Immigration from Colombia

Author: Alex Missar

Interview Date – 3/22/2019

A. Interview Process

The interview was conducted in person at the JMU outdoor archery range. I did not edit the audio, but I did change the transcript a little to make it more grammatically correct as well as cut out a couple things that weren’t completed thoughts. To prepare for the interview I looked up a few resources about the country and the immigration process to the United States. It was completed using my phone which seemed to pick up the audio just fine. I found as quiet a place as we could while being on the range. Since I was sick, I could not do the interview earlier and when I was feeling better there were scheduling conflicts. I also found the act of interviewing someone to be a little awkward, but I think it went well.

B. Biography

Maria Echavarria is 20 years old has two sisters and is currently going to JMU, majoring in Marketing. Growing up in the capital of Colombia Bogotá, she quickly picked up archery from her father in 2013 and began competing in a month. She spent 4 years competing in Colombia and now lives here at JMU. Now she competes in archery tournaments across the nation and sometimes back in Colombia too.

C. Research

“Immigrant Visas.” U.S. Embassy in Colombia, co.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/.

This site has lots of information about visas and was very helpful in making me understand both what they are and how they are obtained. This relates to the interview because Maria needs to get a visa in order to stay here for work.

Carvajal, Dayra. “As Colombia Emerges from Decades of War, Migration Challenges Mount.” Migrationpolicy.org, 29 Mar. 2018, www.migrationpolicy.org/article/colombia-emerges-decades-war-migration-challenges-mount.

This was a good resource for finding out about the recent history of war in Colombia. Which just recently ended in 2017. A few years after Maria left for school in America. After reading about this I can understand why she mentioned wanting to get a job in the United States.

“Bogotá.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogot%C3%A1.

Wikipedia helped a lot with understanding a little bit more about the culture in Bogota. It displays all sorts of interesting information from weather patterns to architecture. It goes over a brief history of the city as well as a more thorough analysis of the current economic state of the place. I found this site very helpful.

D. Transcript

Alex Missar: How old were you when you first came to the United States?

Maria Echavarria: For the first time or just to study?

Alex Missar: Uh, first time in general.

Maria Echavarria: Oh, in general, like 6 years old.

Alex Missar: You were 6? So, you were born in Colombia?

Maria Echavarria: Yea.

Alex Missar: Did you just take visit to the United States or did your family live there?

Maria Echavarria: Yea, we just traveled for tourism.

Alex Missar: Ok, so are you officially a citizen of the United States or are you just here temporarily?

Maria Echavarria: I am just here temporarily. I am here to study.

Alex Missar: You are here to study?

Maria Echavarria: Yeah.

Alex Missar: Ok, so what did you have to do to come here and study?

Maria Echavarria: Well first I had to apply.

Alex Missar: Did you apply for a visa to come here and study?

Maria Echavarria: Well to come here to study they accepted me JMU and other schools, but I chose this one. They sent me a 920, which is what you need to apply for an F1 visa. So, I had to go to the embassy in Bogotá the capital where I live in and the US embassy and apply for the F1 Visa which is a student visa. I got it the same day and that is it and then I just got on a plane to come here. Every time I must come into the US, I need my 920 which is like a certification that I study in the US.

Alex Missar: Ok.

Maria Echavarria: That is what I do when I come to the US.

Alex Missar: I think you answered one of my other questions. You said you lived in Bogota?

Maria Echavarria: Yes, which is the capital of Colombia.

Alex Missar: What is your opinion on the situation going on the border between Colombia and Venezuela? Do you know anything about it?

Maria Echavarria: Well there is a lot of people from Venezuela coming into Colombia. It is good and bad. Bad because most of the people are taking Colombian jobs and we do not want that. At the same time, they are going through a rough time, so we are here for our border countries and I have archer friends who are from Venezuela that came to shoot in Colombia, so that is like we are here for them. But not in the way they are starting to rob. There is a lot of mugging from Venezuelans. So that is not what we want. Aside from the Colombians that are robbing we do not want the Venezuelans to as well.

Alex Missar: Yea.

Maria Echavarria: It is mixed opinions and emotions.

Alex Missar: That is understandable. Ok so, where did you first learn archery?

Maria Echavarria: Archery? Well my dad he went to the Olympics. So, archery has been in my family for forty years. With my aunt and my dad and my grandpa. My dad he taught me, five or six years ago. I do not know, I just went there, and he was like, “Just do the form.” In my grandpa’s house. I just started like that same day with the clicker [an archery tool to let you know when to release], it was all quick. In a month I was already competing.

Alex Missar: So, did you shoot in Colombia and then move?

Maria Echavarria: Yes. It was in like 2013 and I moved here in 2017, so it was like four years shooting in Colombia also representing my country on some occasions and I came to study.

Alex Missar: Ok, was there anything different that you noticed between the way people shoot in Colombia vs. here.

Maria Echavarria: Well in form or practice?

Alex Missar: Uh, both.

Maria Echavarria: Well in form it is the same everybody has their own technique. I had a Cuban coach, so we had other countries influencing us. Well here in University it is less serious, it is more fun. Back home I was sponsored by the city. So, they actually paid me to shoot.

Alex Missar: Ok.

Maria Echavarria: We had to go to the national games to win medals and stuff. So, we had to practice a lot. We had all this support like medical and stuff… Like physical therapy.

Alex Missar: What kind of language barriers do you face coming to America?

Maria Echavarria: Well that just happened. Well sometimes even though I learned English since a very young age. There are still some words that do not translate directly so it is hard. It is like harder to study here because it is not my base language and sometimes the stuff on the bow that I do not know the name of in English I just get confused. So that happens sometimes but I am getting a lot better. I just need to practice more.

Alex Missar: So, you already started from a young age before you came over, so you were somewhat fluent?

Maria Echavarria: I am more fluent now because during school and in classes you talk in Spanish with your friends but only in English with teachers. Here it is like everywhere.

Alex Missar: Did you notice any cultural differences that were a big deal for you?

Maria Echavarria: Well this is like a very American university. So, it is all the football stuff and the tailgates. I am not very used to. Like cause my sisters went to universities that are more like international. So, they have more international students with them. So, in here you do not see a lot of international people. It is not very normal. So, like I must adapt to this culture, but it is not hard. I mean I moved here for a reason. I wanted to experience the US college and expand my archery, like in different environments away from home and I get to study at the same time. It has been a great experience.

Alex Missar: So, you moved here to separate and sort of experience new things?

Maria Echavarria: Yea. Like back in Bogotá it is very hard to study and do a sport at the same time because it is a very big city. It is like a small New York because it is like all traffic all day. So, you cannot just practice whenever you want, because you also must study. It is not very easy. So, I wanted to keep shooting. So, it is a good idea to go study in the US and shoot there. Right now, it is easier because I just get out of class get my stuff and then I go here and shoot. I just need a bus or a short walk. It is very convenient.

Alex Missar: That is cool.

Maria Echavarria: I also get to shoot competitions at the same time. It is not just like I shoot because it is fun, I also want to compete.

Alex Missar: So, do you compete just here? Do you stay here all year long?

Maria Echavarria: For example, last thanksgiving I was practicing here indoors but then I must go shoot outdoors. I was like shoot 18 meters and then go shoot 70 meters outdoors. It was good that I had the opportunity to go back because, it was convenient for me. Right now, during nationals I could not go because I must study. I can not skip class because it is like a very long tournament. That is like a bit sad that I do not get to go home often. At the same time, we have these competitions here. So that compensates.

Alex Missar: Do you plan on staying here when your done with school or do you plan on going back?

Maria Echavarria: Well the ideal thing is for me to stay here and get a job. Like one of my sisters got the working visa. So, if I had the opportunity to get a job here, I would like to stay. It would be much better. Well I am not going to talk about money, but it would be better to work here.

Alex Missar: So, your sisters have work visas here?

Maria Echavarria: One of them does and the other one is with a university visa.

Alex Missar: So, she is in a similar situation to you?

Maria Echavarria: Not quite she is finished with school she has time left and she is looking for a job.

Alex Missar: So, do your family live back home in Colombia then?

Maria Echavarria: Yea only 3 of us are here and the rest live back home.

Alex Missar: Alright well thank you very much! I think that is all the questions I had for the interview.

E. Conclusion

If I could do anything different, I would try to get a different place to conduct the interview. I would also practice asking the questions more and think of more follow ups. I felt like the interview flowed well the only part I really was not ready for was when I ask a question and more than one of my questions would be answered at the same time leaving me a little confused were to go next. Going off script was a little difficult, but I enjoyed the challenge. I think the divergences were positive if only to learn more about Maria.