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Basque Oral History Project Index Interview Tape Index
NAME: Raimundo
Legarreta
TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
Tape 1
Side 1
0-10:00 Raimundo’s father was Luis Legarreta and his mother was Juliana Uriarte, both from Fruniz, Bizkaia. The two knew each other growing up, and their houses were not very far apart. Raimundo’s parents did mostly farm work, although Luis drove a truck and a taxi for a time. Neither parent ever came to the United States, but when Raimundo was about 5, Luis went to Brazil for a few years with some friends from town, but didn’t like the country. He returned, and began driving his own truck. Raimundo was born in the biggest house in the barrio, but the baserri was called Etxetxekarra (“small house”). The family had 4 or 5 milk cows, chickens, a pig, wheat for flour, corn, and many vegetables, but consumed most of these goods themselves. Juliana did most of the work around the house, especially as soon as her husband began trucking. Raimundo was born January 20, 1947, in his family’s farmhouse. His siblings are Pedro, Juli, Julian, Cruz, Elias, Luis Mari, Nikolas, Juan Jesus and Alejandro. Raimundo’s grandmother lived at home with them and helped cook and take care of the kids so that Juliana could do the fieldwork. The fields of the baserri were in disconnected patches, and cows weren’t set out to pasture—cut grass was brought to them. Luis was usually gone all week, and was only home on the weekends to get clean clothes and rest. He hauled mostly wine, and all over Spain. When Luis began driving a cab, his brother was the only man in town (Fruniz had about 500 people) with a car, so he borrowed this for his business. When Raimundo’s father came home, he didn’t do much with his kids except go to church with them.
10-17:30 Church was about a kilometer away from home. Luis was stationed in Mungia most of the time, and did not have a close relationship with his kids, although he did with his wife. Since there were so many kids working and off doing their own things, about the only time everyone got together was at meals. Juliana was a firm disciplinarian who could handle her 10 children without violence! She was in a good mood most of the time. Raimundo was six when he began school, and was close to the church. Boys and girls were separated into different rooms, and each sex had its own teacher, for every grade. Classes were conducted in Spanish, and although the teacher was from Bermeo, he was strict about enforcing the Spanish-only rule in class (even though he spoke Basque in the streets). Students who persisted in speaking Basque were slapped and beaten, and often had their lips twisted until they split and bled. This teacher, called “Bermeo” by the townspeople, had an apartment above city hall. Boys and girls were not even allowed to play with each other during recess. Raimundo’s parents spoke very little Spanish (although Luis appears to have picked up some Portuguese in Brazil), and it took him a little while to become proficient enough in the language to succeed in school.
17:30-27:30 Raimundo loved to run around with his friends, play soccer, and organize handball games against the church wall. He started school when he was six, and finished when he was nine. One day, his father told him he had to go work in a bar, and that was it for education. Julian and Elias got to go to seminary, but the other children had to work early to compensate. Raimundo gave most of his wages to his mother. He was sent to a bar in Gernika, where he lived with the owner and his family, and even though he tried to run away to see his family a few times (walking the 15 kilometers), his father always brought him back. Raimundo remembers that times were tough, but his family never went hungry. In the bar, he grew up pretty fast: he had to open the bar up at 10 in the morning and close it at 1 AM. He learned Spanish and served wine and a few spirits to guests. The bar was called Bolina, and there was a popular restaurant next door run by the bar owner’s girls. Raimundo never got any vacation, and the never saw his wages, since they were sent directly home. He was allowed to go out with friends for a little while on Sundays. He worked there in Gernika until he was 15. To this day, a photo of Raimundo—his head barely clearing the bar—graces the Bolina bar. He made the owner mad one too many times, and went to work in a different bar in Bilbao for about six months. Once again, his paycheck went to his parents. In Bilbao, Raimundo had to speak mostly Spanish, but never got to see home and didn’t even get Sundays off.
27:30-30:00 When these 6 months were over, Raimundo’s father opened a bar in Bermeo (Bodegon, which still stands), and Raimundo began to work there with his sister Juli, who did the cooking. When Raimundo came to the United States, his father turned the bar over to Juli and resumed his taxi business. All in all, Raimundo worked in the Bermeo bar for about 8 months, at the age of 17. He knew he wanted to leave the country, but in order to make a successful application, he had to return home to work on the farm in so as to get the calluses necessary to prove he was a hard worker. A few of his brothers were already in America, and Raimundo had heard good things about the country.
Side 2
0-8:00 Pedro, Cruz and Julian were all already in the Basque country, and had come home for visits extolling the opportunities present on the other side of the ocean. Raimundo wanted to work for 3 years, return to Euskadi and open his own bar, but once he signed the contract, it would change his life forever. Pedro talked to his employer, Manning Patterson, and secured a job for Raimundo on his Gooding sheep ranch. The guy fixing the immigration papers most likely changed his date of birth so that Raimundo would have no problem leaving Spain before fulfilling his draft obligation. Pedro paid for his brother to come, and wouldn’t let the homesick 18-year old leave until he had paid him back. Raimundo took the train from Bilbao to Madrid, then flew from there to Chicago, Salt Lake City and Twin Falls. When the plane broke down in Salt Lake, he was surprised that Basques returning to the States didn’t even speak enough English to order eggs! When he finally got to eat in Gooding, he was surprised that all the food was served on one plate (the way pigs were fed at home). Manning and a Basque speaker picked Raimundo up from the Twin Falls airport (he was easily spotted with his ID sticker) and brought him to the ranch.
8-17:00 Before coming, Raimundo had heard only good things about Idaho. When he arrived, he was shocked by the freezing January temperatures and the barren landscape around him. Pedro worked on the same ranch, and Julian and Elias worked nearby in Shoshone. Raimundo began immediately feeding sheep the day after his arrival, and did not see his brothers until that evening. He had very little to do until the sheep arrived for lambing a few days later, and so concentrated in staying warm. That March, however, Raimundo had 2400 sheep grazing before him in the Idaho wilderness, with his brother Pedro serving as camp tender for him and another herder. It was nice to be out with someone he knew, but the enormity of his new career was very daunting, and Raimundo was nervous about learning how to do the job. His turf was out in the Bruneau desert. He had no breaks while the sheep were in the hills, and had to watch them closely throughout the day. There were few opportunities for conversation. Raimundo describes his exact route, and the frequency with which he saw other herders (not very). He did not make it back to the ranch until the end of July. When he was not out with the sheep, Raimundo and others hauled hay from Manning’s nearby Fairfield farm.
17-24:00 While on the ranch, Raimundo had Sundays off, which were spent going to church and hanging out at a boarding house in Shoshone. Since he was only 18, the first time he tried to go into a bar for not being of age! There was an old French Basque man who admired his bravery for coming to the US at such a tender age. Raimundo says there were few picnics back then, but the Sheepherders Balls (in Boise, Mountain Home, Bruneau, Gooding, Buhl, Shoshone and other towns) were always a lot of fun, as were sports tournaments and other gatherings. These were usually in January, and included music and food. Jimmy Jausoro often played for these dances, but since there were few Basque girls, everyone just kind of danced together. Pedro and Raimundo were some of the first Basques to work for Manning, and while he was initially concerned about their ability to drink and have fun into the wee hours and work hard, these were soon dispelled. When Basques stopped coming from Euskadi, Manning refused to compromise on employee quality and shut down his sheep outfit. Other ranchers did the same thing.
24-30:00 When Raimundo finished herding sheep after 4.5 years, he got his green card in the fall of 1969, and began to work in his brother Julian’s new bar, the Lincoln Inn. It took him a while to get used to all the drinks, but his English vastly improved over a short period of time. At that time—especially in winter—there were many Basque patrons at the bar, but many more non-Basques. Julian owned the bar until 1974, when the city told him he could not control 2 of the 3 bars in town. He opened the Miramar Bar. Raimundo recalls one incidence of prejudice in his life, but refuted a comment disparaging his intelligence by remarking that he spoke more languages than the bigot! Normally, Basques were very well respected for their hard work and honesty. He bartended on and off for about 5 years, helping Luis Basterrechea throughout.
Tape 2
Side 1
0-9:30 Raimundo describes what he did for Basterrechea: helping the man clean out the trucks from his meat trucking business. He began driving trucks in 1974 for Cady Arro, when a friend offered him a job. He discusses his first trip (to Nebraska) and learning curve, along with partner Lonnie Cisco. Raimundo drove for this outfit until 1978, but once again off and on. He had an accident in 1976, when a fertilizer truck swiped his own rig in the night; Lonnie was hurt much worse than he was. Raimundo began working for Alex Echeita at a meat packing plant, but was let go in 1978. Even though he had decided not to drive trucks again after his accident, he was tricked into doing it again by a friend, but only for a little while. Raimundo was then rehired by the packing plant, which did not close its doors for good until 1983. At this point, he began driving for the Wendell-based Montana Trucking Company, and was using mostly refrigerated trucks. In 1989, he began employment for the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind, where he worked to this day with friend Andy Lejardi.
9:30-15:30 Over the years, Raimundo has noticed many changes in the Gooding Basque community: there are a lot fewer, but those who remain have gotten better organized. He is a member of the fledgling Gooding Basque Association, and since his brother Julian was president until very recently, Raimundo is often asked to help out. He discusses picnics and Sheepherders Balls in the Gooding area. He married Judy Munk in 1972, after meeting her at the other bar in town (where she worked). Even though marrying a Basque girl had never been an issue (after all, he had always intended to return to Euskadi!), there were very few in Gooding anyway. It was at this point that Raimundo made up his mind to settle permanently in the US.
15:30-26:00 Raimundo has 3 children: Smokey (from Judy’s previous marriage), Gorka and Cristina. They spoke quite a bit of Basque before they started school, but do not so much these days. His kids have gotten involved with their culture in other ways, though—notably by going to picnics and festivals. Raimundo discusses his children’s jobs. His first trip back to the Basque country was in 1972, and so much had changed that he “couldn’t even recognize it”: dress, politics and culture were all different. Unfortunately, the Guardia Civil was still around. Most of Raimundo’s family was still in the US, and despite the changes he saw, he still felt very comfortable. He mentions the further changes he witnessed in the Basque country on subsequent visits, and his parents’ 3-4 trips to Gooding. Raimundo notes the good changes he saw after Franco’s death. He plans to make a 7th trip back this coming Christmas. Raimundo has always supported the right to Basque self-determination, but condemns the terrorism of ETA.
26-30:00 Raimundo’s wife Judy likes to accompany him to Euskadi, and the children do, too. He adopted Smokey, and this boy appreciates the Basque culture as well. He became and American citizen in 1978. Raimundo believes it is important to preserve the Basque culture for future generations. He would not mind spending some of his retirement in the Basque country, and Judy would like to accompany him. He backs the construction of Gooding’s new Basque Center.
Side 2
0-1:00 Raimundo hopes that his kids and other youngsters use the new Gooding Basque Center. He identifies himself as a Basque American.
NAMES AND PLACES
NAMES:
Arro, Cady: Idaho
trucker
PLACES:
Basque Center
(Gooding)
THEMES:
Bartending |
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