Joaquin Masters Hush interview with my grandma

00:00 I'm Joaquin Masters Masters. It's September 8 and it's 633 and I'm here with my grandma Martha Mercado And were you born in the US?

00:12 No, I was born in Bolivia, South America.

00:17 And what was it like coming into the US?

00:21 I was very sad because I left my family in the meantime. I was happy because my husband was waiting for me here.

00:38 And how old were you when you came into the US?

00:41 I was in my twenties.

00:46 Why didn't you come to the US?

00:49 Because my husband was here already. He was a physician and I have.

00:57 Why did you choose Chicago?

01:00 Because he was working in this plains at a holy family hospital. In this plains.

01:11 Where did you live when you first arrived in the US?

01:16 My husband rented an apartment. And Chicago, that's where we were to live for a while.

01:27 What was the apartment like?

01:29 Nice. Nice. It was in the third floor.

01:38 Was learning English hard for you?

01:41 Well, I had some background back home because I took English lessons at the Bolivian American center. Some knowledge of the language.

01:59 Did your view of the United States change after you arrived?

02:06 By what?

02:07 How did you have a certain picture or view of the US before you came? And was it similar to that picture?

02:19 I think it was harder because missing the family, I spoke the language. Not perfect, but I could communicate. But everything was different, starting with the food that I had to get used to many, many things.

02:48 Was there a food that you really liked when you came here?

02:56 It's up to. Well, anything that had chicken was fine with me. I liked a few things.

03:09 And was there any food that you really missed from back home?

03:14 Oh, everything, practically.

03:19 So did you miss home a lot when you first came here?

03:23 A lot. Miss my family, missed the food, miss everything. But I got used to litter by litter. This is my home and I don't miss anything.

03:39 And what was it like being around my age for you back in Bolivia?

03:48 I had a nice group of friends. We always got together for parties or just plus the family. That meant everything to me. Means everything to me.

04:17 Thank you so much for letting me interview today.

04:20 My pleasure.