ceballos: There were 11 children in our family: six boys and five girls.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And what number are you?
>> Doris Ceballos: I'm number 10 in the family.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. And where did your parents come from?
>> Doris Ceballos: They came from the old country, Mexico, from Guanajuato, Mexico.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know you've told me the stories that when they came to the United States,
they moved around a little bit, but they pretty much settled in California and primarily there in Malaga,
California. Describe Malaga when you were young, because you lived there like in the 1930s and the
'40s. What was Malaga like?
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh it was very small. Smaller than it is now. It was a simple way of life there. There
were no streetlights and the families were large. Mainly Mexican families. And some of them are related
or were related.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And they were big families too.
>> Doris Ceballos: Big families, for sure, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know that you guys lived there and you've told me that the house where you
guys lived, there was 11 kids and then your parents. That's a lot of people and the house was really
small. And I know you've told me that like you didn't have a lot of modern things like running water.
Describe you know, your home life. Like what it was like.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, it was, like I say, simple life. No facilities. No running water. We had an outhouse
and no plumbing. And wood stove. You cooked on a wood stove. And when it was really hot, some of
the families cooked outdoors under a tree.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because they didn't have the fans and air conditioning like they do now.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, very, very simple. So, you 11 kids did have an opportunity to go to school,
right? I think you've shared with me that you guys all went to a grammar school.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, I was in Malaga Grammar School. We did not speak English. And one of the things
after we enter school, they said, "No Spanish spoken, at all."
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow.
>> Doris Ceballos: And so it was very hard because we did not know the language.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, I know that some of the older brothers and sisters, they had to work to help the
family. So many of them couldn't continue their education, you've told me. But, I know you actually got
to go to high school. How many of you got to go to high school?
>> Doris Ceballos: Just the two of us: myself and my sister.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Your younger sister.
>> Doris Ceballos: My younger sister, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, and the high school, it wasn't in Malaga, right?
>> Doris Ceballos: No. Malaga was from the K to 8, and then we were bussed to Fowler [assumed
spelling], to Fowler High School. And they would pick -- if we were students, they would pick us up at the
Malaga Grammar School and drive us to Fowler High School, and back.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. So you did graduate, right?
>> Doris Ceballos: I did graduate.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And you got your diploma.
>> Doris Ceballos: I sure did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: What year did you graduate, Mom?
>> Doris Ceballos: I graduated in 1949.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I remember you told me you were the class of the forty-niners.
>> Doris Ceballos: It was the class of the forty-niners.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, after you graduated from high school, you told me you got your first job. And
you got an opportunity to work at the general store there in Malaga. And how did that come about?
How did you get that job opportunity?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, I had just graduated from high school and I had my diploma of course. And we
traded there. We went to that store for almost everything. And they needed help. And because I was
bilingual, you know the two languages, because a lot of the families didn't speak English. So, he -- the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The owner.
>> Doris Ceballos: The owner told me if I was interested in working there. And I says, "Well, you know, I
don't have experience. I'm just out of high school." And he says, "Well, I'm willing to teach you. We
really need someone like you." And I says, "Well, I'll have to speak with my dad, and we're going to talk
about it, and I'll get back to you." So I did speak to my dad and he says, "Well, it's up to you. It looks like
a safe place where it's close to home. You could -- it's within walking distance. It's okay with me if that's
what you want to do." So I went back and told Charles, the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The owner.
>> Doris Ceballos: -that, yes, I would give it a try.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. So, what were you going to do at the store? What was he hiring you to do?
Can you tell me what your job was?
>> Doris Ceballos: I was to be a clerk, a cashier, postal clerk, and an interpreter.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow, it's pretty important stuff that I think he had you doing. So, I find it
interesting they call it a general store. But you told me they had a lot of different things in this store. Can
you describe, you know, some of the things that they would carry in this general store?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they carried fresh produce, dairy products. They had a meat market, and of
course they had the staples that the Mexican people would be buying like—.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: —Beans and La pina [foreign name], the flour and the [foreign name], for tortillas and
baking--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah
>> Doris Ceballos: -for the families.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then they had some over the counter medications. You know, like aspirin,
rubbing alcohol. Just things that you would--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, basic necessities. And then you told me too that they had like one gas pump.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh yes, one gas pump. A person would park their car and fill their tank or however
money they had, and then they would go inside and tell us that -- how much they had put in their--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: -tank.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then I think you also have mentioned to me when you've told me these stories,
that they had a telephone.
>> Doris Ceballos: For emergencies only.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Okay. Wow, because people didn't have phones at home.
>> Doris Ceballos: When the telephone lines came in, they were party lines.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: You could hear all the conversations and sometimes people would say, "Get off the
line. I know you’re hearing—I know you’re listening." And but, we had phones.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. If it was the phones and if someone had an emergency, they could run to the
general store to use the phone. Wow. So Charles, the owner, he said he was going to train you to work
in the store. And I know you told me that there was this old equipment -- well, by today's standards, it
would be like old fashioned antique equipment. Like an adding machine, an old adding machine, and the
old fashioned cash register. So, describe to me, like how you used to use these pieces of equipment
when customers used to buy things. Because I think this is real interesting.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, the people that came or the customers, if they paid cash, of course you know I
use a cash register. And that equipment was so old and heavy. When you hit the--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The buttons.
>> Doris Ceballos: -the buttons, and it would make a loud noise, like a bell ring. And then if they -- the
store or they had -- they could buy on credit too. And they had a credit book for each family. And they
would have their name on it and when they came to purchase the merchandise, it was all written in long
hand--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, all the items had to be written down.
>> Doris Ceballos: And after that, I used the adding machine. That had this big handle that was kind of
heavy. And you would--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Tally.
>> Doris Ceballos: -tally out the whole--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Of what they bought.
>> Doris Ceballos: -of what they bought, and at closing time, they would put these books in a safe. And
again, the safe was big and--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Old.
>> Doris Ceballos: -old and clumsy and put the books in there for safekeeping at night.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, the people that were buying on credit, they needed to do this why?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they didn't have enough money to make it for the week. And used to get paid by
the week or by the month, whatever. So they needed this. This was an advantage for them, you know,
that they could charge their food or whatever they needed--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: -and pay at the end of the week.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, and then you told me Charles was really kind. Tell me what they used to do
when they would come and pay.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, when they would come and pay their bill, he would throw a handful of penny
candy for the kids.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, how cute. So, you mentioned that you were also to be a postal clerk, but you
had to do something rather important before you were able to even handle the mail. Explain to me what
it was that you had to do.
>> Doris Ceballos: Oh, I had to be sworn in. And it had to be downtown in Fresno, California. And one
morning, Charles, my boss says, "We're going to go to Fresno and you're going to get sworn in." And so,
we went to Fresno and met the post general.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Postmaster general.
>> Doris Ceballos: Postmaster general. And we talked for a little bit and then he pulled out the bible.
And he says, "Put your hand on the bible." And so, he proceeded to swear me in, and Charles was the
witness.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So then you became--
>> Doris Ceballos: Then I became a clerk--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Clerk.
>> Doris Ceballos: -a postal clerk. Then I could sell stamps, make money orders, weigh parcels, put the
mail in their mailboxes. And everything that a clerk would do at a post office.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Wow. I--
>> Unidentified speaker: Doris, do you mind if I just ask like what was going through your head at that
time? Did you feel really special or did you -- like, how were you reacting, if you don't mind telling
Cathy?
>> Doris Ceballos: Do you mean while I was at the job?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Or the postal--
>> Doris Ceballos: I had to learn from scratch. And it was kind of scary but I was willing to learn because I
knew these were skills that I could use later on. And that was a good motivation for me.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I am curious. I want -- I love to hear when you told me about how the mail came to
Malaga because it's not what one would think. How did the mail get to Malaga?
>> Doris Ceballos: It got to Malaga by train. The railroad tracks to the south and pacific were just about a
long block from the store. And Charles, the boss, would take this heavy bag that had a combination.
>> Cathleen Lozano: It was like a canvas bag?
>> Doris Ceballos: A canvas bag, with the mail in. And he would walk it over there to the railroad track,
and the train would slow down, and give -- take the out mail, give him the in mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: In mail.
>> Doris Ceballos: He's walk back.
>> Cathleen Lozano: How cute.
>> Doris Ceballos: And with his sack of mail, and he would put it on the counter, and we would sort it
out. And the post office had mailboxes that had combinations on them. And the customers could--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Get access.
>> Doris Ceballos: -get their own mail from the outside. But a lot of them didn't know how to use the
combination to get their mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: So they would walk in the store and I would get the mail for them.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then, like you said, a lot of them didn't know because they didn't read or write
in English. And tell me some of the things you used to do for them. Most of them being the Mexican
people in town. You've shared with me like how you would read some of their mail. Tell me about that.
>> Doris Ceballos: People would get their mail, and of course if it was English, they did not know how to
read it. So they would ask me to read it for them, and I would read it and then I would translate what
the mail. And then sometimes they had short mail, not too much in the mail.
>> Cathleen Lozano: In the letter.
>> Doris Ceballos: In the letter. And they would say, "Is that all?" And I would say, "Yes." "Is that all? Are
you sure?" And they would kind of peek over it.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: They didn't know how to read the mail but they were peeking over.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Hoping there was some— [inaudible].
>> Cathleen Lozano: Hoping. How cute.
>> Doris Ceballos: Something that I missed.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Unidentified speaker: What's a kind of typical thing that you would translate for people? What kind
of letters?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: A lot of them were from the Old Country. And then some were from their loved ones
that were in the service.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: And that was sad because they would start crying, you know, when they got their
letters.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: And they would be so grateful, you know, that I had read the letter, that they would
bring a piece of fruit and give me a piece of fruit or a candy bar. They were so grateful and thankful. I
would say, "You don't need to do that." And they says, "I want to."
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. You were really helpful. I just think for someone being that young, with that
much responsibility, I think an awful lot of you mom. And I'm so proud of you. And everything that
you've accomplished. You were the first one to kind of work out of the home. A female in your family.
And you were the only female to even learn how to drive. And you're this small, petite lady, and a lot of
times when people see you, they may think that you're very timid. But I always thought of you as being
very strong. And you've been a very good role model for me. And you've always encouraged me and to
pursue my education. And I can remember when I was so afraid to accept a position at the county
library. They had asked me to kind of fill in for the secretary, and I came to you and said that I was
afraid. And you said, "Cathy, they picked you. You have the skills. You can do it." And just like you had to
try, I did too. And I love you, and I'm so thankful that I have you. And I'm very proud of you.
>> Doris Ceballos: Thank you, honey.
>> Cathleen Lozano: I don't know what else to say.
>> Unidentified speaker: I have some questions, if you don't mind?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: I was wondering Doris, if you remember any particular instances of translating?
If there's any specific stories that come to mind? And it's okay if you can't think of it, but you said it was
really sad when they got letters from the Old Country or from somebody that was in the service. Do you
remember anybody in particular that you helped and you had a big impact on that person? Take your
time.
>> Doris Ceballos: I'm thinking of the people that were in the service. You know, I would try to
encourage them. They're going to come back and they're going to be safe. You know. So, and then I was
there for them, you know, if they needed me.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Because sometimes you would have to write things for them, too.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, I did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: Was it common for folks to go into the service that were from Malaga?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, I think all the young men?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, because they--
>> Cathleen Lozano: All your--
>> Doris Ceballos: -the draft too.
>> Cathleen Lozano: All your brothers went.
>> Doris Ceballos: Three of my brothers. The others were too old already.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. So a lot of the town people, the young men--
>> Doris Ceballos: That qualified, yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: Some of them left their families -- you know, their wives and children.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes. Well even, you've told me that like, your brothers left the wives there at your
home, so that you guys could take care of their families. Their young wives and some of their young
children, while they were away at -- in the service.
>> Doris Ceballos: And my brother Frank and Elsie [phonetic], had just gotten married, and she was
pregnant when my brother left for the service.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And he didn't come back until I think the little girl was like three years old.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: So he didn't know his own child, and they didn't have the electronics that they do
have now. They had to rely on the Red Cross, you know, for information. And some letters that would be
so outdated already.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: But they mostly relied on the Red Cross for information about their loved ones.
>>Unidentified speaker: Cathy, do you mind asking your mom about her name and the story?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh, yes. I know we were talking about the names of your siblings and your name.
And you know, you guys, most of you have Mexican names. And you told me, and I know my uncles and
aunts have told me, their names were changed when they got into school. And, but your name, I could
never understand because your name is so Anglo. It's not Mexican at all. And so tell me this little story
about how you received your name. You're named Doris.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because I was the only child born in the hospital. And if you weren't ready to give your
child a name, they would always say "Mary." And for the boys, it would be "Jose." And my mother didn't
speak English.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: She didn't understand. And so they just said, "Maria" or something.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, your name's Maria.
>> Doris Ceballos: Maria. And then my sister was already grown, you know, and she says, "Well who's
that?" And my mother said, "Well that's the name they gave the baby." And she says, "No, I want the
name Doris, like Doris Day."
>> Cathleen Lozano: The movie star and singer.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, and they changed it to—
>> Cathleen Lozano: She changed it. She went down and changed it and that's how you became Doris.
>> Doris Ceballos: I became Doris. Some of the Mexican people at the store would call me Dora.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Dora. Oh gosh.
>> Doris Ceballos: That's okay.
>> Unidentified speaker: How about, you know, when you were in school and you said that you weren't
allowed to speak Spanish. Do you remember teachers kind of giving you a hard time for that or--?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, it was forbidden.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So what would happen? Because I know, you guys have told us some stories, if you
guys spoke Spanish in school.
>> Doris Ceballos: Well you’d have to stay— stay after school for a few minutes or get a little lecture,
you know? "We want to help you. This is why we're saying do not speak Spanish, because we want to
help you to learn the language." They would give you a little talk, you know? And so the kids used to
sometimes whisper you know, in Spanish, to one another.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because they didn't want the teachers to hear.
>> Unidentified speaker: How did that feel? How did that feel to be told that you couldn't speak your
native language?
>> Doris Ceballos: It was so different because that was our language and that's how we knew how to
communicate. And all of a sudden, you know, it's a different language. Even today, I think Mexican and
Spanish before I think English, because that's how I was brought up.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, it's your first language.
>> Doris Ceballos: And the surroundings also. The Priest and--
>> Cathleen Lozano: Everything.
>> Doris Ceballos: -different everything was in Spanish.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And I find it interesting in my generation, when you were raising me, it was still kind
of frowned upon for us Mexican-Americans to be speaking English. So when I was raised, it was, you
spoke primarily English in the home. And it wasn't until I was you know, older and in school that I
actually learned some Spanish. And now, present day, it's kind of a -- sought after for someone to speak
multiple languages. So it's so interesting how it's gone from one extreme to the other in just the two
generations. So I appreciate the second language. I wish I knew it more, but there's still time for me to
learn more.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yeah.
>> Doris, I was wondering if you could paint a picture of Malaga, what it looked like, the town and the
surroundings and can you describe it?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well the homes were very small. And they were just put together.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And--
>> Cathleen Lozano: You've told me--
>> Doris Ceballos: Those trees—there was no streetlights. And like I said, you know, no facilities. And we
walked everywhere that we needed to go.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Tell me the story about the dirt and the grass. Remember the story you shared
about the first person that tried to grow grass?
>> Doris Ceballos: The lawn you mean?
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah, because everybody had dirt in their lots.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then you remember, you told me about that first person that they had grass?
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, they thought they were lazy. That they didn't want to pull their grass out.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Or the weeds, yes.
>> Doris Ceballos: The weeds. They were letting the weeds grow.
>>Unidentified Speaker: What was that story? That somebody tried to grow grass or--?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, they were trying to grow a lawn, okay? And then the Mexican people, they
didn't know about growing a lawn, so they thought these people are lazy. They are not pulling those
weeds out. It was a lawn.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So--
>> Doris Ceballos: And I just have to tell this other little story that is so sad. But you know, Halloween
came around.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Oh.
>> Doris Ceballos: We didn't -- the parents didn't know about Halloween. We did at school but it was
just there and it was left there. But Halloween, people, you know, would get costumes and stuff but not
in our little town. So one of the families as kind of modern. And they had costumes. And they came
around dressed in their costumes, with their little bag for people to give them trick or treat. So they
came to our door and my -- and we knew the family. The kids were in costume but not their mother.
And she knocks on the door, the mother knocks on the door and my dad answers the door. And he says,
"Oh Josephina." Her name was Josephina. And [Foreign Language spoken]--
>> Cathleen Lozano: You can say it in Spanish.
>> Doris Ceballos: [Foreign language spoken] And my dad said, you know, "Are you needy? Do you need
help? Do you need food or anything like that?"
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, he didn't understand. Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: He didn't understand trick or treat.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: He thought that they were begging for food or money or whatever.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: So I thought, you know, those were the days.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, well, because it was just ignorance of certain things, not -- just because of not
being exposed to it. That's -- it's cute. It's funny.
>>Unidentified Speaker: We have about ten minutes left now. And I was kind of wondering, if you could
describe your parents and paint a picture of who they were in personality and looks?
>> Doris Ceballos: My dad was a hardworking man. He was really strong and he -- and you know, we had
to walk the line, especially the boys. He showed all his childr—sibli— sons to work hard and make a
living themselves. He worked from morning till night.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And he was small. He wasn't very tall.
>> Doris Ceballos: He wasn't very tall. He must have been about 5'6". My mother was a small woman
also. She loved her garden. Cooked, it seemed like all day, because they had to fix breakfast, and I mean
a full course breakfast. And then quickly, wash the dishes by hand, and start lunch. And then do some
gardening or do some washing or do other chores, come back and start the dinner. The tortillas by hand.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And things were not convenient. There were things like eggs had to be gathered.
And you know, there were not modern-
>> Doris Ceballos: They had to kill their own chickens.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then fix them. Fix the different recipes with--
>> Cathleen Lozano: And then tell about grandma. I never met her but she had a stroke.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, my mother had a stroke and was paralyzed for seven years.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And you must have been, I think about eighth grade. You had--
>> Doris Ceballos: High school, no just started grammar school.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Grammar school. And tell about how you -- where she was and how you had to go - how you got there to visit her.
>> Doris Ceballos: She was in the hospital and now we had to walk--
>> Cathleen Lozano: To Fresno.
>> Doris Ceballos: From Malaga to Fresno. And -- or take the bus, you know in--
>> Cathleen Lozano: The Greyhound.
>> Doris Ceballos: -into Fresno, the Greyhound bus into Fresno, then walk to the hospital check on my
mother. And she was there for seven years.
>> Cathleen Lozano: She was paralyzed from the neck down.
>> Doris Ceballos: Until the final stroke, and then she was gone.
>> Cathleen Lozano: So, when grandma had the stroke, I remember you told me you were these young
girls, because most of the other siblings, because they were older, they were either married or starting
their own families. It kind of left the last three girls at home, and Aunt Margaret, your sibling right
before you, she had to take on the role of being the mother.
>> Doris Ceballos: Yes, she did.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And she stopped school. She didn't go on with her schooling.
>> Doris Ceballos: No, she became a housewife.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yes, she took on the mother role. And I know it was hard for you guys because you
told me the story about -- because Grandma never let you guys cook. She did all the cooking. So tell me
how you guys learned how to cook.
>> Doris Ceballos: We had to learn on the job. Anyhow, we would start to cook, it was on top of the
stove.
>> Cathleen Lozano: A wood stove.
>> Doris Ceballos: A wood stove. And then what do you do next? Here you have a piece of meat or
whatever. What do you do next? You would put the oil or if you wanted to do a sauté or the oven or
whatever. But what do you—the spices—or how do you—
>> Cathleen Lozano: There were no cookbooks.
>> Doris Ceballos: So, no we didn’t have them. And we would go to the neighbors and here we'd take
the skillet with part of a food, and ask, "What do you do next?"
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And they would tell us, "Well, what did you put?" and they would put their finger and
taste, "No, no. You need this and you need--." So that's how we learned to cook.
>> Cathleen Lozano: And consequently, those -- you last three girls all cook differently.
>> Doris Ceballos: We all cook differently.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Because you learned from different neighbors, different people. Yes, I can't even
imagine.
>> Doris Ceballos: Because the houses were real close together.
>> Unidentified speaker: What kinds of foods did you cook most often?
>> Doris Ceballos: Well, beans.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Yeah.
>> Doris Ceballos: And rice. And always meat, but no bologna and all of that. It was just red meat or
pork.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Pork.
>> Doris Ceballos: And cheese.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Fresh produce if -- yeah. Fruit and vegetables. And you're a very good cook.
>> Doris Ceballos: And then on Fridays, my mother would bake empanadas. A big, big pot full of
empanadas, you know? She would layer them, you know? And some of the kids, they knew my mother
had the fresh baked goods, you know. And would come with us and there was enough for some of the—
>> Cathleen Lozano: Everybody.
>> Doris Ceballos: kids, some of our friends. But it was every Friday and she used the fruits that she had
canned during the summer.
>> Cathleen Lozano: But you didn't get to learn those recipes because she had her stroke and
consequently, like we've had to learn on our own, how to make tamales and stuff, and we don't have
her recipes. We've just had to try to figure it out because you lost her so young.
>> Doris Ceballos: I’m sorry.
>> Unidentified speaker: We just have about three more minutes left, so I wonder if you have any last
things that you want to say to each other.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Well, like I said, I'm very proud of you. I think -- I'm trying to pass on to my
daughter, "Don't forget your roots because there have been many sacrifices that have been made.
People have worked very hard to have what we have." And she's very fortunate that she's not had to go
through, nor I, had to go through some of the struggles that you went through growing up. Not that it
was necessarily a bad thing, because you guys had a lot of love, but it was difficult. Life was much more
difficult. And I just want my daughter to never forget that. And that's what I love about the three of us
having this time together, living with one another, because she still has the opportunity to hear these
stories from you. And I think she will keep all of this. She appreciates it.
>> Doris Ceballos: And I'm proud of you too honey.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Thank you, mom.
>> Doris Ceballos: And you’re doing a really good job with your daughter.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Thank you.
>> Doris Ceballos: She's a bright girl. And she's in the right track, all because of your guidance.
>> Cathleen Lozano: Well, and yours too. I learned from you.
>> Doris Ceballos: So, there's a lot of hope there.