Interviewer
Julian Castillo
Project
El Paso Folklore (English 3374)
Summary of Interview
Bertha Sierra was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and migrated north first to Ciudad Juárez, then to Los Angeles, and eventually settled in El Paso. In this interview, Bertha tells of her childhood and how life was in the smaller pueblos in Zacatecas and the slow life on the ranch. The first things in life she learned to cook were Frijoles, Tortillas, and Sopa de Fideo, all of which she would cook for her family while her mother was busy tending to the other duties of running a small ranch. Bertha shares her recipes for Pipián and Carrot Cake in the old-fashioned way. Migrating to Ciudad Juárez after getting married and having their first child in 1973, they crossed the Rio Grande and went to Los Angeles, where she took up a job at the McCormick factory, packaging spices and condiments for restaurants and businesses. Then, moving to El Paso a few years later, she took to using her cooking skills to help support her family. Making burritos early each morning to sell to loading workers at the local grocery store, she would make her profit to help pay bills and save extra money for a rainy day. Now at age 75, she deals with Congestive Heart Failure and is limited to what she can do in the kitchen, but still recalls how cooking was helping her cope and adjust to a new life in a new country, and even using her skill to earn extra cash. Bertha has lived a long life that has been defined by the delicious recipes she cooks and the flavor she has shared with her family over the years, generously sharing recipes with those who wish to learn her way of cooking.
Date of Interview
11-21-2025
Length of Interview
34 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1802
Interview Number
1802
Terms of Use
Open
Recommended Citation
Interview with Bertha Sierra by Julian Castillo, 2025, "Interview No. 1802," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Student Created