My great-grandfather, Augustine Rocha, was not a complainer. Originally from Terceira, a beautiful Portuguese island in the Azores, he and his family lived in a house with dirt a floor. They had one cow, which provided both dairy and labor. My Papa recounted that the cow’s milk lacked fat due to its time pulling plows. In 1920, my great-grandpa boarded a ship to America in hopes of making a better living.
He had a sharp mind, but Augustine never attended school a day in his life. When he got off the ship at Ellis Island, he couldn’t read, write, or understand English. Not wanting to waste time attempting to explain something he couldn’t explain, Augustine said his surname was Rocha, because it was the surname of the man in front of him in line. Rocha was probably part of his name, but Vaz had most likely been his surname in the Azores. Augustine’s name was documented as “Aquito Rocha” when he mistakenly shortened his name and confused the letter “g” with “q.”
My grandpa doesn’t know if his dad was loaned money for a train ticket, or if he hitched a ride with someone, but somehow, Augustine moved to San Francisco. There, he and his bother started a dairy farm. Unfortunately, my great-grandfather’s brother was an irresponsible hypochondriac. He spent most of his and Augustine’s hard-earned money on unnecessary appointments with doctors and chiropractors. The brothers lost their dairy. Understandably, Augustine wanted to move away and start fresh once again.
After the failure of his own dairy, my great-grandfather moved to a small town in Northern California called Arcata. There, he found work at a dairy farm, making thirty dollars per month. Later, he worked at a lumber mill, and finally, he mowed lawns in rich neighborhoods. In his free time he made wine, which he loved to drink. The Portuguese community in Arcata annually gathered for a celebration, or “Festa” where they celebrated Catholicism, Portuguese culture, and life in the United States via enjoying sweet bread, wine, linguisa (sausage), and spending time together. In 1974, the photograph above was taken at this festival.
For my great-grandfather, life in the United States was far from home and far from easy. Augustine was extremely hardworking, and immigrating to America gave him the opportunity to use his incredible work ethic to better his future. While in Arcata he met my great-grandmother, Marie, and together they had three children. Years later, my grandpa joined the U.S. Navy, graduated from Humbolt State University, and ran his own lathe mill company. The hard work payed off; the Rochas were and are living the American dream. Today, my grandparents can’t help themselves when it comes to ice cream and wine.
