Interview Process
This interview was conducted in person at my grandmother’s house. At the time of the interview, my grandfather was very ill, and it was not possible to have my grandma alone in case she needed to attend to him. Prior to the interview, I had called her informing her of the interview and asking if she would like to participate. During the interview I had used a voice recording app on my phone to record the interview. We were on her kitchen island during the time of the interview. Now, the only real problem we ran into is, my grandmother’s broken English. It was hard for her to understand some of my bigger questions and respond in English in a way that made grammatical sense. For the first go through of the questions just recording time, not our voices, with all the questions I prepared, and her short answers we did not even make it past five minutes. To fix this problem, I had my aunt who was on standby, translate all the questions for me, as well as assist my grandma in making a script. So, throughout the interview it may sound as if she is reading something because she is. Time was also a problem so to fix that I had to ask a bunch of filler questions to get her to keep saying things.
Biography
Miriam Telleria is a humble woman. She is a happy woman, very selfless woman. She’s an amazing grandmother, mother and friend. She was born in and grew up in Chontales, Nicaragua as an only child. She did not move to Managua, Nicaragua (Nicaragua’s capital) until she was married and built a home from ground up with her husband. She soon became a mother of five who stayed home to take care of her children until the move to the United States. Her and her husband soon realized the importance to learning English as well as working. They attend night school to learn English as well as worked to provide for their family.
Background Information and MLA formatted sources
In order to understand the interview, a little context about the happenings in Nicaragua during the 60s and 70s in necessary. Nicaragua was ruled by a dictator named Anastasio Somoza. In 1961, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) was formed to challenge his regime. After an earthquake hits in 1972, their leader took aid for himself. The FSLN launches an attack so Somoza declares his country in a state of siege. U.S president cuts off all aid to Nicaragua until their government shows an improvement of their human rights status, as a result Somoza lifts the stage of siege. The Sandinistas continue to attack on the regime. Uprisings continue as the Sandinistas gain support from Venezuela and Panama. The Cubans support them as well with arms and military advice. On July 19, 1979 the Sandinista finally take power and declare a state of emergency as they take away land and businesses that were previously owned by the old dynasty and associates. In 1979, my grandparents finally decided to make the move the United States because of how hostile and violent the country was becoming,
Timeline: Nicaragua, web.stanford.edu/group/arts/nicaragua/discovery_eng/timeline/.
“The Contra War in Nicaragua – Noam Chomsky.” Libcom.org, libcom.org/history/1970-1987-the-contra-war-in-nicaragua.
U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/central-america-carter.
Transcription
MT- Miriam Telleria (interviewee)
JJ- Jordan Jimeno (interviewer)
JJ: So, it’s okay with you grandma, that I record this interview, right?
MT: yes.
JJ: okay. So, my first question for you is, what was it like living in Nicaragua before you left?
MT: We had a beautiful life, we had a comfortable life before the war started. I almost had a nervous breakdown because my children were in danger. Many young men were being taken to be trained to fight.
JJ: To fight in a war?
MT: Yes.
JJ: What was it like? What was the war like?
MT: They liked to take my son out the house.
JJ: For what?
MT: For training, to the mountains, giving them the rifle. And You would ask them “why do you take my son, because he has never touched a gun?” and he said “I am going to teach him”.
JJ: How to shoot the gun?
MT: How to shoot the gun. But this is for me, very dangerous because he never touched a gun.
JJ: Right, and you only had one older son, right?
MT: Yes, the 15-year-old.
JJ: okay, um my second question for you is, what year did you finally leave Nicaragua?
MT: 1979.
JJ: Okay, why that year? Why did you leave in 1979?
MT: Because, um, when they opened the office in the united states embassy, my husband went right away to take all the passports and bring many papers and everything. The consult said to my husband “do you have a bank account?”, and then they gave him many visas. And he checked all the papers. Um I had a little store and he said give me the license, he brought the papers for the house, he bring everything he have in his hand, in my husband hand, and the consult checked everything and then put the stamp to each of the passports and said “Congratulations, you go to USA” hahaha.
JJ: Hahaha wow okay ok. So, my next question is, what was the final straw that made you decide you had to leave?
MT: We were told that my 15-year-old child need to go to the military training.
JJ: And you didn’t want that?
MT: No, I didn’t want that he go because I thought for him a better future.
JJ: A better future…
MT: Yes.
JJ: you wanted a better future…
MT; For him.
JJ: For him, right right. Okay, my next question is was it hard leaving your home and your country?
MT: Yes and No. Easy to leave because of our safety but hard because we left our home and family.
JJ: Oh, okay. Um, my next question is what was the age of your oldest and youngest kid when you came to the united states?
MT: 15 and 3.
JJ: Wow, alright. My next question is, did you know any English before you came to the United States.
MT: No English at all.
JJ: Where did you learn English? How did you learn English?
MT: Well, I went to school at night after 8 hours working, but we started to pick it up a little by a little, words. And asked, “what do you mean?” “what does this mean”.
JJ: Okay, my next question is what were the challenges you faced once you got here, once you got to the United States?
MT: The language and finding job. We had to go to night school to learn English and our children needed to go to school.
JJ: Okay, Um do you ever think about what would have ended up happening if you didn’t make the decision to come to the united states?
MT: My children would have suffered. Maybe my oldest son would have gone to the war.
JJ: To the war, what would have your other children have gone through? Your daughters?
MT: Well in my country, they take the men and the women, no matter what age, they don’t care. But uh we always support them at home, uh we didn’t want them to leave and suffer.
JJ: Right, right um my next question is would you say your life is better here in the United States than if you would have stayed in Nicaragua.
MT: Absolutely, my children have a better opportunity to grow up in a safe environment and opportunity to be successful.
JJ: And all your kids are now very successful right?
MT: Yes.
JJ: They all have good jobs?
MT: Yeah, yeah, my daughter go to the air force here and I feel so happy to see her how she understands everything and doing a better job.
JJ: And you have many grandchildren, too right?
MT: Oh yes, I have 11 grandchildren.
JJ: 11 grandchildren. Do you think you would’ve had that many grandchildren if you stayed in Nicaragua?
MT: Maybe not, maybe not.
JJ: No?
MT: No.
JJ: Okay, um my next question is do you ever miss living in Nicaragua?
MT: Yes, I miss my family and the home we built that my children grew up in.
JJ: So, you built your own home?
MT: Yes, after we got married, him and I started to think to stay in the house, but we built it a little by little, uh the house grew more.
JJ: And all your children got to live there?
MT: Yeah.
JJ: Where was it in Nicaragua?
MT: Was in Managua.
JJ: My next question is, what are some of the things that the United states has that Nicaragua does not have?
MT: Freedom, to do anything and everything.
JJ: Like what? What are some freedoms that you got when you came here?
MT: Well, we uh work hard but nobody bother us you know? And I think that is better for me and my husband, we always working very hard to bring the food every day.
JJ: What kind of work did you have when you came here?
MT: Oh, first of all, I cleaned the house and I do whatever they need me. I said, “It’s okay, I am going to do.”.
JJ: Okay, nice um my next question is would you do it all over again if you had to?
MT: Yes, this was the best decision she made.
JJ: Why? Why was it the best decision you ever made?
MT: Because I came to the United States in 1970, the first time, I was young, and I have two children…
JJ: So, you visited before you came?
MT: Yeah, I visit only, and I saw everything was beautiful, I loved it and I said, “I’m thinking but when I’m coming to the USA again, I will bring my children here to Virginia.”. This is was the best but when we had the war in my country I said to my husband “let’s go.” We lost to many things, a car, uh inside the house we had someone else take the house and we lost it.
JJ: My last question for you is, is there anything at all that you would like to add about you coming to the United States, your goals, your struggles, your accomplishments?
MT: Yeah, I am very proud, first of all I have my daughter who stayed in the Air Force for 28 years and she retired, and she did everything good because when she retired and when I went to the base, I saw everything so beautiful and they spoke about her very nicely and I feel good. And now I see my grandson, Jordan starting to go to college and thinking to study and be a professional doctor, it’s very nice and I have me another granddaughter that she is very smart too and I feel this is why I feel so happy to stay in USA.
JJ: Awesome, awesome thank you for the interview grandma.
MT: Thank you.
I think the interview went well. I don’t think I would have done anything different. Though my grandmother had a script, it still did feel like a conversation. A lot of her responses to the filler questions were actually not scripted. So I am very happy and proud of my grandma for being able to speak her mind and answer my questions quite thoroughly considering her level of English. We covered her story in full and I am very happy with how the interview went. I always enjoy speaking with my grandmother whenever I do and I will definitely not forget this conversation.