Ricardo Mazariegos and Ryo Mazariegos

00:00 Ryo. Masa Diego's, I am 23 years old and today's date is Saturday. June 26th 2021. Right now. We are at our house in Churchville, Virginia and I am talking with my dad. Ricardo must use.

00:28 Hi, my name is Ricardo Alberto Diego's. I am 57 years old.

00:35 Today is June 26th. 2021.

00:39 We are located at Churchville, Virginia.

00:43 And my conversation games with my daughter, real.

00:51 So real.

00:55 I want to talk to you about, you know, how you been asking me all.

01:03 Ancestry. And

01:06 Did you know? Because your mom?

01:11 Their ancestors are from Germany and Suites.

01:16 Their family has a book written by one of her hands or explains the the way the first hurts. Hurts like the first ancestors of your mom came to the United States.

01:37 On our side, we don't have that because our

01:44 Staying in the US is not being flown at they have.

01:49 We're talking about your grandfather, if you like that because of my son, yagos.

01:57 Who came to the US in the late sixties? So that's not too far away. I know it is for you. But is that the

02:10 I know about pretty sure about 98%, that it hasn't been anybody before in the my family that I know of in the United States.

02:21 So considering that the Tsar departure point for the most Legos in in in in our family here in the US.

02:34 I know that the last thing has been here before but just for a consideration of our family, your grandfather was the first one to come. Here. She came in the late sixties. Like I told you.

02:50 He came with the three friends who have talked to him about the opportunity of coming to work.

02:58 He was working on there, but he got into a little trouble with the

03:04 Somebody that told him.

03:07 Either the lineup or we letting you out and so he did not like that. So beat though. I'm going to be looking for other ways to sustain my family and myself.

03:25 So you can put Chicago in 67 1967 and he was there for a month.

03:32 Econo. Got a whole lot of what he needed to. He came back to Walmart and then thinking of more permanent.

03:42 States.

03:45 She got a job. He also start working his name. God, cuz he only came with a Visa.

03:52 Immigration has changed a lot from those days to now. So when

04:01 Once you was established quoting phone.

04:05 She decided that it was time for my mom to come me nauseous, but getting another process in the process took a little time. First. My mom have to have a green card. Once you had a green card. Then we come with our green cards.

04:21 So we're Leon. I like I came here when I was 9 years old.

04:26 Will you have or some knowledge of English because my dad didn't the time that my mom was here and we were not.

04:41 He had send those some vinyl records with a horse to learn English.

04:48 What he did not know, is that the cause was for British English, not United States English, which is quite different.

04:57 So we come up here thinking that we know English, but it was a totally different.

05:06 Not just because I'm asking, you know, we have a Spanish accent is hard to take it off. Then we have the, so everybody looks like you are speaking English. Also, you cannot speak English. He was, so, give me a few words, but that's it. You will not get the whole picture of things that was going on.

05:40 So when we came up with a mile long school, system starts in January and then Singapore, we have to leave watermelon because they give us a departure date. Otherwise, you'll lose your chance.

05:58 Is so we had to come up beginning of September.

06:03 And so that meant that school was finishing them. There.

06:09 And is beginning here cuz if school started after Labor Day.

06:15 So I only had 4 days of vacation later cuz I was almost at school and beginning school year, which was quite a change.

06:29 In the, the system were quite different.

06:36 One of the misinformation, my that has, is that he did not know anything about North Chicago, South Chicago, is Chicago.

06:45 In what school districts are you have? No idea. I mean, you just do everything the same.

06:52 School districts, don't exist.

06:55 Yes, the other different, but look what I'm trying to say is like, you're not know that that makes a difference.

07:06 People by their houses because they keep saying such as school districts and stuff like that.

07:15 So when 4 days, after we arrive to the United States, the person school. I was finishing my third grade down there. Warm. Are they putting 4th grade?

07:29 But there was no yourself at all. So it was in the main core classes. Everything was in English.

07:39 I had no idea what was going on, because the English that I have learned was quite different and this is some Chicago. So

07:49 I did not know what's going on, because

07:53 I mean for me was different world on those days, but they have been.

08:01 A difference of for me, and I did not know what that meant. I became a always been a menorah t.

08:11 But then I was consider out white minority, which was, you know, on for me wants to know what time it is.

08:20 No, no, I mean there's other differences for the night.

08:24 Not like that, so,

08:28 They let me to get in trouble because I did not know what I was saying and wanted to say it. So it was a lot of misunderstood with my classmates.

08:42 So, what happened? Watch that?

08:47 It was.

08:51 But seven kids that were not African Americans are. And

08:57 Some of it like it was long kiss from Puerto Rico. He's a few words in Spanish. That was make me Queen Acacia. So needless to say, I got in trouble, if not every day with somebody in class.

09:17 To the point that my on my desk.

09:23 Flying with all my books.

09:28 And sometimes I was on it like sitting in the desk and I was flying over by saying the wrong thing.

09:38 So,

09:41 My brother. And my sister didn't know how much Braum's. I don't know how they managed, but they did better than I did.

09:50 English or Coronavirus.

10:01 I,

10:04 Because of that. My mom was worried. So, but you can go to school and speak to anybody cuz she didn't speak English. So, we're two worlds meeting and I was in the middle of it, in the Coalition that he, because he was interesting work. And, you know, he was a newcomer, he had to work first shift. He did not know what that meant.

10:38 So we saw him once, I mean over the weekend for the whole week.

10:50 Like we were going to school but he was sleeping, then he woke up by the time we come back home. He was gone cuz I get to work.

10:57 So,

10:59 Discount went for a year. After that. We can just make that they were having problems in school so that we need to move. So he says we want to come back to what Amala?

11:13 What we from and he said, okay, wait a minute. Let's let's move. We'll try a different school before. We take this drastic move.

11:26 And so we did the the reason we stay or he wants to stay close to the job, the beginning. So he wasn't able to try to work if you wanted to walk. He was five. Six blocks away from his work. So

11:47 But if we will move she, she will have to drive and by then he had a vehicle so that made it easier for him to make new.

11:58 It's a Dodge.

12:02 Who's the big one? So anyway, when when we move at the new school?

12:10 It was about three blocks four blocks away. That, I mean home, walk to school, and there was there, but still, we were Learning Links, send me pics, a long time, to learn lines, when you're not at

12:29 Learning it.

12:31 In class, you learning about what you here then. So when we got to the point of

12:40 Getting some, some English would realize that. It's cool. Get clothes every so often like they'll tell us know what leads, there's a gang outside waiting for somebody, so nobody leaves until they're gone. They call the police. If you know who, I mean, Xenoverse go through Waze or what?

13:08 Who were you in middle school display? Something about 50 right now? So it's still Elementary School and Middle School thing up there.

13:24 So so they won't hold us in school. Everything clear out and then it will do so by then. I was not as effective because my brother was in the heart rate. He will be more affected by it than I was.

13:41 Sew in.

13:45 She was history years older than me. So he was

13:50 BB 677 Craig Avenue. Middle School.

13:56 And not, so they will.

14:00 You don't cuz we shared a room, we talked about stuff at night and we start talking about, we cannot be here anymore. We're not learning anything cuz everything is being sad. So, let's talk to our parents and we want to go back. So we need.

14:23 They were reluctant first. You know I'm saying, okay, listen later something else we can do before this happens and

14:32 Are you getting a little better, but still not enough to be in a class? And that's why it's important right now. We don't know what's going on.

14:49 So when so, when finally convinced my time is, okay.

14:57 You guys can go back. So we did.

15:01 When we got the watermelon game, you know.

15:06 I'm the one with the most prone because

15:10 I was so close to finishing my third grade elementary school, but my teacher who has been.

15:20 A supervisor for the education department. She won by the rules. She says no, you did not complete the whole year. So, you know, you're not allowed to have your final test. So I when I went back they told me you lost the year. So you have to go back there.

15:41 My grandma's sister, they have had their final test. So they were okay with her. We will empty. So I'm what they have been here in schools with.

15:52 It was just me. Who came from you again.

16:04 My dad was hoping that we will not stay there because so far.

16:10 You still hoping that we might come back. And once we were there, we realize how much English we have learned who was amazing. It was amazing. How much we have picked up, but still not enough to be

16:30 In.

16:32 The only problem is that, you know, my parents, they did not.

16:37 They missed a lot of thinking. What's going on black?

16:41 Parent-teacher conferences, which are important because they

16:56 You ever have to translate?

16:58 Well, once at the end of my mom saying at the end because at the end of our school, we were able to translate more than at the beginning for them. But he was a conversation. I think the difference is when your classroom and you trying to get to know each other.

17:20 That is different than when you translate in conversation.

17:24 This is what it is that we still have pain because of right understanding.

17:31 But still that was very difficult for me to communicate. I know where to go to talk to you about things like that. I thought was the most frustrated because when he wasn't working left to sleep, it was nothing you can do about that.

17:52 Do you remember like?

17:57 What your first thought of Chicago was when you first arrived, like what was something that completely shocked you of how?

18:09 People living in the US did things compared to Guatemala.

18:13 Yeah, you know like the first change was as soon as I step on the airplane, everything wasn't English because I'm fine American Airlines supposed to be Airline those days. I remember as soon as they serve the food eggs and bacon said we have to leave really early even though we left early 1-mile. I stay in your liens almost.

18:47 The whole Dave fell like, in the airport.

18:50 And waiting for our flight to Chicago.

18:54 And so, when we arrive to Chicago was like 9th, and it was a long day, but

19:05 I remember when I the stewardess of that airplane noise, Spanish, everything was English and not the first.

19:20 So, when we arrive to Chicago,

19:25 I was so anxious cuz we got tonight.

19:28 What song is this for the next day?

19:34 Do you want to see what I want? And I can't wait.

19:45 I remember going out.

19:47 The apartment.

19:49 Can the smell as a smell? I'll never forget the first thing that came to the difference from Guatemala City in Chicago.

20:00 And then the weather. Now, this is September. So the weather was changing.

20:07 The leaves were falling.

20:09 Who was turning brown?

20:12 And there was a big difference for me and you know, I've done with that used to seeing so much, Brown the wrong.

20:22 I mean, it's not that the trees don't leave those leaves down there in one or they do but not all at once or for a long time.

20:33 So that was the difference that immediately mine. I mean it's still in bed with him inside of me.

20:46 Well, it's a different.

20:53 I've been in different states.

20:55 That's the first thing that comes to my mind and when I compared to Chicago, how did this? Well, so that's that's the first thing. I remember that came to my mind when I was

21:17 Chicago.

21:23 Obviously your dad wanted to come, you know, for a better job family and everything, but like

21:33 Do you remember like any feelings that you were feeling internally when your parents said that you were coming to the u.s. Men's when my class did farewell?

21:53 So,

21:55 The organized Toledo, farewell, for me at party, in the class and the teacher.

22:03 Enemy a book.

22:14 She broke down on the book.

22:19 I'm trying to.

22:29 Like Donkey Kong.

22:35 Going to an unknown world and probably.

22:44 Gold fishing Giants.

22:53 It's okay, if you don't remember it, word for word.

23:05 So then did that like make it.

23:09 Set in a little bit more of like feeling anxious going except you know, what this is.

23:24 Walk the bar. Can you come by? I mean, so

23:33 When when that happened?

23:37 Yeah, start sending me a year of.

23:40 It's going to be for a while. They're not going to be here.

23:44 Especially, because

23:47 Right now.

23:49 And Communications, you know, you have an email, you have all these apps that instantly communicate with your friends, family anywhere.

23:58 In those days.

24:00 Everything was a long distance.

24:03 Or a letter letter will take a month.

24:06 You get what you sent it? Well from Chicago, if you want to mom will pick him up.

24:11 So if you can see a month like I ride down in June, we'll get at the end of June. It will bring it back in July. I'll get at the end of July.

24:25 And the fastest thing was telegraph, but

24:29 Telegraph. You have to be really concise because you cannot write anything but just the facts.

24:37 That made it difficult for us. I mean, no phone calls that were really expensive expensive and not as much as it is. Now, the government-run company was not interested in expanding the services. So we had a neighbor, they had a phone and I remember that every time, my dad needs to communicate with my mom.

25:08 He either he start sending the girls saying I'm going to talk Tuesday. So be there, but you know being in somebody's house because it's never anywhere. But luckily the phone company has someone with bone, wait for the phone call and communication.

25:43 Yeah, so that made a difference for us, you know, like having you so far as going on.

25:52 Officially because we have been I mean we grew up so close to my mom's parents. They are grandparents and uncles that, you know, going from seeing them everyday to hear from them every 2 months.

26:10 So, yeah, and then breaking, you know, our friendships with their classmates and stuff like that. It was

26:19 Along because we didn't know who I'm going to see you or talk to each other.

26:23 And the fact that when I went back and I lost all my classmates, I was like new friends.

26:47 So yeah, that was one of the biggest changes that we have to specially.

26:55 Because, you know, I've been too great about my sister-in-law son's just one grape.

27:05 She was supposed to be in the house. Exactly. So.

27:19 And not because we came, we went back to a different time of schooling on there.

27:29 But private schools is. Yeah, we'll take it. And so that's why they put my sister 9, a private school. My brother was okay. No problem, but for some reason I cannot tell you exactly why.

27:44 But she and I had to go to a private school which was new stuff for us to do so.

27:53 And unfortunately, I can't.

28:01 My leg problem started. So

28:06 That means that I have to change for you, but that's that's hot too. It was a

28:14 Class in the hospital cuz I ended up in a public Hospital in.

28:22 They had a teacher there. They will come to my bed while everybody's bed. And he was a classic depending on the Greg. We were.

28:41 Stay in the same grade. And yeah, I'm Oklahoma.

28:57 Yeah.

29:02 Do you remember any particular events that?

29:06 We're going on this two years. You were in the US when you first came.

29:12 Yeah, I remember there was an election because the reason why I know it's cuz I remember seeing the posters on the electric Pole.

29:28 Nixon Richard Nixon, the president re-election.

29:32 But you know what, I've heard about him, but I didn't know exactly what was going on. Where the Democrats and Republicans stand where, I mean, I had no idea at all.

29:53 The office.

29:55 So,

29:57 Yeah, I remember that was going on. Plus, you know, it's still the civil, right movement was still going on in the 60s.

30:08 But there was still some differences, they were going on and that's why, when I was say something in class, I got in trouble because I do know they were so sensitive because I was the same for you. No paper or like the color.

30:39 Because people thought I was going on purpose, I think.

30:43 Need to know any better. No, I did not.

30:51 I had no idea. I guess that's one of the things.

30:55 Mimi be interested in history because

31:05 I thought, well, I better get on to know so I don't commit the same mistake that I did when I was young.

31:21 Do you remember any feelings from your mom at all that she wants anything? Or did she just kind of? Keep it quiet?

31:34 Oh, yeah, you know what? Like she knew exactly that. I like was going to change my name.

31:41 She?

31:44 I think it's hard to understand that when you are forced to move and you have a life by inertia you are going to

32:00 Not reveal, but me against that change. And she wants you.

32:09 A man that everything was going to change her and it did.

32:13 Completely dead.

32:16 But when I, when I look back to everything or the lack of opportunities, my parents Miss because I didn't speak English.

32:32 Is it? Someone better than me that?

32:36 The job that I do right now.

32:39 Case manager at a non-profit newbridge's Harrison, Virginia to help those families there.

32:50 Don't know how to deal with day-to-day stuff.

32:59 Now nowadays. Yeah, you can get a nap your bills, you know, do your banking stuff like that, but

33:06 When you don't know the language.

33:10 You are lost.

33:13 You might be a.

33:16 The perfect person but you are in this Advantage when you're not and it is not like people don't want to learn.

33:27 But he has taken me in a lifetime cooler. Like, I still have words that I can.

33:36 Right.

33:40 So,

33:42 The real song of this conversation is because I want you to know how.

33:50 Our family started here.

33:53 And you are being the firstborn generation.

33:59 Motor Vehicles in this country.

34:03 So, it's very important that you learn or you hear this from me.

34:11 So,

34:13 Once you know, in the future, we have to tell the story something in our family is going to ask. You don't know who, but somebody might get interested in say,

34:27 So,

34:29 That's why it was so important for me to know.

34:32 Talk to you about it.

34:36 Yeah, it's always a pleasure to talk about this because, you know, brings memories bring like you did bring my

34:43 The memory of how she got voicemail.

34:52 I do think about.

34:56 When I look at from now, how big is Chicago was?

35:00 And it was hard to take.

35:03 Take it all in so hard because

35:09 Like, I told you I repeat the language.

35:16 So,

35:17 Listen to my story.

35:21 I hope that your descendants listen to this.

35:28 Story will hopefully we'll get the answers. They were looking for.

35:34 All right. Thank you so much.