Oral History Collaborations

In this interview, Antoinette Yvonne DeOcampo Lechtenberg speaks with Olivia Sawi, a member of the Watsonville is the Heart project team. Lechtenberg discusses her family background and immigration from the Philippines and Texas to Watsonville and later Aromas. She also discusses her experience growing up in a working-class, mixed-race family. She remembers her father's difficulties navigating the 1965 Delano Grape Strike as a foreman. Lechtenberg also talked about the effects of pesticides on her family's health and her turn towards herbalism and holistic medicine. She details her relationship with food as a product of her father's love for eating.

In the first part of this three part interview, Paul Phillip DeOcampo speaks with Dr. Kathleen "Kat" Cruz Gutierrez, a member of the Watsonville is in the Heart project team. DeOcampo briefly discusses his father and mother's migration history and their relationship. He briefly recounts a trip he took back to the Philippines at the age of eleven. Lastly, he details his experiences growing up in the small town of Aromas, California, and the racial demographic of his school.

In this interview, originally recorded via Zoom, Veronica Hernandez speaks with Dioscoro "Roy" Respino Recio, Jr. and Amanda Gamban who are members of the Watsonville is in the Heart project team. Hernandez gives a broad overview of her family's immigration history and experience living in the Pajaro Valley as agricultural workers. She discusses her father's immigration from the Philippines to the United States in 1928 and her mother's experience moving from Texas to California. Hernandez details memories of working in agricultural fields with her parents. She also discusses her experience growing up as mixed-race and her encounters with racism. Lastly, she discusses how working in the fields inspired her to pursue a career as an ESL teacher and her employment after leaving the fields in her 20s.

In this interview, originally conducted in-person, Daniel "Dan" Kerubin Fallorina speaks with Watsonville is in the Heart team members Meleia Simon-Reynolds and Christina Ayson Plank. Dan reflects on his parents', Mariano Doctor Fallorina Sr. and Angelina Nicolas Fallorina, home gardening practices. He describes the produce Mariano grew at home using the skills he honed as an agricultural laborer and the flower gardens Angelina tended throughout her life. Dan explains that gardening was a way his parents relaxed after long days working in Watsonville agricultural fields and canneries. He also discusses how his parents shared the products of their gardens with friends and members of their community. This interview is part three of a series of three interviews conducted by the Watsonville is in the Heart team with Dan Fallorina.

In this interview, originally recorded in-person, Daniel "Dan Kerubin Fallorina speaks with Ian Hunte Doyle, a member of the Watsonville is in the Heart team. In the interview, Dan describes his mother, Angelina Nicolas Fallorina's career in Watsonville's food processing industry from 1963 through 1987. He explains that Angelina worked for United Foods and in the Green Giant-Pillsbury factory. Dan shares that while working in food processing, Angelina was a member of the Teamsters Local 912 union. In addition, Dan discusses Angelina's work in agriculture. He describes Angelina's work harvesting produce as well as her role overseeing bookkeeping while the Fallorina family sharecropped strawberries with Reiter Berries during the 1960s. Dan also reflects on Angelina's involvement in Watsonville First United Methodist Church and her love for gardening. This interview is part two of a series of three interviews conducted by the Watsonville is in the Heart team with Dan Fallorina.

In this interview, originally recorded over Zoom, Ruth Tabancay speaks with Watsonville is in the Heart team member Maia Mislang. Ruth is a Bay Area-based textile and fiber artist. Ruth explains how her mother Esther Galicia immigrated to the United States from the Philippines to attend Hartnell College in Salinas. Esther's immigration to the US was sponsored by her aunt, Paula Galicia. Ruth discusses Esther's twenty-five years of experience working at Green Giant cannery in Watsonville. Ruth also explains that her father Benny Tabancay worked in the dry cleaning business rather than in the agricultural fields like many other men. Throughout the interview Ruth reflects on her time growing up within the Filipino American community in Watsonville, as well as how her identity and experiences impact her current art practice. She fondly recalls participating in Filipino folk dance classes, wearing traditional Filipiniana clothing, playing street games with neighborhood kids, and making decorations Fourth of July parade floats with her mother and other members of the Filipino Women's Club of Watsonville.

In this interview, originally recorded in-person at Paradise Villa Assisted Living and Memory Care in Live Oak, California, Francine Tabasa Lopes speaks with Una Lynch, Christina Ayson Plank, and Meleia Simon-Reynolds, members of the Watsonville is in the Heart team. Francine shares stories about her parents, Jesus Torrente Tabasa and Rosita "Rosie" Dionisio Tabasa-Estrada. She explains how her parents migrated to the United States from the Philippines during the 1920s and 1930s and eventually settled in Watsonville. Francine discusses Jesus's agricultural labor and the restaurants and other businesses both of her parents owned and operated in Watsonville. She provides details about Rosie's restaurant business, Philippine Gardens (originally Oriental Cafe). She describes the restaurant's various locations in downtown Watsonville and the gambling operations that existed within the restaurant. Francine also reflects on her experiences growing up under the care of her maternal grandmother, Benita Carpio Dionisio.

In this interview, originally recorded in person, Lorraine "Rain" Sipin Bongolan speaks with Watsonville is in the Heart team member, Una Lynch. Rain talks about her father, Felix Hidalgo Bongolan's immigration from Santiago, Ilocos Sur, Philippines to Oahu, Hawai'i where he worked as a foreman for Dole pineapple plantations during the 1940s. She shares how Felix met Irene "Inning" Sipin. They communicated via letters until Felix was able to travel back to the Philippines to marry Irene in 1951. Rain also talks about her mother, Irene's life growing up in the Philippines during Japanese occupation. Rain explains how her parents eventually settled in Watsonville, where Irene's brothers were already living. She describes Felix's work as a camp cook at a Filipino labor camp on Lee Road in Watsonville and Irene's involvement with Filipino community events. Rain also elaborates on how notions of assimilation and the American nuclear family impacted her experience growing up in Watsonville.

In this interview, originally recorded in person, Samuel "Sammy" Yoro speaks with Watsonville is in the Heart team member, Hana Yamamoto. Sammy begins by discussing how his father, Sabino Ivanos Yoro came to the United States from the Philippines and eventually settled in Watsonville to work in the lettuce fields. Sammy talks about how he began working with his father harvesting produce in high school and he describes how working in the asparagus fields helped him become a better track and field athlete in high school. Sammy goes on to describe how the agriculture industry evolved over the years and notes the influence of Cesar Chavez on farm labor strikes. Sammy discusses his involvement with The Independent Farmworkers Union. Sammy also talks about his mother, Gregor Otero, who came to Watsonville from New Mexico to start a family and work in the canneries. Sammy reflects on how growing up in a multiracial community affected his views on his parents' interracial marriage, and he remembers his mother's involvement in Filipino community organizations.

In this interview, originally conducted in-person, Anthony "Tony" Bernard Tapiz, Jr. speaks with Watsonville is in the Heart team member, Ian Hunt Doyle. Tony primarily talks about his grandfather, Arsenio "Archie" Soblechero Lopez, who immigrated from Villaris, Pangasinan, Philippines to California in 1929. Tony begins the interview by providing a description of Archie's barbershop, Manila Barbershop that was located on Mission Street in Santa Cruz. He explains that Filipino men would gather in the Ace Cardroom, which Archie operated behind the barbershop, to gamble. He also describes how the barbershop smelled of his grandfather's Ilokano cooking. Tony remembers attending Filipino community dances as a kid, where Archie's band, Archie and the Islanders, would perform. Tony also speaks about his grandmother, Margaret Yepez Lopez, and her involvement in the Filipino Women's Club of Watsonville. He touches on his grandparent's interracial marriage and the obstacles they had to overcome to marry. He also reflects on his experience being Filipino and Mexican or "mestizo." This interview took place at Upper Crust Pizza on Mission Street in Santa Cruz, California. This used to be the location of Archie Lopez's barbershop. In the interview, ambient noise and the voices of other customers can be heard.