Biographic Information: Bilingual interview, female, 19 yrs
Themes: Biographical information (where participant is from), Participant’s likes and interests (baseball and competitions, music (songs and artists), childhood toys and games, vacations, etc.), Participant’s educational motivations and aspirations, Law studies and practice, Participant’s friends and family
Download the .DOCX at the link below:
Transcript:
[00:00]
Interviewer: Hi Xxxxx.
Participant: Hi.
I: Um, can you tell me where you’re from?
P: I’m from El Paso, Texas.
I: Have you been there your whole life?
P: Yes, born and raised there.
I: What is your favorite memory growing up as a kid in El Poso?
P: Um, my favorite memory is playing soccer. I played for so long. And like, that w my whole life. And I feel like that’s like a lot of El Pasoans lives.
I: Um did you like go to a lot of like were you in like the leagues?
P: Yeah, so like a majority of El Pasons if you ask them they all play in like city leagues. And like thats our thing and like you play for so many years and all-
I: What age did you start?
P: I started at nine.
I: Nine? What would you play when you were little? Like did you play any sports when you were little?
P: No, I just started at soccer.
I: Dang. Um, were you guys good?
P: Uh I think so, I- I was pretty good.
I: Did they have like, like is it like a little league by like by age group and you play those age groups? [1:00] or is it like competition teams to?
P: Yeah, so it’s, it’s mostly competition, like the city leagues over there, it’s just competitive soccer. Like there’s not really any rec leagues or at let that I know of. It’s like all competitive.
I: All competitive and like do you travel or you just?
P: I think it just depends on your team. I used to travel a lot.
I: Where would you guys go?
P: We would go to like Phoenix. We played a tournament in Las Vegas. Um but like, I think the biggest tournament was probably, probably that Las Vegas one. It’s like the Mayor’s Cup.
I: What is- is it like teams across the country or?
P: Yeah, it like those tournaments are usually like, from everywhere. And then of course, like the El Paso ones are really good.
I: What’s it called um (inaudible)
P: I did play in high school.
I: Did you guys go to state?
P: No.
I: No?
P: No.
I: Not at all?
P: Nooo (laughs)
I: Were you guys good?
P: Uh, I think we’re pretty good. But like I said, there’s just a lot of teams [2:00] that are so stacked at times, like especially those years, like everybody was stacked, so it’s just super competitive.
I: Um what was like best team in El Paso high school wise?
P: High school wise probably like Franklin, Coronado.
I: There’s a lot because when I ask people because like what school did you go to (inaudible) I always hear Franklin.
P: Yeah. So like a lot of people from Franklin and Coronado go here ‘cause it’s like, thirty minutes away from like, the west side.
I: Oh, so it’s closer to-
P: Yeah, it’s closer to here. So like, they can pick UTEP or yeah, so it’s like, not that bad.
I: And which one did you go to?
P: I went to De Valle in the lower valley.
I: No idea what that is.
P: It’s like by the border.
I: Oh.
P: Like literally by the border
I: Huh. Dang so you like live on the, what side is that on?
P: You see, it’s funny. I live on the east side, like, closer- once you get off- okay, so you go through trans mountain, right? And then it’s like the Northeast, and then you drive like fifteen minutes more and like, I live right there. And then but- I went to school fifteen minutes away [Ahh.] [3:00] by the border.
I: Oh so you like, literally like right by the border?
P: Yeah.
I: Wa- was your school like kind of by uh like a convention center? Because I member I went to a Russ concert one- down there. [Uh huh.] And there was kids who crossed the border that were coming to school, but it was like the one of the schools was right by there like that.
P: I think that’s Buoy High School. I mean there’s so there’s Buoy which gets a lot of like um, students coming from Juarez and then there’s also Riverside. That’s really close by and then Cathedral is in downtown.
I: Hmm
P: And Cathedral’s like the private school so.
I: Is it like the top school?
P: Um I wouldn’t say so. I think honestly, the public schools in El Paso are pretty good.
I: Okay.
P: Yeah.
I: That’s good. Wait one more question when you played soccer what position did you play?
P: I played; I was a winger. Left.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: No, no. I used to run a lot.
I: Good cardio huh?
P: Mmm yup, yup (laughs). [4:00]
I: Umm how many like- were you always making goals? Or like?
P: Um, no, I was mostly doing like, assists and stuff. But like, I mean, I guess you could say it was kinda like defense too, ‘cause I would always have to run back and like cover.
I: Mhm yea- yeah. Wings are always like all over like [Yeah.] they cover everything.
P: Yeah. No, yeah.
I: I feel like they’re by the goal but they are technincally defenders (inaudible)
P: No, yeah, literally, literally.
I: audio inaudible, Interviewer question: Did you play other sports?
P: I just ran cross country, but that’s it. That wasn’t until middle school.
I: audio inaudible, interviewer question: Do you have any friends that you still- are still friends that you still are friends with from soccer?
P: Um, I do actually from like, even my like, little league days like everything. Yeah.
I: Tell me out your friends.
P: One of my friend’s her name is Celine. I’ve known her for years. Uh, she is currently at [6:00] the school in Hobbs.
I: Mmm. Yes.
P: No, no, no. She’s at the school in Hobbs. University of Southwest and she’s still playing soccer there.
I: audio inaudible, Interviewer question: Did you play soccer together?
P: Yeah, we played soccer when I was like, like at nine, like she w- we grew up together. No, like we, we met there in soccer, and then we just grew up together.
I: (Inaudible) been friends?
P: We didn’t go to same high school, but like we always kept in touch. Like we even played against each other in high school.
I: What high school did she go to?
P: She went to El Dorado which is closer to my house. But yeah, I love her.
I: (inaudible)
P: I think it’s mostly her. I have another friend Kendra. She’s at ECCP right now. Um, she wants to be a radiologist.
I: Ooo. What is Celine? What does she want to be?
P: Um, I’m not sure I haven’t talked to you in a while. The last time we talked she wanted to be [6:00] a lawyer too.
I: Yeah. (inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: audio inaudible, Interviewer question: What other friends like any high school friends?
P: High school yeah. I have my best friend that I’ve been friends with. I love her. Her name is Victoria. Um, which kind of odd ‘cause Victoria, but she- I’ve noticed since middle school we grew up together to and through our phase together. Um yeah, I’m actually hanging out with her on Saturday.
I: Ooo
P: To catch up
I: Is she still?
P: Yeah, she’s still in El Paso she goes to UTEP. She wants to go into social work.
I: (inaudible)
P: Yep.
I: audio inaudible, Interviewer question: Can you tell me out your family?
P: My family? So it’s just me and my mom. Uh, my mom raised me and everything. My dad’s not really involved. Um, which is kind of better (laughs). But I love my mom, she does everything for me and like everything I do, I just want to make her proud. [7:00] And like, like, I don’t know, like, I, I feel like I’m the representative, uh like a representative her and like everything that she showed me.
I: Mhm. Yes. What does your mom do?
P: Uh, my mom is a spinal cord monitor.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: So like she goes into the OR, and just makes sure like the patient doesn’t get paralyzed and all that stuff.
I: Dang and does she have any siblings?
P: She does. She has, I believe four.
I: Four? And she wa- was she born and raised in El Paso?
P: Yeah and she’s the oldest.
I: Oh, and she has four siblings you said.
P: Yes, four siblings.
I: Okay, and how do you- are you close with your cousins or anything?
P: I am. So I actually only have two cousins too.
I: Oh you have a small family.
P: We have like a small family. Like that’s just like our immediate family. Like our extended families a little bit bigger, but um it’s just me and my cousins. It’s, well, I have three cousins. ‘Cause my aunt just got married. [Mhm.] And so it’s but like [8:00] my baby cousins are like my, my babies. Yeah.
I: audio inaudible, Interviewer question: Are they more like your neices?
P: Yeah. ‘Cause like, okay, so the oldest one is seven. The youngest one is one. Yeah.
I: And do they live in (audio inaudible)
P: They live in El Paso.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, everyone stayed in El Paso, mostly. Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Oh, no, not really. Actually. My tía lives like in the in Horizon, actually.
I: And where is that?
P: It’s like, it’s pretty far from here. Maybe like an hour and twenty, thirty minutes? Yeah, pretty far from here. We don’t know where.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: audio inaudible, Interviewer question: What is your favorite memory a kid?
P: As a kid? Oo, I feel like there’s a lot. I just feel like, I’ve been through like, so many things, like so many experiences. And like, it’s weird ‘cause I always [9:00] say like, I even tell Citlalli, like I always had to grow up faster and like act like older. So like, I- I don’t know. I feel like that’s just impacted all my experiences.
I: ‘Cause you’re the one (inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
Yeah, no, yeah.
(inaudible)
P: Well, honestly, I don’t ever remember like being alone. ‘Cause like, I always had school and like, it was soccer. Like, I think soccer isa what really helped me. Like, I would have friends outside of school and like, I wasn’t just like, socially awkward (laughs). You know? Yeah. But like, I don’t know, I kind of liked it. But then I also don’t, ‘cause like, I see other people with their siblings and I’m like, “Aww.”, but then like, now that I have my cousins they kind of act like my siblings. Yeah. Ugh.
I: Yeah, I’ve had enough time of you
P: Yeah, I’m like, please go home.
I: (laughs) do you see them a lot?
P: I do see them a lot.
I: How often do you go back to El Paso?
P: Um I try to go as much as I can [10:00] ‘cause like, I want to leave, well I want to go to law school. So I know I’m going to be gone. And like, I want to see my cousin’s grow and everything and I want to be there for them. Like, they were there for me. Like, as babies, they would be in the cold at my soccer games and everything or like any event that I had. So like, I wanna like, be there for them. Like so I try to go back as much as I can.
I: Do you um, are you close with your aunts and uncles?
P: I am. Yeah, we’re all really close. Like I said, we’re a small family, so it’s like-
I: What else? What toys did you play with a kid? I always like asking this question because I remember the toys I played but want to see what toys you played with a kid.
P: Honestly, I always played with Monster High dolls.
I: Really?
P: Yeah, I haven’t heard that one. I wasn’t a Barbie doll- Barbie doll girl. I liked Monster High dolls and my DSI.
I: DSI. Wait what was, whats DSI?
P: You don’t remember- it’s- I had like a pink DS.
I: Oh a D S!
P: Yea, no, but it was DS I. [11:00]
I: Oh, see I- we called it DS.
P: Yeah, no. I- well, I know like the DS you’re talking out, but it was DSI.
I: Huh. I’ve never heard of that.
P: Yeah.
I: What’s like the difference?
P: I don’t know. I just remember like, well, mine was pink. I still have it. Like I love that thing. [Did you have the case]
I: to for it? Like you would carry it around? (laughs)
P: (laughs) Yeah.
I: What games did you have?
P: I had that puppy dog game.
I: Me too! Me too! Me too! You would feed it and then you would have to go and (laughs) P: The puppy dogs one. I had a Monster High one. [(gasp)] I really liked that one. But I was too little, so like I didn’t really know how to play it. And then (sigh) I had a Victorious one. [Really?] And like you would like play as like the episodes as like Tori Vega and all this stuff.
I: I don’t I don’t remember. I remember the dog when they would like climb they’d go bark *roof roof*
P: Then you’d like feed it you would tap it (laughs) to feed it.
I: Yeah (laughs). And could they go like different rooms?
P: Yeah, no. Yeah. To go outside, right?
I: Yeah to go outside. Maybe like go to like a playdate [12:00] and they knew like it was like a little like a, like a little town where they could go right?
P: Uh huh.
I: Yeah ju- but I had the 3D one.
P: I didn’t have the 3D one.
I: Oh, so I had the 3D one and I remember literally- I had like this like pink case.
P: Uh-huh
I: And I would always carry it around with like all my games and stuff.
P: That was me too (laughs). I had a Pea- Princess Peach case.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: That’s ‘casue I got it for Christmas, and like, well, my grandma calls me Peach. So like, it just went together. [(inaudible)] Yeah. (laughs).
I: (audio inaudible)
P: I, I don’t know.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: You know, I did have a lot of Mario games. Like obviously like Mario Kart was the best.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah. And like they were just like, mainstream. I feel like.
I: (audio inaudible) the best. Did you have um, what what’s it called the teenage, is like teenage, uh. What was it called? MVP, or? [13:00] I don’t remember what it was called. I can’t remember what the game was.
P: I don’t remember.
I: I don’t remember but it was it you could do on your DS too. [Hmm.] I, I can’t remember what the game was. I used to remember always playing it. [Mmm.] Monster, High School, I don’t know. MVP. I don’t know.
P: I don’t remember that one. I also played Pokémon a lot.
I: Really?
P: Yeah.
I: Do you still play Pokémon?
P: Not Pokémon Go. No, and then I don’t have time. I have a Nintendo Switch but that’s just like for Animal Crossing. [over lapping speech inaudible]. It’s them. It’s not me (laughs).
I: Um do you remember playing with like um, did you have like Guinea Pigs? (inaudible). Zuzu pets!
P: Zuzu pets! They had a game that’s. I had that one too.
I: Did you have the actual Zuzu Pets?
P: I did have a Zuzu pet.
I: I remember. I would always play with them in front of my room- in my room. And then like, like you would press the button *errooo* and then we had like babies and like all the costumes that you would dress them up in.
P: That’s right!!! Oh my gosh! I forgot about those. [14:00]
I: Yeah. (inaudible) Those are like my, toys. I don’t know why, like looking at them now I’m like.
P: They’re a little weird.
I: They are kind of, they’re kind of weird looking. And like I was playing with these?
P: No for real.
I: So you weren’t a barbie girl?
P: I wasn’t a Barbie Girl. Sadly.
I: Did you watch the Barbie movie?
P: I did watch the Barbie movie.
I: But you’re still not a Barbie girl?
P: Still not a barbie girl. I mean, I love, I love the movie. But like, I just can’t be like Barbie girl, like.
I: Um, what else? What else did you play?
P: What else did I play with? I had a Wii.
I: A Wii? What did you play on the Wii?
P: Mario Kart.
I: Mario Kart?
P: Yeah, it was my favorite.
I: Did you ever play the bowling game?
P: Yes. I loved that bowling game. And then like you would roll in they would like jump
I: The jump, yeah. Or what about the Dance (laughs) [(laughs)]. [15:00] (inaudible) or not Dance,
I & P: Just Dance!? Yeah!
P: I had the Michael Jackson version of Just Dance.
I: Oh really? I remember, wait who would you play with?
P: My family.
I: Your family?
P: Like my mom honestly (laughs).
I: You wanted, you wanted to show her your [Yeah.] dance moves (laughs).
I: (inaudible)
P: Uh huh. After church on Sunday, yup.
I: (Inaudible)
P: I don’t remember. Oh, I would read a lot when I was younger. Yeah.
I: (inaudible)
P: Favorite book? I love the Junie B. Jones. Those are my favorite.
I: audio inaudible, Interviewer question: Which one was your favorite?
The first one! The one about school! Like with the, no the smelly school bus [16:00] or something.
I: (audio Inaudible)
She did! I’m like no wonder I am the way I am. (laughs)
I: (audio inaudible)
No I didn’t, [You didn’t?] No.
(Audio inaudible)
(laughs)
P: I liked Diary of a Whimpy Kid too. Those were good.
I: audio inaudible
P: Rodrick Rules
I: Audio Inaudible
P: Oh, yeah.
I: The movies.
P: Yeah. The movies were good. It’s so crazy seeing them like grown up though.
I: Yeah, it is. I’m like (audio Inaudible)
P: Uh huh. Right.
I: Uhuh (gasp)
P: No, literally. You know what other movie like I liked [17:00] Monte Carlo. The one with Selena Gomez. Um, Blair from Gossip Girls and who’s the other one. I don’t know some, like, Blake Lively look alike.
I: I don’t know.
P: That’s a good movie.
I: Hold on. I’ve never, never heard of that.
P: I loved that Movie.
I: What did you um, (audio inaudible)
P: Ooo. I was Nickelodeon for the longest time. And then I like switched to Disney, like halfway. But like, so I was a big Dora girl. I loved Dora.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yes!! With Boots and Diego. And like, I feel like it just like, like, it was fun. Like learning Spanish [español] from them. Yeah.
I: How often do you speak Spanish?
P: Now I speak like a Spanglish. Yeah, so it’s just like, like, when I’m here at the office, it’ll be like one or two words. And then, like at home, [18:00] It’s not that much. But it’s mostly with my grandma.
I: Mostly with your grandma?
P: Yeah.
I: So does all your family speak Spanish?
P: Yeah. Yeah, most of my family’s pretty fluent in Spanish. It’s just me because I kind of like learn from hearing, like, having to learn how to understand.
I: So you weren’t raised speaking Spanish?
P: No.
I: You know it because of your family?
P: Yeah, ‘cause I had to learn like they would be having conversations or like, like, especially around Christmas time, they would be having conversations in Spanish, so I wouldn’t hear it. So like, I started picking up on things and like learning, like, know what everything meant. So that’s why like, I understand better than I can speak it, but I think I can speak like, pretty sufficiently.
I: Like you can hold a conversation?
P: Yeah, I think I can hold a conversation. But like, if I went to Juarez I would definitely need someone like to help me at let like speak it.
I: But I bet you can get by.
P: Yeah, I think I can get by I just think they would be like oh no, she’s definitely from like the US.
I: She’s not [19:00] fluent.
P: She’s not fluent (laughs)
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah. Yeah, like if I played it off really well. I could.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: I know a lot of people have told me that that I have like the accent I’m like, I think it’s just like from being in El Paso and like dominantly Hispanic like everybody speaks Spanish it’s just like-
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Uh huh.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Mhm.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Mhm.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Mhm. (laughs) Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: (audion inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: (udio Inaudible)
P: No yeah. No yeah and like going anywhere else like you say like they say that I have an accent. And I’m like, I’m like confused ‘cause I learned English first.
I: Yeah. [20:00]
P: But then like I picked up on like other people’s accents. So just like came with me.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Mhm.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah. Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: No, yeah, that is crazy.
I: Like the little, like the little simple words that, that everybody knows[for real] here is not known everywhere else.
P: No, no. Yeah, I definitely get that.
I: Um what (audio inaudible)
P: My favorite vacation
I: And why?
P: We went to Florida when I was younger, [21:00] and I really loved it. And I just I don’t know. I like going to like Disney World and everything. [It was Disney World?] Yeah. And like it was just so fun. And then like they had just opened like the Harry Potter thing. [(gasp)] And like, I’m a big Harry Potter fan. But it was just like, like eye opening. And like, it was so fun.
I: What, age did you go?
How old was I? Maybe like eleven, twelve?
I: And it was just you are your mom?
P: It was me, my mom and my Nina.
I: Aw
P:Yeah.
I: So is your nina your aunt?
P: Yeah, so she’s like she baptized me.
I: Yeah, but she you’re like, is she your mom’s sister?
P: She’s my mom’s best friend.
I: Oh, [Yeah.] okay. And how long, did you guys go for?
P: Um, I think we went for the week. Yeah.
I: What was your favorite thing to do there?
P: The Harry Potter World.
I: The Harry Potter World?
P: I was just so mesmerized.
I: Did you see most of the princesses?
P: I guess we did, but-
I: I’m like you are going to be a princess for Halloween.
P: I know. [22:00] (sign) but it’s ‘cause I’m gonna be Princess Diaries. Not-
I: So you weren’t all into princesses when you were little?
P: My favorite princess was Cinderella. So I would only watch her.
I: Why Cinderella? (laughs)
P: I don’t know. I think I just like the concept of like, her losing her shoe and then like the man finding it and then having to find her. Like, the good chase.
I: The good chease the good (laughs).
P: I love a good chase. I love a good chase.
I: Um. Um. So, Cinderella is your favorite because the chase.
P: Yes.
I: Okay um. Do you remember, remember any of the rides at Disney World?
P: The rides? I re- I don’t- I, okay, so we also went to Animal Kingdom. And so like at Animal Kingdom, they have like this cool um, (sigh) they have like a safari ride. And like, it’s literally like a zoo. So they have like giraffes and everything [23:00] and like, hippos. [Like real?] Yeah. Like real giraffes and everything. And so like we got in and like they’re super close to you. Like you’re literally in a safari ride, and like somebody’s driving. And so like, I remember we passed by the hippos and like they were like so close like chomping everything and like they’re so alive. Compared to like the zoo.
I: The zoo.
P: Yeah.
I: (audio Inaudible)
P: Yeah, yeah, I, I think they still have it but- ‘cause I know that there were some people mad out that ride. But but yeah, it was it was a cool experience.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, I have.
I: Which one do you like more?
P: I don’t know. Honestly, I really like California. Like California is my place. If, if I wasn’t born in, El Paso like I would have been born in California.
I: Why California?
P: I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s just because like I also grew up like going there pretty often ‘cause like, well, my Nina has family over there. So we would go and like visit them. Um or like it’s just the vibes [24:00] I don’t know.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Uh, Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yup.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: No yeah. And I I don’t know I always say like, if I wasn’t here I would have been born in California like I’m a, I’m a California girl. Without being born there.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: I think so something like that. (laughs).
I: What part of California? (audio inaudible)
P: LA I love. LA. Like a lot of people don’t like LA but I think it’s just like you have to be made for that lifestyle.
I: Are you a city girl?
P: I am a city girl. I’m a big like city girl.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: No, that’s why like, I don’t know like El Paso and Las Cruces like they’re so different like in El Paso I go downtown and it’s like city like people are walking in their suits and everything like trying to get to work. Like you have the rush hour traffic. And then like here like when I first saw downtown, I was like, this small like. [25:00] There’s no big buildings. Like I was a little confused.
I: Considering (audio inaudible)
P: No, yeah, I was like, considering that we’re so close, like you would think like, you know, I would kind of the hustle and bustle would pass over [Mhm.] but, yeah, I’m a big city girl.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, I want to go to law school there, hopefully.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Um, I’m trying to get into UCLA. That’s like the dream school.
I: Do they have law?
P: They do. I love and like, I’ve always wanted to go to like UCLA. But I didn’t want to I didn’t apply when I graduated high school, ‘cause I knew I didn’t want to leave my family yet. So like, this was like the good option.
I: The good option and you didn’t want to go to UTEP?
P: I didn’t want to go to UTEP.
I: Why not?
P: I don’t know. I think it’s just like, it’s everybody from every single high school in El Paso that’s going. It’s like there’s no difference. Like I needed. I needed like something different. And like here, like, [26:00] there’s so many different cultures and everything compared to like, that predominantly Hispanic culture that we see over there.
I: Yeah. I see what you are saying you like the diversity.
P: Yeah, something different.
I: From El Paso.
P: Yeah.
I: Does anybody go there like out of state?
P: I’ve met a few people I’ve met um, before my internship ended up the congressman’s office, we were interviewing new interns. And um one of the interns that actually got the position, she was from Houston and she said that she chose to go to UTEP, because it was a border community and all that stuff.
I: Mmmm.
P: And she said she loves it.
I: You love it?
P: I love El Paso.
I: (laughs)
P: I do. I do. It at the end of the day, it’s going to be home. And like, I want to return there someday. And like, give back. [So after law school?] Yeah. I think after law school, I want to like, depending where I’m at, right? You never know. But I want to get back to like Las Cruces, El Paso that community and like immigration (audio inaudible) stuff like that.
I: That’s good. Um, what do you want to um? [27:00] Like? What’s uh, what do you want to do in law? Like certain uh, certain, what’s the word?
P: Like, the type of law?
I: Yeah, like, what do you wanna predominantly look at?
P: So I want to go into criminal defense, uh or criminal law, just because I’ve always been interested in that. And I like going to trial, I I really want to go to trial, I want to be trial attorney. Um so that’s what I want to do, but in terms of that, like, eventually, I want to have my own law firm. So, I’ll offer like my criminal, um defense like side, but then I also want to have like an immigration side, where I just offer like pro bono, um free immigration help. ‘Cause like, I think a lot of people, especially in El Paso, like attorneys charge them so many fees, and all this stuff, and they don’t do anything, they don’t get anything done. And like most of the time, like the struggle is like, not knowing how to start the process. So like, yeah. [28:00]
I: So do you want to? (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, and like, especially because a lot of like, these people are going in unknowingly, like about how any of the processes work. So I just want to at let set them in the right direction, help them out. And like, usually you do need an attorney to like, get anything done. Still, but like, I want to offer that for free. Like I feel like it shouldn’t.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, they’re already costing them themselves, like their life having to move here.
I: Well that’s good. I think that actually very I think that’s very, (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: Attorneys
P: Exactly. And like, I saw a lot of that at the congressman’s office, like, we could help people more at the office than like an attorney could. And like, all they had to do was like, fill out a free paper, rather than paying like two hundred thousands of dollars. [29:00]
I: (audio inaudible)
P: So what we do is like we open inquiries, so like, we would open like, if somebody came up to us with immigration, with needing immigration help, we can either point them in the right direction, or we can open an inquiry with like um, USCIS, which is like uh immigration services um. And so we would just see, like, hey, where’s their application? Or like, give them the knowledge like, can you kind of decide like, what do they do next? And stuff like that?
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, so a lot of them are either doing citizenship, residency, work permit, visas.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: So like residency, I think, from my understanding the residency, you’re just like, allowed to be here, rather than like the citizenship like you can be here as long you can.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, any, you were have they have the same rights an [30:00] American citizen compared to the residency like you can’t vote.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible) citizen and then
P: Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah. There’s so many different ways like, to go out things and when it comes to immigration, but, but citizenship is obviously like the best way, ‘cause it’ll, it’ll allow you to stay here in case anything happens politically.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah. ‘Cause you never know.
I: (audio inaudible) It’s sad. It really is.
P: Yeah, it is. It is. And like one of the last cases I did was immigration, like that kind of like said it.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah. Especially working there and like helping people like. It means a lot.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, honestly, we did like we would help people from it with anything from like Social Security, immigration, passport help. I think we would also do- we would also help our veterans like get their pensions [31:00] from the VA and like all that stuff.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: A day? Um, honestly, it would just depend on like what was going on at the time. But like I know that they’ve done like hundreds and thousands of cases like where we would do mobile office hours and we would get like maybe fifty cases just from going out to the community and being like, “We’re here. We can help you.”
I: (audio inaudible) Yeah.
P: Yeah. So, like we would be like, this is what we help with. What’s your issue? We’ll see what we can do. And then you fill out like a privacy release form and then we get that form- we would send it to like the federal agency.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: So, like we would go, we would go to, we would be invited to like rec centers and stuff like that. Um. It would be all over the city. We would go to Horizon, Lower Valley. And like just, just try to see if anybody needed help. [32:00]
I: Um when did you do this?
P: I did it this past summer.
I: Oh okay, [Yeah.] I thought it w in high school.
P: No, I did it this past summer. You have to- well, you can be in high school, but they mostly look for, like college [Mhm.] students.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Um, No. So there were six of us, so it’s weird because I got hired first so I started first so I was alone. For like two weeks in the office and like it’s a lot of work, so it was hard like I had to be answering phone calls from constituents and then like, um I would do a lot of casework intake. So like, I would be the first person, like the bridge between the constituent and the caseworker. So I’d have to make sure I got everything and then just doing, like, office work or, like, when the congressman was in town, like we do stuff like that too. Like one of the things that we did other than casework was like we had a congressional delegation come and like see the border. So we had like different members of Congress. Um, so I got to meet like [33:00] a few different people too. It was pretty, pretty fun. Like, I met Representative Judy Chew out of California. And like, that was like really cool.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, she came to El Po to go and see the border. And like, they took them into a migrant facility too, and all that stuff. I couldn’t go into the migrant facility because, like, there was an outbreak. So they just took in the delegation but like I got to write along and like help out and then I got to be there at the end for the press conference like meet them.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah. They just wanted to see like the border for themselves and like, see is, is it- how bad is it? Um what are the migrants going through and stuff like that.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: I think it’s just a lot of there’s so many factors that are going into it right now and I think, I think a lot of what the migrants are going through right now, especially in like our facilities [34:00] here in the US, there’s a lot of human- humanitarian um issues wrong with those camps, especially the fact that we’re calling it camps. Um, but yeah, there’s so many things wrong and like there’s there’s ways to fix it. That’s the thing. But we just need to have like a bipartisanship.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: So like we just need to everybody to come together and like decide this is what we need like all other things besides.
I: Instead of fighting.
P: Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: (laughs) Thank you.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: (gaps) What type of music? I listen to a lot of Spanish music.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Right now. Oh! No! My favorite favorite artist she’s Spanish, like from Spain. [35:00] But I love Rosalia.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Honestly, like she’s like, it’s just such a mix of, like, all these genres. But like I don’t know, I think that’s just like what dragged me in. She’s like mixing everything.
I: Is it kind of like (audio inaudible)
P: No. I think Bad Bunny is more like Reggaeton. But like I’m telling you, like she’s got some reggaeton, pop, rock like she’ll like she has like her own genre honestly.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah, you have to listen to her. I love her.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: My favorite song. Handy, but the remix version. Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: You have yeah.
I: Who else do you listen to?
P: Bad Bunny obviously [Mhm]. [36:00] Yeah. Mmmm Olivia Rodrigo on the English side. But it’s funny ‘cause I like her and Sabrina Carpenter.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: You have to listen to her.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Which one do I like? Vicious. Vicious is a good one by Sabrina Carpenter.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: (gaps) right now, I think it’s- which one is it? Oh, Pretty isn’t Pretty. That one’s good.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: No. Yeah, and like she’s a little heartbroken still. But like, shes’s still like rock on.
I: Her songs are so good.
P: Her songs are good.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yup.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Me too!! [37:00]
I: (audio inaudible) You could f- like you could feel emotions through.
P: Yeah! Like her teenage aches.
I: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She’s good.
P: She’s good.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Besides Pretty Isn’t Pretty. Umm [Yeah. Beside Pretty isn’t Pretty.] Uhh which one else? Lazy is a really good song. That one is good.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: (sigh) From her new album. You need to listen to it. Its so good
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Honestly, I think it’s like talking out like beauty standards and like how nothing is ever going to match up to like what the standard is.
I: Oh
P: I like it.
I: That’s a good one. (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: Yeah yeah.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: And I like that she does that.
I: (audio inaudible) [38:00]
P: Yup.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: no.
I: (audio inaudible)
P: No, but thank you for interviewing me.
I: Thank you Xxxxx. I appreciate it. Um I hope you have a great day!
P: You too!
[38:19]
New Mexico Border Spanish Corpus 