“I got married because of religion, because of Christianity, and that’s what I can say. “
Alejandra Delgado
Interview With alejandra
What is your full name?
Alejandra Delgado.
Do you have any story from the day you were born?
Not really, but I was born on February 27, 1941.
Do you have siblings?
Yes, I have… Well, they are dead, we only have two left. Well, we had a good relationship.
Do you want to tell me about your childhood? How was your childhood?
My childhood was very beautiful. I was the youngest of seven siblings. So I always went with my parents. My dad had an ice cream shop. There was a very famous market here in Mexico City, which was called the Mercado de la Merced. My dad had an ice cream shop there. The ice cream shop had many friends and we would go to visit them and I would always go with them. But we were a very close family. Well, in the old days, all the siblings would always go with my parents. Every Friday and Saturday, they would take us for walks. I was born in Mexico City. All my childhood, part of my youth, my adolescence, my youth. After I got married, I lived four years in Mexico City. Then I moved here to the State of Mexico, to the municipality of Naucalpan. In our times, there was a garden–it had a fountain, which is a fountain from the 16th century– we would go out to play there in the garden. We played volleyball, we rode our bicycles, we skated. I really loved the historical center. I grew up there, there I went to school.
Do you remember in school?
Yes, in school, in the school where I was, which was on the street of Chavilde Monzo. At Prepa 1–I went to high school there. After the 1985 earthquake, several buildings fell off around the city, especially in the city center.
I remember in school there was a marching band, I was part of the marching band, I was the sergeant of the band, and I played the trumpet. I also started playing the violin. I studied there and I liked it a lot. It was all very happy.
Did you ever get married?
Yes. It was a beautiful day. We got married in the Jardin de Loreto. A lot of our families were there–it was very important for them, you know, for us to get married. At the time there were no divorces. Him and I used to play together since we were kids. We would play raya and volleyball, skated and biked in the same park. That is where we met. And then he was 24 when we decided to get married. I was 18. Everyone used to get married very young. We got married in a church. And then right after that, when I turned 19, my daughter was born, and it has been a blessing in my life. A good girl, and now I have two.
How was your relationship with your husband?
Well, relatively it was a good relationship–we married very young. Throughout my life, I worked in a construction company. I used to travel throughout the Mexican Republic a lot. I knew a lot of places–I’ve been to almost every state. And so sometimes I would take my kids with me on vacation to these places. We would go to those little towns on vacation. I’ve never been to Europe, but I went to Chicago and Los Angeles with them.
What was your favorite place you visited?
My favorite place I visited, well, what can I say, several, but I can tell you that the Mexican Republic is a beautiful place. I like a lot of places here. I like Chiapas, I like the Baja California Peninsula a lot, the whole Baja California Peninsula, I feel that it is very beautiful.
Has religion ever been a part of your life?
I am Christian. I practice Christianity. It has been a very important part of my life. And I want to tell you that I got married, I got married because of religion, because of Christianity, and that’s what I can say. My parents did not practice Christianity. They were all Catholics. But I converted to Christianity because of my husband. We used to go every weekend to a very beautiful church, which is still there.
What is a happy moment in your life that you remember?
There are several. One of them when I got married, another one when my daughter was born, another one when my grandchildren were born, and also when my daughter got married.
And what would you like people to remember about you?
I would like people to remember me as a person who did a lot for God, who had a lot of faith in Him, and who tried to do the best as a human being.
And how do you think your family would describe you?
They would describe me as a person who had a lot of faith in God, and who tried to help always.
And what advice would you give to a young woman?
I would give the advice to a young woman to accept God, to trust God. And that the most important part of this life is family.
Alejandra delgada
Mexico City, Mexico
The Wise Women Project 