“My grandpa used to have to lock up his farm animals because or else the el chupacabras would eat the animals.”

“El chupacabras?”

“Yeah it’s like a vampire, or a blood sucking creature.”

This legend was new for me. I thought it was interesting and cool that Janneth grew up seeing her own grandfather locking up his animals in the farm because of this legend he told her about. Now that I think of it, I have not really grown up hearing about scary creatures like this with my culture. It is cool to see the different “monsters” different cultures create to make their own stories or legends.

Janneth Galeno is my co-worker. She works in an office. She was born in Mexico but moved to the United States and she has been living here ever since. She is married and has one daughter. She told me these traditions and stories during break at work.

With this specific legend, Janneth grew up hearing it from her grandpa so she believes in it. Her grandpa was the one who told her why he had to lock his animals in the farm. It became something personal to her so she had no choice but to believe it.