Did you know anyone in Philadelphia?

Yes, an uncle that I only knew because my mom told me. I called him Uncle Tasim.

With whom did you travel?

I traveled with my mom, stepfather, my two sisters and my two brothers.

How did your life change?

My life changed a lot when I got here to Philadelphia. I went to a middle school called Fairhill school to learn English. It was very hard for me. The kids made fun of me, because the way I tried to talk English. I fought a lot the first three months. In Puerto Rico I knew everybody, so here was a hard time for me in the beginning.

What were your expectations about Philadelphia?

My expectation about Philadelphia was very high. I heard saying in Puerto Rico when I was young, that the streets of the United States were gold. The streets were made of gold. When I got here, the only gold I was when I went to a street in North Philly, 5th street, called el bloque de orro. Which in Spanish means the gold street. The only gold I saw was painted on the sidewalk.

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

When I came here I did not know what had happened to me or to my family. I was very scared. A new place, different things I was very frightened, but now, since I have a good education and I have a great job, everything turned out OK.

What did you sacrifice or leave behind?

I left my family, my grandmother, my aunts and friends. I see a different future. I think things would have been different if I would have stayed in Puerto Rico.

What kind of problems did you undergo during your travel?

Well there was just mostly rain and wind. It wasn't serious. It was not that bad when I traveled over here.

How did you get the money to move?

My father sold the house, furniture, everything I owned. He sold my baseball uniform. I was very frustrated the time that he sold everything.

How Did you adapt to your new environment?

At first it was hard for me to make friends. Kids made fun of me just because I was different. It was cold. It was hard for me to learn English. So adapting to this environment was very hard. I mean, I did OK after months and months and I didn't change for my friends, my friends changed for me.

What education did you have before and after you arrived?

When I was in Puerto Rico the education I had was only to the 3rd grade. I did not know how to speak correctly in English. When I came here I learned how to read and write in English. Now instead of English being my second language, I consider English my first. Even though I love being Puerto Rican, and love my Spanish speaking language. Spanish has become my second language.

Do you ever regret moving?

In a way yes and in a way no. Yes, because I haven't seen my family that I left over there, in a long time. Or friends that I still remember as a child. But now when I think about it, my family did good coming to Philadelphia and I thank God they made that choice. Because it made me a better person, I have gotten a good education that I probably would not have gotten over there. I have a great job, I own my own house. That would've never happened if we would've stayed in Puerto Rico. Times were hard back then and my future was slim. Now I am still young, I'm only 29 tears old and I have a great family. My future is still great here in Philadelphia.