Career moves man from Santo Domingo to Philly -
but perhaps not for long

Interviewer: Tihsheem Tilghman
Interviewee: Julio Cesar Reyes Matea
Relationship: Neighbor
Date: October 12, 2001

What is your full name?

My name is Julio Cesar Reyes Matea.

What is your nationality?

Dominican.

What is your date of birth?

May 14, 1972.

Where were you born?

Santo Domingo.

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

September 22, 1996.

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

Because I needed to earn more money for my family.

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

I liked the friendly people.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?

Because I had some friends there.

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

I traveled by plane, I wouldn't change the way I traveled.

How did you find a place to live in Philadelphia?

I Lived with a friend.

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

I traveled with my wife.

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

The friendly people, the weather, and no snow.

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

My life changed a lot because I don't get to see my family. The differences is the language, the crime, and the people in Philadelphia are rude.

What did you expect about the US/Philadelphia?

A harder job in the police district.

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

I came to get more pay as a lieutenant in the police district.

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

The difference that I've noticed is that the crime went down a little.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

My family.

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

Getting shot at on the job, harder work as a policeman, and adapting to the language.

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

I had plenty of money, I got my money from my job as a lieutenant in Santo domingo.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

I just got use to it but it was hard not knowing much English, I had to carry a Spanish/English dictionary and take English classes.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

I don't think it was worth all of the changes because the only thing I got out of the changes was money.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

I had a 4 year degree, however college education is different in my country (Santo Domingo).

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

Yes, I do and I plan on going back soon. I don't really like it here, I don't understand the people here.  You see people doing drugs around kids, junkies and I don't think this is a place I want to see my kids grow up in.

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

The reason I would go back to Santo Domingo is because I don't enjoy being Philadelphia and I liked it better in my country.

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

My first job was working with the 24^th police district as a lieutenant. When I first started work I had to adapt to the English language.