Going Backwards: Part 2

My family comes from a mixture of Filipino, Puerto Rican, and Irish. My mother and father were both born in Baltimore, Maryland. My mother grew up in Perry Hall with her parents and two brothers. She traveled to Puerto Rico and stayed with her grandmother to attend school there for two years. She lived there three months out of the year with her grandparents every year also. My father grew up in Dundalk with his four brothers and sisters. He spent time in the Philippines while he was in medical school. On my father’s side my grandparents came over from the Philippines. My dad’s father was born in Cabucbucan, Philippines in 1921. He grew up there and went too Far Eastern University. He graduated and decided to change his major to Pre-Medicine when World War II began. He then went and advanced his studies at Manila Central University Medical School. In 1954, he traveled to Baltimore, Maryland and he began his residency. Later, he moved his family from Baltimore City to Dundalk and open several practices. His mother was born in Ilocos Norte, Philippines in 1922. She also attended Manila Central University Medical School and met my grandfather there. In 1954, she joined him and they began their family. On my mother side her father was born and raised in Fullerton, Maryland.  His father came over from Ireland in 1914 when he was 19 years old. His mother was of German and Irish decent. She grew up in Fullerton, Maryland and was born in 1902. His mother’s grandparents came over from Ireland and Germany.  My mother’s mom was born in Puerto Rico. My grandmother was born in Puerto Rico and her grandparents were born in Spain. Her father, Jose Gonzalez, was also born in Puerto Rico and both of his parents were born in Galicia, Spain. My grandmother came over in 1951 to go to St. Joseph’s College in Emmetsburg, Maryland. My grandfather was attending Mt. St. Mary’s College where they met. They married in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and lived there for one year. Then in 1956, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland and started their family.