Master's Project

INTERVIEW V H ow old were yo u whe n yo u came to A m e ric a? Wh e re d id you c om e f r o m?

I w a s 3 0 an d i co me fro m e l salv ad or.

H ow lon g ha ve yo u b e e n living h e re f or ?

I h a v e have b e e n he re since 1992 , s o 2 6 ye ar s .

H a v e y ou g on e b ack since yo u lef t? H ow m any tim e s ?

Y e s o n ly on ce in 2005 fo r a mo nth.

D o y ou st i ll s pe ak yo ur native l ang uag e f l ue ntl y?

O f c o urse.

W e r e you a ble to pas s alo ng yo u r nativ e l ang uag e to your k id s ( i f an y )? W hy o r why no t?

T h a nk f ully ye s , to my hus b and and i, it w as v e ry im p ortant th at ou r k ids sp oke s panis h. Be caus e f or one , w e w ante d to be abl e to cl e arly communicate with the m, s e c ond w e s til l hav e f am il y in e l s a l vador t ha t we wante d o u r kid s to g e t to k now . T h ird w e k ne w i t would be ve ry he lpful fo r the m to be abl e to be bil ing ual i n t his coun try. Bu t also we are p roud of our he ritag e and w e wa n t ed them to b e a part o f that.

D i d you have to change /e d it yo ur nam e w he n you c ame he re s o p e o ple could pro no u nce it b e tter ?

N o , ive n ever had tro ub le with it.

W h a t i s y our fo nd e s t me mo ry o f w he re you c om e f r om ?

My f a vorite time in e l salvad o r w as al w ays c hris tm as , the tow n wou ld always b e s o b e au tiful. My f rie nd s and i w oul d g o around t o h ouses an d se e all o f the nativ ity s c e ne s th at w oul d be al l ov e r .

W h a t soun ds/ image s /s me lls /flavors r e mind you of w he re you c om e f r o m?

U s u ally i t s fo o d . A nd e s pe cially th e f r uit, l ik e c oc onuts , m ang os a n d oran g es.

D o y ou rememb e r co ming to A me ric a? Wh at w as that l ik e ?

I r e a lly don t like to think ab o ut to think of it m uc h . I t w as v e r y un con f ormab le , i re me mb e r p art of the trip i w as in trunk of a ca r, it w as ve ry co ld and i had a c ar p e t hid ing m e . B ut i wa s n’t sca red, i had faith in Go d that e v e rything w oul d be f ine .