Oral History Interview with Carlos Casas

CARLOS CASAS: Okay.

BARBARA DRUMMOND: You'll do well. Um, my name is Shelly Drummond, and I'm with Carlos Casas. And today is um, August the thirteenth, nineteen ninety eight. It's for the Immigrants of Bowling Green Oral History Project, and we've discussed the donor's release. And we're in Pepe's. Um, Mr. Casas owns Pepe's--do you own this?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, when did you move to Bowling Green?

CASAS: Uh, nineteen eighty two.

DRUMMOND: Nineteen eighty two?

CASAS: Yes. June nineteen eighty two.

DRUMMOND: And where did you move here from?

CASAS: From uh, Florence, Kentucky.

DRUMMOND: Florence?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: What brought you to Florence?

CASAS: Uh, we were--I was working in there in Florence.

DRUMMOND: Oh.

CASAS: Working in Mexican restaurant there.

DRUMMOND: Oh, yeah? Um, what is, was the restaurant the same as...(phone 1:00ringing). You can get that. It's okay (laughs). Was it a, um, a Pepe's in Florence, too?

CASAS: No, no, no. I was working in their own.

DRUMMOND: Okay. Did um, why did you choose to come to Bowling Green?

CASAS: It was, you know, to have the own business, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: We tried to find a place to open the own business, and we find a place and we try to open a business.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. And you thought Bowling Green was--

CASAS: Yes. Yeah. I like this city, this city and everything, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: There are friendly people and everything.

DRUMMOND: Did um, who did you come with?

CASAS: With my brother.

DRUMMOND: With your brother?

CASAS: Yes, my brother and my father and me. Yes.

DRUMMOND: And there are two Pepe's. Um, this one...

CASAS: One in Russellville Road and here.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh. And does your brother own that one, or?

CASAS: It's the same, it's a family, family business.

DRUMMOND: Oh, okay.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Okay so, um, you moved here then with your family.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: So, did you know other people living here at the time?

CASAS: No, nobody (laughs).

DRUMMOND: Just, just Carlos.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, was there someone who helped you when you first got here? Like a church, or?

CASAS: Church? No, not really. No. My father, me and my family. My wife and his wife, my kids, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. Just moved together.

CASAS: Yes, everybody.

DRUMMOND: And, did you go to like uh, the refugee center or anyplace like that?

CASAS: Oh, no, no, no. No.

DRUMMOND: You didn't. Just...

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, what did--so no one met you when you came here either?

CASAS: No.

DRUMMOND: No? You just moved. How did you choose um, where to put your restaurants? What did you...

CASAS: You know, we have a, we come first to see the place in Russellville Road.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And we see the place and, you know, it was close to the college and I said, "Eh, probably this is the right place." You know, we try to see if we can rent it and everything and we get the rent, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. And this one?

CASAS: And this one, after four years um, I don't know we didn't--you know Mr. Stonebraker?

DRUMMOND: Yes.

CASAS: He ask me if we want to open another one. He said, "I have a friend uh, owns this, this building."

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: "Said he want to rent, and do you want to see if we can rent it for you?" And I say, "Yes, why not?" And Mr. uh, um, (indeterminable).

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: He rent to us this place.

DRUMMOND: Oh, good.

CASAS: Yes. We have already one year and a half in this one.

DRUMMOND: Oh, good.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, so that means that you've been operating a restaurant for um, five years?

CASAS: Four years and a half.

DRUMMOND: Four years and a half.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Okay. Um...

CASAS: Nineteen eighty four we come here, I'm sorry.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: (laughs) Nineteen eighty four.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, what did you think when you first got here to Bowling Green?

CASAS: No, because I like this city, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: We like it, we stay here only one--two days we stay here, you know. And then we go back to Florence and we, we tried to contact the owner for the other 4:00restaurant, you know. The, think it's uh...The owners and everything, you know. And then we come back and see and everything, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Was um, Florence the first place in the United States that you had come to?

CASAS: No, I come to Houston.

DRUMMOND: To Houston.

CASAS: Nineteen seventy three.

DRUMMOND: Oh.

CASAS: June (laughs).

DRUMMOND: (laughs)

CASAS: June twenty sixth, nineteen seventy three.

DRUMMOND: And you just, and the way you made it to Florence was just that other people invited you there?

CASAS: Uh, yeah. No, I come--Okay, I live in Houston for fifteen years.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And then I move to Atlanta area.

DRUMMOND: Ahh.

CASAS: I come to work in, in another restaurant in the US Bar and Grill.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: I was manager in there. And then somebody invited me to come to work in Florence, and I come to work in Florence.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. Do you need to...?

CASAS: No. (speaking to someone in Spanish) Yes.

DRUMMOND: Okay. So, how was Bowling Green different from Florence? Is it...?

(00:05:00)

CASAS: Well, I think it's the same thing.

DRUMMOND: It's the same?

CASAS: Yeah, it's similar. It's the small towns, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhm.

CASAS: Yeah, I don't like the big cities. (laughs)

DRUMMOND: (laughs) Why don't you like the big cities?

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: It's just...

CASAS: I don't know. I live in big cities for fifteen years and I don't like it no more. I don't know why.

DRUMMOND: Yeah. Um, did any store or building seem special to you when you got here?

CASAS: No, no, no.

DRUMMOND: No. Did um--what might you not have liked about Bowling Green?

CASAS: Pardon me?

DRUMMOND: Was there something you didn't like about Bowling Green?

CASAS: Well, no, no, no.

DRUMMOND: It's okay.

CASAS: I liked everything here. I like it uh, I like it the, you know, the people. I like the city.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: I like everything, you know. I--you know, friendly people, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. So, you learned to speak English in Houston, right?

CASAS: In Houston I speak, I learned a little bit.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: And (laughs), and in Atlanta and here.

DRUMMOND: Yeah. And do your children, have been going to school here?

CASAS: Oh, yes, yes. Yeah. They born in United States, my kids.

DRUMMOND: Oh, great.

CASAS: I have five kids.

DRUMMOND: (laughs) Alright.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: And um, so when you first came here, did you, did you have your own house or apartment or did you...

CASAS: No, we have to come and rent.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: We rent. Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Um, what do you remember about your first home here?

CASAS: In Bowling Green?

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: No, we tried to find an apartment, too hard. We can't find it, there wasn't any. And I told my family here, you know we're living for, in, in motel for one month or two months, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: And we tried to rent with the family, you know, it's in August.

DRUMMOND: In what?

CASAS: In August.

DRUMMOND: Oh, okay.

CASAS: You know?

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: The campus, you know, in August we tried to bring all the family from Florence, we can't find apartment (laughs). Everybody's busy.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: And then we find a home close to the other restaurant. Yes.

DRUMMOND: There's a lot of students.

CASAS: Yes, I know, yes.

DRUMMOND: Busy.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, did you have any difficulties when you first got here?

CASAS: No, no, no.

DRUMMOND: No, nothing?

CASAS: No, no, no.

DRUMMOND: And, you could already drive and shop?

CASAS: Yes. Oh, yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, how about finding food for your restaurant.

CASAS: Okay, we have a company from Atlanta area.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: They know that, you know, we know they want to bring the food and everything, you know. Before we open and everything.

DRUMMOND: Oh, so you already knew.

CASAS: Yes. Yes, we have everything, you know. (indeterminable)

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: And now we're working with (indeterminable) food and everything. Yeah.

DRUMMOND: And were there anythings that you thought were maybe harder to get certain kinds of peppers, or?

CASAS: Well, no not really. You know, no.

DRUMMOND: It was pretty easy?

CASAS: Yeah, it's easy to find everything. Yeah, most of it, you know. But, you know, we have our little bit experience, you know, and we know how (laughs) it is, everything, now.

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: You know.

DRUMMOND: Did, did you already know how to cook? Do you cook here?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Or do you just manage?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Okay. Um...

CASAS: I cook. I learn--I started to work in the restaurant when I was thirteen years old.

DRUMMOND: Oh. And that's when you learned to cook?

CASAS: Yes, I helped. Dishwasher, cook, busboy, waiter, bartender, everything (laughs).

DRUMMOND: You did it. Um, and is the food that you cook here, is it similar to what would be cooked at your home?

CASAS: No, it's a little bit different.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm, little bit different?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: In what, what ways?

CASAS: Well it's, you know, um, usually the, you know, Spanish people, Mexican people they like the more spicy.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: The more juice, you know like a soup and everything, you know. And cook a little bit different, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Um...

CASAS: It's, you know, it's probably still more the same. We eat everyday here (laughs).

DRUMMOND: Yeah (laughs). Does uh, and it's a cup served, or eaten differently or people eat it here the same way do you think?

CASAS: Uh, yes, yes. I think it's the same thing, yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, so you think, how is it, how would you cook the dishes here 9:00differently than the ones that you would cook at home?

CASAS: At home?

DRUMMOND: Less spicy?

CASAS: Less spicy, yes.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Less spicy and then, but we cook more soups in there, you know.

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: Yeah. More with jalapeño (laughs), more jalapeño.

DRUMMOND: (laughs) Do you--Americans, like Bowling Green-ers eat differently than...

CASAS: No, no, no. It's the same, yeah.

DRUMMOND: They like the same foods?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Really.

CASAS: Yeah, a lot of people like spicy food. A lot of people not. You know, that's the reason we not, you know, put any spice in the food, you know.

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: Only the customer requests, we make it spicy.

DRUMMOND: Right. In your home, does your wife cook?

CASAS: Yes, yes. Sometimes (laughs).

DRUMMOND: (laughs) Sometimes. What's your favorite food? Your favorite thing?

CASAS: For my favorite food is the soup, you know, like beef soup.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Or enchiladas, you know.

(00:10:02)

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: I like enchiladas or chiles rellenos. This are my favorite food. Yes.

DRUMMOND: And your children, do they prefer the Mexican food, or like pizza?

CASAS: Well, everything, you know. Because they, I have two childs, they working in here too, you know.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: They used to eat in here every time.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yeah, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yeah, pero they like the pizza, hamburger, fried chicken, everything (laughs).

DRUMMOND: (laughs) How about um, special meals for people. Do you ever have like a special meal for an event?

CASAS: An event? Well, sometimes yes. When they come, when they have a party or something. Then they come and they want reservation for twenty or twenty five. Or the ten, you know, the ten people reservation they want, they want some kind of (indeterminable) we made it no problem. Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Do they tell you what to, they want make?

CASAS: Yes, yeah. And sometimes we suggest, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Would that be like um, what kind of parties? Like for...

CASAS: Well, sometimes birthday parties or companies' parties, something like 11:00that, you know. Friends, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Do--um, how have you changed things, do you think, to bring um, like non-Mexicans into the restaurant? You've made things a little different to bring non-Mexicans in?

CASAS: American?

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Well, no es que--Okay, this kind of food, you know, it's, it's Mexican food, you know, pero it's for like American people, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And Mexican food is little bit different, you know. Pero, we have some that's almost the same, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And we have our, you know, Mexican people that come to eat in here, you know. And...

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Yeah. When you first came here, was there, were there many Mexicans here when you first got here?

CASAS: Was uh, we don't know anything (laughs). We come here, you know--we stayed like a total of two days, you know. And we're looking around and we don't see anybody.

DRUMMOND: (laughs)

CASAS: No, and later on we're, you know--we know this uh, (indeterminable) have 12:00a lot of Spanish people in there.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh. Right.

CASAS: You know. That's the only one. Yes.

DRUMMOND: Did you um, did you develop like a club or a group to get together at special times with other Mexicans, or?

CASAS: Well, no, no not really. Es que I don't have really too much time. We have to work in this every time. You know, most people working--I working most seven days a week, you know. Sometimes I have a day off, like one of the times a month. That's all.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. So, how about um, any special festivals or holidays?

CASAS: Well it--yeah.

DRUMMOND: Quinceañeras, or do they have that here in Bowling Green?

CASAS: Well no, we make anyone here, no.

DRUMMOND: Never?

CASAS: We make weddings.

DRUMMOND: Weddings?

CASAS: We make weddings, we make wedding, wedding before the wedding recep-, recep...

DRUMMOND: Reception?

CASAS: Reception or the--before they marry.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: What do you call it?

DRUMMOND: Oh. Um...

CASAS: Um...Wedding re-

DRUMMOND: Dinner. It's the...

CASAS: Yeah, recep-, recep-, I don't know it's something like that.

DRUMMOND: I know what you're talking about, it's like the dinner before.

CASAS: Yes. Before they marry, yeah.

DRUMMOND: The night before.

CASAS: When they go into the church and practice how they want to walk and everything. Yeah, we make it for like the stew, right in here. And the other restaurant we make the wedding stew.

DRUMMOND: Well uh, I know that like Cinco de Mayo is really, that's something that's become really big.

CASAS: Well, yes.

DRUMMOND: And um, even here.

CASAS: In here, yes, yes. They start to, this Cinco de Mayo we were really busy. We not make advertisement or anything but we were really busy.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: With um, like Americans and Mexicans? Or just Mexicans?

CASAS: It's Americans most.

DRUMMOND: Mostly?

CASAS: Yeah. You know, Cinco de Mayo it's not a very important for the Mexican people, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: It's, I think it's more important, it's not important for us, it's more famous in United States than in Mexico.

DRUMMOND: Really?

CASAS: Yes, because in Mexico it's only one holiday, you know, like a regular holiday, you know. There's one fight they have in Mexico and French. And Mexico 14:00win. That's the only one, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Creo um, it's not like the Independence Day or anything like this, you know.

DRUMMOND: Nothing.

CASAS: It's, it's not really, really too much, you know.

DRUMMOND: Why do you think that might be?

CASAS: I'm thinking here there, you know, they want, I think in United States they want to make something for the Mexican to feel, you know at home or something that day, you know.

DRUMMOND: Oh, mhmm.

CASAS: That's the only one. Because we have the sixteen of September.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: It's big day, it's the big day in Mexico.

DRUMMOND: It's uh, what?

CASAS: Independence Day.

DRUMMOND: Oh, okay.

CASAS: Six-, September sixteen, you know.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: And really, right here is, it's they not celebrating anything in here, you know.

DRUMMOND: Right. Do other Mexicans maybe celebrate it here?

CASAS: No, no, no.

DRUMMOND: No?

CASAS: No.

DRUMMOND: Um, some of the more religious holidays. Like what's the one, the, um 15:00Our Lady of Guadalupe.

CASAS: Lady de Guadalupe, oh yeah.

DRUMMOND: Do they celebrate that here?

CASAS: Yes. In the church, I think in the St. Joseph Church.

(00:15:01)

DRUMMOND: St. Joseph's.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: And like, Día de Los Muertos. Do they do that here?

CASAS: No, no, no.

DRUMMOND: No.

CASAS: No, no, not really. No, I think most of the, the Mexican people they dying here or something. At most they send it to Mexico.

DRUMMOND: Really?

CASAS: Yeah. You know. Bueno, depend, you know. I think it, if they no have any, you know, the family here or something, you know. They send it to Mexico most. If they dying here, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. Mhmm. It seems like there are a lot of um, new families here. That there's a lot of families. There's a lot of other people here working.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, to do just the work. That they're also families who have moved here. I think, to Bowling Green.

CASAS: To Bowling Green, yeah. I see, yeah.

DRUMMOND: Yeah. Um, how do you think your restaurant serves that community? Or...

CASAS: Pues, no, no, you know, they--I think you know the people, they start to 16:00come again. And their families they, they, they come for the first time and try and they like it and they coming back, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah, they are the same, same thing, you know. Sometimes they ask people different things, you know. If we can do it, we do it, you know. And sometimes you (indeterminable) is impossible, you know.

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Um, is there anything you wish you could do here in the restaurant that you don't do?

CASAS: Pues uh, pues no, not really. Exactly, exactly no, no, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: You know. But we like to do too many things, you know (laughs).

DRUMMOND: Right, right.

CASAS: Pero, no. With everything they working is slow, you know. By the time we grow, you know, depend how everything, you know. Making new things and everything, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Depend how the business, you know.

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Did um, I've noticed that you have like this Spanish T.V.--do you have that here?

CASAS: No, I don't have that.

DRUMMOND: Sometimes--No you don't have that.

CASAS: No, no.

DRUMMOND: Okay. I think, isn't it Puerto Vallarta...

CASAS: Yes, yes.

DRUMMOND: They have the Spanish T.V. Okay um, well do you have any special stories about your life in Bowling Green? Anything...

CASAS: You know like uh...

DRUMMOND: Tell me about the festival. Tell me about--

CASAS: The festival?

DRUMMOND: Yeah, last year. What'd you think of the festival?

CASAS: What I think? It's fine, you know. It's a lot of people. They, they know I know to cook (indeterminable).

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: You know, and everything, you know. I think it's fine, that festival.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: The parade and everything, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: I think they want to grow and more and more and more and more.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: I think so.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: And um, but like the move. The move here to Kentucky, or--do you have any stories about your moving here, or?

CASAS: (laughs) No.

DRUMMOND: You don't have any? (laughs)

CASAS: No, not too many. No. I like--you know, I like living here (indeterminable). You know, I like Bowling Green. I have a lot of, now a lot of friends in here, you know. Nice people, you know. They help me a lot sometimes, 18:00you know, when I need, I need something.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: You know.

DRUMMOND: Do you ever um, use like Dos Amigos for the um, ingredients?

CASAS: Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

DRUMMOND: No.

CASAS: No, it's different.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: How about um, talk about your hometown.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Your home city.

CASAS: In (indeterminable)?

DRUMMOND: Fresnillo, right?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: In Zacatecas?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, tell me a little bit about what it was like there.

CASAS: You know, it's a small--when I come, before coming it was a small town. It's like the big size of Bowling Green.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Probably it's the reason I like Bowling Green, you know. Because most of the people in there they know you, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And Bowling Green it's not too big, you know. They, not everybody knows, pero you know, it's like family, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Around here, you know. Everything, you know. And I was living right in there, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: I really liked it there. One day, I can go back, I go living there again.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. What was your motivation for coming?

CASAS: Was you know, my mother and, my mother, my father, and me when I was three years old, we have an opportunity to get the immigration, the resident (indeterminable), you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And we get the resident (indeterminable) in nineteen sixty three.

DRUMMOND: Ah.

CASAS: And then we move and we leaving from Mexico to El Paso, Texas. Anthony, New Mexico, you know? Close to El Paso, Texas?

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: We living there for uh, three years. You know, and the rest of my family they brought me here (laughs). I was the only one born in Mexico.

DRUMMOND: Ah, okay.

CASAS: You know, my sisters and my brothers you know, everybody born in United States, you know. They were born some in El Paso, Texas, some in Houston, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. So you were really young did you say? How old?

CASAS: I was, I was three years old when we--

DRUMMOND: Three.

CASAS: --we get the resident, you know.

(00:20:00)

DRUMMOND: Okay. Mhmm.

CASAS: And then I go to back to school in Mexico and I have six, seven years in the school in Mexico.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: And I come when I was thirteen years old to Houston. And I went to the school for um, like two more years in Houston. Three more years.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: I was working and going to school. Working at the--school in the morning and working in the afternoon.

DRUMMOND: What was your degree? Or just--was it high school?

CASAS: No, no. High school, that's all.

DRUMMOND: High school, high school.

CASAS: High school.

DRUMMOND: It's hard for a high school student to work and...

CASAS: Pues, yes (laughs).

DRUMMOND: (laughs)

CASAS: Working seven, when I was in seventh grade, eight grade. Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Doing what?

CASAS: Was the, in the restaurants.

DRUMMOND: In the restaurants.

CASAS: Yes, dishwasher.

DRUMMOND: All the different kinds.

CASAS: And busboy and cook. Everything.

DRUMMOND: What do you want your children to do? Do you want them to um...

CASAS: Well, right now I try to teaching how to work, you know. To, you know, 21:00the older one they have sixteen years old and the next is fifteen years old. Sixteen and fifteen, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And I try to learn to send them to work, you know to see how, how you make the money and everything, you know. And in the future you never know, you know. And at least you know how to work.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: You know, this is right now, I try to make the sports, you know. I try--I put into play soccer. They play soccer.

DRUMMOND: Yeah?

CASAS: Yeah, they play soccer both for the high school.

DRUMMOND: Great.

CASAS: For the Warren Central, you know. And I try to support the most I can, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah. I like to do it, you know to working. To learn to work and everything, you know. They like to work in the future in the restaurant it's fine. It's not--he wants to do something else, go to the college, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: I try, I want (indeterminable) go to the college, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: (indeterminable) to go to the college to learn something else, you know. To not work like me. Too hard (laughs).

DRUMMOND: (laughs)

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: When you were going to school in Mexico who did you live with?

CASAS: Pues, my mother living there.

DRUMMOND: Oh, your mother.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Just...

CASAS: Yeah, my mother and my father, everybody living there, you know. And then we moving here, you know. We come like this (laughs).

DRUMMOND: Oh, okay. So back and forth, back and forth. Okay, okay.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: What...What do you think your children might be missing by growing up here instead of growing up in Mexico?

CASAS: In--pues, I don't know, you know. Okay, my chil--my kids they never been in Mexico. Only one time.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And the, I think you know, for the--when you are kid, you can go out too much. You can--okay, you have to be alone in the apartment or in the house only, you know. Watching T.V. only.

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: Because lot of dangers, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Sometimes you live for six months or one year in one neighborhood and you don't know who's your neighbor. Sometime you never talk to the neighbor because you never see him, you know. Sometimes you--different hours to work or something, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And really, you don't know who's your neighbor.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And in Mexico it's like a community, you know. All the kids they play in the street and everything, you know. You can go far like a six or seven blocks, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And uh, play in there and come back, you know. With friends and everything. Y the parents probably they not talking to you, pero you know where you live and everything. If something happened to you, they, they know where they have to take you or something, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: I think the only thing. Because I think uh, in Mex--it's like a more free for the kids and the people.

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: Yeah, you--because you running in there and do, running and jumping and everything, you know. Right here, pues, most of the kids they watching t.v. or going to school.

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: Or sports, you know. Pero it's, have to take to the sports and come back and everything. And they're not, you know--the kids they play sports, sometimes they play in the street (laughs).

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: Yeah. You know it's the, I think that's the only one. Yeah.

DRUMMOND: I know um, when I was in Mexico they would have um, festivals or like, on Friday nights...

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Music in the park...

CASAS: Music and everything in the park.

DRUMMOND: ...and stuff.

CASAS: Yeah, Sundays. Mostly the Sundays in the small towns, the smalls towns they having that kind of still.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: You know, they having music in the middle in the, in the, the park you know, and everybody running, walking around and everything.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Do you think they could do something like that here, or? Somebody would, or?

CASAS: Pues, I don't know (laughs).

DRUMMOND: You don't know.

CASAS: Yeah. I think they was supposed to--they do it something like it. Yes.

DRUMMOND: So, but you do have a mariachi band that plays here sometimes?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Okay. Tell me about the band.

CASAS: Pues, this band is from Mexico, you know. We have already I think three months, three months.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: You know, they coming one Thursday this restaurant, next Thursday to the other restaurant.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: You know. And the people like it, you know. They enjoy it. A lot of people, sometimes dancing to the mariachi (laughs).

DRUMMOND: Really?

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Really? Mexicans and Americans?

CASAS: Yes, yes. Both, yes.

DRUMMOND: Yeah, good, good.

(00:25:00)

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: How do you think--is the mariachi band--it's real. It's the same kind of music?

CASAS: Pues...

DRUMMOND: Or is it especially...

CASAS: All--yeah, you know. It's the same, only there's--it's a little mariachi, you know. The, I think the mariachi in Mexico is like a twelve, twelve people play, you know. Different instruments, you know.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: And right here they only come in four.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: It's the only one. Pero it's, it's almost the same, you know. It's like a little, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. It would be--it's hard to fit twelve people in here, right? (laughs)

CASAS: Yeah. It's right. You know, and probably too expensive. That, that kind of music is too expensive everywhere.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: How about the outfits? Is it typical of Mexico?

CASAS: Uh, yes.

DRUMMOND: Yeah?

CASAS: Yes. They (indeterminable) back in Mexico, yeah. Yes.

DRUMMOND: How about in the restaurant, um...

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Where you have the hats and stuff. What do you think would be typical--which is the more typical of Mexico?

CASAS: Well, mira, in Mexico they have that ones in there a lot, you know. That one they, the, if you want the comal, the big thing.

DRUMMOND: It's uh...

CASAS: They...

DRUMMOND: What's it called again?

CASAS: Uh, they call it "comal." They cook the tortillas in there.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: Corn tortillas in there and flour tortillas.

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: They make it with clay.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: That one they--you know, I don't think they using too much, you know, for cook, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: That's for decoration.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: But here it's decoration.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: It's decoration, you know.

DRUMMOND: And all the different, like the puppets?

CASAS: The puppets, yeah.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: And the other thing, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Did you bring them?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Or did...

CASAS: Yes, we buy them in Mexico.

DRUMMOND: And brought them.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Especially for the restaurant?

CASAS: Uh, yes. Especially, yes.

DRUMMOND: Who chose them? You or your...

CASAS: It was me and my, pues when we were buying it was my sister and me. Two sisters and me. We buy everything, yeah. They living in Houston, my sisters.

DRUMMOND: They live in Houston?

CASAS: Yes. All my family live in Houston, yes.

DRUMMOND: Do they ever come visit you here?

CASAS: Uh, yes.

DRUMMOND: Do they?

CASAS: Yes. Yeah, they come at least three times a year. (laughs)

DRUMMOND: Oh, that's good.

CASAS: Sometimes more, you know.

DRUMMOND: (indeterminable)

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Well um, do you have any advice for people who move to Bowling Green?

CASAS: Like...

DRUMMOND: Um, advice, like...wisdom, or like something that you would advise or recommend. What would you recommend to somebody who had moved to Bowling Green?

CASAS: Recommend? To be a nice, to be a friendly. I think that's all.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. And...

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Um, in the future your grandchildren or your children may listen to this tape. Um, what do you want to tell them? What would you tell them?

CASAS: Pues, to be honest. (laughs)

DRUMMOND: To be honest?

CASAS: To be honest and working hard and everything, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: To be friendly, you know. Nice with the people and everything. I think 28:00it's the key for everybody, you know. You honest with other people, they're going to be honest with you.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And you friendly, they're going to be friendly with you. I think that's they key to progress, you know. To working hard. It's the only key.

DRUMMOND: What would you um, what would you want them to know about your life? Something--or about Mexico? About your life? Like, say your great-great-grandchildren are listening.

CASAS: Mmm, pues no. I don't know. (laughs) Yeah. No, pues, they want to know something about Mexico, probably I take it to there, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: That that's where I'm from and everything. Yes.

DRUMMOND: In um, in Mexico is the house that you lived in still there?

CASAS: Yes. Yes.

DRUMMOND: When you go visit.

CASAS: Yeah, we sell it to the cousins and they still living there.

DRUMMOND: The cousins?

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: That's, that's good you can...

CASAS: Yes, they stay in the same family and everything. All the land we having 29:00in there, yeah, they still have that.

DRUMMOND: And did most of your family come from that same city?

CASAS: My family? Pues, yes. Yes. From the same city and everything, yes.

DRUMMOND: Um, and what did they do?

CASAS: Farm.

DRUMMOND: Farm?

CASAS: Farm.

DRUMMOND: What's kinds of vegetables, or?

CASAS: Pues, they do--okay, they have uh, animals. Cows, you know, they milk cows.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: And they uh, plant uh, peppers.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: And uh, peppers and, you know the food for the cows and everything, you know, for the animals.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: (indeterminable) Okay, how would you--have you been to, like weddings here?

CASAS: Weddings?

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Mexican weddings?

CASAS: Mexican weddings.

DRUMMOND: Are they more Mexican or more American? How do you...

CASAS: I think it's like in Mexico.

DRUMMOND: It's like in Mexico?

CASAS: They, they are trying to do the same thing.

DRUMMOND: Yeah?

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: It's, usually at St. Joseph? It's...

CASAS: Okay, (indeterminable) in Bowling Green, you know everything. I think, I don't know (laughs).

(00:30:03)

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Pero, you know like in Houston or in Atlanta.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: Or in uh, in Florida--what's the one--in Mexican wedding and it was the same thing. Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Um...

CASAS: They dancing and--it's a little bit different, you know. In wedding, you know. Okay, you marry, you know, you go to the church and everything and then make the part.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: You know. And they eat, they first do the dinner and then the dancing.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Everybody drink. (laughs)

DRUMMOND: (laughs) It's a good party.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: How about um, days that you close. Do you close for American holidays?

CASAS: Uh, yes. Pues, we close for the Fourth of July.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: Uh, Thanksgiving. Labor Day and uh, Christmas day and New Year's Day.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yes. Easter, too.

DRUMMOND: Easter, too?

CASAS: Easter day, yeah. I like to rest those days, at least those days. (laughs)

DRUMMOND: Oh, yeah. Well... (laughs)

CASAS: I want to be with my family at least the holidays, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah. And I want to, you know, the people that working for me, too, have these days off to be with their family or something, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Did um, on Thanksgiving, what food do you eat?

CASAS: Oh, turkey.

DRUMMOND: Do you?

CASAS: Yes. I like turkey.

DRUMMOND: You like turkey.

CASAS: (laughs) Yes.

DRUMMOND: Do you have any Mexican food also on Thanksgiving?

CASAS: Sometimes. Like we have rice or, or potato, you know, potato like Mexican style.

DRUMMOND: What's the...

CASAS: Potatoes, you know. Different, different you know, different made it, you know.

DRUMMOND: Is it spicy, or?

CASAS: No, no. Different kind of cook, you know.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: Like a baked or something, you know. With, we put them in the one pot like this, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Potatoes. Cut them into slices. And we put the milk in bottom.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: And then with the cheese.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: On top, you know. That's, you know, pero it's almost the same thing.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Sometime we cook the, make the turkey Mexican style, that's all. You know, with like uh, baked in like peppers, you know. Uh, like make it red, you know.

DRUMMOND: Um, like...

CASAS: Like a barbecue.

DRUMMOND: Okay. Okay. That's...

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: With peppers on it? Or outside or inside?

CASAS: No, no, no, you know we blend all the pepper, you know. Like a red pepper.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: You know.

DRUMMOND: Okay.

CASAS: We blend it and we cover, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm. It sounds good. (laughs)

CASAS: Yes, yes. It's good. We make um, like two times like this.

DRUMMOND: Good.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: And on um, Christmas do you eat um, day on Christmas day, or? A meal...

CASAS: Christmas evening.

DRUMMOND: Christmas evening?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Turkey, too? Or...

CASAS: No, no, no. Not turkey. Sometimes, okay, es que that day we close early, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: And usually, you know, we, we eating here in the restaurant with all the employees and everything. We...

DRUMMOND: Oh.

CASAS: ...eat together, you know. And sometime we cook like steaks or baked potatoes and everything, you know. Or we cook some kind of barbecue in the oven or something, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Yeah. It's different every, every year. Yes.

DRUMMOND: It's just like a special treat for everybody that works here.

CASAS: Uh, yes. Yes.

DRUMMOND: And their families, do they....

CASAS: And their families, too. Everybody, yeah. We enjoy (indeterminable)

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: You know, eating and couple drinks and then go home. (laughs)

DRUMMOND: (laughs)

CASAS: Yeah, resting.

DRUMMOND: Do the children play games or is there a special....

CASAS: Yes, sometimes yes. Sometimes.

DRUMMOND: Like Mexican games or American?

CASAS: Yeah, American games, yeah.

DRUMMOND: American games.

CASAS: American games, yeah.

DRUMMOND: Okay. Do you have--we're getting ready to lose...

(tape cuts out)

DRUMMOND: Okay um this is Side B. Alright, what um, about how many Mexican 34:00families are living here permanently now?

CASAS: In, in Bowling Green?

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: From Mexico, from Mexico...I don't think there's too many. I think like fifty.

DRUMMOND: Fifty?

CASAS: The most, yeah.

DRUMMOND: Who are living here permanently?

CASAS: Permanent, yes. In Bowling Green. Or less. I think less...almost, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah, yeah. Um, would you...how...Now I messed up. Let me look again. Something here...Okay--oh, I know. Um, at St. Joseph's, does your family, your family goes to St. Joseph?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: When they're not working?

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Okay. Um, do they have the Spanish service, right?

CASAS: The Spanish mass, yes.

DRUMMOND: Okay. Do they, do you go to that, or?

CASAS: Okay, I go sometimes. But you know, I don't have any time to go to 35:00Spanish mass because I have to work. Pero, we go uh, eight o'clock in the morning.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: St. Joseph or Holy Spirit. (laughs)

(00:35:00)

DRUMMOND: Right.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Either one.

CASAS: Either one, yes.

DRUMMOND: Do you think you would prefer to go to the Spanish or the English?

CASAS: Well, so you know, the Spanish people they--if, you know they like to go to the Spanish, to the Spanish uh, mass. Because they, it's in the language and everything, you know. If I have my--if I have the time, I go there every time. Pero, I don't have any time to go (indeterminable). I had, I had to work in that time, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah. Yeah.

CASAS: Pero, I have, when I have the time or something, I go there.

DRUMMOND: Yeah. Is it, is it just the same only in Spanish?

CASAS: Yeah, it's the same thing. Same readings.

DRUMMOND: Okay. So, it's not...

CASAS: When I, when I go to the English mass...

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: I take my book in Spanish and read in Spanish. It's the same thing. (laughs)

DRUMMOND: It's exactly the same.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Because I know in um, when I was in Mexico there were different things that people did. It was much more...

CASAS: Oh yeah, yes...

DRUMMOND: You put incense and it was different.

CASAS: It's different the mass in Mexico, in Mexico. Oh yes, it's different. 36:00Yes. I agree with you.

DRUMMOND: Do they ever have a um, a special mass that's more like that here, or?

CASAS: No, no, no, no. No. I don't think so. Probably for the, the Day of the Guadalupe, you know.

DRUMMOND: Yeah?

CASAS: Yeah, probably that day or something that day.

DRUMMOND: It's September twelfth, right?

CASAS: No. December twelfth.

DRUMMOND: December twelfth.

CASAS: December twelfth.

DRUMMOND: Right, okay. December twelfth.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Even if it's not a Sunday, right?

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: You know in Mexico they, they don't, they don't care it's a Sunday or Monday or Tuesday. They, that day is for the Day of the Guadalupe, you know. In here they have to wait for Sunday because a lot of people they working, you know.

DRUMMOND: Right, right.

CASAS: Probably the following Sunday, you know. The more closest, you know.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: So they have to wait until it's Sunday.

CASAS: They wait, they wait for Sunday, yeah.

DRUMMOND: And then that's a special day...

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: For them in church.

CASAS: For the Guadalupe, yes.

DRUMMOND: Okay. Um, what kinds of things do they do separate that day or do you know?

CASAS: Pues, they, they do like a little parade, you know. Like uh...

DRUMMOND: Do they?

CASAS: Little in, in--uh, it's close to the, to the church, in the same church, you know.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: You know, but the like Indians, you know, costume.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Indian costume, you know. For the kids and everything, you know. Yeah.

DRUMMOND: They do that here then?

CASAS: Yes! Yes, they doing it here, yes.

DRUMMOND: Oh, I see.

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: I'll have to go see. (laughs)

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: I'd like to watch it. (laughs)

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: I think that'd be great. Um, and I think I talked to you a little bit about the quinceañera.

CASAS: Quinceañera.

DRUMMOND: Do people do that here, or?

CASAS: I don't see really see right here right now.

DRUMMOND: Not here, not now.

CASAS: I think they do it, you know, pero not right now probably, you know. It's, it's not a big community here, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Probably later on, you know.

DRUMMOND: Do you think some of the people--because there's a lot of people here now. Do you think--

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: --some of those people will stay? Uh...

CASAS: No...Probably a few they're going to stay because they like the town, you know.

DRUMMOND: Uh-huh.

CASAS: It's a nice town, you know. It's a, work, a lot of work in town and everything. You know, probably they stay.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Pero, most of the people they come to work like uh, on the roofing.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: Coming working two or three months and leave. Go to another city, you know. Or the people they work in the tobacco, they come on before the tobacco 38:00season, that's all.

DRUMMOND: Yeah.

CASAS: Some people stay pero not too many.

DRUMMOND: Yeah. They um, there's been a lot of work here because of the storm. (laughs)

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: (laughs) Lot of work here. Um, what do you think does bring people here other than, for the live permanently?

CASAS: Pues, probably the, the you know, pues I think for the family, you know.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: To, I think that right here in Bowling Green is, I think is good for raising family.

DRUMMOND: Mhmm.

CASAS: You know, not too big, not too big town. Not too much drugs, not too much gangs, not too much guns, you know.

DRUMMOND: Right. And does--do you need to talk to him?

CASAS: Uh...

DRUMMOND: Okay. Um, does the refugee center provide much help and assistance, or?

CASAS: Uh, I don't really know.

DRUMMOND: You don't know.

CASAS: No, I'm sorry, no.

DRUMMOND: That's okay. I just...

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: I don't know if they a, outreach to do...

CASAS: Yes.

DRUMMOND: Yeah. Um, well is there anything you would like to add?

CASAS: Pues, no, no not really. (laughs)

DRUMMOND: No?

CASAS: No, no, no.

DRUMMOND: I learned a lot.

CASAS: Yeah.

DRUMMOND: Well thank you very much.

CASAS: Okay.

DRUMMOND: Appreciate it, and um...

CASAS: Thank you very much.

DRUMMOND: We'll conclude the interview.

(00:39:00)