Interviewee: Lydia Margarita Rosario
Interviewer: Luz Amparo Ortiz
Relationship: Mother
Date: March 14, 2001

A long struggle

 

What is your full name?
 

Lydia Margarita Rosario.

What is your nationality?
 

Puerto Rican

What is your date of birth?
 

May 25, 1959

Where were you born?
 

Arecibo, Puerto Rico

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

I moved to Philadelphia in 1978.

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

I left my country to be with my mother.

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

I liked everything from Puerto Rico: the culture, what you eat, the living.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?
 

I choosed Philadelphia because it's the place my mother came to live at!!

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

I came in a airplane.

How did you find a place to live in Philly? With whom did you travel? [Who did you travel with?]
 

I got helped from Welfare and I'd traveled with my older daughter and husband.

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

I remember my family because I had to leave some of my brothers and sisters behind and I'd never left my country, so it was hard.

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

I had a better living and it was very comfortable, it was a change for me and my daughters.

What did you expect about the US/Philly?
 

I didn't expect to be like it is, I had other dreams and seeings of Philly which were new buildings, something I'd never seen in P.R.

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

I came to accomplish a lot of things. I came to see my daughters succeed, I came to get more help for my health, I came to do basically the same things other people come to do: To have a better living and I still need to see my second child, which is Luz, the interviewer, to graduate out of high school then I would say I accomplished everything.

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

I seen it gotten better, It was worse before than now in situations of drugs and now the police are more active and technology grown better now.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?
 

I sacrifice a lot of things in my life, my country, and especially my family because I insist that the family is very important and that it shouldn't be left behind.

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

The only problem I had was my English but I learned that you come here to succeed and I decided to stay even though I didn't know English.

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

When I came I only carried 50 dollars.

How did you adapt to your new environment?
 

I adapted myself to the cold weather, the hot. The environment where I lived was good for my daughters and I.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?
 

It was worth it because I did good changes in money-wise and I knew that my daughters were getting their education.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?
 

I went up to 9th grade and from there I got married and had my first child.

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

No I don't, but at the beginning I did regret it because how it looked but then I notice that I wanted a good living for my daughters and me.

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

I would go back if only one of my family members died. But I wouldn't say I won't go back.

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

I never hardly work because I have physical problems but I always got helped from welfare.

Is there anything you would like to add?
 

I would say that I'm very proud for who I am and I'm proud to be Puerto Rican, and I'm very happy in Philly, I love my daughters and I want the best for them. I also want to thank you, my daughter, for everything.