Interview with Ana Maria Roldan, March 16, 2019

Partial Transcript: Alright. So I am here with Ana Maria Roldan in the, uh, Lillian Marrero Branch Library in Philadelphia.

Segment Synopsis: Roldan explains how she came to the mainland United States after living in Puerto Rico for the first 13 or 14 years of her life. She recalls that she moved all up and down the East Coast, from Boston to South Carolina and then how she finally ended up in Philadelphia for the last 9 years.

Keywords: Boston (Mass.); Brothers; Children; Fathers; Grandfathers; Grandmothers; Kidnapping; Marriage; Mothers; Moving; North Carolina; Parental figures; Syracuse (N.Y.); Uncles

Subjects: Childhood; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.); Puerto Rico.

Partial Transcript: What can you tell me about your grandparents growing up?

Segment Synopsis: Roldan discusses the parent figures in her life, her grandma and her grandpa who were very prominent adult figures for her while she was growing up. She talks about some of the most important life lessons that her grandpa taught her, like how to be strong and to not let any man dictate what she does. She also discusses her relationships with all of her siblings on both of her parents' sides and how, as the oldest of them, she protected them and cared for them when they were injured or sick.

Keywords: Asthma; Handiwork; Orphans

Subjects: Childhood; Families.; Puerto Rico.

Partial Transcript: Um, so what was a typical day--before you decided to move over to Massachusetts, what was a typical day like in your hometown?

Segment Synopsis: Roldan remembers her childhood growing up in the countryside of Puerto Rico. She recalls how she used to pick fresh mangoes and wild berries off of the trees on her land and how it was always warm in Puerto Rico. The weather in Boston was a shock to Roldan since in Puerto Rico, it's mostly warm and she wasn't used to the cold weather. She briefly talks about what school and the education system was like back in Puerto Rico.

Keywords: Mango; Santurce, Puerto Rico; Swimming; Tropical weather

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Families.; Puerto Rico.; Santurce (San Juan, P.R.)

Partial Transcript: September came. I went to school. I was lost, it was very different, I didn't have no friends.

Segment Synopsis: Roldan remembers what her high school experience was like in Boston and how she went to three different high schools until she was finally able to graduate and get her high school diploma, even though it was kind of a bumpy road getting there. She recalls that South Boston High School was a dangerous school, with police needing to escort the children from the school bus, and fights regularly breaking out among students of various racial and ethnic groups. Because of this dangerous environment, she transferred to Madison Park High School. She then talks about a couple of the part time jobs that she held while she was finishing up school, like working in a nursing home on the weekends and then at Harvey Industry where they made windows. She talks about how she met her now-ex-husband and had her two kids, Joanna and Abraham.

Keywords: Boston, Massachusetts; Children; Husbands; Jamaica Plain High School; Language acquisition; Madison Park High School; Marriage; South Boston High School

Subjects: Boston (Mass.); Childhood; Education; Families.; Immigrants

Partial Transcript: And when I was raising them, I raise them with love, not like the way my mom used to hit me a lot.

Segment Synopsis: Roldan explains how she grew up with her mother who was a very tough person and who would hit and otherwise abuse her children if they acted out. These experiences with her mother are what drew Roldan closer to her grandma as a mother figure because she was treated with respect and kindness from her. Roldan says that even in her mother's old age, it's hard for her to go back to her and stay with her because she knows that her mother will still treat her the same way as she did when she was a child.

Keywords: Abuse; Accidents; Butterfly stitches; Divorce

Subjects: Childhood; Families.; Immigrants

Partial Transcript: What can I say?

Segment Synopsis: Roldan recalls how she had to intervene in her daughter and her granddaughter's life because of her daughter's abusive boyfriend. She had to go to Lawrence, Massachusetts to make sure that he wasn't a threat to her family and she had to keep them safe, no matter what. Now that he is no longer a threat to her family, her daughter is able to work and try to go to college so that she can financially support her daughter.

Keywords: Abuse; Billing departments; Diabetes; Fathers; Granddaughters; Hospitals; Lawrence, Massachusetts; Psychology; Trains

Subjects: Abuse; Children; Education; Families.; Immigrants; Lawrence (Mass.)

Partial Transcript: So what was your first day like in Philadelphia?

Segment Synopsis: Roldan recounts her first couple of days in Philadelphia, when she and her partner stayed with her partner's cousin while she was supposed to be visiting Puerto Rico. Roldan describes taking the bus and elevated train in Philadelphia, getting to know the city, learning to call it "Center City" instead of "downtown." She remembers going to the PennDot's Drivers License Center to become official residents in Philadelphia. She also talks about some of her favorite places and historical monuments she has seen in Philadelphia so far and what else she wants to go see in the future.

Keywords: "Partner in life"; "The old city"; American History; Benjamin Franklin; Center City (Philadelphia, Pa.); City Hall (Philadelphia, Pa.); Concerts; Drivers License Department; Drug addiction; Elevated rail; Independence Hall; Liberty Bell; Marijuana; Netflix; Old City (Philadelphia neighborhood); Orianna St. (Philadelphia, Pa.); Parkway Central Library; Paul Revere; PennDot; Rocky Statue; San Juan, PR.; Social Security Disability; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA); Swann Fountain; Syracuse, New York; White House

Subjects: Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.); Puerto Rico.; San Juan (P.R.); Syracuse (N.Y.)

Partial Transcript: What are--what's the one museum you really want to go see?

Segment Synopsis: Roldan talks about some of the places in Philadelphia that she would like to go to soon. Some of these places include the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the African American Museum because she loves history and the feeling of "traveling through time" when she looks at all the paintings. She explains that she currently collects Social Security Disability Insurance, but also has a part time job at Amazon, directing where packages will be delivered, and describes the work she does in the warehouse. She has made some new friends working at Amazon, which is good for her. She says that as a child she wanted to become a doctor or MP (military police) by joining the military reserve.

Keywords: Amazon, Inc.; Arch Street and 7th Street (Philadelphia, Pa.); Bin audits; Doctors; Military Police (MP); Social Security Disability (SSDI); The African American Museum in Philadelphia; The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Subjects: Employment; Immigrants; Occupations; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: How did--once you finally moved into your own, uh, apartment or house--was it a house?

Segment Synopsis: Roldan talks about how Philadelphia looks a lot different than Boston because of the rowhouses in Philadelphia, and that this was a big surprise for her. She also explains a little about where she and her partner hope to move and how her job commute fits in with their current life. She describes her favorite holidays in Puerto Rico and how holidays, such as Three Kings Day, are much different in Puerto Rico compared to other parts of the United States.

Keywords: Boston, Massachusetts; Conshohocken (Pa.); Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; King of Prussia (Pa.); King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; Las Vegas (Nev.); Las Vegas, Nevada; Manayunk (Philadelphia neighborhood); Mother's Day; Rowhouses; The 3 Kings; Three Kings Day

Subjects: Boston (Mass.); Employment; Holidays; Immigrants; Occupations; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: You said that living in Philadelphia, it's kind of like Puerto Rico and the States together.

Segment Synopsis: Roldan explains how Philadelphia and Puerto Rico are similar, with Puerto Rican culture thriving. She mentions neighbors playing dominoes outside, flying Puerto Rican flags, and the Philadelphia Puerto Rican Parade. She describes walking one block and seeing about 5 Puerto Rican flags waving from houses. She says that a man on 3rd Street cooks and sells barbecue pork on the street in the same way it is prepared in Puerto Rico. The smell of burning wood on the street reminds her of the smell of Puerto Rico. This culture makes her feel proud, and it feels like she never left home. Boston did not have a similar feeling of a strong Puerto Rican culture.

Keywords: Barbecue pork; Boston, Massachusetts; Dominoes; El Barrio (Philadelphia neighborhood); Independence Day; Mt. Rushmore; Philadelphia Puerto Rican Parade; United States Constitution; United States citizenship; Washington Monument; Yellowstone Park

Subjects: Boston (Mass.); Community; Culture; Food habits; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: How do you keep in contact with, uh, your family that's still over in Puerto Rico?

Segment Synopsis: Roldan reports that she calls her father to keep in touch, and uses Facebook to communicate with other family members. She writes and texts her family still in Arecibo, PR. She mentions a cousin that recently died. She also says she has an aunt in Washington state who passed away.

Keywords: Arecibo, Puerto Rico; Communication; Facebook

Subjects: Arecibo (P.R.); Families.; Immigrants

Partial Transcript: Um, what surprised you the most about Philadelphia when you came here?

Segment Synopsis: Roldan was most surprised by the number of Puerto Ricans and the dominance of Puerto Rican culture in Philadelphia. She thinks there are too many bars in Philadelphia. Roldan mentions the current mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, and credits him with improving aspects of the city, including the economy, street cleaning, and drug abuse. She then goes on to talk about her family in Puerto Rico, and while they would love to be closer to her, they are so closely tied to Puerto Rico and can't leave.

Keywords: Bars; Center City (Philadelphia, Pa.); Drug addiction; HIV/AIDS; Higher rates; Jim Kenney (Philadelphia mayor, 2015-present); Market Street (Philadelphia, Pa.); Mayors; Penn's Landing (Philadelphia neighborhood); Puerto Rican migration

Subjects: Community; Culture; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: Um, if--is there anything you would change about your, your journey into the States?

Segment Synopsis: While Roldan has had a positive experience overall, she says that if she could have done anything different, it would have been to not leave her grandparents behind in Puerto Rico, but she respects that her mother made the best choice for her. Other than that, there isn't much else that Roldan would change about her migrant experience. She has found a home in Philadelphia.

Keywords: Boston, Massachusetts; Puerto Rican migration; School systems

Subjects: Boston (Mass.); Community; Culture; Education; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)