Part 2 of Family History Project: Interview

Before interview: Before this interview I didn’t really know

too much about my family and their history. Only a few stories here and there from my parents and grandparents. Also I learned that my grandpa on my moms side lived in Elpaso, Texas and moved to Los Angeles as a child with his family to live a better life. So only knowing such little information I was excited to learn more about my family and their history.

Preparing for interview: The person I decided to interview was

my mother. I decided to interview her because she has the best memory of her childhood and growing up. My grandparents have a hard time remembering so my mom was the best source to learn about my family and their history.

Interview: Name and relation: Hilary Serna, mother Q1: When and where did your parents

come from? A1: My father was born in El Paso texas

on July 8, 1922 and my mother was born here in Los Angeles on September 8, 1928.

Q2: When and where were you born? A2: In Los Angeles near hollywood on

January 2, 1961.

Q2\3: How many brothers and sisters did you have?

A3: I have 2 brothers, Micheal and Peter and one sister, Rosemarie

Q4: How was it growing up in the neighborhood you lived in and were there any challenges you faced?

A4: The neighborhood I grew up in which was in L.A, Boyle Heights. Everyone new each other and all our neighbors watched over us as kids. The only challenges you can say I faced was money, but it didn’t really phase me and my family because everyone around us faced the same thing.

Q5: Where there any chores you had to do growing up?

A5: Wash dishes, help my mom make dinner for the family, hang the clothes on the clothes line and take them down once they were dry, to always set the table for dinner,

Q6: How was school for you as a child? A6: I loved school, back then school was

much easier even though we didn’t have all the technology. A lot of the teachings were more participation and more involved in class and my classmates.

Q7: Were there any fads or trends in your youth days?

A7: Oh yeah we used to have the bell bottoms, the thick wedged shoes, and the shagged hair cuts. Also we used to play a lot of board games like checkers and Parcheesi, pick up sticks.

Q8: Was there any family traditions you learned from your parents and still continue with you own family?

A8:well we would always celebrate on Christmas eve and have the family come over and open gifts at midnight

Q9: What religion did you grow up practicing and do you still continue it today?

A9: Catholic and yes I do, my daughters did their baptism, communion and confirmation and we try to go to church on Sundays as a family.

Q10: Any family stories you heard growing up?

A10:Yes, my father would always tell me, my brothers and sister how he swam through the rio grande when he was younger to get over here. He was only seventeen years old when he did this.

Back then:

This is when my mom was around 7 years old, she was playing with her neighbors.

Now:

From right to lleft it goes her brother Micheal, sister Rose, her father Joe, mother Natalie, brother Peter and herself at the end. This picture was taken recently in 2012 on her parents 60th anniversary.

Q11: Are there any physical traits that run in the family?

A11: Yes! My mother is very short and she used to never be as short as she is now and I am also starting to get shorter so height is a physical trait the women in the family have, not growing but shrinking.

Q13: What type of work did your family grow up doing?

A13: My dad was a truck driver for a

steel company, and my mom was a nurse at an elementary school.

Q14:What kind of food did your family make ?

A14: My mom made home made flour tortillas and we always had albondigas soup and tacos with beans and rice, typical mexican food in our house hold.

Q15: Are there any family recipes you learned from you parents?

A15: My moms home made flower tortillas, albondigas soup, chille rellenos, and her spanish rice.

After the interview: After interviewing my mother I learned

so much more about my family and their history from where my grandparents came from to family traditions we still carry and to learning more about my mothers childhood.

Cont. I also learned to appreciate what I have

now in the decade and to also try to keep my family traditions with my own family when I finally have mine.

I’m glad I was able to do this project and I cant wait to get more in depth with my family and their history

THEEND

By Danielle SernaGeo 10

Professor Schmidt