"Everything, I appreciate all of even the bad things, sure I complained about the bad things in life that I did, sometimes I even walked into it. When you're alone or live in a hotel I started dating ladies but not for love. I always worked hard in LA I had to in order to pay rent and eat food, I left my aunt’s house because it wasn’t convenient for example here after I eat I can get a banana but over there I couldn’t. In that house sleep in the basement where there was dirt and it was messy."-Lalo Aguirre
Who's Lalo Aguirre?
Lalo Aguirre is my grandfather who I've known through all of my life, he's currently 84 lives in my house and I decide to interview him because of the many stories I've heard. I really wanted people to hear his interesting and be fascinated just like I was when I first heard about them. He's been through many thing from being a orphan at a young because his father died in a mining indecent. He moved from Tijuana to L.A to live the American dream, he's been many things from a barber to a chef then to college room cleaner.
I interviewed him at San Diego, in our house October, 2015. We talked for 40 minutes -the stories below is taken from the transcript of that interview.
I interviewed him at San Diego, in our house October, 2015. We talked for 40 minutes -the stories below is taken from the transcript of that interview.
The Stories My Grandpa Told Me:
Moving to L.A and returning back to Tijuana
In 1955 I got my passport and live in L.A for 15 year.
I arrive there I lived with my Aunt from my Dad that I never knew and I suffered a lot there because she had her ways too. I lived there for a while and my cousins helped me find a job. She never allowed me to snack on food because she always says that we already ate, why eat more?
I left my aunt’s house a little bit later and moved to an apartment at a hotel. That’s why I tell people that I suffered a lot there was times I that I didn’t even eat, but I always paid for the rent every 8 days. I went back to T.J when my mother died and I decide to stay there but work on in the U.S.
She had a boyfriend so I told her that I’m going to arrive at a certain date and that I don’t want her with a boyfriend and when I arrived she had no boyfriend. She was my childhood sweetheart and since I was forced to marry another girl while I was also dating your grandma.
I knew your grandma since 1950’s, I still haven’t moved to L.A and I met her at parties. I went to a lot of parties since I didn’t like going to school and focused most of my time parting. At that time T.J was a party place where all the soldiers went to party.
In 1955 I got my passport and live in L.A for 15 year.
I arrive there I lived with my Aunt from my Dad that I never knew and I suffered a lot there because she had her ways too. I lived there for a while and my cousins helped me find a job. She never allowed me to snack on food because she always says that we already ate, why eat more?
I left my aunt’s house a little bit later and moved to an apartment at a hotel. That’s why I tell people that I suffered a lot there was times I that I didn’t even eat, but I always paid for the rent every 8 days. I went back to T.J when my mother died and I decide to stay there but work on in the U.S.
She had a boyfriend so I told her that I’m going to arrive at a certain date and that I don’t want her with a boyfriend and when I arrived she had no boyfriend. She was my childhood sweetheart and since I was forced to marry another girl while I was also dating your grandma.
I knew your grandma since 1950’s, I still haven’t moved to L.A and I met her at parties. I went to a lot of parties since I didn’t like going to school and focused most of my time parting. At that time T.J was a party place where all the soldiers went to party.
Living with his brother and his troubled youth
My brother was a barber and he taught to shine people's shoes and cut their hair. He got all the shoe shiners and made me give them haircuts. My brother was so strict that he made me cut their hair with scissors. He also hit me if they moved and made me messed up their haircuts.
One time my brother got me angry since he slapped me, so I got the knife I have upstairs and I pulled out the knife and told him in mid tears “You know what brother I had.” I made my brother cry and since then he started respecting me ever since, I did it because I was tired of him treating me that way and since I lived with him never let me do anything.
I started joining the pachucos. I joined a gang were we pachucos but if two people from opposing gangs got in a fight no one would join since it’s a fight between two people but if someone else joined then everyone else would get in the fight and it would be a disaster
Yes many times, I would shank them. The knife I have upstairs is the same knife I’ve used for 50 years.
We always had guns in our side and people respected us. Nowadays you can drive by and kill someone with a machine gun.
My brother was a barber and he taught to shine people's shoes and cut their hair. He got all the shoe shiners and made me give them haircuts. My brother was so strict that he made me cut their hair with scissors. He also hit me if they moved and made me messed up their haircuts.
One time my brother got me angry since he slapped me, so I got the knife I have upstairs and I pulled out the knife and told him in mid tears “You know what brother I had.” I made my brother cry and since then he started respecting me ever since, I did it because I was tired of him treating me that way and since I lived with him never let me do anything.
I started joining the pachucos. I joined a gang were we pachucos but if two people from opposing gangs got in a fight no one would join since it’s a fight between two people but if someone else joined then everyone else would get in the fight and it would be a disaster
Yes many times, I would shank them. The knife I have upstairs is the same knife I’ve used for 50 years.
We always had guns in our side and people respected us. Nowadays you can drive by and kill someone with a machine gun.