The difference is the sounds. It's not as loud as NY at night.

Interviewer: Ruby Santiago
Interviewee: Evelyn Rivera
Date: November, 1999


What is your full name?

Evelyn Rivera.

What is your nationality?

Puerto Rican.

What is your date of birth?

June 4,1970.

Where were you born?

Brooklyn, NY.

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

May of ‘96.

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

I needed a change in my life.

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

What I disliked about Brooklyn was that it was always violent.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?

My cousins was here and they said there was a lot of good colleges around.

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

I drove myself. I wouldn’t have changed it for nothing.

How did you find a place to live in Philly?

Like I said my cousins were here so I stayed with them for a while.

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

I came myself. I thought it would’ve been better driving in silence.

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

The parties. There was one almost every night in Brooklyn, Bronx, or in the Queens.

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

I don’t think my life has changed, but the difference is the sounds. It’s not as loud as NY at night.

What did you expect about the US/Philly?

I thought it was going to be like NY.  Drug dealers on the corners and violence 24/7. You know stuff like that.

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

I really didn’t come here to accomplish anything, but I still need to graduate from college.

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

When I first came here it was bad but, you know, not too bad and now it’s quieted down.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

I left my family. You know my mom, dad, brothers and sisters.

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

At first I was being harassed because I was new, but when everybody started seeing me for who I am, they stopped.

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

I had like $400. I saved about half of it and got the rest from family

How did you adapt to your new environment?

It was kind of hard at first, you know, coming from a big city, but then I got used to it.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

I really don’t know why.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

When I came here I already graduated from high school. Right now I am in college.

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

No, because I was going to move anyway. I didn’t like it that much.

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

I would go back to visit my family.

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

My first job?  I was working at McDonald’s.  Everybody worked there and they still do. I was flipping burgers, frying fries, swept floors, cleaned windows, you know, stuff like that.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Yes, it’s not that bad working at McDonald’s. At least it’s a legal job with good pay, well, at least they used to be.

 

12/9/1999