Jack Bliss

April 23, 2018

HISP – 399 – 44

Reflexión Sobre mis Entrevistas y Experiencia

            Además de tomar un curso de medio semestre esta primavera, titulado “estudiando en HISP World colloq”, tuve la suerte de inscribirme en este estudio independiente titulado “Hispanic Hartford”. El objetivo, como se ve en la descripción del curso, es permitir a los estudiantes de Trinity interactuar activamente con las grandes y crecientes comunidades hispanohablantes de Hartford. Los estudiantes pudieron aprender acerca de las distintas culturas de una diversa variedad de comunidades hispanas, incluyendo puertorriqueño, peruano, dominicano, chileno, colombiano, y muchos más. Los individuos que pertenecen a estas comunidades alrededor de Hartford han contribuido altamente a la diversidad, la fuerza de trabajo, y a los programas comunitarios de la ciudad entre otras cosas.

El principal proyecto para los estudiantes en el curso, incluyéndome a mí, iba a viajar a Park Street, que está muy cerca del campus de Trinity, y realizar varias entrevistas. Estas entrevistas tuvieron que hacerse con individuos en Park Street o en las tiendas circundantes que eran de decente hispano. Para mí personalmente, este fue el primer proyecto de campo verdadero que había completado durante mi tiempo en Trinity. La meta del trabajo de campo era que los estudiantes exploraran los efectos de la migración transnacional en la cultura urbana así como aprenden sobre la experiencia de individuos que han pasado personalmente a través de él.

Antes de mi primera entrevista, yo estaba un poco nerviosa porque al hecho de que esto era una nueva experiencia para mí. Había esbozado una serie de preguntas y temas generales para cubrir, pero sabía que era importante mantener la entrevista casual. El viernes 20 de abril viajé a Park Street en un día soleado para llevar a cabo mis entrevistas. Para mi primera entrevista, elegí ir al “Los Cubanitos Market” en Park Street. Los Cubanitos Market se encuentra en el 206 Park St. Hartford, CT. Elegí este lugar en particular por unas cuantas razones. En primer lugar, el mercado ofrece una variedad de alimentos e ingredientes latinos, que yo sabía que naturalmente atraería a la gente Latinoamericano. Inmediatamente después de subir a la tienda y entrar, he oído hablar español, que era genial.

Mientras caminaba por la tienda, vi a una mujer amistosa y decidí entrevistarla. Le dije un saludo y me presenté, ella me dijo que su nombre era Gabriela Arvelo. Gabriela es originaria de Puerto Rico y ha vivido en Hartford desde que era una niña pequeña. Tuve una conversación y entrevista maravillosa con Gabriela. Ella hablaba español, pero nosotros decidimos hacer la entrevista en inglés porque ella hablaba fluidamente. Aprendí sobre su experiencia viviendo como una Latina en Hartford y sobre su amor de Park Street. Gabriela me contó cómo le encanta la variedad de tiendas latinas en Park Street y aprecia la diversidad de la cultura hispana en la zona. Gabriela fue una gran primera persona en entrevistar debido a su personalidad fácil de llevar. Esto me hizo mucho más cómodo y me ayudó con mi confianza en acercarme a gente nueva para hablar con ellos.

Para mi segunda entrevista, elegí quedarme en el Los Cubanitos Market, pero entrevisté a un empleado de la tienda. Me las arreglé para hablar con un individuo, que acababa de terminar su turno en el mercado. Este hombre, que era mayor, probablemente en sus 50s, hablaba inglés roto y era tímido, pero él era muy amable y fácil de hablar. Su nombre era Sebastián Martínez y también era puertorriqueño, similar a Gabriela. Debido a Sebastían’s roto inglés, hablamos parcialmente en español, pero sobre todo en inglés. Una de las cosas más grandes que Sebastián habló fue su deseo de llevar al resto de su familia a los Estados Unidos. Él tiene una familia muy grande de vuelta a casa en Puerto Rico y quiere ayudarles tanto como sea posible. De mi entrevista, me enteré que el realmente disfruta de Hartford, especialmente de la gente de la ciudad. Sebastián agradece la diversidad de los que entran en el mercado, y le encanta aprender sobre sus historias.

Para mi tercera entrevista, decidí probar un nuevo lugar que no sea Los Cubanitos Market. Después de caminar por Park Street un poco, me encontré con CTown supermercados, una ubicación de la profesora Aponte-Aviles recomendado. CTown supermercados se encuentra en 1744 Park St. Hartford, CT. Inmediatamente después de entrar en la tienda, escuché la música latino-caribeña tocando en voz alta. En la tienda, hay un área donde la comida española se cocina fresca. Mientras caminaba por un pasillo, vi a un hombre más joven, probablemente en sus primeros 30 años y decidió presentarme. Su nombre era Afonso Costa y es originario de Portugal. Afonso ha disfrutado de su tiempo en Hartford, pero desea ramificarse más. Le encanta viajar y quiere ahorrar dinero para explorar nuevas y diferentes ciudades. Una de las cosas que Afonso le gusta los más de Hartford es el número de programas comunitarios para niños hispanos. Él tiene un objetivo de involucrarse más en estos programas y devolver a la comunidad de Hartford, porque la ciudad le ha dado mucho.

Mirando hacia atrás en mi trabajo de campo para este estudio independiente, sin duda puedo decir que ha sido una experiencia muy gratificante. Estoy feliz de poder empujarme para dar un nuevo paso y entrevistar a la gente de las comunidades locales. Fue fascinante aprender sobre individuos que han trabajado increíblemente duro para mudarse a Hartford y comenzar una nueva vida en esta ciudad. Hartford como ciudad, especialmente en áreas como Park Street, tiene la reputación de ser peligrosa y no acogedora. Esta experiencia ha cambiado altamente mi perspectiva. La gente de Park Street eran increíblemente simpáticos y genuino. Los individuos con los que hablé estaban entusiasmados de hablar conmigo y felizmente compartieron sus historias. Creo que es muy importante que las personas se involucren con las comunidades locales, especialmente con las comunidades hispanas, con el fin de ganar una apreciación por sus vidas. Son personas muy trabajadoras, que siguen siendo muy humildes por lo que han trabajado. Estoy agradecida de ir a una escuela como Trinity que se encuentra en una ciudad tan diversa. La variedad de personas que vienen de todo el mundo hacen de Hartford un lugar verdaderamente especial.

 

 

For my third interview, I decided to try a new spot other than Los Cubanitos Supermarket. After walked around Park Street a little, I came upon CTown Supermarkets, a location Professora Aponte-Aviles recommended. CTown Supermarkets is located on 1744 Park St, Hartford, CT. Immediately upon entering the store, I heard Latin-Caribbean music playing overhead. In the store, there is an area where Spanish food is cooked fresh. In addition to all of this, I heard Spanish being spoken among store-goers and workers. It was clear that CTown Supermarkets was a great place to interview someone due to the fact that it caters toward the Latino community. While walking down an aisle I spotted a younger looking man, probably in his early 30s and decided to introduce myself. His name was Afonso Costa and he is originally from Portugal. I had a great conversation and interview with Afonso and below is our dialogue:

(Jack) – “How long have you lived in Hartford and what was the reason you chose to move to this city?”

(Afonso) – “I am originally from Portugal, but my family chose to move to the United States when I was just a baby. We originally moved to Arizona, which is where most of my family lives, but I chose to come to Hartford about 4 years ago. My family came to the US for the same reason as most others, for the work. I chose to come to Hartford because a good friend from childhood has lived here for a while now and always said how great this city is, so I chose to give it a shot.”

(Jack) – “Have you had a good experience living in Hartford?”

(Afonso) – “Yes, overall I really do love this city. At times it can feel small and I want to branch out more, but it has been great. Working here is good and living is as well because it is decently affordable. I like how different each community is in Hartford, there are so many types of people here, which is great to see and experience.”

(Jack) – “How would you describe the Latino Culture that exists on Park Street?”

(Afonso) – “Out of all the places and communities I have visited around Hartford, Park Street definitely has one of the strongest senses of Latino community. Most people you see around Park Street, walking or in the stores, are Latino or Latina. Spanish gets spoken a lot here, especially in stores like CTown, because they cater towards the Latin community. The food and music is a major part of what makes Park Street one of my favorite places to visit, even though I was just a child when we moved, I get a great sense of character from this place, and it makes me proud to be from Portugal.

(Jack) – “If there is one thing you could change about your experience as a Latino living in this community, what would it be?”

(Afonso) – “Ah good question, I would have to say that I want to give back more. I want to be more involved with the community programs, especially with the Latino kids. There are a number of youth programs that help out families with young kids, I think these are so great. It would be cool to be a part of one of these, I think its really rewarding and a good cause. So yeah, I think I would push myself to play a bigger role in that sense.”

(Jack) – “Are there any aspects of Park Street that you wish were different?”

(Afonso) – “I think Park Street can get a bad reputation from those who haven’t spent a lot of time here or even visited once. People can often say Park Street is dirty and there is crime or danger here, but I don’t think that is the case. The people of Park Street and the community is truly special. When you take the time to meet those here and hear about the stories of people and how hard they work, it changes your mind on it. So yeah, I think if I could, I would change the reputation of this place, people just need to experience it.”

For my second interview, I chose to stay in Los Cubanitos Market, but interview an employee of the store. At first I thought this would be difficult because the employees were busy, but I managed to speak with one individual, who had just finished his shift at the Market. This man, who was older, probably in his 50s, spoke broken english and was shy, but he was very friendly and easy to talk to. His name was Sebastian Martínez and was also Puerto Rican, similar to Gabriela. After a little small talk, we began the interview, which lasted a little under 10 minutes. Below is the dialogue of my interview with Sebastian:

(Jack) – “How have you liked your time working at Los Cubanitos Market?”

(Sebastian) – “The Market here is nice, I work here for 5 years now and am happy with this job. The owner here, yeah, he is so great and is so nice to each worker here. I like the people who work here, most workers like me and are Latino, you know, because Los Cubanitos is a lot of Latino people because the food attracts them. My english you see is not the best, here I speak Spanish everyday to friends and other workers. This is nice and I enjoy that, I try to make my English better, still practicing.”

(Jack) – “What brought you to Hartford, how long have you lived here?”

(Sebastian) – “I come to Hartford 6 years ago now. I come here to work, like most because the work home is no good you see. Work at home is hard and the pay is not much, so I want to come here. Beginning here was hard, you know work and living was difficult at first. Once I settle it becomes much easier for me. This job I have here has been so good, the owner was so nice to me and I have been able to save money here and there.”

(Jack) – “How would you describe the Latin culture in this area?”

(Sebastian) – “Ah yes, I like it very much the culture. Hartford has all types of people, a lot are Puerto Rican, like me, but people of all types come here. I know people from Mexico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Argentina, all types you see. Hartford is a place for people like me, you can find work easily and it is nice to see others like me here, Latin people you know? Many Latin families live here too, many young latino kids, I like to see this, it is a growing group, a big community here.”

(Jack) – “If there is one thing you could change about your experience as a Latino living in this community, what would it be?”

(Sebastian) – “My family, I want them  here too, with me. This place is great for me, I want those from home here too, too enjoy with me. It is hard you know with so many there at home, to get all those here. My brother he came here too, he is the younger one, he came a year after me. This is nice, I see him every week which makes it feel like home to me. I want to travel yeah, I am saving money because I want to go other places too, not just here.”

(Jack) – “What do you enjoy the most about Park Street”

(Sebastian) – “I think the people is it. When I work I meet people everyday, new ones, you know. I get to speak with them in Spanish and hear about their stories. This is great for me, I like meeting others. I try to talk English too sometimes, but here in Los Cubanitos its mostly Spanish, yeah. I like the music too, I walk to the Market for work here, I hear Latin music when I do this. It feels like home for me when I see so many like me.”

For my first interview, I chose to go to Los Cubanitos Market on Park Street. Los Cubanitos Mark is located on 206 Park St, Hartford, CT. I chose this location in particular for a few reasons. First of all, the Market provides a variety of Latino food and ingredients, which I knew would naturally attract people from a Latin American background. Secondly, prior to visiting Park Street, I saw online that the Market had great reviews for its products and atmosphere. Immediately upon walking up to the store and entering, I heard Spanish being spoken, which was great. While walking through the store, I saw a friendly looking woman and decided to interview her. I said a friendly hello to her and introduced myself, she told me her name was Gabriela Arvelo. I didn’t ask, but I would assume she was in her early 40s. The interview was great and lasted about 10 minutes. Below is the dialogue from my conversation with Gabriella once the interview began:

(Jack) – “How long have you lived in Hartford and what was the reason you chose to move to this city?”

(Gabriela) – “I was born in Puerto Rico and my family moved to Hartford a long time ago, I must have been about 4 when we moved to Hartford. They came with me and my two brothers and decided moving to the United States would be the best way to find better work. Money was tight in Puerto Rico for us, I was small, but my parents have told me of this. They chose Hartford because they could afford to live here and it was a place where work was available.”

(Jack) – “How would you describe the Latino culture that exists on Park Street and in Hartford?”

(Gabriela) – “For me Hartford has been a wonderful place to live. The community here, especially those of a Latino background is very big. I am able to speak Spanish every time I come to Park street, especially here at Los Cubanitos. The culture of Hartford is very diverse, there are people from all backgrounds, not just Puerto Rican. Most people have similar backgrounds and stories, which makes it easy to relate and meet new people. I very much have liked my time here.”

(Jack) – “What would you say is your favorite aspect of Park Street?”

(Gabriela) – “Hmm…I would have to say I very much enjoy the variety of Latin shops here. It is so nice to visit Markets and Stores that provide people with Latin products, especially the food. Although I was young when we moved, we are able to cook food as we would in Puerto Rico. I use all of my mothers recipes, which is so nice, my family really enjoys it. If you walk down Park Street you can tell it is a Spanish community, you know? The stores and flags and people all seem to have a Latin heritage”

(Jack) – “How has your experience been as a Latino living in Hartford?”

(Gabriela) – “Great, growing up here was nice because of the community and culture surrounding the area. Hartford is a great city and you get to meet so many people from all over the world. I have a lot of pride being Latina and can tell others around me feel the same. It would be hard to be Latina in a place with nobody else like you, but in Hartford there are so many people and families just like my own. It gives you a sense of comfort and makes living here nice.”

(Jack) – “Do you enjoy working in Hartford”

(Gabriela) “Yes, you know, work is busy and I must work a lot. My husband and I work long hours because we have two young children at home. I work in a restaurant, which is great and I enjoy it. It is nice because I have many friends where I work and we are able to work the same shifts, you know? So that is nice for me. Everybody I know works hard and must work a lot, but we do it together, so its not too bad.”