Linda Roth
Linda Roth’s grandparents came to Youngstown from the Michoacan region in Mexico. Linda grew up on the West Side of Youngstown. She worked as a nurse at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital for many years before going to work as a hospice nurse.
Mexican identity was important in her family when she was growing up. Linda’s grandfather, Rafael Herrera, was one of the founders of the Sociedad Mutualista Mexicana, and she remembers going to the club’s picnics as a child.
Her mother’s family spoke Spanish, even after they learned some English, while her father and his siblings did not learn the language. Only one of Linda’s siblings learned Spanish well. As she explains, maintaining Mexican identity is important but not always easy, especially as she and her siblings and cousins have married people from different backgrounds. Being Mexican still matters for Linda’s children, but she worries that some of her family members have lost their identity.
You can learn more about Linda Roth’s experience and her family’s story by reading the transcript of an interview with her and her mother, Elvira Hernandez.
