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Shelit, Alicia (audio interview #3 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the third and final interview with Alicia Shelit conducted in the kitchen of her daughter's home, where she had recently moved. Shelit seems more focused and articulate in this interview than in the two earlier ones. 2/25/1981
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- 2021-03-30
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- 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 - gender roles; work expectations; family life; domestic responsibilities; work experiences; labor strikes and union activities; race relations at Douglas Aircraft; and marriage to second husband;mother; children; work environment; working conditions; effect on health of dust particles and fumes at Douglas;impact of defense work on her life; parents; domestic values and household management; retirement; social activities; racial discrimination; senior citizen activities; attitudes towards future; social values; generretirement; social and community activities; children and family life; attitudes towards the women's liberation movement, gender equality, abortion, social changes; social values; generational differences; changes
- *** File: rrrashelit7.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-2:54)... Shelit did not have a problem adjusting to working in a mechanical environment. Her leadman once told her that she could have been "something" had she pursued an education. She enrolled in night school while she was employed at Douglas. However, the burden of juggling work, family, and school was too heavy. When she started building aircraft, people told her that she was doing a man's job and would be treated like a man. In 1951, she was transferred to a department that was completely staffed by men. She told her co-workers that she would respect them if they respected her. She did not have any problems being the only woman in the department. She ate lunch with the men and they talked about their families and social lives. (2:54-4:44)... While she was employed at Douglas, she very rarely went out on dates with the opposite sex. When she got off of her evening shifts, she went home and handled household and childcare responsibilities. She digresses regarding her standing in the neighborhood, indicating that she was known as "grandma" because her home was a gathering place for children to play. She did not have any problems with the boys in the neighborhood and often walked home from Douglas alone at night. (4:44-8:05)... Many of the Shelit's male co-workers thought she worked harder than a man. She enjoyed her job and wanted to do it right so that it would pass inspection. She got along well with her co-workers and many of her foremen wanted her to work with them because of her strong work ethic and high skill level. Her job classification was an "A" station mechanic. Even though offered the opportunity, she did not want to assume a lead position because it required too much responsibility. (8:05-17:46)... Shelit discusses her picketing activities during the Douglas labor strike in 1951. The union helped her during the strike by paying her rent and purchasing groceries for her children. The union prohibited picketers from arguing with scabs or destroying their cars as they drove into the plant. She declined a steward position with the union when the strike was settled because she did not agree with complaints about Black workers' personal hygiene. She also was involved in a strike in 1943 while working for Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego. At that time, she was a union steward for the AFL. The foreman there called her a "Mexican Jew" because of her role in settling disputes between supervisors and employees. The Longshoremen's union assisted employees during the strike. Strikebreakers were hurled into the water when they crossed the picket lines and picketers blocked trucks from entering the plant during the strike. (17:46-22:04)... Shelit believes that Whites from cities in the Midwest and the south had a difficult time adjusting to working with Blacks. She did not encounter any racial prejudice while at Douglas. There were very few Mexicans employed at the plant during the war, as many of the Mexican men were in the service. Shelit did not complain to her foremen about co-workers. She allowed things to slide off her back and stayed out of matters that did not directly involve her. (22:04-29:18)... In 1944, she met her second husband, Floyd Shelit, while on a blind date at the Cinderella Dance Hall on the Pike. They divorced after when she learned that her husband was addicted to drugs. He was a good stepfather to her children. She discusses her husband's family and his life after they divorced. End of tape. *** File: rrrashelit8.mp3 (0:00-3:18)... Note: there is an interruption in this segment when Shelit answers the telephone. Shelit's husband's drug addiction began during WWII when he started taking drugs to deal with "shell shock." When Shelit divorced her second husband, she did not want to remarry. She thought about her future retirement and the possibility of traveling with her mother. She discusses her mother and their relationship. (3:18-13:17)... Shelit wanted her children to have the best. They were well dressed and well behaved. All three of her children went to school and graduated. Her son went to Preston, a reform school, for two years because he started a rumor about his high school principal and another teacher. She taught her children to appreciate what they had and to respect other people. She discusses her children and their families. (13:17-22:22)... Shelit did not experience menopause. After the birth of her third child, she received a hysterectomy because the doctors found cancerous tumors in her reproductive organs. She did not experience any health problems until the 1970s when she started having trouble with reoccurring colds. Her health became so poor that she decided to retire from Douglas. Information that she gained through newspaper articles and from friends helped her understand that her symptoms were typically those associated with white lung. She sought legal representation and was sent to a doctor at UCLA who diagnosed her with white lung. Shelit discusses her medical care and how her work environment contributed to her illness. (22:22-26:10)... Despite her current health problems, she would work at Douglas again if she had the opportunity to live her life over. She enjoyed her work and believes that Douglas was the only defense company that treated women well. The work environment was clean. However, this environment made employees susceptible to breathing in dust particles and harmful fumes. (26:10-29:42)... The people she worked for at Douglas were good people. Most of the supervisors at the plant were men. She recalls that in the 1960s a White woman was promoted to an assistant foreman position. During WWII, some women were employed as inspectors. She digresses regarding her friendship with a co-worker. *** File: rrrashelit9.mp3 (0:00-1:59)... Shelit continues to discuss her friendship with a male co-worker at Douglas. (1:59-7:59)... In general, Shelit does not believe that working at Douglas affected her life in a profound way other than providing her with the income to live comfortably. She describes herself as a family-oriented person who defined her life by a clean and beautiful home. She enjoyed collecting antique furniture and china and used a lot of her earnings to purchase linens and household items to decorate her home. She worked hard for what she acquired over the years. Her earnings at Douglas also allowed her to save money; however, much of her savings was spent on doctor bills. (7:59-10:46)... Shelit cares for her mother even though she lives in a rest home. Her father was a good looking man and enjoyed the company of other women. Shelit often saw her mother cry because of her father's behavior but her mother never got angry and yelled. Her mother believed in the Mexican ideal that "when you marry, you marry for good regardless," which was not a philosophy that Shelit practiced in her own personal relationships. (10:46-23:27)... Note: there is an interruption in this segment when Shelit answers the telephone. She enjoyed her work at Douglas and her co-workers. Since retirement, she continues to visit the union hall and participate in senior citizen activities. She discusses her activities with a senior citizen club in which she was involved. A woman in this group was prejudiced towards Mexican Americans and often voiced her bigoted attitudes to the women in the group. Shelit and all of the Mexican women left this group and Shelit organized a new senior citizen club that includes almost one hundred members. She describes the programs, activities, and events organized by the group. (23:27-30:22)... Shelit discusses what she wants for the future. She talks about the differences that exist between her childhood and the generation of children that are being raised around her. She also discusses her health and a heart attack she suffered due to the excitement involved in all of her social activities. End of tape. *** File: rrrashelit10.mp3 (0:00-4:25)... Shelit continues a discussion regarding her community activities. She misses working and got involved in senior citizen activities to keep herself busy. She digresses regarding her relationship with her daughter and son-in-law. She resides with her daughter who pays most of her living expenses. (4:25-6:31)... Although the women's liberation movement deals with good issues, Shelit believes that women have taken things too far by expecting gender equality. She discusses her own life as an example of a woman who worked her way up from the bottom without "starting something." She could never envision a female president because that position is a "man's job" and is too stressful for a woman. (6:31-14:48)... Note: there is an interruption in tape when Shelit answers the telephone. Shelit highlights the differences between girls being raised in today's society compared to her experiences as a young girl. These differences are pronounced in behaviors and clothing styles. In her day, women were decent and clean and did not drink or smoke around men in social settings. Overall, people live "too fast" in today's society compared to the environment in which she was raised. She digresses regarding changes in the school system in terms of behavior, discipline, and corporal punishment. (14:48-16:09)... Shelit discusses her attitudes towards illegitimacy and child abandonment in society. She does not believe in abortion and thinks that if a woman gets pregnant because she fails to protect herself during intercourse, she should have her baby and deal with raising a child. (16:09-18:25)... She believes that many children do not appreciate their educational opportunities. When she was growing up, she had to learn things the hard way and did not get books, paper, and pencils for free like children who are educated in today's society. (18:25-21:35)... Shelit reflects on her life, indicating that she just "takes it like it comes." She does not have any regrets and her outlook it towards the future. She preserved through the difficult times, enjoyed her work, and feels positive about the life she has lived.
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