“I don’t know, I guess my sister had the bad luck of me closing the gate on her head all the time. I don’t know what happened there.”
For the Arevalo Villatoro family, life is about having immigrant parents and being responsible for siblings. Its also about having to run a trucking business in 2021 and having ups and downs with family and money. There isn’t a thing you cannot do with family and support. Their main priority is success and being top of the most successful family in the family tree.
Transcript:
Azalea Arevalo: What is your full name?
Alexis Arevalo: My name is Alexis Arevalo Villatoro.
Cielito Arevalo: My name is Cielito Arevalo Villatoro.
AZ: Were you guys named after someone?
AA: Um yeah, I believe I was named after my dad.
CA: Yes, I was named after my grandma.
AZ: Why do you think your parents named you what you’re named?
AA: Um, well I think they just wanted to continue the pattern cuz my dad’s name is Alec and my name is Alexis so it kinda you know goes there.
CA: Um, I don’t think they had a reason [giggles].
AZ: What are your nicknames?
AA: Um well when I was a kid um in the block they used to call me “ongito” [laughs] um but now as I grew up friends and family call me “guero.”
CA: Um, I’ve never had a nickname, at least not to my knowledge.
AZ: When were you born?
AA: I was born October 26, 1994.
CA: I was born October 25, 1999.
AZ: Oh so your guys birthdays are a day after each other, but not in the same year, right?
AA: Yeah, we’re five years apart.
CA: Yeah I think it’s been the best thing [giggles].
AZ: Okay where were you guys born?
AA: Uh I was born in Mexico.
CA: I was born here in the US.
AZ: And how was it coming to the US and just not having nothing and just having to start fresh ?
AA: Um, Well to be honest when my parents brought me to the US I was like two months old, so I mean I pretty much have never gone back since so I mean I don’t know what it is [giggles] I don’t know what to tell you.
AZ: Okay, any favorite childhood memories ?
AA: Um, childhood memories? Yes um, I mean since our birthdays are pretty much one day apart but five years apart, um we would always celebrate our birthday parties together.
CA: Yeah, it would always be boy girl- I mean boy and girl theme mixed together.
AA: Yeah half and half.
AZ: And do you guys still do that till this day?
AA: Um yeah well I mean as we grow up, um well we moved cities, but um we’re back now and living in the same city here in LA so I mean I – I think we should be good, you know to start continue celebrating our birthdays together again. Which we did last year.
CA: And our birthdays are next month so we’ll let you guys know [laughs].
AZ: [laughs] Um have you guys been baptized? If so, how old were you guys?
AA: Yeah we actually did, well we are baptized. Um well we were pretty old- well I was pretty old already. I think I was like 16-15 years old somewhere around there. If not older.
CA: Um yeah actually we did. We got baptized together um I think I was around 12-13 um so yeah, we are.
AZ: What are your religions? And like what do you believe in?
AA: Um well, I believe we’re – well we are catholic. Um well I believe that there’s a god and I believe in the Virgin Mary. And you know I believe that there’s good, there’s bad. And you know just as long as you do good you should be good.
CA: Um yes I believe everyone around me is catholic. I consider myself catholic and I do have the same beliefs as my family.
AZ: Where did you guys grow up?
AA: Uh we grew up in Los Angeles, California in South Central. LA specifically.
CA: Yeah, South Central LA.
AZ: Um, what are some funny stories you guys have? How is it?
AA: Um well funny stories I mean, you know just a lot of things. I remember I always. I don’t know, I guess my sister had the bad luck of me closing the gate on her head all the time [laughs] I don’t know what happened there.
CA: Yeah he would just always just either squish my head or my fingers with just anything and I think that’s something that he’s done up until I was like 14-15 around there.
AZ: And when you guys were children, were your mom and dad around all the time?
AA: Um for me no, well my dad uh he’s a truck driver so he was always on the road and he still is now, um my – at that time I believe before he was a truck driver he used to work, um, well in Spanish it’s called la costura so they would always do, um, they were always working and I would always stay pretty much home alone at a early age and, you know, I had to be responsible at a really early age.
CA: Um I honestly, I don’t remember but I do remember my brother taking, um, control over me, like he was like, you know, my um parent since my parents were always working so for what I remember it was my brother most of the time.
AZ: So as you guys were alone most of the time, what did you guys do to keep busy?
AA: Um, well when we were out I would usually go to the after-school programs and, you know, try to be at school as late as we could. And well, once we were, we would go home, uh, we used to live in the back house so um there was this lady called “Sandra,” which we used to call her Tia but she wasn’t family related, she was just like our babysitter pretty much, so you know she was just pretty much there but while we were just home alone but she was like just right there, you know. So she would take care of us from a distance.
CA: Um yeah I think I would just sleep. I was pretty young there. I don’t really remember much.
AA: Just watch movies.
CA: Yeah, just the basic things.
AZ: Okay do you guys play any sports?
AA: Um yeah I play soccer.
CA: Um I think my brother influenced me to play soccer for a certain time and that I got hurt playing soccer and my career ended [laughs].
AA: And she got injured.
AZ: Um, what are your guys’ hobbies?
AA: Well I love to play soccer, I love to play FIFA, it relaxes me. Um, I like to spend time with my friends and, you know, I like to sing and just have a good time, just be with the people I love, you know.
CA: Um, I love to go shopping, I really spend my money on things I don’t need and I like to go out with my friends and with family.
