I was always sick because of the changing weather.

Interviewee: Isaura Fernandez
Interviewer: Elonda Melton
Relationship: Friend
Date: November 20, 2001
 

What is your full name?

Isaura Fernandez

What is your nationality?

100% Puerto Rico.

What is your date of birth?

I was born on January 2, 1985.

Where were you born?

In Puerto Rico.

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

I moved from Puerto Rico in 1990 when I was 4 years old.

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

We moved here because my grandmother died and I was very close to her.

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

I liked everybody that was nice - they were sweet, they cared about everything that you did.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?

My parents choose Philadelphia, I didn't.  They thought it would be a better place for me.

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

We traveled by a plane. If I could have changed that I would have choose to take a boat because I don't like planes.

How did you find a place to live in Philly?

My aunt, she helped my mom find a house where we could stay at for a little while until we could find a house to live at now.

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

I traveled with my older brother and my younger sister and my mother

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

One thing I remember was me playing on the beach with all my cousins and we were trying to play beach ball when we was younger and they were always trying to beat me up because I was the youngest one.

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

The differences was that I was always cold, I mean real cold!  Almost over there it would never be cold and sometimes I'd be happy, not like in Puerto Rico: I was always happy all the time.  It's the different changes from over here then over here.

What did you expect about the US/Philly?

I expected it would be more nicer, people would always like each other and not with the wrong attitude

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

What I came here to accomplish was to change my attitude. I need to still grow up more like to respect myself and other people, not like the way I treat them now!

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

When I came here people wouldn't seem like to be friends. They seemed like they just didn't want to be bothered with and now everybody is nice - people really try to get along now with each other.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

I sacrificed my family: they always cared about me and my friends that I had when I was younger.

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

I was always sick because of the changing weather.  My parents were always arguing with me, my brother was always beating me up for no reason. Iit was harder for me especially in kind'a garden because I had to learn how to speak English 'cause I didn't know any.

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

I had about 400 dollars because my mom didn't have any money. She had to sell half of our stuff or she gave the other half away over there In Puerto Rico and we got money from welfare even though we knew it was kind'a wrong.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

At first It felt weird because I didn't know anybody, then I met somebody who taught me how to speak English a little bit more and I started to get use to the neighborhood.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

Yes, I think It was worth It because now I'm engaged and if I wasn't never here I wouldn't have never had met him.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

All we were learning how to be respectful but after I came to Philly everything changed:  I started being disrespectful and bad but after a while I realized it was wrong.

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

Sometimes I regret it, but now I'm realizing that why I moved here to Philly was for a good reason and I don't regret It all like that.

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

Everybody hating me and being so ignorant to me would make me go back to Puerto rico.

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

My first job here was in child care.  I had worked there for a year and at firs it was real hard for me because I had to get used to the kids and the employees was treating me different because I was new there but then I started to just do my job and to stay focus because all that matter was I need that job and taking care of myself.