Testimony of Carmen Chicano, Interview with Jessica Cordova and Jodi Eisenberg; July 4, 2009
Contributor
Chicano, Carmen Cordova, Jessica Eisenberg, Jodi University of California, San Diego Asociación de Ex-presos y Represaliados Políticos Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica Federación Estatal de Foros por la Memoria
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Chicano, Carmen
Description
Carmen Chicano recounts fleeing with her family on the road to Almería when the Civil War began and retells the fear experienced as they were attacked by ships and planes. She narrates that they fled to Alicante but went to Arijuela after the bombardment, and returned to Vélez when the war ended. Carmen explains that many people were detained, stating that her uncle was imprisoned in Vélez and executed in Málaga. She comments that many people were placed in concentration camps, emphasizing that her brother was put in Caparacena. Carmen details her family's life after the war, noting the hunger as well as her mother's suffering after the Francoists killed her two brothers. She remembers her family members whose bodies have not been recovered because their burial places are unknown. Carmen describes the dictatorship as painful years, underlining the censorship and the daily conditions of vigilance. She tells that people she knew were tortured. Carmen relates wearing black to her wedding in mourning of her family members' deaths. She speaks about Franco's death and the changes that occurred after 1975. Carmen reiterates the difficulties of exhuming and identifying the bodies of her brothers who are buried in mass graves. She recalls her parents' pre-war memories. Carmen discusses the importance of remembering the suffering of the war and instilling awareness of it in the younger generations Carmen Chicano recuenta que huyó con su familia en la carretera de Almería al comienzo de la Guerra Civil y destaca el miedo que sintió al ser atacados por barcos y aviones. Indica que huyeron a Alicante pero se fueron a Arijuela después del bombardeo, y al terminar la guerra regresaron a Vélez. Carmen cuenta que muchas personas fueron detenidas, señalando que su tío fue encarcelado en Vélez y ejecutado en Málaga. Dice que muchas personas fueron puestas en campos de concentración, explicando que a su hermano lo metieron en Caparacena. Carmen detalla la vida de su familia después de la guerra, notando el hambre así como el sufrimiento de su madre después de que los Franquistas mataron a sus dos hermanos. Recuerda a sus familiares cuyos cuerpos no han sido recuperados porque no se sabe dónde están enterrados. Carmen describe a la dictadura como años dolorosos, subrayando la censura y las condiciones de vigilancia cotidiana. Habla sobre la tortura de personas que conocía. Carmen relata que cuando se casó vistió de luto por la muerte de sus familiares. Comenta sobre la muerte de Franco y los cambios que ocurrieron después de 1975. Carmen reitera la dificultad de exhumar e identificar los cuerpos de sus hermanos que están enterrados en fosas comunes. Narra recuerdos de sus padres previos a la guerra. Carmen enfatiza la importancia de recordar el sufrimiento de la guerra e inculcar conciencia de ello en las nuevas generaciones. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0175 (https://lib.ucsd.edu/sca) Interviews in Spanish Carmen Chicano's testimony was recorded in Vélez-Málaga Testimony of the Spanish Civil War and the Francoist dictatorship Chicano, Carmen, Testimony of the Spanish Civil War and the Francoist Dictatorship. University of California, San Diego, 2009 Vélez-Málaga, Spain :, Spanish Civil War Memory Project, 2009
Type
moving image
Format
3 video files : digital, sound, color
Identifier
ark:/20775/bb05813957
Language
Spanish
Subject
Civil War (Spain : 1936-1939) Interviews History Oral history Nonfiction films Personal narratives-Spanish Spain
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