I sacrificed myself to work

 

Interviewer: Edith Colon
Interviewed: Elizabeth Borges
Date: December 3,1999
  

What is your name?

My name is Elizabeth Borges Zayes.

What is your nationality?

Puerto Rican.

What is your date of birth?

I was born August 16, 1952.

Where were you from?

From Coamo, Puerto Rico.

When did you come to Philly?

I came over when I was sixteen.

Why did you leave Puerto Rico?

Looking for a job. I had left school. And was I looking for a job.

What did you like \ dislike about Puerto Rico?

What I liked most about Puerto Rico was the weather, the foods, and the fun. What I didn't like was the transportation and the hospitals.

Why did you choose Philadelphia?

I moved to Philly first with a sister. I first stop at Wilmington, Delaware.

How did you travel here? 

In car from Wilmington to Philly. Plane from Puerto Rico to Wilmington.

How did you find a place to live in Philadelphia?

I lived with my sister. She rented an apartment with two rooms. At 935 North 5th Street between Popular and Girard.

With whom did you travel?

I was with your father.

What are the differences between when you me here and now?

Well, much the difference, I came ignorant. Didn't understand the languages. Didn't know how to find my way around the city I didn't have any friends.

Now I work, I have friends.

What did you sacrificed \ leave behind when you left?

I sacrificed not finishing high school. I didn't prepare myself to come front life.

What problems did you encounter coming to US \ Philly?

I encountered a cold country. I didn't know the language; I sacrificed myself to work.

How much money did you have and when did you get it when you came to US. \ Philly? .

I had about $50.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

I had to force myself to adapt. In my life.

Why do you think it was with all your changes?

Well, you don't prepare yourself, you don't study have to face life. Not knowing one word of English.

Not to have any education.

What education did you have before \ after you arrived?

9th grade.

Do you (ever) regret moving why or why not?

Yes and No: I don't regret for not studying, not finishing school. I had to face life working. That's why I don't regret.

What reason would could make you go back to where you came from?

The reasons that I would make me go back is if I had to attend to my mother.

Describe your first job here. If you didn't have one, whom did you get money?

Cutting mushrooms. A dirty job, cold.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

What I would like to say is, all the young people these days, to prepare. To study to find good jobs. So they won't have to suffer like I suffered.