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The
story of Venita Gomez is a really the story of Mexican migrant labor in
the United States. Since the mid-1800s Mexicans migrated along the El Camino Real de Tierra
Ardento to the United States
to work on ranches and farms, to labor in mines and oil fields, and to
build roads and railroads. In fact, the two branches of her family—the
Cruz family and Juan Gomez—began their lives here in the United States
as migrant workers and eventually settled in Santa Barbara. Little information is available for Venita’s father Juan Gomez, so the
following ancestry of Venita Gomez focuses upon the maternal line—Longina
Cruz’s family.
On
November 7, 1857 Jose Abraham Cruz from Ojuelas, Jalisco married Maria
Romualda Montejano from San Miguelito,
San Luis Potosi. They had ten children of whom five survived, including Ysidro (Venita
Gomez’s maternal grandfather) and three brothers: Juan, Francisco, and Nicolas.
In the 1890s the Cruz sons began to migrate to the United States. In the early 1890s Juan and his wife, Martiana (Escobedo), immigrated
with three children to the United States. By 1900 Juan and Martiana had three more children, and Juan was working
as a day laborer in Kern
County. Francisco and his wife, Bersabe (Flores), were living south of the
Guadalupe
River
in
Texas
with brother-in-law Benjamin. Francisco was a farmer, and he could read
and write, and speak English. Nicolas remained with his parents in Jalisco.
Differing
immigration dates on the censuses indicate that the Ysidro Cruz family
probably migrated back and forth between
Mexico
and Texas
as opportunities for work fluctuated. The June 22, 1900 Census from
Deming
,
New Mexico
lists the family as follows: Parents Ysidro and Rayjina with daughter Petra, son Margarito, and daughter Lonjina. The family is living (most likely
in one of a row of small shacks) at
318 West Railroad Avenue
just a few feet from the tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad. No other
Cruz families are listed on the census in Deming. Ysidro is working as a
laborer in the railroad section and is unable to read or write or speak
English. Petra
is working as a servant. Margarito and Lonjina attend a school nearby. By
the end of that year, the Cruz family had made its way to California. John Cruz was born in California
in 1900.
By
1903 the Ysidro Cruz family was living in
Santa Barbara
at 235 East Valerio, and by 1904 the rest of the Cruz clan was living in Santa Barbara
. Parents Abraham and Romualda were living at 235 East Canon Perdido with
son Nicolas. Ysidro and Rayjina were living in the rear of 913 ½ Garden Street
with Petra, Margarito, Longina, and John. Juan and Martiana are living in the front
house at 913 Garden with several children. Francisco and Bersabe are
living at the corner of Carrillo and Laguna. The families moved around the
Santa Barbara
eastside quite a bit in the following years. The men worked as laborers
for the Johnston Fruit Company, for Santa Barbara Paving and G. Company,
and for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Francisco was the only exception;
he worked as a grocer. The women were homemakers and laundresses. By 1910,
Juan was widowed and had moved to
Los Angeles
to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad at what is now the Naud Junction
in downtown Los Angeles. (Click here for a
circa 1900 photograph of Naud
Junction). They lived at 775 ½ San Fernando Street
just a few blocks from the station. Parents Abraham and Romualda and
brother Nicolas lived in the front residence at 775 San Fernando. Since Juan’s wife had passed earlier in the year, I assume that the
grandparents moved with Juan to help care for his seven children. Juan,
son Francisco, and brother Nicolas all worked for the railroad.
Ysidro
and Francisco remained in Santa Barbara. In 1910 the Ysidro Cruz family was living at 106 Mason Street. Later that year, on December 3, 1910, John died of typhoid fever at age
10 years and 2 months and was buried at
Calvary
Cemetery
. At that time, Ysidro was working as a laborer (stone work). At some
point before or after 1910, Lonjina was made a ward of the Juvenile Court
under the supervision of Miss Myra Morgan. In 1909 Lonjina Cruz met Juan
Leon Guerrero from
Guam
Island
in the Philippines. Juan Guerrero had most likely come to the
United States
to work in agriculture as Filipino workers replaced Chinese and Japanese
laborers in the fields of
California. Abraham J. Guerrero was born to Lonjina and Juan Guerrero on July 7,
1910 in Santa Barbara. A year later on July 8, 1911 Lonjina Cruz and Juan Guerrero were married
in Santa Barbara
by Jacob G. Shoup, Justice of the Peace, and they were living at 531 Canal
(Olive) Street. Later that year, on December 27, 1911 John Leon Jr. was
born, and Isabel G. Guerrero was born on January 19, 1914. In 1917 Juan
Guerrero was working as a laborer for U.S. Grill located at 811 State Street.
Sometime
before mid-year 1914 Lonjina Guerrero met Juan Gomez from
Mexico
who was working as a day laborer in Santa Barbara. Little information is available for Juan Gomez. In the 1920 Census, Juan
Gomez lists Mexico
as his place of birth. He immigrated to the United States
in 1905 at the age of 15. He was unable to read or write, and he could not
speak English.
On
April 3, 1915 at 4:00am Carmelita (Venita Angela) Gomez was born to
Lonjina Guerrero and Juan Gomez. She was born in the Gomez home on
Bond Street
with Mrs. T. Ruiz of 602 East Haley assisting as the midwife. According to
the birth certificate, Carmelita’s birth was illegitimate. Juanita
Sophia was born on December 9, 1917, and Longina Guerrero was living at
403 Rose Avenue. In March of 1921 Valentino Gomez was born to Lonjina and Juan Gomez. In
1920 the Gomez family (Juan, Lonjina, Venita, and Sophia) were living just
a few blocks away from Lonjina’s parents and the Guerrero’s at 625
East Haley. In addition, there is no indication that Lonjina and Juan Leon
were divorced, and there is no record of a marriage between Longina
Guerrero (Cruz) and Juan Gomez.
The
1920s were difficult years for the Cruz, Guerrero, and Gomez families. On
February 25, 1922 Ysidro Cruz died of pneumonia and was buried at
Calvary
Cemetery
somewhere in the “baptized plot” (on the far west side of the “E”
section along the fence). Sometime earlier, between January 1921 and
September 1922, Juan Gomez died of tuberculosis. His death record could
not be found and his place of burial is unknown. Because of a lack of
financial support from both Ysidro Cruz and Juan Gomez, the Gomez
children—Venita, Sophie, and Valentino—were admitted to St.
Vincent’s orphanage on September 25, 1922 and given probation (i.e.,
they were placed in boarding homes ) on October 26, 1922. The three Gomez
children were admitted to the General
Hospital on September 27, 1922 for chronic tonsillitis. Venita was held as
pulminary tuberculosis patient and was dismissed on July 21, 1923 as
cured. Last, sometime before 1927, Lonjina Guerrero died of tuberculosis.
Venita
was officially admitted to
St. Vincent
’s on August 8, 1923 where she remained until she was discharged on
September 12, 1934 to work in the home of Thomas and Mildred Savage of
Carpinteria. Sophie was most likely in and out of home placements,
although she is listed as residing at
St. Vincent
’s on the 1930 Census. Valentino Gomez was transferred to an all-boys
school in
Watsonville—St.
Francis
School
of the Missionary Society of the Salesian Congregation.
In
1930 Rayjina Cruz was living with her grandson, Abraham Guerrero, at 217
½ East Haley. Occasionally, Rayjina, now about 70 years old, would visit
Venita at
St. Vincent
’s. As stated in Venita’s file, “An old grandmother visits them,
very rarely, however. She does not speak English.”
Her son-in-law John Leon Guerrero married Gabina Rodriguez and was
living in Monterey
County
with John Jr. and Isabel. The Guerrero family worked as laborers on a
fruit farm in Aromas near Watsonville. John Sr., Gabina, and John Jr. returned to Santa Barbara, while Isabel remained in the area after marrying. On December 10, 1940
Regina Cruz died from pneumonia and was buried at the
Goleta
Cemetery
along the western property line (Section 5 West, Space 54, Division B).
Prior to her death she was living at 1340 Laguna Street.
On
July 11, 1936 Venita Angela Gomez married Anthony Basil Cordero.
Researched
and written by Jonathan Cordero. |
