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Nestor, Barbara (audio interview #7 of 10)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - In this fifth interview, Barbara Nestor displays the same enthusiasm and candidness as in previous sessions. Her stamina was not at all diminished, and three tapes were recorded in this session. 12/20/1974
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- 2021-03-18
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- Notes
- *** File: refbnestor13.mp3 (0:00-11:00)... The interview begins with a discussion of Nestor's thirteen abortions. After giving birth to her third child, she felt that she was a breeding machine. Her efforts at birth control, e.g. the pessary, were not effective. A doctor she consulted about terminating her pregnancy advised her of a method utilizing a catheter. She bought the catheter at a drug store and describes it as a 8-10" long instrument with a rubber exterior to protect the vaginal area. She describes the process of aborting in detail, indicating that she did not require any assistance during the procedure. She was hospitalized on one occasion because of severe convulsions and a high fever. It was at a Catholic hospital and they chastised her for murdering her child. She became enraged about the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church and confronted them. Despite this, she felt that they took good care of her at the hospital. (11:00-18:05)... Nestor discusses the sequence in which her children were born and when she terminated her pregnancies. The majority of her abortions occurred between the births of Dorothy and her last child, Carol Jean. Nestor tried other methods in an attempt to terminate her pregnancies, such as taking ergot and a greasy capsule that was suggested by a druggist, but these methods were not successful. She believes that self-abortion was one of the few options available to her since many doctors were opposed to performing abortions because of legal restraints and fear of losing their medical license. She discusses some of her friends who died of complications, even though their abortions were performed by physicians. (18:05-27:38)... Nestor explains the circumstances surrounding the time she self-aborted and was taken to the hospital because of complications. Although her husband (Joe Rosenblum) was opposed to wearing condoms, he became more diligent after this incident. However, she still became pregnant and performed several more self-abortions. She discusses her sexual relationship with her husband, indicating that she developed an aversion to sex because of the fear of pregnancy. As a young woman, she was ignorant about sex until a friend gave her a book about nature, which described reproduction. She describes her first experience with menstruation at the age of twelve and her mother's reaction. She digresses into a discussion about her husband's fidelity. (27:38-33:50)... Her children were greatly affected by her radicalism and political beliefs. She generally believes that people who are not knowledgeable of world events or radical theories are ignorant. Therefore, she made it a policy to speak to her children about these subjects. Her children enjoyed the songs of protest and often participated in picket lines. They also spoke up in class about current world events. Nestor made friends with her children's teachers and often spoke to them about radical politics and world conflicts. (33:50-42:04)... Nestor discusses her relationship with her neighbors and their response to her political activities. She recalls that the parents of one of Carol Jean's playmates were opposed to her political beliefs, but did not prohibit their daughter from associating with Carol Jean. While living in Denver, Colorado, Nestor's children attended a school on Sundays, at which they learned socialist and communist theories, but the education was very rudimentary. She believes that the socialist group did a better job of educating people about the movement through distribution of the Little Blue Books, which explained socialism and communism in simple terms. Her children read these books and sang songs, such as the Internationale. When Nestor went to visit fourteen year old Dorothy in jail after she was arrested, she heard all the prisoners singing. The sheriff told Nestor that Dorothy was converting the prisoners to socialism. end of tape *** File: refbnestor14.mp3 (0:00-9:48)... Nestor discusses her children and their involvement in radical politics with particular emphasis on her son, Bernard. Although he supported socialism and labor issues, and distributed leaflets in the morning before attending his college classes, he was not a member of any political party. She discusses Bernard's early religious beliefs, his education, and his decision to attend medical school. Her daughter Frances was also very active in politics from a very early age, recalling an incident when Frances corrected a teacher for speaking erroneously about the Soviet Union. (9:48-17:15)... Frances joined the Communist Party in the 1930s when she was approximately twenty years old. She was a member for only two years and left in protest. At the time, she was married to Jim Jones, whose father was the news editor of the Chicago Tribune. When the Long Beach chapter of the Communist Party was raided in the 1930s, Frances was arrested and Nestor discusses the circumstances surrounding this arrest. Earlier, when Frances was eighteen years old, she was also instrumental in arranging a speaking venue for William Z. Foster in Oakland. She also acted as the secretary for the Maritime Federation. Nestor goes into more detail regarding Frances's decision to leave the Communist Party, indicating that Frances believed (Sam) Darcy was an irresponsible leader. (17:15-21:04)... Nestor discusses Dorothy's association with the Young Pioneers, the Young Communist League, and her arrest at the age of fourteen. In general, Nestor did not trust the members of the YCL, describing them as tricky people. [She digresses into a discussion of settlement house women.] Although Nestor's husband objected to his family participating in party activities, he did not prohibit or restrict them from doing so, and this was especially the case for Dorothy. He also financially supported Dorothy more than the other children because she was always the first to spend her allowance. (21:04-22:58)... Nestor explains her reasons for using her "maiden" name when she was arrested. When Dorothy was arrested, she used the name "Ray." In general, Nestor did not want to make her husband suffer for her activities or risk losing his job because of her political beliefs. She discusses her husband's position as a salesman and the business climate in which he worked. Although he did not actively participate in radical activities, Nestor did not hide her political beliefs from her husband. (22:58-28:02)... Nestor repeats her earlier comments about her disappointment with the party sending Dorothy into a dangerous neighborhood to distribute leaflets when she was only twelve years old. She also objected to Dorothy joining the Young Communist League because she did not approve of their policies. Nestor reasoned with Dorothy that it would be necessary to bring in Black and Hispanic people to avoid the clannish structure of the organization. Nestor digresses into a discussion of her home being a haven for radicals and young people. Bernard often brought home Black students from Berkeley for social gatherings because they had very few connections in the city. She recalls that a conservative and religious neighbor once expressed dismay over Nestor's friendships with "niggers." (28:02-32:31)... Nestor aspired to her children becoming socialists with a broader understanding of the world. However, she did not persuade or demand that they join radical organizations. She expected them to gain a higher education and pursue careers. Her children were exposed to a radical political atmosphere that influenced their involvement with the radical movement. (32:31-35:16)... She was different from other parents, particularly those involved with the PTA. She moves into a discussion of the trials in the Soviet Union and her disagreements with Dorothy over Stalin and the situation in Russia. Even though she disagreed with party policies, she felt that the Communist Party was her only outlet for political expression. (35:16-45:07)... With the exception of Dorothy, all of Nestor's children attended college. She details Frances's career and her marriage to Jones, which was very tumultuous. end of tape *** File: refbnestor15.mp3 (0:00-6:17)... Tape begins abruptly with a continued discussion of the death of one of Nestor's grandchildren, Frances's first child. After talking about the death of Frances's first child, Nestor discusses another daughter's (Carol Jean) early fascination with religion and her career. Early in their lives, Nestor's children learned how to read and immersed themselves in both fiction and nonfiction. If pressed, Bernard agrees with a socialist ideology, though he became disenchanted with socialism because it failed to deliver. Nestor's other children also define themselves as socialists, but Dorothy is the only one who maintains an active career in the radical movement. (6:17-15:39)... She discusses her husband's illness and how he was ultimately diagnosed with diabetes in 1928. He continued to work up until his death in 1930 in Seattle. Bernard was with his father at the time, attending a conference for the ILD. Following her husband's death, Nestor and her family left Berkeley and returned to Los Angeles. During the Depression, she noticed that her husband's business was decreasing as people's purchasing power suffered because of the economic crisis. Her husband earned, at most, $50 a week and a commission that he received only if he sold a minimum amount of product. Although her economic situation during the Depression was not drastic, the family income did not go far because she was also supporting many unemployed people who came to her home for food and shelter. When her husband died, she received an insurance settlement and the proceeds from the sale of her house, which amounted to approximately $9,000.00. She invested this money in the stock market and lost all but $1,400, half of which she used to purchase Douglas Aircraft stock. (15:39-16:56)... Between 1921-36, she was not a member of the Communist Party. During this period she was active with the ILD, which she considered an organization that worked for immediate relief, while the party required more of a long-term commitment of time and energy. (16:56-18:13)... Prior to returning to Los Angeles in 1931, she had surgery to repair her uterus. She describes her medical condition in detail, indicating that her multiple abortions damaged the ligaments that held her uterus in place and caused it to protrude from the vagina. The condition prevented her from walking unless she physically reinserted the uterus. A physician advised her that if she did not repair this condition she would be at risk for cancer. (18:13-26:12)... In 1931, she returned to Los Angeles with Carol Jean. Dorothy stayed in Berkeley and Frances was already living in Los Angeles. Nestor's sister moved to Los Angeles in 1912 and her mother lived with her sister. Shortly after Nestor returned to Los Angeles in 1931, her mother died. Nestor moved several times before settling in her present home in south Central (neighborhood). She discusses the marriage of her daughters: Dorothy married Lou Sherman when she was sixteen; Frances and Carol Jean were both seventeen when they married. All three married Communists. (26:12-36:18)... In 1933, she met her second husband, Fedya Nestor. At the time they met, he was in the process of divorcing his wife, but the two still lived together. He was selling vegetables out of his car and was unemployed. She describes his family background and unusual personality, describing him as having a tendency to portray more knowledge and understanding of politics than he actually possessed, which greatly annoyed her. Unlike her first husband, however, Fedya did not object to her activities in the CP. Fedya suffered from some sexual dysfunction, which Nestor believed was impotence. However, once they married, this was no longer a problem; she claimed that her lack of sexual interest excited him. [She digresses here and talks about a study on India.] (36:18-45:49)... Initially, Nestor was very annoyed by Fedya. She once hid in a closet for two hours to avoid spending time with him. However, she was flattered by the fact that he had a great admiration and respect for her because she was involved in radical activities. She dicusses his relationship with her children, describing two incidents when he physically punished her grandson, Richard, and her daughter, Carol Jean, which greatly upset her. She lived with Fedya for three years. At this point in her life she did not really believe in marriage, but married him for fear of losing her daughter, i.e. that Social Services could charge her with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" and gain custody of Carol Jean. Nestor talks about Fedya's membership in the CP and recounts an incident involving a Black woman who threatened to report him to the party for chauvinistic and discriminatory behavior. end of tape *** File: refbnestor16.mp3 (0:00-1:09)... Nestor talks about her attitudes toward discipline of her children, which is in response to a previous discussion regarding her disappointment over Fedya's disciplinary actions towards her daughter and grandson. She did not have any qualms about physically disciplining her children if they misbehaved. (1:09-2:56)... While married to Fedya, she supported the family. He worked in a market selling vegetables, but made very little money. When he was working, he contributed $5 a week to the family income. However, he did not financially support her and she managed the finances on her own. (2:56-13:41)... In 1956, Fedya was deported. She did not consider accompanying him because her family was more important than maintaining a relationship with him. He had wanted to return to Bulgaria and had applied for a visa, which is what precipitated his deportation. Initially, she resented the fact that he wanted to return to Europe rather than stay with her. She believes that his was the first case in which a person's social security benefits were denied. The court claimed that he was a communist when he entered the country in 1913; however, the Communist Party had not yet been organized. She believes that Fedya's deportation was used to punish Dorothy for her involvement with the Communist Party. Three years after he was deported, he asked Nestor to contact the appropriate officials and negotiate his re-entry to the United States. She describes her contacts with the Social Security Administration in an attempt to re-evaluate her husband's situation. Dorothy went to Bulgaria and helped him get a position as an interpreter and a better pension. Following Fedya's death, Nestor received half of his social security allotment. She ends the discussion of Fedya with a reflection on their relationship. (13:41-16:48)... She discusses the differences between her relationship with Rosenblum, her first husband, and Fedya. She describes Fedya as a shallow person with many facets to his personality. As a communist, Fedya mainly relied on Nestor for information, knowledge, and guidance. However, she describes Fedya as a courageous man and she discusses an incident when the two were picketing and he kicked a police officer. (16:48-21:31)... Nestor recounts how in the early 1940s, Claude Smallman, a longshoreman accused of murder sought refuge with Nestor and Fedya. Frances' husband, Britt Webster, was also one of those accused in this incident. Nestor discusses this incident and the period of time that Smallman stayed in her home. end of tape
- SUBJECT BIO - Barbara Nestor, the mother of Dorothy Healey (former chair, Southern California District, CPUSA), was a radical activist in her own right. Born in Hungary, she was raised first in St. Louis and then in Denver, Colorado. She became a socialist when she was only sixteen, and joined the Socialist Party in 1915. During WWI, she engaged in anti-war agitation. In 1919, when the Communist Party was formed in the US, she joined. After moving to Oakland, California in 1921 with her husband, Joe Rosenblum, and her children, she maintained a high level of activity, particularly with the International Labor Defense, and often risked arrest. She did not re-join the Communist Party until 1936, five years after she moved to Los Angeles. The interviews about the Los Angeles years detail the kind of rank and file organizing in which she engaged. Nestor's oral history sheds light both on her own thinking and on the influence she had on the development of her children's radicalism. Her interviews also reveal a great deal about her relationship with her daughter, Dorothy Healey and her grandson, Richard, for whom she had primary caretaking responsibilities, especially during the 1950s and the Smith Act trials. TOPICS - court trial following arrest for labor protest; attitudes towards volunteerism and lack of pay in the ILD; home life; involvement in PTA; death of husband; economic status; investments in the stock market; and attitudes towards living within a capitalistic system;birth control; abortion; pregnancy; sex; children; and motherhood;expectations for children; children's involvement in radical activities, as well as their education, professional careers, and marital relationships; opinion of Young Communist League; criticism of USSR and party policies;continued discussion on aspirations for children; first husband's illness and death in 1930; surgery to repair uterus in 1930; economic status during Depression and stock market investments; move to Los Angeles in 1931; and meeting second husband, Fedya Nestor;child rearing practices; economic status; Fedya Nestor's deportation; and experiences harboring Claude Smallman, a longshoreman accused of murder;
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