Pena, Henry
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Martha Tórrez: Yes. My name is Martha Tórrez. Today is March 16th, 1991. We're at the home of Mr. Henry Peña, and his address is at 315 Seventh Avenue North, Nampa, Idaho. It's approximately 1:17 p.m.. And, Mr. Peña, my first question that I'd like to ask you is where, when did you first come to the state of Idaho?
Henry Peña: In March of 1947. I think that's 47, 39.
Martha Tórrez: 1939? Yes. Why did you come to the state of Idaho?
Henry Peña: Because of, we that came here on, trip, he came to freighter because he wasn't making enough money to support us in Colorado. He was earning a dollar a day for ten hours work.
Martha Tórrez: In Colorado and.
Henry Peña: Colorado. So he decided to come here because he had a friend here that ... told him her daughter was making good money. And so he arrived in this, in that winter and, well, he left home on the last day of January, moved up this freight, and he told us he had froze to death, but he made it to whole working for there was farmers recruiting laborers for the next spring crop on the beach.
So he went to this farmer in Marsing, and Mr., what was his name? Hardin, I think, and Herschel, two farmers and they this farmer call and yes, he did come and work for him and. They said, okay, right away. He didn't even know that. And they told him, how much money do you need? And dad said, dollars.
I think about $100 in those days, hundred dollars a month. And so he he said, well, do you need a truck? Do you need a car to bring your family? He said, no, I got a car back on that train trailer with and he got up to ride at home.
Martha Tórrez: So your father came first before you brought them. When you say that he just about froze to death. Was that on his way here?
Henry Peña: Yeah, on a freight train boxcar. Because I had no way to pay for any transportation. So that's what he done. And he had some relatives there in the outbreak in Utah. He stopped there and went to visit them. And I gave him some food and lunch so he could make it to Salt Lake. And there he had another friend that he came with him, can't remember his name, but they both came.
And, this farmer, like I said, this farmer offered everything he needed. So he went home and he told us, we want to go to Idaho. And we said, or is Idaho.
Martha Tórrez: Had never heard of. No.
Henry Peña: No, no. I said, well, it's way far. And that was for us. We never been out of state or nothin. So he said, well, pack up and leave. So we left and time that we left, we had quite a bit of trouble with the train. It took us seven days to get from there to here, and now it only takes us about 12 hours.
Martha Tórrez: What kind of trouble did you have?
Henry Peña: Tires, flat tires and troubles with a little trailer. And that time we couldn't find a tires for that same mate as a trailer. So about ten miles that we had a lot of clothes and that said, well, fix that tire. So we patted him with old clothes and he made about ten miles, and we didn't get hardly that green river here till I got ten miles in the desert, so that we stayed till her brother Benny Low pitched.
He hitched a ride to the river and he found a tire. So we came back and hit another ride. And then he come. We put it on and it didn't work, but we had to get another tire and we were to make sure my dad wouldn't go over 30 mile an hour. And he had a big old and concert for so 32 of them tires were pretty huge, but it took us that long.
We would travel back five six hours a day and then we'd camp out. We couldn't write down what it was, so we had to camp out and, Tomo, you call that here to Napa? That said, oh, all are about me marching 20 miles more. But, he said, we gotta stop past Napa. I need a way stop around for Lake View School with no.
And we said, how far is it yet? So it's just over the hill. And it took just about another hour from there. And then it was up there and farmer had a place or it was a chicken coop, so.
Martha Tórrez: Oh my goodness. Before, before we move on to that, Mr. Peña, those seven days that before you got to Nampa, it seems that money was a problem. What did you do for food?
Henry Peña: Well, we had thought we had beans and stuff that go by hand over there and stuff from them. Hundred dollars to get from the farmer.
Martha Tórrez: So when every time you camped out that's.
Henry Peña: You know what you can we we made our own, we made our own food and all it by was bread or mom, her sister, she'd make tortillas out on the desert or just take us to Layton she didn't make and not. We found that, Marsh. And we still had money left.
Martha Tórrez: So was this during the winter that you were doing ...
Henry Peña: But March.
Martha Tórrez: That march.
Henry Peña: About time to start out and be.
Martha Tórrez: Well, it was still kind of cold. So when, while you were getting on your trip to Nampa, how did you.
Henry Peña: All those times. By that time it was different weather. And now. Oh yeah, by April it was already warm. So you in March and wasn't? No, I was happy with that was an hour and a half picnic. That we got to march in that day and that's what we found. But it was still better than what we had in Colorado.
We just had a house, but they just said room and kitchen. And, you know, that diner and kitchen were there. And the bedroom and that sleep over there was my home bed for my sisters and him and his wife.
Martha Tórrez: But the first house that the farmer or the provided you with was a chicken coop.
Henry Peña: Yeah. And there was another two families there afterward. Yeah. They got there. Oh right. And so let's start what was in the 1 or 2 days before we started working and dad said, well, can the family work here? A farmer said, oh yes, I had a hold on a ranch along Colorado. They wouldn't let you work out on the field.
Still, you was 14 or 16. What a way to I mean, I started working and that I only started making about $100 in a day.
Martha Tórrez: And for the whole family.
Henry Peña: Yeah, my whole family was me and my older brother and my sister and dad. Four of us, their sisters were on the school. Mary and. And know. Well, she was the only one. But, and when we start work and and like to work there all summer and hay and and all that, that farmer was real good.
He never did remind dad and daddy had to pay him that money, but dad paid it to like. And dad when we came, he didn't pay for his car. He said he did pay a payment or two and he knew he had made the payment. But them guys over there said no, you never saw. They came and compensated his car.
And dad said, I'm not going to give you no more money. So you know why I'm making enough now to buy two cars. Okay, so.
Martha Tórrez: So they came and they.
Henry Peña: Took.
Martha Tórrez: The car?
Henry Peña: But he got them on right away. Better cars. Watch would have kept that car that was and take on the Lincoln said permission make your tires with spokes on it rather than cars was a lot of money, you know. But then that summer we worked there and then Colorado, we go back and Pat went on, what was it, 2 or 3 when we went back.
And that's when.
Martha Tórrez: This is after you.
Henry Peña: When you and, you know, you had gone before. So then dad bought a place here at 12 start stay in here for sure. And the following two years we never worked for them. Palmerstown mall walked around here in, this, seasonal work. Like they can be taking care and Scott no days plow can beat and all that.
And, was making $30 a day myself at that time. So when I got married, all that, I quit all that. And I started that one that same year.
Martha Tórrez: So that was two.
Henry Peña: 47
Martha Tórrez: 47, you know.
Henry Peña: So and, we got married in September and November of that year. I start where or.
Martha Tórrez: How did you how did you know about the railroad jobs? How did you.
Henry Peña: Well, dad, that had to work there. He was working and he told me that there was hiring. So I went to see I had to go to Lambda Idaho. I had an extra gang there, and we worked there all that winter. Kept on that extra K lay and steel and so switching track and things like that. Then next spring in 48, I started working here in New York and a section I same kind of work last year and taking care of maintaining the tracks.
And, then I got laid off by the winter and, I'd start looking for scrap and stuff and not sell, make it make ends meet. So that wasn't long before they called me back and worked up on, and they laid me off again. Right. I went on extra gang and we went to Crane work. And that winter in 48, or was it 50? 48.
I think the work there all winter and. The we just about froze there, freezing cold and all that had they sold more cash was I didn't have no contractor stuff. One day we went to get our checks to. Burn to Oregon. Was 50 below zero that we couldn't hardly walk. But Pearl was so good staying that they had sent the checks.
I did, sending them to Ontario. To Oregon. They send them to Ontario, Canada.
Martha Tórrez: Oh.
Henry Peña: So that good thing we did. Because if I start right out back to the camp, which was 30 miles, but what they gave us about 2 or 3 hours before they made us type guards. Bobcat. But and then, we thawed out and we'll look for contracts and papers to wrap around ourselves to head back. And,
Martha Tórrez: What what kind of transportation were you using to get where you were going?
Henry Peña: The motor cars.
Martha Tórrez: The motor cars.
Henry Peña: At and see to made out in that trailer behind. And, we'd get on there just on nail and I think there's a kitchen here. How it would.
Martha Tórrez: So the way this how was it that you kept warm just by using the newspaper?
Henry Peña: Yeah. And they didn't have no heater, save that how we had to travel. I would just, open air there and nothing to cover ourselves with, but we had to find some place to get back a good thing that by that time, it must have been 1 or 2 by time we started back. And, by that time, it got about ten degrees warmer.
So we made it back and the good thing we had at camp Tanner, it had them all time bunk cars in the fire in the stove. So I was all right. And and that winter. And that spring came back and started working here in New York again. I worked pretty steady till 1950. I started working at Bank Idaho intersection there.
I work there, but two years and then I moved down to. Hammett. I worked there about two years. Then by 1953 54, I worked for the state here in the yard.
Martha Tórrez: Before you started working, you know. Steady. What did you do with that during the times of layoffs?
Henry Peña: Well, I draw my unemployment and then I'd go out and do odd jobs, you know, and then write those time to give them good money for scrap iron and stuff. But cleaning this yard, this country here, then they buy bone and give you about 2.02 pounds a pound and anything to keep us going, you know. But we never suffered.
Once we left Colorado, we kind of made that hand over there when he was making just a dollar a day or. But I think it was probably about ten, 15 years in winter time or. Well, he didn't have enough to feed us, so he'd go out and hunt you know, the game warden, know what he was doing. So he knew that meat wasn't going to waste.
So we had meat, beans, potatoes and rice and stuff like that. But we had meat. But once that away game warden retired, he didn't tell that no one what was going on. So on that no game warden while he took his guns away and said, you can have that. Tried to explain to him, but he didn't want to get that.
I was like that. I had trouble. And so that's when I really got hard. And he said he had to do something. So that's when they came here.
Martha Tórrez: So, Mr. Brennan, how would you describe your first memories of Idaho?
Henry Peña: I describe them as, you know, like when, like that saying from rags to riches. We thought it was for rich people, you know? So we got to Idaho. We had everything we needed. And that, took care of is my name on them for 2 or 3 years. We went to Arizona after that, after going to. That's when, Colorado, we'd go down there so on and passed away and all that.
It was a money made of some money. So we always, happened to find jobs in Arizona to help us out more.
Martha Tórrez: So was that just to leave the hard winters in Idaho and go spend?
Henry Peña: Yeah. And so when I left, when we all got married and dad didn't have no other resorts, they just stuck to the railroad and he didn't have more help from us. No more. So that's why they don't tell he retired and that's. But I done up to that time I retired.
Martha Tórrez: Do you remember, other Hispanic families when you first came to Idaho?
Henry Peña: Well, the only ones we knew was, what was their name? There was from Colorado to. They. Okay. They had their last names now, but there was 2 or 3 families that there was there was. I was working that farm and machine.
Martha Tórrez: That were all right. They were already here in Idaho.
Henry Peña: We know that was in Oregon.
Martha Tórrez: Oh.
Henry Peña: Yeah. And I saw them. And then when we heard them on, dad went over and invite them to come and help them because this farmer needed more help. So when they heard that there was a place there, we told them what kind of place. So we don't mind as long as we make money. So they came down and that's the only family we went.
No, I can't think of a man named. I know his name was Abraham. That first, first name.
Unknown: And, and,
Henry Peña: And I know he had three sons, Danny and, Leo and. But I can't think of that name.
Martha Tórrez: Can you give me a description of your living conditions? I know that you have described a chicken coop already. Can you describe the surroundings?
Henry Peña: You like, you know, I mean, like.
Martha Tórrez: What kind of bedding or. What did you use for cooking? Did you have.
Henry Peña: Oh, we had a regular wood stove. And then, table. They gave us some hay. No bed springs. We could just play them on the floor, sleep there, and, change like that and use them. Coach or or five year old was pretty clean, but he had, like, it used to be cold. We we don't mind sleeping during the winter, in spring time or summer, but, outside, of course, pasture, stuff like that.
But no animals that were on the Or stock, the farm, like, treat us. All right? We had anything we want to eat. Furnish eggs and milk. No, no, the money was making out in everything we needed to eat.
Martha Tórrez: How many people would you say lived in that coop at one time?
Henry Peña: Well, we had two separate, rooms. One family there had two for. And another family. There was, three. Seven, seven and or three beds. Our boys slept together and and, sisters slept together. One and, on the other, usually crossways. So we rode left. We never. I don't remember being caught, as always. Like you sleep together.
You never got caught. So. But, living conditions. I thought that was pretty fair. Not like in Colorado. Terrible. Where? There. And, and I know a lot of people in Colorado was going to the same time, so I thought I had a whole Paradise when we left Colorado. And but I heard about the people out there.
Sure. A happy place to live. Colorado. And most of us were from Colorado. That was here first. Then all the other people started coming around that place too close to 60, mostly from Texas, California, all them state, New Mexico and but, they all used to say, you go to Idaho, you can just read the money in the baskets.
And so that's Idaho. That's what I think about my life. And I started to write a story. I don't know what I don't, but our journey to Idaho, that's about like what I was telling you.
Martha Tórrez: Well, we sure like to see that when you're finished with it. Did you attend school here in Idaho? No, not at all.
Henry Peña: Just my smaller sister. No. Established. Getting school with all that money was make a that, the way it is. And in those years, you didn't think you know what's going on in school. I sure thought of that when I went out as a engineer for me to be here in Nampa, in my town of percent. And but, when, they sent me to China and to study, bought all the parts of a diesel engine or six brake wasn't going to help me.
So I told them I didn't come here to study about three ranges or part of it. I come here to run them engines and there's nothing to run in them. They get to know it's the rules and the written tests they gave me over there. That's where I failed in math test and stuff. But I did do pretty good.
And like three points later, the engineer. But, me and done a lot of other things on the railroad farm and, and machine operator and things like that.
Martha Tórrez: So what was the total of years that you spent with the road?
Henry Peña: 42
Martha Tórrez: 42
Henry Peña: Or three. Yeah. Don't buy everything. 30 is there all but circle work? What I did do that when I was driving truck, I had to do another book called. And when I got into the last year of my career, I'd have to there in the office doing a lot of book work. I'm here was my school and I had, to do was don't go in.
I learned a lot by experience and.
Martha Tórrez: Do you remember any other Hispanic men that were working men or women that worked with for the railroad, the time that you were working?
Henry Peña: Yeah, well, that's Mac López, my father in law. I didn't mention him. Get on that list. Yeah, he's. He worked with me a few years, and, he came here night or something like that. I don't remember, pardon me, but I think when he came here right away. Start working for the railroad, he didn't do nothing else.
But, And there's Frank Chavez. They they weren't Christians there.
Martha Tórrez: How old were you when you moved from field work? You know, farm work into the railroad?
Henry Peña: I was 22. Old. Yeah. So you remember. That's the same year, but married, but married in September. And I started working for him in November of 47.
Martha Tórrez: Do you when you were moving back a little bit before you came into the railroad job, while you were doing migrant seasonal farm work? Do you remember any other people that were involved in the Bracero program or illegals that were working in the fields?
Henry Peña: Well, I remember one. One year there was I was later going to fall. I drove a bus for a farmer and I was taken class. I don't know if I'd taken longer. I just stay in the bus waiting till I got up. Then I bring them back. But that was just a short time, maybe a month or two.
Then they call me back on the railroad. Just a temporary layoff.
Martha Tórrez: Were you familiar at all with what the referral program was? And.
Henry Peña: Well, I knew was they come to work and and then I go back home and, but I seen, that time they had to pay them good. They used to treat them right. And, they had better places, a state and some, people I knew around here. So I used to ask how they were treating them.
Right. They said, can we get everything we need? So that guy didn't work for them? Well, I didn't, you know, I didn't, bother to ask them a question. But that's why I got turned down. Because I could speak Spanish. You know, and anything they needed, they'd ask me to ask a farmer, and I paid one and more paper trail.
Been to wait a year to contact. Tell me to ask what kind of money? By myself. Care in whatever way you wanted, some work done.
Martha Tórrez: And that being bilingual helped you get the job for working with the farmer?
Henry Peña: Yeah.
Martha Tórrez: Isn't there any other particular situations or experiences that you remember with the bracero program?
Henry Peña: Well, when I remember one time, too, I think this was before I got married and needed interpretors at them stores. But there used to come down and, I worked from my work as an interpreter, and there wasn't long me there that time. All I've done was to ask them what they want, and they'd tell me and I'd go to the park.
Park. So the thing I can remember about the program, generally time to time that work late to try and help them up, you know.
Martha Tórrez: What's the treatment? Do you remember any kind of, you know, how Mexicans were treated at that time?
Henry Peña: Well, at that time, no. Mears really was here for time. They had a lot of saying that. No match going to allow you and the first or no time. I don't know what happened, what made them change. But they did take them off in there. I know there was places ahead of time assigned and, I didn't mind at or someplace else.
Martha Tórrez: But not all businesses had them. Then.
Henry Peña: You know this, sir, and certainly people.
Martha Tórrez: Are you referring to businesses like your restaurant?
Henry Peña: Like a restaurant stores, barber shop mean? I don't remember no restaurant. I mean, the closest stores. To it. I didn't know that there was a barber shop here, and I seen that 1 or 2, and some other stores, I can't remember.
Martha Tórrez: How did you feel about that? ... personally? Yes.
Henry Peña: Well, I don't know that of money here. I didn't put much attention to it and just thought that was something that they almost all didn't know. But I didn't think too much about it. But now that I see all this rationale stuff for the black people, I think that and say, no wonder they had them signs or offer, you know, and Indians, they never did used to sell them liquor because I wish they never called it breaking.
They want to kill. Maybe they thought that about when it occurs to them, but.
Martha Tórrez: As a identity, did you identify yourself as Mexican or Mexican, American or Chicano? How do what how do you identify yourself?
Henry Peña: Okay, well, not what I always put white on every report I put...
Martha Tórrez: So when you're asked what nationality.
Henry Peña: Sometimes I say Mexican. Most time I guess when I had to field, you know, farms or employment, I used to put a line, by the way, again, I have no right to reject.
Martha Tórrez: Mr. Peña, we were just talking about when you were when you would apply for jobs, you would, as far as, when they ask you for nationality, you were you would identify yourself as a white person. What was the reason for that?
Henry Peña: Because, maybe, I used to think, well, if they don't hire me, then that, you know, they never did question me about that. Never did.
Martha Tórrez: Did you have experiences then when you did identify yourself as a Mexican, that they would reject your applications?
Henry Peña: I because nobody ever rejected. So I put in a lot of color, but I had to fill another application. I'll do the same thing. But, really? But when it came to relate to it, if I was from the United States to claim which match. Okay.
Martha Tórrez: Do you recall any experiences when you were treated differently or whatever the fact that you were Mexican.
Henry Peña: Or one time when you were able to take it on one job, they they gave this job to a white guy and they would collect seniority. And, he had less time or so I gave it to him because. So facial he, he like this kid. He's like his dad was a lot younger than me. And, I used to, you know, when the foreman was gone, they'd call me at all hours and I'd go out and do their very work.
And they depended on me a lot. And I say well. That's the way they're going to treat me. Well, I put this complaint against, too much. Right? Permission. Did they say no? Was there no right in, on that case? So it was discriminating against.
Martha Tórrez: So you took this case to court and you won.
Henry Peña: Yeah.
Martha Tórrez: They get did they give you the job and the result. Yeah.
Henry Peña: They gave me the job. And back difference in pay and stuff.
Martha Tórrez: I think that's great. It would would you say that was the only that experience you had that.
Henry Peña: You know all that was in another case. But this was this other guy was, you know, he was a union. One was this union storage brother. And he knew that I put this application in for a truck driver. There was another truck driving job, so he found out from his brother. But my dad was that day I put this application in and so what they'd done, they said, well, what I'll do, I'll put an application 1 or 2 days.
Oh, what? He put it. So he done that to that to don't. But I never did quite that because I know this guy. But, it was my friend and, and he, he showed me around about where all the men. I said, well, something happened. I'm a great believer in that. God kinda. I'm the same God and I'll carry revenge on him.
But this one time, just in God's hand, you know, run after me about a heart attack. You know, that day job. Oh, okay.
Martha Tórrez: So you felt. Did you feel angry or anything?
Henry Peña: No, I don't feel angry. I just happened to think that last or that freedom to work here. Same thing that you believe it's possible or what? Change possible or man, it's possible or God shot. But there's one time or this other deal. Like I went ahead because I know what you're saying. Just. Yeah, to do it.
And this one guy, I could tell that he was prejudiced. I said, I'll tell him.
Martha Tórrez: I wish it was this in the railroad.
Henry Peña: Yeah, this. Yeah, it was true. And, you know, that's that time I did well, in that case, because I wouldn't do anything, you know that I know I don't know that I would have, you know, a test for me, but I truly that's what happened to this guy. And he was a foreman. And his grandfather, he's the one that I've done that.
But in the interstate gang. And I had the command that put the application that I had had to write.
Martha Tórrez: When you referred to gangs, you mean what we would now call maybe a crew of workers?
Henry Peña: Yeah. Crew. That's right. Gangs before nowadays they call the extra gang from eight man. From under that section in take care of certain miles of track. Extra gang. They go through the district and they have to go. They don't go over there that they leader goes down. So that's the way they work that. And now they got system gangs, which if you go on that gang, you've got to go from here down or Seattle and clear up then great for you people.
So it's a system.
Martha Tórrez: So these are the different categories of workers... Mr. Peña, as a result of the discrimination case, once you won and you were able to get that job, did you feel that you were treated any differently after you got that job?
Henry Peña: Yes. There was a change. There was a change.
Martha Tórrez: What kind of change?
Henry Peña: Filed it or never tried to ask for a job or whenever I go to them, they agreed and.
Martha Tórrez: So the change was positive.
Henry Peña: Yes. Okay. Yes. And they don't do that no more. Just like when I went out, engineering. That's why they done it, you know, because fake news. I think the government put a law in that they had to hire so many minorities. I think it's by not, retaining. So I was the first one here. So they call me me.
They didn't have no minorities on this book. Right? Mean there was some already work in my state. There was, college graduates. And I grew up in Spanish, too. And I really got in touch mentioning he's an engineer and he's, my nephew. She like me at school, high school education. I don't know if you went to college.
Remember? But he he was already working when they called me. And there was someone that I had to take their name there. One more Spanish or two more Spanish. Spanish.
And then from there on, they start hiring more minorities as well.
Martha Tórrez: Do you recall any I know that you mentioned Mac Lópezand Frank Chavez also working for the railroad. Do you remember them ever having, a situation where they experienced discrimination, such as you did?
Henry Peña: No, I don't if they did, they know it came down in the, you know, did find out about it. So.
Martha Tórrez: Well, Mr. Peña, moving along here, I'd like to go on into the different I know that your background is absolutely extraordinary, and I'd like to get, you know, a lot more about it, but I would also like to know a little bit about your education. You did attend school. How many years did you attend Second Doctor?
Henry Peña: Six. Right.
Martha Tórrez: And when you attended school, this was in the state of Colorado. Colorado? What do you remember about school? Can you describe your earliest memories about school?
Henry Peña: Well, I tell you what, I used to shoot a lot. And I think I thought I was smarter than a teacher. I guess when I had spelling or I know she'd have it down and order and, you know. So I copy the word from in my desk, and the question was given the word sorry, like I was frightened, you know, when she was then she'd say, okay, hand your papers, send them up the front row.
That I dropped my mine, and I slid this one out and put this. So I did 100 every time, so that didn't help me much. So when I was on the street and honest, you have a story. By not learning to spell, I start. I learned that and, mathematics. I used to do my best by writing it to get a grade someday.
I know that I had to use that sometime, but history, I damn state. Imagine. Madison.
Martha Tórrez: How would you say you get in school overall?
Henry Peña: Just to do, you know, an average, I'd say my dad pass every year. But one year that was scheduled from that 50 to 60. I was on six right when we came to Idaho. And in that calendar year I did pass. I used to play two nights in class.
Martha Tórrez: After you came to Idaho, you didn't attend school anymore.
Henry Peña: And I went to a planning school at high school. But I was just short course. Why not trying to study because I until much I think I was doing good after that. I don't even know when I come back. They're still here and Nampa is engineer discussed in the case. I got 100 down there. That's what helped me to run their sentence for about six months.
Year. I used to make trips from here in Boise and we which and that made it from here. That whole day on Marsing. So I was there six months and one day send me to Cheyanne, and I said, well, why don't you give me just a job here, maybe on the ranch as a hustler, you know, they also has such a straight range from the ranch house to where the freight trains are.
I don't that anybody can do that in the yards. Just but 2 or 3. That was the more friendly lunch for us, which was a decent knowing. Is that or learning at all?
Martha Tórrez: Did you have to go out of state a lot when you worked for the railroad?
Henry Peña: What are you doing on the.... When I was an ex trying to do better, go for went to Oregon.
That's one of their rules. They got to to go for that, which was one chatterbox. That, that school history. But.
Martha Tórrez: Would you say that do you remember any of the other teachers that stand out in your mind and school?
Henry Peña: No, none of them, I hate them both.
Martha Tórrez: So you didn't you didn't like school?
Henry Peña: I guess not, I guess not.. But afterward, I did like it. Sometimes I felt like on that one day I can, I'll just, already gone this far. I'm sure I'll stay the course. I don't mind, college. I could see where school is. Good, but my boys go home. Is gone to college, and, O'Connor got a job.
Was a railroad right of way. So he stayed within Asia. No more. No great migration. Or he went to a high school, but no college here on a tower over here. And then for Indian preachers, only 1 or 2:00. And Richard worked for the West One Bank in Boise. But I see work.
But they tell me, boy, we work hard. Our mind just too much pressure. And I said well I guess school didn't help too much. So that I'd rather be working out there driving spikes and stuff if your mind's that bad. And this Ray he got that job in Omaha and they say, boy, that you say I hate this job. Yes.
So just sitting there and everything you say. But while your mind is, of course too much book work and computer and stuff, he went. And that's right when I went to this engineer school. I used to get headaches and everything, too much book work.
Martha Tórrez: But when you went to engineer school, did someone provide that education for you?
Henry Peña: Yeah, they provide everything. They paid everything.
Martha Tórrez: The railroad?
Henry Peña: Yeah, they paid everything so. That's why I went or else I wouldn't, never made it. And then, they, they said I could have gone back again, if I took time, you know, stayed in the books and I could have, could be an engineer. But then they said well, you gotta go [inaudible].
I was, and am a great believer that I, I didn't want to leave my kids and my wife alone, I could have been an official on the railroad or Roadmaster or something, you know, making big money. But you're always away. You're never home. And I know when guys that are away from home and stuff, don't always find other women. But, a lot of them did.
So I don't believe on that. That's why. I know that, I learned to read in Spanish and I learned to read in English and, a lot of mathematics. So I asked [inaudible]. I think he's [inaudible] so I learned Spanish. I didn't know a word from Spanish.
Martha Tórrez: Did you speak? What did you speak at home growing up?
Henry Peña: Mixed. English and Spanish. Most. Mostly English. That's why they say why you people never talk Spanish. That's why we don't talk it, I'm not trying to, everything they said it's in English. ... Now they say it's your fault, so you can learn in that school.
Martha Tórrez: Do you believe that that knowing two languages is important?
Henry Peña: Yeah. It is, it is. I know it is, because I've learned that by experience. I know a lot of Mexican people that are white, I think they're, you know, real white people and they're talking Spanish. I... have the nerve to ask them if they're really Mexicans. They say, yeah, we're Mexicans.
They they really surprise me.
Martha Tórrez: Well Mr. Peña, the other subject I'd like to get a little information about is the community. Why did you choose to live in this community?
Henry Peña: in Nampa?
Martha Tórrez: In Nampa, yes.
Henry Peña: Well because the way we was treated, people were friendly, you know, and it's a nice, clean little town. But now it's getting too crowded for me. At that time was just about 9000 people. Right now, I don't know. I tell my wife, I want to get out here whenever she retires. She says well most of the kids are here, we can't leave them. I say well, the kids
Don't come and see us anyway. So why stay here? We're the ones that have to go out and see them. We're getting too old for that.
Martha Tórrez: Where would you go if you left Idaho?
Henry Peña: Yeah, well, I think of going to a nice, warm place like Saint George Utah. It's an excellent place for. It's place like that, you know.
Martha Tórrez: Do you own your own home here in Nampa?
Henry Peña: Yeah.
Martha Tórrez: Do you belong to any organizations?
Henry Peña: No. I, belong to the old timers railroad, oldtimers, and to, just our church. The union. I'm still in the union. [inaudible]. That's about it.
Martha Tórrez: In the state of Idaho. Which would you. Which city would you say is the one that you would like to live in the most?
Henry Peña: I like Idaho Falls. I like that place, but just seems to be too big too. But I liked it once. I, what kind do I like to say? Well, kind of expect river fishing or. I like fishing a lot. There's that Hagerman Valley. That's a nice warm place too. I like that
But fishing is one of the.
Martha Tórrez: So how did you learn to fish?
Henry Peña: Huh?
Martha Tórrez: How did you learn to fish?
Henry Peña: Just by going out and watching people. Oh, we came to Idaho near Snake River. We used to like fish there, but that time was a lettuce, so I stole it. I never leave it overnight in case the next morning. Which is real, I mean. But now they don't let you do that. But then I learn by watching people fish fishing.
Martha Tórrez: It wasn't anything that you did as a child.
Henry Peña: No, we never had anything that that we couldn't buy stuff to do. It. We were all fishing. It had to be an open wash, regular stream and try it that way. But we never did it. No way to buy hooks first.
Martha Tórrez: What do you remember playing? What kind of games you just play as a child?
Henry Peña: Well, we played cowboys and robbers, right? Hide and go seek... musical chairs.
Cowboys and a lot. I even showed my brother, you know, our heroes of one on in the paper. You heard about cowboy. You go on to tell my brother I didn't know that that was loaded. I guess that's where they got that song. I didn't know that much.
Martha Tórrez: And what happened.
Henry Peña: In that one? My brother. Let's see who dies first. So I turned around the whole $1 trillion turn that I was a bullet in there. So I got it just one eighth of an inch and hit his heart. Just went through of space.
Martha Tórrez: How old were you when this happened?
Henry Peña: I must have been a nine but ten years.
Martha Tórrez: And your brother?
Henry Peña: He was, Okay. 13, 12 or.
Martha Tórrez: What happened after he shot him?
Henry Peña: Well, I got scared, so let's. And now you it go get a doctor within a local nurse. And I thought of the farmer's place. He lived about a mile, so I took off running. I got there and the doctor say, farmer seen me cry and say, I want it to. And I says, I shot my brother. And why is he dead?
I said, no, he's not dead. Says Bleeding a lot. So I'll call the doctor saying, yeah, that's why I came over. Doctor took about an hour to get there from Carlisle Grand Junction. That was about eight miles out there in the farm. Seven thing. He got hit or bled to death, but he saved me. And, you know, that was.
We don't play cops and robbers no more than my sister would had. I know well, sister. And they call it ... about sixteen feet deep and five feet wide. Yeah. And we'd play, you know, see, hold, hang their longest cheat fragments from our feet and anguish down looking at the water.
And we’de holler that’s enough and she would haul us out. And I say who on who stayed the longest call I get a drop dropped as they go down there.
Martha Tórrez: Oh, those were scary games you played.
Henry Peña: And there we. We didn't know any better.
Martha Tórrez: Did your parents ever see.
Henry Peña: That dad wasn't married yet? But after that was after mom died? No, they never seen us. Dad, I seen that doing that later. And he used to read as bankers. We when we used to do some naughty or play game. That's where somebody got hurt. We knew our sister was going to tell him. We know when it was going to get a spanking.
So we get a promotion, right? And got it wrong and turnings all around us. So what occurred?
Martha Tórrez: How old were you when your mother died?
Henry Peña: Oh, no, I think I was, eight, 7 or 8.
Martha Tórrez: Then how did she die?
Henry Peña: And that she thought she was witchcraft? You know witches got her? Glad that woman died. They finally found out who the witch was.
Martha Tórrez: Why did she think that? Yeah. Why did she think it was?
Henry Peña: It wasn't her. It was dad knew who this witch was. So one time we watched when she left home and they went through one of her trunks. She had all kinds of dolls in there with pins in it. So what dad was took out that trunk and burned it. And after that, nobody died, you know.
And there was just a woman that night when we figured that she was jealous of those crazy good husbands. And that was right. All the the men that lost her might say it was good husbands. They never had no trouble with their wives.
Martha Tórrez: So your mother became ill. And what? In what way did.
Henry Peña: She, she start losing weight and, you know, like, person that got tuberculosis and stuff like that. Some think that that's what it was, but Dad thinks different. You know, that time there was a lot of that going there in Colorado. All right. And after that happened, but that done it all stopped
That's why he thinks that, you know. But the doctor never did say that he had that TB or. But that thinks that's what I was that’s where momma went.
Martha Tórrez: You were fairly young. When this happens what do you what do you remember about those hard times after your mother died?
Henry Peña: Well, I know that we in our sisters, they took care of us for a while. My older sister was 14 or 15 and a sister, older than me. She was 9 or 10. And they learned to cook, you know, mama, children or a cook. And so they took our list of that back. Married. And we I talked and we, we sleep on the floor.
You know, last mornings, all three of us would lay a horse blanket on the floor and we would cover ourselves. We horse blankets, okay.
And it's a hard time, but heck yeah, once stole for too long the whole house of Kokomo still. So at night we fire that up and got to the house from. That last till morning. And in the morning we had chance to get up and fired up. Okay. And get the house while she always got up and going about having food.
I don't remember starving yet. That always provided he he used to work like hard, kidney stone and pay day. You know what year was $30 a month? And used to go buy all that washers when needed and stuff. So it left till next payday. But he's back to make himself better. Safe or not, honey. And, Yeah, I don't remember starving.
You know, we had chickens and farmer gave us the milk, too. So we had our own age.
Martha Tórrez: What was your favorite food? Meal.
Henry Peña: Mean meal? Potatoes. I still like potatoes, but candy? Now, kind of. Kind of my diabetic system. Potatoes, beans, and sopa.
Martha Tórrez: What kind of sopa?
Henry Peña: Let's see. They're yours.
Martha Tórrez: That's like the real thin spaghetti?
Henry Peña: Yeah. And, Dad used to make it and sisters make it with hamburger, makes it. And that’s about it
Martha Tórrez: So, did you eat a lot?
Henry Peña: Yeah. No, not at all. Yeah. No bread. We couldn't afford,
Martha Tórrez: Bread was more expensive.
Henry Peña: Sisters and and, you know, much that they learned by the, you know, they test my site. They had a ceiling, and they throw it up and stuff up to the. Wasn't ready for it to come down. It was done. That's all you need to go in our heart. You see, you don't.
Martha Tórrez: That's how they would test the dough right?
Henry Peña: Like icicles sticking up. But they learned them. We had dirt in the winter time before winter that go. By golly, I don't know how much flour cost, but, like $0.25. They're 15 pounds. They hit by 25 of them and stack them there in the corner. And it stayed over at last all winter. But then what was left?
He was a drunkard then, he'd go. Drink all the rest till it was all gone. So there was no more money to awaken, eat candy or nothing like that. So he'd come. He had a horse. He used to call him Shorty. And that horse take him to Grand Junction and he'd wait for him there. And when he got all drunk and stuff, couldn't hardly get on the buggy.
That one of those old buggy. But just say, Shorty, take me home with that horse of taking all eight months. My dad cried on that horse, died, and he got in my car after that. But I don't remember having hard times. We used to have the time farmers go by our house and they used to be a hail.
And we came through them like, and, you know, and ride on them and get off the bottom of the hill. Sometimes we go out there and down the hill and ride up. And one time I crossed between Napoleon and Cleo, cut my leg, and there. Good thing it didn't break okay to do that, but, just dragged myself home 300 yards.
Dragged myself home. Mom asked me what happened. I did say it just fell down.
Martha Tórrez: It was from the fall off the buggy.
Henry Peña: Yeah, I dare say it ran over me. I think I still suffer from that. Didn't go to doctor nothing. Tell. That's that. Only time.
Yeah. They used to go by. Was a big hundred sheep. And we used to enjoy that a lot. We talked to him and he was happy to hear it because I didn't know they almost out on the desert. They stay there for a long period of time. I used to tell them they get lonesome and stuff, so the sisters someday has to give up tortillas and stuff like that was all Spaniards and know they talk the same as we do the Spanish.
So we enjoyed that day. Yeah, I used to think maybe someday I'll be a shepherd
Martha Tórrez: The sheepherders were. Where? In what state?
Henry Peña: Colorado. Yeah. So we used to enjoy it and we used to wait for that time. You know, like the ball they come down, put them in certain places or else for lambing and then and spring time, they go back. We know about the time they'd be coming. So we'd wait for. So we enjoyed that week. I don't remember being dull, having a dull time or, you know, getting bored or something like that.
We almost had something to do all the time.
Martha Tórrez: Do you remember any other toys that you might have played with us?
Henry Peña: You know, just to spend it? And of course, we did have a sled. And we used to make, you know, we'd make them ourselves. We had that hill with goats like, right now with that and the way to Hollywood and went to the next level. Summer, we’d haul it on our backs like donkeys let's go for a mile and get walking out the back.
And, you know, I was always busy. I don't remember having any other time. We got up to town, we went to bed and there no TV, no radio. So much for that. And by the time we got in the house and ate up the and that kind of tell a story about the revolution and how things went over there.
Mainly to sort of. And money.
Martha Tórrez: Your father was in the revolution?
Henry Peña: No, he left He left before they got to he she might have been watching it. That's really left to mom. I got up late, went to catch basin, so he wasn't at all bad. But he knew that the killer was dead. So I go back and kill them. I know they never could make enough to go back after work.
When they start working for a railroad, they made enough and made two trips back. But by that time, them guys were dead. You know? But they did go to see how was the land. What do what do had thinking that 2 or 3 sections of land.
Martha Tórrez: Where was business.
Henry Peña: And make a profit.
So what we were making here, we never did find out good. They us two years when he retired. But he used to send money to his sisters down me to pay the taxes on that. So finally, the last time he went, he told them that they could divide the rent by themselves. So that's why they don't. And when he done that, he never said no, no more running in that.
They used to write telling parade steady. But after that, no more letters, no more money, no more letters.
Martha Tórrez: What stories. Do you remember about the revolution?
Henry Peña: Well, how they used to, you know, force people to join their group, you know, fighting just at that moment and how they used to kill people, but they didn't want to, or they thought people were spying on them. That's why they killed that stag. They thought that he was helping each other up and killing. So that's why they killed him.
He wasn't doing so. That's the kind of things that was going on. And. You know, they brought that rage, too. They said they love to give to the poor, but they keep it himself. You know, it's just important to life. That's what I can remember that dad used to tell us. Slow death quietly or else I don't know what I have to say.
I had heard came on that all the time. He'd have probably had a better life. And here, when he came to. When he first came, he came to Texas. He was there for Santa Fe Railroad. He was in that same page in Colorado camps said number. So he finally came there to Colorado and they to now where they made that chart over there and started working out with farm contract for many batted jail places, farmers duties, I guess at that time $0.10.
And now it was out of money anyway. But when we came here, we got a lot of work. A better we can. We need a coal.
Martha Tórrez: What do you remember their wages being at that time.
Henry Peña: Where you come. All right. I think most of the people have been 3 or $4 a day on that, or something like $20.
Martha Tórrez: And when you came to Idaho.
Henry Peña: Here, I don't really know hourly, but I know that all that contract work. So you don't know what your life contract. I, I know that there was been a lot better there. Over there. It might be paid. I think I was making 7500 a month, but I can remember that early for that. So. But it was I think this farmer told that I came to work for him.
That's what he paid a lot of money. That, that ain't much. Was probably is good. If we did keep on helping them get away with it, and we decided we count them instead of going to school. And was there a mistake? No, we made it. Told us to leave them.
Martha Tórrez: At that family. You described that, you know, your one of your grandparents or your grandfather was killed in the revolution. Do you remember any of your other grandparents, your grandmother and grandfather?
Henry Peña: You know, on the mother's side? I remember, that grandfather, but very little I know he would work in a railroad call. Right. He was a very. What do you call that when you go all by yourself? They know. Don't want nobody around. You. A loner and a loner. Yeah. And he never did go to the house once in a while.
But twice a year, 2 or 3 years. Many leave right away. He'd give us a quarter 50 cent increase and take off. And he just stayed there, I guess, extra. Then one car I are you finding somebody short? And he got. To kind of sickness in his hand and you died. But I never did see him when I came home.
But yeah, I know what kind of car right up to several fatalities, especially, you know, I don't recall much about him or his history story. Stuff like that.
Martha Tórrez: You remember your grandmother's?
Henry Peña: No, she died before I was born. In Mexico. I never did see her. Gets her, it had a chest. Of course, that, never.
Unknown: Let it go in there. Again. Cause then, last time you went.
Henry Peña: Back one of my other to have that. They like that. But then people with their on the side of that sister and then all of that, when my brother went over with that, those kind of go over there and take the land away from, or wait in the flow of guns in my chest, you know. So dad told him, no, we didn't come here to fight.
Is going out. Take care of my land. No, I live in a way. My land. I can do what I want to do it. And that's why I came. I came to this issue with our hand above. You pay and put away your arms. When you forget about all. They ask me to do anything. But they did. They didn't.
That's why I didn't want to call either I know, but they don't. My dad, he was a brave man who was afraid.
Unknown: From ... Anyway.
Martha Tórrez: You have a lot of memories about your father. Your father? Yeah. So you were married at the age of 22. How did you meet your wife?
Henry Peña: Well, I met her in Colorado, and I watch her for the marriage. They came over here after we did. For my four years at what they had done for me. But this place over here, 6 or 5, 13,000. I know it's a big house. It's about seven eight year old.
So he invited them to live there. But, I was never home. I was only 1 or 2. No party like that. And, I used to run a lot and train, but, I met her, on the field. So he was working one time to encourage, and we used to pull them out and put them in over long time and Uptown Funk.
You know, he. I stayed home on occasion. I was just playing. And she said I was down in the dairy. Yes. And so I ran over there and, put down, of course, let the kids go to escape. But. She didn't want to hear. Not. You don't want to be in my girl. Okay? And she didn't. I just kissed her that one time.
But I never came again.
And that's why I started up there in the field. You. You. Time went by, and, 2 or 3 years, she finally said, this is my sweetheart. And I. And around 2 or 3 years and we watched on down the street holding hands at that time where people are straight, you couldn't even know what kind. Some lady she met up town holding hands and me come to, I don't know, so you better send it back.
Sandpoint. So I said, oh. So, somebody told me it was all and split. Okay. And that. Right. What call, isn't it? So I don't like that you all get married right now. Oh. For real? I don't like that. I didn't want to. The fact she was too young came along at 15. And then she said, no, you can't get married in, state alone.
Try to want for I don't know that you want to get married or not. I've got it up to me. I say, well, that's why I say nowadays they don't care the same question. They know that out there on the road and saying that man, they. I don't know when all this started.
Martha Tórrez: Is this why you got married then, you and Jenny?
Henry Peña: Well, I loved her and she loved me, but I wasn't ready for marriage. But said you, I am marriage. Go. We did. What kind of wedding? Which to have a nice church lady. Yeah. Oh, yeah. And, took that. I need to finish by $100 to let me to watch it of getting married and married. He was great with my sisters, too.
They. He never let them know for free. That's why you understood my father. Not so that we had a nice church wedding. Right? Come. Reception. Then.
That's when I started.
To, you know, store this big joint, this stuff I said. And nowadays, we never seen a woman end up spiritually. We've seen one after your time to establish one man in the world. But now that's all you see.
Martha Tórrez: Where do you think this stuff comes from? That like, for example, you say that holding hands. You couldn't even do that, would you say that's.
Henry Peña: Well, like there was a law. He was filled with it. And and you know, if people say something about, you know, your kid, they say, why that father don't discipline on them. You can't tell them that. And that's why I thought that he was, by the way, I was they just him. But I didn't know. But he he didn't want no bad talk or people tell.
I mean, let me think about it, kid. And then that's where I get it that he he wanted to be straight. Any worse? I know it was never. And that's why I think that he doesn't he will not be going concern about his family or anything bad about.
Martha Tórrez: Its culture. Something important in your life as far as Mexican culture?
Henry Peña: You know, I think so, right? It's just something that every nation, you know, trying to keep up, going and they never they.
Martha Tórrez: Growing up as a as a Hispanic, they do you recall your parents teaching you about the culture or the customs?
Henry Peña: You know.
Martha Tórrez: The Mexican mother.
Henry Peña: So then I would take the traditional. They just let us go us out of the Spanish or whatever they wanted me to. And.
Martha Tórrez: You know, did you and your wife and your children celebrate like Cinco de Mayo or any kind of Mexican celebration?
Henry Peña: You know, they.
Martha Tórrez: What family customs or values have been passed on to you that you feel are important?
Henry Peña: All I think, think there were in the first place when only one of we try to, you know, they try to show us, in relation to which we got that the only.
Unknown: Thing that I know that we have. To.
Martha Tórrez: You know, you said when you were growing up, religion was not all that important to you, but it is that now your religion important to you know, how did it come to be important if you weren't taught that as a child?
Henry Peña: Well, like me, I wish growing up to be a like, you know. And at that time when I was growing up, there was that to children's game and stuff.
Martha Tórrez: Or was that so? It wasn't.
Henry Peña: Pachucos. I used to have that, tail comb right there, long hair. And I had a big chain like, and that ball kind 45 and I, when I went to Arizona, I used to be a major, when the name came.
Martha Tórrez: So they were the zoot.
Henry Peña: Suiters... And, we used to summit in Arizona, and it's always talks about 20 miles from San Lois. What’s that little... Mexico? way to go over there and, you know, steal gas and do, robberies and stuff. Anyway. And if the law get after us we just cross back to the border, back to the states.
So they couldn't proceed with that. And, I became worried about that. I could not I don't think that what already converted and changed life from my drunken to a different man. So yes, I think that's right. You used to tell me. But he never did. He never find out that I was going there again. Okay, so just my hair.
Martha Tórrez: How old were you?
Henry Peña: I was, thank you, thank you. You're going right. 18. 19. And then you're right. And that was three years later. We used to do a lot of different things do with that, like, question. Was the court our last long? He said if the law ever caught up with us in Mexico, papers put us in prison, cut our hair and makeup, and all I do, and I never did happen while I was there.
The last year after I left America and got my first time there, went over that part of jail, and the prisoners put them all in America.
Martha Tórrez: What was the worst thing that they remember?
Henry Peña: Well, I think of the album, the stuff that we really did was a lot of writing, but we never think about it.
Martha Tórrez: It was a difficult time in your life that you felt that you needed to be part of this group.
Henry Peña: That you were born? No, I thought I was somebody I thought that nothing could harm as long as we was armed. You know, never tired of being there. So I know one time I stood up to a time. But six books, that made me think. But I said, let's not have a whole gang fight for eight later.
Settle among ourselves. Well, I know .... When I stood up to. And I was ready, but he was ready to. In the meantime, somebody called the law and kids start running around a little, hiding all over me. Now, finally, me and him are standing there the cops come up to. I want to go on on air.
Oh, nothing would just laughing. So always heard two guys for a I had a cane, but I said no, I was just gonna settle it. But me and him. Play this, you know. Well, he told us, like I said, it was a fight gang and a Mexican. So you better be careful. ...
Oh, I don't think so. I said I don't, but this guy's been doing anything. New. I will catch him on. There is going to be bad. We already got reports from the other side and he scared this guy. So we walked off. That time I was about ready to come to Idaho, so I never did see him. I heard that they got the whole gang.
I was just lucky again. So the good Lord knows what he had in mind. Approach.
Martha Tórrez: So you say this happened? This went on for like three winters. Yeah. You were about 22. Then when you finally.
Henry Peña: There was that area left here before I got married. All right. Here. Candidate for the last minute. When I was 21.
Martha Tórrez: Why did you decide to leave again?
Henry Peña: That's why you had to come to Idaho for that was ready to come. All right, so the meantime, in 22, when I was 22, work at the winter.
Unknown: School. I changed my.
Henry Peña: And while I didn't do it, the rational thing, no one could download my show. The Almighty God had done it. So that since then I've been attacking man. The 44 year place. Now for the for you.
Martha Tórrez: It's interesting that your father never knew.
Henry Peña: You know why he was putting a secret. You know a secret never. I'd go out there night. You never. But he was sleeping when we went over there. They're sleeping about a block away. For weeks. This certain people that he met over there, and they. We had our own back of, chapel at that chapel. People ran to dance, or they just.
They just sleep there so we could come any hour, and I can call them. And so that never did. You know, that's how kept little secrets in. And that was it. Well, that was a change in my life. Since then, I mean, the church for. That's all. I know that for a long time I was young people. Later, for 22 years, and I was the same times and superintendent of Sunday for deacon.
And that's what kept me going. Right now I'm Deacon at church and my board member. That's not all that was brought to this.
Martha Tórrez: Have you always, belonged to the same religion?
Henry Peña: But dad was active before. But then when he went back to Medford during the revolution, he used to go on there. And churches, best of churches. He told us that at back stories. Back to the point babies and George and Marcus and that preacher, the preacher used that was they had them all that changed all that. So he a doctor something.
That's when he came in. Then when he came to, he heard of this gospel, that show later in different parish. You know, he'd go to that church just before you. They came out the door to see if they had basements. They had things like that in the church. You never seen that that, you know, he's in a lot of what can be done differently than.
And train for. They ain't have no dumping a different types that's are teaching. So that's how it was grown up. He then of course was totally different cities had a to ourselves. So when they go up to see a difference in the so examples what I can recall that made me change in know drinking and then having to work with a cousin or it like nowadays I tell you there it's going it's a different life.
It's all I can say about culture, what I do, I believe that people should follow what they believe in. They're called what I never did. I know never celebrated for said to lives. Once in a while we go see the fireworks at night, stuff like that.
Martha Tórrez: Independence day, what did your family do? Or, you know, as a a family reunion or any events, special events that you would like to share later.
Henry Peña: Or like birthdays, anniversaries? Yeah, we we do that. Just like last year we went to Utah and had a family reunion. And at the same time, my 10th last birthday was a lot of us went, so there was $100 that. And then, up in Utah. Then we had a lot of fun, play a lot of games and stuff like that was there.
But all of that long until dark. Then we had a birthday party. Out, you know, campout. Stuff like that.
Martha Tórrez: What's the most important thing to you about family?
Henry Peña: That family. Right. And the most important is that, they'd be communication, you know, between us never to say, well, that party over there or that family over there, it's different that different ways we think that we should, you know, work together, stay together and enjoy the things that each family does or do. That's the right way.
That's what's kept us together. We're a family that for all of us together and everything that that's done, we try to be there for you. They try to be for us. Better. Yeah, I think that's the most important thing. Communication and love. We could.
Martha Tórrez: Are there any major events in your life that have left lasting impression on you?
Henry Peña: And that time?
Martha Tórrez: Is any event that you can think of that is something you probably never forget.
Henry Peña: In your family? To that once was that said, they not that only thing and then to back to being together. You know I never forget him but but goes on the family because if something bad cause I try to forget that and that's very rare. But the good times we try and keep that in mind. It's a good memory.
Martha Tórrez: Do you remember? I know you've described about the Mexican Revolution. Anything else about, like, any of the world wars, civil rights movements, anything like that that you recall.
Henry Peña: And that about Lewiston... I think we've done a good thing. We're standing out now.
Martha Tórrez: That Martin Luther King.
Henry Peña: Yeah, I think that's a standing thing that stood up for and that.
To do with that change in the world, you know, that this country is back in Europe, or are they changing from communist to democratic, their choice? Well, I think this has got to do with, you. In this war and, golf, I can see where you. I think President Bush done good for what he stood up for in that the whole saying was so.
And they believe that God was with him. How could that be? Was a man that local people and kill people? I don't see that. And that's why I know that that the whole world was praying for a true, God hears prayer and I know that that's what gave us victory. You know, that's got a lot to do with so World war.
But no, I don't think it's gonna stop there either.
Martha Tórrez: They you I hope so. I think everybody does believe that. You know, maybe there is something else is going to continue. But we all hope for peace.
Henry Peña: You know that. But the good word say this when they talk about peace and and all that, when the destruction is going to come up on their show? I hope not, but that's what it says and we've seen it. I just hope that it left till I die. But I sure fear for my granddaughters like that of her, the ones that are going to suffer because of this.
No more than.
Martha Tórrez: That. You do believe that it's going to get worse. Yeah, yeah.
Henry Peña: I don't want it to. But what can we do? We got the power or the world on our hands.
Martha Tórrez: So, Mr. Peña, is there anything else that I might have forgotten to ask you that you would like to add?
Henry Peña: You know, I think very, very well. One point to what? All the events that I can remember, railroad kill there, which I think it was good for me. I learned a lot of things. I learned how to get along with my fellow man, how to work with people. I've been a foreman. Or, I mean, stuff like that.
I've learned how to handle man, how to run crews and how to lay up a lot of plans on the work detail. For being a dummy, you know, I think I came down quite a bit in my lifetime.
Martha Tórrez: And, you're very wise man. Mr.. Peña.
Henry Peña: You know when, like I was saying, when I changed life, I didn't know how to read in Spanish, more or less in English.
I learned all that. I ask God for wisdom. And I believe he's the one that gave me all that. Because I know how to read and and try not to read language. Learn that type, know score. And, like, I was a leader in church and have been for some many years. You know, before I couldn't even speak in front of to people like you to.
I was, but I couldn't even speak. I was, tongue tied in no or no small. And I still was still, but, five, 11, 12 at time. I changed one. Has to think I am. I still ask for my protection in my life, even though I'm past 65. I know that small, but. That's a great change in my life.
Thank. I've learned a lot in the last 20 years. 30 years. I think I start marketing, I.
Martha Tórrez: That's I think we all do. Well, every day is a, something a new learning experience for all of us. Well, at this time, I would just like to thank you again for your time. And I always ask this question is in this part of the interview, but it is something that I asked all of my interviewees and that is, what is your opinion of what we are trying to gather as far as history, Hispanic history?
Henry Peña: I think it's great. I think I to I think it's fun to do a lot of good and still and good people can wake up and see how people have been taught, how they've been raised, and what they've been through. And, and they'll learn what's gonna come in the future. I think it's a good program. And I sure wish that you can have a good, showing on it.
Yeah. Thank you. Well.
Martha Tórrez: Well, thank you again.
Henry Peña: You're welcome.