Welcome to part 3 of "Mis Raíces de Zacatecas"
Kevin and I have been vlogging our experience moving to Mexico and strengthening our connection to our cultural roots.
In this vlog, I do some deeper digging into my family's past and present. By interviewing my great aunt and visiting my ancestors graves.
Just up the hill behind my grandfather's house is my great aunt's house.
So my mom's aunt/ my grandfathers sister, older sister and she's still strong at least from last time we saw her.
So we are going to come by and visit "la tia Manuela" lets go see what she says.
Jenny: Hola! I am Leonor's daughter, how are you tía? You look great!
Tía: Wow what a miracle that you visit me.
Jenny: since last time I have been trying to come visit and I couldn't. How are you?
Tía: Look at you with that camera!
kevin: how are you tía?
Tí a: wow what a miracle you visit me! It's been a thousand years since you visit me.
Jenny: He actually came to visit you in August
Kevin: Do you remember when I visited in August with Elena? We brought you cheese.
You're really chewing that gum.
Tía: and How have you guys been? Where is your mom?
Tía: I don't make a mess, I always keep my house very clean. Today I swept three times already.
Jenny: Yes, you are a very clean person, I remember how clean it was since the last time we stayed with you.
Tía: You are very beautiful,
Jenny: Like my aunt
Tía: They say I look like my mom, then I get it from my mom
Kevin: we have a ton of questions for you today so we hope you are ready.
Jenny: We want to know about our roots and history of where we come from.
Tía: Ok, you are super clever!
Jenny: What were your parents named?
Tía: Cruz Raygoza, who is your grandmother Elena's brother
Jenny: Your parents were related to my grandmother??
Tía: No I am talking about the father of my children. My ex husband was the brother of your grandmother Elena
And they were from El Carrizal, Jalisco. That family visits there very often
And they have a lot of family there with the Last name Raygoza like my children.
Jenny: but I was asking about your parents tía.
Tía: Oh my parents? They were from around here.
Jenny: what were they named?
Tía: Salvador Davila was my dad's name.
Kevin: So tía what is your full name?
Kevin: And what year were you born?
the year 1930
I was born in on November 12, 1930. Oh wow I am about to turn 91 years old!
kevin: Well you look tougher than me!
Tía: Don't be lying to me!
Kevin: How long have you been living in San Lorenzo?
Tía: Since.... 1904. That's around the time we came here.
Kevin: It can't be because you were born in 1930.
TIa: Yes I was born in 1930 but we came here in 1934, I told you 1934, or did I say something else?
Kevin: yes you said 1904
Tia: Oh I meant 1934, I had four years of age, and my brother Refugio (your grandfather, may he rest in peace) was 2 years old.
We used to live in a little ranchito in the mesa called "Guadalupito"
We lived there 2 years
I remember when we got there.
We lived in small barnyard I remember we had a very small space for our kitchen.
And I used to tell your grandpa that he talked way too much as a child. and he would respond, you were four years old how do you even remember? Well I DO!
I used to carry your grandpa when he was baby and used to care for him he was only two years old and I was four.
Jenny: wow you both were babies.
Tía: Our neighbor was named Clemente Flores, and he had lots of cows those medium size cows.
And in paint buckets my parents used to milk the cows for our neighbor and we were very small.
We were very poor and we didn't own anything we didn't even have money to eat.
I would tell my parents I am going to carry with my little brother and I would take him to the rooftop with me.
And I remember begging my mom for milk because I was hungry and my mom would say we can't we can't we don't own cows. And I didn't understand.
And our neighbor would ask his wife to offer us milk
Kevin: And how many children do you have living in Chicago?
Tía: I have three children living in Chicago
Kevin: and Do you like Chicago?
Tía: Of course I do.
Kevin: do you like it more here or in Chicago?
Tia: Oh i like it way more in Chicago
Kevin: You like the cold?
Tía: The cold doesn't affect me at all.
Kevin: Do you know if your family came from Spain?
Tía: No
Kevin: Everyone was from Mexico?
Tía: Yes, Everyone was here from Mexico.
Kevin: Do you know if they were from indigenous background or just from around here
Tía: They were just from around here, rural Mexico.
Kevin: So no relation with the local indigenous groups?
Tía: No not at all.... How are you? nice to see you take off the mask!
Jenny: Our chat was cut a little short but I still have lots of questions so we look forward to coming back soon to continue that conversation.
Everytime we come to San Lorenzo we make sure to visit the cematary. It helps to feel a little closer to them.
One of the reasons so strongly connected to this, is not just because I want to maintain that connection.
It's also because it's something I hope to pass down to future generations so I will one day bring my kids here.
And once they know where their ancestors are buried it's my hope that they will continue to visit and bring their kids.
Leonor (Jenny's mom): my mom was from El Carrizal, Jalisco and she would tell us that her parents were rich.
But a brother and cousin ended up taking all of their wealth, when the cristeros situation happened their own family members took everything from them, their properties
So the paddock of San Lorenzo and the surrounding areas ended up rich. Refugio Leaños ended up with all the wealth and he was my mom's cousin.
From there, when we were offered the paddock of San Lorenzo
My mom ended up poor again but always happy.
Jenny: Do you know how my grandma met my grandpa?
Leo: From El Carrizal they came here to el rancho when they formed the ejido to be able to get land.
And around the same time your grandfather came to San Lorenzo for the same reason because they lived in La Mesa of Guadalupito and that's how they met each other.
Jenny: so my grandparetns met here in San Lorenzo
Leonor: Yes here in the rancho is where my mom met my dad and they got married and they had 14 children.
I was the third child to be born
This is the San Lorenzo cemetery it's just uphill from San Lorenzo towards the end of the town limits
People come and buy plot of land and then they build whatever they can afford to build.
So a lot of these are beautiful and extravagant and others are beautiful and humble.
So you have some very simple ones with people from humble backgrounds and they do what they can to honor their loved ones
And my grandparents are just this way and my mom is already there so lets go check it out.
It's very common for ranchos like this to have their own private cemeteries, where not just everyone can be buried here
You need special permission it's usually people who are born and lived here. So you'll see a lot of common last names.
Like Davila, Raygoza, Saldañas, Ortegas,
This is the grave and burial site of my maternal grandparents; my grandpa Cuco Davila and my grandma Elena Raygoza and the youngest of my uncles Noel.
Leonor: Oh mom look how much the bees love you! Kevin record right there, it's the only tomb where the bees love to hang out.
Jenny: is there any family buried here?
Leonor: No this is three spots for the next of us who pass away.
I have said, one day, if I pass away in Mexico then bury me in Mexico. And if I die in U.S.A. then bury me in U.S.A.
I want to be cremated and left over there. I do not want to know where I'll end up I am a coward and don't want to know.
No, it's not cowardice!
I don't want to know if I will be cremated or buried.
Tío Usvaldo: Who's your crush?!
Leonor: He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not...
Leonor: This is what we used to do when we were single.
Tío: you gotta say who your crush is
Leonor: Well right now nobody likes me!
Jenny: stop mom poor flowers!
kevin: That's two flowers and no luck!
Leonor: He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not...
NOBODY LOVES ME!!
Tío Usvaldo: Stop! It's my turn, what do I start with? ok...
She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me, she loves me not...
Usvaldo: AHHRRR let's get out of here she doesn't like me!!
Jenny: Should I do it now? Let's see bae!
Kevin loves me, Kevin don't love me, Kevin Loves me, Kevin don't love me...
(Usvaldo in the background) : Kevin doesn't like you!!
Jenny: AWWW Kevin loves me!!
Leonor: Ok Kevin's turn!!
Jenny: Did tía Manuela make that?
Leonor: my mom, dad and Noel my little brother are here waiting for us someday.
Jenny: And over here?
Next to them is an aunt of mine and my grandparents, my mom's parents and tio Chevo And Next to them is my mom's brothers.
I hope you enjoyed this video and more than anything I hope that our family enjoys this video.
This is a testament and documentation of all the things that they have been through.
To reach to today, and for me to be here.
One of our main motivators for starting this channel was to strengthen our connection to our heritage and our mexican roots.
So it's my hope that via this video future generations get to watch it. I hope that they see this and feel the same amount of love that I feel
For visiting my mom's hometown and grandparents hometown. and that they too come to the cemetery and visit their ancestors.
Because while we have been having fun traveling in Mexico and everything. The main goal has been to feel closer to our roots.
And this is the kind of video we dreamed of making when we first started the channel.
So I feel very fortunate to be able to document a little bit about my family's history and where they are from.
And I hope that future generations are able to benefit from this and learn about where they come from.
Thanks again for watching, if you enjoyed the video go ahead and give it a like, drop a comment, and look forward to hearing your thoughts. and take care.