Mitchell Alvarez and Vanessa Alvarez

00:04 Edna Vanessa Edward is age 36 Saturday, May 18th 2013, Chicago, Illinois.

00:14 Mitchell Alvarez is my brother.

00:17 My name is Mitchell Alvarez. I am 27 today is the 18th of May 2013. We are downtown to Chicago Cultural Center.

00:29 And Vanessa. Anna is my sister.

00:35 So today is a wonderful Saturday morning in Chicago. I'm at the wonderful building of the Chicago Cultural Center in downtown Chicago. I'm here today joined by my wonderful and only brother Mitchell. I write is I'm so happy that he could be with me here today, and I wanted to talk to you in a little bit Mitchell about growing up as the only brother and a family of predominantly women and what that Dynamic must have been like for you as a little kid and I was a young man, so, can you tell me a little bit about your sisters?

01:23 Well, I have four of them to older you being one of them. I have two younger. So I'm caught in the middle, but there is a h13 there's an age difference. There's a gap in there. So you're

01:38 I believe 30 I'm 36 34 36 and are he's 38 and then I'm 27 Chanel's 25.

01:52 Alex's 28 year difference there, so

01:59 You girls were more as you know, taking care of me taking me to school making sure I was okay, but also being a pest you girls mean you and an Ari, okay and with my younger sisters.

02:19 It was more that.

02:22 You know.

02:25 Kind of wishing I would have brothers like me no watching wrestling on TV. You want to play with them taking them outside, you know fighting with them on couches things of that sort. But I remember very vividly mattress style wrestling happening summertime's in the front room the living room or on our parents beds for sure and all four of you would gang up on me because eventually I would

02:54 Become bigger and stronger ice all but it was very nice. And what is your relationship now with our younger sisters Alex and Chanel?

03:07 Do you feel like how may have had me? How has it changed? Or are you all just since you're on your young and mid-twenties still evolving is the personality is probably yet. I feel you know, we're in our twenties and I'm finally I mean, we're always finding ourselves and evolving and I feel each one of us is in our own place and is trying to learn more about one another and each other and ourselves.

03:38 And not that there's no Cecilia disconnect cuz we love each other dearly and we're always we always have each other's backs, but

03:48 Kind of we're on our own agendas, you know trying to make sure we're on the right track and our lives will name something that you share with them a commonality beyond our family and our were very rooted in each other respecting each other and always supporting each other doesn't happen might be something tangible might be something from the past.

04:15 We're very competitive. I mean something as simple as playing a board game during the holidays. You see the funeral our feistiness comes out and all of us cuz we all want to win or either our team wants to win so, you know competitiveness. That's a good trait to have and

04:35 You know, I share that with my younger sisters as well with you and Ian re song.

04:45 That's something that's good. How do you see yourself evolving and growing with your relationships with your sisters?

04:59 The question I would say I would definitely say.

05:07 I don't necessarily know exactly.

05:12 How are you racist if they're going to be involved, but I know how do you how do you see yourself fitting in your world with my world with Arias world with Chanel squirrels and Alex's world?

05:27 I

05:34 Is there anything you hope to gain just from being around us in the future whether it's in a future relationship or if you plan on having children?

05:47 Oh man. Haven't thought that far.

05:53 Will through you girl through all of you girls, I relationship-wise I

06:00 You know, I learned a lot and just

06:05 Simple, you know waving simple things how to treat women.

06:13 To treat them treat them with respect, you know simple things as opening doors being a gentleman my father's like that so I'm very it's second nature to me. I don't even think about things like that, you know, whether we're eating and night.

06:32 Picking up

06:36 You know the dishes and just take him to the to the sink and I'll little things like that. So

06:42 I've learned many things that in that nature with my sisters and you know, hopefully that'll help when I have my own relationship and you know when I start my family and you know how everything goes smoothly that is very true. As you are affectionately known you are everybody's they sell all of my friends. Everybody's favorite brother because I'm everybody doesn't know that about you chivalry is not that's what we want to call it, you know in our house. It's it's manners and that's how you treat other people, but that's a really great and you mentioned learning that from Dad. Do you want to share a little bit about where our parents are from and a little bit of their own personal story that you know,

07:30 Well, they both came from Mexico always get a kick because

07:37 Dad, you know as long and all the funny saying or you know how people they always when they swam across the border my father didn't because he doesn't notice one. So he pretty much was holding on to a floatable device and everyone else for him and he just floated along, Florida Florida lawn. So that's pretty funny. But you know our debts all this in his family. I don't even know how many there are nine and as well as mom she's one of

08:12 89 or so.

08:15 And

08:18 Dad being the oldest I feel you had you just have to be a example for the family either through words through actions through

08:31 How you treat me in all how you treat others how

08:38 Well, that was a bit of a late bloomer when he was 33, I believe 4:30.

08:51 And you know the Curious part about him coming to the United States as he did not tell anyone. It wasn't a big snarl but when he came at, you know, we're both American citizens and we grew up in this country. We hear the saying the American dream and it's the seventies and you know our father and pick out of artists from the truck and did not come for the American dream. He came to see if he could essentially do what you know young people in the in the u.s. Do deer 1824 and you go off to your new apartment and he went to another country to see if he could survive without his parents.

09:40 Which is an amazing thing because that was in the seventies and we didn't have Twitter or Skype and calling Mexico is like $2 a minute. Does any of that?

09:56 Let me rephrase that you had we had the opportunity while I had the opportunity to take you to Mexico in 2009. How did it feel going back to our bare our parents birth town felt great. I mean simple fact every year. I want to go back at least once and it's nice to see where our father where parents our parents came from their roots and that strong connection. He had with his family. It's pretty neat when you're out and about down there and people are able to look at me and say you're in the good son and everyone has only great things to say about him. So let's

10:46 It's an honor that our fathers in a well-respected and you know, well thought of and you know.

10:54 I hope people will look at me the same way and this isn't a whole nother country that people are saying this and he hasn't been there. There was a long gap of 30 years that he you know, he went over there like once he did spend just due to family application Financial Obligations. There was I'm trying to think off the top of my head had to be more than 15 years and he had gone back home, which was very tough for him. Holidays are always very difficult for him. I don't know if you remember him always being a little snappier around the holidays and it's because he missed his sisters and his brothers and ultimately no one.

11:42 No one else really moved to the US or Chicago.

11:48 UPS item

11:50 I think our deal Francisco bologna stay here temporarily and our uncle his brother who passed away in the 90s.

11:59 I'm so here. Although we had us he was genuinely away from his what outside of being a respected and honored man within the you know, the immediate community of family and the other communities that you're around. What traditions do you think have been passed down whether it's by mom or dad or even within ourselves things that because our parents have enabled us to really drive the family.

12:35 To whatever capacities we like if we want to start something they Nicholas to start something to start a tradition to start a certain way. We present something as simple as food. What do you hope to

12:52 To continue or are you in carry-on or make even grander or make sure that it doesn't leave the Alvarez household.

13:03 You know definitely, you know, things as in the holidays were, you know, everyone's coming together big fees big table a lot of food yesterday games with each other. We can always put on music You Know believe in seeing a little joking around just that Comfort level where?

13:27 If I were to have a family I could easily tell my you know, my wife for more, you know, because my kids are going to your aunt's house, you know you and then they should you know, I hope my kids. Yeah, you know, I absolutely, you know joyous and happy that we're going over and

13:47 Something little is that

13:50 The fact that you know growing up we will go to the parks in all we had a family time and I'll definitely lot of family time and just enjoying the outdoors.

14:05 That's why I think of off the top of my head.

14:10 Tell me a little bit about mom about our favorite.

14:15 What's her full name? Let's think because she is ID that have multiple versions of her name and Caesar.

14:23 Quite quirky. She has her own vocabulary to it's not even Spanglish.

14:29 Yeah, our lovely weather Lupe Camacho Imam is definitely a character. I love her dearly we all do.

14:52 Before I go into her I just a quick memory. I just love our mom is when we were younger. She used to work at.

15:03 Butera Butler Butler at that factory. Foster and we would come home play didn't know were eating and on those anomic that we would get McDonald's from my mama come with a huge bag of McDonald's cheeseburgers and hamburgers on those sale days. And as you know, we really didn't have it at all as kids that was more. So with tree and coming home and seeing

15:36 The bag of Mickey D's and with all cheeseburgers and hamburgers was awesome. That's a great memories and child my loving mom cuz she would do that and she knew we loved it why I think she knew that you loved it and I recall I want to say it was your 6th or 7th birthday. You had a McDonald's birthday party and I thought oh my gosh never in my life that I think that I would see one of us having a McDonald's birthday party is the one on Foster and Kedzie play Rock. I specifically remember that.

16:16 But they'll tell me about the character. She's you know.

16:26 She's a woman of

16:29 You know.

16:30 Tuff Stuff on water but

16:37 When she was younger, she was very driven and if there was something that she wanted in her favor, or she wanted something. She go get it and

16:56 That version of her still exist, but it's in a different form.

17:01 And I think what's

17:04 Hard to talk about is seeing the transformation that she has made for as much as she is a fighter a part of that comes from a little bit of selfishness and sometimes I can transcend into something that isn't always the best characteristic and you know, just

17:27 Our mother is currently going through a hard time, but she knows how to throw a party. I mean for a 60th last year. She bought a whole patio set for outdoors.

17:41 And I'll fight with four chairs a whole new table umbrella, you know coolers. Will it be here when you know, it's other than myself and my sister I do I do but I don't think we're on the same level so but yes my mom definitely she knows how to throw a party and you know, have a good time. Enjoy the moment. She definitely she's definitely see the first one to start the Dance Floor dance skills aren't very good, but she will definitely definitely ties. She doesn't I think ultimately she wants good things for all of us. She just doesn't know how to convey that and given that we all are in our own way strong personalities. I think she sees a mirror

18:37 Of almond and

18:40 CC the mirror of herself * 5 and kind of time 6 because she does have one granddaughter are nice Edina who is 19 l a h myself. I think I'm only 35. I'm stopping myself for my coming birthday so I can get used to the number.

19:05 But I'm 27, unfortunately now, we didn't really necessarily grew up like the picture that you painted taking your kids. Hey, we're going to be up on his house. We're going to your Thea Chanel and Alex's house.

19:20 We didn't really grow up that way but as

19:25 Teenagers young. Young adults we took the initiative to reach out to work some of the family members that we are fortunate to have here who are some of your favorite audio Cynthia, of course. I love you Rosa our father sister. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri and her husband still have yet to use a hell of a guy funny Papa Murphy's big jokester.

19:57 Why do you call him Papa Smurf?

20:02 What kind of looks like he's not very tall. Here's the irony in our family. All of the women are I think one of our sister Shanelle might be be tallest. She's about five 7 and in our meet immediate family all the women are small but all of the men are 5-10 and Teller - Grandma my dad's about 5, but he's averaged Papa Smurf is about 5455 or other cousin me sign who? I don't know if they The Smurfs were on TV or is it someone had up in through that Papa Smurf out and the coven Papa cuz you know his dad so Papa Smurf.

21:02 Funny so giving warm and caring and we have much love for St.Louis family. Let me drive out there a lot.

21:17 Remember what I think a couple years ago? We'd I had to have gone down there for five times in the air and Dick Euless the Deep law for Chicago.

21:31 It was nothing like Chicago volleyball.

21:35 There's nothing to that Rosa is a have you are dehydrated. This is why she did they came to live in the u.s. In the mid-90s. So and there was a little strain with him within that relationship because our father left when he was older there was a sense of Abandonment on the sense of all of his sisters. He left his Entourage of sisters back home and nobody had the blessings of our grandmother. My daddy said if I'm sad and he went forward and came here and luckily they rekindled that relationship which enabled us to better know our cousins who

22:19 If we had a family I think you you pick the right family. They are she's like our other mother and he is kind of like, I mean, we just have a great dad. So the top part it is everybody. I mean, we love all our family.

22:46 My cousin isak and who lives in Mexico Mexico City. He's he's an awesome guy and just I wasn't fortunate enough to go to Mexico when I was younger.

23:01 So my first visit was in 09, I believe I am four years ago. So I was 24 or 23.

23:10 I was able to

23:16 You know James some kind of relationship with my cousin with you know, I'm with you suck and get to hang out with him cuz you know, he lives in another country and he's not able to come over here.

23:28 So he's he's a great individual. I think one of the reasons you like going back to soothe a that ago means work on is because well here in Chicago earlier surrounded by a lot of women and when you go back to Dad Mom and Dad's Hometown, you're surrounded by a lot of men who are right about your age who had you had we have been living down there. You probably would have grown up with them most definitely and I have said this that one of the reasons I don't like staying beyond the weekend is because there are no women my age. Everyone's a teenager or older married. There's nothing for me to do and while I have great a great brother and cousins who want me to come along and but I think it's very nice, but you can't do it everyday and I don't want to break the male Dynamic that's going on in the band Yes.

24:28 Add giving you I don't want to say relieved, you know from not having a brother here. But how does it feel to be in the presence of you know, young men like yourself where you can have that relationship like a brother * 8?

24:50 It's good, you know at times it's interesting because growing up with all women.

24:59 There's just I mean men and women, you know, we're different and just

25:07 I mean, I don't know where I'm going.

25:12 Is it good to feel?

25:14 You know to have that mail that the conversation maybe you a lot you're able to express yourself in a way that you're holding back, but it's like knowing your audience.

25:33 Or is it just too hard to describe really?

25:41 It's yeah it really is it stuff to um

25:50 United never really

25:53 Put too much emphasis on I didn't have a brother. So that sucks know it was more. So, you know, it was it was what it was and I don't have a brother but

26:05 You know, I have all these cousins you don't guy cousins that I run my so.

26:12 You know, I just

26:14 Get that mail Bond whether it's

26:19 No playing sports. I don't really feel conversation wiser expressing myself that anything was different or else holding back anything cuz I feel like I would even though you're all set. Y'all females. You're all my sisters, but the same time, sky like your brothers as well like

26:40 The gender didn't matter you didn't miss. Did you miss out on anything do you feel?

26:47 He won't be hurting anybody feeling. I mean, I really don't I really don't feel like I missed out on much.

26:55 I guess it would be nice if I had an older brother or someone I would I would agree to cuz I don't have an older brother someone to look up to just to you know learn from his experience. I mean from a guy's point of view, but

27:13 Again, I don't really I don't really put too much thought into that.

27:17 Will tell me a little bit about how.

27:22 You happen to get into any trouble when you were growing up funny things that you know might be a fun Story trouble not by appearance.

27:34 Because we didn't really get onto a whole lot of trouble.

27:37 From

27:40 From school or from

27:45 Why I don't think I was a big troublemaker, you know, maybe hit my sister's, you know, I maybe when you didn't get caught.

27:57 No cheating on test. I cheated on the Beatitudes test in Catholic school. I couldn't remember them.

28:09 Mouse good kitten. Oh, okay. So what what what was the worst thing you did when you were growing up first thing I did when I was growing up.

28:23 You know, I guess.

28:26 Maybe asking bombs by the McDonald's to Byers beer.

28:32 When we were young teenagers

28:38 There's a lot of stories and that goes with his last words of fact, but I mean, I think that one's a nice icing on the cake.

28:50 Would you say how would you describe yourself as a child? Are you happy where you are grumpy? Which of the four are you? I believe I was a happy, you know fun-loving kid, you know from what you and Ari and mom and dad told me. I was a baby. I really didn't cry much, you know, I kept myself ran around.

29:21 You know, you know as long as I can remember, I've always loved Sports basketballs my first love.

29:27 And

29:29 You know, I did what I was told that for the most part. I feel I was disciplined. You know, I wasn't.

29:36 Wouldn't talk out of turn or be disrespectful in any way. What was one of the best days in grade school in grade school?

29:51 I still remember my kindergarten graduation and I remember being in the auditorium more, you know our lunchroom / Auditorium / Jim, / but I remember that and then I remember leaving and I remember getting a gift of toy cars from you know, either you or Mom and Dad and it was one of those some semis those tractors at two levels where you could slide cars into and then we had as a special occasion. So we went to McDonald's to eat. So I remember that.

30:30 And just you know.

30:35 Student council was also fun. Remember I was the

30:42 Men's athletic director and we will go to meetings and I would literally just sit there and eat candy while everyone was doing workout planning for events for dances for fundraisers for the Walk of funds and I felt another nice. And I just felt like I was the king of the world. So that was a good time III and maybe water what make what would have been maybe one of your status memories in high school?

31:17 Status in high school

31:24 Good question. How are you? Also king of the world. No, unfortunately, I wasn't in high school, but I would say a sad part in high school was my senior year.

31:37 Being suspended because

31:42 I was late to class.

31:45 From the thing, I guess two days in a row. I was late to my first class. So you would get an in-school suspension and

31:54 And I don't know if it was that or something with tuition, but they sent me home and that day was when my TV and audio Productions teacher had one of his friends coming from WTTW Channel 11 to come meet with me and just me only because my teacher expressed how I was doing very well in that class and he wanted to introduce me to this to a fellow in a colleague from WCW and

32:25 I was in school cuz I wasn't cuz I was suspended so I never got to meet that individual and

32:31 And I look back and I kind of Wonder like man what if I met that guy and I totally went in a different direction of my life and went with TV and like video and editing or whatnot are products some kind of production so that I think about that time when I get really pissed off, what do you get pissed off at?

32:53 The dean the situation where I had to go home and

33:00 And then, you know hearing those words come out for my teacher the next day tell me where were you yesterday and me saying I was suspended for being late to school, or I can remember. I'm pretty sure the reason was being late to school or

33:16 Or had to be on them. I can't remember but the dean at that time was not a cool, dude.

33:22 Song that is tough because that's not a good money. But other than that high school is fun. It would be a really great memory and high school. Where did you go to high school? I went to Gordon Tech.

33:35 On the North Side Chicago Catholic League playing sports and having that, you know brother that bar that you know that bonding team comadre. Yes, you know, it takes a lot especially with football, you know, there's a lot of players to Saul play is one and to achieve that one bowl of winning and takes a lot of work and it's

34:07 It's an awesome thing. Are you still friends from anyone from Gordon?

34:12 I have a couple friends no.

34:16 Say any like really good friends, but I still talk to a couple Serge couple guys from the football team, but the cool thing about Gordon is

34:26 I could run into anyone we can run into each other and we can pick up and talk to each other about each other's lies as if we haven't been away from each other and it's spoken with like 10 words. No one's faking her fantic exactly. So that's that's a good thing that you know, I enjoy from

34:48 In all in all the brothers. I have some Gordon sang. I believe you or your year was the last or second to last school class before they went co-ed. Yes. I was a junior when they accepted.

35:03 Freshman girls so that wasn't cool. I wish those School stayed all boys, but you know, your sister was part of that the Entourage of girls and another reason why I didn't like it.

35:21 What other reasons didn't you like about it being coed? It does change the Dynamics of the school, you know.

35:29 Things

35:31 Guys doing guys we tend to do very silly.

35:37 Idiotic things just walking down the hallway either.

35:43 You know play fighting or you know something.

35:49 Nasty as just you know, walking past the trash can and then spin it into it. Like you couldn't do things like that or you would get in trouble yet to treat yellow the rules changed you were held more accountable now, so I know that probably was not fun, but that might have served as assistants to some of the gentleman who didn't have the pleasure of growing up with so many women absolutely but I feel ya a lot of gentlemen. Do you say you still they need assistance everywhere? So I'm one of the very few.

36:26 Know what's going on? Well.

36:29 If you could

36:32 I don't even know.

36:36 We talked about about our family you growing up having sisters and I wanted to ask you businesses organizations have a mission and it's something that they hold to be true.

36:53 For the organization. This is what we believe in in your perspective. What is the Alvarez mission of existing, you know in Chicago with it with each other on this planet what?

37:09 Do you believe is our mission that we emulate to the world around us?

37:16 I believe our mission.

37:22 Is you know to empower each other so we're able to

37:29 You know.

37:32 Empower others at so what?

37:37 B

37:40 Just two values and morals I think.

37:45 If

37:46 How we treat others?

37:55 Well, I think it sounds like what you might be saying is.

38:00 What you do at home and what you do for people within your family you do for others.

38:06 And that's a model that I believe in Ice Age say yes as much as you can if you can do it for someone else whether you're my brother or whether you're my friend and when you are an active citizen as we like to say whether it's within your family work your personal circles.

38:31 I fit in a week.

38:34 Three examples there are examples and how we treat others if other people are able to do that within their family and two others. I think everyone would just be in a better spot and everyone would just feel good and like I said,

38:48 If you know, I would say like be a productive member of our society and everything in all things would fall into place and everything will be good smile.

39:01 Well make everything better for sure. Will thank you so much for coming down today for having me. This was absolutely this was a definitely a good memory.

39:15 And we can remember and we're holed absolutely for sure. Thank you. Thank you.