Woman Leaves Home to Further Her Education

Interviewer: Eileen Matos.
Interviewee: H. Rosado.
 
 
 

What is your full name?

My name is Heriberta Rosado.

What is your nationality?

Latin.

What is your date of birth?

2/14/48.

Where were you born?

Ponce, P.R.

When did you (move to the U.S./ move from somewhere else in the U.S.) to Philadelphia?

1970.

Why did you leave your country/state/former place of residence?

To go on further with my education.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S.?

I chose Philadelphia because it is one of the oldest cities and is full of opportunities.

How did you travel here?/ What type of transportation did you use?

I traveled here in an airplane.

Did you know anyone in Philadelphia? If so, who?

Yes, I did, my aunt that moved from Puerto Rico to Philadelphia.

With whom did you travel?

I traveled by myself.

How did your life change when you moved and what were the differences between the two places?

My life changed when I moved to the sense that I'm independent and I'm on my own and I have a job, I'm employed. The difference in Ponce, P.R; they are lacking of good job opportunities. Over here there's a lot of opportunities and careers and when you go look for a job, you do find a job. If you have the proper education.

What were your expectations about your destination?

My expectations was going on positive and reaching for my goal, which my goal was to complete and finish my career.

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

When I came here, I was incomplete of my education and I needed to go on independently and look for a job. The difference now I'm employed and I did finish my career and I have a whole lot go on.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

I sacrificed my culture, what I left behind was my family.

What kind of problems did you undergo during your travel?

During my travel, I got sick, from one climate to another is totally different. So, I guess my body needed more time to adjust to the climate.

How did you get money to move?

I had a little savings.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

At first it was kind of strange - everything new. After a while I got used to it.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

Well, the education I had before I did have my high school diploma, but I wanted to go further in college. When I arrived here I finished college.

Do you ever regret moving? Why or why not?

No, I don't regret moving, because everything positive happened when I moved to this city.

Is there anything else you want to add?

Yes, I am very happy and, first of all, I'm proud of myself, that I had goals for myself and I did reached them. And I'm still looking forward to go on further up, my career, and other things that I want to accomplish in life.