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John Villarreal interviewed by Dr. José Orozco

Manuscripts

John Villarreal interviewed by Dr. José Orozco

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Description: John Villarreal devotes considerable time discussing his childhood in a migrant household (his parents came from Nava, Coahuila, Mexico), offering insights into such topics as bilingualism, work, and education. Because his family belonged to the Jehovah's Witnesses Villarreal discusses this aspect of his family life in detail. In addition he discusses his gay sexual identity and its impact on his family, and how his co-workers view his sexual identity. Villarreal discusses his job interview with Shadi Shihab, also a participant in this oral history program, for a position in Botanical and how Shihab helped him learn on the job. Villarreal also recounts how he transferred to the Rose Garden, and explains his work in this garden, especially his management of the extensive volunteer program upon which this part of Botanical relies to care for The Huntington's famed roses. He discusses social relationships of gardeners outside The Huntington and how the staff, which is mostly Latino, view their opportunities and place at The Huntington. Of note are Villarreal's comments on how staff who work in the gardens view those staff who work in offices. Besides Shadi Shihab, Villarreal also mentions Fred Brandt, long-time supervisor of the gardens. The length of the two interviews is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.
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Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)

Date

2019 November 1-22

Call number

HIAoralhist

Creator

Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens(Opens in new tab)

Provenance

Acquired from interviewees, June 2019-June 2022.

gift of August 2023.

Restrictions

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Rights

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining permission rests with the researcher.

Associated people

Orozco, José,

Stalls, Clay,

Arellano, Arturo,

Benites, Faustino,

Gutierrez, Guadalupe,

Jimínez, Leonor,

Moreno, Manuel,

Pinedo, Cruz,

Ramírez Pinedo, C. Ramiro,

Pinedo, Angel,

Pinedo, Jacinto,

Pinedo, Rosie,

Shihab, Shadi,

Vazquez, Javier,

Villarreal, John,

Find out more

View in the Library catalog(Opens in new tab)

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Guadalupe Gutierrez interviewed by Dr. José Orozco
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Guadalupe Gutierrez's interview includes such topics as his early life in Mexico, working in the post office, his marriage in 1960, coming to California, and raising his seven sons. He also discusses the treatment of women in America compared to Mexico, how he learned to work with the roses, the various staff members he worked for and with over the years. The length of the interview is approximately 90 minutes.
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Shadi Shihab interviewed by Dr. José Orozco
Manuscripts
Shadi Shihab discusses his life in Israel, and his first impressions of California. He speaks at length about the organization of Botanical's work teams and his work as a supervisor and curator. Shihab analyzes the qualities that make for a good worker here as well as a curator. He also discusses his relationship with his work crews, all of whom he has hired. At the end of the interview, Shihab notes how hard working they are and how their pay needs to improve. Shihab reviews how Botanical met the challenge of the San Gabriel Valley windstorm of 2011 that damaged many of The Huntington's plants, trees, and shrubs. Shihab notes his high regard for Jim Folsom, the director of The Huntington's Botanical Gardens; he also mentions such persons as Ann Richardson, former curator of the Camelia gardens, and Fred Brandt, former superintendent of the gardens. The length of the interview is approximately 42 minutes.
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Manuel Moreno interviewed by Dr. José Orozco
Manuscripts
Manuel Moreno's interview includes such topics as his early life and the work of his parents; he also discusses his early education in the Los Angeles public school system. Moreno reviews the different jobs he has held in his lifetime and the philosophy of work that guides him. He notes that he came to The Huntington through his brother and how he eventually came to his current position. He describes his workday at The Huntington, how work is assigned and organized, and how the work is varied, which he likes. Moreno tells of his hopes for advancement at The Huntington to the classification in Facilities of engineer, a position that no Latinos currently hold. Moreno concludes the interview by registering his largely favorable views on working at The Huntington. The length of the interview is approximately 1 hour and 3 minutes.
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C. Ramiro Ramírez Pinedo interviewed by Dr. José Orozco
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C. Ramiro Ramírez Pinedo details his life in Mexico, discussing such matters as his father's work, including his pay as a farm worker and a stint working in Washington state; his mother's and father's family backgrounds; and a vivid account of his father's experience in Mexico's Cristero War. Mr. Ramírez Pinedo discusses how he left home at a young age in search of work because of his family's poverty. Ramírez Pinedo's move to the United States receives detailed attention: the means of coming here, his wife's journey to the United States, where they lived once she had arrived in Southern California. In regards to his work at The Huntington, Ramírez Pinedo recounts how he came to The Huntington through a cousin, that his initial position in Botanical was only temporary and without insurance, and how much he was paid. He goes on to discuss his work with the camellias and in the Cactus Gardens. He eventually moved to bonsai pruning, which is now his specialty. Ramírez Pinedo notes that his training came from Japanese-American gardeners at UCLA and from Ben Oki, a well-known bonsai specialist in Southern California. Mr. Ramírez Pinedo explains his philosophy of pruning and how it is an art form to him. In addition, he covers such matters as pay at The Huntington, the ethnic make-up of the Botanical Gardens' non-managerial staff, and the attention that he receives from Huntington visitors when he is working; that attention led him to establish his own gardening business. Ramírez Pindeo also discusses his wife's work, their children, and their philosophy in raising them as well as his devotion to the Virgen de Guadalupe. The length of the two interviews cumulatively total approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes.
HIAoralhist
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Cruz Pinedo interviewed by Dr. José Orozco
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Cruz Pinedo's interview contains discussions of his life and family in Mexico, including the poverty of the family, his birth on a rancho, his marriage, and agricultural work. He also extensively covers his move to the United States, includes such topics as work, his preference for the United States, and his dealings with immigration authorities. Pinedo also discusses his work in the gardens with Fred Brandt, the long-time German-Swiss head of the gardens. The length of the interview is approximately 1 hour and 26 minutes.
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Leonor Jiménez interviewed by Dr. José Orozco
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In her interview Leonor Jiménez observes how the work at The Huntington is easier than her other jobs working in the fields and in a cannery. She explains how the shifts and work assignments of custodians are arranged here at The Huntington; her husband also works as a custodian in Facilities, but they do not work together. Jiménez also notes her fondness for The Huntington. The length of the interview is approximately 49 minutes.
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