Heraclio Garcia
Oral History Transcription
Oral History Audio
Name of interviewer: Xóchitl Bada
Date of Interview: April 1, 2016
Location: Bridgeview, IL
Language of Interview: Spanish
Originally from Degollado in Jalisco, Mexico, Heraclio Garcia was born in 1945. In 1966, Heraclio arrived in San Clemente, California, by crossing the US-Mexico border hidden in a car trunk. In that occasion, he was arrested and deported by the Border Patrol and had to return to its native home in ‘Los Ranchitos’, Degollado, Mexico. One year later, Heraclio came back to the U.S. traveling directly to Chicago going back one more time to Mexico. In 1968, he married in Mexico and went back to Chicago with his wife. Heraclio’s first daughter was born in Chicago in 1969. In 1970, Heraclio and his wife obtained legal permanent residency in the U.S. through their daughter's U.S. citizenship before this provision was revoked in 1976, when the 1965 Immigration Act was revised. Thanks to their green cards, they visited their family in Degollado for the first time in 1977. Heraclio has four U.S. born children. In 1967, Heraclio worked in the restaurant of a Golf Club. In 1968, he started to work for Eckrich Polish Sausage in 3750 S Lituanica in Bridgeport and eventually got promoted to the butcher position. After that, he went to work in the Department of Receiving at the Brach’s Candy Factory in Chicago. While he was working for Brach, he studied English as a Second Language and received training for supervisors as well. He obtained the U.S. citizenship in 1988. In 1970, Heraclio was a cofounder of the “Club Degollado” and then in 2004 the club started to be affiliated to the federation of clubs from Jalisco in Chicago called “Casa Jalisco”. Once associated to the “Casa Jalisco”, the club cooperated in collecting funds for supporting social programs in Degollado through the government program called 3x1. At the time of the interview, Heraclio Garcia was the treasurer of “Club Degollado”. Between 2008 and 2015, he was president of the club. He currently enjoys taking care of his grandchildren and picks them up from school while he is also dedicated to collaborating with “Club Degollado” and “Casa Jalisco”. He lives in Bridgeview, Illinois, and visits Degollado around 4 times a year.
