Hispanic Oral History Project Interviews

Okay. Let's start. Let's talk a little about your family's immigration and see if you can remember when your family came to this country and where they came from.Muy bien. Al principio. Vamos a hablar un poco de inmigración de su familia y a ver si usted puede recordar que la. Cuando cuando vino su familia a este país y desde donde vinieron.

Around 1876, I think, if I'm not mistaken, my father's father.Por allá como el 1876, creo, si no estoy equivoco, el papá de mi papá.

Patricia McDaniel: The great-grandfather.El bisabuelo.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Great-grandfather is sort of like my grandfather.El bisabuelo como que viene siendo mi abuelo.

And my grandfather.Y mi abuelo.

Since I had the light of knowledge, it was from the age, like four or five years old, that we lived.Desde que yo tuve luz de conocimiento fue desde la edad, como ya de cuatro o cinco años, que nosotros vivíamos.

In Texas.En Texas.

A small town, and that's where my mother died in 1925, and I was five years old. After that, my father did his best to put us in a safe house where they would take care of us. He put us with his current mother, my grandmother, Luisa Guerra Gómez, and that's where we were.Un pueblito chico y allí fue donde mi mamá murió en 1925 y yo tenía cinco años de edad y ahí mi papá ya después de ahí mi papá hizo lo posible de de ponernos en alguna casa de seguridad que nos tuvieran cuidado con eso. Nos puso con con su mamá de ahora, mi abuelita, mi abuela Luisa Guerra Gómez, Luisa Guerra Gómez y ahí estuvimos.

We grew up to the age of, like. The age of. In 1929, my father remarried Mrs. María Rodríguez María Salinas Rodríguez, his second wife. After that, we went to the ranch, to a ranch whose owner was called Henry Skinner.Crecimos hasta la edad, como. La edad de. En 1929 mi papá se volvió a casar con la señora María Rodríguez María Salinas Rodríguez, su segunda esposa, luego de ahí nos fuimos al rancho, a un rancho que el patrón se llamaba Henry Skinner.

And that's when we started to grow. We were there until I was 17, which was in 1937. In 1937, he got a little sad about working on the ranches, and my dad decided we should go to the town to look for odd jobs here and there, because there weren't any, there was no other way to do it. The family grew.Y Y ahí comenzamos ya a crecer. Estuvimos allí hasta la edad de 17 años, que fue en 1937 y en 1937 se puso un poco triste en los trabajos de los ranchos y mi papá decidió de que nos fuéramos para para el pueblo a buscar trabajitos aquí allá, porque no había, no había otro modo de hacerle. La familia creció.

What we had there was nothing but. We went to the village and found a lot of it.Lo que teníamos ahí no era sino que. Nos fuimos al pueblo y encontramos mucha.

Patricia McDaniel: What was the name of the town?¿Cómo se llamaba el pueblo?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: In Texas?¿En Texas?

And we find a lot of discrimination about jobs. At that time, there was a governed job called El.Y encontramos mucha sobre los trabajos, mucha discriminación. En ese tiempo había un trabajo gobernado que se llamaba El.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.Si, si, si, si.

And since I applied for that job, I was already 17 years old. I applied for work, for that kind of work, and the Lord realized I wanted to leave. I went. He spoke to the woman who was in charge of collecting applications and arranging for you to get in. So, she never spoke to me, and she did that with many, many people.Y como yo apliqué para entrar a ese trabajo, yo ya tenía 17 años. Apliqué para trabajar, para trabajar en eso y el Señor se dio cuenta que yo me quería ir. Fue. Habló con la señora que se entendía de agarrar las aplicaciones y arreglarlo a uno para que entrara. De modo que a mí nunca me habló ella y lo hacía con muchos, muchos.

Many boys.Muchos muchachos.

Mexicans like that, because the bosses said no, I want him on the ranch and whatever he wants, right? Well, when, when we finally left, my dad really said, let's go, we're not doing anything here. We left, it was hard work every time the year came to harvest the crops, we even owed more money. We had to make it through that time, which was a very deep depression, this one on $12 a month.¿Mexicanos así, porque los patrones decían no, yo lo quiero en el rancho y quiera lo que quiera él nomás, no? Bueno, cuando, cuando ya nos salimos de veras que mi papá dijo ya vámonos, aquí no estamos haciendo nada. Salíamos, era jalado cada vez que que llegaba el fin del año levantaban las cosechas, hasta debíamos más dinero. Lo teníamos que pasar en ese tiempo que era la pasamos una depresión muy grande, este con 12 $ el mes.

And we were.Y éramos.

Patricia McDaniel: From $12 a month.De 12 $ al mes.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: A month's credit for food. But it was because we didn't grow enough corn, beans, sweet potatoes, and so on. And we had plenty. We had pigs, we had chickens, turkeys. And then we planted a lot of gardens, also with chilies and tomatoes and all kinds of vegetables. Well, we made ourselves very happy. We didn't bring the, ...Al mes de crédito para comer. Pero era que como nosotros levantábamos no bastante maíz, frijol. Camotes y. Y así. Y teníamos mucho. Teníamos puercos, teníamos gallina, guajolote. Y luego sembrábamos mucho jardín, también de chiles y tomates y de todo, verduras. Bien, nos hacíamos pasar muy bien. No nos traíamos la la, la la entrada de de de las provisiones a la cocina.

Whatever. We had plenty of beans. Sometimes Dad would go to town and find them cheap, and I'd bring Dad back very cheap. And when we saw that, what? Well, we just couldn't go to school. Because we had to work until a certain time. And then when we started school, it was like right now, like in November, and then we already had to leave by February 1st or mid-February. We had to leave because the boss wanted us to go plow the land, break it up, prepare it, plant corn and cotton, and everything.Como quiera. Teníamos bastante frijol. Papá me A veces este se iba al pueblo y hallaba baratas y traigo a papá muy barato. ¿Y cuando vimos que que? Pues nomás nosotros no podíamos ir a la escuela. Porque teníamos que trabajar hasta cierto tiempo. Y luego cuando entrábamos a la escuela era como aquello de como ahorita, como ya en noviembre, y luego teníamos ya pa pa para el 1 de febrero o los mediados de febrero, teníamos que salirnos porque el patrón quería que fuéramos a arar las tierras, a romperlas, a prepararlas, a sembrar el maíz y el algodón y el malamente todo.

Things like that. And we didn't have any other income, money only once a year. So, well, it's not like we decided to leave. When we left, I told him I wanted to look for work here or there, and we saw a lot of discrimination above the depression, there was so much that there were no jobs. Okay, so my dad said, well, what do you guys think?Las cositas así. Y nosotros no teníamos otra entrada, dinero nomás que año alguna vez al año. Entonces bueno, no es que decidimos salir. Cuando ya nos salimos fue donde le dijo yo que que quería buscar trabajo de aquí o allá y vimos mucha discriminación arriba del de la depresión, que había tanto que no había trabajos. ¿Okay, so mi papá este dijo bueno, pues qué es lo que piensan ustedes muchachos?

Oh my God! And we just gave him an opinion that my brother, his father, and I had formed. We heard that in the valley we called Four Texas.¡Dios tan grande! Y nosotros le dimos nomás una opinión que habíamos formado yo, mi hermano o su papá. Oímos que en el valle que le nombramos Four Texas.

Jobs where people earn much more, often earning around $50 a day, and when the job is good, earning up to $3 a day. Well, with that spirit we heard, that made us want to leave there, from.Trabajos que la gente gana muchísimo más, gana unos 50 $ al día muchas veces y cuando se pone bien el trabajito gana hasta 3 $ el día. Pues con ese ánimo que nosotros oímos que nos nos hizo animarnos a irnos de ahí, de.

Texas.Texas.

So we went to look for work. We got there.Nos fuimos, pues a buscar trabajo. Llegamos allá.

Patricia McDaniel: In.En.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: In Far. And then? Then, yes, gentlemen who gathered people to take them to work.En Far. ¿Y luego? Luego si señores que juntaban gente para llevarlos a trabajar.

We worked together many times.Trabajábamos muchas veces una.

An hour, two hours a day. Many times we worked three hours and earned a dollar, one, ten, one, fifteen, or something like that in the time we worked. And during that time, that money served my dad, so he used it to bring us food and pay rent and whatever was needed for the house.Hora, dos horas por día. Muchas veces trabajábamos tres horas y ganábamos un dólar uno, diez, uno, 15 o algo así de en el rato que trabajábamos. Y en ese tiempo pues ese dinero le servía a mi papá para que nos él lo usaba para traernos comida y pagar renta y y y así lo lo necesario de la casa.

Patricia McDaniel: And so.Y pues.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: 40. That was 40 when we did that. But we didn't get ready to come until 41 when a friend of my dad's, Reyes Ramírez, invited my dad and said, "Look, Pedro, son, these guys you have are very good." Well, they were good workers, and all of you there can make a few cents to make a better living.El 40. Eso fue el 40 cuando hicimos eso. Pero no nos preparamos para venirnos hasta el 41 que un amigo de mi papá, Reyes Ramírez, lo convidó a mi papá le dijo Mira Pedro hijo, tu con estos muchachos que tienes son muy buenos. Bueno, el eran buenos trabajadores y todos ustedes allá puedes hacer un centavitos pa hacerte vivir mejor.

And my dad took him at his word, and said, "If I'm going, if not, I'm going with you." "Yes, if it's true, it's here," he said, "well, come in and let's get people here." My dad made arrangements about two months before he left, and so we came. We saw, we arrived here in May, in April 6, in 1941.Y mi papá le agarró la palabra, dijo si me voy, si no me voy contigo. Un si, si es de que es aquí pues entra y la gente pa y ya, ya se arregló mi papá a unos dos meses antes de salir él y así nos vinimos, Vimos, llegamos aquí en mayo, en en abril seis, en 1941.

Patricia McDaniel: And how they came.Y como vinieron.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: In.En.

May six.Mayo seis.

When we got here. May six East. And how I wonder if it is.Cuando llegamos aquí. Mayo seis Este. Y cómo Me pregunto si es.

Patricia McDaniel: And how they arrived in En. On a bus or in the family car.Y cómo llegaron en En. En un autobús o en carro de la familia.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Did we arrive? No. They had the trucks with the trailer open. The big box? No. And we came, so to speak, just like the cattle say. And yes.¿Llegamos? No. Ellos tenían las trocas con las con la abierto. ¿La caja grandota? No. Y veníamos como quien dice, así como dicen el ganado. Y si.

Patricia McDaniel: To all.A toda la.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Family, The whole family. Yes, of course, one of the sisters, or my sister, who is the only sister of my brother and I. My brother died. I don't know if you died in July, on the first. Well, we all came. My dad, my stepmother was José and Zulema and I and Santos.Familia, Toda la familia Si que por cierto que una de las hermanas o mi hermana, que es la única hermana de de de mi hermano y yo. Mi hermano murió. Yo no sé si usted murió en en en julio el día primero. Bueno, a veníamos todos nos vinimos mi papá, mi madrastra era José y Zulema y yo y Santos.

This one. And we arrived here, as I said, around May 6th, and we started working right away.Este. Y llegamos aquí, como le digo, como el 6 de mayo y comenzamos luego, luego trabajar.

Patricia McDaniel: Whom.Aquí en.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: And no and we landed in.Y no y aterrizamos en.

In Aberdeen. And it went down the drain.En Aberdeen. Y dejó ordinario.

And on the second day that he was there at that little ranch, a man named.Y el segundo día que está ya de estar allí en ese ranchito, un señor llamado.

George and what.George y que.

He came and saw us there playing ball with a stick. We were playing there, kicking the ball around. This guy comes and asks us. He was a hoarse guy, he was fine. He performed an operation on our throat and he's left hoarse. His voice is very, very hoarse. But anyway, he was the one who told us, "Guys, do you want to work in English?"Vino y vio que que andábamos nosotros ahí jugando a la pelota con una barra, andábamos jugando ahí, hacíamos la pelota, este viene y nos pregunta. Era un ronco, estaba muy bien. Nos hizo una operación en la garganta y quedó ronco. Muy, muy desaforada la la voz. ¿Pero como quiera él fue el que nos dijo Muchachos, ustedes quieren trabajar en inglés?

No? And then? Then we don't get close to the English. And since we don't want to work, that's why we came then. Well, tomorrow he said, "I want to take you to teach you how to cut potatoes. The seed. Well, he says that another day we never needed this sleep because by 5:00 we were ready, and then he comes, they come here around 7:00 and he put us in his cart and took us to an underground plant where they harvest potatoes in winter, and there they had the one they call it, you fill it with potatoes and then the potato comes out little by little and the blades stop.¿No? ¿Y luego? Luego no nos arrimamos contra el inglés. Y como no queremos trabajar. A eso vinimos entonces. Bueno, mañana dijo Quiero llevarlos a enseñarlos a cortar papas. La semilla. Bueno, pues dice que otro día nosotros este el sueño nunca nos hacía falta porque ya pa las 05:00 estábamos listos este y luego viene, vienen aquí como de las 07:00 y ya nos echó él a su carrito y nos llevó a una subterranea que donde alzan la papa en invierno y ahí tenían la que le nombran la llena uno de papa y luego está saliendo la papa poco a poquito y las cuchillas paradas.

There we grab the potato and cut it, and cut the other little piece and put it in a sack. Here we go, and well, we work, we work a good day, we say we work until about three and then he comes, and that's enough. Tomorrow they come again. So that day, for that day, he gave us $5 in pure silver, silver pesos each for one day.Ahí agarramos la papa y la la corta y corta el otro pedacito y la tachando en un saco. Aquí vemos y pues trabajamos, trabajamos un día bueno, vamos diciendo que trabajamos como hasta las tres y ya viene él y con eso es bastante. Mañana vienen otra vez. Pues ese ese día, por ese día nos dio a nosotros 5 $ de plata puro, pesos de plata cada uno por un día.

During that time we worked there, our hearts opened to a state of rage. John, "Well, we looked. We wanted to know, what were you going to tell us? You have to work for all the other things, right? And when we were about to get in the car, I said, "Well, I told you how much work is going to cover with this and with what you did just now?"Por ese rato que trabajamos ahí mismo, se nos abrió el corazón al estado de ira. ¿John Bueno, nosotros miramos, nosotros queríamos que que nos nos iba a decir ese dinero tienen que trabajar ustedes por todas las demás, no? ¿Y ya cuando nos íbamos subir al carro digo bueno, le dije qué tanto trabajo va a cubrir con esto y con lo que hicieron hora nomás?

Well, we'd be happy to go with Dad and give him that money. And by the way, he was just about to tell us where you guys got this money from? That much? Right, right?¿Bueno, vamos nosotros bien gustosos con papá y le dimos ese dinero y por cierto que ya mero nos decía de dónde agarran ustedes este dinero? ¿Tanto? ¿Correcto, verdad?

Patricia McDaniel: And it was like they robbed us.Y estaba que nos robaron.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: I want God to burn my tongue. If I'm lying. Well, no, I'll get over it. Every other day he would call us to see if we had time because we were committed to the Lord wherever we were living. It was his name.Quiero que Dios me queme la la lengua. Si estoy echando mentiras. Bueno, pues no, ya de ahí pa allá. A cada otro día nos llamaba pa que si teníamos tiempo porque estábamos comprometidos con el Señor donde estábamos viviendo. Se llamaba.

White.Blanco.

He was German. This old man died, and he started working with beets. The whole family started working, and we started making a lot of money. There were times when we were young, you know, we made up to $7. My dad, well, we helped him. He wasn't as light-hearted as we were.Era alemán, ya murió el viejito este y ya él comenzó su trabajo de betabel y y comenzamos a trabajar toda la familia y comenzamos a hacer muy buen dinerito. Había veces que nosotros como estábamos jóvenes sabes que hacíamos hasta 7 $. Mi papá bueno, le ayudábamos. El no era tan ligero como nosotros los.

Youths.Jóvenes.

But we still made it pretty well, the 25 to 30 dollars a day, but we worked hard from sunrise to sunset every semester. Well, and so we left and went to the town. And when the blood ran out, my dad decided. Saying, guys, Texas has nothing for us. As you can see, we're with you as well.Pero como quiera hacíamos o muy bien los 25 hasta 30 dólar el día, pero bien trabajado de sol sale al sol semestre Bueno, y así nos fuimos y nos fuimos en el pueblo. Y cuando se acabó el el de sangre, betabel decidió mi papá. Diciendo muchachos. Texas no tiene nada para nosotros. Como ven, nosotros estamos con usted como bien este.

And we're going to look for stable work here. Well, look, the summer jobs are gone. And then winter came, and all the potatoes in the Valley were harvested.Y nosotros vamos a buscar trabajo estable aquí. Bueno, mire, se se pasaron los trabajos del del verano. Y luego llegó el invierno que se recogió toda la papa de de del del Valle.

And then we looked for work in the underground branches and we got some and we worked all winter, so that at that time they paid us another 75 cents an hour. And it was a lot, a lot, a lot of good money compared to where we came from. Okay. And so it went on for two years until I got my.Y Y luego buscamos trabajo en las ramas subterráneas y conseguimos y trabajamos todo el invierno este, a fin de que en esa vez nos pagaban otros 75 centavos. La hora. Y era mucho, mucho, muy buen dinero comparando con donde veníamos. Okay. Y Y así pasó por dos años hasta que yo agarré mi.

My readings.Mis readings.

From military service in 1943.Del servicio militar en el 1943.

Patricia McDaniel: We'll come back to that in a moment, Meanwhile, they were living there in how they lived in a house to rent or buy a house.Vamos a regresar a eso en un momento, Mientras tanto, estaban viviendo ahí en en cómo vivieron en en casa a una rentado o comprar un casa.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No, sir. We lived in a stable that had some nicely appointed rooms. Right. But when we finally got a job, in two or three years, we moved to the village, to some apartments. It's very convenient with all of them. A small kitchen and a 4th bedroom, a thousand and one. And a bathroom and everything were very convenient.No el señor. Vivíamos en una caballeriza que tenía unos cuartos bien arreglados. Este. Pero cuando ya agarramos nosotros trabajo en dos o tres años, nos cambiamos pa el pueblo, pa unos departamentos. Viene muy bien con todos o con todos. Cocinita y 4.º, mil y. Y baño y de todo venía muy bien.

Patricia McDaniel: An apartment for the family.Un apartamento para la familia.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No, no, no, I know apart. I was already married. Aha. But me. You know the custom there, each one with his father, until the father says, "Okay, from now on everything and." And so, when we started working on it, in the winter was when he told me. And he said, "And you can smoke in front of me if you want, you're a man now."No, no, no, yo sabo aparte. Yo ya estaba casado. Ajá. Pero yo. Usted sabe el costumbre de allá cada uno con su padre, hasta que el padre le dice Bueno, de aquí en adelante todo y. Y así, cuando comenzamos a trabajar en el, en la en invierno fue cuando me dijo Y dijo Y puedes fumar delante de mí si tú quieres, ya eres un hombre.

Patricia McDaniel: And not.Y no.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No, no nothing.No, no nada.

We had a very high level of respect for each other, and everything he said was... There were no reproaches, and there were no bad replies to him, nothing.Teníamos muy alto respeto a más y todo lo que él decía era No había reproches ni había. Contestaciones a él malas, nada.

Patricia McDaniel: He was the boss.Él era el jefe.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: And he wasn't a good boss. He wasn't opportunistic, he was nothing. Nothing more came out of himself. He says, well, you're a man now, you have your family, and that's it. He even gave me a little money. He said, "Look, he's already looking, I'll party him up, and from there on out." God bless you.Y buen jefe y él no era. Él no era aprovechado, no era nada. Nada más de él mismo salió. Dice, pues que ya eres un hombre, tienes tu familia y aquí ya está. Hasta un poquito de dinero me dio. Me dijo Mira, ya está buscando, lo partí de fiestas y de ahí pa allá. Dios te bendiga.

Patricia McDaniel: And let's talk a little about the community. There were other Hispanics at Everything, there was a Hispanic community.Y vamos a hablar un poco de la comunidad. En Everything habían otros hispanos, había una comunidad hispana.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No, there weren't, there weren't, as they say, a neighborhood or a neighborhood is born. There were Hispanics, who came to work, there were, I'll tell you right now, two families there who had been there since 1938. The first ones left, the gentleman was Don Rafael Mercado and... And those who...No, no había, no había, como quien dice una un barrio o nace. Había así hispana, que venían a trabajar, había ahorita te digo nomás dos familias ahí que ya estábamos ahí desde el 1938 se fueron las primeras que eran el señor era don Rafael Mercado y. Y los que.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Well, there were. As we were, as it was, there were the young people and everyone. No, we weren't used to going to, as we call it, weekends, to a bar, to go and chat and do this, they weren't.Bueno, había. Nosotros como estábamos, como era, estábamos los jóvenes y todos. No, no estábamos acostumbrados de ir a nosotros a como vamos diciendo los weekends, a ir a una cantina, a ir a platicar y hacer esto, ellos no.

Smoking and everything.Fumando y todo.

That's it. We didn't have that, did we? But we did have fun because I was free to go kill hares, rabbits, or birds to eat and all that. We were going to change all that, but there wasn't one. At that time, there wasn't even a Catholic church, which was where we came from, our religion.Eso. ¿Nosotros no teníamos eso, verdad? Pero sí nos divertíamos porque estaba muy libre de ir a matar liebres, conejos o pajaritos pa comer y todo eso. Nos íbamos a cambiar todo eso, pero no había. En ese tiempo no había ni iglesia católico que éramos donde descendemos nosotros, la religión de nosotros.

There wasn't that, he didn't get in there until we had already left when he got in in 1900. I think it was in 1960 or 58, around that time for quite a while.No había eso, no entró ahí hasta como el ya nos habíamos salido nosotros cuando entró en 1900. Yo creo que fue en 1960 o 58, por ahí bastante tiempo.

Patricia McDaniel: Yes, yes, yes.Sí, sí, sí.

Girl or young man.Muchacha o joven.

Man, secret business is all mixed up. I mean.Hombre, los negocios de secreta área son todo revuelto. O sea.

Patricia McDaniel: Now yes.Ahora sí.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes, now.Sí, ahora.

Patricia McDaniel: Yes, but not before.Sí, pero antes no.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No. And that's not the town. Listen, I've never experienced any kind of discrimination.No. Y ahí no es el pueblito. Oiga, Nunca conocí yo una clase de discriminación.

Patricia McDaniel: There wasn't one. That's why.No había. Por eso.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No.No.

Patricia McDaniel: And not in schools either.Y en las escuelas tampoco.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Neither, huh? There weren't any here either. But when the Germans started the war, they were the ones here. The ones who were afraid. This discrimination against any race, not just us, the Japanese, Blacks, and Indians. And all because they lost the war. That's why they turned back, they came together. Oh, what, the workers. But they lost everything.¿Tampoco, Eh? Aquí tampoco no había. Pero cuando comenzó la guerra de los alemanes, aquí eran los que. Los que le tenían miedo. Este discriminación a cualquier raza, no nomás a la nosotros japonesa, negros e indios. Y todo porque perdieron la guerra. Por eso es que se se volvió, se juntaban. Ay que, que que los obreros. Pero todo lo perdieron.

I was one of those who fought hard against discrimination. I was the first to remove all the Simpsons they had here. This one here in the underworld, they had nothing like that: no Jews, no Mexicans, no Blacks, no Indians, no Japanese, no dogs. Mhm. So be it.Yo fui uno que peleé la discriminación muy fuerte fue el primero que quitó todos los Simpson que tenían aquí. Este aquí en hampa tenían así nada, no judíos como mexicanos, no negros, no indios, no japoneses no perros. Mhm. Así sea.

Patricia McDaniel: Here in the.Aquí en la.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Country. And here I was already working at the barbershop, when my daughter came and complained to me. The big one is there, Olga. And that's where I took up arms. But since I was going to school, I was governing.País. Y aquí estaba trabajando yo ya en la barbería, cuando mi hija vino, me dio una queja. La grande está ahí, está Olga. Y ahí es donde yo me levanté en armas. Pero como yo estaba yendo al colegio, a la escuela, en. Estaba yo gobernando.

Government in Politics six. Well, different classes, right? Huh?¿Government in Político seis En fin, diferentes clases, verdad? ¿Eh?

Make me understand my rights here in the United States after coming to fight for another nation defending it, coming back, seeing that here the housing of the Mexican, the Indian and everything was worse.Hacerme entender mis derechos aquí en Estados Unidos después de venido a pelear a otra nación defendiendo esta viniendo pa atrás, viendo que aquí estaba peor el el la el la vivienda de de del del mexicano, del indio y todo que.

Hitler has that.Hitler tiene eso.

Patricia McDaniel: So if you went to a.Entonces si usted fue a a.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: To Germany.A Alemania.

Patricia McDaniel: Germany? Yes. In what year?¿Alemania? Si. En qué año.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: It was the 40th.Fue el 40.

And five? Mhm. Yeah, yeah. At the end of the year.¿Y cinco? Mhm. Ya, ya. Al fin del año.

Patricia McDaniel: At the end of the war.Al final de la guerra.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: If not, the war would have already ended. Yes, that's right. I arrived there 19 days after it ended, because they were there. Me, me.Si no ya la guerra ya se había acabado. Sí, este. Yo llegué allá 19 días después de que se acabó, porque estaban. Yo yo.

I was in.Estaba en.

April.Abril.

We'll never see each other again. When I came, I was in. We were in. I've even forgotten the name of the guy from the little field.No volvemos a ver. Cuando venía estaba en. Tuvimos en el. Ya se me olvidó hasta el nombre del del campito.

But it's in New Jersey.Pero es en New Jersey.

And we were ready to leave. When the war ended, we were already on the boat. When the war ended, right? There were a lot of kids who were enjoying themselves, they jumped into the water from the boat.Y nosotros estábamos ya pa salir. Cuando se acabó la guerra ya estábamos en el barco. ¿Nosotros cuando se acabó la guerra, eh? Hubo muchos muchachos cata de gusto, se dejaron caer al agua del barco.

And you? I wasn't, of course, very cold. You were very cold. And then, like, they took us back to the barracks for two days. And then they took them back to the Rainforest and started throwing us out again. And they put us on the list of... As they call it... The peacekeepers, as they call it...¿Y tú? Yo no, claro, muy frío. Tú estabas muy frío. Y luego, como nos sacaron por dos días pa atrás a las barracas. Y luego los volvieron a Rainforest y nos comenzaron a echar otra vez. Y nos pusieron en la lista de. Como le dicen al. Al. Las fuerzas de paz, como le dicen que.

They had to write us down on papers to explain what we were. All of this took us two days, but there were a lot of us, 5,000 of us on the boat. I was one of those who got to go there because I was very lucky, because when things were going well, they put us there. We arrived at the Desco, where there were four or five men there.Nos tuvieron que poner en sobre eso en los papeles que éramos. No más sobre todo esto nos agarró dos días, pero íbamos muchos, íbamos 5000 en el barco en. Fui uno de los que me tocó ir para allá porque con mucha suerte, porque cuando las cosas iban en línea ponían. Llegamos a la Desco, donde había cuatro o cinco hombres, ahí.

Generals, some generals like with their.Generales, unas generales como con su.

And all that. And he said, well, you.Y todo eso. Y decía bueno, tú.

You come or.Vienes o.

Since you're going to the Pacific, and the second one, you, even I want to, and you go to the Pacific, from your to there. What they did is they divided us up. I took a friend who we wanted to go together, because they sent him to the Pacific, and me there, and that's why I did it. Well, they didn't know how long it would last, or they didn't know anything.Como tú vas pa Pacífico y el segundo tú, hasta yo que quiero y tu pa pacífico de tu pa allá. Lo que hicieron es que nos repartieron. Yo llevo a un amigo que queríamos que fuéramos juntos, pues lo echaron por el Pacífico y a mí allá y por eso lo lo hacía. Bueno, que no sabían que tanto iba a durar o no sabía nada.

Still everything. The Germans have already dominated them and taken away their weapons and all that, but this one, anyway, we landed at the...Todavía de todo. Ya los alemanes ya los han dominado y le quitaron las armas y todo eso, pero este como quiera llegamos a aterrizamos a la.

In the in the.En la en la.

That's where we are. And then we were there for about 30 days until they kicked us out. But I arrived there 19 days later.Ahí estamos nosotros. Y luego estuvimos como 30 días ahí por cuando nos echaron. Pero yo llegué allí 19 días después.

Patricia McDaniel: After the.Después de la.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes, it took us almost nine days, 12, ten days, 12 days or so.Si, nos agarró casi los nueve días, 12, diez días, 12 días por ahí.

And the water.Y el agua.

Patricia McDaniel: He stayed in Europe.Se quedaba en en Europa.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Or I had. I didn't come until the or I lasted close to two years, like a year, 11 months.O tuve. No vine hasta el o duré cerquita de los dos años como como un año, 11 meses.

Patricia McDaniel: Well, in France.Bueno, en Francia.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No, not in Germany, in France only a month when we entered.No, no en Alemania, en Francia nomás un mes cuando entramos.

Patricia McDaniel: And from Germany he returned here.Y desde Alemania volvió aquí.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes, come in.Sí, pase.

Patricia McDaniel: Yes, and don't talk a little about your work with anyone. Discrimination. No.Sí y hable un poco de de su trabajo con nadie. Discriminación. No.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Or well, when. When I came back, I came with this mind, recharging my mind. On the study I wanted. I wanted to study. I wanted to go to school. I wanted to learn more. And I myself. I analyzed my way of thinking about the businesses I wanted, knowing that I couldn't do it. It's because. I corrected it because of the lack of education I had.O bueno, cuando. Cuando yo llegue atrás, yo venía con con mi mente este recargando mi mente en. En estudio que yo quería. Yo quería estudio. Yo quería ir a la escuela. Yo quería aprender más. Y yo mismo me. Me analizaba mi mi modo de pensar en negocios que yo quería, sabiendo que yo no lo podía. Es que. Corregir por la falta de educación que tenía.

But all the time I had a. A big one as they say.Pero todo el tiempo tuve un. Un gran como le dicen.

In English Y.En inglés Y.

You never and I was and I was granted that when I. When I arrived.Tú nunca y se me y se me se me concedió que cuando yo. Cuando llegué.

Here.Aquí.

We started hearing about it before I left the military service that I did.Comenzamos a oír nosotros antes de salir del servicio militar que fui.

Scrapped by Luis Washington.Desechado en por Luis Washington.

This. Or what were going to happen, Bill.Este. O que iba a haber estos Bill.

Bill of sino.Bill of sino.

That the military was able to go to schools, certain classes that one could, that one wanted, right? And it started for me.¿Que los militarmente para ir a a las escuelas ciertas clases que uno podía que quería verdad eh? Y se me comenzó.

Okay, I passed through here in Tampa, but from here, from Chicago. I told my wife that she'll be there for about ten, fifteen minutes. And I want you to give me at least $10 because I haven't had any money for almost six months, because when we went to sign for it, we were saying, my name was written here.Que bueno, yo pasé por aquí por Tampa, pero de aquí de de Chicago. Yo yo le hablé a mi esposa que ahí va a estar como diez, 15 minutos este. Y quiero que me des que me tengas si quiera unos 10 $ porque tengo casi los seis meses de no agarrar dinero, porque cuando fuimos a firmar para vamos diciendo el nombre mío está escrito aquí.

I had to put my name here, pay my fee and the gentleman in front of me put his name in my line and that was the end of it for him and me, because I had to come.Yo tenía que poner mi nombre aquí, pagar mi pago y el señor que iba delante de mí puso su nombre en mi línea y ahí se acabó pa él y pa mí, porque tenía que venir.

Everyone to Washington D.C.Todos pa Washington D.C.

And arrange it here and then send for the paperwork. But as soon as he caught his flight, they got news that my time was almost up. They didn't send me anything, and they didn't pay me. We did pay me, but the...Y arreglarlo aquí y luego mandar a traer los papeles. Pero como agarró su vuelo agarraron noticias que que ya mi tiempo se se estaba llegando bien, no me mandaron nada, sí y y no me pagaban, me pagamos, pero el el.

The second Kenneth.El segundo Kenneth.

Kenneth, who was telling me, Tony, are you going to take all this? But they gave me a little piece of paper to sign and I took it like that.¿Kenneth quien me decía Tony, vas a agarrar todo esto? Pero me daban un papelito que yo firmara y yo agarraba como.

Chu chu space y.Chu chu space y.

Things I wanted there.Cosas que yo quería ahí.

From the PX.Del del PX.

And we discounted all of this and all of that because that was like a test I had to take. This wasn't good either because I didn't lose any money. Well, when we arrived, I had all these new things here, from when I arrived back and so on. My wife was also very illiterate, so to speak. She went to school, but no, no, she didn't know enough yet.Y todo esto y pues todo eso lo rebajamos porque ese era como como una prueba que yo debía. Tampoco esto estaba bueno porque yo no perdí dinero. Bueno y bueno, cuando llegamos tenía todas estas nuevos aquí, desde cuando llegué pa atrás y pues. Mi señora también era era muy analfabeta, como quien dice. Ella fue a la escuela, pero no, no, no sabía bastante todavía.

If I already went and.Si ya fui y.

Yes, but I needed a job too, and uh, I've always liked this barbering job. And then? Then, then, then I went here to the.Si, pero como necesitaba trabajo también y eh, todo el tiempo me gustó este el trabajo de barbero. ¿Y luego? Luego, luego, Luego fui a aquí a la.

Administration.Administración.

And I submitted my application and everything. No, then they caught me. I mean, how hard it was for me to get in. It was in '47, it came out in December, '46, in December 7, and then by November 10, also in January 1947, I was already going to barber school, and the government paid me $90.Y puse mi mi aplicación y todo. No, Luego me agarraron. O sea, lo duro que fue que yo entré. El 47 que fue, salió en diciembre, el 46, en diciembre siete y luego ya pa el 10 de noviembre también de de enero de 1947 ya estaba yendo yo la escuela de Barbero y me pagaba el gobierno 90 $.

Per month. And they still gave my wife 80 a month, like everything she was receiving when I was there, even though she was in school for six months. And when I finished school, I started studying. Then I became an apprentice, but as an apprentice, I was already earning a little bit, okay? And they let me spend a year.Por mes. ¿Y a mi señora le daban todavía le siguieron dando 80 por mes, como todo lo que estaba recibiendo cuando yo estaba por más que estuvo así seis meses en la escuela y ya cuando acabé la escuela, la el estudio, luego luego me fui de aprendiz, pero de aprendiz ya ganaba yo un poco okay? Y me dejaron pasar un año.

I had to be an apprentice for a year. They let me spend a month to see how much I could make per month. No, if I stayed a little longer, then I think I turned out to be pretty bad at beards or haircuts. Well, that's where I was. I was an apprentice for a year, and at the same time I was doing the picking and picking.Tuve que estar un año un aprendiz, me dejaron pasar un mes a ver qué tanto podía hacer yo por mes. No, si sigo bastantito, entonces yo creo que salí poco bueno para la barba, para cortar el pelo. Bueno, ahí estuve. Un año de de de aprendiz y al mismo tiempo yo iba y recogía.

Little boards and the fixed foot, that's how I started it.Tablitas y del del pie fija así yo lo empecé.

And I had to gather little boards here, there, and this, what I did here, so when I finished my apprenticeship there, I said, well, I'm going to do the struggle of opening my barbershop in my house, right there, not in my house? Yes, that's how it was. When I finished everything, I already had everything, this or everything, everything like this, these old women with horny skin were there, and I fixed everything up nicely.¿Y tuve juntando tablitas y aquí, allá y este, lo que hice aquí pa cuando acabé mi aprendiz allá que dije pues yo voy a hacer la lucha de hacer mi barbería en mi casa, ahí cerquita, en mi casa no? Sí, así fue. Cuando acabé todo ya tenía todo esta o todo, todo así, estas viejas de piel calentona estaba y todo arreglé bien.

Then I was inspired by.Entonces yo inspiré por.

More study.Más estudio.

Collage. I had the barbershop that fulfilled my.Collage. Tenía yo la barbería que cumplí con mi.

Master barber license.Master barbería licencia.

Not the one I can work on my own. So I applied for going to school at night.No la que yo puedo trabajar solo. Entonces apliqué por por irme a la escuela en la noche.

Patricia McDaniel: And I opened the university.Y abrí la universidad.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yeah.Sí.

But I wasn't there for long. I only had three weeks, because at that time they were already working on the idea that those studios should also be here, in a place for the people, kids from here who didn't, didn't need to go there because I was paid for everything, the government paid me, the boss paid me. They gave me some tickets from here and another from here, and it went on, and it wasn't bad, they changed it here.Pero ahí no estuve mucho. Tuve nomás tres semanas, porque en ese tiempo ya le estaban trabajando de que esos estudios debían estar también aquí en un lugar pa la gente, muchachos de aquí que no, no necesitaban ir allá porque a mí me pagaba todo, me pagaba el gobierno, el boss, me daban unos tickets de el ticket de aquí y otro de acá y sigue y no mala cambiaron aquí.

I said, "I'm going to get old here." It doesn't help if I study a little.Dije aquí me voy hacer viejo. No le hace estudiando un poco sí.

And yes. And a.Y sí. Y a.

I learned a lot about how one feels free to make decisions about things that are happening.Aprendí bastante en el modo de que se siente uno libre de. De hacer decisiones. Sobre las cosas que están pasando.

Everything. Everything. Good.Todo. Todo. Bueno.

Patricia McDaniel: What courses did you take?¿Qué cursos tomaba?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: On YouTube me. How do I tell him that you me.En YouTube me. Como le digo que tú me.

Take this one. They also gave us this one. The Sáenz Me joke.Tome este. También nos dieron este. La chanza de Sáenz Me.

And I had to grab it. Those are the three I wanted. But I had to grab Pipe Rider.Y tuve que agarrar. Esas son las tres que yo quería. Pero tuve que agarrar Pipe Rider.

My wife told me the other day.Todavía el otro día me dijo mi señora.

Of coach and well, he said you don't have in.De coach y bueno, dijo tú no tienes en.

The fingers. I say as I say well, in another.Los dedos. Digo como yo digo bueno, en otro.

Vehemence Yes.Vehemencia Sí.

But those three were there.Pero esas tres estaban y.

And here.Y acá.

That's right, me.Eso sí, me.

I hit him.Le pegué.

And I hit it, which until then, well, helped me a lot because that's where you grab on.Y le pegue, que hasta que bueno, me sirvió mucho porque de ahí uno agarra.

Go to the Libraries.Va los. Libraries.

Then, some books about how I wanted to know about my rights in a certain way, and the other things were like talkativeness. All that, right? He gave it to me, and there were people, women and men who helped me a lot. And then I went very far. Until this happened, which was in 1960, when this, this discrimination thing, they started putting non-Mexican sims and after a while another one would put a black one.En. El luego unos como libros tocante a ciertos como yo quería saber la la los derechos míos en cierta particular y lo otro como labia. ¿Todo eso, verdad? Me daba y lo había, gente, mujeres y hombres que me ayudaban mucho. Y ahí me fui muy. Hasta que cuando pasó esto, que ya fue en 1960, cuando esto, esto de del de la discriminación, comenzaron a poner sims no mexicanos y al ratito otro le ponía uno negro.

If not this is not good. So much so that when I saw.Si no esto no lo bueno. Tanto que cuando vi.

Patricia McDaniel: Why were they published at that time? There weren't any such news stories before? No.¿Por qué se pusieron en esa época no habían esas esas noticias antes? No.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No.No.

Patricia McDaniel: This is how they started in the year 66.Así empezaron en el año 66.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Well, they didn't start in the like 59.Bueno, no empezaron en las en el como el 59.

Patricia McDaniel: With the bad news of not entering.Con lo malo con esas noticias de no entrar.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: And don't let it go. If it didn't start with a restaurant they called Bloomberg. And this with the Japanese.Y no dejar. Si no comenzaron con en un restaurante que le decían el Bloomberg. Y esto con con los japoneses.

Patricia McDaniel: That against them.Eso contra los.

In the children, in the worlds and in the Nights, Columbus.En los hijos, en los mundos y en los Nights, Columbus.

I belonged to myself, and at the American Games, I said I'd go to every meeting to find out, to see what it was like today, and everything from there on, right? And the whole time, I was very, very, very active, active in everything, and making people laugh and all that. That's how I was, and I got along really well with all these people from the members.¿Me pertenecía yo y en los American dije que iba todos los meetings pa darme cuenta, ver como si hoy día y todo desde ahí eh? Y todo el tiempo fui muy muy a muy activo, activo en en todo y hacer reír una persona y todo eso. Así fui yo me y me la llevaba muy bien con toda esta gente de de los miembros.

When this was offered, my daughter came and complained to me about what a girl on a tour the teachers gave her had said to an old guy here in Tampa. He arrived, they got to where there was a movie theater—not Mexican, not Black, not Indian, etc.—on TV, and her little friend said to her, "Listen, can my dad come in now? Can't yours? Yours is Mexican, and mine is White."Cuando se ofreció esto que mi hija vino y me dio una queja que que lo que le había dicho una chavala en un tour que le hicieron los las maestras a un tipo train tipo viejo aquí en Tampa. Este llegó, llegaron a donde había un cine no mexicano, negros, no indios no y etcétera de de TV y el chamaquito amigo de le dice mira, oiga mi papá puede entrar ya el tuyo no, el tuyo es mexicano y el mío es White.

I mean, it was him. He came in all embarrassed, saying, "Well, well, he came right here, here, and we stopped for a bit." I had the chair right here, so it doesn't cut hair. He stood there crying, telling me he was already 879 years old. I mean. And since I was busy with a dealer, I saw him too. I even shed a tear.O sea, era él. Entró mucho vergüenza dice Bueno, es que bueno, ya vino aquí mismo, aquí y una paradita. Yo tenía la silleta aquí, así no corta el pelo. Paradita estuvo llorando, diciéndome ya tenía 879 años. O sea. Y yo como estaba ocupado con un marchante, yo la veía a mí también. Hasta una lágrima se me rodó.

And he enters.Y entra.

Courage, right? Yeah. But I kept thinking, "This has to be fixed for Brown."¿El coraje, verdad? Este. Pero yo todo el tiempo pensé Esto se tiene que arreglar a Brown.

There were no demonstrations.Estaba no demostraciones.

Never. I was there first. I started with the same thing.Nunca. Es que yo fui primero. Empecé con que con lo mismo.

Yeah, yeah. He's retired now. Yeah. And he asked for some advice. Advice? And he asked me. And he knew us and loved us very much the whole time. He left him. Look, he left everything. He told me: It's the most beautiful and most lovely thing you've ever done in my life. No advice. I appreciate it. And you already knew history?Que ya, ya. Ahora está retirado. Ya. Y le pidió un consejo. ¿Un consejo? Y me. Y él nos conocía y nos quería muy bien todo el tiempo. El lo dejó. Mira, dejó todo. Me dijo. Es la cosa más linda y más bonita que tú habías hecho en mi vida. Ningún consejo. Yo te lo agradezco. ¿Y usted sabía ya historia?

I'm not saying that. Look, never raise your, your, your anger against what name they give you. The most evil word you can. You bow your head, lift it up, and look to the sky and think that you're going to pick up that man with your heart. And if he doesn't come because you bring him, you want to bring him.Yo no digo. Mira, nunca levantes tu, tu, tu coraje a en contra no le hace que nombre que que palabra te den. La más malvada que puedas. Tú agacha tu cabeza, levanta la y mira al cielo y piensa que ese hombre lo vas tu a a recoger tu corazón. Y si no viene porque lo traigas, lo quieras traer tú.

He comes alone and he told me things like that. And I came and analyzed them, and since I read the Bible, I also looked for those parables where the Lord spoke. So, okay. Then, after we put together the first meeting, we put together just fathers, a new one. And the bishop spoke there, and then I spoke, uh, my intentions and everything, right?Él viene solo y cositas así me decía. Y yo venía y las analizaba y como leía la Biblia también poquito buscaba esas parábolas donde hablaba el Señor. Así que bueno. Luego, después de que juntamos lo primer meeting, lo juntamos de puros padres, un nuevo era un. ¿Y el obispo habló ahí y luego hablé yo, eh, mis intenciones y todo no?

Well, they gave me a very good answer about what I told them: I didn't want to, I didn't want to make any enemies. I wanted that if there were rights for a person in, in a list of their constitutions, then it was either yours or America's. And I wanted to be there.Pues me me me dieron un muy buen igual con sobre lo que yo les decía que yo no quería, yo no quería hacer ningún enemigo. Yo quería que si había derechos para una persona en, en en una lista de sus hombros de constitución, entonces o bien la de ustedes o América. Y yo quería estar.

Fitted into the you.Encajado en el tú.

Or I wanted to know who was going to tell me I couldn't see. And so it went. Well, when I was done with the clergy, I went to the organizations, and they all supported me there, too.O quería saber de quién o quién me va a decir que no podía ver. Y así iba. Bueno, cuando yo acabé con el clero, me fui a las organizaciones y también también todos fueron a mi favor.

So, in my opinion. Well, to the house, no? And so it was.Entonces, en mi. ¿Pues to the house no? Y así fue.

But well, the first year. No, no, no, we couldn't do anything because the mere.Pero bueno, el el el primer año. No, no, no, no pudimos hacer nada porque la mera.

True we mi many documents.Verdad we mi muchos documentos.

Of what was happening and everything being so late, a lot. But the second one, which was in '62, we started very, very early and everything was very well prepared. And this Mr. Dunn.De lo que estaba pasando y todo este muy tarde, mucha. Pero el segundo que fue el 62, si lo empezamos muy muy temprano y todo estaba muy bien preparado. Y este señor Dunn.

Patricia McDaniel: They sent the documents to Washington or here in the West.Mandaron los documentos a Washington o a aquí en en West.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Here.Aquí.

And he went to the Way to West tree.Y fue al árbol de Way to West.

Yes. Yes.Sí. Sí.

We had copies. We had tons of copies of everything, and portraits wherever they were.Teníamos copias. Teníamos montones de copias de todo y retratos donde tenían.

Patricia McDaniel: No, no, they didn't have that one.No, no, no tenían ese.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yeah.Sí.

Yes, and all that and. And everything happened with everyone. Well. The law passed the first time, it didn't pass because there were...Sí, y todo eso y. Y todo se dio con todo el mundo. Bueno. Pasó la ley el primer primer vez no pasó porque había.

In a perjury.En un perjurar.

That things weren't going well. That the lawyer, the man helping us, was the real deal.Que no iba bien. Que el abogado, el señor que nos ayudaba, era el mero.

Of the one who was.Del que era.

And Tony told me.Y me dijo Tony.

I got it in Go back in. And we, we stopped it and everything. And the thing about.Me tocó en Go back en. Y lo, lo lo detuvimos y todo. Y lo de.

Reward.Reward.

The Graphic, and when it was finally enough for all of us who were there. Yeah, I already had a little black guy, a Japanese guy, a Jew from everyone, from everyone, from a group called We Agree with the White Change and all that. And we brought him back in and it happened.El Graphic y y ya cuando ya estuvo bien por todos los que estábamos. Ya, ya tenía yo un negrito, un japonés, un judío de todos, de todos, de un grupo We agree with the white change y todo eso. Y ya lo volvimos a meter y pasó.

He passed. He passed her. He saw her, you felt her.Pasó el. El la. El veo, tu sentí.

Patricia McDaniel: And I felt. Yes, it's a from here of.Y sentí. Sí, es un desde aquí de.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: It was already.Ya era de.

Patricia McDaniel: And what did he say?¿Y qué decía?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: And it does.Y hace.

So much so that I don't.Tanto que no me.

Patricia McDaniel: Motivates.Motiva.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Oh.Oh.

Well, this one. This one was all about it, so I couldn't see any kind of discrimination. No. Because it was. Because it was. Another nationality, Because it was Prieto, Susskind, or Brown. And that's it, and all that, that's over here. And it hadn't been long, it hadn't been long since it had started, it had been like a year or two or three.Bueno, este. Este se recargaba todo a a a que no podía ver ninguna clase de discriminación. No. Porque era. Porque era. Otra nacionalidad, Porque era Prieto, Susskind o Brown. Y ya lo de y todo eso, que ya eso aquí se acabó. Y no tenía mucho, no tenía mucho que había comenzado eso ya tenía pues como un año o dos o tres.

Well, well, he told me about four years because it was like '58, '59 until 1962. I did, uh, it's over. Ah, well, yeah, yeah. About that, I continued working in community. I don't know, so that's how it goes.Bueno, bueno, me decía como cuatro años porque fue como el 58, 59 hasta el 1962. Le hice eh, se acabó. Ah, bueno, ya, ya. Sobre de eso, de yo seguí este trabajando de community. Yo no o lo so that's going.

To the to the jazz. But in Reason I manipulated by sic.To the to the jazz. Pero en Reason manipulé por sic.

People and...People y ...

I became very popular.Me hice muy popular.

Patricia McDaniel: Here.Aquí.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: In and, I still like it at my age. I like helping, doing this, and I don't like the community because God also said, "Help me," and don't pay attention to who you help me with. Let me help you there and then. Oh, don't go around with compliments and fields like that one or this guy, and I would carry that, and I would help, and no, I wouldn't go and everything.En en y me gusta todavía en mi edad. Me gusta ayudar, hacer esto y no me gusta la comunidad porque me debajo también que Dios dijo ayuda y no pongas cuidado a quien me ayudes, déjame ayuda ahí y ahí. Ah ya con cumplidos no te andes y campos que aquel no o a este señor y yo lo cargaba eso y o ayudaba y no, no me iba y todo.

Two yes sir, one sir and one ma'am.Dos sí señor, un señor y una señora.

Is it the same Rodriguez or me? Because yes, sir, your name, my name, that's what I've already stopped and interviewed, and that's all there is to it. The case came. He said we can't see him over there. It must be the papers or who knows where they brought them from. Another man said this this year.¿Es el mismo Rodríguez o yo? Porque sí señor, tu nombre, mi nombre, que eso ya me paré y ya me entrevisté con él viene todo. Llegó el caso. Dijo que no podemos ver en por allá. Serán los papeles o quién sabe de dónde trajeron ellos Esto dijo otro hombre que este año.

Huh? You've come to pick up being the mouse.¿Eh? Usted ha llegado a recoger ser el mouse.

The distributor.O distribuidor.

O. And I still didn't even understand it. That he loved me. And inside. And the ruby ​​blonde knew he just lowered his head. Uh, uh, With my dad. Well, well, yes, I deserve it. It's fine. If not, then a little bad. No, no, I think he does deserve it and a little bit of everything. Everything you did. Look at how he is.O. Y yo todavía ni lo comprendía. Que lo que me quería. Y dentro. Y el rubí rubia sabía él nomás agacha la cabeza Este. Eh, eh, Con mi papá. Bueno, bueno, pues sí, lo merezco. Está bien. Si no, pues un poco mal. No, no, creo que sí lo merece y poquito a todo. Todo lo que tú hiciste. Fíjese como es.

Okay, that's good. And now it's, huh. It was on YouTube, huh? Very nice additions, letters and everything from Washington, he says about the senators.Me Bueno, está bueno. Y ahora sí, eh. ¿Salió en YouTube, eh? Muy bonitos complementos, cartas y todo de Washington, dice de los senadores.

Because that's where I left the conversation.Porque es donde donde la la donde dejé la conversación.

Patricia McDaniel: Speaking of receiving destiny. I wasn't with...Hablando de de recibir el destino. No estaba con con...

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: So.Así.

Well, when all this happened, I accepted. It's okay.Bueno, cuando todo esto pasó a que yo acepte. Está bien.

There are also many Mexicans getting in position the new position in the session. But in the hotel that we are not.He tambien the mucho mexicanos getting in position the new position in the session. But in the hotel that we are not.

In and Washington, DC.In and Washington, DC.

And comes.And comes.

To a lot.To a lot.

And that is what America stands for. You will all the way from the bottom to top or from top to bottom. America. America.And that is what America stands for. You will all the way from the bottom to top or from top to bottom. America. America.

So, Yeah, that, to you call and you move your hand to the, the then Pueblo..., then my, you're the pueblo of you.So, Yeah, that, to you call and you move your hand to the, the then Pueblo..., then my, you're the pueblo of you.

You send me the the, Canyon County chair. Dale Hill he bridge me and he came. They all came in person. They'll know that the whole thing. I'm around my chain.You send me the the, Canyon County chair. Dale Hill he bridge me and he came. They all came in person. They'll know that the whole thing. I'm around my chain.

Patricia McDaniel: He is. Yeah. And they got all of the signs that were in the windows and start to disappear?He is. Yeah. And they got all of the signs that were in the windows and start to disappear?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: And disappear when the first day that they, they heard that the bill passed, it was there no.And disappear when the first day that they, they heard that the bill passed, it was there no.

Patricia McDaniel: More. They were not.More. They were not.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: They were I went up there, didn't check myself. They heard they was watching for that. And they they stripped it.They were I went up there, didn't check myself. They heard they was watching for that. And they they stripped it.

Patricia McDaniel: Tell me about you. What age were your children? Well, all of this was going on.Tell me about you. What age were your children? Well, all of this was going on.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Well, my,Well, my,

Older was ten when when the bill passed on to it two years later, after to to give me their.Older was ten when when the bill passed on to it two years later, after to to give me their.

Patricia McDaniel: How did they feel about?How did they feel about?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Oh, they feel.Oh, they feel.

They feel.They feel.

Towards me.Towards me.

At that time when they were little, they said.At that time when they were little, they said.

Me all the time, you know.Me all the time, you know.

And times.And times.

On the paper and little things that I say and all that. And then they used to approach me about, how did I feel.On the paper and little things that I say and all that. And then they used to approach me about, how did I feel.

You see on any in any town.You see on any in any town.

On any big town, even United States in the skirt. And you see the poverty.On any big town, even United States in the skirt. And you see the poverty.

In any place in Texas, they, they have no white collar workers. The only thing I did coming over here or lawyers or doctors, they're nothing but a poor people that cannot even find jobs over there. For they had they.In any place in Texas, they, they have no white collar workers. The only thing I did coming over here or lawyers or doctors, they're nothing but a poor people that cannot even find jobs over there. For they had they.

Come here.Come here.

You know, listen, we got a real, real pretty fair, you know, and, that we want more and more and more.You know, listen, we got a real, real pretty fair, you know, and, that we want more and more and more.

My boy, my boy was, 19. I'm going to take that back. On August a 1962, almost 20.My boy, my boy was, 19. I'm going to take that back. On August a 1962, almost 20.

Patricia McDaniel: First, 20.First, 20.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: 20, because he worked he was.20, because he worked he was.

Born 1940.Born 1940.

Two. I was thinking, you know.Two. I was thinking, you know.

I was talking I was thinking in 1952, not 19 since he was 20.I was talking I was thinking in 1952, not 19 since he was 20.

And you were so happy, so happy that this happened. She was 18. And she told me that.And you were so happy, so happy that this happened. She was 18. And she told me that.

Patricia McDaniel: When she first came in, the the story was.When she first came in, the the story was.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: The story. See, I was all wrong right there. So I made a way to bring it back because there was 19, 59.The story. See, I was all wrong right there. So I made a way to bring it back because there was 19, 59.

20 when she told me that. 58.20 when she told me that. 58.

59 someplace along there. And then I took it from there. See.59 someplace along there. And then I took it from there. See.

Patricia McDaniel: That's what started you was the story that did.That's what started you was the story that did.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Done.Done.

Patricia McDaniel: Years before that you didn't realize.Years before that you didn't realize.

As a barberAs a barber

You know?You know?

Until one day.Until one day.

I heard this. So I went out and checked myself right quick and all that. Well, I had.I heard this. So I went out and checked myself right quick and all that. Well, I had.

To know what they said. A lot of people called.To know what they said. A lot of people called.

Guts, but it's no guts. You know, for me to do this, it's my right to do. And it's not good, you know? You know.Guts, but it's no guts. You know, for me to do this, it's my right to do. And it's not good, you know? You know.

And so,And so,

Patricia McDaniel: Do you you you are considered in the Hispanic community, then today, a leader, you just stated the leader.Do you you you are considered in the Hispanic community, then today, a leader, you just stated the leader.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes. I still get lots of calls from a lot of people.Yes. I still get lots of calls from a lot of people.

Patricia McDaniel: What I hear about you from a lot of people too.What I hear about you from a lot of people too.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: And, so, I, I just cannot say anything about, else just to, A humble heart, you know, that trying to do something for for his his people. Yeah. You know.And, so, I, I just cannot say anything about, else just to, A humble heart, you know, that trying to do something for for his his people. Yeah. You know.

The humble way, the most humble way can be, you know, no violence, no nothing. You know, just. And it did.The humble way, the most humble way can be, you know, no violence, no nothing. You know, just. And it did.

Work. Mine. I get to live to see it. Yeah. I go into the courthouse today. When? In those times when this happened with none.Work. Mine. I get to live to see it. Yeah. I go into the courthouse today. When? In those times when this happened with none.

No.No.

For the for the, in the courthouse.For the for the, in the courthouse.

Was in the courthouse all this coming weeks today, regardless where you go, you you see them? You.Was in the courthouse all this coming weeks today, regardless where you go, you you see them? You.

Patricia McDaniel: All. And that and that is, you know, that is what is so wonderful because then they act as role models.All. And that and that is, you know, that is what is so wonderful because then they act as role models.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes.Yes.

Patricia McDaniel: For for other Hispanics.For for other Hispanics.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Correct.Correct.

Patricia McDaniel: And that's what you have been to.And that's what you have been to.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes. Yes. That's what I was I always I got clips in there someplace that I can so many.Yes. Yes. That's what I was I always I got clips in there someplace that I can so many.

Movements that we moved from here. You know what I'm saying.Movements that we moved from here. You know what I'm saying.

Patricia McDaniel: It's at your house?It's at your house?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes. And so, Is one of those.Yes. And so, Is one of those.

Patricia McDaniel: Is this the same way that your parents identify themselves?Is this the same way that your parents identify themselves?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Exactly.Exactly.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: The same thing? Same.The same thing? Same.

Patricia McDaniel: Has this identification or is this label, this identity that you have influenced you in how you have lived in this country or how accidentally.Has this identification or is this label, this identity that you have influenced you in how you have lived in this country or how accidentally.

Patricia McDaniel: Yeah. To be in. Oh, well, in this country.Yeah. To be in. Oh, well, in this country.

And they are all Spanish speaking. I think we can, I outnumber United States of America.And they are all Spanish speaking. I think we can, I outnumber United States of America.

Patricia McDaniel: But, I mean.But, I mean.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: And all Spanish speaking. Yeah. You know, so that put us, right now in a pretty high category that we got a language we belong from, from, Hispanic descent. And we're very proud because we come in this world just like anybody else. Oh, excuse.And all Spanish speaking. Yeah. You know, so that put us, right now in a pretty high category that we got a language we belong from, from, Hispanic descent. And we're very proud because we come in this world just like anybody else. Oh, excuse.

You know, just when I was around eight, eight years, nine years, you know, before that we didn't put no attention about a little white kid. They used to come and play in our yard, and we play with him like we were brothers, you know? And, and sometime the, this, white people come home and all that seem like they don't like for the key to to get mixed up with us.You know, just when I was around eight, eight years, nine years, you know, before that we didn't put no attention about a little white kid. They used to come and play in our yard, and we play with him like we were brothers, you know? And, and sometime the, this, white people come home and all that seem like they don't like for the key to to get mixed up with us.

And sometimes they pay us $0.50 a day, and, this, this man, he says I ask him for a garment of, Yeah, we go. Man. We used to go by Gomez, you know, over there, you know, and, yeah, I, I, you know, the Gomez good workers and all the restart, all that. He says, well, I give you $0.15 a day.And sometimes they pay us $0.50 a day, and, this, this man, he says I ask him for a garment of, Yeah, we go. Man. We used to go by Gomez, you know, over there, you know, and, yeah, I, I, you know, the Gomez good workers and all the restart, all that. He says, well, I give you $0.15 a day.

Patricia McDaniel: Yeah.Yeah.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: I didn't have the ability because I didn't learn it. Right. You know.I didn't have the ability because I didn't learn it. Right. You know.

Patricia McDaniel: It wasn't talking. No.It wasn't talking. No.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No. The teachers, who were your teachers?No. The teachers, who were your teachers?

Patricia McDaniel: Were they were they required everything, right.Were they were they required everything, right.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: You know, all we.You know, all we.

Patricia McDaniel: And they limited what they taught you.And they limited what they taught you.

So that you would be so that you would be limited. Yes.So that you would be so that you would be limited. Yes.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: I agree there was a limitation.I agree there was a limitation.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes. Well, the people who invite us over here to to come and work in there, and the beats, the one he told me is tuning. You can make over there $5 a day, not $0.50 or a dollar a day, because it's a guaranteed job, you know, for certain period of time in the summer, all kinds of new jobs and all that.Yes. Well, the people who invite us over here to to come and work in there, and the beats, the one he told me is tuning. You can make over there $5 a day, not $0.50 or a dollar a day, because it's a guaranteed job, you know, for certain period of time in the summer, all kinds of new jobs and all that.

That's the reason. And this is and they treat you better over there, treat you like a human.That's the reason. And this is and they treat you better over there, treat you like a human.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Very, very.Very, very.

Patricia McDaniel: Nice. You still find discrimination here. You talked about it a little bit.Nice. You still find discrimination here. You talked about it a little bit.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes.Yes.

Patricia McDaniel: Well, have the opportunity to be educated.Well, have the opportunity to be educated.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Progress in advance? Oh yeah. I alertly and, you know, you know, I had, an article in the paper way up there, 1960 there. All I see is the schooling for my children, my my people I play I used to put it I one more opportunity for them. Let's find, way to educate those state from the state.Progress in advance? Oh yeah. I alertly and, you know, you know, I had, an article in the paper way up there, 1960 there. All I see is the schooling for my children, my my people I play I used to put it I one more opportunity for them. Let's find, way to educate those state from the state.

And this is my dream. I go and visit those stores and I see the young girls and all that and, and I, I walk out of those places and real happy for them. They don't know that I've done that. They don't know me probably. But I go around and so on and that's.And this is my dream. I go and visit those stores and I see the young girls and all that and, and I, I walk out of those places and real happy for them. They don't know that I've done that. They don't know me probably. But I go around and so on and that's.

Don't these and do. That's when I started. I was already about 15. That's what I start saying. Well, who am I to hate who you know, and I didn't, we, we got break up on that Myanmar. So we love we love white, we love black. We love anybody, you know, because we they explain to us there is you are.Don't these and do. That's when I started. I was already about 15. That's what I start saying. Well, who am I to hate who you know, and I didn't, we, we got break up on that Myanmar. So we love we love white, we love black. We love anybody, you know, because we they explain to us there is you are.

Nobody really will. Oh, God. You can got no business here. So you here and got business because of him. And you know that way he he was real good.Nobody really will. Oh, God. You can got no business here. So you here and got business because of him. And you know that way he he was real good.

Yes. All of them.Yes. All of them.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Correctly.Correctly.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: They don't do that. Right.They don't do that. Right.

Patricia McDaniel: But are those kinds of.But are those kinds of.

You know, ...You know, can $1.

You need that a week for everybody happy?You need that a week for everybody happy?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: We we celebrate, Cinco de Mayo and then... todo via, it goes strong, very, very strong.We we celebrate, Cinco de Mayo and then... todo via, it goes strong, very, very strong.

Patricia McDaniel: And that's also the Fiesta. That's tomorrow.And that's also the Fiesta. That's tomorrow.

Patricia McDaniel: A conference in Florida that weekend.A conference in Florida that weekend.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: I think. Yeah.I think. Yeah.

Patricia McDaniel: And I didn't get one last year. I went.And I didn't get one last year. I went.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Okay, well, see, they, they it was so beautiful that the even the, the, one of the main guys from Seattle, he came over because of the image, organization and he he makes speech, beautiful speech, you know, and he says that this is the first time that he ever seen. So many Hispanic people acting better, than us.Okay, well, see, they, they it was so beautiful that the even the, the, one of the main guys from Seattle, he came over because of the image, organization and he he makes speech, beautiful speech, you know, and he says that this is the first time that he ever seen. So many Hispanic people acting better, than us.

He says. We will listen, you know, we we we are very, very interested to listen what everybody's saying, you know, without turning the face and start talking with somebody else and, and that man just, smoke in his head, you know, and nobody listen. We always listen. And and it was packed. It was packed. He says. We will listen, you know, we we we are very, very interested to listen what everybody's saying, you know, without turning the face and start talking with somebody else and, and that man just, smoke in his head, you know, and nobody listen. We always listen. And and it was packed. It was packed.

Rudy Pena, he made a speech there, too, and and so on. But there was real, real beautiful.Rudy Pena, he made a speech there, too, and and so on. But there was real, real beautiful.

Patricia McDaniel: How did you pass on to your own children their sense of identity and their cultures?How did you pass on to your own children their sense of identity and their cultures?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: In it together with me. And I was pretty close to them. See, I was right here when they were growing right here. And Marvin and and, had the restaurant at the same time, but what I did was that we was closing two days a week at that time, the business. And every moment, every second that I can, I pass.In it together with me. And I was pretty close to them. See, I was right here when they were growing right here. And Marvin and and, had the restaurant at the same time, but what I did was that we was closing two days a week at that time, the business. And every moment, every second that I can, I pass.

I go to kill a rattlesnake with my bottom of my feet with that. But,I go to kill a rattlesnake with my bottom of my feet with that. But,

Don't take the law in your hands within the law. And then, I keep on and on, you know, come down.Don't take the law in your hands within the law. And then, I keep on and on, you know, come down.

Patricia McDaniel: I'm going to turn the tape over...I'm going to turn the tape over...

All right. Go ahead.All right. Go ahead.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Well, I used to to tell them about, me a little bit about Jesus. I bring a few times. A few times to them. I said, remember, we was born and raised in Karnes City, Texas. Mary was born in Hebbronville, Texas. We are about 2000 miles away from where we were born, a way to better ourselves on the job.Well, I used to to tell them about, me a little bit about Jesus. I bring a few times. A few times to them. I said, remember, we was born and raised in Karnes City, Texas. Mary was born in Hebbronville, Texas. We are about 2000 miles away from where we were born, a way to better ourselves on the job.

He gave us that. For example, I said, yes, Jesus. And, And I put it to them the best way I could, for them to, to rely in. And God and Jesus is when they need help, you know, just ask him. He'll give you give it to you by asking. And they went on and they, they got so many questions for me, especially the older girl.He gave us that. For example, I said, yes, Jesus. And, And I put it to them the best way I could, for them to, to rely in. And God and Jesus is when they need help, you know, just ask him. He'll give you give it to you by asking. And they went on and they, they got so many questions for me, especially the older girl.

She was almost seven years older than the other two. And, I answer the best way I can, always, for the good of of, of the future life. You know, I never did. I never did bring anything to them about grudge or mad or anything. You know, about nothing. My my children. Of course, right now they're the oldest.She was almost seven years older than the other two. And, I answer the best way I can, always, for the good of of, of the future life. You know, I never did. I never did bring anything to them about grudge or mad or anything. You know, about nothing. My my children. Of course, right now they're the oldest.

She's going to be 50 here pretty soon. And junior is 41, going to be 42. And my. She's 39. And, that they can say that I never I always hide myself if I going to say a word like, cuss word like like, oh, goddamn it or something like that. I never I try not to be in front of them, ever.She's going to be 50 here pretty soon. And junior is 41, going to be 42. And my. She's 39. And, that they can say that I never I always hide myself if I going to say a word like, cuss word like like, oh, goddamn it or something like that. I never I try not to be in front of them, ever.

And he was pretty, pretty strict with us, by getting, ourselves in trouble and all that, he was pretty close to us. Know, he always said, with us, and he says, look, Antonio or Santos, these these these the, you know, things that happen when he's on his young life, he bring it up to us.And he was pretty, pretty strict with us, by getting, ourselves in trouble and all that, he was pretty close to us. Know, he always said, with us, and he says, look, Antonio or Santos, these these these the, you know, things that happen when he's on his young life, he bring it up to us.

Whatever happened, you know, by doing wrong. And you explain it to us. And this is why you do that, you know?Whatever happened, you know, by doing wrong. And you explain it to us. And this is why you do that, you know?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Oh, yes. Yes, I can say that here. I can see it in the white House. Yes.Oh, yes. Yes, I can say that here. I can see it in the white House. Yes.

Disobey him one time. And I have curse right here. I run away from him, and he had the whip in his hand, and. And he goes like this, you know, to.Disobey him one time. And I have curse right here. I run away from him, and he had the whip in his hand, and. And he goes like this, you know, to.

Me.Me.

You know, to to to what my and, the the point of that we hit me in and went through my clothes and skin, you know, and I stopped very quick. And that was the only time in life that he'd done that close. I he used to tell us, he said, don't this obey me and anything because I don't want to do something I ran away from I was because I was young, 13 years old.You know, to to to what my and, the the point of that we hit me in and went through my clothes and skin, you know, and I stopped very quick. And that was the only time in life that he'd done that close. I he used to tell us, he said, don't this obey me and anything because I don't want to do something I ran away from I was because I was young, 13 years old.

But that was old enough to understand better. I did after that to know.But that was old enough to understand better. I did after that to know.

Patricia McDaniel: Enough not to do it again.Enough not to do it again.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes.Yes.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yes.Yes.

What was the name of that?What was the name of that?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Aberdeen.Aberdeen.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: No, I think, when we got there, there was only about three families, you know, in there. And, And the job is, is so, so much when we got up there, we got a big bunch of people, and then some other. We didn't even know each other because they live on the ranches and everybody's working every day.No, I think, when we got there, there was only about three families, you know, in there. And, And the job is, is so, so much when we got up there, we got a big bunch of people, and then some other. We didn't even know each other because they live on the ranches and everybody's working every day.

Long hours. You know, we never come to town or get together. And like you said, when I go, like, on the 16th, or Cinco de Mayo or, oh, 16 of September, we just let that go because we were nobody. We didn't have no backbone there, like we say and leaders to say, hey, we want to get together, we want to do this.Long hours. You know, we never come to town or get together. And like you said, when I go, like, on the 16th, or Cinco de Mayo or, oh, 16 of September, we just let that go because we were nobody. We didn't have no backbone there, like we say and leaders to say, hey, we want to get together, we want to do this.

We want to try to do this. You know.We want to try to do this. You know.

Patricia McDaniel: Nothing ever.Nothing ever.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Did not enough with.Did not enough with.

Patricia McDaniel: That start. Did it ever happen in Aberdeen? Did you ever have that in everything? I ready to come to America.That start. Did it ever happen in Aberdeen? Did you ever have that in everything? I ready to come to America.

It was. No.It was. No.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Oh, I started did you. Yeah.Oh, I started did you. Yeah.

Patricia McDaniel: Tell me about the first time you organized the cultural. Oh. And was it what what holiday was it?Tell me about the first time you organized the cultural. Oh. And was it what what holiday was it?

Patricia McDaniel: What holiday?What holiday?

And when they knew that I get jobs over here, you know, they they would come in. And, since I see so many, you know, they come in the summer, as I said, you know, these people, they, they I don't have some telling, you know, like the dancing girls and, musicians and and all kinds, you know.And when they knew that I get jobs over here, you know, they they would come in. And, since I see so many, you know, they come in the summer, as I said, you know, these people, they, they I don't have some telling, you know, like the dancing girls and, musicians and and all kinds, you know.

Way of getting.Way of getting.

You want to make a float and you're going to have a little, dancing boys or or singing or whatever. That's years. But when they're ready, I want to go to the other and the other and the other and going to be some but amuse, you know, some gifts for all this, you know, and I had I had the the sugar company mug made it to the company in our favor.You want to make a float and you're going to have a little, dancing boys or or singing or whatever. That's years. But when they're ready, I want to go to the other and the other and the other and going to be some but amuse, you know, some gifts for all this, you know, and I had I had the the sugar company mug made it to the company in our favor.

In fact, that she put some money. She put some money for some boys. We had, I can't remember so many outfits. The evening call, it says to me, we like to get in there if my name going to be there somehow. Oh, yes. Say your name will be there if you contribute. And we done it. So beautiful.In fact, that she put some money. She put some money for some boys. We had, I can't remember so many outfits. The evening call, it says to me, we like to get in there if my name going to be there somehow. Oh, yes. Say your name will be there if you contribute. And we done it. So beautiful.

Patricia McDaniel: Seamstress.Seamstress.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Seamstress.Seamstress.

And, of course, to there, you know.And, of course, to there, you know.

This year it all comes up upon her together.This year it all comes up upon her together.

You know, I go, oh, it's to where? Como? ...You know, I go, oh, it's to where? Como? ...

And we went all that, he you talking about people was the first time.And we went all that, he you talking about people was the first time.

Patricia McDaniel: Did everybody come?Did everybody come?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Oh, everybody. Everybody of them. Plus and. Well, and, we have that, Parade. And then the fiesta. We made it. We make it over there, and the old, There used to be the series Drew box and Kahlua, and then they had a, Safeway store, and there was a big, big space in between. There was nothing but parking.Oh, everybody. Everybody of them. Plus and. Well, and, we have that, Parade. And then the fiesta. We made it. We make it over there, and the old, There used to be the series Drew box and Kahlua, and then they had a, Safeway store, and there was a big, big space in between. There was nothing but parking.

People there.People there.

I did, too. The girl was was there, was helping me. She was real good. She was a professional, you know, and, nobody knew me until I took all these things that I had on me. You know? Well, anyway, to then start the next day, the the the news media called me. They, they went out there and I didn't know.I did, too. The girl was was there, was helping me. She was real good. She was a professional, you know, and, nobody knew me until I took all these things that I had on me. You know? Well, anyway, to then start the next day, the the the news media called me. They, they went out there and I didn't know.

And they took all kinds of pictures, all kinds of pictures, you know, and then they, they they reached me and they told me that there was little over 7000 people gathered in that.And they took all kinds of pictures, all kinds of pictures, you know, and then they, they they reached me and they told me that there was little over 7000 people gathered in that.

Patricia McDaniel: And this was the first one first.And this was the first one first.

Patricia McDaniel: In California.In California.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: In California, I think it was in Sacramento, you know, and that to to help me. And I said, I don't I don't think, I want to be able to, to, to do anything except give you an advice here and there. I said, I want you to take over. You know, he got together and the first one, he made it almost identical to this.In California, I think it was in Sacramento, you know, and that to to help me. And I said, I don't I don't think, I want to be able to, to, to do anything except give you an advice here and there. I said, I want you to take over. You know, he got together and the first one, he made it almost identical to this.

And I was very, very pleased. But, the second year, you know, something went wrong. Something is wrong that the people don't want to cooperate with him. You know, they come to him here and they say, we want you to. And then they went, A little sour. And then the third year.And I was very, very pleased. But, the second year, you know, something went wrong. Something is wrong that the people don't want to cooperate with him. You know, they come to him here and they say, we want you to. And then they went, A little sour. And then the third year.

Patricia McDaniel: But that holiday was was started by, you know, the safety, started by you and then, you know, and after five years in here.But that holiday was was started by, you know, the safety, started by you and then, you know, and after five years in here.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Right. Yes.Right. Yes.

They get, to work, and they'll stay. They stay working. They don't cry so much. If they get paid $0.50 less than the others, they just stay there until one day. Well, with good opportunities, they come out and say, ask you after 4 or 5 years, probably for a raise, you know, they're entitled to a little raise or something like that.They get, to work, and they'll stay. They stay working. They don't cry so much. If they get paid $0.50 less than the others, they just stay there until one day. Well, with good opportunities, they come out and say, ask you after 4 or 5 years, probably for a raise, you know, they're entitled to a little raise or something like that.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Oh, yes. Yes.Oh, yes. Yes.

Patricia McDaniel: It won't get lost in the Anglo.It won't get lost in the Anglo.

Those skilled workers.Those skilled workers.

Well, those musicians is the one he brings here.Well, those musicians is the one he brings here.

So they cost.So they cost.

A lot of money. And the people over here want it. You know, one time and two days, I sold, $1,600 that, you know, tickets for him to flourish.A lot of money. And the people over here want it. You know, one time and two days, I sold, $1,600 that, you know, tickets for him to flourish.

Patricia McDaniel: He's the... Flores?He's the... Flores?

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: See, and, if you go there and you see.See, and, if you go there and you see.

The multitude of people.The multitude of people.

Patricia McDaniel: You prepared. Yeah. Well I was looking for that. Thank you so much. It has really been a delight to have you talk and to listen to,You prepared. Yeah. Well I was looking for that. Thank you so much. It has really been a delight to have you talk and to listen to,

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: It's too many other things to talk about.It's too many other things to talk about.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Rey when I see Como you Tengo también...Rey when I see Como you Tengo también...

And the first way you, you, you work it. The people around like it. They like.And the first way you, you, you work it. The people around like it. They like.

Patricia McDaniel: You.You.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Because they like to put you in. They said, well, Mr. Rodriguez, what you think that this is. And then I analyze, I think I yeah. You right or whatever, you know, you will fix it for them but they don't. Then after that, because you, you really want that job. They don't want you out of there. Then next year comes and now you oh they want you again.Because they like to put you in. They said, well, Mr. Rodriguez, what you think that this is. And then I analyze, I think I yeah. You right or whatever, you know, you will fix it for them but they don't. Then after that, because you, you really want that job. They don't want you out of there. Then next year comes and now you oh they want you again.

Patricia McDaniel: You've become indispensable.You become indispensable.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: Yeah. On any place I go, I in some one place I had to resign.Yeah. On any place I go, I in some one place I had to resign.

Patricia McDaniel: Thank you so much.Thank you so much.

Antonio (Tony) Hernandez Rodriguez: I, I couldn't hold.I, I couldn't hold.