Things they did

Q: "What kind of work have you done, sir? What jobs have you had? What do your family members do?

"

A: "Trabajé...

En la milpa

En el campo

En construcción

Landscaping

Jornalero

Mecánico

En una pescadería

En una fábrica de verduras

Una fábrica

maestra

ingeniero

en un restaurante

Un taller

I opened my own auto repair shop. It was called Cabo Beach 24 hours motor.

una lavandería

Manejaba el camión a los files. Para la gente que trabajaba en el campo.

Una mueblería

Piscando manzanas en Washington

Piscando fresas... lechugas... tomate...

Contador técnico

Albañil

Ayudante de albañil

Peón de albañil

Un taller de carrocería

En una tienda Oxxo

Una taquería. Soy taquero.

Hacía chicken pot pies para microondas en una fábrica

despachando la gasolina

carpintería

hacía gabinetes

podaba palmas

ama de casa

limbiaba casas

limpiaba oficinas

limpiaba las cortes aquí en Phoenix

en una zapatería

tenía un carrito de paletas

Hacía chapas. Enchapado. Plating.

Piscaba algodón.

En un carwash.

Poniendo siding con unos güeros

músico

Trabajé para Luz y Fuerza del Centro armando torres para los cables.

en una bodega

Técnico agricolar

En la terminal de autobuses

Poniendo pisos

Barriendo el tianguis

Trailero

Vendi dulces

En un rastro donde matan vacas

Soy payaso de rodeo

Ponía cemento

Housekeeper

En una clínica

En las yardas

Cacé tiburones en Guatemala

Trabajaba en Mississippi despues de la Katrina

Soldadura

Una fábrica de carretes (reels)

Ordeñando vacas

Cortando café

ayudante de un médico

cuidando el terreno

pintaba casas

en una tintorería

hacía roofing

una fábrica de muebles

mi hermano no hace nada. Es huevón.

cortando arboles

hojalata y pintura

En un invernadero

Chofer

Cosechaba las cerezas

Soy labrador

Una desponchadora (llantera, tire repair shop)

Demolición

Mi mamá es ejidataria.

Vendía hot dogs

Andaba de militar

Enfermera

Framing

Sembramos maíz, frijol, café

Manejé un carro de pasaje

Una empacadora de pescado

Vidriero, instalaba vidrios

pintor

De cachadero

Colado (pouring concrete)

Places they've been

"Where were you born? And where have you lived?"

Choix, Sinaloa

Los Mochis, Sinaloa

Madera, California

Caborca, Sonora

Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas

Ciudad Obregon, Sonora

Palmillas, Durango

Culiacán, Sinaloa

Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua

El DF, Distrito Federal

Leon, Guanajuato

Janos, Chihuahua

Mesa, Arizona

Acatlán de Osorio, Puebla

Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca

Cuajinicuilapa, Guerrero

Zacatecas, Zacatecas

Navojoa, Sinaloa

Bacobampo, Etchojoa, Sonora

Compostela, Nayarit

Guadalajara, Jalisco

Denver, Colorado

Arvada, Colorado

Hermosillo, Sonora

Phoenix, Arizona

Cuernavaca, Morelos

San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora

Silverton, Arizona

Blythe, California

Quartzite, Arizona

Indio, California

Ensenada, Baja California

Parker, Arizona

Salinas, California

Santa Ana, California

Santa Ana, Sonora

Guasave, Sinaloa

Las Quemazones, Guasave, Sinaloa

El Naranjo, Guasave, Sinaloa

Las Moras, Guasave, Sinaloa

Buckeye, Arizona

Tijuana, Baja California

Chihuahua, Chihuahua

Veracruz, Veracruz

Stockton, California

El Tamarindo, Sinaloa

French Camp, California

Rancho La Campana, Sinaloa

Yuma, Arizona

Fresno, California

Estación Bamoa, Guasave, Sinaloa

Guamuchil, Sinaloa

Acapulco, Guerrero

Delano, California

Bakersville California

Chandler, Arizona

Oregon (State)

Washington (State)

Morelia, Michoacán

San Clemente, California

San Diego, California

San Juan Capistrano, California

Nogales, Sonora

Celaya, Guanajuato

Okanagan, Washington

Cockleburr, Arizona

Escuinapa, Sinaloa

San Felipe, Baja California

Mexicali, Baja California

Guamuchil, Sinaloa

El Dorado, Sinaloa

Los Angeles, California

Southgate, California

Fullerton, California

Juchitlán, Jalisco

Inglewood, California

Hawthorne, California

Ontario, Canada

Gomez Palacio, Durango

Gregorio García, Gomez Palacio, Durango

Culver, Idaho

Tenancingo, Estado de México

San Simonito Atlacomulco, Tenancingo, Estado de México "domicilio conocido."

Toluca, Estado de México

Morelia, Michoacán

Portland, Oregon

Cuidad Guzmán, Jalisco

Yakima, Washington

Triton, Washington

Palm Springs, California

Costa Rica, Sinaloa

Salvatierra, Guanajuato

Santa María, CA

Los Mescales Pericos, Sinaloa

Virginia (State)

Rancho Los Mescales, Culiacán, Sinaloa

San Marcos, Guatemala

El Chiguan, Guatemala

Sonoita, Sonora

Tacoma, Washington

Puebla, Puebla

Altar, Sinaloa

Altavista, Nayarit

Las Varas, Nayarit

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Mazatlán, Sinaloa

Los Mochis, Sinaloa

Mochicahui, El Fuerte, Sinaloa

Las Vegas, Nevada

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

Tolleson, Arizona

Bavispe, Sonora

Scottsdale, Arizona

Agua Prieta, Sonora

Acaponeta, Nayarit

Fort Worth, Texas

Compton, California

North Carolina (State)

Everett, Massachussetts

Somerville, Massachussetts

Boston, Massachussetts

Mississippi (State)

Nayarit (State)

Ahauchapán (Departamento), El Salvador

San Francisco Menendez (municipio), Ahuachapán, El Salvador

Colonia Ista, Cantón Garita Palmera, Ahuachapán, El Salvador

Austin, Texas

Houston, Texas

Laredo, Texas

Detroit, Michigan

Georgia (State)

Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán

Zaragoza, Chihuahua

Sausal, Chihuahua

San Isidro, Chihuahua

Frenillo, Zacatecas

Puerto Peñasco, Sonora

Eloy, Arizona

Ajo, Arizona

Guadalupe Santa Ana, Puebla

Chicago, Illinois

Riverdale, Maryland

Avondale, Arizona

Durango, Durango

Bullhead City, Arizona

Frontera Comalapa, Chiapas

San Ysidro, California

Delicias, Chihuahua

San José, California

Nicolás Bravo, Durango

La Habra, California

Chiqueritos, Sinaloa

La Cruz Elota, Sinaloa

Modesto, California

Baila, Sinaloa

Sahuayo, Michoacán

Zapotillo de Mogotes, Guanajuato

Pozo de Parangueo, Guanajuato

Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato

Tenosique, Tabasco

Irapuato, Guanajuato

San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz

Ixtepec, Oaxaca

Guadalupe, California

San Bernardino, California

Bakersfield, California

Calexico, California

Oxnard, California

Rio Rico, Arizona

Puruandiro, Michoacán

Porterville, California

Salem, Oregon

Merced, California

Buena Vista, Comayagua, Honduras

San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Michoacán

Mezquite Alto, Sinaloa

Sinaloa de Leyva, Sinaloa

Chavira, Sinaloa

Huatabampo, Sonora

Chetumal, Quintana Roo

Iguala, Guerrero

Tapitzala, Chiapas

Charlotte, North Carolina

Florida (State)

Gilbert, Arizona

El Tajito, Guasave, Sinaloa

Silacayoapan, Oaxaca

Santiago Yucuyachi, Oaxaca

San Luis Rey, California

Tehuantepec, Oaxaca

Santa Gertrudis Miramar, Tehuantepec, Oaxaca

Aldea Canibal, Huehuetenango, Guatemala

Huehuetenango, Huehuetenango, Guatemala

Cuilco, Huehuetenango, Guatemala

Georgetown, Delaware

Malacatán, San Marcos, Guatemala

San Marcos, San Marcos, Guatemala

Aldea La Unión, San Marcos, Guatemala

San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas

Caborca, Sonora

Romita, Guanajuato

Algodones, Baja California

Sacramento, California

Kansas City, Missouri

Mexican place names

I was googling Mexican place names in preparation for my new gig as a Spanish interpreter for US Probation officers doing presentence interviews. The PO has to take a social history of the newly convicted felon- what are your parents' names? Names of all of your siblings? Where did you grow up? Work history? Physical or sexual abuse? Mental health problems? Drugs, alcohol? OK, tell me about the crime you pled guilty to. What did you do?

The first time I did it the answers to "where are you from" proved to be the most challenging. The interviewee is in prison in another part of the state, so the interview is done over a video system, and the sound is ok, but much less optimal than being in the same room with the person, and you can't always see their face.

So when the PO asks, "Where are you from?", I need to be ready to understand and transcribe Nezahualcóyotl (State of Mexico, pop. over 1 million) or Tlajomulco de Zuñiga (Jalisco) or Huixquilucan (State of Mexico) or San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec (Oaxaca).

Here are some cool links relating to Mexican place names.

To start, Wikipedia's list of Mexico's 173 biggest cities, which yielded the examples mentioned above:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Mexico

From Mexico´s Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, a searchable map and place name registry:
http://mapserver.inegi.org.mx/rnng/index.cfm?s=geo&c=1312
http://gaia.inegi.org.mx/mdm5/viewer.html

From Australia, a cool hub of place names in general
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/placenames.htm

And then there's this -- http://www.mexica.net/nahuatl/ --fascinating information about nahuatl culture and vocabulary. You have the the food words, of course -- aguacate (avocado), chocolate, tomate, cacahuate (peanut), milpa (cultivated field); and then there are animal names -- tecolote (owl), chapulin (grasshopper), coyote. One I had never thought about before was the word chamaco (boy, young person). That's Nahua too. That's why Mexicans, but not other Spanish speakers, say chamaco. There are words that are in general diffusion in the Spanish speaking world, that you never would have thought were Aztec - tocayo (namesake), petaca (suitcase; con camas y petacas, with all your worldly goods), chicle (gum). Love this site.

This one is of interest to me because it addresses pronunciation. http://www.therealmexico.com/placenames.htm

After 5 years in Arizona, I've learned to speak a little 'Mexican.' I was pleased with how many of the words I was familiar with, things that I learned on the job but never saw in print, like chapopote (tar, i.e. road asphalt). But the field of what I still don't know is always so vast.