For my speech I interviewed my mom’s parents. My Grandpa was born in Guadalajara Mexico and so was my Grandma’s Grandfather, Jesus Manjarrez.. My Great-Great Grandfather, Jesus, came to the US in 1917 when he was 14. The Mexican Revolution was going on and a family member had already been hung. He had to hide in the hills of Mexico for quite a while to avoid being caught , before finally escaping from Pancho Villa’s men. When he got to the US he didn’t speak any English, so by sitting in a restaurant and listening to others order, he learned how to order pie and coffee. By the time he learned to speak English he was sick of pie! 

 In 1956 my mom’s dad, Felipe Valtierra, came to Indiana from Guadalajara Mexico. He was 10 and he had to start school here in kindergarten. He learned English quickly so he was able to skip 2 grades at a time and by the time he was in 8th grade he was caught up to kids his own age. He had jobs delivering newspapers, moving furniture and then in a Mexican restaurant from the time he was 12. He graduated from high school at Andrean and went on to work for the railroad from the time he was 18 to the present. 

His Grandfather, my other great-great grandfather, was a shoemaker in Guadalajara. His name was David Valtierra. He did Aztec dancing to honor the Virgin Mary.

My Great Great Grandpa, Jesus Manjarrez

Midi - Fernando by Abba

Can you hear the drums fernando?
 I remember long ago another starry night like this
 In the firelight fernando 
You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar
 I could hear the distant drums
 And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar

 They were closer now fernando
 Every hour every minute seemed to last eternally
 I was so afraid fernando 
We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die
 And I’m not ashamed to say 
The roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry 

There was something in the air that night 
The stars were bright, fernando 
They were shining there for you and me
 For liberty, fernando 
Though I never thought that we could lose 
There’s no regret
 If I had to do the same again
 I would, my friend, fernando 

Now we’re old and grey fernando
 And since many years I haven’t seen a rifle in your hand 
Can you hear the drums fernando? 
Do you still recall the frightful night we crossed the rio grande?
 I can see it in your eyes 
How proud you were to fight for freedom in this land 

There was something in the air that night 
The stars were bright, fernando 
They were shining there for you and me
 For liberty, fernando 
Though I never thought that we could lose 
There’s no regret
 If I had to do the same again
 I would, my friend, fernando 

BACK

set from

do not remove