Language_McAllen_AO_07122024

This is Autri Ormond, today is July 12, 2024 and I am here in [COMMUNITY NAME] for an interview with one of our community members. Before we begin, I'd like to give verbal consent for the form we went over. Could you please say I consent to being interviewed and audio recorded for the study? 

Yes you can.  

Can you repeat that? [CUP NOISE]

I would, I am in favor of, you um you um, I can't read, 

I consent.  

I consent,

To being interviewed. 

Hold on, I don't know where it is 

It's up here at the top. I consent to being interviewed and audio recorded for the study. 

I consent to the, for the form that we went over to use as a study. 

Uh I consent to being interviewed and audio recorded for this study. 

Uhh okay, I consent being interviewed and audio recorded to this study. 

Okay.  

I was looking at the top. You're like, how are you? [LAUGHS]  [OVERLAPPING SPEAKING]

Yeah, no, I wish it was highlighted. Okay. To get started, can you tell me how you came to live in this community? 

In [COMMUNITY NAME] at [WORKPLACE] total or my community as a whole? 

No, community as a whole.  

My parents, my parents lived in [COMMUNITY NAME]. And so of course, when we were born, we stayed in [COMMUNITY NAME]. And we I've lived here, Well I'm about to be 66. But I probably lived here 51 years out of my 66 years. 

Okay. Could you tell me a bit more about this community? 

Um, [SIGHS] I guess we I could say when we began he, when I lived in [COMMUNITY NAME], it was a much smaller town, much smaller. And a lot of it was mainly and we had, we had both, we had Hispanic and white in the community. And there was no, it was really a very nice, calm area to live in. [COMMUNITY NAME] has always been very, very popular. And so I enjoyed living in [COMMUNITY NAME]. And I've lived in like I said, probably 51 years easily. 

How would you describe it to someone who doesn't live here? 

I would describe the whole [COMMUNITY REGION NAME], not just [COMMUNITY NAME], but [COMMUNITY NAME], [NEARBY CITIES]. All you know, the different cities are surrounded. [NEARBY CITIES]. We all of course, our most of our area is Hispanic. But we also have probably just as much or half in as white. And now, in today's world, we got people from Japan, we have people from all over the world now that live here. So we really have changed our ways. Because we have so many people, Chinese people, Hispanic people, American, you know, white people. I mean, it's really made a difference in our world now, I think and it's a good thing, because people are learning all about Japan, or Chinese, or you know, people from other countries, Canadians. I mean, the list is endless. Uh and how many people do live in our area now today?  

Okay. How do you think this community has changed throughout your time living here?

It's, it's, it's, we go from [COMMUNITY NAME]. And you cross the street and you're in [Surrounding city]. You cross the street near back in [COMMUNITY NAME]. I mean, we are now one huge hub. We're over a million people just in this area alone. And again, because we have so many different people from all over the world now that do live in South Texas, it really brings a whole different aspect to our cities. Because now everybody can, you know, we've got you know, Indian food, we've got Chinese, we've got Japanese food, we have his Mexican food. I mean, our world now today. And even when they were to go to schools, they can not just learn one language, they can learn two languages, or even three languages in our public schools here in the Rio Grande Valley. So we have really expanded ourselves into you know, bringing in others to live in this area, not thinking oh my god, we're just gonna go live in Mexico. Well, you're not anymore, you're living in a wonderful area. It I still say is safe. It's got a lot of education. Now, there's many different ways to learn, not just going to one public school, you can go to different schools now in what you want to do. And so I think, like I said, our business, everything in this area has really is thriving. 

So what would you say are the strengths of this community? 

Our community, we're strong because we're strong with each other. Because we live in somewhat of a small area, but yet at the same time in a larger area, we know each other. We know anybody, a lot of the people live in [COMMUNITY NAME]. A lot of people that live in [COMMUNITY NAME], we are a community, we're just and we know each other and we all want it. We all pretty much have the same ideas to go forward. Now we're going to do is let's do it. I mean, it'd be great, you know, that would bring more people to the city of [COMMUNITY NAME] that would really help us for people to understand what we who we are down here. He used to laugh right after when I was in college. I would ask that my family my friends when I lived in [OTHER TEXAS CITY] and live in [OTHER TEXAS CITY], and I said, "Hey, I'm gonna go home for the weekend. I'm gonna drive down. Does anybody want to go?" "Me? Really? Can we really go? I mean, and where are we going to stay?" I said like "My house?" [LAUGHS] You know? And "Are there donkeys?" I said, "There are donkeys, there's horses, there's pigs, there's everything." You know, they used to be like, "God I really want to go," you know, and when they'd come to [COMMUNITY NAME], because they were from Dallas, or San Antonio or Austin, and never probably come south, not knowing where we lived, or what we did. And then they're like, "Oh, my God, this is amazing." This is yeah, we have a real home, you know, home just like y'all that we have. A lot of them weren't understanding where we were who we were at, you know, in the Rio Grande Valley, because we were so close to Mexico. I mean, they didn't know "Do we live in Mexico?" Where do we, you know, and I was always like, "Okay, you can't really be honestly telling asking these questions," but they did. And they, I mean, you know, and a lot of them "God I wanna come back." And not only because we were in [COMMUNITY NAME] for a couple of days in shopping and everything, but we could actually cross the border with no problem and go shopping in Mexico, that I think to them was the greatest event that they had, while they were here. So I remember those days a lot, a lot. 

So what would you say are some of the weaknesses of this community? 

Um [SIGHS] Gosh, a weakness. Some of the cities even today, don't collaborate with the rest of the cities, they don't. It's their, that's their dome. And that's it for them. And I won't mention which one we think it is, but others, others always get together. And always like when when it comes to like the mayors or like the, you know, commissioners or, you know, those who are involved in politics or whatever, they make a difference, you know, like the county, county commissioners, everybody really likes to come back and make make sure that the South Texas is seen known and understood. And some of them just like they, it doesn't matter to them, you know, so there's one small area that that is that way, which is sad, but the rest everybody else I think in in the Rio Grande Valley, like I said, nowadays, you just cross the street and you go from [COMMUNITY NAME] to [NEARBY CITY] or you go from [NEARBY CITY] to [COMMUNITY NAME]. You know, because we're all we've really grown I mean, we have over a million people just living in this area alone. And that's a good thing because now we do have larger bigger bigger opportunities for education, bigger opportunities for job opportunities bigger up, you know, so much has grown in the in the Rio Grande Valley, that now today, it's not like do you really live in [COMMUNITY NAME]. What do you do, no, there's so much going on now. I mean, we have operas we have, you know, musicals we have everything that San Antonio has, Austin has, Dallas has. And we are now really in the tropical area that has grown in the right direction. 

So what do you do for work? 

I work for [NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION] and we are the voice for abused neglected and foster children. So on a daily basis, my my staff goes to court to make sure that these children who are abused and neglected and have lived in foster care or lived with one of their grandmothers and grandfathers that they're placed in a happy, safe home with someone who's truly going to love them and not beat them, or neglect them in any other way anymore. So some days are harsher. We always we were very happy the day we get to always ring the bell because that we know that that child is out of danger in is going to go to a permanent, happy home. 

So how do you think your connections in this community influenced your work as someone working at [WORKPLACE]? 

Actually, a lot of people like "[INTERVIEWEE NAME], I don't know how you do it." And actually just why do you ask me? Because this morning when I went to breakfast, I've met two gentlemen that I had to work with this morning. And they just don't just like they said, "Okay, now we have you all by ourselves. Can we ask you questions?" Like, sure. And so they're like, "Okay, how do you do it? How? How do you because you're always happy?" And I said, "Well, first of all, I know that at the end of the day, my job and my, my employees are making a difference for these children. And I said because the day we receive them is the day is will probably our saddest day because we've seen you know, their bruises they have, you know, they broke their arm and they don't know how or who or why they haven't been fed, they haven't been bathed. There's so many different things that happened to these children, that when we get them it's like oh my god, you know, if I could I'd take them all home, because they just deserve such more such a better life. You know, they deserved a hug, they deserve a bath. They deserve lunch, they deserve schooling. They deserve so much to be able to thrive when they're older, not have to hide behind something because they're scared not have to be sad all the time because they've been beaten or they haven't been fed or you know the kids at school make fun of them because they don't have the same outfits that the other kids have. Because sometimes they have to go to school in the same outfit because no one bathes them or changes them." So you know, those kids have it harder, much harder. And we need to figure out how we can continue to make a difference with these children so that they're not, they're like, "Oh, there they come no, oh, hey, she's coming over here, come over." So you know, we have to, and little by little, I think we know, it's getting better, but it'll never go away. But we just have to make sure that we are getting there faster to take care of them. So they can have a permanent, happy home. 

So how do you think your connections help with that? 

I'm very blessed to know a lot of people within my community. And I think just knowing that, and putting it out there people like "Oh, here she comes [INTERVIEWEE NAME], y'all better take care of her." You know, because I have been very involved in my own community for many, many years. And I think that has helped. And now that I work in these areas, they're like, they call me all the time. "What do you need [INTERVIEWEE NAME]? What can we take you? How do we help," what you know, and that's a blessing, it really is a blessing. And then I'm not afraid to go out into the community and say, "I need I you know, please help me, you know, this is what I'm looking for." And 90% of the time 95% of the time, where they take it to you tomorrow afternoon. Is that okay? That's perfect. Yeah, thank you. You know, because we're always looking for stuff like right now look at the shoes, or we're looking for blankets, or we're looking for, you know, just clothing, whatever it is food, you know, some of these kids, I gotta tell you, it's it's a tough ballgame. And so as long as we can answer their their call their asks, I'm here to help. 

Now, I'd like to talk to you a little bit more about your work at [WORKPLACE]. Could you tell me about how you got into this role? 

I got into this role, because the prior director really wasn't involved. And how could I say nicely say this. When I walked in, I had $335. The place looked like a mess. Everything was thrown everywhere. And I just basically the first three weeks, I said, don't pay me, leave me alone. And I went room by room and put everything back in place, cleaned it organized, it threw away a lot of trash. Put all the tables in the chairs where they belong, not thrown on the floor. I was to take him back. I was in shock. But I did it. And little by little I was calling people to come by and say what can we help you? And I said, "Do you know how to paint?" [LAUGHS] Yeah, I said, "Okay, can you paint the walls? Do you know how to clean it? You know, the floors? You know how to shine the floors? Do you know how to fix the state? Do you know how to do this?" And so And even today, I say oh, by the way, "Can you water my plants? Can you go fix the back?" The door fell down, can you you know, so I am always constantly making sure that [WORKPLACE] is thriving. And then [WORKPLACE] is everybody knows who [WORKPLACE] is today. Everybody knows what we do here. Because we've put ourselves out there and asked for help ask for donations asked for just everything, you know, presents for the kids for their birthdays, you name it, we go out there right now we're asking for shoes. I mean we're asking for shoes so that before school starts, we can do a shoe drive for all of these kids, because sometimes their parents will they don't have the money or don't want to use their money to take their kids to have good shoes when they go to school. I mean, you know, it's tough. It's tough. I do remember I was an educator. And I do remember one or two times when I looked down and the kids were like, he has holes in his shoes. So I'd very quietly just the next day and I go buy a pair of shoes and bring them back to school and say, "Oh look mijito somebody dropped him off." "Oh for me?" "It's like yeah, for you." You know, so they had a new pair of shoes. And sometimes, you know, one or two times. I mean, when they got home, they didn't have the shoes the next day because the mother took it away. You know, so you'd have to do a back and so just leave the shoe here. We'll put your ugly shoes back on when you go home and bring it back tomorrow. So you know, you have to know how to finagle and they were so excited, you know, so? Yeah, I mean, giving is always the best thing you can do for anybody. 

So how long have you been working here? 

At [WORKPLACE] I have been here six years.  

What is a typical workday look like? 

It's crazy every single day. [LAUGHS] My staff is going back and forth to the courthouse. Someone's calling me I need to pay something. I forgot to do something yesterday. But you know and all in all, we get our work done. Actually we do. I-I-I impressed at myself that every day. I put it off. I put a note down on Monday before okay, this is the things I have to do for the tomorrow. And 90% of the time I do accomplish it because I know that the next day's gonna be just as crazy as yesterday was and I'm constantly, we're constantly working to make sure because since [LARGER BRANCH OF NON-PROFIT] takes care of us, we always had that, you know, submit a lot of paperwork to them, visit with them get things going to make sure we're doing we're on the wrong, right direction audits, you know, events to make sure that we keep making, you know, making money for [WORKPLACE], to make sure we could be able to fulfill some of their needs. I mean, there's just so much goes that goes on here, um it makes sure that we make sure that we say happy birthday, every one of our children take him something, to see a smile on their face for their birthday, you know, it might be two or three years and no one's even given them a gift. But we want to give them a gift, we want to give them things that they need. So again, so they can have a smile on their face and be like everybody else when they go to school and say happy birthday to them. I mean, you know, there's just a lot goes on, every day is a different day. 

So what does it mean to work at [WORKPLACE] in this community? 

Oh my god, it means a lot. It really does mean a lot. Um like I said, every time that we know that a child is going to leave, foster care, and actually is going to go home to a house or home to where their mom and dad and siblings and maybe not their mom and dad, but their mom. And these are the mom and dad that said I will adopt them I will take I will take care of them. I mean, that's huge. That's huge. These kids get so excited. And I mean, they jump up and down. I have a mommy, I'm gonna have a new Mommy, you know, and they're like, awesome, you know? And for us for those days. I mean, we have the bell. And we're supposed to ring it yesterday, [RINGS BELL]  but we'll ring it soon I'm sure. It's coming. So those like when we ring the bell, oh, my God it's like, wow, some of the girls, I mean, they cry, because they worked on that case, for nine months, they worked on a case for two years, three years, and then to know that finally they're going to go to a home, permanent home, or someone's gonna love them. I mean, that's huge. That's huge. So those are the good days.  

So what aspects of your job bring you the most joy or satisfaction? 

Seeing them get adopted. [LAUGH]

And what are the biggest challenges you face in your work? 

The biggest challenges that we get in work is making sure that we can actually do something for those kids. And like I said, sometimes it takes a year, sometimes it takes two years. And then you have the parents that they argue with each other every single day, they fight against each other. And they might not be together anymore. But they still argue why because if the mother gets the them, she gets the moneys, you know, the the Medicaid, all the Medicaid, what sort of resources that they can get goes to that mom, and then she helps the kids, sometimes they don't help the kid, sometimes they sell it all. And then it takes care of themselves for their drugs or whatever else it might be. You know, there's just so many different scenarios with these children. And then the father, there's three fathers to one mother with five kids. I mean, these situations are tough, they're very tough. And we just have to finagle how to go the right route in the right direction to be able to be to be accomplished and to make a difference for that child. 

Now, let's talk a little bit more about your experiences as a resident of this community. So for the first set of questions, I'll read a statement to you and I'd like you to indicate the extent of your agreement with each one I'll have you give your answer on a scale of one to four, where one is completely disagree, two is somewhat disagree, three is somewhat agree, and four is completely agree. If you'd like to comment on any statements please feel free to do so. So the first phrase is "I consider myself to be an American." 

100% [LAUGH] One.

Alright, so you would say you four completely agree then? 

 Four completely agree.  

Using the same scale how would you rate the following statement? I consider myself to be a Texan, one completely disagree two somewhat disagree, three somewhat agree or four,

Number four 

Completely agree.  Alright, so which of the three following statements you agree with the most strongly I am American first and Texan second, I am a Texan first and American second or being a Texan and American are equally important to me.  

They're equally important to me. 

The next phrase is to be a true Texan, you must know how to speak English. What would you rate this one using the same scale we started with 

Four because I'm 100% English.  

Okay so four, completely agree?  

Yes.  

Ok. Uh, how about to be a true Texan you must know how to speak Spanish?

I do. So I'm number four. [LAUGH]

Four. The next phrase is in my community, you can do everything you want and get everything you need. Even when you don't speak English. 

I'd have to say three, 

Three, somewhat agree  

Somewhat agree. 

Seven finally, in my community life has been pretty stable over the last 40 years things haven't changed much.  

Four  

Completely agree?  

Completely agree. 

Now I'd like to hear about you, from you about the community itself. What are some things that have changed in this community during the last few decades? 

What has changed in our community? Gosh, you know, most everybody in South Texas again, I think everybody really, we were different when people were in San Antonio and Austin, Dallas, and then they come to the value of x is a whole new world. We're just more engaged in each other, because we're somewhat of a small community, but at the same time, a large community. But we know pretty much the whole community in this small area, if that makes any sense. I mean, you can go from North [COMMUNITY NAME] to South [COMMUNITY NAME] and you still know everybody, you can go to HEB. And you'll see two or three people that you can say hello to, same thing will happen when you go to the mall, you know, people, you go to Dallas, [LAUGHS] you can go all over Dallas, never see anybody, you know, for days, because you're in different areas or whatever, you know, it's a large community. Ours is a larger community, but it's still small. And there's we're still a very cliquish neighborhood. You know, we know all our neighbors, a lot of other places don't know, their neighbors. They just stay to themselves. And, I mean, I think we're, I mean, we're very loving, giving, helpful in South Texas 

Overall, is this a good community to live in. 

It is.

What was or is the best part about being a kid or a young person in this community?

You know, in this community, for instance, if you play basketball, baseball, softball, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, all of those a lot of the times because if you you know, in [COMMUNITY NAME] or [NEARBY CITY], we go to the same elementary school from kinder to sixth grade, or kinder to eighth grade, if you go to private school, whatever it is, you're with the same kids all the way through most of the time. Sure, one or two come in, like, you know, like, "Oh, we got a new student or new we need to know this student moved to this house," I know this. And so it's very, it's nice, because your families, your friends, the parents, they get together and you become a small community, and you're with each other where you take care of each other where you can, you know, you're okay with each other, you know, you you're not afraid, you know, you trust you trust the other neighbors are gonna pick them up. Okay, you know, and a lot of times, you can't do that in the big cities, because who's your neighbor? Here, you've been with your neighbor since kinder all the way to sixth grade or all the way to eighth grade. And so you know, those, you know, him and that they help each other. And that's how our community becomes bigger because every "Oh, you haven't met John, he's been here for three years now." You know, that's right. You want to you know, I mean, that's all being here. Our community, you can go to HEB you can go to the movies, you can go anywhere. And you can say hello to somebody if you don't, it's ra-rare. Okaayy, You know, as we have grown though. [WORKPHONE RINGS] 

Okay. Do you feel that the traditional way of life of this community is going away?  

No.  

What do you think keeps things the same? 

Because so many of us are here and and have gone away, come back and we're still, we go back to our world. 

What is your favorite sports team? 

Oh, I don't have one. [LAUGHS] Longhorns? UT Longhorns, I guess.

All right. How have they been doing lately? 

They're good. They're good. 

All right. Did you have to do chores when you were younger?  

All the time. 

What was the worst chore? 

Probably laundry, no, ironing, [WORKPHONE RINGS] I never liked to do ironing never. I never liked to do ironing.

What was the chore that you didn't mind so much?  

Uh I like to wash dishes. I like to, I still clean the house. Clean the house, wash dishes. Umm, no anything. I don't mind. And I now am ironing. I won't go outside and cut the grass. But [LAUGHS] 

Did you ever get caught pretending to do a chore but not really do it?  

No. Mmm. No. Thank God. 

Some people think it's hard for boys and girls to be friends. What do you think? 

I think they're crazy. No, I had tons of boyfriend, friends, boy-friends. Yeah, yeah, I know. I've always I've never I've never had that. And even today, I have three that are and two named David. Yeah, no. Mmm.

Did you ever tell a story about another person thinking that the other person was not near you? But then you turned around and saw that the person was standing right there next you? 

I'm sure I did. [LAUGHS] I don't know why, but I'm sure I did. 

Uh can you tell me about that? What happened?  

Well no, I wouldn't remember now today, but I mean, somewhere along the line, I'm sure I was always in trouble. [LAUGHS] I was always in trouble. I went to a private Catholic school, so it's- um yeah [LAUGHS]

Okay. A lot of people think of the 1990s as the golden decade of pop music. Do you agree? 

Well, I liked music regardless. So, I guess I mean, if they feel that way, go for it, but,

Okay, well, do you have a different decade in mind for pop music, then?  

No.

No? 

No.  

Okay. All right. So thank you so much for your answers. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me. If you have the time. I have one last request for you before we conclude our interview.  

Yes, ma'am.  

Sure. 

All right. Great, thank you. So I'm going to show you the page and then you can read it out loud. All right, let me zoom this in a bit so that it's bigger. Okay, here we go. 

I live in Texas all my life. I was born in Hidalgo County. And when I when I was five, we moved to a farmhouse near White House near to a farm near White House, which is southeast of Tyler. I liked growing up in the country. When my chores were done, I'd ride my horse, climb trees or hike down to the creek to fish or swim. One time we tied a rope to a limb of a cypress tree, and we'd swing out why over the swimming hole and drop into the water. I pretend to be Tarzan swinging on a vine. In the spring. I'd like to fly kites and in the summer nights we'd catch fireflies but we call them lightning bugs. Once in a while we'd have fights with corn cobs or pine cones. In the winter we'd build a fire in the fireplace and pop popcorn and roast peanuts and pecans. I guess I was a Livewire. When I was 19 I went to work in Dallas at a Firestone Tire store. I didn't like city life, and for a long time I'd go home every chance I got. Mama would always cook my favorite foods. Fried okra. hoppin john that's rice and black eyed peas and pecan pie. We had lots of good times, but going home is not the same now. [Sneeze] After daddy died, Mama sold the farm and moved to Tyler. I'd rather be living on a farm right now instead of here in the city. But my wife and kids don't understand me when I gripe about the city live and talk about moving to the country. My oldest child says Daddy, that's crazy. I just die if I had to live on a farm. I almost cried the first time she said that. I know Texas is changing. But I try to make sure we don't lose touch with our roots. While we live in a city. I want my kids to have a good feeling for the land. Have a sense of place and take pride in being Texan. If they lose our ties to the land. The price of progress progress is too high. 

So one of the overarching research questions through the targeted Texas program is about linguistic changes in Texas. As part of this project on linguistic researchers asking the interview participants read a brief passage, which should only take about a couple minutes. It's short made up story about life in Texas that was created in the 1980s. And since then, linguistic researchers have recorded a few 100 Texans reading it. They use these recordings as samples of people standard way of speaking as they try and track how speech in Texas varies and changes over time. Would you be willing to read this brief passage aloud?  

Thank you. [Pause] Thank you for contributing your voice to the collection. And thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences with me. I really appreciate your time and generosity. If you don't have any other questions or comments, I can go ahead and stop the recording.  

Thank you ma'am. 

Alright.