Armando Rivera interview
Item
Title
Armando Rivera interview
Description
Microsoft Word document, 18 pages
Creator
Rivera, Armando
Barnett, Paul
Relation
StoryCorps Interviews
Coverage
California State University, Fresno
Date
4/16/2016
Identifier
SCMS_stcp_00003
extracted text
>> Armando Rivera: So my name is Armando Rivera. And I was born in Brownsville 19, February 21,
1949. I think when I was 3 I moved here to, first I moved to Bakersfield and then didn't go to school and
then we moved to Fresno. And so initially I went to an oral school. They didn't sign and if you did sign,
you were reprimanded on your hands, you know. You had to focus on lip reading. They taught us math
and how to read, vocabulary like political science I think and to write but I'm sitting there and I'm not
really understanding this. And you know, Maybe when I was in 1st, by the time I transitioned to 3rd of
4th grade, I had to go back to repeat the subsequent grades and then I got moved forward. There was
this gentleman there and he evaluated me. His name was James–Jim, and he was from church. Oh, from
BlueCross, excuse me, he was from Blue Cross. And it was the 4 of us with my mom and my dad and my
sister. It was the first time we were there so we're trying to get our bearings straight and I had all these
tasks that was in relation to math and writing. Once it was complete, you know, we looked around,
looked in the dorms, this was in the Bay area, and I think later it was, we received this letter from
Berkeley, and we were wondering what does it mean? I asked, you know, “so what is this?” I don't
know. My mom was explaining to me it's for you. You're going to go to Berkeley and you can play
baseball and you'll be going there for school. It will be in the fall. I think maybe October you'll be moving
there. And I was really kind of caught in disarray somewhat [inaudible] about it, you know, my parents
hugged, kissed and shipped me off, but it was there that they said, okay, you can't lip read now, you
can't do speech and that's when I started asking what am I going to do? And they said you'll be signing.
And so I was learning how to sign and like I said getting my bearings straight. I would live in their dorms
and it was there that, you know, that's where I stayed, I'd shower and sleep. And then I went to my
classes and in my classes, you know, I'd notice they'd sign a word, they'd fingerspell it, it'd try to write
things down, and it was during one of the breaks, it was I think lunch time we'd have our lunch and then
we'd go back to studying, and I think maybe our day would end about 3 o'clock. Then we could play and
then evening we would have our dinner and our study time. That was pretty much the typical day which
would end with us being able to play and another day would be the whole process all over again.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. And I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Paul Barnett, and I'm 58 years old
and today's date is April 16, 2016, and we're here in Fresno, California, and I've known Armando for 35
years and we're going to be conducting an interview with Mr. Rivera just to understand his life history
and what it was like to grow up in the San Joaquin Valley being Hispanic, working in the fields being deaf
and going to the school in Berkeley.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right, that's right. It was in, Sixty-five when I was 16 and like I say it was really
interesting at first, but I had to, you know, find my stride. And then I graduated.
>> Paul Barnett: In 1969.
>> Armando Rivera: In ‘69–In '69 from high school as a senior. And after that, you know, I tried to think
of what to work like doing cleaning work, I quit that and then I transferred to --
>> Paul Barnett: -- St. Agnes.
>> Armando Rivera: St. Agnes Hospital. And there, you know, at St. Agnes, I was doing washing and it
was good money. I was washing and, but as time progressed, you know, I wanted something else and so
I went to IRS and that was really hard. I mean when you're looking at all those tax forms and knowing all
the numbers and Social Security that was too much. And during the seasonal end, you know, I was laid
off and finally it was then I started working at the Veteran's Hospital in the filling department and from
there on it was for the following 36 years I worked there. It was a good, you know, it was really great.
We'd get certificates and so forth when I worked there.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, Armando, I'm going to ask you a question, where were you born?
>> Armando Rivera: Brownsville, Texas.
>> Paul Barnett: And did any of your brothers or sisters, were they born there?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, no, okay. I had a brother and my sister the 4 of us along with my parents were
born there in Texas. We were born there in Texas. Now in California, that's where my father and my
sister was born. So you're looking at 5 of us from Brownsville 1 being my mom and my other siblings and
then 2 from California, my sister and father.
>> Paul Barnett: And of your siblings how many were deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: Six.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, no, you had 6 brothers, there were 6 children and how many of you were deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: I have a sister who is hard of hearing and so 3 of us 1 deaf, 1 hard of hearing and me
and then 3 hearing.
>> Paul Barnett: What was it like growing up with your sisters who are deaf and your brother and your
sister who was hearing? Did the hearing children learn sign language so you can talk to them?
>> Armando Rivera: One sister she can sign and my brother, no, he didn't.
>> Paul Barnett: And about your mother and father, how did they communicate with you when you
were growing up?
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah. There was no sign language. I was trying to lip read but no signing.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. When you moved here to Fresno and you started work in the fields, what kind of
work did you do? Grapes?
>> Armando Rivera: So we picked grapes, peaches. There were so many. I mean it was a variety of
produce that we --
>> Paul Barnett: - so describe a typical day like when you were working in the fields what time would
you have to get up in the morning?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, gosh, about 3, it was 3 in the morning.
>> Paul Barnett: Really?
>> Armando Rivera: And, you know, understand we had to drive really far. We had an hour commute
and then by the time we got there, you know, the sun wasn't even out yet, you know, you're looking not
until 6. And so we were there all day picking and working in the fields until about 6 o'clock, until 4
o'clock at night and then 4 in the afternoon and then from there we'd head back home.
>> Paul Barnett: How old were you when you started working in the fields?
>> Armando Rivera: I was probably, you know, it started when I was really, when I was 16 through my
teen years so like 16 or so?
>> Paul Barnett: Wow. So, when you were in the fields, did your mother pack lunches and did you guys
like stop and just share good together like during lunchtime and maybe describe did your mom pack
lunch ?
>> Armando Rivera: At 12 we had maybe 30 minutes to eat and then we had to go back to work.
>> Paul Barnett: Wow.
>> Armando Rivera: And go back to picking.
>> Paul Barnett: So picking grapes must have been hard work.
>>Armando Rivera: Yep.
>>Unknown speaker: Pa Describe what it was like, you know, working in the vines. Was it, did you see
spiders and was it dirty and dusty? And—
>> Armando Rivera: Oh God, there were spiders, there were bees, there were, you know, snakes, there
was everything and then you're looking at all of their droppings and so forth.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, so it was a lot of that. Yeah, and it smelled, it smelled a lot too.
>> Paul Barnett: So I imagine it was really—really hard work. So when you're—you’re—
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, it was.
>> Paul Barnett: and at the end of the day I would imagine you would be just coated with dirt and just
like, you know.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, at the end of the day I was basically all black filled with dirt. You could even feel
the dirt in your nose, in your nostrils because when you're out there picking and you're breathing, you're
inhaling all the dust and the dirt.
>> Paul Barnett: Armando, you told me a story once where your family was picking grapes and there was
two rows and so there was --
>> Armando Rivera: -- my father and sister and brother were at one row and myself with my mom and
other sibling were at the other row and so it was my mom, sister and I so it was three against three and
so what we do to alleviate the time is we’d create a race out of it, a competition. Each of us to see who
would finish the row, you know, which team would finish.
>> Paul Barnett: Would team would normally always win?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, My team, of course.
>> Paul Barnett: So your mom’s team—
>> Armando Rivera: Me, my mom and my sister. We always would win. My father was always jealous,
always irritated about it afterwards. And then later we'd switch and then and I would go to his team and
we'd still try to race. My father was happy when I was on his team because it meant, you know, his team
won.
>> Paul Barnett: So when you were living here in Fresno, your mother and father were working and
saving money and they were secretly --
>> Armando Rivera: -- yeah, they were saving money.
>> Paul Barnett: Saving up money to—to, for a big surprise and so they bought a house?
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, yeah, that's right. They bought a house.
>> Paul Barnett: And describe that first day when they drove you up there and it was like no one knew
about it and then all of a sudden you drove around the corner.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, oh yeah, that's right. Okay. So I think it was around Christmas time, maybe the
holidays, and we took the train and we arrived about 9 and they said, you know, surprise, you know,
look, there's a house.
>> Paul Barnett: So that was your first house ever?
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that was, yeah, that was our first house.
>> Paul Barnett: Wow.
>> Armando Rivera: I don't remember like, it was the 18th maybe. I'm trying to remember. I was maybe
18 years old.
>> Paul Barnett: So, when you were working in the Veteran's Hospital, you've worked there for what 36
years?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right 36.
>> Paul Barnett: And are you the only deaf employee there or?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, no, I was the, let's see there were 6. So there was 1 and then that person got
fired or they quit, I can't recall. And then so initially there were 6, so initially there were 6 deaf who
worked at the VA, but then 1 who was always late and their behavior was not good, you know, they
ended up getting fired and then another one got transferred and as time progressed, you know, we just
started dwindling the amount of deaf that were there until it only ended up being I was the only deaf
individual.
>> Paul Barnett: Describe how, you know, things have changed over the years. I mean when you first
started working there everything was paper files and you would, you know, you would do a lot of
running up and down and getting files and taking them to the doctor's offices.
>> Armando Rivera: Right, that's right. I remember doing that. Right. But then as technology progressed
it was, oh, we had to use a computer, we had to key in people's Social Security Numbers, we had to
place it in this other system and there were different type of electrical equipment that we had to
maneuver through and often the supervisor would arrive and they'd tell me, you know, I did something
incorrectly and it was, oh, you know, having to acclimate to all of the paperwork being transferred to
electronically it took me a while, but as time progressed, you know, I made my stride and I was able to
swim and not sink through it.
>> Paul Barnett: That's really good. So, you went from working paper files you learned a new skill set of
computer and.
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: You use computers now, right?
>> Armando Rivera: Every day. Every day. Always. For different equipment like ten-ten [phonetic], for
different programs.
>> Paul Barnett: Uh-huh, uh-huh.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, there's so many different programs that we used.
>> Paul Barnett: Let me ask you another question about technology. So, when you were growing up,
they had something called the TTY, which was the teletypewriter for the deaf which was a device that
people would use with the telephone to talk to other people.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. That's right, yeah. Yeah, if I was watching TV and I might see I might be
watching TV and the lights in the house would start blinking and it would mean it's a phone call and so I
would get the phone and I'd put the receiver on the TTY and I'd type in, you know, the hello, go ahead,
but hearing people weren't used to that and so when—since hearing people weren't used to that it
would be they'd hang up on me and instantly I knew, oh, it's a hearing person. They're not used to the
sound of the TTY. So I'd take it off the receiver, I'd start watching TV again. Invariably it would happen
again another phone call by a hearing person. But now we have the video phone. The first time I saw the
video phone, oh, I was enthralled. I could just use my own language. I could sign and that was, it was
wonderful. I didn't have to worry about the receiver of the phone and all this equipment, adjusting it,
this was so great. It was effortless.
>> Paul Barnett: It really opened up your world and access to the whole community.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, indeed it did. It did a lot.
>> Paul Barnett: So you have 2 sisters who are deaf. So, I guess you spend a lot of time on the phone
with them now?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. We do a lot because now it's great. We can communicate. I can see them
when we're communicating. And so, you know, we touch base with each other.
>> Paul Barnett: Uh-huh. So when you were growing up, what challenges would you say you had as a
deaf person? What was the most difficult thing living in a hearing world if you could put a phrase to it?
Just communication or did you feel there was any discrimination against deaf people?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, you've got to see, you know, I might catch a hearing person saying a word
here or there in a conversation, but the benefit of that was if I didn't like the conversation or anything I
could care less.
>> Paul Barnett: I think too just knowing you for 35 years and knowing your parents is that they taught
you how to work hard and that was the main priority of your life was to make something of yourself and
be a success and you have been I would gather.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, definitely, yeah. It was always, you know, you have to be self-supportive, you
have to be self, always be a hard worker, always study, always work hard, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: When you were living in Berkeley, maybe you can tell us a story about living in the
dorms. Now I remember you told us a story about how at night everyone would turn off the lights and
you would all have to go to bed, but sometimes the boys would sneak out.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. I remember that. That's right, that's right. In the evening maybe 10 at
night we're all supposed to be in bed and we're all supposed to be sleep, there were some that would
sneak out just to go out and play. I wouldn't say anything. I would stay. For the most part.
>> Paul Barnett: So this was Berkeley in 1968 and 1969.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that's right, that's right and they still would do it.
>> Paul Barnett: That must have been an interesting world. Uh-huh.
>> Armando Rivera: Once in a while I might—they might go out to the town and go shopping or go get
something to eat. I might have engaged in that.
>> Paul Barnett: Awesome. All right.
>> Armando Rivera: Maybe. No, no, but you know they did I was scared. I did not want to get in trouble.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, okay, all right. So, you have 2 sisters who are deaf. One is named Adelia? And one is
named Eloise.
>> Armando Rivera: Uhh-huh.
>> Paul Barnett: What is, where does, what does Adelia do for a living or what had—did she do when
she was growing up?
>> Armando Rivera: IRS. She worked at the IRS doing what specifically I'm not sure. I know it’s a Fresno
one because she lived in Fresno and then she left that and went to other employment. Well, or retired.
>> Paul Barnett: Is there any stories you would want to share, anything you can think of that we haven't
talked about maybe that you might be interested in talking about? About your life, about anything?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh gosh, really? I think I have said it all.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, I appreciate your time. Let me just ask you one last couple few more questions if I
can.
>> Armando Rivera: Alright.
>> Paul Barnett: I was remembering I was talking to your mother this afternoon. We had gone over
there for lunch and she was telling us the story about how back in the early 60s, you know, she was a
hard working mother, she had 3 deaf children.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right.
>> Paul Barnett: She didn't really know what to do or what resources but she went out and she came
over to Fresno State University and she met with the professors here to ask them for help and they had
a speech program here maybe that they helped you and your sisters a little bit—speech reading. Do you
remember anything like that?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. That's right we did. I vaguely recall some of it. I remember, you know,
they'd try to teach me, they'd try to do the speech reading and I said I don't understand, they'd try it
again, I didn't understand so then they might incorporate sign and it would be both.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. And there's another story related about that time about the Fresno State when
they had a Hispanic cultural week and they recruited your sister, Rae, and yourself to get up in costume
and do the traditional Mexican dances. Do you remember that? That you would get on stage and do
your dances?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. Yeah. I was so embarrassed about it. I didn't know how to dance. I
thought it every— I just, it was awful and it was really, I wasn't skilled. I know nothing about dancing. I
just felt out of place.
>> Paul Barnett: But it was good that, you know, you take great pride in your Hispanic culture and the
fact that you're --
>> Armando Rivera: -- oh, yeah --
>> Paul Barnett: -- and your parents, your dad was born in Fresno but he grew up in Mexico? Your
father?
>> Armando Rivera: My father? He was born in Fresno. Right, that's right.
>> Paul Barnett: And your mom was born in Brownsville?
>> Armando Rivera: Yep, she was born in Texas.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. Now your mom tells stories of how your mother and father met. And your father
was, it was during World War II and your father was working for the shipping industry. They were
building ships for the Navy and they would sequester the workers—
>> Armando Rivera: That’s right.
>> Paul Barnett: —in camps and on the weekends they would allow the workers out to go into town and
your mom was also working for the war industry. She was working for a bakery and she would, you
know, make the breads and et cetera that were shipped overseas.
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, that’s right, she did.
>> Paul Barnett: And on the weekends your dad would come courting to your mom.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. Yeah. I often asked her and she said, yeah, that happened. Then it
continued until I think they were laid off.
>> Paul Barnett: And then eventually, yeah, the war ended and then your father got laid off. He was
working in the cotton mills, right, after the war?
>> Armando Rivera: First, yeah, he was in Texas with—and then he was laid off and then we moved to
Fresno and that's when he started doing the cotton mill.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, okay, that's when.
>> Armando Rivera: Then. From there he was laid off again I think. I can be confused but I think it was in
the 50s when he retired.
>> Paul Barnett: He was 50 when he retired.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, it was when he was 50. Yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: So your father, your dad was, both your mother and father were hard working people.
>> Armando Rivera: Yes, oh, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: So, they obviously taught you to work hard.
>> Armando Rivera: Yes, yes.
>> Paul Barnett: And all your brothers and sisters are successful.
>> Armando Rivera: All of them are.
>> Paul Barnett: And they're all living now? They're still alive, your brothers and sisters?
>> Armando Rivera: My sister, Adelia, and --
>> Paul Barnett: -- she lives in San Jose area.
>> Armando Rivera: Right, she lives in San Jose. And then I have a brother and sister, there's 4 of us that
still live in Fresno.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, good. And they all know how to communicate to you in sign language now?
>> Armando Rivera: My sister, 3 of them sign. My brother, he still doesn't. I told him, you know, you've
got to do it, you've got to teach him but he's lazy. He says no.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. Any of your nieces or nephews deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yes. Many of them are deaf and some of them aren't. I have many nieces and
nephews, but they all sign, none of them are deaf. One of them is hard of hearing. It might be a niece of
mine.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, so it might be genetic the deafness in your family. Is there any deaf in Texas?
>> Armando Rivera: I forgot to add in Texas there's a cousin that's deaf. I'm not sure how much
information about that person though.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, that's interesting. You tell us stories about your grandmother and grandfather and
they lived in Brownsville.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right.
>> Paul Barnett: Your grandmother was a really remarkable person, I mean the stories we hear from her,
and would you say her family is from Spain or was she French? Or do you recall the stories they told you,
your grandmother?
>> Armando Rivera: My grandmother her father was French. If memory serves me correctly, from Spain
and so he was half Spanish and half French.
>> Paul Barnett: So your mother's maiden name is Galicia?
>> Armando Rivera: Yep. That's what it is.
>> Paul Barnett: And I believe there's a region in Spain called Galicia. So it's possible.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. There is.
>> Paul Barnett: What do you want to do in the future, Armando? Do you want to keep working or do
you want to retire? Or what do you see for yourself in the future?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, you know. I'd like to go to France, I'd like to go to Spain, I'd like to look at my
history, see my heritage. I don't know.
>> Paul Barnett: See your family history, uh-huh. That would be awesome, yeah. Well, you've had a very
interesting life I would say, yeah. What are your favorite past times? Do you by chance happen to like
shopping?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, I like Macy's.
>> Paul Barnett: CB2.
>> Armando Rivera: CB2. There's a few others that I like as well. I also like going out, looking at art.
>> Paul Barnett: And do you like San Francisco, going to San Francisco?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, I like it, yeah, I like going to San Francisco.
>> Paul Barnett: What about San Francisco do you like?
>> Armando Rivera: Uhm, I like the music, I like watching the dancing. It's amazing you'll see nude
people there.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes, uh-huh. Oh, okay.
>> Armando Rivera: There’s a lot that’s enthralling about it.
>> Paul Barnett: Do you identify with the gay culture there?
>> Armando Rivera: I think it's very nice. I like that they're very friendly. Yeah, very reciprocal.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, very good. Do you have any gay or lesbian family members? I'm just curious? Are
you open minded to that?
>> Armando Rivera: The family, you know, our family is just really open to it. I have a niece and nephew,
everyone’s accepting. It's very accepting.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Some might be privately maybe Bi. We haven't heard anything. Who knows?
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, well, that's good you have a supportive family that has loved you unconditionally.
So, you've had an interesting life growing up.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, natural yeah, yeah of course.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Memories of growing up, yeah, everything.
>> Paul Barnett: It's a wonderful story that you shared with us today. Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Okay.
>> Woman speaker: Can I ask you guys to explain how you know each other and tell that story?
>> Armando Rivera: Do you want to go for it?
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. Yeah. That's fine.
>> Armando Rivera: Well, let's see I was in the grocery store and I was looking around and I noticed
someone there saying excuse me and then are you deaf? Oh, no, you sign? And so I think we exchanged
phone numbers later?
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: And I was at work for a week and then I had my mom call you and went for a visit
and I taught you to sign and to be—.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: And as time progressed, a month to 2 months, we started bantering and really
starting a friendship. After 1 year we became roommates and you were going to Fresno City and as time
progressed I just noticed you were improving your skills and now, yeah, you're really great at signing.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah, well, yeah, that was part of it. I met him. I knew the alphabet and he was
struggling with the clerk in the store and so I, you know, I being a social work student I thought I was
going to save the world so I jumped in to try and interpret and the little that I knew and, you know, I
thought it was a nice encounter. I wanted to learn a little bit more of the sign language and so out of, a
week later his mother calls and says do you remember the deaf gentleman you met? He'd like to visit
you. I thought, well, sure, you know.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. I forgot that part of the story. Yeah, I was telling my mom really nice.
>> Paul Barnett: And the first 3 words that he taught me were yes, no and tomorrow. And if you think
about it those are probably the 3 most important words. Time because you're dealing with time, you're
dealing with, you know, the essentials of saying yes or no to a lot of things whether you like food or
whether you want to go places, et cetera.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that's right. Yeah, you've got a point there.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. And what he was saying about bantering that's quite true because I didn't know
the language he would dominate the conversation and, you know, I was very polite young man and I
would just listen to his tales and all the time I was learning the language watching him. And so I did go
back to college but the thing is, you know, he would like to tease me mercilessly and, you know, rib into
me and because I didn't --
>> Armando Rivera: -- I do.
>> Paul Barnett: Because I didn't know the language I couldn't respond back and I would just take it
good heartedly, of course, and then I went to school and improved my vocabulary and then one day he
was ribbing me pretty hard and I got back at him, you know, I responded to him in American Sign
Language and he goes --
>> Armando Rivera: -- that's right. Yeah. Yeah. But as you started to banter back, then you started
winning those.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah.
>> Armando Rivera: And I would lose. It didn't become as fun anymore.
>> Paul Barnett: No. He said you taught me too well and it's like [Inaudible].
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, really good. And now that you work at, you know, you're really popular now.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, no, in the sense, in the sense that, you know, I'm lucky that I met a native speaker
who took the time and effort to teach me a different language. So I really appreciate that. Yeah. So
we've been friends for 35 years now.
>> Armando Rivera: Okay.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, well. Well, I really appreciate that --
>> Armando Rivera: -- this is pretty fun, this has been really fun.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, thank you, Armando. I appreciate your time and I thank you for inviting us here. I
think this is a great opportunity for Armando to share his story at Story Corps and having our
interpreters here. They're quite awesome, Michelle and Hannah. You have to forgive me I get older,
Hannah, and you know, you know how memory goes when you get old. So I love you too. Okay.
1949. I think when I was 3 I moved here to, first I moved to Bakersfield and then didn't go to school and
then we moved to Fresno. And so initially I went to an oral school. They didn't sign and if you did sign,
you were reprimanded on your hands, you know. You had to focus on lip reading. They taught us math
and how to read, vocabulary like political science I think and to write but I'm sitting there and I'm not
really understanding this. And you know, Maybe when I was in 1st, by the time I transitioned to 3rd of
4th grade, I had to go back to repeat the subsequent grades and then I got moved forward. There was
this gentleman there and he evaluated me. His name was James–Jim, and he was from church. Oh, from
BlueCross, excuse me, he was from Blue Cross. And it was the 4 of us with my mom and my dad and my
sister. It was the first time we were there so we're trying to get our bearings straight and I had all these
tasks that was in relation to math and writing. Once it was complete, you know, we looked around,
looked in the dorms, this was in the Bay area, and I think later it was, we received this letter from
Berkeley, and we were wondering what does it mean? I asked, you know, “so what is this?” I don't
know. My mom was explaining to me it's for you. You're going to go to Berkeley and you can play
baseball and you'll be going there for school. It will be in the fall. I think maybe October you'll be moving
there. And I was really kind of caught in disarray somewhat [inaudible] about it, you know, my parents
hugged, kissed and shipped me off, but it was there that they said, okay, you can't lip read now, you
can't do speech and that's when I started asking what am I going to do? And they said you'll be signing.
And so I was learning how to sign and like I said getting my bearings straight. I would live in their dorms
and it was there that, you know, that's where I stayed, I'd shower and sleep. And then I went to my
classes and in my classes, you know, I'd notice they'd sign a word, they'd fingerspell it, it'd try to write
things down, and it was during one of the breaks, it was I think lunch time we'd have our lunch and then
we'd go back to studying, and I think maybe our day would end about 3 o'clock. Then we could play and
then evening we would have our dinner and our study time. That was pretty much the typical day which
would end with us being able to play and another day would be the whole process all over again.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. And I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Paul Barnett, and I'm 58 years old
and today's date is April 16, 2016, and we're here in Fresno, California, and I've known Armando for 35
years and we're going to be conducting an interview with Mr. Rivera just to understand his life history
and what it was like to grow up in the San Joaquin Valley being Hispanic, working in the fields being deaf
and going to the school in Berkeley.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right, that's right. It was in, Sixty-five when I was 16 and like I say it was really
interesting at first, but I had to, you know, find my stride. And then I graduated.
>> Paul Barnett: In 1969.
>> Armando Rivera: In ‘69–In '69 from high school as a senior. And after that, you know, I tried to think
of what to work like doing cleaning work, I quit that and then I transferred to --
>> Paul Barnett: -- St. Agnes.
>> Armando Rivera: St. Agnes Hospital. And there, you know, at St. Agnes, I was doing washing and it
was good money. I was washing and, but as time progressed, you know, I wanted something else and so
I went to IRS and that was really hard. I mean when you're looking at all those tax forms and knowing all
the numbers and Social Security that was too much. And during the seasonal end, you know, I was laid
off and finally it was then I started working at the Veteran's Hospital in the filling department and from
there on it was for the following 36 years I worked there. It was a good, you know, it was really great.
We'd get certificates and so forth when I worked there.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, Armando, I'm going to ask you a question, where were you born?
>> Armando Rivera: Brownsville, Texas.
>> Paul Barnett: And did any of your brothers or sisters, were they born there?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, no, okay. I had a brother and my sister the 4 of us along with my parents were
born there in Texas. We were born there in Texas. Now in California, that's where my father and my
sister was born. So you're looking at 5 of us from Brownsville 1 being my mom and my other siblings and
then 2 from California, my sister and father.
>> Paul Barnett: And of your siblings how many were deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: Six.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, no, you had 6 brothers, there were 6 children and how many of you were deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: I have a sister who is hard of hearing and so 3 of us 1 deaf, 1 hard of hearing and me
and then 3 hearing.
>> Paul Barnett: What was it like growing up with your sisters who are deaf and your brother and your
sister who was hearing? Did the hearing children learn sign language so you can talk to them?
>> Armando Rivera: One sister she can sign and my brother, no, he didn't.
>> Paul Barnett: And about your mother and father, how did they communicate with you when you
were growing up?
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah. There was no sign language. I was trying to lip read but no signing.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. When you moved here to Fresno and you started work in the fields, what kind of
work did you do? Grapes?
>> Armando Rivera: So we picked grapes, peaches. There were so many. I mean it was a variety of
produce that we --
>> Paul Barnett: - so describe a typical day like when you were working in the fields what time would
you have to get up in the morning?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, gosh, about 3, it was 3 in the morning.
>> Paul Barnett: Really?
>> Armando Rivera: And, you know, understand we had to drive really far. We had an hour commute
and then by the time we got there, you know, the sun wasn't even out yet, you know, you're looking not
until 6. And so we were there all day picking and working in the fields until about 6 o'clock, until 4
o'clock at night and then 4 in the afternoon and then from there we'd head back home.
>> Paul Barnett: How old were you when you started working in the fields?
>> Armando Rivera: I was probably, you know, it started when I was really, when I was 16 through my
teen years so like 16 or so?
>> Paul Barnett: Wow. So, when you were in the fields, did your mother pack lunches and did you guys
like stop and just share good together like during lunchtime and maybe describe did your mom pack
lunch ?
>> Armando Rivera: At 12 we had maybe 30 minutes to eat and then we had to go back to work.
>> Paul Barnett: Wow.
>> Armando Rivera: And go back to picking.
>> Paul Barnett: So picking grapes must have been hard work.
>>Armando Rivera: Yep.
>>Unknown speaker: Pa Describe what it was like, you know, working in the vines. Was it, did you see
spiders and was it dirty and dusty? And—
>> Armando Rivera: Oh God, there were spiders, there were bees, there were, you know, snakes, there
was everything and then you're looking at all of their droppings and so forth.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, so it was a lot of that. Yeah, and it smelled, it smelled a lot too.
>> Paul Barnett: So I imagine it was really—really hard work. So when you're—you’re—
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, it was.
>> Paul Barnett: and at the end of the day I would imagine you would be just coated with dirt and just
like, you know.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, at the end of the day I was basically all black filled with dirt. You could even feel
the dirt in your nose, in your nostrils because when you're out there picking and you're breathing, you're
inhaling all the dust and the dirt.
>> Paul Barnett: Armando, you told me a story once where your family was picking grapes and there was
two rows and so there was --
>> Armando Rivera: -- my father and sister and brother were at one row and myself with my mom and
other sibling were at the other row and so it was my mom, sister and I so it was three against three and
so what we do to alleviate the time is we’d create a race out of it, a competition. Each of us to see who
would finish the row, you know, which team would finish.
>> Paul Barnett: Would team would normally always win?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, My team, of course.
>> Paul Barnett: So your mom’s team—
>> Armando Rivera: Me, my mom and my sister. We always would win. My father was always jealous,
always irritated about it afterwards. And then later we'd switch and then and I would go to his team and
we'd still try to race. My father was happy when I was on his team because it meant, you know, his team
won.
>> Paul Barnett: So when you were living here in Fresno, your mother and father were working and
saving money and they were secretly --
>> Armando Rivera: -- yeah, they were saving money.
>> Paul Barnett: Saving up money to—to, for a big surprise and so they bought a house?
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, yeah, that's right. They bought a house.
>> Paul Barnett: And describe that first day when they drove you up there and it was like no one knew
about it and then all of a sudden you drove around the corner.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, oh yeah, that's right. Okay. So I think it was around Christmas time, maybe the
holidays, and we took the train and we arrived about 9 and they said, you know, surprise, you know,
look, there's a house.
>> Paul Barnett: So that was your first house ever?
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that was, yeah, that was our first house.
>> Paul Barnett: Wow.
>> Armando Rivera: I don't remember like, it was the 18th maybe. I'm trying to remember. I was maybe
18 years old.
>> Paul Barnett: So, when you were working in the Veteran's Hospital, you've worked there for what 36
years?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right 36.
>> Paul Barnett: And are you the only deaf employee there or?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, no, I was the, let's see there were 6. So there was 1 and then that person got
fired or they quit, I can't recall. And then so initially there were 6, so initially there were 6 deaf who
worked at the VA, but then 1 who was always late and their behavior was not good, you know, they
ended up getting fired and then another one got transferred and as time progressed, you know, we just
started dwindling the amount of deaf that were there until it only ended up being I was the only deaf
individual.
>> Paul Barnett: Describe how, you know, things have changed over the years. I mean when you first
started working there everything was paper files and you would, you know, you would do a lot of
running up and down and getting files and taking them to the doctor's offices.
>> Armando Rivera: Right, that's right. I remember doing that. Right. But then as technology progressed
it was, oh, we had to use a computer, we had to key in people's Social Security Numbers, we had to
place it in this other system and there were different type of electrical equipment that we had to
maneuver through and often the supervisor would arrive and they'd tell me, you know, I did something
incorrectly and it was, oh, you know, having to acclimate to all of the paperwork being transferred to
electronically it took me a while, but as time progressed, you know, I made my stride and I was able to
swim and not sink through it.
>> Paul Barnett: That's really good. So, you went from working paper files you learned a new skill set of
computer and.
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: You use computers now, right?
>> Armando Rivera: Every day. Every day. Always. For different equipment like ten-ten [phonetic], for
different programs.
>> Paul Barnett: Uh-huh, uh-huh.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, there's so many different programs that we used.
>> Paul Barnett: Let me ask you another question about technology. So, when you were growing up,
they had something called the TTY, which was the teletypewriter for the deaf which was a device that
people would use with the telephone to talk to other people.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. That's right, yeah. Yeah, if I was watching TV and I might see I might be
watching TV and the lights in the house would start blinking and it would mean it's a phone call and so I
would get the phone and I'd put the receiver on the TTY and I'd type in, you know, the hello, go ahead,
but hearing people weren't used to that and so when—since hearing people weren't used to that it
would be they'd hang up on me and instantly I knew, oh, it's a hearing person. They're not used to the
sound of the TTY. So I'd take it off the receiver, I'd start watching TV again. Invariably it would happen
again another phone call by a hearing person. But now we have the video phone. The first time I saw the
video phone, oh, I was enthralled. I could just use my own language. I could sign and that was, it was
wonderful. I didn't have to worry about the receiver of the phone and all this equipment, adjusting it,
this was so great. It was effortless.
>> Paul Barnett: It really opened up your world and access to the whole community.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, indeed it did. It did a lot.
>> Paul Barnett: So you have 2 sisters who are deaf. So, I guess you spend a lot of time on the phone
with them now?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. We do a lot because now it's great. We can communicate. I can see them
when we're communicating. And so, you know, we touch base with each other.
>> Paul Barnett: Uh-huh. So when you were growing up, what challenges would you say you had as a
deaf person? What was the most difficult thing living in a hearing world if you could put a phrase to it?
Just communication or did you feel there was any discrimination against deaf people?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, you've got to see, you know, I might catch a hearing person saying a word
here or there in a conversation, but the benefit of that was if I didn't like the conversation or anything I
could care less.
>> Paul Barnett: I think too just knowing you for 35 years and knowing your parents is that they taught
you how to work hard and that was the main priority of your life was to make something of yourself and
be a success and you have been I would gather.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, definitely, yeah. It was always, you know, you have to be self-supportive, you
have to be self, always be a hard worker, always study, always work hard, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: When you were living in Berkeley, maybe you can tell us a story about living in the
dorms. Now I remember you told us a story about how at night everyone would turn off the lights and
you would all have to go to bed, but sometimes the boys would sneak out.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. I remember that. That's right, that's right. In the evening maybe 10 at
night we're all supposed to be in bed and we're all supposed to be sleep, there were some that would
sneak out just to go out and play. I wouldn't say anything. I would stay. For the most part.
>> Paul Barnett: So this was Berkeley in 1968 and 1969.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that's right, that's right and they still would do it.
>> Paul Barnett: That must have been an interesting world. Uh-huh.
>> Armando Rivera: Once in a while I might—they might go out to the town and go shopping or go get
something to eat. I might have engaged in that.
>> Paul Barnett: Awesome. All right.
>> Armando Rivera: Maybe. No, no, but you know they did I was scared. I did not want to get in trouble.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, okay, all right. So, you have 2 sisters who are deaf. One is named Adelia? And one is
named Eloise.
>> Armando Rivera: Uhh-huh.
>> Paul Barnett: What is, where does, what does Adelia do for a living or what had—did she do when
she was growing up?
>> Armando Rivera: IRS. She worked at the IRS doing what specifically I'm not sure. I know it’s a Fresno
one because she lived in Fresno and then she left that and went to other employment. Well, or retired.
>> Paul Barnett: Is there any stories you would want to share, anything you can think of that we haven't
talked about maybe that you might be interested in talking about? About your life, about anything?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh gosh, really? I think I have said it all.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, I appreciate your time. Let me just ask you one last couple few more questions if I
can.
>> Armando Rivera: Alright.
>> Paul Barnett: I was remembering I was talking to your mother this afternoon. We had gone over
there for lunch and she was telling us the story about how back in the early 60s, you know, she was a
hard working mother, she had 3 deaf children.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right.
>> Paul Barnett: She didn't really know what to do or what resources but she went out and she came
over to Fresno State University and she met with the professors here to ask them for help and they had
a speech program here maybe that they helped you and your sisters a little bit—speech reading. Do you
remember anything like that?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. That's right we did. I vaguely recall some of it. I remember, you know,
they'd try to teach me, they'd try to do the speech reading and I said I don't understand, they'd try it
again, I didn't understand so then they might incorporate sign and it would be both.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. And there's another story related about that time about the Fresno State when
they had a Hispanic cultural week and they recruited your sister, Rae, and yourself to get up in costume
and do the traditional Mexican dances. Do you remember that? That you would get on stage and do
your dances?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. Yeah. I was so embarrassed about it. I didn't know how to dance. I
thought it every— I just, it was awful and it was really, I wasn't skilled. I know nothing about dancing. I
just felt out of place.
>> Paul Barnett: But it was good that, you know, you take great pride in your Hispanic culture and the
fact that you're --
>> Armando Rivera: -- oh, yeah --
>> Paul Barnett: -- and your parents, your dad was born in Fresno but he grew up in Mexico? Your
father?
>> Armando Rivera: My father? He was born in Fresno. Right, that's right.
>> Paul Barnett: And your mom was born in Brownsville?
>> Armando Rivera: Yep, she was born in Texas.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. Now your mom tells stories of how your mother and father met. And your father
was, it was during World War II and your father was working for the shipping industry. They were
building ships for the Navy and they would sequester the workers—
>> Armando Rivera: That’s right.
>> Paul Barnett: —in camps and on the weekends they would allow the workers out to go into town and
your mom was also working for the war industry. She was working for a bakery and she would, you
know, make the breads and et cetera that were shipped overseas.
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, that’s right, she did.
>> Paul Barnett: And on the weekends your dad would come courting to your mom.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. Yeah. I often asked her and she said, yeah, that happened. Then it
continued until I think they were laid off.
>> Paul Barnett: And then eventually, yeah, the war ended and then your father got laid off. He was
working in the cotton mills, right, after the war?
>> Armando Rivera: First, yeah, he was in Texas with—and then he was laid off and then we moved to
Fresno and that's when he started doing the cotton mill.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, okay, that's when.
>> Armando Rivera: Then. From there he was laid off again I think. I can be confused but I think it was in
the 50s when he retired.
>> Paul Barnett: He was 50 when he retired.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, it was when he was 50. Yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: So your father, your dad was, both your mother and father were hard working people.
>> Armando Rivera: Yes, oh, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: So, they obviously taught you to work hard.
>> Armando Rivera: Yes, yes.
>> Paul Barnett: And all your brothers and sisters are successful.
>> Armando Rivera: All of them are.
>> Paul Barnett: And they're all living now? They're still alive, your brothers and sisters?
>> Armando Rivera: My sister, Adelia, and --
>> Paul Barnett: -- she lives in San Jose area.
>> Armando Rivera: Right, she lives in San Jose. And then I have a brother and sister, there's 4 of us that
still live in Fresno.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, good. And they all know how to communicate to you in sign language now?
>> Armando Rivera: My sister, 3 of them sign. My brother, he still doesn't. I told him, you know, you've
got to do it, you've got to teach him but he's lazy. He says no.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. Any of your nieces or nephews deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yes. Many of them are deaf and some of them aren't. I have many nieces and
nephews, but they all sign, none of them are deaf. One of them is hard of hearing. It might be a niece of
mine.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, so it might be genetic the deafness in your family. Is there any deaf in Texas?
>> Armando Rivera: I forgot to add in Texas there's a cousin that's deaf. I'm not sure how much
information about that person though.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, that's interesting. You tell us stories about your grandmother and grandfather and
they lived in Brownsville.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right.
>> Paul Barnett: Your grandmother was a really remarkable person, I mean the stories we hear from her,
and would you say her family is from Spain or was she French? Or do you recall the stories they told you,
your grandmother?
>> Armando Rivera: My grandmother her father was French. If memory serves me correctly, from Spain
and so he was half Spanish and half French.
>> Paul Barnett: So your mother's maiden name is Galicia?
>> Armando Rivera: Yep. That's what it is.
>> Paul Barnett: And I believe there's a region in Spain called Galicia. So it's possible.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. There is.
>> Paul Barnett: What do you want to do in the future, Armando? Do you want to keep working or do
you want to retire? Or what do you see for yourself in the future?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, you know. I'd like to go to France, I'd like to go to Spain, I'd like to look at my
history, see my heritage. I don't know.
>> Paul Barnett: See your family history, uh-huh. That would be awesome, yeah. Well, you've had a very
interesting life I would say, yeah. What are your favorite past times? Do you by chance happen to like
shopping?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, I like Macy's.
>> Paul Barnett: CB2.
>> Armando Rivera: CB2. There's a few others that I like as well. I also like going out, looking at art.
>> Paul Barnett: And do you like San Francisco, going to San Francisco?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, I like it, yeah, I like going to San Francisco.
>> Paul Barnett: What about San Francisco do you like?
>> Armando Rivera: Uhm, I like the music, I like watching the dancing. It's amazing you'll see nude
people there.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes, uh-huh. Oh, okay.
>> Armando Rivera: There’s a lot that’s enthralling about it.
>> Paul Barnett: Do you identify with the gay culture there?
>> Armando Rivera: I think it's very nice. I like that they're very friendly. Yeah, very reciprocal.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, very good. Do you have any gay or lesbian family members? I'm just curious? Are
you open minded to that?
>> Armando Rivera: The family, you know, our family is just really open to it. I have a niece and nephew,
everyone’s accepting. It's very accepting.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Some might be privately maybe Bi. We haven't heard anything. Who knows?
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, well, that's good you have a supportive family that has loved you unconditionally.
So, you've had an interesting life growing up.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, natural yeah, yeah of course.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Memories of growing up, yeah, everything.
>> Paul Barnett: It's a wonderful story that you shared with us today. Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Okay.
>> Woman speaker: Can I ask you guys to explain how you know each other and tell that story?
>> Armando Rivera: Do you want to go for it?
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. Yeah. That's fine.
>> Armando Rivera: Well, let's see I was in the grocery store and I was looking around and I noticed
someone there saying excuse me and then are you deaf? Oh, no, you sign? And so I think we exchanged
phone numbers later?
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: And I was at work for a week and then I had my mom call you and went for a visit
and I taught you to sign and to be—.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: And as time progressed, a month to 2 months, we started bantering and really
starting a friendship. After 1 year we became roommates and you were going to Fresno City and as time
progressed I just noticed you were improving your skills and now, yeah, you're really great at signing.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah, well, yeah, that was part of it. I met him. I knew the alphabet and he was
struggling with the clerk in the store and so I, you know, I being a social work student I thought I was
going to save the world so I jumped in to try and interpret and the little that I knew and, you know, I
thought it was a nice encounter. I wanted to learn a little bit more of the sign language and so out of, a
week later his mother calls and says do you remember the deaf gentleman you met? He'd like to visit
you. I thought, well, sure, you know.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. I forgot that part of the story. Yeah, I was telling my mom really nice.
>> Paul Barnett: And the first 3 words that he taught me were yes, no and tomorrow. And if you think
about it those are probably the 3 most important words. Time because you're dealing with time, you're
dealing with, you know, the essentials of saying yes or no to a lot of things whether you like food or
whether you want to go places, et cetera.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that's right. Yeah, you've got a point there.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. And what he was saying about bantering that's quite true because I didn't know
the language he would dominate the conversation and, you know, I was very polite young man and I
would just listen to his tales and all the time I was learning the language watching him. And so I did go
back to college but the thing is, you know, he would like to tease me mercilessly and, you know, rib into
me and because I didn't --
>> Armando Rivera: -- I do.
>> Paul Barnett: Because I didn't know the language I couldn't respond back and I would just take it
good heartedly, of course, and then I went to school and improved my vocabulary and then one day he
was ribbing me pretty hard and I got back at him, you know, I responded to him in American Sign
Language and he goes --
>> Armando Rivera: -- that's right. Yeah. Yeah. But as you started to banter back, then you started
winning those.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah.
>> Armando Rivera: And I would lose. It didn't become as fun anymore.
>> Paul Barnett: No. He said you taught me too well and it's like [Inaudible].
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, really good. And now that you work at, you know, you're really popular now.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, no, in the sense, in the sense that, you know, I'm lucky that I met a native speaker
who took the time and effort to teach me a different language. So I really appreciate that. Yeah. So
we've been friends for 35 years now.
>> Armando Rivera: Okay.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, well. Well, I really appreciate that --
>> Armando Rivera: -- this is pretty fun, this has been really fun.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, thank you, Armando. I appreciate your time and I thank you for inviting us here. I
think this is a great opportunity for Armando to share his story at Story Corps and having our
interpreters here. They're quite awesome, Michelle and Hannah. You have to forgive me I get older,
Hannah, and you know, you know how memory goes when you get old. So I love you too. Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: So my name is Armando Rivera. And I was born in Brownsville 19, February 21,
1949. I think when I was 3 I moved here to, first I moved to Bakersfield and then didn't go to school and
then we moved to Fresno. And so initially I went to an oral school. They didn't sign and if you did sign,
you were reprimanded on your hands, you know. You had to focus on lip reading. They taught us math
and how to read, vocabulary like political science I think and to write but I'm sitting there and I'm not
really understanding this. And you know, Maybe when I was in 1st, by the time I transitioned to 3rd of
4th grade, I had to go back to repeat the subsequent grades and then I got moved forward. There was
this gentleman there and he evaluated me. His name was James–Jim, and he was from church. Oh, from
BlueCross, excuse me, he was from Blue Cross. And it was the 4 of us with my mom and my dad and my
sister. It was the first time we were there so we're trying to get our bearings straight and I had all these
tasks that was in relation to math and writing. Once it was complete, you know, we looked around,
looked in the dorms, this was in the Bay area, and I think later it was, we received this letter from
Berkeley, and we were wondering what does it mean? I asked, you know, “so what is this?” I don't
know. My mom was explaining to me it's for you. You're going to go to Berkeley and you can play
baseball and you'll be going there for school. It will be in the fall. I think maybe October you'll be moving
there. And I was really kind of caught in disarray somewhat [inaudible] about it, you know, my parents
hugged, kissed and shipped me off, but it was there that they said, okay, you can't lip read now, you
can't do speech and that's when I started asking what am I going to do? And they said you'll be signing.
And so I was learning how to sign and like I said getting my bearings straight. I would live in their dorms
and it was there that, you know, that's where I stayed, I'd shower and sleep. And then I went to my
classes and in my classes, you know, I'd notice they'd sign a word, they'd fingerspell it, it'd try to write
things down, and it was during one of the breaks, it was I think lunch time we'd have our lunch and then
we'd go back to studying, and I think maybe our day would end about 3 o'clock. Then we could play and
then evening we would have our dinner and our study time. That was pretty much the typical day which
would end with us being able to play and another day would be the whole process all over again.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. And I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Paul Barnett, and I'm 58 years old
and today's date is April 16, 2016, and we're here in Fresno, California, and I've known Armando for 35
years and we're going to be conducting an interview with Mr. Rivera just to understand his life history
and what it was like to grow up in the San Joaquin Valley being Hispanic, working in the fields being deaf
and going to the school in Berkeley.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right, that's right. It was in, Sixty-five when I was 16 and like I say it was really
interesting at first, but I had to, you know, find my stride. And then I graduated.
>> Paul Barnett: In 1969.
>> Armando Rivera: In ‘69–In '69 from high school as a senior. And after that, you know, I tried to think
of what to work like doing cleaning work, I quit that and then I transferred to --
>> Paul Barnett: -- St. Agnes.
>> Armando Rivera: St. Agnes Hospital. And there, you know, at St. Agnes, I was doing washing and it
was good money. I was washing and, but as time progressed, you know, I wanted something else and so
I went to IRS and that was really hard. I mean when you're looking at all those tax forms and knowing all
the numbers and Social Security that was too much. And during the seasonal end, you know, I was laid
off and finally it was then I started working at the Veteran's Hospital in the filling department and from
there on it was for the following 36 years I worked there. It was a good, you know, it was really great.
We'd get certificates and so forth when I worked there.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, Armando, I'm going to ask you a question, where were you born?
>> Armando Rivera: Brownsville, Texas.
>> Paul Barnett: And did any of your brothers or sisters, were they born there?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, no, okay. I had a brother and my sister the 4 of us along with my parents were
born there in Texas. We were born there in Texas. Now in California, that's where my father and my
sister was born. So you're looking at 5 of us from Brownsville 1 being my mom and my other siblings and
then 2 from California, my sister and father.
>> Paul Barnett: And of your siblings how many were deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: Six.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, no, you had 6 brothers, there were 6 children and how many of you were deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: I have a sister who is hard of hearing and so 3 of us 1 deaf, 1 hard of hearing and me
and then 3 hearing.
>> Paul Barnett: What was it like growing up with your sisters who are deaf and your brother and your
sister who was hearing? Did the hearing children learn sign language so you can talk to them?
>> Armando Rivera: One sister she can sign and my brother, no, he didn't.
>> Paul Barnett: And about your mother and father, how did they communicate with you when you
were growing up?
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah. There was no sign language. I was trying to lip read but no signing.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. When you moved here to Fresno and you started work in the fields, what kind of
work did you do? Grapes?
>> Armando Rivera: So we picked grapes, peaches. There were so many. I mean it was a variety of
produce that we --
>> Paul Barnett: - so describe a typical day like when you were working in the fields what time would
you have to get up in the morning?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, gosh, about 3, it was 3 in the morning.
>> Paul Barnett: Really?
>> Armando Rivera: And, you know, understand we had to drive really far. We had an hour commute
and then by the time we got there, you know, the sun wasn't even out yet, you know, you're looking not
until 6. And so we were there all day picking and working in the fields until about 6 o'clock, until 4
o'clock at night and then 4 in the afternoon and then from there we'd head back home.
>> Paul Barnett: How old were you when you started working in the fields?
>> Armando Rivera: I was probably, you know, it started when I was really, when I was 16 through my
teen years so like 16 or so?
>> Paul Barnett: Wow. So, when you were in the fields, did your mother pack lunches and did you guys
like stop and just share good together like during lunchtime and maybe describe did your mom pack
lunch ?
>> Armando Rivera: At 12 we had maybe 30 minutes to eat and then we had to go back to work.
>> Paul Barnett: Wow.
>> Armando Rivera: And go back to picking.
>> Paul Barnett: So picking grapes must have been hard work.
>>Armando Rivera: Yep.
>>Unknown speaker: Pa Describe what it was like, you know, working in the vines. Was it, did you see
spiders and was it dirty and dusty? And—
>> Armando Rivera: Oh God, there were spiders, there were bees, there were, you know, snakes, there
was everything and then you're looking at all of their droppings and so forth.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, so it was a lot of that. Yeah, and it smelled, it smelled a lot too.
>> Paul Barnett: So I imagine it was really—really hard work. So when you're—you’re—
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, it was.
>> Paul Barnett: and at the end of the day I would imagine you would be just coated with dirt and just
like, you know.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, at the end of the day I was basically all black filled with dirt. You could even feel
the dirt in your nose, in your nostrils because when you're out there picking and you're breathing, you're
inhaling all the dust and the dirt.
>> Paul Barnett: Armando, you told me a story once where your family was picking grapes and there was
two rows and so there was --
>> Armando Rivera: -- my father and sister and brother were at one row and myself with my mom and
other sibling were at the other row and so it was my mom, sister and I so it was three against three and
so what we do to alleviate the time is we’d create a race out of it, a competition. Each of us to see who
would finish the row, you know, which team would finish.
>> Paul Barnett: Would team would normally always win?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, My team, of course.
>> Paul Barnett: So your mom’s team—
>> Armando Rivera: Me, my mom and my sister. We always would win. My father was always jealous,
always irritated about it afterwards. And then later we'd switch and then and I would go to his team and
we'd still try to race. My father was happy when I was on his team because it meant, you know, his team
won.
>> Paul Barnett: So when you were living here in Fresno, your mother and father were working and
saving money and they were secretly --
>> Armando Rivera: -- yeah, they were saving money.
>> Paul Barnett: Saving up money to—to, for a big surprise and so they bought a house?
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, yeah, that's right. They bought a house.
>> Paul Barnett: And describe that first day when they drove you up there and it was like no one knew
about it and then all of a sudden you drove around the corner.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, oh yeah, that's right. Okay. So I think it was around Christmas time, maybe the
holidays, and we took the train and we arrived about 9 and they said, you know, surprise, you know,
look, there's a house.
>> Paul Barnett: So that was your first house ever?
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that was, yeah, that was our first house.
>> Paul Barnett: Wow.
>> Armando Rivera: I don't remember like, it was the 18th maybe. I'm trying to remember. I was maybe
18 years old.
>> Paul Barnett: So, when you were working in the Veteran's Hospital, you've worked there for what 36
years?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right 36.
>> Paul Barnett: And are you the only deaf employee there or?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, no, I was the, let's see there were 6. So there was 1 and then that person got
fired or they quit, I can't recall. And then so initially there were 6, so initially there were 6 deaf who
worked at the VA, but then 1 who was always late and their behavior was not good, you know, they
ended up getting fired and then another one got transferred and as time progressed, you know, we just
started dwindling the amount of deaf that were there until it only ended up being I was the only deaf
individual.
>> Paul Barnett: Describe how, you know, things have changed over the years. I mean when you first
started working there everything was paper files and you would, you know, you would do a lot of
running up and down and getting files and taking them to the doctor's offices.
>> Armando Rivera: Right, that's right. I remember doing that. Right. But then as technology progressed
it was, oh, we had to use a computer, we had to key in people's Social Security Numbers, we had to
place it in this other system and there were different type of electrical equipment that we had to
maneuver through and often the supervisor would arrive and they'd tell me, you know, I did something
incorrectly and it was, oh, you know, having to acclimate to all of the paperwork being transferred to
electronically it took me a while, but as time progressed, you know, I made my stride and I was able to
swim and not sink through it.
>> Paul Barnett: That's really good. So, you went from working paper files you learned a new skill set of
computer and.
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: You use computers now, right?
>> Armando Rivera: Every day. Every day. Always. For different equipment like ten-ten [phonetic], for
different programs.
>> Paul Barnett: Uh-huh, uh-huh.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, there's so many different programs that we used.
>> Paul Barnett: Let me ask you another question about technology. So, when you were growing up,
they had something called the TTY, which was the teletypewriter for the deaf which was a device that
people would use with the telephone to talk to other people.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. That's right, yeah. Yeah, if I was watching TV and I might see I might be
watching TV and the lights in the house would start blinking and it would mean it's a phone call and so I
would get the phone and I'd put the receiver on the TTY and I'd type in, you know, the hello, go ahead,
but hearing people weren't used to that and so when—since hearing people weren't used to that it
would be they'd hang up on me and instantly I knew, oh, it's a hearing person. They're not used to the
sound of the TTY. So I'd take it off the receiver, I'd start watching TV again. Invariably it would happen
again another phone call by a hearing person. But now we have the video phone. The first time I saw the
video phone, oh, I was enthralled. I could just use my own language. I could sign and that was, it was
wonderful. I didn't have to worry about the receiver of the phone and all this equipment, adjusting it,
this was so great. It was effortless.
>> Paul Barnett: It really opened up your world and access to the whole community.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, indeed it did. It did a lot.
>> Paul Barnett: So you have 2 sisters who are deaf. So, I guess you spend a lot of time on the phone
with them now?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. We do a lot because now it's great. We can communicate. I can see them
when we're communicating. And so, you know, we touch base with each other.
>> Paul Barnett: Uh-huh. So when you were growing up, what challenges would you say you had as a
deaf person? What was the most difficult thing living in a hearing world if you could put a phrase to it?
Just communication or did you feel there was any discrimination against deaf people?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, you've got to see, you know, I might catch a hearing person saying a word
here or there in a conversation, but the benefit of that was if I didn't like the conversation or anything I
could care less.
>> Paul Barnett: I think too just knowing you for 35 years and knowing your parents is that they taught
you how to work hard and that was the main priority of your life was to make something of yourself and
be a success and you have been I would gather.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, definitely, yeah. It was always, you know, you have to be self-supportive, you
have to be self, always be a hard worker, always study, always work hard, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: When you were living in Berkeley, maybe you can tell us a story about living in the
dorms. Now I remember you told us a story about how at night everyone would turn off the lights and
you would all have to go to bed, but sometimes the boys would sneak out.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. I remember that. That's right, that's right. In the evening maybe 10 at
night we're all supposed to be in bed and we're all supposed to be sleep, there were some that would
sneak out just to go out and play. I wouldn't say anything. I would stay. For the most part.
>> Paul Barnett: So this was Berkeley in 1968 and 1969.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that's right, that's right and they still would do it.
>> Paul Barnett: That must have been an interesting world. Uh-huh.
>> Armando Rivera: Once in a while I might—they might go out to the town and go shopping or go get
something to eat. I might have engaged in that.
>> Paul Barnett: Awesome. All right.
>> Armando Rivera: Maybe. No, no, but you know they did I was scared. I did not want to get in trouble.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, okay, all right. So, you have 2 sisters who are deaf. One is named Adelia? And one is
named Eloise.
>> Armando Rivera: Uhh-huh.
>> Paul Barnett: What is, where does, what does Adelia do for a living or what had—did she do when
she was growing up?
>> Armando Rivera: IRS. She worked at the IRS doing what specifically I'm not sure. I know it’s a Fresno
one because she lived in Fresno and then she left that and went to other employment. Well, or retired.
>> Paul Barnett: Is there any stories you would want to share, anything you can think of that we haven't
talked about maybe that you might be interested in talking about? About your life, about anything?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh gosh, really? I think I have said it all.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, I appreciate your time. Let me just ask you one last couple few more questions if I
can.
>> Armando Rivera: Alright.
>> Paul Barnett: I was remembering I was talking to your mother this afternoon. We had gone over
there for lunch and she was telling us the story about how back in the early 60s, you know, she was a
hard working mother, she had 3 deaf children.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right.
>> Paul Barnett: She didn't really know what to do or what resources but she went out and she came
over to Fresno State University and she met with the professors here to ask them for help and they had
a speech program here maybe that they helped you and your sisters a little bit—speech reading. Do you
remember anything like that?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. That's right we did. I vaguely recall some of it. I remember, you know,
they'd try to teach me, they'd try to do the speech reading and I said I don't understand, they'd try it
again, I didn't understand so then they might incorporate sign and it would be both.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. And there's another story related about that time about the Fresno State when
they had a Hispanic cultural week and they recruited your sister, Rae, and yourself to get up in costume
and do the traditional Mexican dances. Do you remember that? That you would get on stage and do
your dances?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. Yeah. I was so embarrassed about it. I didn't know how to dance. I
thought it every— I just, it was awful and it was really, I wasn't skilled. I know nothing about dancing. I
just felt out of place.
>> Paul Barnett: But it was good that, you know, you take great pride in your Hispanic culture and the
fact that you're --
>> Armando Rivera: -- oh, yeah --
>> Paul Barnett: -- and your parents, your dad was born in Fresno but he grew up in Mexico? Your
father?
>> Armando Rivera: My father? He was born in Fresno. Right, that's right.
>> Paul Barnett: And your mom was born in Brownsville?
>> Armando Rivera: Yep, she was born in Texas.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. Now your mom tells stories of how your mother and father met. And your father
was, it was during World War II and your father was working for the shipping industry. They were
building ships for the Navy and they would sequester the workers—
>> Armando Rivera: That’s right.
>> Paul Barnett: —in camps and on the weekends they would allow the workers out to go into town and
your mom was also working for the war industry. She was working for a bakery and she would, you
know, make the breads and et cetera that were shipped overseas.
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, that’s right, she did.
>> Paul Barnett: And on the weekends your dad would come courting to your mom.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. Yeah. I often asked her and she said, yeah, that happened. Then it
continued until I think they were laid off.
>> Paul Barnett: And then eventually, yeah, the war ended and then your father got laid off. He was
working in the cotton mills, right, after the war?
>> Armando Rivera: First, yeah, he was in Texas with—and then he was laid off and then we moved to
Fresno and that's when he started doing the cotton mill.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, okay, that's when.
>> Armando Rivera: Then. From there he was laid off again I think. I can be confused but I think it was in
the 50s when he retired.
>> Paul Barnett: He was 50 when he retired.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, it was when he was 50. Yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: So your father, your dad was, both your mother and father were hard working people.
>> Armando Rivera: Yes, oh, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: So, they obviously taught you to work hard.
>> Armando Rivera: Yes, yes.
>> Paul Barnett: And all your brothers and sisters are successful.
>> Armando Rivera: All of them are.
>> Paul Barnett: And they're all living now? They're still alive, your brothers and sisters?
>> Armando Rivera: My sister, Adelia, and --
>> Paul Barnett: -- she lives in San Jose area.
>> Armando Rivera: Right, she lives in San Jose. And then I have a brother and sister, there's 4 of us that
still live in Fresno.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, good. And they all know how to communicate to you in sign language now?
>> Armando Rivera: My sister, 3 of them sign. My brother, he still doesn't. I told him, you know, you've
got to do it, you've got to teach him but he's lazy. He says no.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. Any of your nieces or nephews deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yes. Many of them are deaf and some of them aren't. I have many nieces and
nephews, but they all sign, none of them are deaf. One of them is hard of hearing. It might be a niece of
mine.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, so it might be genetic the deafness in your family. Is there any deaf in Texas?
>> Armando Rivera: I forgot to add in Texas there's a cousin that's deaf. I'm not sure how much
information about that person though.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, that's interesting. You tell us stories about your grandmother and grandfather and
they lived in Brownsville.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right.
>> Paul Barnett: Your grandmother was a really remarkable person, I mean the stories we hear from her,
and would you say her family is from Spain or was she French? Or do you recall the stories they told you,
your grandmother?
>> Armando Rivera: My grandmother her father was French. If memory serves me correctly, from Spain
and so he was half Spanish and half French.
>> Paul Barnett: So your mother's maiden name is Galicia?
>> Armando Rivera: Yep. That's what it is.
>> Paul Barnett: And I believe there's a region in Spain called Galicia. So it's possible.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. There is.
>> Paul Barnett: What do you want to do in the future, Armando? Do you want to keep working or do
you want to retire? Or what do you see for yourself in the future?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, you know. I'd like to go to France, I'd like to go to Spain, I'd like to look at my
history, see my heritage. I don't know.
>> Paul Barnett: See your family history, uh-huh. That would be awesome, yeah. Well, you've had a very
interesting life I would say, yeah. What are your favorite past times? Do you by chance happen to like
shopping?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, I like Macy's.
>> Paul Barnett: CB2.
>> Armando Rivera: CB2. There's a few others that I like as well. I also like going out, looking at art.
>> Paul Barnett: And do you like San Francisco, going to San Francisco?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, I like it, yeah, I like going to San Francisco.
>> Paul Barnett: What about San Francisco do you like?
>> Armando Rivera: Uhm, I like the music, I like watching the dancing. It's amazing you'll see nude
people there.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes, uh-huh. Oh, okay.
>> Armando Rivera: There’s a lot that’s enthralling about it.
>> Paul Barnett: Do you identify with the gay culture there?
>> Armando Rivera: I think it's very nice. I like that they're very friendly. Yeah, very reciprocal.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, very good. Do you have any gay or lesbian family members? I'm just curious? Are
you open minded to that?
>> Armando Rivera: The family, you know, our family is just really open to it. I have a niece and nephew,
everyone’s accepting. It's very accepting.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Some might be privately maybe Bi. We haven't heard anything. Who knows?
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, well, that's good you have a supportive family that has loved you unconditionally.
So, you've had an interesting life growing up.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, natural yeah, yeah of course.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Memories of growing up, yeah, everything.
>> Paul Barnett: It's a wonderful story that you shared with us today. Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Okay.
>> Woman speaker: Can I ask you guys to explain how you know each other and tell that story?
>> Armando Rivera: Do you want to go for it?
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. Yeah. That's fine.
>> Armando Rivera: Well, let's see I was in the grocery store and I was looking around and I noticed
someone there saying excuse me and then are you deaf? Oh, no, you sign? And so I think we exchanged
phone numbers later?
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: And I was at work for a week and then I had my mom call you and went for a visit
and I taught you to sign and to be—.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: And as time progressed, a month to 2 months, we started bantering and really
starting a friendship. After 1 year we became roommates and you were going to Fresno City and as time
progressed I just noticed you were improving your skills and now, yeah, you're really great at signing.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah, well, yeah, that was part of it. I met him. I knew the alphabet and he was
struggling with the clerk in the store and so I, you know, I being a social work student I thought I was
going to save the world so I jumped in to try and interpret and the little that I knew and, you know, I
thought it was a nice encounter. I wanted to learn a little bit more of the sign language and so out of, a
week later his mother calls and says do you remember the deaf gentleman you met? He'd like to visit
you. I thought, well, sure, you know.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. I forgot that part of the story. Yeah, I was telling my mom really nice.
>> Paul Barnett: And the first 3 words that he taught me were yes, no and tomorrow. And if you think
about it those are probably the 3 most important words. Time because you're dealing with time, you're
dealing with, you know, the essentials of saying yes or no to a lot of things whether you like food or
whether you want to go places, et cetera.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that's right. Yeah, you've got a point there.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. And what he was saying about bantering that's quite true because I didn't know
the language he would dominate the conversation and, you know, I was very polite young man and I
would just listen to his tales and all the time I was learning the language watching him. And so I did go
back to college but the thing is, you know, he would like to tease me mercilessly and, you know, rib into
me and because I didn't --
>> Armando Rivera: -- I do.
>> Paul Barnett: Because I didn't know the language I couldn't respond back and I would just take it
good heartedly, of course, and then I went to school and improved my vocabulary and then one day he
was ribbing me pretty hard and I got back at him, you know, I responded to him in American Sign
Language and he goes --
>> Armando Rivera: -- that's right. Yeah. Yeah. But as you started to banter back, then you started
winning those.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah.
>> Armando Rivera: And I would lose. It didn't become as fun anymore.
>> Paul Barnett: No. He said you taught me too well and it's like [Inaudible].
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, really good. And now that you work at, you know, you're really popular now.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, no, in the sense, in the sense that, you know, I'm lucky that I met a native speaker
who took the time and effort to teach me a different language. So I really appreciate that. Yeah. So
we've been friends for 35 years now.
>> Armando Rivera: Okay.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, well. Well, I really appreciate that --
>> Armando Rivera: -- this is pretty fun, this has been really fun.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, thank you, Armando. I appreciate your time and I thank you for inviting us here. I
think this is a great opportunity for Armando to share his story at Story Corps and having our
interpreters here. They're quite awesome, Michelle and Hannah. You have to forgive me I get older,
Hannah, and you know, you know how memory goes when you get old. So I love you too. Okay.
1949. I think when I was 3 I moved here to, first I moved to Bakersfield and then didn't go to school and
then we moved to Fresno. And so initially I went to an oral school. They didn't sign and if you did sign,
you were reprimanded on your hands, you know. You had to focus on lip reading. They taught us math
and how to read, vocabulary like political science I think and to write but I'm sitting there and I'm not
really understanding this. And you know, Maybe when I was in 1st, by the time I transitioned to 3rd of
4th grade, I had to go back to repeat the subsequent grades and then I got moved forward. There was
this gentleman there and he evaluated me. His name was James–Jim, and he was from church. Oh, from
BlueCross, excuse me, he was from Blue Cross. And it was the 4 of us with my mom and my dad and my
sister. It was the first time we were there so we're trying to get our bearings straight and I had all these
tasks that was in relation to math and writing. Once it was complete, you know, we looked around,
looked in the dorms, this was in the Bay area, and I think later it was, we received this letter from
Berkeley, and we were wondering what does it mean? I asked, you know, “so what is this?” I don't
know. My mom was explaining to me it's for you. You're going to go to Berkeley and you can play
baseball and you'll be going there for school. It will be in the fall. I think maybe October you'll be moving
there. And I was really kind of caught in disarray somewhat [inaudible] about it, you know, my parents
hugged, kissed and shipped me off, but it was there that they said, okay, you can't lip read now, you
can't do speech and that's when I started asking what am I going to do? And they said you'll be signing.
And so I was learning how to sign and like I said getting my bearings straight. I would live in their dorms
and it was there that, you know, that's where I stayed, I'd shower and sleep. And then I went to my
classes and in my classes, you know, I'd notice they'd sign a word, they'd fingerspell it, it'd try to write
things down, and it was during one of the breaks, it was I think lunch time we'd have our lunch and then
we'd go back to studying, and I think maybe our day would end about 3 o'clock. Then we could play and
then evening we would have our dinner and our study time. That was pretty much the typical day which
would end with us being able to play and another day would be the whole process all over again.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. And I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Paul Barnett, and I'm 58 years old
and today's date is April 16, 2016, and we're here in Fresno, California, and I've known Armando for 35
years and we're going to be conducting an interview with Mr. Rivera just to understand his life history
and what it was like to grow up in the San Joaquin Valley being Hispanic, working in the fields being deaf
and going to the school in Berkeley.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right, that's right. It was in, Sixty-five when I was 16 and like I say it was really
interesting at first, but I had to, you know, find my stride. And then I graduated.
>> Paul Barnett: In 1969.
>> Armando Rivera: In ‘69–In '69 from high school as a senior. And after that, you know, I tried to think
of what to work like doing cleaning work, I quit that and then I transferred to --
>> Paul Barnett: -- St. Agnes.
>> Armando Rivera: St. Agnes Hospital. And there, you know, at St. Agnes, I was doing washing and it
was good money. I was washing and, but as time progressed, you know, I wanted something else and so
I went to IRS and that was really hard. I mean when you're looking at all those tax forms and knowing all
the numbers and Social Security that was too much. And during the seasonal end, you know, I was laid
off and finally it was then I started working at the Veteran's Hospital in the filling department and from
there on it was for the following 36 years I worked there. It was a good, you know, it was really great.
We'd get certificates and so forth when I worked there.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, Armando, I'm going to ask you a question, where were you born?
>> Armando Rivera: Brownsville, Texas.
>> Paul Barnett: And did any of your brothers or sisters, were they born there?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, no, okay. I had a brother and my sister the 4 of us along with my parents were
born there in Texas. We were born there in Texas. Now in California, that's where my father and my
sister was born. So you're looking at 5 of us from Brownsville 1 being my mom and my other siblings and
then 2 from California, my sister and father.
>> Paul Barnett: And of your siblings how many were deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: Six.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, no, you had 6 brothers, there were 6 children and how many of you were deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: I have a sister who is hard of hearing and so 3 of us 1 deaf, 1 hard of hearing and me
and then 3 hearing.
>> Paul Barnett: What was it like growing up with your sisters who are deaf and your brother and your
sister who was hearing? Did the hearing children learn sign language so you can talk to them?
>> Armando Rivera: One sister she can sign and my brother, no, he didn't.
>> Paul Barnett: And about your mother and father, how did they communicate with you when you
were growing up?
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah. There was no sign language. I was trying to lip read but no signing.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. When you moved here to Fresno and you started work in the fields, what kind of
work did you do? Grapes?
>> Armando Rivera: So we picked grapes, peaches. There were so many. I mean it was a variety of
produce that we --
>> Paul Barnett: - so describe a typical day like when you were working in the fields what time would
you have to get up in the morning?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, gosh, about 3, it was 3 in the morning.
>> Paul Barnett: Really?
>> Armando Rivera: And, you know, understand we had to drive really far. We had an hour commute
and then by the time we got there, you know, the sun wasn't even out yet, you know, you're looking not
until 6. And so we were there all day picking and working in the fields until about 6 o'clock, until 4
o'clock at night and then 4 in the afternoon and then from there we'd head back home.
>> Paul Barnett: How old were you when you started working in the fields?
>> Armando Rivera: I was probably, you know, it started when I was really, when I was 16 through my
teen years so like 16 or so?
>> Paul Barnett: Wow. So, when you were in the fields, did your mother pack lunches and did you guys
like stop and just share good together like during lunchtime and maybe describe did your mom pack
lunch ?
>> Armando Rivera: At 12 we had maybe 30 minutes to eat and then we had to go back to work.
>> Paul Barnett: Wow.
>> Armando Rivera: And go back to picking.
>> Paul Barnett: So picking grapes must have been hard work.
>>Armando Rivera: Yep.
>>Unknown speaker: Pa Describe what it was like, you know, working in the vines. Was it, did you see
spiders and was it dirty and dusty? And—
>> Armando Rivera: Oh God, there were spiders, there were bees, there were, you know, snakes, there
was everything and then you're looking at all of their droppings and so forth.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, so it was a lot of that. Yeah, and it smelled, it smelled a lot too.
>> Paul Barnett: So I imagine it was really—really hard work. So when you're—you’re—
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, it was.
>> Paul Barnett: and at the end of the day I would imagine you would be just coated with dirt and just
like, you know.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, at the end of the day I was basically all black filled with dirt. You could even feel
the dirt in your nose, in your nostrils because when you're out there picking and you're breathing, you're
inhaling all the dust and the dirt.
>> Paul Barnett: Armando, you told me a story once where your family was picking grapes and there was
two rows and so there was --
>> Armando Rivera: -- my father and sister and brother were at one row and myself with my mom and
other sibling were at the other row and so it was my mom, sister and I so it was three against three and
so what we do to alleviate the time is we’d create a race out of it, a competition. Each of us to see who
would finish the row, you know, which team would finish.
>> Paul Barnett: Would team would normally always win?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, My team, of course.
>> Paul Barnett: So your mom’s team—
>> Armando Rivera: Me, my mom and my sister. We always would win. My father was always jealous,
always irritated about it afterwards. And then later we'd switch and then and I would go to his team and
we'd still try to race. My father was happy when I was on his team because it meant, you know, his team
won.
>> Paul Barnett: So when you were living here in Fresno, your mother and father were working and
saving money and they were secretly --
>> Armando Rivera: -- yeah, they were saving money.
>> Paul Barnett: Saving up money to—to, for a big surprise and so they bought a house?
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, yeah, that's right. They bought a house.
>> Paul Barnett: And describe that first day when they drove you up there and it was like no one knew
about it and then all of a sudden you drove around the corner.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, oh yeah, that's right. Okay. So I think it was around Christmas time, maybe the
holidays, and we took the train and we arrived about 9 and they said, you know, surprise, you know,
look, there's a house.
>> Paul Barnett: So that was your first house ever?
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that was, yeah, that was our first house.
>> Paul Barnett: Wow.
>> Armando Rivera: I don't remember like, it was the 18th maybe. I'm trying to remember. I was maybe
18 years old.
>> Paul Barnett: So, when you were working in the Veteran's Hospital, you've worked there for what 36
years?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right 36.
>> Paul Barnett: And are you the only deaf employee there or?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, no, I was the, let's see there were 6. So there was 1 and then that person got
fired or they quit, I can't recall. And then so initially there were 6, so initially there were 6 deaf who
worked at the VA, but then 1 who was always late and their behavior was not good, you know, they
ended up getting fired and then another one got transferred and as time progressed, you know, we just
started dwindling the amount of deaf that were there until it only ended up being I was the only deaf
individual.
>> Paul Barnett: Describe how, you know, things have changed over the years. I mean when you first
started working there everything was paper files and you would, you know, you would do a lot of
running up and down and getting files and taking them to the doctor's offices.
>> Armando Rivera: Right, that's right. I remember doing that. Right. But then as technology progressed
it was, oh, we had to use a computer, we had to key in people's Social Security Numbers, we had to
place it in this other system and there were different type of electrical equipment that we had to
maneuver through and often the supervisor would arrive and they'd tell me, you know, I did something
incorrectly and it was, oh, you know, having to acclimate to all of the paperwork being transferred to
electronically it took me a while, but as time progressed, you know, I made my stride and I was able to
swim and not sink through it.
>> Paul Barnett: That's really good. So, you went from working paper files you learned a new skill set of
computer and.
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: You use computers now, right?
>> Armando Rivera: Every day. Every day. Always. For different equipment like ten-ten [phonetic], for
different programs.
>> Paul Barnett: Uh-huh, uh-huh.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, there's so many different programs that we used.
>> Paul Barnett: Let me ask you another question about technology. So, when you were growing up,
they had something called the TTY, which was the teletypewriter for the deaf which was a device that
people would use with the telephone to talk to other people.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. That's right, yeah. Yeah, if I was watching TV and I might see I might be
watching TV and the lights in the house would start blinking and it would mean it's a phone call and so I
would get the phone and I'd put the receiver on the TTY and I'd type in, you know, the hello, go ahead,
but hearing people weren't used to that and so when—since hearing people weren't used to that it
would be they'd hang up on me and instantly I knew, oh, it's a hearing person. They're not used to the
sound of the TTY. So I'd take it off the receiver, I'd start watching TV again. Invariably it would happen
again another phone call by a hearing person. But now we have the video phone. The first time I saw the
video phone, oh, I was enthralled. I could just use my own language. I could sign and that was, it was
wonderful. I didn't have to worry about the receiver of the phone and all this equipment, adjusting it,
this was so great. It was effortless.
>> Paul Barnett: It really opened up your world and access to the whole community.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, indeed it did. It did a lot.
>> Paul Barnett: So you have 2 sisters who are deaf. So, I guess you spend a lot of time on the phone
with them now?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. We do a lot because now it's great. We can communicate. I can see them
when we're communicating. And so, you know, we touch base with each other.
>> Paul Barnett: Uh-huh. So when you were growing up, what challenges would you say you had as a
deaf person? What was the most difficult thing living in a hearing world if you could put a phrase to it?
Just communication or did you feel there was any discrimination against deaf people?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, you've got to see, you know, I might catch a hearing person saying a word
here or there in a conversation, but the benefit of that was if I didn't like the conversation or anything I
could care less.
>> Paul Barnett: I think too just knowing you for 35 years and knowing your parents is that they taught
you how to work hard and that was the main priority of your life was to make something of yourself and
be a success and you have been I would gather.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, definitely, yeah. It was always, you know, you have to be self-supportive, you
have to be self, always be a hard worker, always study, always work hard, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: When you were living in Berkeley, maybe you can tell us a story about living in the
dorms. Now I remember you told us a story about how at night everyone would turn off the lights and
you would all have to go to bed, but sometimes the boys would sneak out.
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yeah. I remember that. That's right, that's right. In the evening maybe 10 at
night we're all supposed to be in bed and we're all supposed to be sleep, there were some that would
sneak out just to go out and play. I wouldn't say anything. I would stay. For the most part.
>> Paul Barnett: So this was Berkeley in 1968 and 1969.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that's right, that's right and they still would do it.
>> Paul Barnett: That must have been an interesting world. Uh-huh.
>> Armando Rivera: Once in a while I might—they might go out to the town and go shopping or go get
something to eat. I might have engaged in that.
>> Paul Barnett: Awesome. All right.
>> Armando Rivera: Maybe. No, no, but you know they did I was scared. I did not want to get in trouble.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, okay, all right. So, you have 2 sisters who are deaf. One is named Adelia? And one is
named Eloise.
>> Armando Rivera: Uhh-huh.
>> Paul Barnett: What is, where does, what does Adelia do for a living or what had—did she do when
she was growing up?
>> Armando Rivera: IRS. She worked at the IRS doing what specifically I'm not sure. I know it’s a Fresno
one because she lived in Fresno and then she left that and went to other employment. Well, or retired.
>> Paul Barnett: Is there any stories you would want to share, anything you can think of that we haven't
talked about maybe that you might be interested in talking about? About your life, about anything?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh gosh, really? I think I have said it all.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, I appreciate your time. Let me just ask you one last couple few more questions if I
can.
>> Armando Rivera: Alright.
>> Paul Barnett: I was remembering I was talking to your mother this afternoon. We had gone over
there for lunch and she was telling us the story about how back in the early 60s, you know, she was a
hard working mother, she had 3 deaf children.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right.
>> Paul Barnett: She didn't really know what to do or what resources but she went out and she came
over to Fresno State University and she met with the professors here to ask them for help and they had
a speech program here maybe that they helped you and your sisters a little bit—speech reading. Do you
remember anything like that?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. That's right we did. I vaguely recall some of it. I remember, you know,
they'd try to teach me, they'd try to do the speech reading and I said I don't understand, they'd try it
again, I didn't understand so then they might incorporate sign and it would be both.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. And there's another story related about that time about the Fresno State when
they had a Hispanic cultural week and they recruited your sister, Rae, and yourself to get up in costume
and do the traditional Mexican dances. Do you remember that? That you would get on stage and do
your dances?
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. Yeah. I was so embarrassed about it. I didn't know how to dance. I
thought it every— I just, it was awful and it was really, I wasn't skilled. I know nothing about dancing. I
just felt out of place.
>> Paul Barnett: But it was good that, you know, you take great pride in your Hispanic culture and the
fact that you're --
>> Armando Rivera: -- oh, yeah --
>> Paul Barnett: -- and your parents, your dad was born in Fresno but he grew up in Mexico? Your
father?
>> Armando Rivera: My father? He was born in Fresno. Right, that's right.
>> Paul Barnett: And your mom was born in Brownsville?
>> Armando Rivera: Yep, she was born in Texas.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. Now your mom tells stories of how your mother and father met. And your father
was, it was during World War II and your father was working for the shipping industry. They were
building ships for the Navy and they would sequester the workers—
>> Armando Rivera: That’s right.
>> Paul Barnett: —in camps and on the weekends they would allow the workers out to go into town and
your mom was also working for the war industry. She was working for a bakery and she would, you
know, make the breads and et cetera that were shipped overseas.
>> Armando Rivera: Uh-huh, that’s right, she did.
>> Paul Barnett: And on the weekends your dad would come courting to your mom.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. Yeah. I often asked her and she said, yeah, that happened. Then it
continued until I think they were laid off.
>> Paul Barnett: And then eventually, yeah, the war ended and then your father got laid off. He was
working in the cotton mills, right, after the war?
>> Armando Rivera: First, yeah, he was in Texas with—and then he was laid off and then we moved to
Fresno and that's when he started doing the cotton mill.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, okay, that's when.
>> Armando Rivera: Then. From there he was laid off again I think. I can be confused but I think it was in
the 50s when he retired.
>> Paul Barnett: He was 50 when he retired.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, it was when he was 50. Yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: So your father, your dad was, both your mother and father were hard working people.
>> Armando Rivera: Yes, oh, yeah.
>> Paul Barnett: So, they obviously taught you to work hard.
>> Armando Rivera: Yes, yes.
>> Paul Barnett: And all your brothers and sisters are successful.
>> Armando Rivera: All of them are.
>> Paul Barnett: And they're all living now? They're still alive, your brothers and sisters?
>> Armando Rivera: My sister, Adelia, and --
>> Paul Barnett: -- she lives in San Jose area.
>> Armando Rivera: Right, she lives in San Jose. And then I have a brother and sister, there's 4 of us that
still live in Fresno.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, good. And they all know how to communicate to you in sign language now?
>> Armando Rivera: My sister, 3 of them sign. My brother, he still doesn't. I told him, you know, you've
got to do it, you've got to teach him but he's lazy. He says no.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. Any of your nieces or nephews deaf?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, yes. Many of them are deaf and some of them aren't. I have many nieces and
nephews, but they all sign, none of them are deaf. One of them is hard of hearing. It might be a niece of
mine.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, so it might be genetic the deafness in your family. Is there any deaf in Texas?
>> Armando Rivera: I forgot to add in Texas there's a cousin that's deaf. I'm not sure how much
information about that person though.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, that's interesting. You tell us stories about your grandmother and grandfather and
they lived in Brownsville.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right.
>> Paul Barnett: Your grandmother was a really remarkable person, I mean the stories we hear from her,
and would you say her family is from Spain or was she French? Or do you recall the stories they told you,
your grandmother?
>> Armando Rivera: My grandmother her father was French. If memory serves me correctly, from Spain
and so he was half Spanish and half French.
>> Paul Barnett: So your mother's maiden name is Galicia?
>> Armando Rivera: Yep. That's what it is.
>> Paul Barnett: And I believe there's a region in Spain called Galicia. So it's possible.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. There is.
>> Paul Barnett: What do you want to do in the future, Armando? Do you want to keep working or do
you want to retire? Or what do you see for yourself in the future?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, you know. I'd like to go to France, I'd like to go to Spain, I'd like to look at my
history, see my heritage. I don't know.
>> Paul Barnett: See your family history, uh-huh. That would be awesome, yeah. Well, you've had a very
interesting life I would say, yeah. What are your favorite past times? Do you by chance happen to like
shopping?
>> Armando Rivera: Well, I like Macy's.
>> Paul Barnett: CB2.
>> Armando Rivera: CB2. There's a few others that I like as well. I also like going out, looking at art.
>> Paul Barnett: And do you like San Francisco, going to San Francisco?
>> Armando Rivera: Oh, I like it, yeah, I like going to San Francisco.
>> Paul Barnett: What about San Francisco do you like?
>> Armando Rivera: Uhm, I like the music, I like watching the dancing. It's amazing you'll see nude
people there.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes, uh-huh. Oh, okay.
>> Armando Rivera: There’s a lot that’s enthralling about it.
>> Paul Barnett: Do you identify with the gay culture there?
>> Armando Rivera: I think it's very nice. I like that they're very friendly. Yeah, very reciprocal.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, very good. Do you have any gay or lesbian family members? I'm just curious? Are
you open minded to that?
>> Armando Rivera: The family, you know, our family is just really open to it. I have a niece and nephew,
everyone’s accepting. It's very accepting.
>> Paul Barnett: Oh, Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Some might be privately maybe Bi. We haven't heard anything. Who knows?
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, well, that's good you have a supportive family that has loved you unconditionally.
So, you've had an interesting life growing up.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, natural yeah, yeah of course.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Memories of growing up, yeah, everything.
>> Paul Barnett: It's a wonderful story that you shared with us today. Okay.
>> Armando Rivera: Okay.
>> Woman speaker: Can I ask you guys to explain how you know each other and tell that story?
>> Armando Rivera: Do you want to go for it?
>> Paul Barnett: Okay. Yeah. That's fine.
>> Armando Rivera: Well, let's see I was in the grocery store and I was looking around and I noticed
someone there saying excuse me and then are you deaf? Oh, no, you sign? And so I think we exchanged
phone numbers later?
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: And I was at work for a week and then I had my mom call you and went for a visit
and I taught you to sign and to be—.
>> Paul Barnett: Yes.
>> Armando Rivera: And as time progressed, a month to 2 months, we started bantering and really
starting a friendship. After 1 year we became roommates and you were going to Fresno City and as time
progressed I just noticed you were improving your skills and now, yeah, you're really great at signing.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah, well, yeah, that was part of it. I met him. I knew the alphabet and he was
struggling with the clerk in the store and so I, you know, I being a social work student I thought I was
going to save the world so I jumped in to try and interpret and the little that I knew and, you know, I
thought it was a nice encounter. I wanted to learn a little bit more of the sign language and so out of, a
week later his mother calls and says do you remember the deaf gentleman you met? He'd like to visit
you. I thought, well, sure, you know.
>> Armando Rivera: That's right. I forgot that part of the story. Yeah, I was telling my mom really nice.
>> Paul Barnett: And the first 3 words that he taught me were yes, no and tomorrow. And if you think
about it those are probably the 3 most important words. Time because you're dealing with time, you're
dealing with, you know, the essentials of saying yes or no to a lot of things whether you like food or
whether you want to go places, et cetera.
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, that's right. Yeah, you've got a point there.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah. And what he was saying about bantering that's quite true because I didn't know
the language he would dominate the conversation and, you know, I was very polite young man and I
would just listen to his tales and all the time I was learning the language watching him. And so I did go
back to college but the thing is, you know, he would like to tease me mercilessly and, you know, rib into
me and because I didn't --
>> Armando Rivera: -- I do.
>> Paul Barnett: Because I didn't know the language I couldn't respond back and I would just take it
good heartedly, of course, and then I went to school and improved my vocabulary and then one day he
was ribbing me pretty hard and I got back at him, you know, I responded to him in American Sign
Language and he goes --
>> Armando Rivera: -- that's right. Yeah. Yeah. But as you started to banter back, then you started
winning those.
>> Paul Barnett: Yeah.
>> Armando Rivera: And I would lose. It didn't become as fun anymore.
>> Paul Barnett: No. He said you taught me too well and it's like [Inaudible].
>> Armando Rivera: Yeah, really good. And now that you work at, you know, you're really popular now.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, no, in the sense, in the sense that, you know, I'm lucky that I met a native speaker
who took the time and effort to teach me a different language. So I really appreciate that. Yeah. So
we've been friends for 35 years now.
>> Armando Rivera: Okay.
>> Paul Barnett: Okay, well. Well, I really appreciate that --
>> Armando Rivera: -- this is pretty fun, this has been really fun.
>> Paul Barnett: Well, thank you, Armando. I appreciate your time and I thank you for inviting us here. I
think this is a great opportunity for Armando to share his story at Story Corps and having our
interpreters here. They're quite awesome, Michelle and Hannah. You have to forgive me I get older,
Hannah, and you know, you know how memory goes when you get old. So I love you too. Okay.