Interview
My grandmother, Amparo Gonzalez Puerta Velez Soto Cadavid Restrepo, overcame many hardships in her life. She grew up in a catholic family, who lived comfortably due their involvement in the farming and agriculture industry (Gonzalez). She lived in a big house in the farmland with 10 siblings around, and she describes it as "never a dull moment." Her and her siblings grew up outdoors, always around nature and farm animals (Gonzalez). Her family, especially her mother, told many stories about childhood and superstitions that were passed down through generations. She used to play ball, parcheesi, jump rope, and play dolls with her cousins and friends. Her interest in learning began from a young age. She was extremely interested in geography, math, writing, and grammar. When She left Medellin, Colombia and came to the U.S her entire life changed (Gonzalez).
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family swimming in colombia
family photo of my grandmother and her siblings
My grandmother came to the United States in 1964 and her life drastically changed. She went from living on a beautiful farm and a big house to a two bedroom apartment packed with her mother and her siblings. Not only did her living conditions change (Gonzalez). Her quality of education diminished. Even back in Colombia girls were not encouraged to get an education, but her father still decided to send her the first co-ed school in Medellin (Gonzalez). When she arrived in the U.S it was even harder to be taken seriously since she was a minority. She hated her experience attending a California public school. She states, "Because of the language barrier, I was left behind because I couldn’t understand anything" (Gonzalez). She explains that she was bullied for her accent and left out socially and academically. It took her three months to learn English. She states, "I used to read out loud in English, and I used to listen to the radio and watch television in English" (Gonzalez). Her only class that she enjoyed was Spanish, because of her teacher, Mr. Erich, who helped her and was patient with her. She learned to adapt with her new lifestyle in America and deal with new challenges (Gonzalez).
La Basilica church closest to her house in Medellin
