San Benito County, in many respects, is a community rich in
variety. But when it comes down to it, two kinds of people inhabit
the place: the sort whose family has roots here dating back seven
generations, and new arrivals who have adopted this community and
are establishing their family here.
Hollister – San Benito County, in many respects, is a community rich in variety. But when it comes down to it, two kinds of people inhabit the place: the sort whose family has roots here dating back seven generations, and new arrivals who have adopted this community and are establishing their family here.
Mimi Adame falls into the latter category. Her parents, Ray and Eve, were both born in Texas into a working class community. Determined to move up in the world, Ray earned a scholarship to a tech school, which allowed him to get a job at Lockheed in California, where he and Eve settled. Mimi was born at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara, the same hospital where she would give birth to her daughter years later.
“When I was growing up, we would take a trip to Texas every year and spend three weeks there,” Adame said. “That was the only time of year we ever got to see our cousins. It never seemed like enough, and now that I’m an adult I know how important it is to keep family close.”
As a teenager, Adame was something of a free spirit. While her classmates were busy pinning corsages to their dates for the homecoming dance, Adame and a buddy dyed their hair, painted their bodies and wore all blue, the junior class color, causing a bit of a scene. In an effort to stay out of further trouble, perhaps, she also held down a job at a local McDonalds, along with her older sister.
“I think (working at McDonalds) must be a lot different now than it was then,” she said. “At the time, only high school kids worked there. There were no grown-ups, and all our friends would come hang out, it was a blast.
“One time my sister, a friend and I were coming back from a picnic and dropped in to say ‘hi’. But a busload of people had just stopped at the resturant. They didn’t have enough help, so we got behind the counter and started working in our sandals and bathing suits.”
While still in high school, Adame met Marcel, a friend of her sister’s and the man she would one day marry.
“He was six years older than me,” she said. “I was a sophomore and he was out of school. But even then I knew, that was the guy I was going to marry.”
The two were wed in 1991 but oddly enough, Marcel’s last name was the same as Eve’s maiden name, garnering concerned looks when the couple went to get their marriage license. Adame is happy to report that the names are merely a coincidence and the two share no blood relatives.
Adame chose to leave a successful career in human recources in 1994, after her first daughter, Marissa was born. Three years later, after the birth of her second daughter Serena, the family moved to Hollister, riding the wave of affordable housing that brought so many Bay Area residents to the community.
“”It was our first time buying a house,” said Adame. “The first thing that struck me was how quiet it was here, and then I was really impressed by all the activities available to kids, through the Rec Center and other places.”
Today Adame actively volunteers at Gabilan Hills School, and helps her husband run his own business as a general contractor.
“It works out really well for us,” she said. “He’s the nice guy, I get to put my foot down and make sure he collects his money at the right time.”
In the future, Adame plans to go to work for the school district as a substitute teacher, allowing her to stay near her children. While she is enthused about the prospect of returning to work, she doesn’t regret her choice to stay at home and raise her kids.
“When I look back I’m so glad I did it,” she said. “I would have missed out on so much. We didn’t need the huge house or the $70,000 car, instead we’ve kept a successful marriage together and we’ve been able to do things together and stay a close family.”
