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Identifier
CelsoPaz_2011_CRP
Description
Mrs. Paz Celso describes her life growing up in the Philippines and her journey to the United States and settling in Salinas, California. Growing up in the Philippines, she was part of a military family with her father being part of the Navy. After her mother’s death, it was there at the military base where she met her husband, and married him at her young age of eighteen and gave birth to six children. After being married for twelve years and having six children, the bombings of Pearl Harbor led to the persecution of her husband which prompted Paz and her family to embark on a twenty-one-day ship journey to the United States with the hope of a safer future for herself and her family. Upon her arrival to Salinas, Paz takes us back to her experiences as a military wife, a mother, and working in the area. She takes us back on her journey of settling in an unknown town and becoming part of the community and connecting with other Filipinos in the Community Center which made her move easier and a more enjoyable experience. She remembers parts of Chinatown in Salinas and her visits to the Republic Café and the experiences that she had integrating with other races and people with other heritages that led her to understand. Along with that she tells us about her husband’s experience in the military here in the United States and how she struggled raising her children by herself a lot of the time with her husband being away and relates her stay in Salinas to historical events such as the Bracero program where she had the opportunity to interact with many men from the Philippines that came to Salinas looking for work. Towards the end of the interview, Ms. Celso goes back and shares her dilemma of not feeling like she belongs in the Philippines anymore and the way that things have changed throughout the years. Along with this, she mentions the disappointment of knowing that the Philippines isn’t the way that she once remembered it and how she didn’t feel like this land that she once called her home isn’t the place where she wants to spend the rest of her life. She ends the interview with wise words to future generations of Filipinos and sharing the qualities that keep the Filipino community together.
Interview Date
10-20-2011
Interviewer
Martha Garcia
Geographic Coverage
Salinas (Calif.)
Subjects
Chinatown (Salinas, Calif.); Philippines--Emigration and immigration; Filipino American families; Families of military personnel; Agricultural laborers
Type
Moving Image
Genre
Oral histories
Digital Format
video/mp4
Language
eng
Digital Collection
Chinatown Renewal Project
Repository
Archives & Special Collections of California State University, Monterey Bay
Disclaimer
These oral histories express the personal views, memories, and opinions of the interviewee. They do not represent the policy or views of California State University, Monterey Bay.
Recommended Citation
Celso, Paz and California State University, Monterey Bay, "Interview with Paz Celso" (2011). Chinatown Renewal Project. 22.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/ohcma_chinatown/22
Rights Statement
