Hernandez Family History and Photos

Maria Guadalupe Torres, my maternal grandmother, known affectionately as mama Lupe, was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, in 1900. During and after the revolution of 1910 Mexico was a dangerous place, especially for young women. So mama Lupe was sent to live first with family in Guadalajara. But in 1918 the family decided it was best if she went to the US. She came first to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she met and took up with  Severino Sanchez. Severino, took mama Lupe to Needles CA to live with his sisters.  My mother Jenny was born there in 1920.  Severino would make many trips alone to Mexico and it was during one of those trips that one of his sisters told my grandmother that Severino was married and had another family in Mexico City. On hearing this, mama Lupe left with her baby and found refuge with a woman who gave her room and board and a job. When Severino returned from Mexico he was enraged that my grandmother would leave him. He arranged to have my mother kidnapped and taken to live with friends. But mama Lupe got help and got my mother back. While Severino never came around again, his sisters and other members of his family would continue to stay in touch with my mother even after she married my dad.    Mama Lupe soon met and married another man named Jesus Hernandez, who worked for the Santa Fe railroad. Chuy  adopted my mother, and in 1921 moved the family to San Bernardino, CA. Jesus was known to all of us as grampa Chuy. Mama Lupe and Chuy went on to have two more children, my uncles David and Ruben. But

mama Lupe was unlucky with men. One day another woman showed up and told my grandmother that she was Chuy's wife. So mama Lupe threw Chuy out and divorced him. But Chuy loved mama Lupe, and the kids, and quickly divorced the other woman. It took a few years and many promises to win her her back. It wasn't until his funeral in 1956, when I was 16 yrs old, that I was told Chuy wasn't my real grandfather. Grampa Chuy was one of the founders of the San Bernardino chapter of the Alianza Hispano America, one of the first Mexican American political organization involved in protecting the civil rights of Mexicans. Chuy spent his retirement years hanging out with friends at the bus stop in front of the La Esperanza market. My mother remembers him always talking politics and hosting meetings of the Alianza at their home.    We know little about Chuy's family or where he came from. But he did have cousins in Pomona, CA.  Nor do we know much about Severino Sanchez, my mother's real father. The only contact we've had with Severino's family is through Manuel Marmalejo who married one of Severinos sisters. The Marmalejos had a number of children who I knew and ran with as a teenager. The Marmalejos are related to the Mosquedas. John Mosqueda was the one who took me under his arm when I went to Sturges Jr, High School.    My mother tells us that her maternal grandfather, known only by his surname Torres, worked in construction. She says he helped build many of the churches, fountains, and monuments in the city of Guanajuato. A relative from that family, named Ramon Lopez, once came to live with us in San Bernardino.    So my mothers full name is Juanita Torres, Sanchez, Hernandez, Delgado.

Above center-my mother Jenny at 19 yrs. Right-my uncle David Hernandez. Below from left-my uncle Ruben Hernandez. Both my uncles were professional boxers. David rose to State Jr. Lightweight Contender.

David and Ruben Hernandez were our beloved uncles. They were handsome, exciting and charismatic young Chicanos. They were my first heroes. I grew up admiring them and wanting to be just like them. David was a boxing celebrity in Los Angeles appearing many times in the LA Times Society pages. He was always accompanied by beautiful women. He punctuated his speech with "boom," followed by a fake punch, which always caught you by surprise. Ruben was a classic Zootsuiter. I gave him his family nickname - BuBu. I remember him snapping his fingers and singing "Hey Ba-Ba-Rebop." Both were known for tearing up the dance floor with the Jitterbug and the Mambo.   Later, at 16 yrs, when I started hanging out in bars, I would meet veteranos who knew them both. They were legendary figures in San Bernardino. I would hear many stories about their exploits. The respect the veteranos had for them was also given to me.   David went to Los Angeles Community College where he was elected student body president. Listening to David's stories about college made me want to go to college-some day.    Both their stories will be included in my forthcoming book The Last Chicano.

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