Jasmine Leiva and Maria Leiva

Recorded February 21, 2020 Archived February 22, 2020 29:39 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id: mby019675

Description

Maria Leiva (55) tells her daughter Jasmine Leiva (33) about her upbringing in a rural part of El Salvador, moving into the city for work, and leaving El Salvador to come to Los Angeles after the war in El Salvador began.

Subject Log / Time Code

ML talks about her upbringing in El Salvador.
ML describes a typical day when she was growing up and talks about the foods she cooked and ate with her family.
ML remembers her mother and what she learned from her about hard work.
ML recalls the start of the war in El Salvador when she was 15 years old and working in the city as a paid caretaker for a family.
ML talks about the freedom she felt moving to Los Angeles.
ML talks about dating JL's father.
ML recalls the first time she went back to El Salvador after leaving.
ML talks about being a mother of three daughters.
ML shares her goals for herself and her family.

Participants

  • Jasmine Leiva
  • Maria Leiva

Recording Locations

CMAC

Keywords


Transcript

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00:04 My name is Jasmine Leiva. I am 33 years old. Today's date is Friday, February 21st, 2024 in Fresno, California. And my interview partner is Maria Carmen Leyva, and she is my mother.

00:30 My name is Maria Carmen, Leyva.

00:34 May I am 55 years old and today's date is Friday, February 21st, 2020.

00:43 Fresno, California in my partner

00:49 Partner is Jasmine Leiva, which is my daughter.

00:53 Cool. I know that you're nervous right now. So I just you know, I want you to relax and be comfortable because I invited you to do this cuz I really just want a recording of you and I me and like I know we had a lot of conversations and I mean, I just wanted to have something you know, and this is the really cool thing that I've always wanted to do. So, thank you for agreeing to do it with me. Yeah, so I just

01:27 Really wanted to take a snapshot of like your life. I know a lot about it, but it'd be cool to get it on record. So my first question is, can you tell me a little bit about where you were born?

01:43 I was putting out Salvador in a small country in Central America and the city of chalatenaugo which is small before that. I was like I was dropping it in a country like was 15 and I moved to the city cuz I want to go to school and work and and when I was 19 I can do now to stay for.

02:09 Know your your dreams I can you tell me exactly where you were born though.

02:17 What I was born like in the country like in the small village called what he left.

02:27 Which now it doesn't exist. Well that this mole.

02:32 The Little Country Village where I grew up there the same size now, but that the closest little town or what he'll of which is his new people live there and my brother live there. So when I have a chance I go there like at least every two years and I've been to the new what he learned but I've never been to the original spot. Can you like describe it for me or like what do you remember most about it before?

03:02 I remember everything everything when I went back. It was out for the war. There was like about 30 years after that. I have left and it was because nothing was there like just in my memory and that I see the houses but

03:25 It was fine. It's like living in the country. Like you're not heels, you know, the little Hell House were there people work there have you know, and they go to the closest town to get their necessity that most of the people that live in that area. They are they grow up everything and that they use in other food and everything. And yeah, I remember everything lyrics I lived there until I was fifteen. Can you tell me what like a typical day cuz I know that you know, you talked about how I like you grew everything that you ate and like it was pretty sustainable before sustainable was like a buzzword. So, can you tell me like what a typical day looks like?

04:10 Well, it was like a week ago for my mom will get off like at 4 in the morning to make coffee or like sometime toasted coffee and then grinding make coffee for iced coffee. And aphro's we went the kids will get up to like we have chicken we have like how and when we have took care of the water for like about you know, I don't know 50 step and water the plants feed and water the water come from before that. I was a river but then like that when I was like five or when I was already living they have like a water like clothes bike is they have they have brought the water and like I do well, well, yeah and

05:03 And I will do a lot of chores before going to school and sometime I would even like eat something in the way there. But it sometime I didn't have time to eat and what was like a typical breakfast?

05:15 I just like a cheese with tortilla or something and if you would have be home because we have milk bad.

05:25 My brother or my dad will goat milk the cows like it was far away. So by the time they got there we were already it was so around 9 or 10. So like a only weekend we might have milk, but I'm doing the day we have like coffee or chocolate or something coffee. And but we just like a simple thing like a tortilla and then go to school and come back at noon like we could offer school about noon and come home and then we'll have lines and I will cook like soup or something bit.

05:59 My mom would have got I've been in like cook the corn and make the Masa to make tortillas and then like cook whatever was like vegetables and do for lunch, you know, and breakfast was like either cheese and beans in sometime eggs, but not all the time everyday. What was like the ultimate treat meal like when we have like a check in with you was like maybe once once a week or so, but most of the time we vegetables like it the main meal was lunch. We'll do like some like rice or like vegetable soup or something and all we have eggs and the in cheese. We always have fresh cheese because we have cows and then I also cream

06:52 And then dinner was the same that what we eating breakfast for dinner. So lunch will be like if you had chicken but we didn't have meat like like beef food. I have beef like 4 months just like chicken and pork sometime but you know, like not every day and so basic it was raining like being rice and she's afraid she's when we had a bet we would like to eat people in the house, you know, and mother's back then they had been you how to stretch to feed everybody and we may go to rebatch a fruit with everything that was around because we didn't feed it was more like a

07:36 Food with very little but we'd more like a banana mangoes, whatever guayabas, you know, what kind of fruit do you like in the winter was even better than this summer this summer cuz they were not that many bed. Yeah, and then my mom makes her feel for lunch in May 30th for dinner and then in between she had to do laundry, you know, take lunch to the people working in the fields and then come back and do the same every day it was

08:12 So I know like we've talked about your mom before.

08:19 What do you think like?

08:21 Is something that you inherited from her?

08:29 This is

08:34 I always say like a

08:38 Hard worker

08:45 And I ways to feed everybody.

08:51 And being like a

08:55 Yeah, there's an ant things that kind. I feel like enough to be kind.

09:02 So

09:04 Just when you were talking about a lake food, like for me, I feel like food is such a big thing in our like relationship in our home like even when you were like you cook the meal every single day and it's so funny because like I said, like that's something that's so hard for me and like and I know that you say you enjoy cooking. So like where do you think you like learn to like cuz I also it's so funny like cuz I'm trying to learn to cook from you and it's so hard because you're just like it's like muscle memory for you so hard you think you learn to cook from instinct?

09:43 This is Kenny like funny kiss when I was younger at home. I was more babysitting cuz if we were like I was this or one of 10 kids or no kids. So I was going to let baby sitter and did the basic stuff like 50 anima care of the water, you know and help my mom sometime but I just by looking at her, you know, and she wouldn't I learn by looking at what she was doing, but you know, we did a few things together so you don't like it when was corn like a in the winter time. They would make a toll we made all the stuff that we made from fresh corn. I wouldn't do it with her, but then like when I moved to the city and I have to work,

10:31 I learned from that from the other lady that I live with that which was my guardian Sochi cook a lot and she would have told me just the base. So she was my other person that guy me like I live there for four years and they they show me one time and I was like, you know, and I can do it and when I move here and I got married and I found somebody there who like to eat, you know, it's so it gives me pleasure to make something and see somebody else enjoy it. So the more I did at the more like I got into it and I I love it. I like it. So I put it from so many I have ants in my mother of my my grandma and these other ladies in the city that I saw that they cook and they do stuff for you know, so I picked from the head and I feel like it give me I feel happy doing that. You mentioned your grandma. I feel like

11:31 I've never really heard about your grandma. Do you what's her name? Like what do you remember about them if her my dad side did she live like him to be on 90 93 years old. So I remember her more of that, but she could get a little kiss when she when I was like that age there about 8:17 or so. She was older but I spend time with them and I still haven't you will tell me things even though I didn't do it with her, but she was telling me it was her name Cecilia. And so that's what I have been doing with my family kissed when I have you guys I went to create something from me and doing it for you guys.

12:22 Which is a simple better make me happy doing that. Remember like how old you were when the war started? I was like a 15 when it started. So you had already moved to this. Yeah. Yeah, it started in 1979 and I was fifteen then and so I moved to the city but I start seeing things that like entire house cleaning out the town so, you know people leaving and stuff and then yeah, I live in people are leaving the towns from the countryside. Yeah to move till like the city or just leaving the country living there for like safer place. You know that something's to the city sample other than other towns and stuff.

13:14 Yeah, and yeah, that was horrible.

13:21 Yeah.

13:26 With that

13:28 I'm yeah, yeah, I moved to the city and my my family got behind someone and then later on I reunited with my one of my younger sisters choose fighting 9 years younger than me, which she was the one that I babysit the most and felt like I was her mom because she always has to touch me and

13:55 Yeah, and then when that you know, what happened? Yeah.

14:05 Do you ever like think about like what your life would have been like if you hadn't left like to the US?

14:14 I don't know sometime. I think about it. I always want to leave I want it because I always want to be like study. I always had two dreams since I was little like it should be like a teacher or a nurse be professional and that got married like with the dress and everything those things which I never accomplished, but but I don't feel less because I I got you more than what I even mean, you know things that I never imagined that I would have will be

14:54 I think I would have be there because my determination was if I would have stayed there I would have finished his school and be a teacher. That was the basic maybe got Mary have kissing a live there. But I never I mean never be grabbed. You know, I always liked it being like that when somebody give me the opportunity I take it if it's something that I know I that I don't people don't don't ask me twice. I take the opportunity if it's something else I take a minute to think about it, but that's has helped me to make decisions like quick like that it and I never look back and I appreciate you know, I

15:39 But at the same time if you like, wow, all the people have to die to be here to help all the people have pay the way for me to be here. And then sometime I went to encourage tell you guys don't take it for granted because a lot of people have to be Thai in order to need to be here cuz you wouldn't be peace. I wouldn't be, you know leaving I wouldn't have dividend that you know, but

16:10 But at the same time I guess life goes like this Go song and and you have to put it aside.

16:19 In order to enjoy what you have because the other way the other wise if you keep thinking about that and you feeling regrets and remorse that you can let me you don't have a life and do what what was the most exciting saying about moving to La for me was Frida.

16:48 That was number one in the kids all my life have been like when I live with my parents. They always they give me a little freedom, but I was very young so I couldn't get them when I moved in the city with this other family. They didn't give me freedom. I was like because the war was going on and they were so afraid something happened to you. Whatever if you stay home and you're safe. So all this this for years that I live there. I feel like they would my my teen years were robbed because I could enjoy this if you were there working too. Yeah working going to school or like a paper care take care of a teenager. Yeah, cuz you know, don't you like it you see you have been so when you're in school you have like a Spore I love sports and I could even go to games and stuff for

17:48 Dance they have in I never went to those, you know when I was in school and so

17:57 What happened when I see you guys going to want to go on a field trip. I always manage to give you gas this. I know how it is. I know once how it was for me not be able to see other people go and I wasn't able to go but when I came here, I I feel like I want to be free I want to do whatever I want, you know, and when I have the free and I do know what to do, you know, I I was so used to be somebody like tell me what to do and stuff.

18:30 Then I met your dad then in with him. He gave me Frida. I mean, I didn't feel like he did tell you do anything for both of us. We have kind of freedom to think one of the coolest things is like the album the photo albums we have is I've noticed that like you guys dated like you went on dates like you have photos at Santa Monica you went to Six Flags you have if you were cool people like ain't that something that you know, not what I was an adult could I recognize that like you were also young people who had come from a really terrifying, you know, it's something really terrible. And then now you were young people in LA with other young people who also had escaped this terrible thing and you got to have fun, you know, yeah. Oh, yeah. It was fun cuz I remember

19:30 I Met Your Dad and then like 3 months later we're living together in.

19:35 But I will wait before I had you it was like almost 2 years 2 years the wind Joey went to the beach. We went to to the city and we went with Fred and we were like we have a group of friend about seven people. They always have girlfriends in the same inning. We went places together every weekend with the have a party When We Were Young we were in our twenties early twenties. And so I tried to catch up when I didn't have when I was a teenager, you know, and

20:13 And it was great memories. So it was it was fun. It was trying to like put a spy or what I have happened to to me and then and enjoy life in this in this new country. You know, what was it like going back with cuz I know you went back when you were pregnant, right the first time you went back, but then you went back again when I was too and you took me with you and the door was still happening. Oh, yeah and 92. So what was it like going back with a baby the first time when I went back it was like it was like after 2 years and in the war was still going and then it was not much different. It was still kind of like but I was like, you know, I don't have to stay here. I'm going back and then when I went because it doesn't matter how small or how horrible it is is

21:13 Like the where you were born in that you still have that like memories and stuff that you want to go back and then when I took you and I have people that I knew people in my family or friends and when I took you it was kind of scary, but at the same time

21:33 I was thinking at like, you know, like take the chance to say. Yeah. Yeah, and I talked to you because I wanted you to see where we come from. I remember one of my memories for my trip is seeing the soldiers marching. Yeah and like the kind of like Ron Marge and I was so curious but I'm going to be like pulling me out of the street cuz they were like they will run you down. Yeah, they're just all so you in as I was a little older like the guards at the banks has a giant like rifles and I was like, this is so different, you know, so then I wanted to also ask you some questions about like you have three daughters, you know, like what did you ever think that you were going to have three girls? No.

22:22 I always said that I was going to have like five kids. Well when I was if I stay over there I knew there was going to have more but then when I have you it was It was kind of hard with different I said maybe just one and you know or two I wanted it to maybe and your dad said just want is fine. You didn't want to get came to the like in 9 kids to sew allows how you been I said wine is not cuz I knew even though all my family didn't go out to be a whole family. You know, I knew that I so young When We Were Young. It was more like a 5 5 6 7 and I wanted it. So I want to do one more but it's not what you wanted is what you got ya know. I was glad that I had three daughters Tina. Is there like do you have like a favorite memory or tradition?

23:22 That we all do together like at with your guys yet. I think Christmas. I like Christmas or barbecues in the summer.

23:35 I remember that that was my dream when I live in Los Angeles. I used to housekeeping for for rich people in and they have their kids and they they got it where you got to say Hey you say you say we're used to clean houses in Malibu.

23:55 They will come groceries. None of the plastic garbage and pay for them. And I said one day I'll have my own house and buy groceries, you know and bring groceries like that and put them in the pantry whatever, you know, and like I have based my daughter have a family before me with a suitcase that I used to make dysreflexia for your dad and I are the two of us or like and then off when I live in Los Angeles and then when I had you it was the three of us, but I didn't want to just once I want to like one more. I want to like a fan with you be my own to to do a cooking in the hood tradition credit. And yeah, I think that Christmas because as a little kid Christmas was different I grew up and not like with the tree you like at the ornaments or lights or stuff like that cuz I was different it was going to the church and celebrate Jesus birth is I'm a Catholic and well, I grew up as a Catholic.

24:55 And then go celebrate. And then what we celebrate more was a new years of December 31st. Will we have like a firework and the kids were outside happy like and then like have a meal and then, you know, it's happy but Christmas it was not about GIF or anything.

25:19 But up, so when I created this for you guys this like it's something different but like with the

25:30 New things FedEx with the same values hand, I think something that really stands out from you is just like how different like the way that you grow up is from like the way that me and my sisters grew up like simple things like pencils and paper. I know we would go back to school shopping you'd be like look at all this paper are like, you know, you'd say that growing up like you would love getting any pencil and here we would want like 20 or we had 20 packs. Yeah, you know, I like you would only have newsprint paper and here you could buy like tons of it or like I remember when you told me that you would never had a hamburger until you were like 20-something, you know, and I came here. Yeah, and then not even right away cuz I was not used to so I didn't hard candy bar like it for like I was like your early thirties, maybe an hour late twenties when I have a candy Park is it was something that I didn't eat or

26:30 Yeah hamburger was like maybe I was like a 20s or so that I have it and I'm glad cuz I grew up like that, you know that it is. Yeah. I also just wanted to like finishing up like just looking into the future, you know her like you're still you really young like what do you see like your for your life or our lives in the next like 10 to 15 years?

27:04 Well, I feel like I'm liking and a new state right now like you guys grown up and my my mini golf is like a for Michelle and Heidi to finish school and beyond their own and taking care of themselves and for me just to enjoy life to enjoy live a good life and I and keep working because I love to work keep working until I can what's one thing you haven't done yet. So you want to do

27:35 I don't know. Maybe I want to I want to chop them Kyle of traveling. I have a couple I want to go to Italy and Hawaii and New York and goes to replace.

27:48 Yeah, and a Inky keeping having a keeping more making memories with you guys the future. Do you want grandkids only if you guys wanted my point is like it don't bring a child if you're not ready or if you knock it. You want it if you want it not because you have to bring HIV you want to kiss you have to love and be for them. You don't like taking care of them and it's like it would be nice to see.

28:25 Attire for a grandchild, but I will say will wait and see now.

28:34 What do you see your life? Like after you retire like your day-to-day life? Like what do you want to do? I just like it. I want to stay active active like, you know, I may be walking exercise and stuff, but I want to but it went in because I went to live and until when I leave on to a hundred take care of myself. I don't want to depend on other people kiss all my life. I've been taking care of myself and not but we'll see. We'll take it day-by-day and enjoyed kissing. You don't know tomorrow. Yeah, definitely.

29:16 Yeah, I mean, I think that's a really good place to wait and then I really want to thank you for doing this with me. I love you. I love you, too.

29:29 Stay strong.