00:00:00.200 - 00:00:09.890

If you can just start with your name, where you live now, and where you were born, some basic information and what you do now.

00:00:09.890 - 00:00:22.500

And then we'll kinda just go from there. My name is Mike the iris. And they say No, no in Delaware. I have been working with a child

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and I think that women shelter since 1992. I status of residential counsel, your working overnight financing and the hotline.

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And then I moved to Sarah's House in the bare area two to find the shelf him to case management within women sitting on the shelf.

00:00:40.860 - 00:00:51.000

Okay. And do you want to tell us where you were born and kind of describe some of your childhood.

00:00:51.970 - 00:01:04.530

I was wanting children. Mom for a so I lived there until I was 22 years old. I went to college there.

00:01:04.660 - 00:01:17.360

I have a bachelor's degree in social work. And right after college I move here. So my experience working in Chile was only during the year than it did

00:01:17.360 - 00:01:28.430

my internship with children. Working with children and then work with and rehabilitation center with alcoholics.

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But real job until I move here. Okay. And what was your experience like in Chile? And did you know that you always wanted to move to

00:01:41.630 - 00:01:52.730

the US or what prompted you to move to the US dollar. Okay. I when I was nine years old is when we

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had a dictatorship in a chat who was there until I left. So basically since I was nine until I was 22, there was a dictatorship

00:02:06.790 - 00:02:18.800

because of the limitations. So phenyl being allowed to express openly what you're thinking, which alveolus, it was just against

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White Health Initiative policy as well. I decided that I really wanted to, to move. You, get a lot of information through the TV and

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you see a lot of shows that they talk about United States. So that's how I became interested. I know words like languages in my family,

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my pairs like English and French though they always were talking about that. So I had an uncle also with

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bilingual what you speak like German, French, and English. And it was always interesting to learn about that.

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And that was something that I did on my own. In high school. We have to take two languages. It a little bit

00:03:07.580 - 00:03:17.570

of background learning English, but a lot of that was on my own. That's how am I my husband. He was interested in doing this and we would

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go out and start the conversation in English. And then once in a while it was like one word that we didn't know him. There are we will learn from each other.

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So I thought once I was done with college, it was the perfect time to move because once you get a job, you kind of get stuck in there and you

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don't it's hard to move for a couple of years. My intentions were to come to the United States for

00:03:42.590 - 00:03:53.000

like four years and then go back just to get like a good experience while that was on 20 years ago. And I knew I like it.

00:03:53.000 - 00:04:04.290

I know wanted to be here by my family, leaving my family. That was really hard to make that decision, that I was definitely moving here to stay.

00:04:04.660 - 00:04:14.300

I came to Delaware because I came with another friend who from college, who she also wanted to travel. But when she knew I was

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determined to do this, she said I'll go with you. So we came together and we knew someone who live in Delaware.

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That's how we end up here really. My husband then boyfriend lived in New York. He's badly lived in New York. He came two years before I came.

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So supposed to be going to New York. But New York, he was renting a room and was going to be hard to find.

00:04:42.650 - 00:04:52.710

It plays too expensive. He explained things to me. And when we saw the opportunity to come here, and we said, okay, I'll move on to data.

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Which is a funny story too, because when we got here, the person who offer the plays didn't have a place and

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a huge stain in the living room of another family. We didn't even know. So here we are.

00:05:07.200 - 00:05:15.130

I think he thought we would've never going to come like we were saying it, but not really doing it. And we're like. Wearing Wilmington and he's

00:05:15.130 - 00:05:25.350

like what you said so quickly was one of the things when you live in another country,

00:05:25.350 - 00:05:30.870

you know, there's someone who also think chill live event to help out those this family we said,

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okay, they can stay until they get their own place. That's how they help us because she was like almost like okay,

00:05:37.690 - 00:05:49.570

so we know about Salvation Army knew why though you ca, go, we're going to be call you shelters. Really when you move, we, you know,

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you kinda have to have this thinking, nope, you're going to do what it would take to make it work. And that was my thinking,

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hey, if I have to stay in a shelter, I'm going to finish off. They're not like, oh, calling my parents then he

00:06:01.310 - 00:06:09.260

had thicket bag because, you know, this is not working. And same thing in terms of jobs tool. I came my intentions were

00:06:09.260 - 00:06:20.990

to work as a social worker, but I knew I needed to learn about policies, about, you know, just like the daily leaving here

00:06:20.990 - 00:06:32.050

and in costumes and that sort of thing. So I thought the best thing was just to get a job and whatever. So I start a move here.

00:06:32.050 - 00:06:43.280

I came a Friday to Miami Saturday. I was in Wilmington Sunday. I got a job Monday working and never stopped since then.

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It was cleaning offices and then that was a part-time job at evening. And then I got a full-time job, a housekeeper in a nursing home.

00:06:55.190 - 00:07:05.810

So I had two jobs for a while, eventually work in food service. While I was finishing with Push service, I work at the University of Delaware.

00:07:05.810 - 00:07:14.270

Dining sound is this too? I hate it. I cried in the mornings going to work. I was like, I'm going to be doing

00:07:14.270 - 00:07:27.230

this and my husband was like just this, that do get what you want to be. And eventually, someone told me we had a friend who work in

00:07:27.230 - 00:07:37.130

the nursing home Activity director and she had an assistant miss this, then work out the battered women's shelter. And she said they were looking for someone.

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So they told me, You know, what, this thing of like not knowing if I was really ready to do it or not. I don't know anything about the legal system.

00:07:47.150 - 00:07:58.970

I can talk about what's going on in Chile, but not here, and I was very scared of that. My husband type my resume, facts that arrange name to view and drove

00:07:58.970 - 00:08:09.260

me to being almost come when you can do it. And I was so afraid, you know, when I look back thinking, wow, you know, like the ones that I start working,

00:08:09.260 - 00:08:16.880

I realized that I'm talking to and if I can do this and being bilingual help because that definitely there

00:08:16.880 - 00:08:26.390

was a big issue at the shelter. No one spoke Spanish. So hotline calls, they needed to have somebody translating

00:08:26.390 - 00:08:34.220

and climate stain at the shelter, like the minimal things of asking for diapers or asking within London maze, That's sort of things.

00:08:34.220 - 00:08:44.510

They couldn't explaining rules. There was nothing translate it. So it was really hard, you know, they I think climbs

00:08:44.510 - 00:08:52.330

last a little bit longer when they have someone to talk to. And that's what happened when whenever we had a client and they were stained

00:08:52.330 - 00:08:59.640

the day that I was working, we'll say, you know, we just like talking about everything that was

00:08:59.640 - 00:09:05.360

going on during the weekend, just trying to tell me and then just trying to okay. Okay. Okay. So let me see. We're going to

00:09:05.360 - 00:09:13.020

deal with both good and bad and you're trying to take care of all those things the day that I was working. But yeah, it was interesting.

00:09:13.020 - 00:09:24.560

Interesting. So about the childhood. Um, my dad was what he did was I guess,

00:09:24.560 - 00:09:41.110

Superintendent of Education. And we have a social socialist government before. When that happened. I remember when I was nine years old.

00:09:41.110 - 00:09:49.620

We had a phone call in the morning to clean the morning, something like that. And then I heard my dad talking that

00:09:49.620 - 00:10:01.100

they they were attacking the presidential pounds and they killed the precedent. So that will fold.

00:10:01.100 - 00:10:14.230

They merely Terry, combine hair for me, the harm me, and the police force also. So after that, they start going into the houses,

00:10:14.230 - 00:10:23.390

you know, just, just arresting people. Just because anybody who was part of a government. That was the, the,

00:10:23.390 - 00:10:33.320

the reason why, because they will apply to pick on them. And so my pan send me to stay with Fanon called in

00:10:33.320 - 00:10:41.640

my hand because they were expecting they will kind of come to the house. So I will send there.

00:10:41.640 - 00:10:54.530

It'll save my mom was coming to the Sydney. They did it like kind of like this is fine. You're going to go and hang out with your costumes and you know,

00:10:54.530 - 00:11:03.500

trying to make it fun. And I remember lake like this strange feeling of like this, the snake like it's teenagers by

00:11:03.500 - 00:11:12.260

not really understanding the whole, you know, what was going on and hearing, talking like constantly people talking about today.

00:11:12.260 - 00:11:18.820

We had a curfew. Curfew like people were not allowed on the street and they were killing people on the street.

00:11:18.820 - 00:11:29.890

It wasn't safe. And I remember hearing shootings too. So I knew it was bad. But but you don't

00:11:29.890 - 00:11:39.190

have the full idea of what else is happening. And my pan tried to give me a little bit away from too much information about,

00:11:39.190 - 00:11:45.880

you know, in Santiago and the cap it all there. If there's a river and they would see bodies like,

00:11:45.880 - 00:11:55.450

like, you know, from people they kill. So they tried to keep me away from that and tell my dad was arrested.

00:11:55.450 - 00:12:03.760

This happened September 11th. You know, that that has like a big menu for me that day now after, you know, everything that happened,

00:12:03.760 - 00:12:16.760

it's just wow, what's what's with that date? And he he was arrested in beginning of November when he went back to the office to turn in his teeth.

00:12:16.760 - 00:12:27.880

They were waiting for him and he was in they had this sheet, how Sai Bay where they have people they are they took him

00:12:27.880 - 00:12:40.690

to the military academy, of course, when he was tortured with electricity in this little thing. And then from there to that ship

00:12:40.690 - 00:12:51.830

and he that is feed him for like three days. Then the following day when he was here, he remember here down a plate of beans and he was he,

00:12:51.830 - 00:13:00.380

I think that that was of course, no clean or anything like that. Really discuss them. Thank you. Said, Hey, you know,

00:13:00.380 - 00:13:12.980

whatever fimbriae protein that might help. So it was just really they were people like journalists and I like all sorts of people

00:13:12.980 - 00:13:20.880

that they were involved in the government. There is therefore three month and then after that, he was moved to a concentration camp.

00:13:21.190 - 00:13:32.570

Of course, we knew he could he could figure out where he was because he could see like a heel that he could he could what he

00:13:32.570 - 00:13:45.380

was so kind of guy that ETL, where he was located. The Red Cross International did a great job. They allowed the families

00:13:45.380 - 00:13:55.370

to start sending things to, to whoever was in the concentration camp. But you have to be careful because they stole things.

00:13:55.370 - 00:14:01.400

If there was anything good, chocolate, that's sort of things. They will steal it. They would not get there

00:14:01.400 - 00:14:10.940

and they will read all the male 2. So my parents, they, you know, they they had it. I mean, they have a great relationship

00:14:10.940 - 00:14:19.010

and without even talking, they both figured out with how they were communicating. So my dad would send a letter

00:14:19.010 - 00:14:27.000

saying that he was treated so well. He was amazing. And my dad my mom understood there was totally the opposite.

00:14:27.000 - 00:14:33.810

So that's how to manage, you know, like doing that to communicate. But I think it's all about the relationship they had.

00:14:33.810 - 00:14:41.860

They were without saying this is what we're going to do. They were able to communicate out that way. So we were getting letters then.

00:14:41.860 - 00:14:54.470

And I keep it really simple because he couldn't say much. And then after six month, they send them back home.

00:14:54.470 - 00:15:03.200

When he was back home. He was then allowed to go into law school and he wasn't allowed to go back to study.

00:15:03.200 - 00:15:16.520

So yeah, they I mean, they have the power to do whatever. And he was able to go back to work. So I think from there one of

00:15:16.520 - 00:15:24.640

my biggest lessons and I have been learning from that. I think when I move here, do whatever it takes when you want something.

00:15:24.640 - 00:15:38.890

It comes a lot from from my parents, from seeing that my dad as selling selling door-to-door. Gosh, I remember eating

00:15:38.890 - 00:15:47.440

so many avocados and tomatoes and that sort of thing because he was in his salesperson. So he tried his best buddy

00:15:47.440 - 00:15:54.680

was take a lot of times like okay, we have all of your spring we need to read because, you know, he was selling that in and I don't

00:15:54.680 - 00:16:07.260

remember quite well for how long he did that, maybe like two years or something like that. And then they decided that they needed to see.

00:16:07.260 - 00:16:20.050

I keep doing this. They decided to sell a property that we had at the beach. And with that money, my dad

00:16:20.050 - 00:16:28.630

find out when was the nearest country he could go finish law school and be able to go back to Chile in practice there.

00:16:28.630 - 00:16:40.350

So a point or it was the place. So he moved to Ecuador. He did that for four years or something like that.

00:16:41.680 - 00:17:00.380

So he would come or two month to miss it. He prayed describing things. So he's matters this is before emails and 7678.

00:17:00.380 - 00:17:10.100

So he he really directly describing things, handmade people from England door. And when they tell me that from Quito, I said how I

00:17:10.100 - 00:17:16.530

know about this and I start talking and they swear I have been never been in England all bad. I know so much

00:17:16.530 - 00:17:27.470

about food, Constance, festivals. They do streets, stores. And that's because of the letters that he used to send me.

00:17:27.470 - 00:17:35.110

So that was really good. But, you know, that that's one thing seen my dad that he did whatever it took

00:17:35.110 - 00:17:46.700

because we need is some income. My mom was still she was cool feature and she was still working. So was main salad, keeping the family.

00:17:46.700 - 00:17:56.090

They they they did whatever it took to get there. And that's why when I move, he has said Okay,

00:17:56.090 - 00:18:05.420

housekeeping, waiting tables, all those things is the process to get what do you want to be so that, you know, that's something that I try to

00:18:05.420 - 00:18:12.740

pass that to my kids to for them to learn that. When you want something you can be like, Oh, that now I'm meeting my stand-ups.

00:18:12.740 - 00:18:18.480

Do you want to move to another country and be a social worker right away? That's not going to happen.

00:18:18.480 - 00:18:31.210

It's a process to get there, so that's something to give further. That's an amazing story. I just going off of that.

00:18:31.210 - 00:18:38.000

When you came to the US, we had to know a little bit or a lot about how you struggled to get obviously where you are now.

00:18:38.000 - 00:18:46.580

And it's amazing that, you know to or at least the shelf, just legal advocacy as well. But what made you

00:18:46.580 - 00:18:51.910

decide that you were thinking, Oh, I was only going to come here for four years. What made you decide that?

00:18:51.910 - 00:19:01.790

Okay. No, I'm going to stay here or is it kind of just another year past and use figured well, I'm just staying put icon.

00:19:01.790 - 00:19:13.580

I'm feeling like the idea of coming here. And it's, you know, not getting too much into politics, but, you know, the dictatorship

00:19:13.580 - 00:19:24.420

was helped by United States government. Which is kind of like hot feeling like you're moving through all of that.

00:19:24.420 - 00:19:37.430

Which I have to say that when my dad came to visit the first time in 94, when my mom told me when thinking of Whoa, yeah,

00:19:37.430 - 00:19:49.130

he said he really changed his, his point of view of how American psyche said, I don't even see this in children.

00:19:49.130 - 00:19:56.680

I can still say hi to you and make you will say did you say hi to me? I don't know them that well, you know, that's the way it is.

00:19:56.680 - 00:20:04.010

In other places. They might not do that like, you know, subway in New York. Nobody talks to anybody.

00:20:04.010 - 00:20:15.100

But that was some of the things that he sake you really had to defend, going to feel. And you always said that to anybody.

00:20:15.100 - 00:20:22.820

You have to differentiate between that government decisions and the people. Said, you know, unfortunately a lot

00:20:22.820 - 00:20:35.860

of Americans have no idea of, of some of the things that the quote him in the US so you can cut that if you let me know if it was true.

00:20:35.860 - 00:20:52.460

And so just being here, I really wanted to come here. And I really I felt welcome. I really didn't run into

00:20:52.460 - 00:21:03.560

too many issues because towers from, you know, from somewhere else. I would not any longer, but at the beginning I felt

00:21:03.560 - 00:21:14.330

like because you have an Ax and sometimes you have to make sure you sound smarter because some people think you have an essence a

00:21:14.330 - 00:21:22.940

you don't understand. And they talk to you like that and I'm like, okay, you don't need to do that. You know, that people that they think that

00:21:22.940 - 00:21:29.120

like maybe she doesn't understand what I'm saying. And then when you as a bag like oh, okay. She knows. Okay.

00:21:29.120 - 00:21:35.390

Good. So you know, that's some of the things that you have to deal with, kind of like proving a little bit like

00:21:35.390 - 00:21:46.800

like I can fit in here. But really I didn't have, I didn't experience a lot of flaking, no discrimination and that sort of thing.

00:21:46.800 - 00:21:57.950

I just remember one time. And this was like maybe I would say like two years ago. I was in this place with

00:21:57.950 - 00:22:14.300

my husband and I went to the bathroom and this woman can me emotionally Hanson, she said. So you're from Mexico.

00:22:14.300 - 00:22:25.430

Pena said No, I'm from chill it in. She said also you came here to to make some money to make it better and as that.

00:22:25.430 - 00:22:37.090

But actually after I finished college, I wanted to travel and then move here. And she she just knew that that was what I came.

00:22:37.090 - 00:22:45.590

And I just, you know, Liang was like, well, I had a good 9000 on this sheet. Cheap laugh.

00:22:45.590 - 00:23:00.710

She was a little bit drunk too. So then this woman behind me, she said, I am so sorry for what she said. I said, I have been here 17 years past due.

00:23:00.710 - 00:23:07.970

And probably if somebody would say the way she was talking to me, I would have been crying when I first moved here.

00:23:07.970 - 00:23:17.450

But right now it's like, you know what, I'm a US American as you are, happy to have my life here. I have in Chile in a which is kind of funny,

00:23:17.450 - 00:23:25.400

really didn't hurt me. Like, I know that was the intention of made me feel like you don't belong here by pill.

00:23:25.400 - 00:23:34.980

Kind of funny because at this point it's like whatever you give stable things. I have done most of the important things here.

00:23:34.980 - 00:23:42.690

Like, you know, having children, getting married, getting my first job, and raising my children years though.

00:23:42.690 - 00:23:51.980

It was funny unless it is sickness, so pests, they'll be bad. But you know that some of the things that sometimes you have to face,

00:23:51.980 - 00:24:00.780

but that was the only thing that I remember. To look. The other thing, I think it still will depend.

00:24:00.880 - 00:24:10.970

The language. That's a big thing. If you're not able to communicate with others, to kind of tend to stay with people they can

00:24:10.970 - 00:24:20.780

understand you so you just isolate yourself. So that was one of the big things that I like English. So I wanted to talk to other people

00:24:20.780 - 00:24:30.420

and and in my house, we speak English with my husband, will makes it whatever comes first is something we are that

00:24:30.420 - 00:24:35.990

happens that, you know, sometimes do you ask the question and the only one AS Spanish and you're keeping

00:24:35.990 - 00:24:45.520

the same sentence, both languages. It's great. My kids unfortunately don't speak Spanish. No, a little bit.

00:24:45.520 - 00:25:01.250

It was more like they didn't want to feel different. And my son when he was born, his 12th now, he talked to him

00:25:01.250 - 00:25:10.640

in Spanish and then he went to a daycare and he was asking for ally and the navy said, Thank God. It means because otherwise

00:25:10.640 - 00:25:16.010

I wouldn't understand and we will worry about that. Like, oh my gosh, what happened if he needs something and

00:25:16.010 - 00:25:21.390

he's not going to be able to know and understand. So we start doing some English. Next thing you know,

00:25:21.390 - 00:25:28.030

we were doing everything in the news and when I tried to take it back to let's do with LBJ, he didn't he didn't want it.

00:25:28.030 - 00:25:34.250

So I don't know. I think you just need to go to Chile. They sit on vacation and he would be by lean Po.

00:25:34.250 - 00:25:44.280

I think that's going to be the best way. They learn a lot when my pants comes to visit to your kids. It's amazing. Yeah.

00:25:44.280 - 00:25:49.740

That's an interesting story that you tell just because especially when you with the lady in the bathroom,

00:25:49.740 - 00:25:58.020

granite choose a little drunk. But even when you say Well, I went and got my bachelor's degree, you obviously came here with I mean,

00:25:58.020 - 00:26:05.660

it's not like you're not an educated woman and here you are making a life for yourself in America. I can't even imagine why somebody would say

00:26:05.660 - 00:26:19.950

something like that, but yes, unfortunately. How many children do you have and maybe talk about your family life here. And did anyone on

00:26:19.950 - 00:26:28.460

any of your family come from surely, like as well, do they move here or did they just come visit or no? Well, I have two children.

00:26:28.460 - 00:26:38.000

My son is 12, half. He goes to Cab Calloway. Thanks. I'll be alright.

00:26:38.000 - 00:26:48.510

See things, guitar and that sort of thing. And my daughter, She's sum of nine. She's also homepage is going to go capitalism.

00:26:48.970 - 00:27:03.960

They they're great kids. We, my family, everybody's in Chile. Everybody they had come and visit, but they want to move.

00:27:03.960 - 00:27:15.170

My pen definitely wouldn't. You know, that this point. Faith that they could there. Of course, they would like to enjoy

00:27:15.170 - 00:27:23.700

more happy than kids around, but they come they're going to come in may. And usually when they come to stay for a month and a half,

00:27:23.700 - 00:27:34.350

my brother who's 10 years younger than me. My mom actually was pregnant with my brother when my dad was arrested. So that was difficult. Thank God.

00:27:34.350 - 00:27:45.860

He is smart heap. There was nothing wrong with him because it was really a tough time to be pregnant, like almost at the end of the pregnancy.

00:27:45.860 - 00:27:55.910

And my dad came home. I think he was a little bit less than a month. He was born. So he was able to

00:27:55.910 - 00:28:08.660

be there with you upon my brother. He misled that those that when he wants to play for you, it was almost like this.

00:28:08.660 - 00:28:15.380

They're getting used to having that around and then that had to be so and then the next year, same thing again.

00:28:15.380 - 00:28:25.100

I'm back and it's like and for my dad was so strange to because he knew was mom who's making all these decisions. And then that is Yankee trying to be

00:28:25.100 - 00:28:31.460

the dad and the will maker. They don't do things like that. You know, we're doing it this way. So it was really by

00:28:31.460 - 00:28:43.310

the time you start getting adjusted, he had to go back. So that was yeah, that was hard. Nobody knows something that I wanted to say.

00:28:43.310 - 00:28:54.710

Thank the women in my family. I think they have very strongly man and I think I get that from from, from them. My grandmother.

00:28:54.710 - 00:29:07.400

She she was an orphan raised by a and so she had to be tough. You know, that the brothers and sister got all separate in

00:29:07.400 - 00:29:20.240

different towns because there was not one family member who could take all of them. So I think there was real for real. So one was in the south of children,

00:29:20.240 - 00:29:25.980

the other one and they covered on the other one in the north of Chile. So it was really, you know, eventually they, they,

00:29:25.980 - 00:29:39.880

they continue getting together. And when she got married, they kind of kept the family together, that the exiting and that sort of things.

00:29:39.880 - 00:29:51.270

And so my grandmother, she plan to show in my house when she was alive. She, you know, she was very strong woman.

00:29:51.730 - 00:30:02.510

Her husband died when he was sake late 40s. He was really young. Okay. Because I'm 40 cool. So I don't have the faith

00:30:02.510 - 00:30:13.040

that he was really young and she had to take care of everything. And my mom, you know, when when she was

00:30:13.040 - 00:30:22.610

also dealing with my dad being the concentration camp, she had to take care of my family and my grandmother.

00:30:22.610 - 00:30:37.440

My my constant leaving the house to and we had and Austin and my brother people on that time too.

00:30:38.380 - 00:30:47.360

So I think that's what I get that from. It's not like you can be like, Oh my God, what am I going to? You've got to work it out.

00:30:47.360 - 00:30:56.990

You have to think about what are you going to do. And that's something that, you know, I notice I do to last year.

00:30:56.990 - 00:31:05.330

They broke into my house and stole some stuff. We yes. And laptops on that side of things.

00:31:05.330 - 00:31:11.930

And and, you know, for my kids, they were scared to be in the house. That's it.

00:31:11.930 - 00:31:22.610

Let's sit down, make me a list of what will make you feel safer. Because dance is not to move out to another place.

00:31:22.610 - 00:31:33.350

We just need to make sure where we are going to be safer. So they wrote about alarm system, that side of things

00:31:33.350 - 00:31:41.810

and shaking that everything, it's close and we work on the things that was easy. Like a lot of things that they

00:31:41.810 - 00:31:50.360

say for me to continue talking to them about it, about what happened and how to stay safe. And really they're just pretty

00:31:50.360 - 00:31:58.520

well to that reading well, like they were a little bit here and I remember talking to my daughter and I said,

00:31:58.520 - 00:32:06.080

you know, we can then these people run out of our own home. You just take charge of where you are handling.

00:32:06.080 - 00:32:15.230

Sure. This is safe, can and will stay there. And then it was getting out of the class that you come from a family of strong women.

00:32:15.230 - 00:32:20.890

Your great-grandmothers strong, you grandmothers strong. I'm strong. You're going to be a strong.

00:32:20.890 - 00:32:27.840

She got this big smile on your face. He went to school as you'll probably find out there that. But, you know, that

00:32:27.840 - 00:32:36.270

that's the thing and said, You know, you gotta paste things. And I always tell my kids You learn from, from the things that happened instead.

00:32:36.270 - 00:32:45.950

Thinking about and along the longest time, this is what it took. Broke into my house. Well, of course I have an alarm system now,

00:32:45.950 - 00:32:53.240

you know, but that's what it took and you learn from that. And also, if they happen, it could happen so much worse.

00:32:53.240 - 00:33:02.290

Hit Enter happened, he wasn't that bad. So every time something happened, I tell my kids, look and what you can learn about that.

00:33:02.290 - 00:33:11.760

That's, you know, that's instead of like beating yourself up over mistakes, learn from that. That's how you can move on.

00:33:15.820 - 00:33:29.260

Somewhere else. I can go from there. You just so thorough eye that's exactly where I want to go again. Maybe. Can you talk a little more?

00:33:29.260 - 00:33:38.780

I know you were only 89, 10 years old, but maybe just talk little more about some of the changes that you saw that happened in Chile,

00:33:38.780 - 00:33:46.220

like daily life or even just changes that happen in your town within the society, within culture after

00:33:46.220 - 00:33:55.830

Pinochet came into power. Okay. Well, I remember even though with nine house and grade,

00:33:56.590 - 00:34:12.440

I remember B or peanut chat in the last year. It was very difficult because the composition to link over there with making healthy collagen to have,

00:34:12.440 - 00:34:19.650

remember that they were hiding some of the products like show, but you couldn't find anywhere. So that's the black market came

00:34:19.650 - 00:34:33.020

with I get the thing back then. And then there was this government agency who would go into the stores and check the warehouse and they will find

00:34:33.020 - 00:34:42.800

all this product that they said they didn't they didn't have big sign. No, we don't have any any of which show that oil, that sort of thing.

00:34:42.800 - 00:34:52.460

Then they will go and the wooden house and it was thought would be cyclic how dated from hiding this stuff. So if it was feel good,

00:34:52.460 - 00:35:02.210

they will put a big sign and said You got to sell it at the price that you had a bed. And that's when this wrong.

00:35:02.210 - 00:35:16.410

Like it looks like people waiting in line, long lines waiting to buy. And a lot of things that you see on TV when you,

00:35:16.410 - 00:35:25.380

when they talk about that golf a man and people waiting in line with because of that, there were no hiding this things. There was no need to have old.

00:35:25.380 - 00:35:32.930

So black market, I know that it was really tough and I remember my parents talking about that, but since I was little,

00:35:32.930 - 00:35:44.800

I understood because when they were saying, well, this is what's happening, like the high things and then they pretend that is take all my money.

00:35:44.800 - 00:35:59.460

It's not feeding their people. So it was just it was fairly tough then with but till then I feel like that fear to

00:35:59.740 - 00:36:12.030

being out in the street with ones that peanut chair was in-charge. I remember that. I was so scared of the police

00:36:12.030 - 00:36:23.900

because when I was in college, that's when all the demonstration started. So there were times that I remember walking. I have maybe like 15

00:36:23.900 - 00:36:35.420

minutes away from college. So walking to to school and 10 around a corner and everything was like nobody

00:36:35.420 - 00:36:41.550

was then then I was reading. I remember I had a test, so I'm walking and I'm reading like the last, you know,

00:36:41.550 - 00:36:52.340

couple of things that I had to read that and turn around and go up and realize that, oh my God, it was demonstration and this cop shoots

00:36:52.340 - 00:37:04.730

out the tear gas and dust ride on my feet. And they opened the door. The main goal of the qualities that I went to him, they're like,

00:37:04.730 - 00:37:10.250

they're like just like grabbed me and pulled me in there and they gave me solve this ygroup goods sold on the you.

00:37:10.250 - 00:37:19.280

Hi, he had that help to absorb that. So they gave me song and I was like, I cannot believe this. I'm just turn around the corner.

00:37:19.280 - 00:37:25.310

I'm coming from home. I'm not doing anything. I'm not even yelling anything, you know, and and that that sort of things.

00:37:25.310 - 00:37:33.620

And then coming back like getting out of the boss. And they will combine this. It will sort of like like a jeep that is

00:37:33.620 - 00:37:41.990

shoots water but it was like nasty water with who knows what in there. And then we just pass and should whoever was in there and how

00:37:41.990 - 00:37:49.430

we should be getting out of a glass. Nothing to do with what was going on in there. And I went to a Catholic university.

00:37:49.430 - 00:37:57.240

They were not allowed in the building. All the others, they could just walk in then our risks, whoever they wanted to.

00:37:57.240 - 00:38:06.710

When it was declared a state of emergency, they weren't allowed to go into every every building including ours. So whenever that to that point,

00:38:06.710 - 00:38:14.840

the police with just waiting for that because they were so tired of like who we can now walk into the building.

00:38:14.840 - 00:38:25.910

So they're all in b n. And then I remember like one time they they were going to go in and running up and was like,

00:38:25.910 - 00:38:34.520

Hey, floors running upstairs to the school, the social work school, and closing the doors in there. But because they knew

00:38:34.520 - 00:38:41.330

like they could just walk into the office like you're studying and doing something and then downstairs when everything was

00:38:41.330 - 00:38:51.820

going on at home, that fear negative police will say something. So gary, because you couldn't trust them. So when I moved here,

00:38:51.820 - 00:38:59.900

I used to smoke when I first moved here and I went with my friend who was also from college. We we won't we will like

00:38:59.900 - 00:39:12.890

walking distance to a supermarket, walking with 930 and state troopers thought. And then remember shaking like, Oh my God, this is on top of that is another language,

00:39:12.890 - 00:39:20.730

you know, tuple, bad. I was just so scared and he said, Well, we will go and with that we're going to buy cigarettes thing. He said.

00:39:20.730 - 00:39:31.670

Just be careful because it's not safe for you to be walking made at night. And he asked what would leave themselves going back that way and said,

00:39:31.670 - 00:39:40.070

okay, and we will make only calculus actually nice. And you really care that we have safety. That's the way it's supposed to be,

00:39:40.070 - 00:39:44.610

but it's just stop. It. It's totally the opposite. They are you don't trust them.

00:39:44.610 - 00:39:54.030

You didn't know they Nino, they will ache, leading people in this tree and people that had nothing to do with the really like

00:39:54.030 - 00:40:03.560

talking about that up use of the power they had. They just did whatever they was taken. Nothing nothing that you could go and say,

00:40:03.560 - 00:40:17.480

well, you know, this is what habit. Nobody was going to do anything about that. So now let's collect not trusting right after the people

00:40:17.480 - 00:40:27.140

being arrested and all that. I remember like he couldn't trust anyone what you were going to say? I remember my parents.

00:40:27.140 - 00:40:34.910

People were not allowed to meet in the house. That you couldn't celebrate a birthday because that was taken as you're getting together and

00:40:34.910 - 00:40:44.060

people start talking and they might talk about what's going on. So you will not allowed to do that curfew. The women the women were

00:40:44.060 - 00:40:49.890

not allowed to wear pants. They if they, if you will, have pan-ethnic on them. So they could differentiate

00:40:49.890 - 00:41:01.370

between men and women on the street. Tracks passing with with people like in a uniform with with guns and that sort of thing.

00:41:01.370 - 00:41:10.590

It was just it was really scary, I guess, because I was there. It was kind of like, well, I guess this is supposed to be this way.

00:41:10.590 - 00:41:18.650

When I think about that here and I see my daughter, she's the age that our walls, I'm thinking, oh my God,

00:41:18.650 - 00:41:28.390

that was so scary, you know. And my pan tried to keep me away from some of the things, but also my dad

00:41:28.390 - 00:41:38.250

talked about what happened to him because he said he he wanted me to know not to the polygon. Just like there's many people that

00:41:38.250 - 00:41:48.980

they kind of like the Holocaust. They think it didn't happen. And there's some people that they didn't know someone that

00:41:48.980 - 00:41:56.990

it was touched that way. So they they they just think, oh, and it wasn't that bad. But, you know, with, with my dad,

00:41:56.990 - 00:42:09.200

of course we had so many people that that the disappear friend said arrested to some people and they came back and they were

00:42:09.200 - 00:42:18.320

not all the way they after they came back because it was just too tough to know. I don't know if I mentioned that.

00:42:18.320 - 00:42:27.410

Because socialist and while he was in a concentration camp, It's funny because people have been thinking, can,

00:42:27.410 - 00:42:39.770

you can or less than, but you cannot get yet to make him change their way of thinking. When the Red Cross, they were sending good and they were

00:42:39.770 - 00:42:50.240

families that they had no money to send anything. So my dad organize everybody in there and said,

00:42:50.240 - 00:43:00.170

there are some people whose getting nothing from their families. So their socialist or communist tier, I'm thinking is that cap,

00:43:00.170 - 00:43:09.840

everything equal for everybody. So he said, Why don't we put everything that we get when we divide it into a Revit them.

00:43:09.840 - 00:43:16.790

And that's what they did. And what he told me that and said that's funny because it's like you being in

00:43:16.790 - 00:43:25.350

a concentration camp because you think that way by the steel, you exercise grain. That thinking, that way of thinking.

00:43:28.000 - 00:43:34.910

Amazing. No. Piano. Was thinking that I can leave it to you. Yeah.

00:43:34.910 - 00:43:39.900

Yeah, he's seen it. That's very brave of him to pass on his story, especially to his family.

00:43:39.900 - 00:43:44.900

Those here, right when you say that a lot of people, they can come back from it and they immediately shut down.

00:43:44.900 - 00:43:50.450

And that's how I feel like stories and things get lost. History because you can read about in the textbook.

00:43:50.450 - 00:43:57.180

But yeah, yeah, you know him and God forbid you don't want to ever repeat that experience with other people.

00:43:57.180 - 00:44:06.340

So that's very both of them. Yeah. Is there anything that you want to specifically ask?

00:44:06.340 - 00:44:14.000

I guess I don't want to shift gears too much. No, I love her. I was I personally curious more about career path like cuz you

00:44:14.000 - 00:44:21.950

to get your bachelor's in social work. But I guess I thought you were going to be here for four years doing this led

00:44:21.950 - 00:44:27.940

to what actually has you envision you are going to be doing that comparable directions. Okay.

00:44:27.940 - 00:44:36.950

Well, with social work, I always know how I knew that's what I wanted. I remember I was in eighth grade

00:44:36.950 - 00:44:45.740

and some story in the newspaper about a child who herself really shocked by it, following what was happening

00:44:45.740 - 00:44:52.580

to me that was arrested. I know that until the until my dad my dad said, You know, there's some people that

00:44:52.580 - 00:45:00.530

blur it can help with that. So he started talking to me about that and say, oh, okay, I thought I like that.

00:45:00.530 - 00:45:08.420

It's funny because then later on I was so ready. Status social work. I find out my grandmother

00:45:08.420 - 00:45:14.870

wanted my mom to be a social worker. They never told me that until I was already there. So say, Well, hey,

00:45:14.870 - 00:45:25.670

look at that and you know, so my idea was after I graduated was to come here and I was thinking for years to say,

00:45:25.670 - 00:45:35.630

thought, hey everyone, I'm there. I can get my master's degree and then I go back to Chile and that would be great. I got everything that I wanted to do.

00:45:35.630 - 00:45:45.920

Well, it's not that easy. You see these shows on TV, you know, like, like not back then there were all the shows but I'm thinking

00:45:45.920 - 00:45:53.090

friends, they never work. You know, if you think about that, I'm like, yeah, it's not like that, but that's the owl was I

00:45:53.090 - 00:45:58.400

always tell people like it's nothing like that. You have to work. So I never really

00:45:58.400 - 00:46:08.160

worked in Chile and I find out that I had to work and pay bills and ones that I pay bills. I had no money left.

00:46:08.460 - 00:46:18.370

And with that, I said thinking, well, I need to work more, two good way I want to be and then go back to school.

00:46:18.370 - 00:46:27.730

In the meantime, my husband also, he did it. He was in college until it but he didn't finish the he came here, he had to go back,

00:46:27.730 - 00:46:36.730

so we thought, okay, I haven't naturalistically, you really need to finish that in case if we end up going back,

00:46:36.730 - 00:46:49.470

which she was the plan. He decided he didn't want to go back. And so he finished college. And then after that,

00:46:49.470 - 00:46:56.960

we we had kids. And I thought I can't be dealing with that right now. Eventually I'll do it, I'll get there.

00:46:56.960 - 00:47:05.300

So he was lucky some MBA. And I still, I was thinking that that's what I wanted to do.

00:47:05.300 - 00:47:13.890

And then I realized really a master's degree. I like the idea, but I was thinking more like doing counseling.

00:47:13.890 - 00:47:27.200

And I can see myself talking to someone poor, like 45 minutes an hour, and one after another one. I need that contact with more people.

00:47:27.200 - 00:47:35.630

Like case management. I think. Again, more out of that like doing in Oakland with the clients to quote,

00:47:35.630 - 00:47:43.550

I'm talking about I'm making phone calls with them AND, and, OR giving them numbers and make housing and social services

00:47:43.550 - 00:47:54.600

and to invest little things. So I realized that I really like that part more than just therapy. So that's when I change

00:47:54.600 - 00:48:00.500

a little bit and I thought, You know what, I'm I'm good where I am. I like this. I don't really need to do

00:48:00.500 - 00:48:12.860

that to go back to school yet. And then I go to the gym, make six times a week. I love the gym. I'm not all that

00:48:12.860 - 00:48:19.160

involve fitness and all that stuff. So That's something that having a change in the debate because that kind of

00:48:19.160 - 00:48:32.810

make contour that I would like to do something around that. So all single counseling know, but like more like

00:48:32.810 - 00:48:42.350

a wellness center or something like that. So that's the plan. Eventually, I'll get their kids and grow in and then you'll

00:48:42.350 - 00:48:52.940

have time to do all that things. But that's one of the things. But definitely it say women always had been into working with women.

00:48:52.940 - 00:49:02.320

I really like that. And then think. Also growing up in children and seen that when I was at, things have changed a lot.

00:49:02.320 - 00:49:11.570

We have female pressing them which oh my God. That was a big step. Unfortunately, it was already here because I would have loved to

00:49:11.570 - 00:49:23.210

be there and be Pardo to working there. But I know things have changed a lot when I was in children, left in 89.

00:49:23.210 - 00:49:34.310

So it had been a long time. Things have changed a lot. But when I was there, you had to put a picture of you.

00:49:34.310 - 00:49:40.650

You resume. And they would take, if you will, good-looking, you get a job. If you're not a good looking you,

00:49:40.650 - 00:49:46.340

you don't get that job. And I thought, Oh my God, my the only one who's thinking this is wrong and that really

00:49:46.340 - 00:49:56.900

I always thought my thinking, it doesn't fit in here because people is accepting that it's okay. And that was one of the reasons why I

00:49:56.900 - 00:50:06.320

wanted to move because I felt like I have friends that we would talk. How about we go to the the shoulder the week and

00:50:06.320 - 00:50:13.460

what not my boyfriend won't need to go and I'm just like, keep up with your boyfriend. You have to ask for permission

00:50:13.460 - 00:50:21.440

now if you tell me you that. Okay. I understand that. But, um, so that kind of things that I will say, lady, just thinking.

00:50:21.440 - 00:50:31.910

That's what okay. And I'm just done except that kind of thinking. So that's I think

00:50:31.910 - 00:50:37.800

that was one of the things that are pushing me like you need to go somewhere else where it's going to be more accepted to do that,

00:50:37.800 - 00:50:50.450

you know, that, that kind of thinking in. But women always was like an area that I'm very interested in blocking. So I do that and also I do

00:50:50.450 - 00:50:59.840

parenting classes with Spanish-speaking clients. Just like it's it's really rewarding, too. Really great when you

00:50:59.840 - 00:51:07.880

when you have them coming back. And is that a try when you talked about the other day about then limited choices and any word yes.

00:51:07.880 - 00:51:14.590

That listen because sometimes you to know that really are just sitting there or or they're really getting what,

00:51:14.590 - 00:51:24.830

what you're talking about. So if it's good, it's good feeling. I know that you've talked to people to try to give advice.

00:51:24.830 - 00:51:33.000

It's like I don't really know if your absorb anything. That sounds like an interesting path though to take.

00:51:33.000 - 00:51:38.820

You talk about maybe eventually wanted to do something more with wellness is I never knew that something you'd be interested in.

00:51:38.820 - 00:51:46.440

That's awesome. Yeah. I'm thinking of things we haven't touched upon.

00:51:46.500 - 00:51:56.210

Actually wanted to just kinda came across for me. Have you returned to Jillian? Do you have anything that you

00:51:56.210 - 00:52:07.550

normally see as well at the beginning, it's expensive. Round-trip ticket to take 121300. So of course, at the beginning was

00:52:07.550 - 00:52:18.250

the neck in the budget to do that, then kids, of course, you gotta go with kids. That's even more money. And my pan three-dimensionally come every year.

00:52:18.250 - 00:52:27.900

So they calming. So it's like, okay, well, I don't need to go. I'm really just waiting for the right time so that we can all go.

00:52:27.900 - 00:52:38.480

And intrinsic expensive really have to go. They have one like, at least like or something like that to make it more thick is

00:52:38.480 - 00:52:46.880

that when I go back, I have so many people that I need to visit and my kids want to see places and meet.

00:52:46.880 - 00:52:55.130

They talk about than to say we were talking about since my son is older now, he could go and visit

00:52:55.130 - 00:53:03.110

and stay with my parents. He said, I can need everybody that I'm supposed to love, but I don't know, like

00:53:03.110 - 00:53:12.230

my relatives that I don't know them, but I'm supposed to love them. So it's funny that in and he's very excited about ADL going there and learning Spanish.

00:53:12.230 - 00:53:22.480

He knows that he will learn that way. So getting to see places that we've talked about like school and see those things,

00:53:22.480 - 00:53:32.220

the house, what would we call that being nice, compact area. And do all that with them? Yeah. Yeah.

00:53:32.220 - 00:53:39.200

Yeah. That's what I would like to do with, you know, with them. Yeah. So do you I guess since

00:53:39.200 - 00:53:47.090

you've never back and they don't know as much as they would like to. And how do you keep year? Usually heritage alive with

00:53:47.090 - 00:53:56.810

your with your kids like to you. I guess the first question would be, how much do you try to do that and try to instill that sense

00:53:56.810 - 00:54:11.900

of calm you to try to find that balance. I don't want to be too chill land to America. It's a kind of because you know, what I have seen with families, that thing.

00:54:11.900 - 00:54:21.050

You tend to isolate yourself and isolate your kids and your kids thinking then defend from, from the waist up the other.

00:54:21.050 - 00:54:35.840

This seems cool, so I don't want that and a woman to feel like a futurist, different. We really tried to talk about, like everybody's sake will be friends.

00:54:35.840 - 00:54:43.970

Not just, you know, when you pass out from the rays that the, that, that sort of thinking just like

00:54:43.970 - 00:54:53.150

we all different and that's why he makes this so wonderful and I will defend my kids since they were little. I remember my son saying I'm talking about

00:54:53.150 - 00:55:05.230

his friend Chris and I said Which one because he had to. And he didn't say the one who was white or the black is to give in preschool.

00:55:05.230 - 00:55:14.840

He said, the one who's dark brown, not a light brown. And I ask them, what are you medium. And I was like that's so be it, you know,

00:55:14.840 - 00:55:25.760

to see that, that that that's how you see it. In the end. Always we try to do that by trying to find a baton. So this TLD know they,

00:55:25.760 - 00:55:32.780

they, they learn about Julian for the stories that we tell. And we talk about things and some of the food.

00:55:32.780 - 00:55:39.950

I, i then cooking chili, so I learned to cook. He has item too many Chilean thanks. Unless my parents come.

00:55:39.950 - 00:55:47.420

I asked my mom I have like a list of things that I want her to to make when she comes. Kids try some of those things.

00:55:47.420 - 00:56:01.820

So if we go for example, in in September, when is the the 18th of September we get together with this, the big thing, Nick, they do and celebrate,

00:56:01.820 - 00:56:13.610

you know, the equivalent to the 4th of July. So we do that and independence day and they go there and they get to eat some of the food.

00:56:13.610 - 00:56:19.910

Feel that people, they don't understand anything that's going on because, you know, everybody speaking Spanish bad it just to,

00:56:19.910 - 00:56:33.410

you know, to get some of that and also to fit in with everybody. That's the idea they can know just two. This is your group of

00:56:33.410 - 00:56:45.220

people and deal with their defense. So they really they had like my my kids have friends from everywhere from everywhere. And they seem to fit in with everybody.

00:56:45.220 - 00:56:55.010

So it just, you know, trying to keep the balance. We don't watch like Spanish Chung TV because that's very like Central America.

00:56:55.010 - 00:57:10.230

That's not really my kind of productivity. And in terms of meal sig I mean, I like more like counseling. So my kids listen to everything.

00:57:10.230 - 00:57:18.170

Like my son That's rogue. You know, they listen to some classical music. They listen to John narrative.

00:57:18.170 - 00:57:25.720

You know, we listen to like everything. And once in a while, I pay some Spanish music too. And they're like, What does this say?

00:57:25.720 - 00:57:33.350

Like my daughter especially and start translating, which is so hard when you don't have, you know, they practice

00:57:33.350 - 00:57:38.420

of doing that and instead have to pass it. I'm like, okay, hold on, let me go back to that and sheets you think

00:57:38.420 - 00:57:48.710

interested in learning what, what the sons are talking about. And say, you know, like some Cuban, some riders and that sort of things to which

00:57:48.710 - 00:57:56.960

a LAN and they, they have seen some movies, some chill man movies to whatever is appropriate for kids.

00:57:56.960 - 00:58:17.730

They can feel this or not, but just finding a balance. It's cool. Any other questions? I know, like which is great.

00:58:17.730 - 00:58:29.010

And I really was just trying to go off of things you've said, but for me so fleshly get another key. Yeah, just sleep.

00:58:31.300 - 00:58:33.780

Maybe.