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Identifier
DellaHonorio_2011_CRP
Description
Mr. Honorio Della talks about how his parents came to be together. He explains how they both came to the United States. He explains how they became the first Filipino farm laborers in the Salinas Valley. He goes into detail, about the life of a Filipino farm laborer, and how he did the same work growing up, until he went to college. Mr. Della talks about how education was extremely important in his parents’ eyes, and then in his eyes when he took on the role of being a parent. “It wasn’t a choice if you were going to college, but where you attended was your choice.” He, his wife, and his son all went to Cal Poly. His daughter chose to go to Berkley. His wife was the first female to graduate from Cal Poly’s architectural program. Mr. Della talks a great deal about moving, and work history’. He worked for several different classmates, in different parts of California. Then when he felt independent enough, he opened up his own architectural firm. Mr. Della still is a very' hard working man. When he is not at work in the vineyards, he is doing volunteer work. He has received many awards for all the volunteer work he has done, including volunteer of the year in the city of Soledad. He also talks about the military, and two separate wars, at any time in the interview. Both wars had a major impact in his life. He ties his personal stories in together with when the wars took place. He talks about how the war affected the Japanese people he knew. Chinatown isn’t something much he remembers of, but what he does remember, he remembers with fondness. Everything he says about Chinatown is good memories, except for when he speaks of the Japanese disappearing, and the gong being taken down, at the Buddhist Temple. Mr. Della feels a sense of disconnection to his culture saying, “Everything I have learned about my culture has come from the labor camps, or a book.”
Interview Date
10-27-2011
Interviewer
Jeannette R. Copas
Geographic Coverage
Salinas (Calif.)
Subjects
Chinatown (Salinas, Calif.); Filipino American families; Agricultural laborers; Seasonal Farm Laborers Program; Filipino language; Architectural practice
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
Della, Honorio and California State University, Monterey Bay, "Interview with Honorio Della" (2011). Chinatown Renewal Project. 29.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/ohcma_chinatown/29
Rights Statement
