Interviewee: Elaine Alicea
Interviewer: Jessica Pagan
Relationship: Boyfriend's Mother
Date: April, 2002
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 Life is not that hard

What is your full name?

My name is Elaine Alicea.

What is your nationality?

I am American.

What is your date of birth?

28th of April 1956.

Where were you born?

I was born in New York, Bronx, New York.

When did you move to the United State?

I live in New York to the age of 11 years old. then I went back to Puerto Rico - my country - and I live there, I would say some, more than 20 years then I decided to move to Philadelphia, United State, hmm... 9 years ago.

Why did you leave your country?

I left my country because I thought it was correct to bring my children to the United State so that they could {you know} learn good English and have better opportunities to get better career.

What do you like or dislike about your country?

I like everything about my country but I have to be honest, there are not too much opportunities of jobs or good jobs.  You really have to be high educated to get a decent job were you could make good money and unfortunately not everybody has the opportunities to do that. That’s why I decide to move to the United State.

Why did you leave your country?

That was one of the reasons {you know} I work a lot and never got anywhere and it was hard to raise the kids - the money. I did not make good money so {you know} I wanted to go some place else were I would have better chances to do that.

Why did you choose Philadelphia?

I did not actually choose Philadelphia - it was because my brother use to live and he said Philly was pretty good, plus my husband use to live here before and he really like it so we just decide to give it a chance and live here.

How did you travel to the United State?

We came by plane American Airline.

How would you change that?

I would not change it at all I think the best way to travel is by plane.

How did you find a place to live in Philadelphia?

I stayed here.  We already stable and I already have my house.  I believe I’ll stayed here.

With whom did you travel?

I travel with my husband and my four kids.

Give me one thing you remember to most about your home and why?

Of course the weather is summer all year long the beaches.  Here is really hard to get a decent beach and I think that {you know} the tropics and there are a lot of nice things about my country that are very beautiful. You could go everywere and it’s nice to be there.  It’s a beautiful place to visit and that I love my country because of that.

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

There is a difference because, like I said, the season are one of the things.  Here we have four different types of weather where we have to be {you know} changing clothes and is a little bit hard: is more money because then you have get dress according to the season like in Puerto Rico you would have the same clothes all year long, at least the same type of clothes, all year long so I think that would be one of the difference between one and the other.

Okay you did not answer my fist question how did it change your life?

I would said it changed dramatically because I have gone through a lot here is not easy to survive in, I would say, Philly because that’s were I am - it’s been very hard for us. Hispanics, we have to admitte it, most of them don’t have a good reputation and is a shame because not everybody is the same - there is good people and bad people on every race, every country, every where you go but unfortunately they think that Hispanic are the only one that have a bad reputation and it’s really bad for us because they point at you like you are the same as others and it should not be like that.

What did you expect about Philly?

I am living here, I like it here so far even though I have struggle but you learn a lot when you struggle and I have gone through a lot and I just gone ahead so I had to learn to survive and I think that I am ok because when you struggle and get through,  you are ok.

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

I have accomplish a lot an' have learn a lot because when you suffer and you learn how to survive you grow and it make a big difference.  I have learn a lot of thing that I did not know.  Right know my actual job I am doing Dead Entry in a collection agency is a very nice experiences is something I did not know how to do - I did not know how to even mess with a computer and right know I learn everything about a computer and I think that’s one of the goals that I learn something that I did not know.  I am surviving, I am going on everyday.  I learn a little bit more so I believe that that I accomplish a lot because when you grow and go on and survive in a country that’s not your's you accomplish good things.

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

##The differences is a totally a different experience hear you have to learn a lot of different thing you did not know before is a different language the culture is different and it’s you know you have to get use to doing thing that you never do or didn’t had in your country and {you know} you have to started to get use to thing you never did before.

What did you sacrifice when or leave behind when you left you country?

Well of course I sacrifice leaving behind my family I don’t have any family hear other than my sons and now my brother that came back but hmm I was alone hear for eight years he wasn’t around you leave your family your friend your best friends and you have to started all over again.

What problems did you encounter in coming to Philadelphia?

Well it was hard I would said more for the kids than for me, because I already knew English and one thing that is good of Puerto Rico that the kids have to take English class throughout their 12 years of school so that helps out a lot but for them it was totally different because the way they teach in school the language you really have to understand what is being said what you read what you write the pronunciation it’s a little bit hard so I believe is harder for them than for us grown people will make there ways easier than young people even thought they got use to it right away.

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

Well when we came to Philly the first thing we did of course we had to make plans and see what we was going to do because we did not had a job hear when we go hear but I had won a law suit in Puerto Rico and I had a couple of thousands and we sold all of are furniture so we had that money because we did not know how long we would have to be renting a house because are goal was to buy a house so we bring enough money to survive for a couple of months until we get establish.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

It was easy because like I said I was born in New York and even dough is a little bit different then Philly but you already know the way you use to live since when your were little what you go through thing you get know so it was not that hard at all to get use or accomplish anything.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

Well when you grow it does not matter were you at if the change was good because as long you go on and you get thing you did not had before. For me is great because is something I did not had before it’s something that I work for it’s something that you want when you change from one place to another is because you want something different to happened in your life and you want to grow, get better you want to go on in life so I believe that everything we did it was for good because we have thing we did not had before and the kids are doing great everything was good.

What education did you had before and after you arrived?

Well when I came hear I was already grown so I already had finish my high school I went to school to be a florist cause that what I actually do I knew how to sew with my mom so I do dressed and everything that something that I had that God gave me as a blessing cause I did not take any classes for that but I knew how to do it I know how to do ceramic a gave classes in Puerto Rico of that so everything would have to do with manually I do pretty good and that help me out hear a lot and I know how to do cakes that was one of the way one of the way for me hear to start like my own business cause that’s what I use to do in Puerto Rico I use to work for myself and when we came over we already knew that was going to be away to make money because we knew how to do things that everybody those everyday party, weddings and thing like that we were pretty stable already when we came hear.

Do you ever regret moving? Why or why not?

I never regret it because if I would had regret it I would had not been hear is going to be already almost ten years I don’t regret coming hear even dough like I said in the beginning struggle a lot but that’s every were that’s a way to go on in live that’s life so I don’t regret anything.

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

Well I believe that the only way I would go back is like when I am too old and I want to be on a peaceful place alone in the beaches or in the tropical island you know when you get establish in one place and you like it you don’t think about going back and if I do like I said is my country I love it is beautiful it would be when I am old when my kids are already married, establish they have there family I think that would only be the only way I would go back.

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

Well I was very bless when I got hear even thought we bring money with us I started to look for a job like I said I know pretty god English and I started to work in Caldor’s in the house ware department I did pretty good and I was very bless all my cliental really liked me they believe that I was very helpful with them it was a very nice experience I work there for four years and of course there I made my way to tell everybody what I do and I made my way of having my own cliental.

Is there anything you would like to add?

I think that we had basically cover everything I would like to tell everyone any one that come from another country and decide to come to the United Stated, United Stated is and open door to a lot of people were there a lot of opportunities were you could go on and learn a lot of things. I would tell everyone that chooses to come to the United Stated and make a different living to do so just believe in yourself what ever you what to do in life is up to you to do it and as long as you have in your mind that you want to go ahead that you want to get a better future for you and your family you’ll do it no matter what and every were you go there problems everywhere things are going to happened but is up to you as long as you have and open mind and believe in yourself and you know that you could go on just that’s all you have to do believe in yourself and go on and whatever goal you have make it true that were you only make it success and of course, GOD BLESS AMERICA.