‘wise' mentor
By Linda Ruminer
Congratulations to all the winners in the Tulare Historical Museum's essay contest for elementary and high school students, who wrote about “What I Learned from a Grandparent.” Thank you for the rich history you are passing on to the museum.
What follows are excerpts from an essay by Christian Webb, who won first place in the eighth grade division. He will receive $75. Essays of other winners will be featured in future Tulare History columns.
Tulare
- Wise, spiritual, and enthusiastic are great words to describe my
grandpa. Carlos Madrid Holguin was born in Carlsbad, N. M. in 1943. He
eventually ended up living here in Tulare but the world he lives in today
and the one I'm growing up in is very different from the one of his childhood
days.
My grandpa grew up living throughout the state of New Mexico. His dad died just before he was born and his mother died when he was 12 years old, so his family relied upon the work his brothers could find in cement construction.
Without parents for much of his upbringing, Grandpa's house was nothing more than a trailer at times, and on the bad side of town. The town was separated by race, whites on one side and Mexicans and blacks on the other. When they could get into a home at all, it was usually a rundown rental. Sad to say, cockroaches and rats were just part of the family.
Grandpa spent most of his upbringing sleeping on the kitchen floor with some of his brothers and sisters. Their meals consisted mostly of beans, potatoes, chili and occasionally some rabbits, if they could hunt them in a nearby field. A lot of times his only shower was the one he took at school. That is a lot different from the nice three- bedroom, Spanish-style stucco and tile house he lives in today.
What this shows me, though, is that with enough hard work and commitment anyone can make it in the world.
Clothing during my grandpa's growing up years was sure different than the clothes he or I wear today. Back then, he was known as a Chu-ko. This was a style of dress that came from El Paso, Texas, where young Mexicans wore Stacey, long pointed shoes, with starch-ironed khaki pants, starch-ironed collared shirts, a cross necklace, and long, greased back hair. He remembers in junior high the time officials rounded up all the Mexicans with long, greased back hair and cut their hair short.
Getting an education was tough for my grandpa. When he was a kid, school was fun up until junior high … but in high school there was a lot of prejudice from whites to Mexicans and whites to blacks. This caused him to drop out of school in the 10th grade.
After dropping out, he went to work in the oil fields. His boss inspired him by saying, “You're too smart to be working in the oil fields. You need to go back to school and finish your degree.” This motivated him, so … he went to Artesia, N.M. for the 11th grade and … to Tulare Union High School for his senior year.
My grandpa thought TUHS was much better than the schools in New Mexico. TUHS had a totally different environment. TUHS was extremely sports oriented, which was great for him since he loved to run and be athletic, and it had an enjoyable, friendly feel to it.
One of my grandpa's first careers when he got out of high school was interpreting English. He worked and interpreted in clothing stores, then became a cement worker with his brothers and eventually formed a cement contracting company.
Even at the age of 68 he's still working in that business.
We are similar because when he was a little boy he always wanted to be an architect; however, that never became a reality for him. Now that I have scoped out some of the better paying jobs and know a little more of what my strengths are, I've decided that I also want to become an architect. Hopefully, I'll fulfill the career that both of us wanted.
My grandpa loves living in Tulare and being with me to watch my sports. He tells me, “As long as you are always seeking God, it will lead to a better life.” He encourages me to stay in school and get an education. I love my grandpa with all my heart and I truly appreciate who he is, especially with the knowledge of where he came from.
The above story is the property
of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit
permission in writing from the publisher.