When Erminia "Minnie" Lopez Rincon was born, she was not breathing, but the attendant working on her tiny body did not give up until Rincon was breathing on her own. So began the life of a Mexican American woman who would not only endure many unforeseen challenges and emotional struggles, but would also eventually rise above it all to find her passion and true calling in life. In her compelling memoir, Rincon eloquently details her struggles to rise above her humble beginnings living in a railroad camp outside of Chicago, Illinois, with her family of nine. She shares how she coped with life's unforeseen changes by burying her feelings, reading, and doing well in school. Rincon chronicles a difficult childhood only made more challenging by discrimination, the death of her mother, and betrayal by those she trusted. Despite all her obstacles, Rincon matures into adulthood and manages to lead a fairly normal life-until her past finally catches up to her. It is only through therapy that Rincon finally begins to reconcile with her past and realize a long-held, burning desire. Survival within Two Cultures is the story of one woman's determination to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges in order to make her dreams come true.

Survival Within Two Cultures

A MemoirBy Erminia "Minnie" Lopez Rincon

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Erminia "Minnie" Lopez Rincon
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-7313-9

Contents

Introduction......................................................................................1I. Early Years....................................................................................4II. Mother's Death, Repercussions.................................................................22III. Elementary and High School Experience........................................................30IV. Sister Elopes, Sexual Molestation, Father Marries.............................................38V. Graduation / Seeking Employment................................................................47VI. Dating........................................................................................54VII. Marriage, Children, Discrimination...........................................................63VIII. Overload, Splitting Sensations, Therapy.....................................................89IX. Dream Realized—College..................................................................103X. Spain/France Trip, Purdue BS, and Mentor Help..................................................106XI. Lopez Brothers' Death, Temporary Employment, Marriage.........................................117XII. Graduate Student of University of Illinois, Publications, Mentor's Death.....................123XIII. Rudy's Trip, Divorce........................................................................127XIV. Old Molestation Issue Surfaces, Temporary Employment.........................................130XV. Employment, Family Wedding....................................................................138XVI. School Psychologist, Sexual Abuse............................................................142XVII. Professional Embarrassment..................................................................156XVIII. Rudy's Death / Death of Son................................................................168XIX. Retirement and Self-Employment...............................................................185XX. End of Twenty-Five-Year Friendship............................................................199XXI. Correcting an Omission.......................................................................205XXII. Financial Loss..............................................................................214

Chapter One

My father and his two brothers were born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Occasionally I overheard my father mention that his and his brothers' families fled Mexico in 1918 because the brothers refused to join the revolutionary army. Because of their adamant refusal, they feared severe consequences, which included execution. Further, the female members would suffer indignities at the hands of the soldiers. Recently, Uncle Manuel's daughter, Mary Bustamante, shared with me the information her mother told her children. Manuel never talked about the flight from Mexico. He vowed he would never return and he did not! Mary related that one evening Manuel and Luis became aware that they were being watched. Fearing that they would be attacked, they fled home and prepared to leave Mexico. No time was lost gathering their families, including Benito's. With the few possessions and supplies that could be carried, they left their homes and headed for the United States border. A rough estimate of the mileage from San Luis Potosi to Eagle Pass, Texas, is 576 miles. It was an incredibly dangerous trek through rough terrain—often through undeveloped land. Information as to how the families made it to the border is not available. All involved in the escape are deceased. The families entered the United States legally via Eagle Pass, Texas, in 1918. The only entry permits that were found are those of my aunt Silveria and uncle Manuel. These are shown below. My sister Trini was born in Texas on September 21, 1920.

At the time of their entry, Uncle Manuel and his wife, Silveria, had three sons, Calixto, John, and Erie, and one daughter, Mary. My father and his wife, Ildefonsa, entered the United States with two sons, Walter and Joseph, and two daughters, Cecilia and Joan. Uncle Benito and Bascilia, his wife, had three sons, Lino, Angel, and Boniface. Angel returned to Mexico and subsequently entered the seminary. He was ordained on June 3, 1939, and died on July 24, 2009, at the age of ninety-six. Bascilia died in Texas. Details are unknown. Subsequently, Benito, leaving his sons with Aunt Silveria, returned to Mexico to marry Cenobia, the daughter of a family whom he knew in Mexico. The newly married couple returned to Texas and were reunited with their sons. Manuel and his oldest son, Calixto, found work on the railroad. The joy of finding work with the railroad was marred by Mary's death. While in her brother John's care, she strayed from him and was struck and killed by a freight train. She was five years of age. It is not known whether her death prompted the family to relocate to Dallas. In March of 1921, Silveria gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Paula. Benito and Luis, along with the older children found work on the farms.

Subsequently, the three Lopez brothers left Texas with their families and headed north and eastward in search of employment that would provide a better living for their families. Manuel, Silveria, three sons, and daughter settled in Kansas City, Missouri, where Mary was born. Mary was named after the sister who was killed by the freight train. The first home for the family was a rented apartment on Monitor Street, which was over a grocery store and a barbershop. I recall visiting the family then and the fun my sisters and our cousins had in that apartment. We could crawl out the window of one of the rooms and step onto the roof of the barbershop. Playfully, we would get small soft pebbles, and as their patrons left the shop, we would try to hit their heads. When they looked up, of course, they were not able to see us, as we had scooted away from the edge of the roof. Another episode that remains vivid in my mind may have taken place at a subsequent apartment. When we misbehaved, Aunt Silveria would take a broom and chase us as we ran around the large round table in the dining room. While she chased us, her face would break into a smile, which she tried to hide, and we ended up laughing. Uncle Manuel bought houses first on Holly Street and then bought one on Pennsylvania Street. In 1967 he bought a home on Washington Street, where the family lived until his death. Aunt Silveria's death followed one year later. Mary Bustamante, their youngest child, raised her children in her parents' house, and it continues to be her home.

Uncle Manuel was hired by the Frisco Railroad, remaining in their employ until he was forced into an early retirement at the age of fifty-eight. He was struck by a bus and injured so severely that he was in danger of losing his leg. He was adamant that he would not allow his leg to be amputated. It was through prayer by all and sheer will that he kept his leg. However, he was no longer able to work. Once, he showed me the damage done to his leg. It was not a pretty sight. His determination and courage to keep his leg to maintain his mobility was remarkable. He walked on his two legs, wearing two shoes, to the end of his life on December 24, 1973, at eighty-six years of age.

Benito and Cenobia and their sons, Lino and Boniface, traveled north to Fort Worth, Texas. While in Texas, Leonard and Martin were born. Sometime...