She couldn't afford to live in Puerto Rico

Interviewee: Juanita Sanchez
Interviewer: Natasha Pagan
Relationship: Friend
Date: May 29, 2002

What is your full name?

Juanita Sanchez

What is your nationality?

Puerto Rican

What is your date of birth?

July 18, 1965

Where were you born?

Puerto Rico, Salinas

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

Yeah, it was in Easter.

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

To make a better life.

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

I like everything in Puerto Rico, but I came here because I like it over here more, over there is too expensive.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?

Because my father was over here, and my aunt.

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

An airplane.

How did you find a place to live in Philly?

My father helped me.

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

With my two kids.

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

My mom, she was living over there.

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

Over there I didn't have no house, over here I got a house, now I got my own house over here.

What did you expect about the US/Philly?

Like the way it is now that I got my house. It quiet, It's not quiet, because I know, it’s allright over here now.

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

One thing I wann'a know, wann''a do is get my driver's license, because I got my house so that's the last thing I want to do.

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

The difference is I bring my kids little, and now they big.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

I left behind my mom, my father - my step father - because my father was living here, really my mom.

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?

My father was the one who gave me money for plane tickets, for me and my kids.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

Good.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

Over there it wasn't, the food stamps that you received wasn't enough for me and my kids. That's why I came here to get better.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

I only went through 8th grade.

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

No, because right now I am here, my mom over there. So why I got to go back for?

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

Only reason I'd go back, to see my grandma's grave. I'll go back only for a visit.

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

I never worked here, welfare.

Is there anything you would like to add?

No, the only thing is I like it here now better; we get more help from Puerto Rico here.