Hortencia Nieto, an American citizen, was sent to Mexico in 1932 when she was just two years old. The youngest of five children, she and her family were left in the interior of Mexico in the middle of the night. She was unable to return to the U.S. until 1944. Nieto became a resident of Long Beach, and in 2008, she bravely shared her story. Her oral history is now a part of Rancho’s current exhibition, Seeds of Resilience: Barrio Americano. You can listen to her recording here and read its transcription below.
Interview Audio
Oral History Recording
Interview Transcript
Transcript –Interviewee: Hortencia Nieto – Interviewer: Richard Nieto
Date: 2008
[0:00]
RN: First, 2008. I’m here with Hortencia Nieto, my mom, Tiny. And uh she’s gonna talk with me about, um, the repatriation that happened to her in the, uh, periods from 1929, 1944 is when it all took place in the United States, and she’s gonna share her story. So, okay Mom, um, I’d like you to introduce yourself and your family, where you were born, so you can go ahead and begin.
HN: My name is Hortencia Nieto. My parents are Prudencio and Maria Zavala. Um, I’m the youngest of five children. [Small pause] Four girls and one boy. And, um, we were sent to Mexico in 1930. 1932. And, um, w-, at that time we used to live in, uh, Hawthorne, California. And we left with my parents and my grandparents. So, um, I don’t recall everything because I was only two years old. But my oldest sister, which she was nine years old at the time, uh, she told me most of the story. And as I grew older, I started seeing everything that had happened, and the way we were leaving. [Pause] We, um, got to the place where um, they drop us off in the middle of the night. There was no town, no village or nothing. We were just dropped on the wilderness, with coyotes and snakes, and no- no place to settle down.
RN: When you say you were dropped off, how did you get there from here?
HN: We got there by train. So, the next day, um, my grandparents and all the people that were dropped there, they just went around looking for what they could find or what to do. [Small pause] And they found an old well, old full of debris, I guess you would say. And, um, they, it took them all day to clean it out, to get clear water. And some people took tents, and they put ‘em up, and those were our homes at the beginning. [Small pause] So everybody that went together with us … we all grew up together. Some of ‘em were nine years old, twelve years old. And um, we live there, I don’t remember how long, but then we moved to another village, called Rosales. But not because it had flowers or roses … it was like a desert. And there was another big well that we would, uh, carry water to our homes. Our homes were made of um … um, I guess like branches from the trees that they would clean ‘em out and braided them and made walls. And during the winter, my sister used to make, mix dirt with ashes … from the wood that we would burn to cook. And she would plaster the walls to protect us fr-[Audio gets cut off] And so we didn’t have no furniture, we only had our bed, which it was also made of wood, just like a square with legs. And my grandfather would braid, um, the thick rope and then [5:00] we would just put a blanket, and tha-that was our bed. And, um, during the winter, we didn’t have no coats, no nothing. My sister, as she grew older, she started learning how to sew by herself, and she used to, um, make, um, little jackets for us made of flannel. And that was our winter protection. And believe me; it was cold … that you could feel it on your bones. But I guess when you’re young, you are able to take more than when you are old. [Pause] So in the village, called Rosales, everyday, like I said before, we used to go and get the water and put in buckets to have for the day. And when we used to get the buckets, we, um, sometimes we used to get dead frogs, so we knew that water was n-not good, so we used to dump it. And there lot of pigs that they would enjoy that, taking baths in the water, and all that was going around the well. So, we would throw that water out, and then we would … put it back inside and bring more water. We didn’t see no dead frogs or nothing, then we knew that water was clean, and we would take it home … and we would boil it, and that was our water. To take a bath, we would put water outside to warm it up with the sun, and that was the way we used to take a bath. So, I started getting older, and then I noticed more and more things. That I, it’s so hard to explain everything, all the experiences that we went through.
[Pause]
RN: Um, in every person’s childhood, uh w-wherever they grew up, or um, there’s certain things they remember, whether it’s their friends or things they did, um what were some of your specific um, memories of um, y’know, being there, um, and you know once you had settled in your surroundings?
HN: My first memory was, um, seeing all the snakes, especially in the morning when we used to wake up, we would see snakes crawling on the wall. So, we would just jump from bed, scared. And, that, they would just go away. Maybe they were afraid of us, too. And, um, and then trying to fight all the mosquitoes, they were so bad, that even the cows used to come and settle in the village, because there were so many they couldn’t stand them themselves either. So, with, uh, mosquitoes epidemic, we went through a lot of sickness. And I do mean serious sickness. Because there was no such thing of doctors or shots to protect you from all. One time, I do remember, some doctor coming from the city, to inject everybody, but there was no such thing of um injection, of needles. So they would just grab our arm and make like a cross incision with a sharp broken glass, and then they would drop uh/
RN: /The medicine.
HN: /The medicine, uh-huh. And we didn’t, we didn’t know the difference, because we still continue getting sick. [10:00] But I do remember that, uh, a lot of us would have a lot of fever, because, um, both vaccinations, I guess, would get infected. Because, I myself, my vaccination is very a big circle until now, that I’m old. And I remember being so sick that my shoulder looked like it was gonna burst open. All tha-, all was a blister. But with, um, home remedies and that, and of course we’ve gots will. We survive. I got sick, very sick of, uh, whopping cough, that for three days I was in a coma. [Pause] They thought that I was dead already. But then I surprised them, and I opened my eyes. And that’s the way it went on. With all the family, all the village, children getting sick. Some of them died over there. Like my sister, my second sister. She died when she was 20 years old, of tuberculosis. Because there was no, no food. [Pause] They would plant corn. And then there was a season that they would plant, uh, tomato, but they would just have to borrow tractors, even the water, to put on the land. So at the end of the year, they would have to sell whatever it was … left. And they would have to go to the city to pay for the animals and the tractors, um, the water, everything that they had used to work on the land. So at the end, we didn’t have much to buy food and all that. It was always a struggling, a struggling. [Pause] And I had to go to work when I was only 10 years old because by then, my sisters had gotten married and my grandparents were too old to work, so my brother and I went to work. But I never knew, until this day, I never knew how much money I made. Because everything was handed to my father, and, um, he would give money to my grandmother and, by that time, we were more like on our own with my grandparents. So, um, I used to go to work even before the sun came out and get home when the sun was already down. So it was all day work and n-I didn’t have no lunch, I didn’t have no food to take for lunch, so what I used to do is, um, just the tomatoes that I was picking, I would just squeeze the seeds out. I used to take some salt in the pocket of my overalls, and I would put a little bit of salt on the tomatoes and that would be my lunch. And the next day, it will be the same thing. I was so tired during the night that I used to sleep against the wall, and in the morning, I would wake up with my elbow aching and hurting. And I would look, and I would discover that I [15:00] didn’t have no skin on my elbow, because uh, crickets used to chew on my skin, I guess, during the night. And at one time, I had um, fever like for two weeks. And I lost all my hair, and when the fever stopped, I could hardly walk, because it kind of left me little bit crippled, or maybe it was weakness, I don’t know. But, um, until this day, the toes of my feet don’t have too much feeling. Because, from that fever, I don’t know how you would call that type of fever, and it all came from the mosquitoes. And ah so um, until this day, uh, I have very little feeling on my toes. But, anyway, life goes on, and you do the best you can with God’s help.
RN: Well, sharing this story that you’re doing about the crickets lets me know now why, y’know, that uh, that the crickets bother you, you know what I mean? I-I’ve-I’ve seen that before. Um, you telling me that, that that’s but I never knew why you didn’t like crickets, but now I have an idea.
[Pause]
HN: I’m not too much, uh, afraid of crickets now that I’m old, but what I am afraid of is frogs. I know frogs won’t do me nothing, and I try to touch ‘em, but all of a sudden, I just have to back up. Because when I was small, I woke up one day with, uh, one side of my face all swollen. So, um, my grandmother thought that maybe I–a spider had bit me during the night. So they took me with my grandparents, which they had um, swimming pool. And, uh, there were lot of frogs there. So they gave ‘em the remedy that to rub the stomach of a frog on my face. So that was the remedy. So you can imagine how I was screaming. But my godmother was holding me, and my grandmother kept rubbing my face with the frog. Then the frog will change colors, which they said the frog was mad, so they couldn’t do that no more. So they will throw it for a few minutes again into the water, and then once the, the frog will be normal color, they will take it out and do the same thing. I don’t know how long they stayed doing that. So with that experience, until this day, I just can’t stand frogs. And I don’t think anybody will blame me. So, um some of those are my experiences. And like I said before, it will take me time to remember so many things that, uh, I experienced over there.
RN: I have a a question/
HN: /Okay.
RN: [Stutters] Okay. It’s like a two-parts. You know, one is-is um, obviously, you know, very, um upsetting memories, and, and very, uh, difficult, y’know, childhood. Um, how long were you there, and when did it like occur to you, that, y’know, that something was wrong, that you shouldn’t be in this place, that you were taken from the United States, and um, so it’s like a two part. How long were you there, when, what happened, or made you realize that, wait, this isn’t right, I shouldn’t be here, you know? ‘Kay wanna go ahead and talk about that?
HN: Yeah, well I was there 12 years, um, [clears throat] in Mexico. [20:00] And, um, it didn’t exactly dawn to me, um, that it was wrong, what our country did to us. I will say there more until I got here, because after all, I was two years old when I got over there, and um…
RN: That’s all you knew.
HN: That’s all I knew. I kind of will say got used to it, being raised like that. But when I got here, that I noticed a difference, and, uh, then that’s when I started realizing that it was wrong what United States did to us. And, um, I also had hard times when I came over here, trying to adjust; the weather, ‘specially. And, um, and then, no school wanted me because I didn’t know English. It’s not like today, that they allow the childrens, um … immigrants, they–they’re enrolled in school. But when I came, nobody, no, no school, no grammar, no high school. So they sent me to Los Angeles, to Central High School, where all the immigrants, all the ones didn’t know English, they will go there. But the teacher that we had didn’t know enough English herself. Her pronunsh-pronunciation, was I guess, like mine [laughs softly]. And, uh, and then, all of the sudden, the change of weather got to me, it was so cold for me, all the fog. And I had to take a bus, and then the streetcar to get to the school. And, uh, so anyway, um I end up getting sick, of tuberculosis. So I had to go in the sanatorium, and being that this country was new to me, I felt like it was the end of the world for me. I had to go to a place where I didn’t know nobody, but I was so surprised that once I got there, I felt that happiness, as I walk in, I was welcomed by the sisters, the Carmelites. And then I seen lot of happy faces, a lot of girls. It was just girls. There was no, no boys, no mens. It was just young girls. So, um, I stopped my, my tears stopped then, when I seen all those happy faces. And once I got used to it, uh, I really loved it there. I stayed a year and a half. But, when they discharged me, I cried because I didn’t wanna go home. That’s how happy I was. But, then I had to come home [clears throat]. And so I did. And, uh, I started working, just the way that the immigrants work now. Everything that is going on now, I already went through that, and worse. Believe me. Worse than what goes on now. Because now, they have the rights to speak. They do marches, and they hear their voices. But, but not us. So I used to work from Gardena, [clears throat] I used to walk, go to uh, Compton, wa-walking [25:00], and walking to Hawthorne. Just crossing, um, ranchos, looking for work. So I work, uh, in Compton, uh, picking strawberries and string beans. And, um, that’s the way it went on. And by then, I was already used to, the, my new country. [Chuckles]
RN: Even though it wasn’t new/
HN: Even though it wasn’t new, because I was born here [RN: Right] And so, um, I-I w-went, through a lot of [clears throat] Excuse me. A lot of experiences. And um … But, still, I thank God because all that, um, made me learn a lot from all that. And, um, even though I went through a lot of things, I thank God that I’m back in my country. I get a–I had a chance to raise my family, I married a good man, responsible, and I had a chance to work also, for 18 years. And, um, I will say that even though I have, uh, sad memories, um I thank God for everything that he has given me. And that I’ve been able and healthy to be able to raise my three children.
RN: Earlier, you had talked about you know coming back to the United States. Um, how did you get here, what was the transportation, you know, when you–from Mexico, to coming back here to Southern California, how did you get back?
HN: Well, at that time, being that, um, United States was in war with Japan, a lot of the boys … a lot of the boys, that had, um, gone when they were nine or 12 years old, they wanted to come back. They didn’t care if they had to go to war. So, uh, I imagine United States needed people, so he opened the borders, and it was easy to come back. Even though some of ‘em, they were born here, they didn’t have their papers, they were able to come in. That’s how bad United States needed men. So, I had some cousins that came with us, frankly the whole village started coming back with the parents, some of ‘em by themselves. And the ones that knew English, they brush up fast on their English. So they were able to serve. But before they pass the border, they had to register to going to the service. Some of my cousins made it, and some they just went for the three months of the training, because their English wasn’t very good. So, some of them, that’s the reason they didn’t stay into the service.
RN: Uh, this experience that happened to you, um, happened to many people [30:00]. And, uh, y’know, and the-the generation that it happened to is an older generation now. Um, and I know there’s been some movement to get the government to recognize this, or California to recognize this. What would you, um, yourself like to see the United States do, um, in regards to this injustice that it did to its own citizens?
HN: Well, what I really would like the United States to do is [Pause] to apologize. I don’t care about money, or nothing like that. Just to apologize and admit what it did to their own citizens. And, maybe, put a plaque or sign, whatever, in Olvera Street, which is the place that all this … started. Because at that time, what I learned, we didn’t had no chance, [indistinguishable]. Getting prepared for it, or nothing like that. They kept threatening people, ‘If you don’t leave, we’re going to burn your homes.’ And then, they just started picking up whoever was speaking Spanish. Taking people out of the theaters, and it just went on like that on different places. An-and that’s what I wish United States will do so that this new generations know what went on. Because I don’t think that that is fair to do to their own citizens. [Long Pause] Okay, so um, like I said before, I don’t think it’s fair./
RN: /Probably-[indistinguishable]
HN: I know it’s not right either. And until this day, I talk to a lot of people. Especially now, with what’s going on again. I talk to some people and ask them if have they ever heard of what happened in the 19…from ‘29 to the ‘30s, the ‘40s. Even older people, they tell me that they never heard of such thing. The-that they can’t believe that that happened. But it did. So that means that that story is been in the dark. And that’s the reason wh- I’m saying my story. So that the new generation knows about it. And I will be satisfied to see on the papers, the newspapers, an apology. The way they done to other countries citizens of–And, um, I guess I will end with this, and I hope you uh excuse my voice, with my emotions. Because every time I talk about this…there’s times that I end up crying. When we get togethers, my sisters and I, which is only just one sister and a brother that I have left…um [35:00] we start talking, at times we’re crying, at times we’re laughing. I usually laugh when I talk about us bringing the water from the well, that the frogs were there. And we used to throw it away, and try again if the water didn’t have no frogs, then we would take it home, cause to us, that was clean water. Can you imagine that? It was still full of germs, but it was clean water to us. But I guess when you go through those things, you get used it. But there’s the reason that now when we talk about it, we cry, and we laugh. And, um, so maybe it’s a good thing that we laugh about it sometimes. But that is my story. And believe me, it is a story. True story.
RN: That’s right. I, um, go ahead I’m sorry, you got something else [inaudiable].
HN: So I thank you for listening to me. And just keep that in mind, try to, whenever you hear somebody else talking about this story, you know that it did happen.
RN: Um, back in, um, the spring of 2008, Rancho Los Cerritos, um, had a lecture series that talked about this. And then in May, we had, uh, the Rancho, um, an open invitation for people to come and hear these stories and discuss them. And, I know that we had, you know, you had wanted to come, and you were ill and weren’t able to-to do that, and you were missed there that day, to add your story and experiences, and that’s kind of why today we’re doing this. Um, I want you to know a few things about what we talked about today, and recording this. Um a copy of this recording will go to Rancho Los Cerritos because Rancho Los Cerritos is part of the public library system in Long Beach. They have a library there, and just like any library, you go and you research. Um, the Rancho’s library is a historical library, where only certain things can be found. You can’t, sometimes you can’t find certain history things at the other branches in Long Beach but only at Rancho Los Cerritos. And, so the recordings that we did in May are going to be there, and this recording is going to be there, as something students in college, when they want to research in the future, can listen to these tapes. To get information to help them do their work and their studies. And you know, y’know, the future generation it’s gonna be available to them. Um, so I want you to know that, that this is…not the…today doesn’t end this. That this goes on, okay? Your story is going to go on…um…/
HN: /Well good. I’m pleased to hear that.
RN: And not only with, um, the public, because part of the Long Beach library system, this will be in the library. Um, it’s going to go to your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. And I know that you have, um, I mean, obviously [chuckles], I know you have some great-grandchildren, and they’re very little, but someday they’re going to be an adult. And they’re gonna remember you, they’re going to remember you as a child, but when they become an adult, they’re going to be able to hear this story, and pass it on. So your story is going to live on in the family, okay? It’s not just stopping here. Um, there’s some…y’know, your great-grandchildren, they’re going to have children, okay, and they’re going to hear this story. It’s going to be part of them, okay? And, um, is there any final thing you want to say, or, uh, before we wrap this up today? Um, it’s okay if you don’t, but.
HN: No, I guess I said more or less what I remember./
RN: /Okay.
HN: As I started growing older.
RN: Right. And-and let me add, then, in e-ending this. That, y’know, as your son, I’ve heard some of these stories, some of these things you told, you said today, were kind of new to me too, okay. But every time that you and I talk about these things, there’s new things that come up and and there’s a lot of things, you know, that are not on this tape. And just like anybody’s life, you cannot uh record a person’s life in 45 minutes, you know, that just doesn’t happen. And then later, you think of things, that y’know, that weren’t said. But over the years, you and I have talked, and so I’ve heard some of the things, and so in closing, I do, you know, [40:00] want to thank you for taking the time to do this, uh, for the future generations. Um, and that I know it’s not easy, okay, you know to-to go back and to try to remember things that maybe are not so pleasant, okay. So as we end, as your son, I just want to say that, um, it’s an honor to be your son, okay, and that, um, this all these stories live in me. They are part of me, and they give me a perspective on how I look at life. Okay, because this is where, this is part of me as well. Okay, so, um, once again, thanks for the day, thanks anybody who’s listening for taking the time to listen to this./
HN: /Well, thank you, um, and I want to thank everybody else who hears this story. Uh, and, and I’m really glad, um that, uh, you’re telling me that you will save this, so that, um, my family learns, y’know. And, um, because it is hard for me. Like you mentioned, I had told you stories because I want you to know what our country did to us. Uh, but I’m more glad to hear that, like you said, my grandchildren, greatgran–will hear about it. And, um, it is hard. It is hard uh-until now. I’m 78 years old, and it still hurts when I have to talk about it. So I will say thank you again. Because if I stay longer talking, than my tears will really come out.
RN: [Slight chuckle]
HN: Thank you.
RN: Thank you. This has been a recording uh with Neito Historical Recordings.[42:00]
