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Moving to Olvera Street
The Casa Sepulveda Our New Family Home
 The year was 1938, and I was three years old. Mother bought me this hat on Olvera Street. She made me this "Jarabe Tapatio" costume, and I danced to a very receptive audience on the porch of the old Adobe House. Eighteen years later, I moved to Olvera Street to continue the life I began long ago. We are five generations, which have existed on Olvera Street: Mama Grande, Mother, my brothers and sisters, our children and their children.
 Mrs. Sterling met my mother, Belen Tapia, in 1952 through Mario and my sister Belle. She took a liking to her and offered to rent her a puesto. My mother joyously accepted. Mrs. Sterling also employed my mother to cook and tend to her needs at the Avila Adobe house, which she agreed to do. Sometime after this, Mrs. Sterling thought it would be convenient for Mother to live at Olvera Street rather than commute from Hollywood everyday.
 In 1957, Mother said, "We're moving to Olvera Street, and we will rent this house out!" So, from Hollywood (the City of Stars) to Olvera Street (a tourist attraction) we went. Bienvenidos a La Calle Olvera! "Our new Home" La Casa Sepulveda. Our family would live there until 1971. Unfortunately, we were forced to move from Olvera Street, right after the Sylmar earthquake. However, we continued our activities, business and our devotion to Olvera Street. "Now it is our home away from home."
 My Mother, "Mama-Grande," my sister Irma, and I moved to "La Casa Sepulveda” in or about 1957. I was 21 years old at that time, and Mother was 47. Mother began to work for Mrs. Sterling cooking and cleaning up the Avila Adobe house. Mrs. Sterling was getting on in years so Cruz connected a rope from the adobe to La Casa Sepulveda and tied two bells to each end of the rope. This worked out great! The bell rang, and Mother honored her needs. It was a very convenient plan.
 The Casa Sepulveda was over 85 years old. It was really a two-story apartment with a balcony overlooking Olvera Street. It has one large kitchen and one main rest room for all the occupants, one washroom with a bathtub, and several single rooms. Mother, Mama Grande, and I occupied two adjoining rooms, which included a living area with a fireplace and a balcony overlooking El Paseo Inn. My sister Irma and family had their own rooms, Cruz and his mother also lived there.
 I can still hear the sounds of laughter incited by the comics, the “zapatiado” (heel work) of the Spanish dancers, and the romantic Latin music of the Inn. The music spiraled through the windows of our home, La Casa Sepulveda. It was as beautiful as a vibrant whisper that flowed to the beat of our hearts. I remember Romelia, one of the many talented children of Lupe Santana, that performed beautifully at several of the fiestas.
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