Interviewee: Octavio Pineda
Interviewer: Ivelisse Vega
Relationship: friend
Date: November 21, 2002
This interview is about a guy that moved to Philadelphia with his mother so his mother
could pursue her career. Did he make it?
What is your full name?
Octavio Pineda.
What is your nationality?
I'm half Puerto Rican and half Cuban.
What is your date of birth?
February 10, 1982
Where were you born?
Stratford, New Jersey.
When did you (move to the U.S./move from somewhere else in the U.S.) to
Philadelphia?
My mom was pursuing a business venture in Philadelphia and I guess she couldn't pass
it up, so we packed our stuff up and left.
Why did you leave your country/State/former place of residence?
We left, again, because my mom was pursuing a business venture. I was young only about
12, 13, so it wasn't really a choice of mine.
What did you like/dislike about your home/country?
I liked it a lot because I was pretty comfortable in the area, it's nice and quiet, it's
pretty good weather for about seven months of the year, eight months of the year. I had
a lot of friends, basically, where I grew up at for about 13, 14 years, so it was a
pretty comfortable environment for me; it was something I was use to, because I was
real young and anything you're around a lot when you're real young, you become
accustomed to and it becomes part of you so you really don't have any problems with it.
Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?
I traveled here by train.
How did you travel here?/What type of transportation did you use/take to travel
here? How would you change that?
I would change that by traveling from airplane, but that wasn't a choice of mine.
How did you find a place to live in Philly?
I had prior arrangements to stay with a family member.
With whom did you travel? [Who did you travel with]?
Mother and sister.
Give 1 thing you remember most about your home town and why?
One thing I remembered about my hometown is the weather because in Miami it's hot
during the winter and in Philadelphia it's cold.
How did your life change when you moved and what were the differences
between the two places?
My life changed because I changed environments and by changing environments that
means you're going to have different people, people are very different between the
North and the South. I had to adjust to the way people dressed, the way people
talked, and things in that nature.
What did you come here to accomplish and what else do you feel you still
need to do?
I came here to... I really didn't have anything to accomplish, any goals when I first came
here because I was young. I probably wanted to finish, get out of middle school and after
that I wanted to start college, which I did. Things that I still need to accomplish,
right now, is to continue moving forward in my current position at my job and to finish college.
Where do you work?
I work for a law firm in Center City, and I am a Network Administrator.
What are the differences between when you came here and now?
There's a big difference, I'm a lot more mature now. Probably one of the biggest differences
is I understand what's important and what's not, and when you're young its always about
appearance and such. As you become older and become more mature, you understand what's
important; establishing a foundation for your life and long haul. Just not thinking
about tomorrow, thinking about what you're going to be in two years.
What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?
I really didn't sacrifice or leave anything behind that I could remember because I was
pretty young but one thing that would probably pop into my mind would be, probably the
house I lived in. I like it a lot - it was pretty cool.
What problems did you encounter coming to the US/Philly?
Probably one of the problems I encountered coming to Philadelphia is the differences between
the way people dressed and talked as I said before. Getting to be comfortable with that and
making the transition or staying who I was, and I guess I wanted to fit in and a lot of
friends and stuff.
How much money did you have and where did you get it when you came to Philly/US?
I didn't have anything, everything was provided for me by my mother because I was young.
I was not old enough to work.
How did you adapt to your new environment?
I adapted by getting to know people, being open, have a open mind, just listening and
focusing everything around me. I had a lot of help from cousins I have and they showed
me around, showed me where to go, where not to go, to wear, what not to wear, what to
say, and what not to say.
Why do you think it was worth all your changes?
I really couldn't say if it was worth all my changes. If I had a choice then, I probably
would have pro's and con's, but since this was something that I couldn't change or make
a choice about coming here, I really couldn't answer that question.
What education did you have before/after you arrived?
Before, I think I, the last grade I finished was 7th and now I'm in my sophomore year in
college.
Do you [ever] regret moving? Why or why not?
Actually, I don't regret moving because I wouldn't trade where I'm at right now with
anything because I'm really content where I'm at. I'm pretty far where I want to go
for my age. I'm only twenty, like I said before, and not a lot of twenty-year-olds are
in the same position I am right now in their careers.
What reason would/could make you go back to where you came from?
Probably the reason that would make me go back is that if I finished school, and I have my
degree, and I'm pretty secure in a job opening where I could transfer to, where I used to
live. Probably raise my future children, if I choose to have any. That would probably be
the only reason I would leave. Probably a career move. For the same reason my mom came
here, that would be the only reason I would go back.
Describe your first job here. If you didn't have one, where did you get money?
I worked in the Gap in Franklin Mills. Probably one of the best jobs I ever had but not the
best paying job. I enjoyed coming everyday. Not to say I don't enjoy where I work now, but
it was a lot of fun.
Is there anything you would like to add?
This interview was pretty interesting because a lot of the questions that you asked me,
nobody has ever really asked me before and I really had to think about it, and it puts a
lot of things into perspective. It makes you realize where you were at before and where
you are at now. And a lot of the little decisions you make in life are pretty important
for the future.
