She's an old Philly chick!

Interviewee: Yolanda Tapia
Interviewer: Luz Raquel Mendez
Relationship: Grandmother
Date: April 5, 2000
  

What is your full name?

Yolanda Tapia
What is your nationality?
Puerto Rican.
What is your date of birth?
May 7, 1948.
Where were you. born?
Ponce, Puerto Rico
When did you (move to the U.S./move from somewhere else in the U.S.) to Philadelphia?
in 1952.
Why did you leave your country/State/former place of residence?
Because my father came to Philly first, then he sent to get us.
What did you like/dislike about your home/country?
The climate.
Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?
Because my dad was here and he wanted to raise us in a new environment.
How did you travel here?/What type of transportation did you use/take to travel here? How would you change that?
By airplane.
How did you find a place to live in Philly?
My father already had a place for us.
With whom did you travel? [Who did you travel with?]
My mother, three sisters, and a niece.
Give 1 thing you remember most about your home town and why?
The scenery, because that's what always caught my eyes.
How did your life change when you moved and what were the differences between the two places?
The weather was colder but there was no difference because I was small and didn't really know the difference.
What did you expect about the US/Philly?
I expected that it would probably be a little nicer outside.
What did you come here to accomplish and what else do you feel you still need to do?
A better living, I still need to help people, that's why I wanted to become a nurse.
What are the differences between when you came here and now?
The difference is that every year that passes, Philly gets worse, because now there are a lot of abandoned houses and drugs everywhere.
What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?
Nothing really because I came when I was small with my family.
What problems did you encounter coming to the US/Philly?
None.
How much money did you have and where did you get it when you came to Philly/US?
I didn't have any money, it was my dad with money because he worked.
How did you adapt to your new environment?
Very well cause I liked it.
Why do you think it was worth all your changes?
Because I could raise my children in a new environment.
What education did you have before/after you arrived?
None, I was still a baby.
Do you [ever] regret moving? Why or why not?
No, because I lived here all my life and I like it here.
What reason would/could make you go back to where you came from?
If my husband decides to leave, I have to go with him.
Describe your first job here. If you didn't have one, how did you get money?
It was in Value Plus as a stocker.
Is there anything you would like to add?
If I had to live life over again I would still choose United States to live at.
4/5/2000
5/12/2000

Reflections on the Interview


For my Project I chose my grandmother. I chose her because it gives me an opportunity to learn about her the things I didn't know. I learned that everyone in my family was born and raised in Philadelphia, even my grandmother.

While doing the interview I felt anxious to find the answers to all the questions I thought I never believed I would ask and never believed I would know myself. I never bothered to ask those questions because I assumed I've always known where she was from and it's nothing I thought it would be.

My grandmother must have felt nervous but overwhelmed at the opportunity that even though she didn't have such an adventurous life, she got the opportunity to leave some kind of legacy over the internet forever.

From this recent experience I have learned that:
 

  • My family migrated from Puerto Rico and moved to Philadelphia.
  • Even though she came to Philadelphia at such a young age she still remembers her roots and goes to visit her home town as often as she can.
  • I'm thinking maybe one day I'll go to Puerto Rico with her and meet the rest of my family that live over there.


Thanks for your time