An interview with Rafaella Navarro
Background
Rafaella Navarro was born in Bolivia, in the capital city of La Paz. She describes La Paz as quite urban, sharing that because it is the capital, there are a multitude of businesses, hotels, and tourists in the area. “When you think of urban life, that’s exactly what La Paz is like” she expressed, painting a perfect picture of where she had lived. At the time, Rafaella was the only child in her family, so she recounts the memory of what it was like living in her household before her other two siblings were born. After getting to spend the first couple years of her life in Bolivia, Rafaella and her mom’s side of the family then made the tough decision to immigrate to the United States when she was just 4 years old.
Making the Decision
In 2005, Rafaella’s grandparents were the first to decide to leave Bolivia and go to America. Explaining their reasoning, she revealed that her grandfather had been involved in the politics in Bolivia, and at the time they were “not in the best place” as Rafaella puts it. The Bolivian President was corrupt and situations at home led them to believe their lives were at stake. Essentially, it was expressed that the main push factor for leaving had been getting out of the situation before things became unsafe for both him and his family. Because of his job in politics, Rafaella’s grandfather was able to immigrate to the United States in August of that year through asylum with her grandmother, specifically to Rosslyn, Virginia. They had wanted to be close to Washington D.C. as they were used to urban life and being surrounded by heavy politics.
Following them, Rafaella left Bolivia with her mother in October of the same year, and they moved in with her grandparents in Rosslyn. After that, her aunt, uncle, and cousins immigrated around 6-9 months later and joined the rest of the family at the apartment. They shared the apartment for about 2-3 years until different members of the family were able to enter school and find jobs. From there, Rafaella’s father joined them and further solidified their need for their own apartment after her mother became pregnant with her sister. Though a good amount of her family came to America, Rafaella mentioned that her father’s side of the family still lives in Bolivia. When asked, she shared that they felt sad that she was leaving especially because she had been the only kid so far but ultimately believed that it was the best decision for her and the other members of the family.
Adjustment
Moving somewhere new, especially when arriving to a completely different country is quite challenging, and having to adopt an entirely new lifestyle can take a good amount of adjusting. The first thing Rafaella recalls is how much she struggled with missing La Paz when she got to America. She spoke about her life back home and explained how she felt she was a completely different person in Bolivia than she was in America. When describing the personality change she experienced, Rafaella talked about how she “lived a very outgoing and extroverted life” in Bolivia, as she had many friends and was close to members of the community. However, once she immigrated to America, she became a different version of herself; quiet, reserved, and hesitant to make friends. One big reason for this was that she could only speak Spanish and did not know English yet. This made it hard for her to meet people in her new environment and isolated her.
There were many culture shocks that Rafaella experienced while trying to integrate into American culture as well. One of note was the difference in how one should greet other people. When explaining what she means, she shared that in Bolivia, people greeted and interacted with others in a much more personal way than in America. She stated that in a lot of South American countries, “you’re very accustomed to greeting someone with a kiss on the cheek, greeting someone with a hug, being very very personal”. Since things are different in America, she shared how at times, this caused her to feel like she was not as connected to people in the way she was expecting to be.
Something that gave Rafaella comfort during this time of adjustment was going to different parks and food spots with her grandfather. She shared that these activities were similar to her daily routines back in Bolivia, so they provided her with a sense of normalcy. In La Paz, she was able to get to most things on foot, like parks or different restaurants to grab a bite to eat at, so there was never any need for transportation as everything was within walking distance. Walking around with her grandfather and visiting different restaurants in Virginia made her feel as though she could still be able to live somewhat in the same way she used to. While not every place in Virginia is like this, she vocalized that she felt thankful that her environment happened to provide her with these experiences.
A Taste of Home
Luckily, Rafaella and her family have been able to find spots in America that remind them of Bolivia. She revealed that because there are a lot of Bolivian immigrants and families in Northern Virginia, there are a lot of restaurants in Arlington, Falls Church, and Washington D.C. She noted that her grandparents, who live in Arlington have a couple of good restaurants that they can find just 15-20 minutes away from their house which she describes as “a huge plus”, because anytime she craves something specific, she can get it. When asked about her knowledge of why there may be so many Bolivian immigrants in Northern Virginia, she said she believes many people settled there and then told their families and friends for example that they are going to live in Washington D.C. From there she adds, those families and friends started thinking, “Well I know that so and so lives near Washington D.C., that’s where we should go”. Essentially, immigration and the settlement into these specific Northern Virginia areas are being driven by word of mouth and the existence of strong social networks.
Challenges
As touched on a bit before, there were a couple of things that Rafaella struggled with when trying to adjust to her life in America. However, her parents and other family members experienced challenges as well. She recounts that while her father had gotten to learn a lot of English in school, her other family members like her mother, aunt, and uncle did not, making it harder for them to get a job than it was for her father. Because of this, they were mainly only able to find a job where they could utilize their Spanish, mainly as Spanish teachers for example. They also experienced emotional challenges related to their inability to travel without their citizenship. This made it impossible for them to go to Bolivia and see her other family members who were still living there for years. However, among these challenges, Rafaella shared that, “the stigma is always one of the hardest parts” about not yet having citizenship. There were instances where people were not receptive of her and her family into society and made them feel like they did not belong.
The Road to Citizenship
The process of gaining citizenship took a long time for Rafaella and her family, as it often does for many immigrants in the United States. She remembers how it took her mother about 10 years (she later shared with me that it was closer to 12) to earn her American citizenship. During this time, she told me about how she has memories of quizzing her mom on American history, legislature, presidents, and other things. In addition to this, her mother had to take a verbal exam to check her fluency in the English language. “For my grandparents, it took a little bit longer for them. I don’t know why, I think maybe age, but it took longer for them to get their citizenship” she shared with me, highlighting the unpredictability of the naturalization process. Fortunately, because Rafaella was a minor at the time when her mother finally got her citizenship, it automatically transferred over to her as well.
Reflection
When given the chance to now reflect on how her feelings about being in America have changed over the years, Rafaella talked about feeling much more comfortable and well-adjusted after having been here for around 17 years. She and her family have been integrated into the culture and now feel a sense of having both Bolivian and American culture inside themselves. She mentioned how the birth of her brother and more cousins also helped fully immerse her family deeper into the culture, as there are now more generations being born in America who will grow up understanding both cultures. “While we’re still Bolivian, we’re also American so it’s nice to have that mix now” she adds to her explanation. Additionally, she reveals that these days, her family is much better off than when they got to America, so they are now able to take time to visit their other family members “at least once every two years”. In conclusion, when reflecting on her journey from Bolivia to America, Rafaella enthusiastically explained that she was able to find a home here, while fortunately being able to find different pieces of herself and her home country through various avenues as well.
*Note: All images provided by Rafaella Navarro
[00:00:00] Kendall: Alrighty, so thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with me. We’re just going to get started and have a conversation about you and your background just to get to know you more. So, for starters, for those who don’t know you, could you just introduce yourself? And give your name and your age.
[00:00:22] Rafaella: Righty, So my name is Rafaella Navarro.
I am 22 years old.
[00:00:30] Kendall: Awesome, and again, thank you so much for sitting down with me. I really appreciate it. So do you mind sharing just a little background sharing the country that you were born in?
[00:00:42] Rafaella: Sure. So I was born in Bolivia, which is a country in South America.
[00:00:49] Kendall: So where in Bolivia are you from?
[00:00:52] Rafaella: I am from the city called La Paz.
Which is also the capital.
[00:00:59] Kendall: Awesome, [00:01:00] and could you take a moment just to describe I guess the setting there, maybe if it’s more rural or urban, what it’s looking like.
[00:01:08] Rafaella: Absolutely. So La Paz is definitely more urban. Since it’s the capital of the state, there’s a lot of businesses there, a lot of hotels there.
There’s a lot of tourism. There also a lot of just like shops. When you think of urban life, that’s exactly what La Paz is like.
[00:01:27] Kendall: Oh, awesome. So would you say it’s pretty busy and full of people?
[00:01:32] Rafaella: Yes. Yes.
[00:01:33] Kendall: Got you. okay, so obviously, because you are with me today, I assume you and your family are now living in the States.
[00:01:42] Rafaella: Yes.
[00:01:43] Kendall: Can you tell me a little bit about your family’s journey from Bolivia to America? Maybe, you know, share when you left and which family members you were with or maybe reasons that you had for leaving?
[00:01:55] Rafaella: Absolutely. So, my family, we came in 2005. [00:02:00] So, it was actually my grandma and my grandpa who came first.
So my grandpa was involved in the politics in Bolivia and the politics in Bolivia, for those who don’t know, are not in the best place and they weren’t either at the time, and so my grandfather decided that he wanted to leave before things became unsafe, before things became bad for him and then also for his family.
And so at first, him and my grandma left, they left around August of that year. Um, and then they came to Washington, D.C. Because they thought that they, they went to Rosslyn, but they wanted to be near the capital of D.C. Because they were just used to the urban lifestyle. They were used to living in a place where there was a lot of heavy politics, a lot of people like that.
And so they decided to come to the U.S. And they were able to come through asylum because my grandfather had a job in [00:03:00] politics and, because of the situation there, the president there was very corrupt and he felt that his life and my grandma’s life was also going to be unsafe and so they were able to come on asylum quite quickly, which was very thankful for, um, and then the rest of my family.
So, me and my mom and my aunt, we came in October of that year. Originally, we were going to not go until later, but because of the situation, um, it became too unsafe, and my mom was starting to get worried for herself, and then also because I was four years old at the time, she wanted to make sure that I was going to be safe and that I was going to be in a good place, and that just wasn’t what it was at at the time.
So, in October of 2005 Me, my aunt and my mom came and we came to live with my grandparents. So we all went to Rosslyn and that’s where we lived. [00:04:00] After we came, my aunt and uncle came, I don’t remember the exact date, but they came around six to like nine months later, , and we all lived in Rosslyn in one apartment together.
For almost two, three years we all lived in the apartment together until we could all, we were able to, my parents and my aunts and my uncles and my cousins were able to find school, were able to find jobs. Um, we all lived under the same house.
[00:04:32] Kendall: Nice. Well, I’m glad to hear that it was a pretty quick and easy process for you guys.
Four years old is quite young to be going through, you know, such a major move, especially, if you had a social life and were involved in activities and everything.
So, which grandparents were the ones that had moved, was it the grandparents on your mom’s side or your dad’s side?
[00:04:56] Rafaella: My mom’s side. So,
[00:04:58] Kendall: Gotcha.
[00:04:59] Rafaella: All the family [00:05:00] that came to the U. S. from my mom’s side. Family from my dad’s side all stayed in Bolivia or in South America.
[00:05:08] Kendall: Oh, okay. And so for your living arrangements, you mentioned that you guys had lived together in Roslyn. When did you guys decide to move to where you’re currently living?
[00:05:21] Rafaella: Yeah so, when my dad came, we, like I said, we all lived in that one apartment. But it wasn’t until my mom got pregnant with my sister, that my parents decided, okay, it was time that we got our own apartment. And so we ended up moving to Vienna.
[00:05:40] Kendall: Gotcha, gotcha. What I’m hearing is just once the family extended and grew a little bit more, that is when you guys decided to move into a different house.
[00:05:51] Rafaella: Yes.
[00:05:52] Kendall: Gotcha. So, as I brought up a little bit ago yeah, moving can be a very [00:06:00] hard, especially when you are involved in social groups, if you have your friend group and everything. So were there any things in particular that made the move difficult for you guys? This could be difficult for you personally or your parents.
[00:06:16] Rafaella: Absolutely. So for me, what was most difficult? Other than the language, obviously was definitely just being away from my environment.
When I was still living in Bolivia when I was young, I was very outgoing, I loved to make friends, I loved to go down the street, and like, I knew the shop owners. I just lived a very outgoing and extroverted life. But once I moved here, that naturally changed because now I didn’t know the language, I didn’t know where I was. And so I became much more introverted. I became much less open to being social, less open to making so many friends for different things, whether it was [00:07:00] like just being scared because I couldn’t speak the language or even once I knew English and was very fluent in English, um, it just stuck with me and then that’s just kind of how I grew up much more shy, much more introverted.
Rather than how I was when I was a kid and I was much more outgoing.
[00:07:17] Kendall: I see. So, moving into a completely different lifestyle essentially really threw threw things off for you is what it sounded like.
[00:07:27] Rafaella: Exactly. Exactly.
[00:07:29] Kendall: Got you. And so, when you did get to America I guess what were some things that you tried to do maybe in order to.
I guess you could say, you know, get your spark back. Like, what types of activities stuff like that did you partake in?
[00:07:46] Rafaella: A lot of, like, adventuring I suppose would be the word, but just going out. So, my biggest memories from that era and that time would be me and my grandpa [00:08:00] specifically going out to parks.
There was a park that was right outside of our apartment building that we would go almost daily to, and just exploring it, seeing the different things. And then since we were so close to D.C., going to D.C., seeing the museum, going to the monuments, having picnics out there, that kind of stuff was similar to my lifestyle back in Bolivia, where I was able to, because the city in Bolivia was much, much smaller, and so you were able to kind of walk around everywhere. If you wanted to go get a coffee, you would just go out to the street and walk down to the coffee shop. And so that definitely was bringing back a lot of comfort and a lot of memories because I was able to find spots that I enjoyed, find routines through that.
Me and my grandpa, we had our favorite little like pizza sandwich shop that we would go to. So often because it was just down the street from the apartment and so it was that comfort of like, oh, I can go outside just like I used to and [00:09:00] I can go find food and find my favorite spots just like I used to.
[00:09:05] Kendall: Ah, I see. So just getting back into that same routine that you had or similar really is what made you regain that sense of normalcy.
[00:09:17] Rafaella: Yes
[00:09:17] Kendall: Gotcha, gotcha. Did you experience any culture shocks once you guys have moved here, or any difficulties that you had?
[00:09:28] Rafaella: Yeah kind of like I mentioned before, not being able to walk everywhere was definitely a huge culture shock for me. I was so used to being able to go to school, go eat lunch, all these things outside of my house, which is, which is just very like the normal. When over here, it’s much more normal that you either drive a car or that you do everything in home, have dinner in home, have lunch in home, so that was definitely a culture shock for me.
Something else that was a big culture shock for [00:10:00] me was, How you greet people in a lot of countries in South America is you’re very accustomed to greeting someone with a kiss on the cheek, greeting someone with a hug, being very, very personal. When I came here, it was completely the opposite. You really aren’t that personable with people.
You obviously say hi and all that, but it was so different. I wasn’t used to not being able to hug people, not being able to just being like a more personal level just because that’s how the culture is here.
[00:10:30] Kendall: Did you ever run into situations where you, maybe leaned in to kiss somebody on the cheek, and they-
[00:10:36] Rafaella: Oh absolutely.
[00:10:37] Kendall: Yeah?
[00:10:38] Rafaella: Yes, especially in school, because when you see your friends, that’s just like what you did. You would say hi, you’d give them a hug, give them a kiss on the cheek. So it was just, that wasn’t what you were supposed to do, and so it was embarrassing because I would want to go do that, and then they’d be like, oh, what are you doing?
Like, that’s weird.
[00:10:54] Kendall: Oh, so friends and family?[00:11:00]
[00:11:00] Rafaella: Yes.
[00:11:01] Kendall: Did that ever, I guess, make you feel as though you were not as close with someone? I guess I’m wondering how that, impacted your feeling about, relationships and how close maybe you were to friends that you were meeting and stuff like that.
[00:11:19] Rafaella: A lot, because, um, and not only with friends, but also with parents, adults. Because even with them, you’re just, you’re accustomed to coming to someone’s house, greeting them, giving them a hug or a kiss on the cheek, speaking to them, and so I was so accustomed to that sort of personal level that when I did have friends or, new adults that I would meet, I would go in to do that. And it would be awkward because they obviously aren’t used to that. So. It was like I had to kind of rewire my brain to remember that, oh, okay, to this person I have to just say hi, like, oh, hello, or shake the hand, and then I’d be like, oh, okay, but this is my friend, like maybe [00:12:00] it’s like a family friend, and so I know that they would be okay with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
[00:12:05] Kendall: Right. I see. So then, is there anything, I guess, sort of similar to that or maybe even just that specific example that you feel you still have ingrained in you? Maybe certain behaviors, I guess you would say, that you still find yourself catching. You know what I mean?
[00:12:25] Rafaella: Yes. Definitely that one. That one’s a huge one. I feel like even now, if I meet a new adult or if I meet, a parent of a friend, I always try my best to be very respectful and to always say hello to them, always thank them for stuff. that’s just something that I still do, so definitely that.
Um, and then other than that, I’m trying to think. I think also not so much recently, because I feel like recently this has become much more culture, but, the people that you see at stores, people that you work with, being more [00:13:00] personable with them is also something that I am more accustomed to and used to, because that’s just how it is when you’re in, you know, Bolivia are in many South American countries.
[00:13:09] Kendall: Right.
[00:13:10] Rafaella: You’re very very personal with your waiter with your barista with like even if you’re going out shopping and so that’s something that I still definitely do.
[00:13:22] Kendall: Well, thank you for sharing. I think that’s definitely interesting because I guess I wonder why wouldn’t America, you know, adopt that same mindset. I feel like, human beings obviously are social beings. So it would make sense that, you would want to build these strong relationships with those around you.
[00:13:43] Rafaella: Absolutely, and I also think that’s interesting how, it’s like, when you go to more urban cities, that’s definitely more like the memo, where it’s like, okay, you have a very private life. You shouldn’t even say hi to people on the street. But then you’ll go to, more southern states, more, towns, and it’s kind of the [00:14:00] opposite.
It’s that thing where it’s like, oh, you know everybody. You’re kind to people. So that also, I wonder if, like, hmm, I wonder if I had gone to a smaller town, even in Virginia, if I would have had the same kind of experience.
[00:14:14] Kendall: That’s a very good point to bring up. I think, I think I definitely see that coming from , a small town myself.
I am from The Plains, Virginia. Everybody knows each other. So it is very easy to build those relationships with your neighbors, with, you know, the different businesses in the area.
[00:14:32] Rafaella: Exactly.
[00:14:33] Kendall: And I feel like in urban areas, it just Isn’t the same for a couple of reasons. I think maybe one reason could be a lot of times people are going in and out of a certain city strictly for work, so they aren’t really wanting to take the time to sit down and make connections with people.
They’re rushing to get to work and stuff like that. So, I did already ask you about this earlier [00:15:00] and you mentioned that you do have your father’s side of the family living in Bolivia currently. Correct. Yes. And so how did they feel about you guys immigrating to America?
[00:15:14] Rafaella: Obviously they felt sad because we were leaving, from being so close to them.
Um, and also, it was a special situation because I was one of the first kids on my dad’s side of the family. And so a lot of my aunts and, like, my grandma, they felt much more alone because I was the only kid so far. But I think now, I mean, obviously they still miss us and everything, but now it’s definitely much better because we’re able to go visit them a lot more.
Some of them have even had the opportunity to come visit us before. And so it’s always nice to, you know, I think it’s nice to have still people down there because it reminds [00:16:00] me of everything down there and it always feels like I’m coming home whenever I get to see them.
[00:16:06] Kendall: That’s nice to hear. How often do you guys, I guess find time to visit them?
[00:16:12] Rafaella: Recently, for the last ten years, much more than we used to. For different reasons, um, we’re, my family thankfully now is much more well off than we were when we got here and so it’s much easier for us to make the time to go down there. so we try to go at least once every two years is the goal. But it can be hard because it’s such a long trip and so you always want to go for longer than two weeks because it’s such a long trip, so we try to go, if we go at least to be a month or at least a few weeks.
[00:16:47] Kendall: Oh, wow. So a good amount of time.
[00:16:50] Rafaella: Yes
[00:16:52] Kendall: Awesome. What do you think is the first thing that you’re normally excited about to do again see again experience again, [00:17:00] when you’re home?
[00:17:02] Rafaella: Definitely the food, the food and because I guess food always brings you comfort, and so definitely the food and then the closeness. Like how I mentioned before, how at least in the city, La Paz where I’m from, everything is so small and close by, and so being able to get up and say, oh, like, we should go get a coffee. So, I guess the word that I’m looking for is the comfort. whereas here, if I’m in my house and I’m like, Oh, I really want to get a coffee, I have to go get in my car, I have to get out of my car, I have to drive at least five, six minutes, and so it’s more of a hassle. Whereas down there, there’s much more comfort where I could say, Oh, like, who would like to go get a coffee with me?
Or like, even if I’m going by myself, I can just, go out, walk, and I’m there.
[00:17:49] Kendall: Wow, so everything is just, walking distance?
[00:17:52] Rafaella: Exactly.
[00:17:54] Kendall: Wow. Yeah, very, very different from, very different from the States.
[00:17:59] Rafaella: [00:18:00] Yes.
[00:18:01] Kendall: So you mentioned that food is something that, feels very comforting to you. What would you say your favorite food is?
[00:18:08] Rafaella: Oh, that is so hard. I love I think what brings me the most comfort is the little breads and pastries that they have. Um, it’s, which is also a little bit different here, but maybe this is just personal, but I’m not a huge breakfast person and I know a lot of people aren’t either. Just because of time because of just routines, sometimes you just aren’t a huge breakfast person. Whereas in Bolivia, you are. Everyone is breakfast person.
So you get up and usually, someone in the house will go out and they will get bread early in the morning, and so that always brings me comfort. Getting up in the morning and I have fresh bread because they are always selling it outside in the street or fresh pastries, fresh fruits that sort of thing.
[00:18:57] Kendall: Oh, wow. Now is there a [00:19:00] certain breakfast time? Because I know for certain countries breakfast could be something that you go and do earlier in the day. Sometimes for some Americans breakfast is you know 10 , so I guess what are the differences there?
[00:19:14] Rafaella: I think honestly, I would say that’s probably similar to here I think it depends.
I think most people Will go to work or school, so breakfast is usually early, so seven, eight a.m. I will say, though, something that is different is dinner. Dinner, at least from what I’ve experienced here and from what a lot of my friends, um, say and do, dinner is much earlier in the states. So usually dinner here will be five, six usually, what I get from a lot of people. Whereas in Bolivia, dinner is not usually until eight, sometimes nine.
[00:19:52] Kendall: Much later. And is there a reason for that? Or is that just, the norm?
[00:19:59] Rafaella: I [00:20:00] think it’s just the norm? Dinner is much more dinner is much more important than lunch is, or even breakfast. Then there’s usually the time where if you’re with your family, everyone gets together, they have dinner, and then they have what, it’s called down there, Sobre Mesa, that’s just where you stay at the, it’s called, it’s like literally translated, it’s just called over dinner. So it’s where you stay at the dinner and you have a conversation, and the conversation can last hours sometimes. It’s just very normal for dinner to be long, for dinner to be a time to catch up with your family or with your friends,
and sometimes it’ll go late into the night.
[00:20:40] Kendall: Oh, okay. So what I’m hearing is it’s mainly, uh, a time for gatherings and, you know, socializing.
[00:20:46] Rafaella: Yes.
[00:20:48] Kendall: Gotcha.
[00:20:48] Rafaella: Exactly.
[00:20:51] Kendall: So more on food, is there anywhere in America where, you know, you can get a little taste of [00:21:00] food from back home?
[00:21:01] Rafaella: Yeah, so thankfully, in Northern Virginia, there’s a lot of Bolivian immigrants and a lot of Bolivian, um, families here.
And so specifically in like Arlington, Falls Church, D.C., there are a lot of restaurants. My grandparents, who live in Arlington, they have, I think, two or three restaurants, probably like 15, 20 minutes from their house. So, that is such a huge, that’s such a plus, because anytime that I’m just feeling like, oh, I really want that, like, I can go out and get it.
[00:21:36] Kendall: Oh, that’s very convenient.
[00:21:38] Rafaella: Yeah.
[00:21:40] Kendall: Very convenient. And do you know a bit about why maybe there are so many Bolivian immigrants in those specific areas that you mentioned?
[00:21:50] Rafaella: That’s a good question, I honestly don’t know exactly why. I want to say that I think many people [00:22:00] settled here, and through settling here, they would, tell their families, Oh, I’m going to live in Washington, D.C. and so that just kind of became the memo. So people who then decided to immigrate here were also like, well, I know that so and so lives in near Washington, D.C., like that’s where we should go, and it just kind of continued and then families started coming and they joined their families. But I really think that it just kind of started from one person, if you will, and then everybody just kind of, you know, wanted to join in because you want comfort, right?
Why would I go to a state where I know no one?, Whereas I can go to a state where I know people who are like me live in it
[00:22:42] Kendall: Right. So basically just word of mouth really is what you’re saying.
[00:22:46] Rafaella: Yeah.
[00:22:47] Kendall: Gotcha. Alrighty, so now to backtrack a little bit, because you were so young I know it might be hard to recall certain details.
Um, [00:23:00] do you remember anything related to your parents experience to how they were able to adjust to America? I know that you spoke on your experiences, you know, with, uh, language difficulties and, um, you know, struggling with the, um, the fact that you need to hop into a car in order to get to certain places.
[00:23:24] Rafaella: Absolutely. I think language, obviously, language is probably the biggest thing. My dad, he took a lot of English classes in school, thankfully. So while he still had trouble and, um, with like grammar and all those things, he had a little bit of the upper hand because he knew the language much better and he was able to get a job much quicker because of that.
While my mom and most of my grandparents, my aunts, my uncles, they didn’t, they had very little [00:24:00] English classes in school. And so they had to find a job, where they could utilize Spanish, and so most of my family ended up working, um, as Spanish teachers where they would teach Spanish to adults who needed Spanish because they were moving to a country that was Spanish speaking, or they were going to be working with people who were Spanish speaking, and so they had to kind of adapt and by adapting, they had to use what they had,
and so obviously they spoke Spanish and they were able to use that to teach Spanish to these people.
[00:24:36] Kendall: Right. I’m glad to hear that, obviously your dad was able to, find a job. But also that, your mom’s side and your grandparents were able to also find a job because I know that, a lot of times it can take a lot
longer, so it is good to hear that they were able to, you know, use the fact that they can speak Spanish, [00:25:00] and, find a job, out of that.
[00:25:02] Rafaella: Absolutely.
[00:25:03] Kendall: So, Do you remember, maybe any sort of difficulty with maybe the process to become a U.S. citizen or, I guess just help us paint a picture of what, that looked like for you guys?
[00:25:22] Rafaella: Well, it took a long time. So thankfully, the way that it works, um, because I was under 18, once my mom got her citizenship, I automatically had my citizenship.
So, it took my mom, I don’t know exactly how many years, but it wasn’t until my sister was born and my sister was around 8 years old that she was able to get her citizenship. So, it took at least 10 years. So, my mom had to take a test. So, I actually remember they gave us like a study guide [00:26:00] and I would quiz my mom on all of these questions about, American history, about American, uh, legislature, American presidents, all those sorts of things.
She had to do a test like that, and then she had, a verbal test, where they just asked her questions, they made sure that she was able to understand English. Um, and it was a similar experience for my aunt. For my grandparents, it took a little bit longer for them. I don’t know why, maybe age, but it took longer for them to get their citizenship, and they had to do the same thing, they had to go through the test and the interview.
Um, but thankfully, me and my sister, my sister, she was born here, she had it automatically, but once my mom was able to get her citizenship, it rolled over to me.
[00:26:45] Kendall: Oh okay, and so, because it took, you know, ten years, um, were there any struggles that your mom had, you know, in those 10 years of waiting to get [00:27:00] her citizenship that you noticed?
[00:27:02] Rafaella: Absolutely. Obviously, getting a job, um, was difficult, and maintaining the job because there was always the worry of, like, oh, well, you’re still not a citizen, so you need to get a new job, and so that was always a huge worry. Traveling was also hard. We were not able to travel until that happened. So that’s why when we were younger, we wouldn’t visit family as much as we do now because we just were unable to.
Um, the job, travel slash like family was hard because we didn’t have, they just didn’t have their citizenship. Um, and then just like the stigma is always one of the hardest parts.
[00:27:42] Kendall: The stigma. Were there any, encounters, if you feel comfortable sharing, of course, that were particularly hard that you might have remembered or maybe had seen, your mom go through or your grandparents go through?
[00:27:56] Rafaella: Um, I don’t, so I [00:28:00] never, at least I don’t remember ever seeing one, but I know my mom has talked about it and so have my grandparents, where it was just things like, oh, because of her accent, because of, where she was from, it was always like, um, people just didn’t think that you belonged, people didn’t understand why you couldn’t understand the language. going to restaurants and not being able to order, going to the doctors and I would have to translate and then the doctors would kind of not understand why it needed to be translated or why she couldn’t understand, um, was always hard to see because it’s like, well, It’s not that hard to understand, you know, she just doesn’t know the language as well as you do, that’s why I’m here to help.
[00:28:43] Kendall: Right
[00:28:44] Rafaella: Um, so just like that.
[00:28:47] Kendall: So just basically attitudes, people, you know, not being receptive.
[00:28:52] Rafaella: Yes, exactly.
[00:28:54] Kendall: I got you. Well, thank you for sharing. so, now after calling [00:29:00] America home for many years, would you say that you’re feeling, much more comfortable and more adjusted, as well as your family members?
[00:29:06] Rafaella: Oh, 100%.
we’ve been here now, uh, let’s see, I was over 18, wait, 18, 19, no excuse me. I think it’s 16 or 17 years now that we’ve been here, so yes, it definitely feels like home now. We know a lot of the culture now, we know a lot of what it’s like now, and now there’s like a mix. We know what our culture is, but we also have, obviously, the American culture and what it’s like here, um, and we’re used to it, and now, since my brother was born, he’s, we’re even more used to it because now that’s how he’s growing up.
my cousin was born, now he’s growing up with it. And so, much more comfortable in also finding kind of our way in it. So, while we’re still, um, Bolivian, we’re also American. So, it’s nice to have that mix now. [00:30:00]
[00:30:01] Kendall: Right. That’s very nice to hear. I know earlier I had asked you, kind of what types of behaviors, that you had learned in Bolivia that, ended up causing like a culture shock when you found differences in America.
So now when you do go, home to Bolivia, Do you find that there is anything that you, I guess, have learned from America that now makes certain things awkward or, you know, I guess just things that you catch yourself doing where you’re like, oh no, this is, um, this is different.
[00:30:33] Rafaella: Yes. Um, definitely.
I think what, now it’s kind of like a culture shock when I go to Bolivia, it’s seeing the difference in, um, how do I, like, the difference in life, if that makes sense? So when you go to, at least where I’m from, obviously if you go to like big cities, you see a lot more poverty. Like in [00:31:00] America, you see much more poverty, you see much more of that.
[00:31:02] Kendall: Right.
[00:31:04] Rafaella: But living where I’m living and living where I grew up, you don’t really see that kind of poverty or you don’t kind of see that sort of thing. So definitely when I go to Bolivia, it’s everywhere. When you go outside, when you go to a restaurant, so that’s definitely a culture shock because I’m not used to it.
I’m not used to seeing poverty in streets, like going to school, going shopping, you don’t see that here. Um, at least where I live. And so, Even though I know it and every time that I go there I’m aware of it, it’s still awkward because you’re not used to it, you don’t know even how to react to it, because you want to be receptive to it and you want to react and be like, oh my goodness, like this is terrible, but the culture in Bolivia that’s normal, right?
[00:31:53] Kendall: Right.
[00:31:54] Rafaella: So, to people it’s like, oh yes, like, there’s people on the streets or there’s people [00:32:00] who are asking for this and that and that’s just normal.
[00:32:03] Kendall: I see. So just again, that difference between, being here for so long and then visiting and it’s just a complete, different, story.
[00:32:13] Rafaella: Mm hmm, exactly.
[00:32:15] Kendall: And so then, how would you say it’s different compared to when you were growing up there?
[00:32:22] Rafaella: Like how I react to, how is it different from when I was growing up versus how I go now?
[00:32:27] Kendall: I guess just, have you noticed, any changes in Bolivia when you go home now that were different from when you were a kid, or maybe things haven’t really changed.
Either way, I guess that is just what I’m curious about.
[00:32:42] Rafaella: I feel like things kind of don’t change, and sometimes I feel like when I go back, I kind of revert to being much more social, much more extroverted, because that’s more of the norm there. So when I’m there, I feel much more comfortable, speaking up and you feel much more comfortable talking to [00:33:00] people on the street, talking to people in stores, which is so different to when I’m here and I’m much more reserved.
So it’s almost like it hasn’t changed when I go there, which is nice.
[00:33:12] Kendall: Alrighty, well, that’s very good to hear that you’re feeling very comfortable, and able to immediately, you know, immerse yourself, quite quickly because of that. So, I guess just to reflect on your entire experience, earlier I did ask you about how you felt about leaving Bolivia and immigrating to America, so would you say that your feelings remain the same, or have they changed in any way from how you felt when you first got here?
[00:33:42] Rafaella: It’s definitely changed. You know, when I first got here, it was like, what am I going to do? What is my life? What am I, how am I going to go to school? But now that I’ve been here for so long, I love living here. I love being here. I’ve created my family here. We have our [00:34:00] culture here.
Um, and so it’s finding those little pockets of who I am and who my family is, while still living here that makes it a happy experience because I know that I have family here. I know that if I need food that I want, I can go get it. I know that if I just want to talk to someone who speaks in Spanish, I can do that.
And so it’s much better now. Like, this is my home and I don’t feel uncomfortable, and now I know the language, obviously, and I’m fluent. and it’s always nice when I do meet people who, maybe you aren’t from Bolivia, but speak Spanish or meet people who I can relate to. It’s always exciting to compare how their life here is with mine.
[00:34:43] Kendall: Okay, so awesome. Um, sounding like you are very much comfortable, and happy to be here, which is awesome. so, that’s everything that I had to ask you about. Were there any things that I didn’t ask you about that you would like to share with me? [00:35:00]
[00:35:00] Rafaella: Hmm good question. I don’t know, I think
just like how you said, reflecting on it, I really, it really puts into perspective, like, how, with time, things become your home, even if it’s not where you originally came from.
It’s nice to see that you can still find pieces of yourself and pieces of who you are in between the differences. And I think the United States is a great example of that, because there’s so much diversity and so many different people here, but it’s nice to reflect on that.
[00:35:36] Kendall: Awesome. Well, I’m glad that you, enjoyed this as well as I did.
thank you so much for your time, , I hope you have a wonderful evening. I’m going to make sure that you get a copy of our conversation and let you know, , as soon as it is all, done and posted.
[00:35:53] Rafaella: Awesome. Thank you!
[00:35:55] Kendall: All right. Have a good one!
[00:35:57] Rafaella: You too, thank [00:36:00] you!
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