The experience of Monica Vargas: An interview

“I never thought that I would stay long in this country- I had a life back home”- Monica Vargas

Her Journey

Monica Vargas, a Colombian daughter of seven was the first to receive her papers to travel to the United States, specifically New York City. She, a second-generation will be meeting her father In New York who has been there since the early 1970s (she first arrived in New York City in May 1986).

M: “I wish I traveled to a European country but because my father chose the United States, I had to go to the United States… I think he chose New York City because it’s the capital of the world and there’s a very large Hispanic community that he might’ve felt more comfortable around”.

But her journey to New York was not easy. While she was laid over in Miami Florida, her father entrusted her with somebody who is going to help her travel to New York safely. The only thing, The person who was supposed to help her, was not there, took her ticket to New York and as well as her luggage. With no ticket, no cash, no way of contacting her father, and not able to speak English, she was stuck.

M: “I’ll never forget this experience because while I was there, I was blessed to meet someone (Ms. Richardo) who paid a new ticket for me to go to New York without even knowing me! She told me that she ‘could not leave me there’. She was on her way to California and was waiting to be boarded and I’m so thankful for her and I hope that she’s doing well even now”.

Because of her, my mother was able to go back to New York end it was by the time that she arrived at the New York customs section, has she found a scrap piece of paper that had her father‘s telephone number to contact him.

Her experience while in New York

For someone who had every intention of wanting to go back to Colombia when given the chance, one must think how did they end up being in the country that they weren’t a custom to for more than 20 years?

M: “I think after spending a year here in New York I became very much assimilated to the lifestyle there and where I worked and who I was working with and who I get to call my friends that I didn’t see a reason to go back to Colombia… However, living with my father was is the most difficult while staying here“. Her father, Who I know as Papi Yeyo was a strict and rigid man. “It was his way or the highway,” my mother said, “living with him, I felt as if my wings were being clipped… I had more freedom in Colombia, but here I had to respect his decisions and that came with the cost of my independence“.

Due to this, she worked hard to move out of the apartment she was staying out with her father and get her own apartment which she successfully did. And during her time there, she’s encountered many people that she considers to be family, one, in particular, is Magnolia, and I know an older lady who actually provided my mother room and board when looking for new apartments. “She was absolutely amazing and I’ll never forget her“. When I asked about experiencing prejudice she replied with

M: “I really didn’t pay no mind to whatever people had to say about me so I just kept moving forward… I really can’t remember what they said“.

It was in New York where she got to see snow. “ it was November… I remember that after my English learning class, me and my classmates, we all went outside and you could say that we were acting like children playing in the snow because, for most of us, we’ve never seen it before“.

Her dreams and identity

I: "Do you miss your family and friends?
M: "Of course, during these 20 years I think I felt this emptiness because I was very close with my family I cannot see them every day it's very hard to get used to especially with my friends.'

My mother comes from my family comes from a very large family in which she has 50+ cousins many aunts and uncles from both her mom and dad side and many friends that she's met while in Colombia (childhood friends).

M: I regret not going back to Colombia earlier… Even though I knew I wanted to stay in New York for the rest of my life, I never had a chance to go back to visit once or twice a year...That's why I'm hard on you and your siblings to be more connected to your parent's roots".

My mother hopes to continue her dream of being a journalist, during the first few years while living here she actually worked for a Spanish TV channel but since then she has not practiced journalism but she hopes that before she passes on she gets the opportunity to do so and as well as write a book an autobiography about her life.

M: “What happened with my father, I don’t want the same for my kids, I always encourage them to spread their wings, find something that they love, that they’re passionate about with no fears in their minds... I worry that they won't be able to pursue what they love doing and I want them to keep pushing past that even if it is hard because I know".

When I asked if she sees herself as an American she did not hesitate to say yes. "I think I'm in American, I think my 20 years being here has helped me assimilate to this country, I was kind of weird growing up in Colombia because I like English music and so I think me being exposed to English music and wanting to learn English at a young age has helped me get better at English by the time I came to New York. My English is not perfect, but I think it's pretty good". She finds New York really invigorating and she liked the idea of surviving to make yourself successful and I think her strength and toughness has rubbed off on me.

What does this say about me?

After interviewing my mother and her experiences from Colombia to New York, it has put things into perspective as to who my other who my mother is now and how she raised me to be independent and strong. If it wasn't for her and her tenacity I don't think I would've stayed in New York. I find my mothers experience immigrating here interesting because we always hear the stories of people wanting to come to New York not wanting to come to the United States, not to say that as a bad thing because people have many good legitimate reasons to come to the United States but we often the stories of people who didn't want to stay in the United States as long or didn't like the United States at all. I think these two types of narratives it really creates a more accurate depiction of what the immigrant experience is like and I think it should be talked about more. After hearing her story, I found even more respect for her because I know my mother is strong but listening to her story has really emphasized her strength living here and that is something I'll away take with me.