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Shelit, Alicia (audio interview #1 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the first of three interviews with Alicia Shelit conducted in the kitchen of her daughter's home, where she had recently moved. Shelit jumps around to different subjects during the interview and often does not provide responses to specific questions. Although the overall audio quality of the interview is good, it is occasionally difficult to understand her due to a tendency to mumble. 2/9/1981
- Date
- 2021-03-22
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- Notes
- *** File: rrrashelit1.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-4:50)... Shelit's maternal grandfather was French. He was stationed in Mexico during the Mexican War, at which time he met her grandmother who was part Mexican and part Indian. When they married, he went to work for the railroad and later was killed on the job. Shelit's paternal grandfather and grandmother immigrated to the United States from Spain and settled in Santa Barbara. Her father was born in Santa Barbara. He was sent him to Mexico to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad. He was responsible for transporting Mexicans to the US to work in the sugar fields. During one of his visits to Mexico, he married Shelit's mother and brought her to the US. Shelit spent a part of her childhood in Lakewood. Her family later moved to Hawaiian Gardens. (4:50-9:13)... Shelit's paternal grandfather was a fisherman and a lumberjack in Santa Barbara. Her grandmother divorced him, leaving him with two daughters and a son, who were sent to the Santa Barbara Mission, where they were raised and educated. Her father left the mission and moved to Chicago to live with his mother. His stepfather paid for his education at the University of Chicago. Her father started working for the railroad in Chicago, but during the Depression he returned to California. Eventually, he was hired by Spreckels to transport American money from Tijuana into the US, keeping this job until he retired in 1950. He died in 1951. Shelit talks about relatives on both sides of her family, including an aunt, who was the largest flower grower in the Bellflower area before she died. (9:13-13:07)... Shelit's parents married when her mother was twenty-one years old. They settled in an area of Artesia that is now Hawaiian Gardens. Shelit describes what Hawaiian Gardens and the surrounding areas was like before the Long Beach earthquake destroyed much of the area's natural landscape. Her family entertained themselves by visiting the Pike in Long Beach and having picnics on the beach. She and her friends use to sell things in Hawaiian Gardens so that they could earn enough money to go to the movies. (13:07-16:30)... Shelit and her family lived on a ranch in a two-room home. One room was a kitchen with a wood-burning stove. Water was pumped into the house. When field workers ate meals at a local dining hall, they tied their horses to the trough located in front of Shelit's home. The owners of the dining hall gave Shelit and her family any leftover food. Shelit walked to school with children who lived in the area. She provides the names of these families. When she was in the fifth grade she went to a new school much further from her home. (16:30-17:40)... During the Depression, Shelit worked at Knott's Berry Farm as a waitress. She walked from Hawaiian Gardens to Knotts. The restaurant served berries, pie, and sandwiches. The only income she received while at this job was customer's tips. (17:40-22:13)... Shelit was born in Mexico on March 14, 1928 while her mother was visiting her parents. She is the third of six children, four boys and two girls. Her mother also raised two Indian girls and two Indian boys. The Indian boys died in Mexico from chicken pox. Shelit's mother brought the two Indian girls to California and raised them like her own daughters. (22:13-25:39)... Shelit applied for a job at Douglas Aircraft in 1940. She was told that she had "mechanical hands" and did not require any training. A male employee taught her the basics of her job, which included how to use different types of tools and machinery and how to read blueprints. From 1941-43, she worked on a Douglas contract for Consolidated Aircraft, San Diego. When that contract ended, she worked for another aircraft company until she was transferred to the Douglas plant in Long Beach. Whenever there was a layoff at Douglas, she was transferred to a different plant. She ultimately ended up at the Alameda plant and worked there until 1976 when she was hit by a car in the parking lot and received back surgery. (25:39-29:01)... Shelit's parents were very strict. Whenever she went out, she was chaperoned by her older brother. He usually had a blind date lined up for her. She frequently went to the Pike and attended "Cinderella" dances. She describes herself as a tomboy. She enjoyed horseback riding, fishing, and hunting. When she started working, she gave all of her wages to her mother, who decided how the money would be allocated. She digresses regarding her memories of Christmas. *** File: rrrashelit2.mp3 (0:00-3:12)... The farmhands who worked on her uncle's farm were immigrants from Mexico. Shelit did not have any contact with them while she was growing up. Her parents were strict and she had to obey certain curfews when she was in school or when she went out with friends. Her father was often away from home when he was recruiting workers in Mexico. For this reason, Shelit's family stayed in Hawaiian Gardens and lived on her uncle's farm. Before working for Knott's Berry Farm, Shelit worked on her aunt's flower farm on the weekends and sold Dahlias at a market in Long Beach. (3:12-4:32)... Shelit's parents attended a Protestant church in Artesia. Her parents were Catholics at one time, but her mother converted to Protestantism and her father to Christian Scientology. Her parents did not socialize outside church activities or family gatherings. A popular activity among her family was going on picnics in the riverbed. (4:32-6:23)... After Shelit's father retired, her mother worked outside the home for a brief period. Overall, however, her mother's life was consumed with taking care of her home and family. Household chores were divided along gender lines; the men worked outside and the women inside. Shelit was not responsible for household chores when she was growing up. However, her mother disciplined her by making her iron clothes. Her inexperience in household management made her life difficult when she married. (6:23-8:01)... Shelit was a tomboy when she was a child. Her parents did not place any restrictions on her activities because of her sex. She enjoyed physical activities and describes some of the games she played as a child. After Shelit had children, her mother was their caretaker and did all of the cooking and cleaning around the house. Shelit's only responsibility was to bring home the money "like a man." (8:01-10:10)... Shelit's mother did not tell her about menstruation. She prepared herself by listening to her girlfriends' experiences. When she started her period, she did not tell her mother. Shelit pinned old rags to her underwear to protect herself when she was on her period. (10:10-10:41)... Her mother planted various vegetables in their home garden. She had to do many things alone while living on the farm because Shelit's father was frequently away on business. Her mother never complained about her father's absence from the home. (10:41-12:16)... Her mother took her to dances and to the movies. They often dressed up and went shopping in Los Angeles. They also rode their horses into town and took the streetcar to Long Beach. Her mother loved to dance and taught Shelit and her sisters how to dance. (12:16-17:24)... Shelit's father demanded that his family speak English in the home, and students were only allowed to speak English at school. The Mexican students were segregated from the White students. Segregation also existed in a Bellflower theater, in which a rope was used to separate the patrons. A Mexican girl tore this rope down and a case was filed with the superior court, which resulted in the desegregation of the schools and the theater. Corporal punishment was used when Shelit attended school and students were hit with a ruler when they misbehaved. Shelit left school in the fifth grade during the Depression. Her father was ill with typhoid fever and her mother was suffering from cervical cancer. Shelit was responsible for taking care of her younger brother. The family survived by eating potatoes and beans. (17:24-19:24)... Shelit was very close with her relatives. She was taught to respect her elders. Her parents allowed other family members to discipline their children if they misbehaved in their presence. (19:24-25:05)... Shelit describes the clothing she wore when she was a child. Even though she wore dresses, she was not restricted in her physical activities. When she got home from school, she had to remove and hang up her clothing before she went outside and played. Shelit was responsible for mending her clothing. She believes she dressed as well as the wealthy children. She digresses regarding her friendship with the Bixby children and the activities they did together. (25:05-25:40)... When Shelit left school in the fifth grade due to her parents' illnesses, her play activities did not decrease. She took turns taking care of her younger brother with her older siblings. She got along well with her siblings and extended relatives. (25:40-27:29)... Shelit started dating boys when she was fifteen years old. She was chaperoned by her older brother whenever she went out on dates. She digresses regarding her activities after she retired from Douglas Aircraft. (27:29-30:11)... Although Shelit heard about gangsters, she did not come in contact with any of these characters while she was growing up. She believes that the Pachucos did not become popular until the 1950s. End of tape. *** File: rrrashelit3.mp3 (0:00-4:40)... When Shelit was a young girl, her plans for the future included marriage. She met her fiance at the Pike in Long Beach when she was fifteen years old. He was a sailor stationed with the Navy. They got engaged without her parents' knowledge. She did not tell her father about her engagement because he did not want her to date a Navy man. Her fiance was killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. (4:40-9:49)... Shelit was forbidden from swearing or lying. Her parents had strict rules about their children's behavior and manners. At the dinner table, they were not allowed to speak while eating. She digresses regarding the circumstances that led to her learning how to drive her parents' Model T Ford. If one of her siblings misbehaved, her parents disciplined all of the children. When her father left on business, he gave the children strict orders regarding their responsibilities while he was away from home. He also left notes with his children's school teachers detailing similar orders. (9:49-14:01)... Shelit's mother was fluent in Spanish and only partially spoke English. However, Shelit's father made it a rule that only English be spoken in their home. He told his children that English was required when they attended school. Shelit's father was the head of the household. He financially supported the family and made all of the decisions for the family. Her mother was expected to cook, clean, and take care of the house and the children while her father worked. Shelit's parents demanded that the inside and outside of their home be clean. (14:01-17:28)... Her father wanted his children receive an education. He owned several books on Christian Scientology and law, which he used to keep up on legal matters related to his work transporting immigrants across the US/Mexican border. He encouraged Shelit to return to school, but she felt she was too old. Her brother went to a CCC camp during the Depression. He came back when he was seventeen and enlisted in the Navy to help with the war effort. (17:28-20:55)... During the Depression, Shelit worked for a teacher baby sitting his children in the evenings. She also worked at her aunt's dahlia farm and at Knotts Berry Farm as a waitress. She learned about employment opportunities at Knotts Berry Farm through a friend who picked berries there. Shelit wanted a "clean" job. Mr. Knotts called her "black eyes" and taught her how to be a waitress. She then went to work at a school cafeteria in Artesia for the WPA. She was paid $25 a month. She worked for the WPA until WWII broke out. (20:55-22:30)... Shelit was usually chaperoned by her father or her brother when she left the home. When she did not have a chaperone, her parents made her carry a note that provided their information should she be involved in an accident. This was a Spanish custom. (22:30-24:16)... Shelit left Knotts Berry Farm when she was recruited by the WPA. Her job with the WPA provided better pay and helped her family during the Depression. During the summer and on weekends, she also helped her uncle clear weeds on his farm. (24:16-26:30)... Her parents did not buy her very many things when she was growing up because their income was limited. The children were expected to share their belongings and take good care of their playthings. Although Shelit and her siblings rode to the store with their parents, they had to stay in the wagon while their parents went into the store to shop. She digresses regarding trips to the San Diego area to visit her father while he was working at the border. (26:30-28:54)... While Shelit was growing up, her parents did not celebrate traditional Mexican holidays. Her father considered himself and his children Spaniards, not Mexicans. Her parents did not allow them to socialize with Mexican children; however, they "snuck" around with Mexicans. She digresses regarding a brother who served in Egypt from 1941-56 and married a Greek woman. End of tape.
- SUBJECT BIO - Until she was hired at Douglas Aircraft in 1940, Alicia Shelit has worked primarily in either service jobs or agriculture. Born in Artesia, California, the third of six children, Shelit began working in the fields at age eleven, after completing the fifth grade. She first married in 1932 and by the time she went to work at Douglas, she was divorced and raising her three children. Once hired, she was transferred to other Douglas plants as needed until she was forced to quit in 1976 due to health problems. She was subsequently diagnosed with White Lung (asbestosis) and went to court to have her disease recognized as work related. Three interviews were conducted in her daughter's home, where she had recently moved. Despite her failing health, she maintained a busy schedule, including serving as an advocate for Spanish speaking senior. But she was always ready to attend to the task of the interviews. Not intimidated by the interview process, she was open and straightforward, though she tended to skip over painful, personal events in her life. As with many of the other women who continued to work in aircraft, there was a tendency to jump back and forth between different time periods when talking about the job. TOPICS - family background and family history; description of city landscape; childhood; social activities; housing and living conditions; school; early work experiences; and employment at Douglas Aircraft;family life; parents; childhood; gender roles; menstruation; segregation; the Depression; family responsibilities; school; clothing; social activity; and friendships;dating; engagement; family history and family life; childhood; gender roles; the Depression; early work experiences; and ethnic identity;
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