Hernandez Family Episode 6

Hernandez Family Episode 6

Program Transcript

FEMALE SPEAKER: So last week I showed you how to make a genogram, like

this one. Now, the idea behind making a genogram is to help you draw a picture

of your family history. And then we use that to discuss the relationships and

connections among your relatives. OK? So Juan, why don’t you start off and talk

about what you came up with.

JUAN HERNANDEZ: So we’re starting with my family. My father, Hector, he’s still

alive. And he married my mother, Freda. And she passed away two years ago.

And then there’s their children, myself– I’m the oldest– and then there’s my three

sisters, Marie, Senta, and Rose.

FEMALE SPEAKER: Good. And Elena, what about your family?

ELENA HERNANDEZ: Well, here’s my father, Anthony. He met and married my

mother, Sofia. They are both still alive. They had five children. Firstborn was my

brother Daniel, then my brother Tomas, then my sisters Martina and Camila, and

there’s me, the baby.

And then I met Juan, and we started our own family. And we have two beautiful

sons that you met, one, Junior, who is eight, and Alberto, who is six.

FEMALE SPEAKER: Good. So for the last several weeks we’ve been talking a lot

about how you discipline your sons at home. And both of you mentioned how

your parents used to punish you when you were growing up. Juan, why don’t you

talk about that and point to anybody on the genogram as you mention them?

JUAN HERNANDEZ: Sure. So my dad, when he was mad at me he would send

me to get books from the encyclopedia. And he’d make me hold them out,

straight out like this, until he told me to stop. It caused so much pain in my arms,

I mean, my arms felt like they would break off.

And my mom, she did basically the same thing. Except when she was really

mad, when would make me get more books than my dad. I hated those books so

much. I never went near them on my own. To me, they only meant one thing,

misery. And now, I guess I inherited that from them.

FEMALE SPEAKER: Elena, how about you?

ELENA HERNANDEZ: Yes, misery. That’s what it was like for me, too.