Interview with Maria and Jose Rodo
What if I told you that you were going to start a journey on one of the most anxiety riddle quests one could face to the complete unknown? Sounds a bit scary and intimidating in my opinion. In this scenario, this quest is one that requires moving from one country to another, across international borders where there are two completely different styles of living. All of this done without a how-to guide and instructions on how to make it work. I had the honor to hear a story of one of the most strongly willed couples as they took me on their journey of how they made their transition work from Portugal to the United States. Migration is an intimidating process filled with uncertainty, but this motivating story helped me realize why it can be worth the hardship. Making their way over in 1990 began their embark on their new life journey.
I constructed my interview with someone near and dear to my heart that has been an added member of my family for more years than I can remember. Maria Rodo has been my housekeeper for years, and one of my favorite people to chit-chat with every other Friday. Since I was young and getting into non-ideal situations, Maria has listened to me and given me the advice of another wise mother. I cherish her so much. When I discussed the content of this project with my family, a green light flashed above me and mothers’ heads as we were pondering who I should interview. Once we realized Maria would be a perfect candidate, I sent her a text message and we figured out a time that would work perfectly for us to conduct an interview over zoom. Interview day hit and she offered me the opportunity to interview her and her husband, Jose Rodo. I was more than pleased. Maria has had a bit of a language barrier since immigrating from Portugal, so Jose was able to set the scene and explain in depth a bit more of their journey. I was so appreciative of the time they sacrificed for me to hear their story and the ability to conduct this report. We had a glorious conversation which lasted a little bit over an hour and they brought me through the obstacles they faced while trying to enter the United States. Not only did I gain an abundant amount of knowledge from them, I was able to introspect on some decisions I make for myself and realized that fear should not always be a factor stopping me from what I want and what I want to achieve.
Maria and Jose are both from Lisbon, Portugal and met as lovers in the range of their twenties. Jose grew up in a household in Portugal with his father, mother, and brother while being a part of a family vineyard passed down from generations and ultimately also run by his parents. Maria was from a household of architects and unfortunately faced adversity when her mother passed when she was only fourteen years old, being left with her father and two brothers. Through their family dynamics they were able to grow as well rounded people that were well versed in their culture. One of the main reasons for immigration was how other cultures managed the work-life balance. The initial place that drew them in was Australia. “The way of life in Australia, the way they are the lifestyle, work life balance. Everything in Australia was drawing us to go there,” says Jose. The only reason they were not able to get into Australia was because they gave birth to a son, Ricardo, and Australia only wanted families who gave birth to girls at the time. Within the constructs of immigration there are phenomenons known as “push and pull factors.”
Lisbon, Portugal
Push factors are known as the forces in sending societies that promote out-migrations. Pull factors are the forces in receiving societies that create a demand for immigrant workers. Through some of their verbiage I was able to identify some push and pull factors that highlighted the United states as their place of stay.
“And in terms of us, I worked. I’ve been working in advertising since 18 years old. And that’s one of the things that made me also come to the United States, which is the advertising center of the world.”
Jose exemplified a pull factor. The United states highlighted themselves as a land of opportunity for him to continue working there and get him on his feet. He knew he would be able to get a job to help his advertising career in the United States which pulled them in even more. He states,
“And then we some point we decided to come to the United States. We were visiting. And then I had an opportunity to work here. And this is where this whole started. And we decided to just stay and, you know, was the land of opportunity. And it is, and it’s been the land of opportunity for the past 30 something years.”
The United States essentially advertised itself to this young couple in the 90’s making it the holy grail of opportunity. Maria made a comment later in the interview and said, “you we work hard, but the money is not too much,” as she worked within a transportation company in accounting. This worked as a push factor out of Portugal. Both of them worked hard from a young age, but they realized the work they were putting in was not matching the compensation coming out of it, which pulled them to the United States. Maria and Jose are classified as labor migrants who have moved for the purpose of employment, one difference though is the fact that they had the intention of staying for good. Their travel is seen as a form of self-investment which acts as a cost-benefit calculation that leads them to expect a positive net return, which is usually monetary, from their movement.
Jose and Maria took a vacation to the United States, to visit friends, which drew them in and started their decision to immigrate. After their stay, they headed back to Portugal and made the decision to begin the process. Jose states,
“We did not debate too much about it. Because the more you think, the more doubts you have. So pretty much was okay, we liked it. Ah, let’s try it. Let’s go. We put our papers; we’ll see how it goes. And that’s it.”
Within this quote from our interview, I realized how in touch they were with their gut decisions and I felt inspired. “The more you think, the more doubts you have.” This is not typical of many couples and people because self-limiting beliefs prevent a lot of people from pursuing their dreams. This was not the case for them. As they turned in their papers, they were able to reside in the United States for eight years of the waiting process due to Jose’s visas. He was granted a working permit and a business visa. There are two categories of entry: Visa’s and green card eligibility. In order to be granted a visa, applicants are required to establish that they meet all requirements to receive which visa they are applying for and therefore will determine whether or not they are considered eligible. Obtaining an immigrant visa is the first step to becoming a lawful permanent resident for foreign citizens that want to live permanently in the United States.
This waiting period was one of the most anxiety riddled times of the immigration project, especially moving their family from Portugal to the United States with a young son, and then having another son, JJ, during the duration of them waiting here. I asked them what sort of feelings they had during the waiting process and this is what they mentioned,
“I was I was fine. You know, it was good. There was no problem whatsoever. So, we were you know, our decision was very easy. It’s like staying here and make it work. And if by whatever chance they decided not to accept us here, that was like okay, we’ll pack and without that that’s not a problem. We came from one place that we can go back but fortunately things went well and then you know, we became citizens.”
One thing I could take away from their responses was the overwhelming amount of optimism. It was influential. How many people do you know that can simply say “if it works, it works, if it doesn’t we will figure it out.” It takes a strong mind and willingness to have that type of attitude. Fortunately for all of us, after eight years they were granted a green card, and after five years, also known as the “five-year rule” they applied for citizenship and took the exam. Jose says,
“and then we just have to go in through the take the exam, which is funny because most of the immigrants know about more about the United States history than most Americans.”
This can refer to assimilation today and how “immigrants tend to have more education than before” and he mentioned earlier in our interview that schools in Portugal teach you multiple languages and much about other cultures. This must have helped their integration abilities and understand the culture of their surroundings much easier. They found that the United States does not have much of a general clue about other cultures besides maybe Mexico.
Upon arrival they settled in an apartment including the four of them and ran into some difficulty with adjusting to their new way of life. They arrived in the Newark, New Jersey area on the east coast.
Newark, New Jersey
“a completely different thing. You know, we had we had a three-bedroom apartment we you know, unfortunately, we had a three-bedroom apartment. Her, you know, her parents had houses my parents had houses. And all of a sudden, we we come to a small apartment with a one bedroom. The part in the beginning is not is not so easy. It was a huge shock. But but then it starts snowing and we can kinda like the snow. So it kind of made it easy.”
Just as much of a shock to me as it might be for you, the snow was the piece that made the move a bit easier. On the east coast, snow is very normal and if you are to ask those who grew up here, more often than not you are likely to hear them complain about it. For Maria and Jose, it was quite the opposite. They also found that their neighbors were a lot less nosey than those from Portugal which I believe they appreciated. It is understandable the difficulty they ran into while trying to assimilate in their new neighborhood, but again with their “glass half full” attitude, they were able to make it work.
A common concept found in migration is known as “chain migration” which is a social process by which immigrants follow others from one place to a particular destination. Maria states, “It is very difficult that time because I don’t have any family here. Okay. And we’re still the only family that we have here is the four of us.” So, their example is not necessarily a direct correlation to how they choose where they are, but they mention being a part of a Portuguese community gives reason to believe that they have settled where others have settled.
“Because you we have a lot of Portuguese supermarkets, stores, all the stores around this area. It sees you when you go buy something. We, we hear the people talk Portuguese. And we asked some questions. And it’s big begin like that.”
This shows the Latinization of their community with the incorporation of different types of supermarkets, stores, and I assume food in their area. Not only do these Portuguese communities offer friendship and a sense of familiarity, it also helped Maria find work trying to clean houses. Segmented labor market theory is centered around the notions that they are two types of labor markets. One being primary, which relates to well paid, stable jobs, high prestige, and opportunities to move up in the hierarchy. The other being, the secondary sector, which refers to being poorly paid, unstable or seasonal jobs, low prestige, few mobility opportunities, and skills and training being minimal. In Marias case, her house cleaning job would be considered a secondary sector because it can be unstable with whether or not the family wants to continue doing business with her. It is work that not a lot of people want to do with a low prestige. It is hard work with unsure conditions, and it is hard to gain mobility while being in this business. Stated before, she is clearly a very intelligent woman while being able to work in accounting, but with Jose working as a freelancer at the time, she needed to find something that was convenient, paid, and allowed her to take care of her family. She states,
“I tried to begin I got some friends, and they talk with me, it’s easier to find a job in cleaning, because I don’t need the papers, I don’t need everything. I go with them, and they help me to find the more houses. And I begin like that, because it’s easy for me to working and come back to pick up my kids at school.”
She enjoys the work, and it has not changed because she likes the people, and she thinks they are nice. It will be a very sad day for me when Maria decides to stop working in this business. While Maria continued to pursue this, Jose worked as a freelancer and for those who are unfamiliar with this concept, he was able to give me some insight on what it truly meant.
“A freelancer is someone that it gets hired by the hour by the day, or by the project, okay? For specific assignment. Okay. So, you don’t have a steady job, you you’re really jumping from one place to another where the work is. And you look for it. Awfully there’s there was companies, and, in this case, I had an agent that had several freelancers, and you would place the freelancers in different places. Okay. And that’s pretty much what I was doing until, you know, someone said, Oh, I really like this guy. Let me put him under full time.”
Jose working as a freelancer would also be considered a secondary sector because it was unstable, the pay was fluctuating, and you never knew where the next job was coming from. He mentions in the interview that for a while he worked in litigation. All while knowing that design is his true passion.
“And, you know, for for me, also, design is a passion. So, it’s really, it’s really a hard, hard work. Because, you know, you kind of have to prove yourself to others. And here, we don’t take anything for granted…And he’s not American, so it’s more difficulties.”
I noticed the character development he was forced to endeavor through the hard work he needed to show in order to follow his true passion and get the work he needed in order to grow his business. All with the barrier of being an immigrant. There is also a huge barrier to their accents which set them back from being able to communicate with people and effectively perform their jobs. Jose says, “it was a little bit tricky because obviously, we both have an accent. Okay. Which is for some, for some people here is very charming. For others. It’s not.” This is a real barrier they had to work through in order to make a living.
I asked them what one thing they found surprising and I was taken back to hear it was the people that were rude. Jose says,
“it was, you know, we came from one place that we kind of knew people, people were very polite, people are very nice. And then you go, you know, you, you go into a place where you will, you know, ask for direction or ask for something and they kind of look at us, I can’t, sorry, I have no time for that. You know, so that was for us. That was a clash, no location or, you know, it’s like, you know, the lack of respect the lack of you know, just being very self-centered.”
He found in some situations it was hard to assimilate in these communities because of the lack of respect they feel Americans have for one other. Although, he says he found It got better after 9/11, where he was on the path train under the World Trade Center. Histeria struck their family because Maria had no idea where he was and thankfully was able to make it home around 4:30 p.m. that day. He had to walk from Weehawken to Harrison New Jersey all the way on the turnpike within a herd of people. This he felt began to take away from the weight that being a working American held because it showed weakness within the country. This relates to contexts of reception and how it has shaped Jose’s perception of how a receiving society, the United States in this case, directs toward an immigration group and the opportunities available. This is in reference to many sectors of their migration story that I talked about including their housing, labor markets and how the migration industry ultimately has treated them.
Weehawken, New Jersey
Harrison, New Jersey, approximately 10 miles from Weehawken.
The United States offered them the ability to “live to work” where in Europe they found that they “work to live”. That was a big difference to them. All while being some of the most confident and optimistic people I have talked to. Not once in the interview did they complain about occurrences they went through, they just knew what had to be done, and together they were able to do it. I asked them who was someone that helped them a lot, and all they had to say was each other. My heart melted.
I was so thankful to conduct this interview with Maria and Jose, and I learned a lot about culture differences, world history, and the life of an immigrant coming here in their adulthood. All of this I would not have been exposed to if I was not able to sit down and have an amazing conversation with them. I learned what it meant to have a strong head on your shoulders and to always think with my gut. I like adventure just as much as they do and that should not be something I allow myself to lose.
Noelle Gregory 0:01
Okay, so Hi, and welcome. And thank you for allowing me to interview tonight this evening. Um, if you wouldn’t mind telling me your guys’s names and introducing yourselves a little bit really quick.
Maria Rodo 0:20
My name is Maria Rodo. And I’m come from Portugal. I born in Lisbon. And I come to America a 30 years ago.
Jose Rodo 0:44
So I’m Maria’s husband, I’m Jose Rodo. Also born and raised in Portugal in Lisbon, and came to the United States over 30 years ago.
Noelle Gregory 0:55
Okay, very nice. Thank you. Um, okay, so if you wouldn’t mind sharing, where you guys were born, and kind of what it was like growing up in the place you’re born and kind of what your culture was like.
Jose Rodo 1:17
Alright, so being born in Portugal, being part of the European community, with borders with all a lot of other countries in Europe, it was great being raised there being born there, having a family spending most of childhood and adult life in in Europe. And then we some point we decided to came to the United States. We were visiting. And then I had an opportunity to work here. And this is where where this whole started. And we decided to just stay and, you know, was the land of opportunity. And it is, and it’s been the land of opportunity for the past 30 something years.
Noelle Gregory 2:14
Okay. So who were you visiting when you came here first?
Jose Rodo 2:20
Oh, some friends, some friends.
Noelle Gregory 2:23
Okay. So to go back to kind of how because I want to compare how like school family and culture is in Portugal versus how you’re exposed to it in the United States. So what was your kind of home life like and your school life sort of like, and like your connections with your family? Like, what kind of what your family dynamic was like?
Jose Rodo 2:50
Alright, so either Marie or I, we had a good family. In terms of culture, obviously, it’s a very old culture. It’s a country that it has 1000 years old. So it’s very rich, in terms of its three is very rich in terms of culture. It’s very rich in terms of habits in terms of school. Well, it’s completely different than United States. Way different. First of all, Portugal, Portuguese language is one of
the 10 most spoken languages in the world. Which a lot of people do not know that. Second of all, in terms of school in terms, we I speak four languages. Maria speaks three languages, which is something that in the United States, I think there’s a huge lack of opportunity to teach that in school. Everything is around the state, and sometimes just the country, but they don’t know anything else. Outside of here. They don’t know other cultures, they don’t know. Except probably Mexico. And that’s because people tend to go on vacation there. Not that much about Canada. But we are back in Europe, school is more rich, in terms of what’s going on around the world. Okay, not so self absorbed.
Noelle Gregory 4:28
Okay. And in Portugal, is that where you learned your different languages? Or was that more when more so when you came here?
Jose Rodo 4:37
No, it was in Portugal. It’s mandatory in school to your native language, plus, you have French you have English. And then last couple years of high school, you have to choose between Latin or German. And of course, then you pick your neighbors language, which in our case was Spain.
Noelle Gregory 4:59
Okay. Very nice. So growing up who was in your household?
Jose Rodo 5:08
In my house was my my mother, my father and my brother. And we have a very extended extensive family. In in Maria’s case,
Maria Rodo 5:20
In my case, I live with my mom and my dad and my two brothers.
Noelle Gregory 5:26
Okay. Okay. And what was like, the work dynamic like, like, did your mom and your dad work or just your dad, or just your mom, like who kind of brought in the money for the family?
Maria Rodo 5:44
My mom die with 42 years old to Young. I’m all 14 years old when she died. But my father was the architect, because he died last year. It was architect and my brother’s architects too we have the good life.
Jose Rodo 6:10
Okay. In my case, my father worked. My, my great grandparents and my parents. On my father’s side, we had a we had a vineyard. My mom never never worked in our life. And in terms of us, I worked. I’ve been working in advertising since 18 years old. And that’s one of the things that made me also come to the United States, which is the advertising center of the world. Since I’m a designer. As Maria said in my case, father’s was an architect. Both are
brothers are architects. So we just very well rounded in terms of family in terms of culture, in terms of how we were raised.
Maria Rodo 7:06
When I’m in Portugal. I work in a company, a transportation company. In accounting, okay. And after I come here, and I cleaning. Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 7:27
It’s only funny because it’s silly, because we work with each other. But um, okay, so, when you so when did you guys meet?
Jose Rodo 7:40
Oh, my God. We met about 40 years ago. Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 7:44 How old were you then?
Jose Rodo 7:47
I was, you know, I was 21 years old. I was getting into the military. When I met Maria. And then, and she was 26 years old. Yeah, I was 21.
Noelle Gregory 8:04 Okay.
Maria Rodo 8:05 Older than him.
Jose Rodo 8:07
Been together since then.
Noelle Gregory 8:09
So you mentioned you were in the military. So it was that before you were working in advertising?
Jose Rodo 8:15
No, I had to interrupt the advertising. Because military was mandatory.
Noelle Gregory 8:21 Oh, really?
Jose Rodo 8:22 Yes.
Noelle Gregory 8:22
What when you turned what age?
Jose Rodo 8:25
21. You get drafted automatically. We turned 21. They pick your work, and they put you in the military. Done. For the next two years- Two and a half years.
Noelle Gregory 8:34
Okay. And all of that was done before you were thinking about immigrating here.
Jose Rodo 8:41 Yes.
Maria Rodo 8:41 Yes.
Noelle Gregory 8:42
Okay. So was the United States your first option?
Jose Rodo 8:47 No.
Maria Rodo 8:51 No, our option..
Jose Rodo 8:53
You know Noelle, you’re gonna you’re gonna hear that my no’s meaning no’s and my maybes.
No meaning my yeses meaning Yes. Really? No, first got you there. We actually thought about immigrating was Australia.
Noelle Gregory 9:09
Okay, and how come Australia
Jose Rodo 9:13
The way of life in Australia, the way they are the lifestyle, work life balance. Everything in Australia was drawing us to go there. Okay, but it’s not the only reason why we didn’t got picked to go to Australia because we had a son and not a daughter. And at that time, they prefer to have couples with daughters and not sons. Okay, now it’s the opposite. Oh, really? Yes. Now, they all they all want couples with sons.
Maria Rodo 9:49
40 years ago. They no have too much man. Too much. Woman women, they’re in there. But they don’t accept couples with the Boys.
Noelle Gregory 10:01
Oh, wow. Okay,
Maria Rodo 10:03
They accept piping they’re.
Jose Rodo 10:07
Eating kangaroo by now.
Noelle Gregory 10:11
So how did so did you like try and apply to like, what is the application process similar to how you would come to United States? Or like how did you try and get your foot in the door?
Jose Rodo 10:24
Now we just we just went to we just went to, to back to the Australian embassy and we asked them what was the demands fot it and we just reached out to Okay, put the paperwork and we did put the paperwork and that’s it. And, and they we didn’t get picked because of that reason for the United States was, you know, when we came here, we liked it. And then we put it we put the paperwork here, and we waited.
Maria Rodo 10:56
Remember, we come, we come, Noelle, like a tourist.
Noelle Gregory 11:00 Okay.
Maria Rodo 11:00 first.
Noelle Gregory 11:02
So you visited friends and family first or friends first, right? Yes. And how was just as like a vacation? Or to see you kind of was like.
Jose Rodo 11:11
No, we wanted to come in as a vacation to kind of see if we like it or not.
Noelle Gregory 11:17
Okay. Okay. And then you went back to Portugal? And then what was the type of discussions that you guys had about maybe moving like coming here?
Jose Rodo 11:29
Like, what did not we did not debate too much about it. Because the more you think, the more doubts you have. So pretty much was okay, we liked it. Ah, let’s try it. Let’s go. We put our papers, we’ll see how it goes. And that’s it.
Maria Rodo 11:48
I mean, we wait eight years Noelle.
Noelle Gregory 11:50 Eight?
Maria Rodo 11:54 Little right.
Jose Rodo 11:55
No, no, we wait eight years for that to get off and part of the process.
Noelle Gregory 12:05 The process to begin?
Jose Rodo 12:07
No. So when you put your papers, then you have a waiting. Because I have a business visa. And I have a working visa. Okay. Okay. So, after you we came here, as you know, visiting to see if we liked it, then they gave me a business visa. Because I was doing business here and then they gave us a working permit. And then for that working permit till you get your green cards. You have to wait, there’s a process a period process to it.
Noelle Gregory 12:41
Okay, so you got you. You said you got two visas. I’m sorry. It was a working visa and then…
Jose Rodo 12:48
Working. Yeah, it was a business visa and then a working permit.
Noelle Gregory 12:53
Okay. And so during those eight years, were you guys in the United States on those visas? Or were you back in Portugal?
Jose Rodo 13:01 No, we were here.
Noelle Gregory 13:02 You were here?
Jose Rodo 13:03 Yes.
Noelle Gregory 13:04
Okay. And then that’s when you so what kind of paperwork did you have to submit?
Jose Rodo 13:10
There was a damn. a lot of different things. Until they, they you know, requisites about, you know, school about you know, your backgrounds. Till then was I was working in, in a couple advertising agencies in Manhattan. So they had to go back and forth every year, they will check. You know, my status, they will see if I was, you know, a good guy. But if we were a good couple, right, you know, and so that process takes a little bit longer. Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 13:50
Okay. Okay, so what was it? What were you kind of feeling during the waiting process? Were you still doing advertising and Maria, what were you sort of doing?
Jose Rodo 14:04
Yeah, I was I was doing advertising and Maria was doing what she did. She does now.
Maria Rodo 14:08 cleaning, cleaning.
Noelle Gregory 14:10
Okay. So during that time, what would you say the most difficult part was
Jose Rodo 14:17
Being anxious and stay here and not being able to move freely outside of the country. Yeah. And so we just had to demonstrate that yes, we were interested of staying
Noelle Gregory 14:30
Okay, and the anxiety was when you were more so here.
Jose Rodo 14:36 Mm hmm.
Noelle Gregory 14:36
Okay. Um, so what was it like when you first arrived
Jose Rodo 14:42 Here or?
Noelle Gregory 14:43
Yeah, here and where also Where did you? Well, first Where did you first visit during that one visit before you decided you wanted to come here? And then where did you end up residing?
Jose Rodo 14:57
Oh, we came we came straight. Straight to New York,
Noelle Gregory 15:01
New York.
Jose Rodo 15:03
New York, New Jersey.
Noelle Gregory 15:04
Okay, any what town specifically?
Jose Rodo 15:09 Nearby Newark area
Noelle Gregory 15:11 Okay. Okay,
Jose Rodo 15:14
Then we then we move to Florida, and then we came back here.
Noelle Gregory 15:19 Okay.
Jose Rodo 15:20
So we wanted to see, we wanted to see other things we wanted to since we already here. Let’s explore.
Noelle Gregory 15:28
Right. Okay, so you came here. So during the first eight years, were you in the Newark area? Or did you go to Florida around there too?
Jose Rodo 15:38 No first year.
Noelle Gregory 15:40
First only one year you were in Newark?
Jose Rodo 15:44
Oh, no, it we were here for I don’t know, a couple years or so. Yeah. And then we went to Florida for a year. And then we came back here. And that’s it. And you
Noelle Gregory 15:53
Know, and you’ve been here ever since?
Jose Rodo 15:56 Yes.
Maria Rodo 15:57
Yeah, we came from Portugal with one son.
Noelle Gregory 16:01 Okay.
Maria Rodo 16:02
My old son Ricardo. And that’s the up to eight years of stay here. I have my another one. He born in America.
Noelle Gregory 16:13
Okay. So what would have happened if your papers didn’t go through? And like, say you hypothetically had to go back to Portugal? What would have happened with your other son?
Jose Rodo 16:31 Nothing.
Noelle Gregory 16:32 Nothing?
But you have to go with you. Right?
Jose Rodo 16:35 Oh, yes.
Noelle Gregory 16:36
Okay. Okay, that’s very interesting. Were you guys anxious about that? Like, how did you feel about the pregnancy?
Jose Rodo 16:45
I was I was fine. You know, it was good. There was no problem whatsoever. So we were you know, our decision was very easy. It’s like staying here and make it work. And if by whatever chance they decided not to accept us here, that was like okay, we’ll pack and without that that’s not a problem. We came from one place that we can go back but fortunately things went well and then you know, we became citizens.
Noelle Gregory 17:13 Okay.
Maria Rodo 17:14
After five years the green card
Noelle Gregory 17:18
So the waiting period was eight years and then where does the five years come in?
Jose Rodo 17:24
Yes. So you have after that eight years which is the process to take two it’s all this legal legal BS it is you know it’s if you come from probably from Cuba you will get it in a couple of months oh yeah. Because you know if you political view if you ask for political assignment or something like that it’s a lot faster for it if you wanted to and of course they have they have to see if you pay your taxes the if you approve if you like you know all of that stuff which Yeah, obviously we were we had it with flying colors but after that and yeah they will you get your your green card and then you if you wanted you apply for your citizenship
Maria Rodo 18:19 After five years.
Noelle Gregory 18:20 Yeah. Okay.
Maria Rodo 18:22
So when I apply for when I apply for a green card, I put it my son Ricardo, on one to have the green card too and after the green card. One day we come back from vacation, and you have a letter? Visa letter, it’s for
Jose Rodo 18:44
We got we got our our papers, and then we just have to go in through the the take the exam, which is funny because most of the immigrants know about more about the United States history than most Americans.
Noelle Gregory 19:02
Yeah. I believe it because I feel like I’m not too well rounded about it either.
Jose Rodo 19:12
Yeah, you you have to know because one of the exams is you have to memorize about 100 questions.
Noelle Gregory 19:19 Wow.
Maria Rodo 19:20 Yeah.
Jose Rodo 19:20
And out of 100 questions, they can make you three, five or 10. Usually not more than 10. But you have no idea out of the 100 which five they want to ask you.
Noelle Gregory 19:33
Okay, and how old were you when you took that exam?
Jose Rodo 19:37
Oh my god. I was 30, 30 something.
Noelle Gregory 19:40 Really?
Jose Rodo 19:41 Yes.
Noelle Gregory 19:43
So then Maria. Probably 30 Something to then.
Maria Rodo 19:46
Yeah. I don’t remember when but.
Jose Rodo 19:51
it’s been a long time ago, but yes, we were over 30 years old.
Noelle Gregory 19:55 Okay,
Maria Rodo 19:56 So I’m 35.
Jose Rodo 19:57
So we know we knew, we knew. More about history and the system in the United States that most Americans.
Noelle Gregory 20:07
So would you guys like study together?
Jose Rodo 20:11 Oh, no.
Noelle Gregory 20:12 No?
Jose Rodo 20:13 No.
Maria Rodo 20:13 No.
Jose Rodo 20:14
No, I can’t do that. So here’s her own method of studying and I have my own.
Noelle Gregory 20:22
Did they give you like a platform of the 100? Questions? And then you just had to memorize them all and just yeah, see what they would choose?
Jose Rodo 20:31
You have to memorize the questions, because you need to know the answers.
Noelle Gregory 20:35 Right? And then.
Maria Rodo 20:37
The computer, the computer, give the questions. It gives the questions to you and you answer is not the people and
Jose Rodo 20:46 You cannot. If you.
Maria Rodo 20:48 Computer.
Jose Rodo 20:48
If they are me was actually verbally was not a computer. me it was verbally on her was a computer via.
Maria Rodo 20:56
No the questions come on computer.
Jose Rodo 20:59
So, its uhm you if they ask you five questions, you better answer five questions.
Noelle Gregory 21:07 Okay.
Jose Rodo 21:08
You’re not going to answer three and miss two. Okay. Otherwise, you have to start it all over
Noelle Gregory 21:16 Right
Maria Rodo 21:17
Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 21:17
Was that only one section of the, um, only one section of the testing? Or was that the testing as a whole?
Jose Rodo 21:27
Oh, no, this, you know, that question, then it’s a kind of interaction talking to them to see if they You can vocalize your thoughts. And that was a, you know, rigid questions like, Oh, my car is blue. You know, things like that. Which is funny, because in my case, the guy asked me, you know, to say something with, you know, to write down my car is blue. And I asked him, How do you know that my car is blue? And the guy looked at me like, What? And I said, you asked me if my car is blue. And I said, my car is blue. And if you look outside the window, and you look at down there, you see my car is blue. And it was a blue car, by the way. So the guy was laughing and I was like, Okay, fine. This guy’s done. That’s it.
Maria Rodo 22:21
Because, Noelle, they make some questions come from the computer. And after they told us to write some sentences.
Noelle Gregory 22:33 Okay.
Maria Rodo 22:33
We need to, probably to know if we write something.
Noelle Gregory 22:39 Right.
Maria Rodo 22:40
That we have three years English in Portugal. I’m not completely blind about them.
Noelle Gregory 22:48 Okay.
Maria Rodo 22:49
That’s okay. They be fine. Okay,
Noelle Gregory 22:53
so you took the test, and then what happened afterwards?
Jose Rodo 23:00
That’s it. We got approved. And then we went to to those sworn ceremony and that’s it, done.
Maria Rodo 23:12
They have they make a ceremony outside with all the courts in Hackensack? Okay. Oh, all the court and the police. And we, they they Shamar Oh, no, they call the names names and give the paper with America’s very,
Jose Rodo 23:33
Very, you know, normal ceremony for citizenship. Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 23:38
Okay. Um, so what would you say was the most difficult part about coming here?
Maria Rodo 23:45
The waiting for the window.
Jose Rodo 23:49
Coming here? What was the most difficult part? I don’t think there was, you know, a difficult part was, you know, was on a hunch going coming here, and then make it work. You know, it’s really the unknown kind of thing.
Noelle Gregory 24:07
So did you have to leave? I know, Maria, you said your mom passed away when you were young, right? Yes. So did you guys have to leave a lot of family like when you came here? Was it just you guys and Ricardo that came here or did anybody else come over with you?
Jose Rodo 24:26 No,
Maria Rodo 24:26 No. only us.
Jose Rodo 24:27 Just us.
Maria Rodo 24:28 Just the three of us.
Unknown Speaker 24:30 Okay. So how was.
Maria Rodo 24:32
it is very difficult. It is very difficult that time because I don’t have any family here.
Noelle Gregory 24:38 Okay.
Maria Rodo 24:39 And.
Jose Rodo 24:40
We’re still the only family that we have here is the four of us.
Maria Rodo 24:43 Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 24:43 Really?
Maria Rodo 24:44
No after, after the come JJ. Yeah.
Jose Rodo 24:47
There’s the four of us. That’s it. Everybody else is back in Europe.
Noelle Gregory 24:51
Okay, so you were the first ones here in this country?
Jose Rodo 24:55
Yes, yeah. Well, even though I had one of my My uncle’s was here in New York. Oh my God’s probably what 40s In the 40s, because he was a teacher at a medical school in New York.
Noelle Gregory 25:14 Okay.
Maria Rodo 25:16
But a long time ago, but for now, it’s only the four of us.
Noelle Gregory 25:21
Okay. Wow. So that is like, hard you guys kind of being like the guinea pigs. And that is like, very unsettling a little bit, you know? Because normally most stories are of like a family that knew of family that was already here. And then they visited and that was a lot of their motive for moving here. But, guys, the main motive was for work, right?
Jose Rodo 25:46 Yeah. So.
It was a different challenge. It was a challenge because obviously, she worked in the in the accounting accounting department. I worked in advertising, so we both had a good jobs. But,
you know, it’s human being being curious. And the unknown that’s her and I that’s why, you know, we both ride motorcycles because we like to travel. We like the adventure.
Noelle Gregory 26:14
Right? Wait, Maria, you did accounting in Portugal?
Maria Rodo 26:18 Yes.
Noelle Gregory 26:19 How was that?
Maria Rodo 26:22 Good.
Noelle Gregory 26:23 Do you miss it?
Maria Rodo 26:25 What?
Noelle Gregory 26:25 Do you miss it?
Maria Rodo 26:27 No, no. No.
Jose Rodo 26:29
So if you need any checks and balances you can ask maria.
Noelle Gregory 26:34 Okay. uhm.
Jose Rodo 26:36
And she work for as an accounting for a company and was a huge company in back in Portugal, and she was part of the accounting department.
Noelle Gregory 26:47 Okay, go Maria!
Jose Rodo 26:50
You know, you didn’t know that about Maria.
Noelle Gregory 26:52
Right? No, I did not know that.
Jose Rodo 26:56
She has a little of a financial background.
Noelle Gregory 26:59 Go Maria.
Maria Rodo 27:03
Oh, change. A big change?
Noelle Gregory 27:06
So what did you guys move into a house or an apartment? Or what style of living Did you move into when you first came here?
Jose Rodo 27:14
Well, we moved to apartments one apartment. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, we moved to an apartment. And then from that apartment was a small apartment. Then we moved to a bigger apartment and then after a bigger apartment, we moved to a house.
Noelle Gregory 27:27
Okay. So when you first moved to your first apartment, what were the some of the similarities and differences between living in Portugal versus living?
Maria Rodo 27:39 Small apartment.
Jose Rodo 27:41
It was night and day.
Maria Rodo 27:44
Not Yeah, it’s night and day.
Jose Rodo 27:46
It was a completely different thing. You know, we had we had a three bedroom apartment we you know, unfortunately, we had a three bedroom apartment. Her, you know, her parents had houses my parents had houses. And all of a sudden we we come to a small apartment with a one bedroom.
Noelle Gregory 28:05 Okay, so.
Jose Rodo 28:07
there was a huge shock
Maria Rodo 28:08
The part in the begininng is not is not so easy.
Jose Rodo 28:11
It was a huge shock. But, but then it starts snowing and we can kinda like the snow. So it kind
of made it easy.
Maria Rodo 28:19
When you we never have snow in portugal. Oh, really? The first time it’s over here.
Noelle Gregory 28:26 Oh wow
Maria Rodo 28:28
I saw the snow. Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 28:29
So, wait. What season? Did you guys first move over here?
Jose Rodo 28:33 Oh, well, that was
Maria Rodo 28:35 December or November.
Jose Rodo 28:36 No. November.
Maria Rodo 28:38 November.
Noelle Gregory 28:39
Okay, so was it a lot colder than you expected?
Maria Rodo 28:42 Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Noelle Gregory 28:43
Yeah. What’s the weather? What’s the weather year round like in Portugal?
Maria Rodo 28:51
In Portugal is the you have four seasons. But it’s not. It’s not worse. The summer is not too hot to the winter is not to cold you living very well there
Noelle Gregory 29:07 Okay,
Jose Rodo 29:08
So winter, winter in Lisbon is in about in the 60s?
Maria Rodo 29:11 Yeah.
Jose Rodo 29:12 And that’s winter.
Noelle Gregory 29:14 Wow. Okay.
Maria Rodo 29:15
You need to go there noelle.
Jose Rodo 29:18
Sorry, the, and the winter is it’s a humid winter. And it’s a dry summer. Okay. Here is the opposite. Yeah. The dry winter and humid summer. The summers there are in the you know, 90 degrees. Yeah, but it’s dry.
Maria Rodo 29:37
And it’s good. The weather.
Jose Rodo 29:38
What I really like it there is it’s 930 at night and it’s still daylight.
Noelle Gregory 29:43 There?
Jose Rodo 29:44 Yeah, in the summer.
Noelle Gregory 29:45 Okay. Oh, wow.
Jose Rodo 29:46 Awesome. Yes.
Maria Rodo 29:48 Yeah, it’s a good one.
Jose Rodo 29:48
Which is awesome. So yes, there was some adapting there. Definitely. There was some challenges from what we were used because for the kids were different Since one was very young, and the other one was born here, so that’s it. For us. We came here as as adults. So it’s it’s slightly different to adapt and to adjust.
Okay.
But it was not, it was not too too difficult because, you know, having that adventure spirit made it work and the fact that we liked it. And, you know, there’s a lot of people who live here, they only thinking of where they came. But they’re not thinking about living the day to day where they are.
Noelle Gregory 30:39 Okay.
Maria Rodo 30:40
Yeah, and when thing, why I stay in this country, and I love it. It’s the opportunity this country give to us.
Noelle Gregory 30:51
Okay, and what opportunities are you talking about?
Maria Rodo 30:56
I talk about when I come here, in Portugal, it’s everything. It’s more difficult. Completely different from here. Because if you work, you have your work and you have your house, you can have what you want it. If you have opportunity to I want a TV. Okay, I got a TV. So it’s easy.
Noelle Gregory 31:20 Okay.
Maria Rodo 31:21
And Portugal is not so easy
Jose Rodo 31:23
So I will put it this way. In the United States is its consumer driven. Country. That is it. It’s probably the only one or one of the few that is consumer driven. Okay. I hear people do not know how to fix things. They just put it in the trash and buy it.
Noelle Gregory 31:43 Yeah.
Jose Rodo 31:44
Over there. We probably going to try to fix it. And if we can fix it. If someone that someone else does know how to fix it, then we go and buy it.
Maria Rodo 31:57 It’s a difference
Jose Rodo 31:58
Which is which is actually very good. Because, you know, that’s where your brain starts working better. It’s knowing how things work. Okay. So, see kids, it’s not an nothing it’s getting on your lap. Here. I think people are spoiled in that sense. It’s very easy. You know, you want something, especially here in New York. And this area. You can get it. Yes, you can get it and there’s no other place you can get it. Right.
Noelle Gregory 32:31
So you mentioned that if you couldn’t fix it, you would ask a friend to fix it.
Jose Rodo 32:36 Oh, yeah
Noelle Gregory 32:36
That you know, so what was your neighborhood community? Like? Like where you guys all close? Would you guys hang out? And how is it different from here in the United States? Like do you have friends on your block here?
Jose Rodo 32:50
Well in there Yes. You know, your neighbors and all of that. hi, bye you know some some of
them. You’ll invite them for lunch. But they kind of nosy they interfere with your life a lot.
Maria Rodo 33:07 He’s actually right.
Jose Rodo 33:08
Okay, here. Yes. You know, your neighbor next door and interview and that’s it. You know, that’s not too much of an interference over there because of the mentality. You always have. You know, the neighbor that it’s the, the newspaper of the town.
Maria Rodo 33:26
They like to know in Portugal, they like to know everything you do it. You know, over here, it’s another thing, I like it’s nobody tell you or ask you what you do it. What do you what you what you feel? Nothing. They don’t they don’t
Jose Rodo 33:46 Interfere.
Maria Rodo 33:47
Interfere in our lives. This is very good.
Noelle Gregory 33:50
Okay, because they’re too concerned with what’s going on in their life. To ask
Jose Rodo 33:56
Oh, yeah. It’s like they very nosy Yeah, yeah, nobody knows it. But that’s, that’s what a lot of
other countries Yeah, it’s not like that Europe, South America
Maria Rodo 34:05
Italy the same in Spain is the same.
Jose Rodo 34:08
South America is the same. You know, here is a lot more individually independence .
Maria Rodo 34:17 Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 34:18
Okay. So you came here and then did you guys both start working immediately and what was like the working process sort of like.
Jose Rodo 34:30
a, um, well, it was a little bit tricky because obviously, we both have an accent. Okay. Which is for some, for some people here is very charming. For others. It’s not.
Maria Rodo 34:46 Yeah.
Jose Rodo 34:47
So it was just a matter of you know, knocking on doors, obviously, there was no social media.
There was no you know, internet was just Starting. So it was really kind of a trust thing, you know, knocking on the doors being very persistent and showing your potential. And that was it.
Noelle Gregory 35:14
So where did you start out?
Jose Rodo 35:19
Me I started out as a freelancer.
Noelle Gregory 35:21 Okay, so what
Jose Rodo 35:23
I was a freelancer and while Sandra was taking care of the kids, and then looking for work too
Maria Rodo 35:30 Yeah
Jose Rodo 35:31
And me starting as a freelancer, that’s what I did. I had an agent was finding me work for me. And then it was pretty much kind of showing what I was able to do. And that that that was it.
Noelle Gregory 35:48
Okay. So can you describe a little bit about what a freelancer is?
Jose Rodo 35:54
A freelancer is someone that it gets hired by the hour by the day, or by the project, okay? For specific assignment. Okay. So you don’t have a steady job, you you’re really jumping from one place to another where the work is. And you look for it. Awfully there’s there was companies and in this case, I had an agent that had several freelancers, and you would place the freelancers in different places. Okay. And that’s pretty much what I was doing until, you know, someone said, Oh, I really like this guy. Let me put him under full time.
Noelle Gregory 36:41
Okay, so what were some if you don’t mind sharing, what are some of the jobs that you did?
Jose Rodo 36:48
I worked for five years in litigation.
Noelle Gregory 36:51 Okay. How was that?
Jose Rodo 36:54
It was showing, doing the drawings and exposing the cases in court, where back then there was
no cameras allowed in courtrooms. So we had to design graphically and drawing the characters to present to for so the lawyers to present to the jury and to the judge.
Noelle Gregory 37:20 Okay.
So was that one of your beginning jobs, or did you get that? Because five years seems kind of like a longer duration? Were there any, like, really small jobs that you had or anything? Oh,
Jose Rodo 37:35
No, I was doing that. And it took was, I stopped doing that, and he carried me for five years.
Noelle Gregory 37:44 Okay. Wow
Jose Rodo 37:48
So then what I can tell you that the US attorney and back then was Giuliani
Noelle Gregory 37:54 Was what?
Jose Rodo 37:56 Giuliani?
Noelle Gregory 37:58 Is that a person?
Jose Rodo 37:59
You don’t who Giuliani is?
Noelle Gregory 38:02 No
Jose Rodo 38:04
Really? The mayor of New York, Mayor Giuliani.
Noelle Gregory 38:11
Guys. I don’t know. Don’t put me on the spot
Jose Rodo 38:14
That’s the end of our conversation.
Noelle Gregory 38:19 No!
Maria Rodo 38:19 Mayor right noelle?
Jose Rodo 38:21
Do you know who was the mayor? You know, any mayors of New York? We know more about history than them.
Maria Rodo 38:28 Giuliani.
Jose Rodo 38:29
Mayor Giuliani.
Noelle Gregory 38:30
No, I know. There was Governor Cuomo. I know governor’s.
Jose Rodo 38:34 Oh, no. Not, Not.
Maria Rodo 38:37
Hes the mayor in New York for some years, right.
Jose Rodo 38:40
Oh yeah. He was there for years
Maria Rodo 38:43 Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 38:43 Yeah. No, I don’t.
Jose Rodo 38:45 You have no idea?
Noelle Gregory 38:46
No, I know about New Jersey. Some of them.
Jose Rodo 38:51
No, I know about New York.
Noelle Gregory 38:54
I told you guys I was not well versed in.
Jose Rodo 38:56
Use Google. I will tell you he actually cleaned the city of New York City. He was the one the city became a very clean city without with less crime was because of him.
Noelle Gregory 39:11 Because of him.
Jose Rodo 39:12
Yeah, he was your was the US attorney. And in cases that I actually worked on it for the mafia. So he cleaned the whole thing. Okay. You got to Google him.
Noelle Gregory 39:26
Okay, well, I will I promise after this. I will Google him. Um, so Maria, what was taking care of the kids and beginning to look for work like for you?
Maria Rodo 39:45
I tried to begin I got some friends and they talk with me, it’s easier to find a job in cleaning, because I don’t need the papers I don’t need everything. I go with them, and they help me to find the more houses. And I begin like that, because it’s easy for me to working and come back to pick up my kids at school.
Noelle Gregory 40:13 Right.
Jose Rodo 40:14
The main the main reason was..
Maria Rodo 40:16
And stay with them during the rest of the day.
Noelle Gregory 40:20 Okay,
Jose Rodo 40:20
The main reason was flexibility for her.
Maria Rodo 40:22 Exactly.
Noelle Gregory 40:23 Okay.
Maria Rodo 40:24
And that’s Now. I work it now. Because I like the people I work with. And it’s a nice people for me. And I never changed it. I never tried to do something different.
Noelle Gregory 40:37
Okay. So how did you make friends here to give you connections?
Maria Rodo 40:43
Yeah, because we have Portuguese.
Jose Rodo 40:47 Community
Maria Rodo 40:48
Community. And we thought the first times when I met all the people there, and we talked with them, and after that, we begin to.
Jose Rodo 41:03
What’s going to happen to each other and connecting with.
Noelle Gregory 41:07 Okay.
Jose Rodo 41:07
Now the biggest Portuguese communities in the United States is no New Jersey, in New Jersey. Yeah. Massachusetts. And California, Cal California, especially in in San Diego, San Diego.
Maria Rodo 41:23
Yeah. It’s the big community Portuguese communities.
Noelle Gregory 41:27
Okay. So how did you find out about these communities?
Jose Rodo 41:33
Oh, they, they, it’s well known throughout the Portuguese speaking countries,
Maria Rodo 41:41
Because you we have a lot of Portuguese supermarkets, stores, all the stores around this area. It sees you when you go to buy something. We, we hear the people talk Portuguese. And we asked some questions. And it’s big begin like that.
Jose Rodo 42:06
And for example, when when Maria and I, we were in Australia, there’s a huge Portuguese community in Australia. We already knew there was a Portuguese community there.
Noelle Gregory 42:16
And you didn’t even live there.
Maria Rodo 42:19
The Portuguese is everywhere. In your house, too.
Noelle Gregory 42:29
Okay, so, a little bit, just a little bit more about work. Um, after you worked in litigation, where did you sort of move to? And did you start finding more like stable jobs?
Jose Rodo 42:46
I kind of like the freelance gig, because was giving me that flexibility.
Noelle Gregory 42:52 Okay.
Jose Rodo 42:52
But, you know, again, I was a freelancer, I started working one night, and they call me the next
night and the next night and the next week, and then next month. Yeah, you know. So it’s, they were happy with it. So it was not, it was kind of steady with being full time. And that’s because, you know, I did a good job.
Noelle Gregory 43:15
Okay. A lot of hard work I’m hearing.
Jose Rodo 43:19
Well, it is. And, you know, for for me, also, design is a passion. So it’s really, it’s really a hard, hard work. Because, you know, you kind of have to prove yourself to others. And here, we don’t take anything for granted.
Maria Rodo 43:37
And he’s not American, so it’s more difficulties.
Jose Rodo 43:40 Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 43:42
Okay. So, when you came here, what was something that surprised you the most?
Maria Rodo 43:53
The, the, stupidity of the people.
Jose Rodo 43:59
What we, we found there was a clash was a lot of people rudeness, the lack of knowledge.
Maria Rodo 44:14 That is not,
Jose Rodo 44:16
Not everybody, obviously. Everybody. It’s an it’s a it’s kind of changed too. But yeah, it was, you know, we came from one place that we kind of knew people, people were very polite, people are very nice. And then you go, you know, you, you go into a place where you will, you know, ask for direction or ask for something and they kind of look at us, I can, sorry, I have no time for that. You know, so that was for us. That was a clash, no location or, you know, it’s like, you know, the lack of respect the lack of, you know, just being very self centered. And obviously, you’re talking about something that happened before 9/11 also, I think 11 9/11 changed a little bit of that. Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 45:05
And context of people becoming more knowledgeable?
Jose Rodo 45:09
A little bit more like human beings.
Noelle Gregory 45:11 I’m sorry what?
Jose Rodo 45:13
Became more of a human being to another human being?
Noelle Gregory 45:16 Okay.
More thoughtful, you would say?
Jose Rodo 45:20 Yes.
Maria Rodo 45:20 Yeah more kind.
Jose Rodo 45:22 Yes.
Noelle Gregory 45:22
So how was the 9/11 experience for you guys?
Maria Rodo 45:26 Oh, my God, terrible.
Jose Rodo 45:28
Mine was, as Maria did not know anything about me where I was, because I actually was under the World Trade Center on the PATH train.
Noelle Gregory 45:41 Oh, my gosh.
Jose Rodo 45:42
And so I left the house in the morning to go to work. And obviously, I never made work. And then I, I know Ricardo my oldest son was asking the principal to call me to call my office. Maria was to call was trying to do my office waiting. Marias father than use my mom. Everybody was
trying to reach me. And you know, I didn’t have a cell phone back then. And then I ended up being in the office. And then I left the office. And I remember walking from Weehawken, Hoboken area, all the way to Harrison, New Jersey, on the turnpike.
Noelle Gregory 46:26 Oh, my gosh,
Jose Rodo 46:27
Me and a lot of other people, because there was no trains, there was nothing. So as a result, were hundreds of people walking on the highway.
Maria Rodo 46:34
And noelle, I’m driving in the 280. I go to working in the morning, when I hear the news, I come back home. The kids is at school, I pick up the kids and nobody know nothing about him. And when I arrived to my house, I have the house full of reporters.
Jose Rodo 46:57
Reporters, you know, journalists, photographers, everybody was in our backyard taking pictures, take pictures.
Maria Rodo 47:03
From the towers, because you will leaving with a view of New York. Okay, and my house is full of people. I said “oh my god”. Why these people involved? If a invade invade my house.
Noelle Gregory 47:19 Right
Maria Rodo 47:20
They said they said I’m sorry. I’m sorry. But you have a good view. And we need to take some pictures from the towers.
Jose Rodo 47:27 Oh, yes, I was. Yeah.
Maria Rodo 47:30
Wait for the news about him. But I don’t know if my husband is dead or not.
Jose Rodo 47:36
I came home was about 4:30 In the afternoon, was about that time. And I had, you know, white dust. And that was it. That was my experience with 9/11.
Maria Rodo 47:49
Yeah, it’s very bad. Very good.
Noelle Gregory 47:51
So how long did it take for you to get back to work?
Jose Rodo 47:56
When everything was fixed, yeah, not that much.
Noelle Gregory 48:00 Okay.
Jose Rodo 48:01
I was trying not to not do obviously, there was no more path train to the World Trade Center. You know, and I think that’s when I started actually walking the whole city. I didn’t took the subway. I was walking.
Noelle Gregory 48:15 all the time?
Jose Rodo 48:17
Most of the time I was walking, not taking the subway. I don’t take cabs and pretty much was
walking. If I haven’t if I had to go someplace. If I had a meeting or something I would, you know, say okay, it’s gonna take me half an hour. 45 minutes. I will leave 45 minutes earlier.
Noelle Gregory 48:35 Yeah
Jose Rodo 48:35 That’s it. I would walk.
Noelle Gregory 48:37
Okay, so what year did you guys immigrate here?
Jose Rodo 48:42 90.
Noelle Gregory 48:43 90?
Jose Rodo 48:44 Yes.
Noelle Gregory 48:45
Okay. So you were here for about 10-11 years before 9/11 happened? Yes. Okay. And how old
was Ricardo at the time?
Jose Rodo 49:01
was about what? 12 years old? Yeah. around 12 years old.
Noelle Gregory 49:06
Okay. And then so he was he was only one or so when you guys immigrated here?
Jose Rodo 49:14 Yes.
Noelle Gregory 49:15
Okay. And then what about your other son? How old was he?
Jose Rodo 49:21 Right now is 28, 28.
Noelle Gregory 49:23
Well, when? When 9/11 happened?
Jose Rodo 49:27
Oh, when 9/11 happened? He was.
Maria Rodo 49:31
Seven years younger than.
Jose Rodo 49:34
About four or five years old?
Maria Rodo 49:35 Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 49:37
Wow. That’s insane. You’re okay. I know
Jose Rodo 49:43 What
I said. I’m so glad that you’re okay.
Maria Rodo 49:46 Yeah,
Jose Rodo 49:48 Me too.
Maria Rodo 49:51
Very scared. Very scared.
Noelle Gregory 49:53
Yeah. So did anything else kind of surprise you or jump at you made the post 9/11 pre 9/11?
Jose Rodo 50:08
No, you know, it’s it, unfortunately, it happens. And when everybody thought that would never happen in the United States, you know? So that was a wake up call.
Noelle Gregory 50:26 Okay,
Jose Rodo 50:26
That’s for sure. You know, keep in mind, most of the countries they’ve been either in war, or they’ve been, you know, in conflicts for years and centuries. United States, you’ve been in a lot of wars, but nothing internally.
Noelle Gregory 50:45 Right.
Jose Rodo 50:45
And that’s what that’s what was the wake up call? You know, obviously, it could be a lot of
conspiracy, it could be a lot of other things, you know, about what happened and what could happen, but definitely exposed our weakness to, you know, the rest of the world. That it would that’s for sure. You know, and that’s something that, you know, when you would say, from the rest on the rest of the world, and you used to mention the United States was at a weight, that name had some weight to it. You’d say I work I live in the United States, or I’m an American citizen. Add a lot of weight. Not the same weight anymore.
Noelle Gregory 51:36 Okay. Okay.
Jose Rodo 51:38
And for not the same weight.
Noelle Gregory 51:40 Right.
Okay, so what um? What do you miss the most about Portugal?
Jose Rodo 51:59 Family.
Maria Rodo 52:00 Yeah.
Jose Rodo 52:01
You know, family, we both still have family there.
Maria Rodo 52:03
The weather, the family, the food, the food, Noelle.
Noelle Gregory 52:07 The Food?
Maria Rodo 52:08
Portugal have a good, very good food.
Jose Rodo 52:13
Also, you know, a work life balance that is very typical of Europe. You know, most of.
Maria Rodo 52:21
The problems, the only problem, they don’t pay too much.
Noelle Gregory 52:27 They don’t?
Maria Rodo 52:28
you we work hard, but the money is not too much.
So most places in Europe, you know, your works to live. And in here was more of you live to work. That’s the big difference.
Noelle Gregory 52:45
Okay. Okay, I like the way you put that. Um, so.
Jose Rodo 52:53
Which, by the way, your generation, How old are you Noelle?
Noelle Gregory 53:00
21. I’m turning 22 next week.
Jose Rodo 53:04 Oh, yeah?
Maria Rodo 53:05 Next week 22?
Noelle Gregory 53:06 Yeah.
Maria Rodo 53:07 Oh,
Jose Rodo 53:08
Alright. Well, next week, we’ll make sure that we say happy birthday. But one of the things that was saying it’s your generation made an impact. And even my son’s generation made an impact, to have that mentality of work, to live and not live to work. That’s what everybody now is talking about the work life balance. That become very cliche, by the way. But there was something that was a movement. And that’s something that a lot of people still need to embrace it here.
Maria Rodo 53:48 They write.
Jose Rodo 53:50 you know.
Maria Rodo 53:51
They Right I agree with them.
Jose Rodo 53:53
Because, you know, this new generation is not about work, work, work work. Yeah. It’s now you have to enjoy. You know, I still don’t understand in this country. Why, you know, you start working, you only have two weeks vacation, you know, and if you behave and you have five weeks, five years in the job, now you have three weeks, congratulations. And I’m like, now, in Europe, you work a year later, or even less than a year you have one month off.
Noelle Gregory 54:22 Wow.
Maria Rodo 54:22
But probably, probably the money is not so much
Jose Rodo 54:25
God forbid if you take a month off, which I did, by the way, going to Australia taking your work a month off to go someplace, it’s seems like the end of the world and guess what it is not.
Noelle Gregory 54:41
There’s always going to be more work to be done.
Jose Rodo 54:45
Yes, and that’s and that’s there’s always people that’s how you create a new build teams, people coverage for each other.
Noelle Gregory 54:54 Right.
Jose Rodo 54:54
You know, and I and I know that the you know, you’re generation you know, like to go on vacation. Take a couple of weeks off, go here, go there. That’s enjoying life. That’s what we miss. Not Not, not now because we kind of, you know, close to the retirement age. Yeah.
Noelle Gregory 55:21
Okay, so who was most helpful when getting you settled? Was there anyone in particular? Or was it just
Jose Rodo 55:32
What sense? In what sense?
Noelle Gregory 55:35
Either like finding you a place to stay or getting you on your feet with a job helping out with family.
Jose Rodo 55:46 Was us
Noelle Gregory 55:47 It was just you guys.
Jose Rodo 55:49 Us.
Noelle Gregory 55:50 Okay. Awesome.
Jose Rodo 55:52
Yeah. Us, you know, shoulder to shoulder. That’s why we’ve been together for 40 years. So
look, the shoulder supporting each other, I will do something, she will do something else, I would have to go and worry about finding something that I liked. While she would take care of the
Maria Rodo 56:11
I Take care of some things, he take care of other things.
Jose Rodo 56:14
That if you was her side, I will do that. So it was really supporting each other.
Maria Rodo 56:19
He find he tried to find a new job to help the family and I try to help with another stuff like that.
Noelle Gregory 56:29 Okay.
Maria Rodo 56:31
We help together? Yeah.
Jose Rodo 56:33
And then, you know, and then when, you know, Ricardo being older and then JJ was, you know, being a baby Ricardo would help to, you know, with the baby, because you wanted to because he was a big brother. You know, so you wanted to? And I think we’ve built a very, an extremely solid relationship between the four of us that actually, you know, our sons they very good friends as brothers.
Noelle Gregory 57:01 Okay
Jose Rodo 57:02
If one goes on vacation, he will invite the other one to go along with it.
Maria Rodo 57:05 Yeah, they very close.
Jose Rodo 57:07
At that type of friendship that type of broad being brothers. That’s what it’s all about. And I think we’ve made a huge effort to do that specially Maria made a huge effort for that thing to happen. And so that’s why we’re very you know, we’re not the Three Musketeers we are the Four Musketeers. Which actually is true, there was only four months, only Four Musketeers. The three was just the most famous until the fourth one came along. You know, any, you know the story about the Three Musketeers too or no?
Noelle Gregory 57:39
No, I’m, I only know I not. I know the chocolate bar.
Jose Rodo 57:45
That’s not the Three Musketeers. It’s only the Musketeers.
Noelle Gregory 57:48 Oh.
Maria Rodo 57:50
Okay, Noelle. What do you want to know more?
Noelle Gregory 57:54
Um, okay, just a few more questions, but we’re
Jose Rodo 57:57 A few more?
Noelle Gregory 57:58
We’re wrapping up. We’re wrapping up.
Maria Rodo 58:01 Okay.
Unknown Speaker 58:02
Um, so obviously, migration can be extremely hard. So where did you find strength in the difficult times?
Jose Rodo 58:17
Just with the two within the two of us. within the family, meaning the three of us will do with the four of us. That’s it.
Maria Rodo 58:25 Yeah. Thats it
Noelle Gregory 58:27
Okay. And then, how do you think migration has changed you?
Jose Rodo 58:33 You think what?
Noelle Gregory 58:34 Migration has changed you.
Jose Rodo 58:42
If you have changed, I don’t know. Sometimes we can wonder did we go did we need to go through all of this when we actually did not need to? Did we became better people? Did we became more knowledgeable. I don’t know. I never I never kind of, you know, put too much thought into it. We just moved. Moved on. And that’s it.
Noelle Gregory 59:05
Okay. And same for you, Maria.
Maria Rodo 59:08 Yes, the same.
Noelle Gregory 59:09
Okay. I’m really quick. Do you guys have any sort of like strong religious or like political beliefs or anything? Are you super into politics or?
Jose Rodo 59:23
Well, if you wanted to ruin friendships, there’s three things that you can do. One is talking about politics. The second one is talking about religious and the second and the third one is about sports. All those three they ruin friendships.
Noelle Gregory 59:38 Okay.
Jose Rodo 59:39
Okay. So, but yes, we do. Political we have our views, obviously religious we, we Catholics, not
fanatics, but Catholics. So we embrace other cultures and other beliefs, as long as it’s not imposed on you. That’s number one. Politics is the same way is the same way we actually do not. We do not believe into in, in political politicians and a lot of the politics,
Noelle Gregory 1:00:24 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:00:25
We don’t, because they’re not there to serve us they are there to serve themselves. That’s the
their main interest is themselves.
Maria Rodo 1:00:36 Most of the time.
Jose Rodo 1:00:37
Most of the times, but if, if I would put it in a simple way, if the forefathers of this country, if they were all I question if they are all Democrats or all Republicans, or if they were a mix of different views, and they made this country, I say, I work in a lot of different companies. Not all of them were Republicans, and not all of them were Democrats or independents. They all were from the different. point of views, and they made that company work. Why can’t we do the same thing to our government?
Maria Rodo 1:01:14
It’s good if they work with the government works together, the Hyperworks with a democratic.
Jose Rodo 1:01:21
If you’re very good at what you do, and you’re a Democrat, for example. And if I’m good at what I do, and I’m a Republican, why can’t you and I work together in the same government to make things happen?
Noelle Gregory 1:01:32 Right
Maria Rodo 1:01:33 Right Noelle?
Jose Rodo 1:01:33 Right.
Noelle Gregory 1:01:34 Yeah.
Jose Rodo 1:01:36
So that’s our political views. It’s, we, we hate injustice. And we’d love to see things to be fair.
Noelle Gregory 1:01:45 Okay
Jose Rodo 1:01:46
That’s our political view. It’s, it’s that.
Noelle Gregory 1:01:50
Okay. One last question, did you ever think your life would be the way that it is now?
Jose Rodo 1:02:01
I don’t have a crystal ball. So I don’t know.
Maria Rodo 1:02:07 No Noelle.
Jose Rodo 1:02:08 We have no idea.
Maria Rodo 1:02:09 Everything can happen.
Noelle Gregory 1:02:11 Okay
Maria Rodo 1:02:11
. I don’t know.
Jose Rodo 1:02:12
Things happen for a reason. Right. And that’s it. Don’t put too much thought into it. It happened the way it happened, whether we push it or not. I don’t know if we were back there. If it would be the same thing. If I move to Mars, if it would be better now? I don’t know.
Maria Rodo 1:02:36
The only the only thing I know. I’m happy living in this country.
Noelle Gregory 1:02:42 Okay.
Maria Rodo 1:02:43
And I’m not not offended. That makes sense.
Jose Rodo 1:02:45
No no, we have no regrets about what we did.
Noelle Gregory 1:02:48 Okay.
Maria Rodo 1:02:49 No.
Jose Rodo 1:02:49 None no regrets.
Noelle Gregory 1:02:51 Okay. All right. Um,
Jose Rodo 1:02:53
That sounds very simple. And obviously, you know, it’s, I don’t know that I have a question for you at the end of this session.
Noelle Gregory 1:03:03 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:03:03
Tell me what I can ask you.
Noelle Gregory 1:03:06 Okay, you can ask.
Jose Rodo 1:03:07
Okay. So, what was your after this? What hour or so? Your take on, on the conversation? Did
you learn something? Did you or this what what you expected? What, what’s your,
Noelle Gregory 1:03:26
Um, I definitely learned more of what it was like to have a perspective outside of the United States. Because I never really considered what, um, migrants would see people like, as who were born and raised in the US, you know, because, like, you kind of like said that they weren’t as knowledgeable as you thought. And like little facts like that, like you have like a, you’re able to take a step outside of everything that I’ve kind of been exposed to. Um, it’s interesting to hear, I didn’t know anything about like weather or any, like little facts about Portugal. And I didn’t know anything about how Argentina they wanted you to have a daughter and not a son. At that time. If you were to.
Jose Rodo 1:04:23 Australia.
Maria Rodo 1:04:23 Australia.
Noelle Gregory 1:04:24
I’m sorry, excuse me, Australia. um. They wanted you to have a daughter and not a son at that
time.
Jose Rodo 1:04:32
And you know why, right. Do you know why?
Noelle Gregory 1:04:34 I don’t know why.
Jose Rodo 1:04:36
You don’t know why. Okay, so I’ll give you a little bit of history too.
Noelle Gregory 1:04:39 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:04:40
So, you know, how Australian became a country right?
Noelle Gregory 1:04:45 No..
Jose Rodo 1:04:46
No, okay, so, Australia, English, sent all of the criminals to Australia. There was a huge prison was Australia.
Noelle Gregory 1:04:59 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:04:59
So all criminals were sent from England to Australia. So most criminals are not females are male.
Noelle Gregory 1:05:07 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:05:08
So the population in Australia became very male heavy.
Noelle Gregory 1:05:14 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:05:14
Then they had some women, yes, but the majority was male. That’s why they did not need more males. They need females.
Noelle Gregory 1:05:22 They need more women.
Maria Rodo 1:05:23 Yes, exactly.
Jose Rodo 1:05:24
And now its the opposite.
Noelle Gregory 1:05:26 Now it’s the opposite
Jose Rodo 1:05:27
Was a was a prison colony for England.
Noelle Gregory 1:05:32 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:05:33 And I will tell you this.
Maria Rodo 1:05:34
Is nice is interesting, because most of the males who went to Australia, it a assissins
Jose Rodo 1:05:43 Assassin’s Criminals.
Maria Rodo 1:05:45
Okay? But if you go there now is very polite, all the.
Noelle Gregory 1:05:51 Oh, really.
Jose Rodo 1:05:53
If they weren’t, this kind of that country was populated by criminals. Criminals were now better than the average person in this country. They very, very polite, they very respectful. They love the work life balance. Okay, no. It’s so different. It’s so different. You actually feel you know, fall in love with that country because of that, you know? So it’s funny, because even England I, you know, I was in England. And it’s funny that the people who sent the criminals to England now, it’s the opposite. They are better people than they are England’s.
Noelle Gregory 1:06:32 Right.
Maria Rodo 1:06:33 Yeah.
Jose Rodo 1:06:34
You know, and when I said about here, it’s just that, you know, the, also the mentality of, you know, that people still have some of them in the United States of, you know, we are not,
Maria Rodo 1:06:46 Its not everybody.
Jose Rodo 1:06:48
We are the best of the worlds without even knowing what the rest of the world look like.
Noelle Gregory 1:06:53 Right.
Maria Rodo 1:06:56
Like your mom, your mom come from Italian family, right?
Noelle Gregory 1:07:01 Mhm.
Maria Rodo 1:07:01
Yeah. Okay, they have a mentality.
Jose Rodo 1:07:05 Very similar to ours.
Maria Rodo 1:07:05
Completely different than Americans. And you too, because you born from a Italian.
Jose Rodo 1:07:13 Family.
Maria Rodo 1:07:14 Family, you know, Noelle.
Jose Rodo 1:07:16
Right. So, Noelle, I’m going to Maria is going to send you a link of something that I would like for you to, to see.
Noelle Gregory 1:07:25 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:07:26
Okay. It’s from an actor. When a student asked him why is the United States the number one country in the world? And you should hear his answer to it.
Noelle Gregory 1:07:41 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:07:41
Okay. And this was as a student asking kind of a professor, but his answer is so on-point. To what people miss, think about why. And what’s that? Yes. You know, we the number one, but then they forgot about, you know, in terms of, for example, education, United States, he’s not even in the first if I’m not mistaken, fiftieth place. You know.
Maria Rodo 1:08:16 You know that?
Noelle Gregory 1:08:17 No I don’t.
Jose Rodo 1:08:18
you know, how many people you know, the people that, you know, that are not immigrants. How many languages? Do they speak? Mostly?
Noelle Gregory 1:08:28 One.
Jose Rodo 1:08:30
One. Do you know that most immigrants speak more than them two languages? Or at least two languages?
Noelle Gregory 1:08:36
Right. I got that from the beginning of the interview when you said you spoke for Maria.
Jose Rodo 1:08:41 Yeah.
Maria Rodo 1:08:41 Yeah.
Jose Rodo 1:08:43
Yeah. It’s a mess. It’s a mess. Believe me, my brain is messed up because of that. You know?
Maria Rodo 1:08:52
You have more questions? Noelle?
Noelle Gregory 1:08:54
Um, no, I pretty much got everything answered. thank you Guys.
Maria Rodo 1:08:59 You happy?
Noelle Gregory 1:09:00
Yes, very happy. I’m really appreciative that you guys were able to do this with me this evening.
Jose Rodo 1:09:05
All right. So now you can take all of that and show it to INS and that’s it.
Noelle Gregory 1:09:12
I’ll send you guys my report and everything. I’ll send it.
Jose Rodo 1:09:16
I’ll be I’ll be curious about it. Yeah. I’ll be curious. You know, it’s, it’s actually, Maria asked me to, you know, to help her do this. And I’m like, alright, that’s the first it says actually, the first time that someone asked us about what our life was as moving to this country.
Noelle Gregory 1:09:38 Really?
Jose Rodo 1:09:39 Yes.
Noelle Gregory 1:09:40
Oh, this is the first time for everybody.
Jose Rodo 1:09:43
Yeah, it is the first time for everybody. You know, most of the times it’s not a story that you tell go to the world.
Noelle Gregory 1:09:48 Right.
Jose Rodo 1:09:49
You know, it’s not, but I think we’ve done that for the past 30 years. That’s okay. You know, and if it helps you to be more knowledgeable and to have good grades for that test, why not?
Maria Rodo 1:10:06
And if you need something more you tell me.
Noelle Gregory 1:10:09
Okay, wait, Maria, could you just repeat where? In Portugal you’re from?
Maria Rodo 1:10:18 (portugese). Lisbon.
Jose Rodo 1:10:22 Lisbon.
Noelle Gregory 1:10:23 Lisba?
Jose Rodo 1:10:23 Lisbon.
Noelle Gregory 1:10:25 Lisbon.
Maria Rodo 1:10:26 Yeah. L-I-S-
Jose Rodo 1:10:29
B-O-N Lisbon is the capital.
Noelle Gregory 1:10:32
Okay. And is that? Is that the same for you also?
Jose Rodo 1:10:35 Yeah.
Maria Rodo 1:10:35
yeah, the same. Yes. Okay.
Noelle Gregory 1:10:37
Okay. Awesome. All right, guys. Well.
Jose Rodo 1:10:40
When were not red neck, we’re not hillbillies. From there.
Noelle Gregory 1:10:45 You’re not what?
Jose Rodo 1:10:47 Hillbillies or rednecks.
Noelle Gregory 1:10:50 Okay.
Maria Rodo 1:10:52
Hes terrible, hes terrible Noelle.
Noelle Gregory 1:10:56 Okay, I believe you.
Maria Rodo 1:10:58 Okay.
Jose Rodo 1:10:59
All right. Have a good one. Thank you so much.
Noelle Gregory 1:11:02
Yes. Thank you have a good rest of your night.
Jose Rodo 1:11:04
Thanks, you too. Bye bye. Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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