My Mother's Garden
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After spending more than forty years in education as a teacher and an administrator at all levels from K-6 to the Junior College and being asked by many to put some of my personal and educational experienced in writing, I reluctantly decided to do that upon my retirement. All of my educational experiences have taken place in Stanislaus County, mainly in Oakdale Elementary School, Oakdale High School, Modesto City Schools and Modesto Junior College (part of the Yosemite Community College District). The characters are real, but the names have been changed to protect their identity and the innocent. The personal experiences are true and actually happened, but the items expressed are the author’s personal experiences and feelings. The book starts with a reflection of the author’s past as he grew up and was educated and acculturated mostly by American women teachers. One of fifteen migrant children, he was reared/raised by Serapio and Mary Manrique in Oakdale, California. The author wishes to thank all his brothers Primo, Vincent, Lawrence (deceased), Arthur (deceased), Joe, Raymond (deceased), Edward, Richard and Tony, and sisters Dolores (deceased), Linda, Jenny (deceased), Alice, and Madeline (deceased) for their inspiration, guidance and influence during his formative years. During the nineties, we have read of the success of many minorities, i.e. Mexican American, African American, Asian American, Vietnamese, Hmong, etc . . ., but when I grew up on the East Side of town, we were just called "those Mexicans." All of us who grew up on the East Side of the tracks were poor, so we didn’t notice any differences or how the wealthy lived. We accepted what little we had, without question! This is another story of how one lifts oneself up by sheer determination without any financial help from anyone and under the most adverse social and economic conditions. This story proves the statement by President Thomas Jefferson, – "once you educate the masses you will have set them free." Education freed the author from poverty set him free to help, assist and influence many who came into his contact. A special thanks to the women in my life – my Mother who instilled all the values, ethics, and determination in my life; Miss Ulrich (1st grade teacher) who showed kindness and interest in a very shy boy; Mrs. Karoline Ardis (4th grade teacher) who influenced how I taught through sheer poise and respect for students, classroom management and neatness; Miss Ditto (8th grade teacher) who taught me the love of our country and instilled in my mind the democratic form of government; Mrs. Kellas (Flying A Station Owner) who, through her kindness, gave me a piece of candy everytime I brought my report card to her that led to perfect attendance all through school including college and forty years of employment ( missed three days); Miss Mary Phillips (Junior College Spanish teacher ) who helped me improve my reading and writing of the Spanish language; Dr. Lillian Gray (Professor of Education at San Jose State University) who displayed teaching techniques I used throughout my career; my wife Barbara Pinkham Manrique who provided the rudder and the foundation to our marriage; and to my daughters Anne and Lynne who helped me understand how to be a parent and a father. A special thanks to Linda (Bonelli) Prouty who typed up the first draft in 1978; Thuy Ngoc Pham who computerized the second draft (in 1997) and added much to the completion of this document; the many proof readers such as John A. Garcia, instructor at Modesto Junior College; Jean Marie Miscisin, a writer and publisher in her own right; and the many others who have prodded and inspired me to finish this journey through life.
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About the Book
My Mother’s Garden
The setting of this material starts in a small town where he was born, educated, and began his teaching career and then ends in the county seat of San Joaquin Valley County. This is farming country with diverse products that provided the opportunity for many migrant workers to earn a living. He and his parents, brothers, and sisters were a few of the migrants that harvested the crops for farmers in this area.
The material moves from one phase of his life to another describing how his earlier years had an influence on him. My Mother’s Garden is not only about his mother’s flowers, but also about her personal garden--her family.
About the Author
The author is one of fifteen migrant children and the only one to have graduated from a University with a Doctorate Degree. The author was deeply influenced by his mother, sisters, and all the bright and intelligent women teachers that he had throughout his career. The cover of this book displays an experience that he has never forgotten. When those cattlemen and cattle trampled his mother’s garden and the language used by the cowboys remained in his mind forever. His mother’s words were "don’t be like those men, go to school and be somebody educated." The author wrote this book with the prodding of many and hopefully to influence others to get educated regardless of their environment and social position.