Joanne de los Reyes-Hilario interviewed by Meleia Simon-Reynolds Part 2 of 2

In this interview, Joanne de los Reyes-Hilario speaks with Meleia Simon-Reynolds and Christina Ayson Plank, two members of the Watsonville is in the Heart project team. De los Reyes discusses her memories of her family home on Elkhorn Road in Royal Oaks and visiting the labor camp on Riverside Drive in Watsonville. She also discusses cultural differences between the United States and the Philippines. De los Reyes also talks in more detail about her adoption and growing up with her cousins. Lastly, she discusses the importance of fishing to her and her father.

Joanne de los Reyes-Hilario and Meleia Simon-Reynolds

July 23, 2021

Watsonville is in the Heart (WIITH) is a community-driven public history initiative to preserve and uplift stories of Filipino migration and labor in the city of Watsonville and the greater Pajaro Valley. Images were donated and digitally reproduced from private collections of individuals and families. Copyright remains with the original owners. All images included herein are intended for personal or educational use only. Any reproduction, redistribution, publication, or other use, by any means, without prior written permission is prohibited. Please note that the images on this website are not included at their full resolution. For permission to publish or reproduce and for higher resolution files, please contact the project director at wiith@ucsc.edu. If you are the rightful copyright holder of this item and its use online constitutes an infringement of your copyright, please contact the project director to discuss its removal from the archive.

English

Oral history

JDLR.2021.45

Meleia Simon-Reynolds

Joanne de los Reyes-Hilario

Royal Oaks, CA

.wav

40:00

[00:05] Discussion of a photograph of a large extended family gathering taken at the Revestir family home on Riverside Drive

[3:41] Memories of the Ibao-de los Reyes property on Riverside Drive

[4:52] Memories of the Ibao-Irao-de los Reyes home on Elkhorn Road

[6:52] Joanne’s migrations between the Philippines and the United States

[11:05] Significance of the family home on Elkhorn Road and the “American Dream”

[15:35] Joanne’s adoption story

[20:45] Co-parenting between biological parents, Serbolo Tulay and Bernabella Irao Ibao, and adoptive parents, Juan “Johnny” and Luisa Irao de los Reyes

[31:16] Joanne and Johnny’s passion for fishing

[37:03] Significance of the ocean in Johnny’s life and migrant experience