Interviewee: Miriam Rodriguez
Interviewer: Nichole Rodriguez
Relationship: Mother
Date: January 28, 2004
My mom moving from New York City over here to Philadelphia
What is your full name?
Miriam Rodriguez.
What is your nationality?
Puerto Rican.
What is your date of birth?
February 2, 1960.
Where were you born?
New York City.
When did you (move to the U.S./move from somewhere else in the US.) to Philadelphia?
In the year of '74, I was about fourteen.
Why did you leave your country/State/former place of residence?
Me and my family left New York to be closer to my uncle.
What did you like/dislike about your home/country?
There was nothing I didn't like, I wanted to stay there, but I had to leave with my family.
Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S. ?
I didn't choose Philadelphia; my mom and dad did. They wanted to be closer to my uncle.
How did you travel here?/What type of transportation did you use/take to travel
here? How would you change that?
We took a bus. I would rather had came in a car but we didn't have one them.
How did you find a place to live in Philadelphia?
At first we stayed with my uncle for maybe a year or two until my father opened his own
store then we eventually got our own place.
With whom did you travel? [Who did you travel with?]
I traveled with my mom, dad, and brothers and sisters, I was the youngest of 8. My two
older brothers came over alone a while earlier.
Give 1 thing you remember most about your home town and why?
One thing I remember is the small house we live in, it was always loud because of all the
kids running around.
How did your life change when you moved and what were the differences between the
two places?
It didn't much, I just had to change schools and make new friends.
What did you expect about the US/Philadelphia?
I never thought about that, I just moved with my family, that's it.
What did you come here to accomplish and what else do you feel you still need to do?
There really wasn't nothing for me to accomplish but my father opened a store and we move
into a slightly bigger and better home.
What are the differences between when you came here and now?
Things were cheaper then, and then we lived in a basically poor neighborhood on 5th St. but
now I'm in a much better area.
What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?
Nothing.
What problems did you encounter coming to the US/Philadelphia?
I was the youngest so my parents didn't talk to me much about that so that I know of none.
How much money did you have and where did you get it when you came to US/Philadelphia?
I personally didn't have any money but I'm sure my father did.
How did you adapt to your new environment?
I got use to it quick especially since I had so many sisters to play with, it wasn't much
different.
Why do you think it was worth all your changes?
There weren't much changes but I am glad we moved because a couple years later I met my
future husband in school so I'm happy that happened.
What education did you have before/after you arrived?
When I came I believe I was in the middle of 9th grade.
Do you ever regret moving? Why or why not?
No I don't.
What reason would/could make you go back to where you came from?
I still have some family over there, one of my brothers moved back over to New York also.
Lately I haven't but I would like to go visit them soon.
Describe your first job here. If you didn't have one, who did you get money?
A few years later I worked at Toys R Us and before that I used to help out sometimes in my
father's store.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Yes, Thank you for giving me this interview its brought back some nice memories from my childhood.
