"I didn’t say that was fair but we were livin' "

Look hard or far enough in most people’s past, you will find an immigrant.  For the Ceniceros family, you need to look no further than their grandfather, Julio Ceniceros.  In his humility, he is content being able to call himself a husband, a father, and and grandfather many times over. Calling his life a success would be an understatement. 

J-U-L-I-O first name, Ceniceros C-E-N-I-C-E-R-O-S is the last name. I was born in Torreon Qaguela. As I remember, when I was four or five years old, we crossed the river. We end up in Ramonville, Texas, like forty miles, forty-two miles from the border. We used to pick cotton for these brothers, Mike and Cliff Crowls. They had a farm and we worked for them. So then we were happy, they were happy and but if we get caught, in the movies, or in the grocery store, or wherever, or they just come and check your camp; they just check the immigration department “we want to check your papers”. [And we responded], "well we don’t have any papers". [Immigration responded], “Well get in the car”. And they would take us back. But there is so many corruption in the world, you know? They (pause), I will tell you all about it. When they took us back to Mexico, we crossed the river, and the same guy who crossed the river with us, he has somebody waiting for us in Santa Maria, Texas. It's a little ways, like a fifteen, ten miles to the border. He had a car waiting for us. The car brought us back to the camp where we used to live, where the two brothers had us. And the two brothers paid them thirty dollars for the ride, and here we were again! You know, working for them. But they got wise, the border patrol company, they say, "these guys are here for years, they know all the farmers". So they give...[they] make deals and we gotta move um around. They only let us stay for one year and then move um to another area. Not in the same area. Talking about the border patrol. Otherwise, they get corrupted, "you my friend, you my friend...I am not going to take you people away."

We were afraid to go to school

I remember real well when I was six or seven years old, I was working. But then they 'event [invent] those cotton picking machines. And they wanted me in it, in that thing so I can spray the cotton away from the shoot so it wouldn’t plug. And that was my job.  We used to call them La Chota-Immigration.  I was so trembling. I was so afraid of them, because they send you back to Mexico.  I was so scared because the adults were scared so I was more scared than anyone else. [Because of this], we were afraid to go to school. To get back from Mexico we just turn around and cross the river right away.  So many and many occasions we were at the city they caught us before the immigration come back. So they got wise and they send us far away, like, uhhh... Guadalajara in airplane, Veracruz in boat. They fill up a boat. Put a thousand illegals in a boat to Veracruz south of Mexico or fill up the airplane to Guadalajara. Far, so you don’t come back right away. It takes at least, if you don’t have no money, it takes weeks to get back to the border. We didn’t know anything about putting money in the bank, because we were so afraid to.

It wasn't because I liked the sport, it was because it was easy money

When I was in Mexico, Matamoros, we didn’t know what to do. No job, we didn’t know the city.  And then I started working for that company, for the furniture store. I was like thirteen, fourteen, twelve years old, something like that.  Godavari, that was the name of the furniture store, and I used to collect for them. I used to go into the coliseum, they call...coliseum, the gym where they box and all that. The care taker, George Covlis, owed money to the furniture store and I used to go there so often that I get to know all the people they train and box. This guy [Covlis], he was the...he was the main man because he owns...well, he didn’t owns, he runs the gym, and he fix this and that, you know? So that’s how I got acquainted with the guys, and they say, “you want to help out”? [Julio responded],"How do you want me to help out"? [They answered],“Just put your gloves on and come with me I’ll give you ten pesos for a round”. Peso, you know? That’s, like, less than a dollar. Well sure you know! And that’s how I started. When I start boxing I was thirteen years old or so. This magazine, there was a guy that reported there, he used to take pictures, and look at, Roberto Gondola was his name, he says “why don’t you get serious and train? I’ll train you”. I said, "I don’t think I can do that". He says “yes you can, come on when you get done working come over here”. And that’s how I start.

[The last time I boxed was] right here when I married your grandma.  I was already… I give up boxing, well I didn’t train for years, but that’s easy money…if I’m gonna lose, they’ll  pay me.  But I didn’t want to be a champion of the world, I just wanted to get money… and keep on feeding my wife.

I don't care how cold it gets in here. She keep me warm

[When I came to St Paul] I did't like it right away. It was January, there was a lot of snow! Wow! You know I want to see the dirt and I can't see the dirt, just sand, I mean Snow. Imma go back as soon as I get enough money to buy my ticket and go back to Ramonville. And they say, "well this guy is gonna get married. You wanna go dance"? Now my cousin's husband Mando, "Well sure, sure, sure lets go". And I met my wife, and that was the end of my career. She, we, we fell in love and we were dating for eight months or so and we got married and are still married. I don't care how cold it gets in here. She keep me warm. Haha. After two years of being married then I can get my papers, I wasn't legal then yet. She was working for a lawyer Earnest Biddle, he [was] my lawyer, and he was my guard. I got my papers fixed. Yeah... and that's the story of my life I guess.

It was hard life but I don’t think I change it for any millionaire who could buy the world

Well, that’s the only life I know...it’s the only life I know.  It’s what my parents or my brothers or my mother told me, to keep on coming back.  It was hard life but I don’t think I change it for any millionaire who could buy the world.  I think if I would go to school, I would be better.  I don’t know.  I don’t think it would have helped out with anything. How I can complain about my life without school, I learned the hard way. I had to get by.  I think I'm pretty straight forward in my life. My kids are growing and having their own families. I feel very good. I love them. 

Image References (in order of appearance):

1) Ceniceros, Julio (Far right).  Family Photograph, Circa 1960.  Provided November 20, 2013.
2) Ceniceros, Julio.  Self Portrait, Circa 1970.  Provided November 20, 2013.
3) Ceniceros, Julio and Ceniceros, Esperanza.  Wedding Photograph, Circa 1968.  Provided November 20, 2013.

Story Facilitators:
Santino Reynolds, Kayla van der Hagen, Ahmed Abdirahman