Barbara Camila Blanco transcript

Learn about Barbara Camila Blanco and her journey traveling from​​Guerrero, Mexico across the border and into Austin, Texas where she reunited with family, to then work and find her husband.She eventually made her way to Salt Lake City, Utah with her five children to work and live out her American Dream. Transcript of Audio interview. Part of https://migrants.lib.utah.edu

Barbara Camila Blanco Salt Lake City, Utah An Interview by Emma Ross, Gregoria Alegria, And Martina Martinez 20 November 2020 “Borders and Migration” Ethnic Studies 3790 Spring Term 2020 School for Cultural and Social Transformation University of Utah University of Utah THIS ORAL HISTORY WAS CONDUCTED AS PART OF AN ETHNIC STUDIES CLASS TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO INTERVIEW A LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBER IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES ON THEIR MIGRATION STORY, ETHNICITY AND AMERICAN LIFE. A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF BARBARA CAMILA BLANCO IS AS FOLLOWS: Barbara Camila Blanco is 42 years old. She has 4 siblings. She was born in Guerrero, Mexico. She is a mother of 5. She now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. This transcript follows Barbara’s journey traveling from​​Guerrero, Mexico across the border and into Austin, Texas where she reunited with family, to then work and find her husband and eventually made her way to Salt Lake City, Utah with her five children, to work and live out her American Dream. *Starts at 0:19* ER: I am Emma Ross and I am a second-year student at the U. GA: I’m Gregoria and I’m a third-year student at the U and what’s your name? BB: ​My name is Barbara Camila Blanco and I didn’t go to University. Okay, I’m sorry, this is serious, okay. So, I am a mother of 5 kids and I— GA: How old are you? BB: 42 GA: Okay, and where were you born? BB: Mexico. Guerrero, Mexico. I think it was—did you want my?— GA: We can go question by question right? ER: Yes, that will work! GA: Okay, do you have any siblings? BB: Yes, of course! GA: How many siblings do you have? BB: Actually, I don’t know because I don’t—how can I say, I never spent any time with them. GA: Like spend quality time with them? BB: 2:00-2:01 I mean, just one sister and three brothers, that’s it. GA: Okay, so one sister and three brothers, and where do you currently live? BB: In Utah. GA: Salt Lake City BB: Salt Lake City, Utah and I have moved to here in 2016. Almost like 5 years. GA: Okay and where did you move from? BB: I moved from Texas; I spent my whole life in Texas. Okay, next question. ER: So, what kind of planning did it take to come to the United States? BB: Can you repeat the question again? ER: What kind of planning did you have to do before coming to the United States? BB: Hold on, I’m going to try to make it sound *in audible* because when I was 15 years old. I had an emotional trauma or… BB: Something that I want to do because, I don’t have a mom for 15 years. So, I know that my mom is in the United States and the only thing that I want is to cross the border and come to the United States and see my mom again and hug her. Give hugs and I just want my mother’s affection; do you guys understand? That’s what I had on my mind, all day, all night, I was thinking, I just want to go to the United States. I just want to see my mother again. I mean I don’t know her, I don’t know what she looks like— cómo es ella, yo no sé. So I had the opportunity on June 1993 GA: Yeah, June 1993. BB: Yeah, I had my opportunity to come to the United States and see my mom. I say, “okay! I’m going to be so emotional, so excited! And okay! I don’t need *inaudible for me* just money! Just money!” And my grandpa gave me the money. So okay, you want to go to the United States? Okay here’s the money. But it’s not only me, it’s my cousin, my neighbor… un grupo, un team! GA: It was a group. BB: Yes, it was a group with una vecina, un vecino, un primo, y mi hermana. GA: So, two neighbors, a cousin, and your sister? BB: Yes, so I said, “Okay! Let’s go! I had no idea how dangerous or far it is. And I just bought the ticket for the bus, I was taking the bus, it passed one day. And I haven’t ate, I don’t know where I could buy some food. Then it passed another day and I’m hungry! And I was in Tijuana, Mexico. On the border, on the other side waiting for what’s next. I mean what can I do over here? I just wanted to go to the United States, but I had to wait there for the people, we call them coyotes. The people that cross undocumented people. It’s so dangerous in Tijuana in the middle of the night. At 12 in the nigh [a las 12 de la noche] It is so so scary! I mean, no people, stranger people walking. When I was 15 years old, everything is scary for me at that age. I never go from my little town, you know? So that was so scary for me. I had spent two nights at the hotel in Tijuana, and when I tried to cross exactly the border. What is the border over there? I found a huge fence over there with sand, you cannot walk on that sand without shoes because you did. Your feet sink in the sand, oh my god, so how can I run? How can I walk? The truck stopping there, we had to run away because we had seen the border patrol over there and when I had asked, the driver said, “Jump and Run! Jump and Run! Don’t run to the United States, run back to Mexico! Run back to Mexico!” And I didn’t know what to say, what is Mexico and what is the United States? It’s not like there’s signs or lines over there and I said oh my god, what can I do ? When I turn to my left I had seen people and I said, “Okay, that side is Mexico!” So that side is Mexico and I was running to that side and when I was running to the left side, my left side, there were two border controls and I saw two police with guns and they have the dogs. And I said, “Oh my god what can I do ?” He tried to grab my shoulder and I did this and run! Like slide and then walk to Mexico. When I was walking to the Mexico side, I said like where are the people? Where are the people who came with me? Where are the people who are here to protect me? Where’s my sister? Where are my neighbors? Nobody is around me, oh my god what can I do? So that’s my, my reality in that moment [Mi realidad en ese momento] GA: The Reality BB: Yeah that’s my reality in the moment and I said oh my god. I was walking slow trying to—it’s a lot of people over there! There was a lot of people, it’s not just me or us, or the group that we came with supposedly and I said oh my god there’s a lot of people over here what are these people doing over here right? And I was shocked—you know like no one was—there was the town over there with people and families and lady with the kids, husbands and wives. There were a lot of people over there, and I said, “well, I’m not alone”. But yes I am alone! I don’t know these people and I need help! I need help, I Need to find my team, my cousin, my neighbors. What can I do ? A few minutes later I see one of those guys, and I said, “oh! Hi!” and he says, “shhh”. He’s hiding over there in the corner between two buildings. It’s like—I don’t know how I can say this, the water creates a small nook and you can hide right there so people don’t see you or so immigration doesn’t see you. And I see him and I know that’s part of my team and I say hi, I was so excited so I say “oh hey! Hi!” and he goes, “shhh you don’t know me, you don’t know me! Go! Go!” And I said oh my god it’s the only people that I know and it’s the man I mean. So what can I do? And I was walking slow and looking around and keep walking and walking. Well few hours later, 3 to 4 hours later I find nice people. I find a family, who are going to reunite in the U.S. GA: They were going to reunite. BB: Yeah. So, in that moment, they say, “okay what are you doing here?” and I say, “I’m alone! I’m lost and I don’t know where anyone from my group is. I was trying to cross to the United States, but something happened over here and now I’m stuck here. What can I do? They said, “okay do you want to come with us? I know the way to the United States, and I work with my niece and my cuñada—my sister in law and her sister in law and the nephew. It was a baby boy—I think—I don’t remember, and I said, “okay! Yeah!” can I come with you, let’s go! But where? GA: Were they also coming from Mexico? BB: Yeah! GA: Oh okay BB: Yeah, I found them here in Tijuana, in the border site. And these guys help us, well hours later I find my cousin, my sister, my neighbor and the people who came with us from our town. And, “okay! Let’s walk.” I was walking the whole day, the whole night but one day I woke up and it was Piedras Negras. You guys are in Piedras Negras, but where is Tijuana? I don’t know. When I was in Piedras Negras, they said okay, [van a banarse] You guys have to shower and get some food. I was so excited because I just had 3 to almost 4 days with no drink or no food so I was so skinny So bad and I was so bad and because I was so hungry and so thirsty. I was walking and walking, and I would say, I’m thirsty, I’m thirsty, and there is no water around here! Keep walking. Well when I was in Piedras Negras and that guy said, okay you guys will have some food and clean his own self and blah blah blah and I said okay I will stay on site. But what is the food? What is this house? We are at a warehouse. It’s a warehouse that only has metal and nothing else, everything is abandoned, and they said no that we have to wait for the night and in the night you can go so quiet, go in the car and the car will drive you to the house where there is food, where you guys get to shower and clean your own self. I said, oh my god yeah. I see that it’s day. It’s daytime. I know it’s day, while the time is passing, I remember that everything needs to be quiet, you guys don’t try to see what you know or how society is, just go in the car and stay like that and then I drive you guys and when you are in the driveway, it’s the same. You get out, slow down, don’t make noise, just be quiet and go find a spot to sit down and don’t move. So, I said okay, I’ll follow the rules. And I say, “I’m hungry, I’m thirsty, where is the food?” They said, “You have to wait.” The time is passing, you know the time is passing. So, I finally eat something and I’m so hungry and I’m so thirsty. The food that I got was a tiny chicken leg with a little rice and two tortillas and like 4 ounces of liquid. I said, okay but I want the whole chicken and I want a lot of water. I’m so thirsty, I’m so hungry. They say sorry, no more food. You guys just eat the portion you got. Be quiet. Go back to your spot, Don’t move. You’re acting like a mannequin you know because the windows are opened and the house is like—I mean the neighbors could walk around and see in, but you guys act like a mannequin. Right there, sit down, don’t talk, don’t have fun, just like act like mannequin. So sit down. And it’s weird. Everything is like weird, I never—I mean this is the first time. Always you have one time, the first time happened when you have something on your mind, and you want to do it. The only thing that I have on my mind is that I want to see my mom, I just want to hug my mom, 16:03-16:06 I just want to give a hug to my mom and I want to hear something from my mother, like we are together and I love you. And you and your sister and I , we are a family. That’s the only thing I had on my mind. I want to see, I want to live that moment. GA: you wish to be with her. BB: Yeah, but the time passed, so I don’t know how to say it, from the Piedras Negras we find the coyotes to drive us in the car from the Piedras Negras to Austin, Texas. Because we were in Austin. Well a few days in Piedras Negras, we found someone to drive us to Austin Texas because my mom lives in Austin, Texas. One day my dreams come true, we drive from Piedras Negras to Austin and okay this is the house, this is your mother, your mom is here and this is the house and this is the place—this is your destination. This is the one you wanted to come and you’ll be here. I said okay and I was getting excited! But, I see my mom hugging my sister and being so happy and talking, like okay! I was so happy that you are okay, i’m happy that you are here with me. GA: I’m really happy you’re here, you’re safe and you’re with me. BB: Yes. So that’s what she tells my sister. GA: Okay. BB: That’s what my mother had told to my sister. And I said, okay! I’m next, I was getting excited because that’s the thing that I had on my brain for ten years. I just want to see my mom; I just want to go to the United States. That’s my goal. GA: That’s your mission. BB: That’s my mission! Okay, my sister made two steps to the side and I’m next, I step in front of my mother and my mother say said, “What are you doing here? Who told you that you could come over here? What you doing here?” And I said oh my god, no no no you’re wrong. My mind is working so fast. I mean no, mother like why don’t you do the same to my sister? Why can’t you tell me something nice? And she said okay and pulled me aside and said to walk away and I never told you to come back and never told you to come over here. I never said I wanted you here. My dreams were squished. In that moment the only thing I wanted were destroyed. So what could I do? My mother doesn’t love me, my mother don’t want me, so what can I do? I was 15 years old, almost 16, and I said okay the night will continue so let’s live life! Let’s keep going! And I was talking with my sister and I said okay I need your help, I mean I cannot stay in the United States, I just want to go back. I feel so bad. I feel so bad. Because my mother never again talked to me or say come on Barbara let’s talk something about that day, Fifteen years, I mean I never see her and she never see me, she never comes around and come talk to me. I know she’s right there, she knows I’m there but we are strangers. We are strangers, so she doesn’t feel nothing. She doesn’t have feelings about me. And what I’m thinking is that she gave me a hug, maybe I have feelings for her you know? But anyway, it was one, two, three, four months and we move from Austin, Texas to Houston and I have an aunt over there, my tia. And she—everything has changed. When I was almost 16 years, I started working because it's so hard because I don’t know the language. GA: Yeah language. BB: I don’t know the language and It’s everything. I was so in shock because everything is like my life turned into slow motion and everything just stopped. When I was 16 years old, I had another plan. You know I worked hard, I had just got my own apartment, I had my own car, I just had worked really hard and I got the things that I wanted you know but it’s not what I want. I don’t know the language, I don’t know nothing around over here, you know it’s so weird. Everything is like strange, I mean i’m a young girl, who at age 15 had never left her comfort zone or her area. I don’t know, I was just focused in working. Where I was being exploited and over worked like every immigrant. I worked from Monday through friday in a restaurant, part time and for working the whole week they only paid me 75 dollars. GA: So, Monday through Friday, they only paid you $75? BB: Yeah, my part time job. GA: Your part time job. BB: Yeah. GA: Monday through Friday. BB: Yeah. Monday through Friday, they only paid me $75 and what can I do with only $75. But I was focused on working because the more I worked the more money I got. And that’s when everything changed because, October, November, December. In December I met my boyfriend, Gregoria’s father. GA: So, three months later, you met my dad? BB: Yeah and everything changed. My feelings, my emotions, the stuff in my brain switched to like, how can I say this? My life took a 180 degree shift compared to what I had in my plan. BB: The situation with my mom just stayed where it was. I love Austin, I love the parks and everything, but I have to continue to Houston. The most beautiful part was when my mom whent back to Mexico and I stayed alone with my sister 24:24-24:40 GA: So your mom went back to Mexico? BB: Yeah, I just stayed here, and gave her 6 months to see if she would change or tell me something.So I was continuing my life like that, so quiet, so I don’t know how I can express that… GA: Alone? BB: Yeah alone, so alone, so quiet, and I just, I can like I told you before, I shaved my hair over here I had my lips black, my eyes black, and I was dressing myself like a chola.with baggy clothes and long shirts. I was walking like that, I don’t know I don’t know where I found that idea, where they come from, I don’t know, I don’t see people like that all gross like that. I don’t know. I don’t know why I did those styles. But I feel like that’s me and I’m okay! And I keep working, like $75 for five days. For the week, I mean I’m okay! Unless I get money for my black lipsticks and my black shadow eyeshadow for the stuff that I need. And I met your dad and I was trying to have a relationship with him, and he was always like, “let’s go to McDonalds and let’s go eat!” and I say no because I told you this story about McDonalds! Because I don’t like the food GA: American Food BB: Yeah, I don’t like the American food, I don’t like American drinks. Those machines where you put the cup and you get the soda. I don’t like it, I mean from eating so healthy back in Mexico I just drink water and fruit or juice—that’s all that I drink! And when I had to come over here, they said that this is the machine and you have to grab the drinks from there and I said that’s so weird, how does it work? But anyway, I don’t like nothing from the United States. The language I don’t know, nothing. And I was thinking in Mexico to take a class and I took an English class, I know how to say table, glass, spoon, but that’s not English. And I’d say, yeah! I know some English! I know English! No, I don’t know English, really I know zero. And the time is passing, so I was 17 and everything had changed because in that moment, time passed, i’m in a more serious relationship with Gregoria’s father. He was my salvation, especially after I crossed the border and I have these ideas and plans about what my life was going to be after I reunited with my mother. Everything changed and was destroyed. I started working at a taqueria (Taco shop) and I started tasting different foods. But after I met your father, that affection and love that I wanted and wished, he gave to me when I was about 16/17 years old. GA: Okay, so after your dreams are crushed, and your mom has just squished all your dreams and hopes. You meet my dad and you finally, after a long time, the reason you came for the affection to the United States for that affection and that love you found that in my dad and he gives you and fills that void that you have and that hope and the dream. He finally fills that for you. BB: Yes. GA: After you turn 17 and this all happens, and you start getting into a serious relationship with him where I have the same feelings for you that he was giving back to you. BB: Yes. GA: Okay. BB: I don’t know is there something else you want to know, another question? GA: I guess you answered, physical barriers and emotional and cultural barriers. How did you end up in Utah? What made you decide to come to Utah? BB: I decide to come to Utah because it’s so beautiful! The weather! I love the weather! I love the snow, well before—I came to Utah. I had other reasons but.... GA: If you want to, if you want to talk a little about it or if you don’t, you can. BB: No. GA: Okay! BB: 31:12 GA: Okay! GA: So in 2016 you came to Utah. BB: Yes, I decided to come to Utah in 2016, because my daughter Gregoria wanted to go to East high school. Because East high school is very popular and famous! East was famous and was in the movies. My daughter saw the movie, High School Musical and say okay I want to go to that high school! I want to do my high school at East! Come on mom! And I said okay! And I like the weather and I know it’s snowing there; I had never been with the snow much or played in the snow. That makes me emotional. I feel like okay yeah! I feel excited, I take my daughter to Utah and she needs to go to East High school. She wants to finish highschool at East. So I just want to enjoy the snow and I want to have fun. I’m a single mother and that’s so amazing! Because it’s me and my kids, me and my daughter Gregoria, Miranda and Gregorio. So that’s the best. I was feeling so excited and I felt like a teenager, I felt like I was 16 again. I had the opportunity to have fun and enjoy my life. I had two reasons to come to Utah you know, one was the weather and play with the snow in December and then help my daughter complete her dream. Famous high school. I said okay you know. And that’s the reason I decided to come to Utah you know, I’m happy. I look so happy! Maybe my emotions have changed already and I was so excited, that’s the reasons I’ve come to Utah. Any other question I need to answer for you guys? GA: What are you doing now, it can be job, education, your kids, volunteering, your accomplishments? What do you feel happy about that you’ve done? BB: Well, well, well, it’s a lot of stuff. I have a lot of comments because I feel like…The process was so bad, but right now I have my kids that are growing, and I am doing what I want. I’m making money; I like to make money the way that I want. I was working for this company Hunter Douglas co. The company come from, the CEO come from Germany. GA: Germany. BB: The company was founded by an immigrant who came to the U.S. to grow his business. He partnered with an american and grew his company. So I’m happy and i’m happy to be working for this company. I feel very happy because I feel blessed, we are healthy. I think that I feel proud because I am living everything that the American Dream consists of. A house, a family, money and stability. I came here and now I really like McDonald’s, I like the drinks. I feel accomplished, complete, and happy. I’m stable, my kids are stable, I have a stable job where I’m earning good money. I mean the difference of when I used to get $75 per week to now where I get paid almost $2,000 per week is a lot. That’s what makes me happy. That I have accomplished these goals that I didn’t choose but things that life put in my way. So I am happy. I feel thankful to God and with life for example I feel blessed because I have you (Gregoria), you’re in College, studying and accomplishing your goals. You’re the one that completes my goals, I wanted to study and get an education but I didn’t have a father or mother or the opportunity to do that and know you do. As a mother that is my biggest accomplishment that I can see. The moment you (Gregoria) graduate from college, that will be the biggest accomplishment of all. GA: Okay, so for you, your biggest accomplishments, in your experience is you accomplishing the American dream. And you now know what you think as the American Dream, you have family, you have money, you have stability, you have a home and you’re happy. When we think about it, you have come from getting $75 an hour—$75 a week from only working 4 days—I mean 5 days. You are now getting paid nearly $1000 a week and for you, that’s a big accomplishment, you see your kids are growing up and you see they are accomplishing their goals and their dreams, but through them you are living what you once hoped for and what you wanted for yourself that you couldn’t have because you didn’t have a mom, you didn’t have a dad. Problems that prohibited you from accomplishing that dream from having a career, from having stability, economic stability and now you have that. Now you can live through your kids and for you your biggest accomplishment has been seeing your kids, your daughter, go to college, study, learn, accomplish her goals but also accomplish your goals and your dreams that you once had for yourself, you’re now seeing that in your children and in your daughter. You have created a home here in Utah, in the United States where you didn’t choose to make these goals, but life has put these goals in your pathway and now you have succeeded and now you have accomplished them and you have overcome the challenges that were put in place by life, that were coincidence, that you didn’t choose. BB: Yes. GA: Anything else? ER: I can’t think of anything else but thank you so much for sharing your story with us! BB: Okay, no I hope so, you guys have a good story to continue college, to get that hundred! Get good notes or good points. GA: Thank you so much for doing the project ER: Thank you so much!