December 2021

Coming Into Place, Orondo, Douglas County

By Jessi Mendoza 

My parents immigrated to North Central Washington from the state of Michoacan, Mexico in the 1970’s when they were both teenagers. Growing up in the small village Coahuayana, near the Pacific Ocean, they wanted to live in a small town so they followed family members who were already living in Central Washington. They both have siblings who spoke highly about the beauty and abundance of the area. Jobs, housing, and excellent weather were among the things that attracted them to come here. 

My Father

My dad originally moved to Yakima, where he had many family members who were working in the agricultural industry. He heard rumors of the Wenatchee Valley and the many opportunities for work with excellent wages. Along with my uncle, they decided to take the risk and make the move to the valley. 

The first stop was Entiat. They didn’t have much luck finding work at first since there were already many workers moving into the area. They kept hearing about these well-paying jobs available with free housing so their search continued. They headed north and stopped at Lake Chelan, where my Uncle Salomon found a job. But since they only had room for one new employee, my dad and a friend continued the search and found jobs in the beautiful Twin W Orchard on the Columbia near Orondo that included livable wages and housing. They worked hard and felt like they could build a life in this new country. Their hard work paid off as they both received work residency permits in order to work peacefully. 

My Mother

My mother was curious to see what it was like to live and work in the USA. So, as a 15-year-old teenager she decided to move to Orondo, in 1975. She received help from my aunt who was working in Lake Chelan at a fruit packing shed. Unfortunately, she came during the winter which was a shock to her as she was used to palm trees, sunny weather, and being able to walk outside whenever she wanted.

Staying at home all day while my aunt and uncle worked was not only lonely, but she felt like a prisoner, locked inside without being able to comfortably go outside. She immediately wrote a letter pleading to my grandmother to send money in order to send her back to Mexico. My aunt explained the benefits of the spring and summertime and convinced my mom to not send the letter. Her decision to stay paid off because she met my father later that year. My mother Eva and my father Jesus met in the Twin W Orchards in Orondo when they were coincidently matched up as picking partners.

My mom’s dad was a cattle farmer, butcher, grocery store owner, and corn farmer in the mountains of Santa Maria, Michoacan. My mother and her seven siblings helped my grandparents in various ways with the farm and the store. Both my mom and dad had to leave school by the third grade to financially support their families. Back in Mexico my dad did manual labor cleaning up yards and providing landscaping services, while my mom helped customers in my grandparent’s grocery store.

My mom eventually started her own daycare business out of our home in Orondo shortly after having my younger brother German in 1991. She was tired of working in the orchard and also working in the fruit shed in Chelan. She became an entrepreneur just like my grandparents.

My Childhood

As a young Hispanic kid growing up around apple and pear orchards in Orondo, it was like having the largest playground I could ever ask for. With views of the mighty Columbia River, I knew I was living in a special place. I enjoyed walking down to the river and fishing on the river banks. My family and I lived in housing provided by the orchard owners in the middle of Twin W Ranch. The orchard had mostly apple trees including red delicious, gala, and golden delicious. There were a few acres with Bartlett pears as well. 

There were only a couple dozen families living in Twin W, but lucky for me I had many cousins who living there and were close to my age. My cousins and I would play games in the middle of the orchards and go on adventures to distant areas. Growing up with family members and having many large gatherings made this place feel like home. 

The Orondo School- A Gathering Place

I enjoyed going to school in Orondo because of the great teachers who  made learning fun. I was able to relate to many of my Hispanic classmates in school but it was tough sometimes at first connecting with others because I only knew Spanish. After learning English in preschool and kindergarten I was able to make other friends who were not Hispanic. The teachers and community were and still are very welcoming to the Hispanic culture and people. We would all have fun at the Orondo scholarship fundraisers, Bingo Night being the most popular. Everyone got along and was there for a great cause. It felt great to belong to such a generous and kind community. And although both of my parents didn’t know English they still participated and donated when they could.  

The Orondo School was a great gathering place for many community members to go in and obtain any type of help they may need. My parents and countless other family members took advantage of English classes hosted at the school. This was a tremendous benefit as they were able to better communicate with upper management, excel at their jobs, and be promoted.

I reflect and how much fun I had at the Orondo School and am very happy when I am able to help out during the Bingo Night Fundraiser. I see so many familiar faces and I remember why this place feels like home. Occasionally I will run into other Orondo alums who look familiar and get this instinctual reaction that they are from my home. They grew up in Orondo. 

It’s great to see these people around in the community. I enjoy going back to Orondo and seeing folks come together regardless of differences in cultures and race. Most community members work in the agriculture industry and they are able connect, relate, and bond because of that.

Working hard

My parents remain humble and grateful to this day and they instilled that in me and all my siblings. My parents brought with them a strong work ethic, a desire to learn, and a dream to create a better life for themselves and their family. They built just that and have given my siblings and I the best opportunity we could ever have hoped for. This is the best country we could be in to make our dreams come true. My mom and dad sacrificed so many things in order for my siblings and I to pursue an education. All my siblings and I have a college education because of what they instilled in us. 

My parents left their home country and everything that they have ever known, coming to the U.S. unable to speak English, in order to pursue something better. That was going far beyond their comfort zone, an example that has taught me to push myself harder in order to make my own dreams come true which I believe sets me up for success. I will follow the example they have provided by always working hard, remaining persistent, having a vision for what I want then going after it and making it happen!