Riverside Mexican Segregation
My grandfather, Gilberto Martinez, grew up in Riverside California, born in 1934 to two poor Mexican migrant farmers. His parents had crossed the border at a young age searching for a better life, yet they came to find that they were trading one hardship for another. As a kid, Gilberto Martinez grew up around suffering with five of his relatives dying or suffering from tuberculosis. Tuberculosis took his mother and five years with his sister away from him. His dad worked in back breaking labor conditions in white owned farms to make a living.
Obstacles
As a poor Latino dominated town, with little chance or opportunity of escaping, my grandfather dropped out of middle school in 8th grade to help his dad on the farms. He worked as a orange and strawberry farmer making little money in order to help his family. He told me about how as a kid he would compete with the other children farmers to see who could load the most orange baskets. Waking up the next day sore from the heavy loads.
Segregation
Although Californian segregation was not as intense for Latinos in Riverside and California in general, compared to states like Texas. Gilberto faced multiple occasions where white privilege and supremacy was clear. A local white plantation owner would pay him practically dirt to shoot the squirrels infesting his ranch starting at the age of 11. When he would try to take his sister to the movies they would either have to sneak in or pay extra because they were brown. On top of the segregation he experienced, he also saw how other races were treated. He remembers waking up and going outside one random day and finding all of his friends and neighbors who were Japanese had vanished without any notice.
Change
Born in 1934, Gilberto experienced less and less segregation and saw his opportunities grow. With no high school diploma, but wanting to get out of Riverside's ghetto, he enlisted in the Marines. As a Marine, he was the best sniper in his platoon and through the marines was able to afford an education after serving. He worked as a janitor at night so he could go to class during the day, eventually graduating from Long Beach State and becoming a public school principal. With the growing opportunities in the United States during his time, he was able to prove to his family, his community and all the white supremacists of his time that he had the discipline and brains if given the opportunity.
Obstacles
As a poor Latino dominated town, with little chance or opportunity of escaping, my grandfather dropped out of middle school in 8th grade to help his dad on the farms. He worked as a orange and strawberry farmer making little money in order to help his family. He told me about how as a kid he would compete with the other children farmers to see who could load the most orange baskets. Waking up the next day sore from the heavy loads.
Segregation
Although Californian segregation was not as intense for Latinos in Riverside and California in general, compared to states like Texas. Gilberto faced multiple occasions where white privilege and supremacy was clear. A local white plantation owner would pay him practically dirt to shoot the squirrels infesting his ranch starting at the age of 11. When he would try to take his sister to the movies they would either have to sneak in or pay extra because they were brown. On top of the segregation he experienced, he also saw how other races were treated. He remembers waking up and going outside one random day and finding all of his friends and neighbors who were Japanese had vanished without any notice.
Change
Born in 1934, Gilberto experienced less and less segregation and saw his opportunities grow. With no high school diploma, but wanting to get out of Riverside's ghetto, he enlisted in the Marines. As a Marine, he was the best sniper in his platoon and through the marines was able to afford an education after serving. He worked as a janitor at night so he could go to class during the day, eventually graduating from Long Beach State and becoming a public school principal. With the growing opportunities in the United States during his time, he was able to prove to his family, his community and all the white supremacists of his time that he had the discipline and brains if given the opportunity.
Comments
Post a Comment