Other
Mason, Belen Martinez (audio interview #4 of 4)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the final interview with Belen Martinez Mason, conducted in the living room of her modest tract home in Rosemead. She remained open and relaxed throughout the interview and seemed to enjoy the process a great deal. 2/17/1981
- Date
- 2021-04-12
- Resource Type
- Creator
- Campus
- Keywords
- Handle
- Language
- Notes
- SUBJECT BIO - Belen Mason was working in an upholstery shop before she took her job at the Lockheed subassembly plant, which was located near her home in downtown Los Angeles. The first of ten children, Mason was born in Fierro, New Mexico and moved to Los Angeles with her family when she was eleven years old. She married in 1941 and by the time she went to work at Lockheed, she had three children. Her fourth was born after she left Lockheed in 1944, shortly before she was hospitalized with tuberculosis. After her three year hospitalization, in 1947, she re-married and rejoined the labor force, first in Avon sales and then returning to work in an upholstery shop. Following another two year hospitalization, she worked in electronic assembly on and off for the next thirteen years, retiring in 1968 upholstery, by which time she had divorced her second husband and married again. Three interviews were conducted in her modest home in Rosemead, which was decorated with photographs of her family and of the Kennedys and Reagans. An eager and interested participating, Mason viewed her own life as offering a panorama on the early downtown Los Angeles neighborhood where she resided. Proud of her Spanish and Indian heritage, she also was pleased to talk about her family, and often had photographs ready to show me. Although Mason was generally relaxed during the interviews, she became somewhat agitated when she couldn't locate materials or reconstruct events precisely. TOPICS - third husband; marital relationship; children; retirement; health problems; family history; life review; attitudes towards feminism, equal rights, and abortion; social values; and role of women as mothers and bread
- *** File: rrrbmason12.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:26-2:17)... Note: there is background noise of garbage trucks working in the area. Mason continues a discussion regarding her husband's blindness in one eye and the care prescribed by doctors. (2:17-5:17)... Mason discusses her relationship with her third husband, Brian, and the activities they enjoy. She managed the finances in the family; like her two previous husbands, Brian has difficulty handling money. They purchased a home in 1972 on a conventional loan, with the required down payment of $5,000.00. With Mason's careful financial planning and savings, they were able to afford this down payment. Her husband trusts her with the finances and never questions how the money is allocated. (5:17-12:42)... Mason's aspirations for her daughters included a good education. She wanted her daughters to be good wives and mothers if they married, provided their husbands were good men. When her daughters married and got pregnant, she insisted that they stay home and care for their children instead of going into the work place. Noting that her generation's experience was quite different, she feared that her grandchildren might become involved with alcohol and drugs if their mother was not a full-time homemaker. Even though Mason does not regret working, she understands the difficulty involved in juggling work and motherhood and did not want her daughters to circumscribe their roles as mothers by working. (12:42-16:22)... Although two of her daughters speak Spanish, Mason's children do not identify with a "Hispanic" heritage. All three of her daughters are married to Mexicans who are natives of California; however, none of Mason's grandchildren speak Spanish. Mason's youngest daughter, Yolanda, is married with five children, but she also works to help support the family. Mason does not think that this is ideal, but is necessary for the family's survival. (16:22-18:55)... Now that Mason is older and retired from the work force, she spends most of her time at home doing things around the house, such as sewing and gardening. She does suffer from arthritis so some of her activities are limited. She does not drive any longer, but often takes the bus into Los Angeles to go shopping. Although she would change very little about her life if she had to live it over again, she would attend college and pursue a career in social work or nursing. She would like to have studied nursing and traveled around the world helping people in need. Her reward would be seeing people smile rather than any monetary compensation. (18:55-20:35)... Mason would not change anything about her past marriages if she had the opportunity. Although she believes that men should be the head of the family, she was too independent to allow a man to dictate where and when she could spend her money, which was why she kept her finances separate from her husbands. She used the money she earned to care for her family and not to purchase frivolous items. She describes herself as a thrifty woman who likes to have money to spare. (20:35-24:32)... Although Mason believes that women younger than herself have "good points," the battles they wage to get ahead will eventually take a toll on their physical health. She discusses her attitudes towards the changes in women's lives, indicating that sexual freedom and "women turning into men" (lesbians) is not healthy. Mason explains that women fighting for the ERA do not know how to handle men. Even though she believes in equal rights, she thinks that certain kinds of work is better suited for men, such as police work or work that requires heavy lifting. In terms of abortion, she does not support laws that outlaw abortion, but personally opposes abortion because it damages women's health and decreases their chances of bearing children. (24:32-27:10)... Working in the aircraft industry during WWII exposed her to new experiences and was part of her growing process as an adult. This work helped her realize that she did not want to stay home cooking, cleaning, and raising a family. At a very early age, she made a decision not to have many children because of the difficulties her mother went through. Mason lived her life in the "middle" lane not the fast lane. Her only regret in life was that she allowed herself to become run down and her health suffered for it. (27:10-29:36)... Mason provides some closing thoughts to conclude the interview. She describes herself as a happy and contented woman. However, she recognizes that the world is a lot different than when she was growing up and thinks it is getting worse as time goes by. Not only are people hostages in their homes because of crime, but the federal government is in turmoil due to people protesting governmental policies. While people complain about higher income tax laws, they spend their wages on gambling and drinking. She believes that women who work and are the sole caretakers of the home often turn to alcohol and drugs to cope with their lives. At this rate, Mason believes that many women will be dead, insane, or in a rest home by the age of fifty. End of tape.
- Rights Note
- This repository item may be used for classroom presentations, unpublished papers, and other educational, research, or scholarly use. Other uses, especially publication in any form, such as in dissertations, theses, articles, or web pages are not permitted without the express written permission of the individual collection's copyright holder(s). Please contact the CSULB Library Administration should you require permission to publish or distribute any content from this collection or if you need additional information or assistance in using these materials: https://www.csulb.edu/university-library/form/questionssuggestions-the-digital-repository-group
Relationships
- In Collection:
Items
| Thumbnail | File information | Actions |
|---|---|---|
|
1656701232447322-rrrbmason12.mp3 Public
|
Download |
|
|
9762514042957086-rrrbmason1.jpg Public
|
Download |
|
|
3183731729140811-rrrbmss2.jpg Public
|
Download |