Passing the Torch: An Oral History Essay by Alisha Calixtro Lopez Nancy Marie Cardoso was born in June of 1985 in Artesia, California, given the birth name of Nancy Marie Nunez. She says that there is no real story behind her name other than the fact that her mother worked with a woman who had that name. Nancy’s earliest memories of the Portuguese-American community were of how much her parents were involved. Seeing how her father was the president of the Hall, she spent so much time there running around and playing to the point where she had the layout memorized. Being so involved with the community, she thought everyone lived like that, not realizing it was only due to her Portuguese-American descent. Her parents migrated to the United States separately because they migrated before meeting one another. Relatives, knowing that they could succeed in California helped Nancy’s mother leave Terceira at the age of 14. In the hopes of a better life, she went to high school, stayed in Tulare, and worked in the dairies until she married. Nancy’s father came to California at the age of 16, looking to escape the army’s drafting in the 60’s. Most of her father’s family stayed behind in Terceira, while some went to Boston, Massachusetts. Her father never did school here, but he began to work in hopes of a better life. Nancy’s father initially came to Tulare, but her father’s few relatives in Artesia promised him and his sibling jobs, so they soon moved there. After Nancy’s mother and father got married, her mother soon moved to Artesia to be with her now husband.
Her mother constantly reminds Nancy that she went to high school in the United States to learn English, not really learning the curriculum. Her mother finds it essential to mention this because Nancy is a high school teacher, and without the help of teachers, her mother wouldn’t have learned the language. This being also the case, her mother mentioned how difficult it was to work due to the lack of communication and how, in the Azores, they had little money and used eggs as a form of money. Her dad not going to school here made it a more difficult transition since he didn’t know any English, but eventually began his own business with the little amount of English he knew. This makes her proud of her parents for going through this and thriving, making a life for themselves even in the most challenging situations. Nancy believes it was essential that she was brought up with a strong sense of the Portuguese American community. She was always very involved to the point where her parents enrolled her in anything age-appropriate that involved the community. She does the same thing with her kids so they can grow up with a strong sense of Portuguese American community. Her parents would always speak Portuguese within the home and wanted her to
Novidades, 3rd Edition
reply in Portuguese as well, to the point where when Nancy got older and began to respond to them in English, they weren’t so happy about it. Her mother would only make Portuguese food within the home, and she continues this by making Portuguese food for her kids and husband, allowing her to carry on the torch.
Nancy winning the little queen as a kid was the beginning of a tradition in her family being involved in that once they’re of age. She had also been the director of the folklore group in Tulare that helps and supports events and bands, allowing them to keep the dance and skits alive. She loves keeping the traditions and culture alive to the point where her son is now growing up in the Hall like she did as a kid. Which is now bringing back memories of her childhood in the Hall. Nancy has been to Terceira about ten times, and as a kid, it was more to visit relatives. However, as she got older and went with cousins, she had a broader viewpoint and began to see things in a different light. Nancy’s parents and siblings had significant involvement in the Portuguese-American community back in Artesia, but they moved to Tulare when she was three, so she doesn’t remember that. Once they got to Tulare, they began getting involved in the Tulare and Visalia communities where she was raised in the Hall. Nancy saw it as more of a lifestyle because of this rather than an experience. Nancy being the little queen in the Visalia Festa was a massive highlight for her, and seeing how involved her kids are in the community is a proud moment for her. Knowing that they are taking in their culture and making it a lifestyle is something she is very proud of, not just within her family, but she is pleased to see it within the entire community. In seeing it as a lifestyle, she is constantly busy and is used to being active and on the go, thinking it has shaped her personality. She thinks it makes her more well-rounded and correlates with her job because it allows her to do all these different things. Nancy understands that although she was born in California, she sees herself as Portuguese because her culture means everything to her. She doesn’t want it to be something bottled away and wants it to be something known, allowing it to shine through. She one day wants to see this within her kids as well. She currently considers the Portuguese-American community flourishing because it used to be those who immigrated carrying on the traditions. Still, now, it is the first generation who has taken it upon their shoulders to carry the torch. She hopes to see this continue throughout future generations, wishing to know the love and passion for their culture to live on and thrive for years.
