Interviewer: Elaine Gonzalez
Interviewee: Elena Diaz
Date: October, 2002

A large family leads Christian lives

What is your full name?

Elena Diaz

What is your nationality?

Puerto Rican

What is your date of birth?

April 4, 1928

Where were you born?

Cayey, Puerto Rico

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

June 12, 1970

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

My husband Tomas was employed here in the United States.

What did you like/dislike about your home/country?

I liked the sense of relaxation and the clean environment about my country.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?

We choose the United States to have a better living for myself, my husband, and my children.

How did you travel here?/What type of transportation did you use/take to travel here? How would you change that?

We traveled here by plane and my husband sent the tickets for me and my kids.

How did you find a place to live in Philly?

My husband worked here in the U.S. and lived with his cousin. He later moved out and left my husband with the apartment for my family.

With whom did you travel? [Who did you travel with?]

I traveled with my kids. Since there was so many of us, I traveled with eight of my youngest kids and left seven with my eldest daughter in Puerto Rico until we had enough money to send the rest of the tickets.

Give 1 thing you remember most about your home town and why?

I remember the house I lived in as a young girl with my mother. Puerto Rico is a beautiful place you could never forget.

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

I got very ill. I have diabetes along with my other illnesses, and the environment we lived in when we first moved to Philly didn’t make it any better. Seeing our ghetto, I decided to raise my children at home to follow a Christian path. I was very over protective of all my children. Times were hard back then and I only wanted the best.

What did you expect about the US/Philly?

I expected a better education for my children.

What did you come here to accomplish and what else do you feel you still need to do?

I came to Philly to educate my children, I feel as though I have already accomplished everything. I have a loving family. All of my kids are now a lot older and they live decent lives. I am proud of all of them.

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

When I first arrived to Philly I was very happy and even a little conceitedbecause I was coming to be with my husband. He passed away a few years ago and now that he is gone I feel very lonely. He is what I have known my whole life. I don’t dwell upon it much because I have the company of the Lord.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

I left my immediate family. My mother, father and siblings. I left my land. My husband and I owned a lot of acres of land. My husband got hurt, and in those times in Puerto Rico if you had little education and bad health there was not many options for occupations. So he left Puerto Rico to work in Philly, so we sacrificed our happiness, and where we were comfortable for a better living.

What problems did you encounter coming to the US/Philly?

We had problems with where we could all stay, once again it was me, my husband the sixteen kids. My eldest son said we could stay with him in his house for a while but that was only temporary. My husband then left his job to find a house big enough for all of us to live in.

How much money did you have and where did you get it when you came to Philly/US?

We had no money. Coming to Philly, my husband sent the tickets and sent just enough money to get by, but we had no money.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

I did not adapt at first. I seen a lot crimes and misdemeanors occur in Philly so I tied my kids down. I, along with my husband, discipline our kids to be well mannered human beings.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

All of my kids have good jobs and loving families. There were nine boys and seven girls and none of my kids got involved in drugs, alcohol, and bad livings. Raising my kids we weren’t poor, but we weren’t rich. I couldn’t offer my kids a high lifestyle and all the riches of the world, but I gave them a good education and all the riches of my heart.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

In Puerto Rico I attended school in the farmland, it only reached ‘til third grade, and once you pass you must attend school in the village. Since the village was so far and my parents needed me to work, I could no longer further my education.

Do you [ever] regret moving? Why or why not?

I don’t regret moving. All I wanted was to better the type of living for my children so that they could have a good education, what I couldn’t. So that they could have good jobs and live good Christian lives.

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

I always thought if I came here with my family, since things turned out so well, I would never wanna' return. I even have my grave set here already right next to my husband.

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

I didn’t have a job. My husband was very old fashion. He believed men should work to support their families. He labored and the government helped us a lot too. The government got us our first comfortable size home. And also helped me feed all my children. My husband continued to work even after he retired. He was very strong and hard working.

Is there anything you would like to add?

All together I gave birth to 18 kids. My first son passed away at four, and later on I had a daughter who passed away at birth. So I still have my 16.

12/9/1999