Jason Tejeda Molina 00:01 

We're going to now conclude-- we're going to now begin the actual interview, the fun part.

Adriana Rosales 00:05

Ok, the fun part.

Jason Tejeda Molina 00:08

My favorite part. 100%. Um,  so first of all like to ask some basic questions about you and your background. Can you start by sharing you know where your family is from your childhood and how you grew up.

Adriana Rosales 00:19

Yeah, so my family is from El Salvador. I grew up in Santa Ana, which is next to Guatemala. So I grew up with my grandma and my aunts. And when I was five years old, my mom came to the United States. So I was raised with my grandma and my aunt, basically. And then I moved here when I was 15. So I saw my mom ten years after she left. So I was raised by my grandma and my aunts.

Jason Tejeda Molina 00:43 

Gotcha. If we can talk a little bit about your mother. Did she immigrate to the US?

Adriana Rosales  00:49

Yes, yes.

Jason Tejeda Molina 00:51

And what was the main reason behind that? Was for work or?

Adriana Rosales 00:54

Yeah, it was for work, a better life. You know, El Salvador was going through like, economical crisis and you couldn't find a good job. And she had me. She was a single mom. So she had me and she said, you know, I'll, I'll give you a better future so she came here.

Jason Tejeda Molina 01:09

Hmm. And can you talk to me a little bit about just how it was being raised by your grandmother and what some of your fondest memories with in that childhood as well?

Adriana Rosales 01:17

Yeah, I think growing up it was, you know, I don't miss my mom. I talked to her every day to the phone and, you know, had my grandma and she gave me everything. She just take me to school every day because my school was…You could go walking from my house. So every morning she will take me to school, go pick me up so. We, like I was very close to her, so I think one of my favorite memories is because we were so close to Guatemala. We have family in Guatemala, so we used to, you know, like plan a trip over there. So she will take me and there's these days where you have like a different vendors and right at the border from Guatemala and Salvador and you can go there and buy stuff. So I remember. She used to like wake me up early. We'll go. We'll eat pupusas like right at the border. Then cross and go visit my like her, her sister lives in Guatemala. So I think that's one of my favorite memories and going to school always. She will always take me to school and my alarm clock was her music. She loved Vicente Fernandez, so I know every Vicente Fernandez song because It was my alarm clock like every morning Vicente Fernandez was on the radio and she will listen to it every morning. So that's one of my --That's why I think that's actually my favorite. My favorite memory, like listening to Vicente Fernandez together.

Jason Tejeda Molina 02:30

That's awesome. What is your favorite Vicente Fernandez Song?

Adriana Rosales 02:33

Acá Entre Nos

Jason Tejeda Molina 02:35 

Wow, for me its probably El Rey

Adriana Rosales 02:37

El Rey, Oh my god.

Jason Tejeda Molina 02:39

Yeah, yeah. Did you go up with religion or was religion important in your family?

Adriana Rosales 02:42

Yes. So my one of my aunts, which is the youngest daughter like my my, the youngest daughter, my grandma, she was Christian. Well, she's still Christian and Evangelic, so she used to go to church all the time and she used to take me on Saturdays to like small reunions near her house and but I grew up believing in God. But not actually like going to church every Sunday, you know? So it was really just, but not too much.

Jason Tejeda Molina 03:09

Yeah, definitely. So tell me about when you finally decided to or I guess maybe even when your family decided to come to the United States. Did you join your mother or how was that process like?

Adriana Rosales 03:25

Yes. So growing up in El Salvador, it started to get very dangerous, like especially for people my age like I was 11-12 years old, it got very dangerous because of the gangs and all that. So my mom, when she came to the United States, she came to Texas and then from Texas she had friends here in Virginia, and she moved to Virginia, and she got married here. So when she got married, her husband is a citizen. So she started, you know, looking for the process to get her papers. But lawyers will tell her one thing and then all I want to learn things. So, you know, like, she struggled a lot. So it was the point where she was like, if I can't get my papers and I'll try to get my daughters, which was me. And she had different consultations. They were like Ok, we can start the process. So around like 13-14 years old, they will tell, they used to tell me, oh, yeah, you know, we're in the process of getting your residency. But I was just like, It's not gonna happen. You know, so when I was 15, I had my Quincenera in November is my birthday is November. So I had making Quincenera and I think that's when it got real because they told me my stepdad went to El Salvador to have this celebration with me. He was like, oh, you're not going to school the next year. And I was like, oh, OK. You know, just we started school in January and over there. So he was like, you're not going to school because you know we're in the process and it's probably gonna happen like around that time. So. And I used to go to private school. So you had to pay. And what would I what would I pay for like 1-2 months of school if you're not going, you know, finish. So I remember I went to the interview at the embassy for the Residency. In January 3rd, I get the e-mail that it was like your visa has been approved. So I told my mom I was like, OK, I'm gonna buy the ticket and she got it for March 6th and that's when I came. And I didn't want to come like I'll say. I don't, I don't want to go because I have my friends here, have my life here. My grandma's here, my aunts are here. Like I don't wanna...my cousins, we're really close. And my cousins go, we grew up together. So I don't want to go, and obviously my grandma also, I know it's an opportunity you have better opportunities in the United States that you're gonna have here, you're gonna be fine. It's OK. You can come back. There's people who go over there and they can come back to their country. So I left. I came here and basically I hadn't seen my mom in 10 years. So it was kind of like meeting a new person. And so it was rough. It was rough. Like when I got here, I barely knew English, so I started the ESL classes in high school. I was in 9th grade. And I used to cry every day, every day. And I told me I'm gonna go back like I don't want to be here and like it like it's so different. Like, I want to go home. And one day she sits down and she's, like, cause over there. My mom being here, she was able to pay for my swimming classes if I wanted to do piano. If I wanted to guitar, if I wanted anything that I wanted to do, just, like, do it, I'll pay for it. I grew up in private school. And that day she sits down and she's like, OK, I'll buy you the ticket. You go back home, but you're gonna forget about swimming lessons. I'm not gonna pay for swim lessons anymore. You're not gonna go to private school. You're gonna go to public school, and she kind of like, threaten me. And I was like, OK, I'll stay. I'll try. And yeah, after that, like, you know, it's like getting used to school started making more friends. Then the next year, I met one of my best friends. We're still best friends and we became very close. We kind of went through the same thing, so we bonded it over over it and when I was in 11th grade, I joined the soccer team. So that's when, you know, I started to like speaking more, making more friends, getting more used to like the country and everything.

Jason Tejeda Molina 06:53

What position did you play in soccer?

Adriana Rosales 06:55

I was a midfielder, attacking midfielder.

Jason Tejeda Molina 06:57

Yeah, that's awesome. My-- I have my family is all soccer players. I never really went to that route, but I played defense.

Adriana Rosales 07:04

Oh you played defense? Yeah, I was never into soccer. I was more of a swimmer growing up. But I wanted to, you know, cause everyone if you play sport when you're in high school is going to be easier for you to go to college. So that's why I try out for the soccer team. One of my friends was like Oh let's do it, you know, like. And I was like, I don't even like soccer like. And she didn't even make the team. And I made it so. And I kind of discovered that I might have some talent to play the sport and I always tell my mom that you should have made me play when I was younger, so maybe I could be the national team or something because I signed to play for college and everything and I only played for two years.

Jason Tejeda Molina 07:39

That's awesome. Yeah. Do you still have... Do you still have family living in El Salvador?

Adriana Rosales 07:46

 Yes, my two of my aunts and my cousins.

Jason Tejeda Molina 07:50

And you, you spoke briefly before about how you're close to your family. So do you still talk? Do you still talk to them? How regularly?

Adriana Rosales 07:57

Yes, I still talk to them. I try to talk to them like maybe three times a week. Sometimes we get busy because now my cousins are in college. And I'm working all the time, so it's not as often as before, but I try to go and visit like I just went in April, not in April. In January, I went for a week and I went to see them for like 2 days so.

Jason Tejeda Molina 08:16 

That's awesome, Is it through WhatsApp?

Adriana Rosales 08:18

Yes. WhatsApp, yeah.

Jason Tejeda Molina  08:20

Me too. So let me ask you what, when you first came to the United States, what was was there like a specific memory or was there like an event that like sent out to you like, whoa. Like I'm here was anything that stuck out to you in particular?

Adriana Rosales 08:34

I think going to school, going to school, I came here on a Thursday and my mom was like, you know, I think it was a Thursday. Because she was, she was like, I don't work that day and then you can take Friday off and then we go to school on Monday. And I remember I came on a Thursday and then we went on Friday to the school and they were, you know, to do the paperwork and everything and they were like, no, you have to stay now and it was a Friday. So I stayed and I think that was the impact, because everything was in English. No but like I remember they told one of the girls who spoke Spanish. Like OK, you know, being in charge of like, taking her to the friend to the friend show her where her classes are. And I remember and not understanding anything. I think the first class that I had was biology. I don't like science, but in English it was way different. I mean I understood some of the things people say because I went to private schools learning English, but it's different when you learn over there and then you come here and the native speaker speaks to you. So that was that was kind of... I was kind of like in shock, but then I just get used to it and and, you know, you know how well here Virginia have to take the SOLs. So I came in March, the SOL time in May. And they're like you still have to take them because you know it's 9th grade. So I had to take biology, history, and algebra and they were like, and I was like what if I don't pass or anything so. It's like, Its okay, you can take them, you know the next year. But I grew up having good grades and being a great student. I never fail a test, so I was like, no, I don't want to fail, you know? And they were like, OK, like, it's fine. You're gonna be fine. But I I remember 2 weeks I was in the house signing everything and learning and translating stuff so I would understand what I was studying. And I ended up passing the 3 SOLs and my. I remember my biology biology teacher. He called me outside the the classroom. He's like you're the highest grade in in the in the class. And I was like, you know, because I knew I worked very hard to get those grades. Yeah, that was kind of like the impact that they had on me, like the the language barrier.

Jason Tejeda Molina 10:41

So from what I'm getting at right here, it seems that education has always been something that's played a very big role in your life

Adriana Rosales 10:46

Yes.

Jason Tejeda Molina 10:47

Can you can you, I guess maybe transitioning as well into college. How was college for you? Where did you go to school?

Adriana Rosales 10:53

I went to Randolph Macon.

Jason Tejeda Molina 10:55

OK.

Adriana Rosales 10:56

And yeah. I think the transition of over there is so different when you go to school, you go to school till bachillerato and then you go to college. I wanted to be a doctor when I was over there. And then I realized that I wanted to be a doctor just because of the money not because I liked it. So when I was in high school and they explained to me the process of applying to college, I started focusing on sports and doing clubs outside school hours so I could do extracurricular activities and have a nice application, and I remember writing down my top five. I wanted to go to UVA and got rejected from UVA. And then JMU was my second option, I got accepted into JMU, but I was like it's too far away, I'm not going over there. And it ended up being, you know, because I was playing soccer so the coach from Randolph Macon came to see me play and he said Ok, you can play for us. You can sign. I signed to play, they gave me scholarships and everything. But I ended up not playing because for me school has come first before sports. So I realized that I couldn't do both, so I ended up quitting soccer and not playing for school. And so it was... school has been so important for me in my whole life that getting into a good school, it was very important. And I remember when I got rejected from UVA, I cried and my mom was like, you know, it doesn't matter where you go. It matters what you do with your education. And I say, you know, you're right. So, you know, I was between CNU and Randolph Macon. But Randolph Macon gave me more money, so I was, I'm going there and it was closer to home, so.

Jason Tejeda Molina 12:25

What did you? So you said that you wanted originally to be a doctor. What did you end up studying?

Adriana Rosales 12:30

Communications, communication studies and I double major in communication studies and Spanish literature.

Jason Tejeda Molina 12:37

Hmm. Why? Why communications, may I ask?

Adriana Rosales 12:40

So it's a funny story all my life through school, like science and math have been easy, especially math was very easy for me. Like I've never had trouble with it. My professors, my teachers, like oh, you should, you know, do architecture. You should do engineering. Because math is so easy for you. I was like, Yeah, but I don't like it. I don't like math. And I saw how I hated public speaking like it was one of my biggest fears. Writing, reading, analyzing stuff, not not my strength. So I was like, you know, if math is easy for me, I should work on the other side. That is not that easy for me. So I was like, what if I do communications? You know, I grew up watching Al Rojo Vivo with María Celeste. So every time I saw her, I was like, oh, I would love to do that. I would love to do something like that with everyone around was like, it doesn't pay, it doesn't pay. Communications doesn't pay, don't do that. So I grew up with that idea of it doesn't pay, it doesn't pay. Like, you shouldn't do that. And I got to a point where Mom was like, you know, like, do something that you love. Like, if you're going to go to school, do something that you love, doesn't matter what it is, just do it. And I decided to do communications and I started to take classes in college and I actually liked it. So I ended up majoring in it.

Jason Tejeda Molina 13:49

That's awesome. So transitioning from now going from college to your job, you know your job now, but before you get to that, what was some of the jobs that you had straight out of college as well? We can talk a little bit about that, once you graduated.

Adriana Rosales 14:02

Yeah, yeah. Once I graduated, so I went straight to radio after graduation. So I was working at Ultra Radio in Richmond, which is in Spanish, and I got there as an intern. And I was I was not doing anything related to radio when I was an intern. I was at the front desk. And the owner of the radio was, oh, since you speak Spanish, you should talk to the guy who's you know in the morning show and see if you can join. He wanted me more to do sales than do you know, actual radio. And I was like, I never thought about doing radio because I wanted to do TV. And so I talked to the guy and he said, you know what? I can show you how to do everything. Like, if you're willing to learn, like, I'll teach you. So that's when I decided I wanted to do it. So I started working there, and it was a morning show. And we had we had to be there by 6:00 AM, so I had to wake up early. And I'm not a morning person so, I had to wake up early, go there and learn how to speak on the mic and be aware that there were people listening to every word you're saying. And it was scary at the beginning, it was, it was very scary. It took me like a couple of months to get used to it and be myself and forget that people were listening. But once I got used to it, and once I got comfortable with it, like, that's when I feel like people starting seeing the real me. And they were like, no, she's actually not. I don't have a radio voice like, oh, you know, but people like me because of my personality and how I was, you know, with them. So I ended up really liking it, like I really like being on air, but when I was working there, you had to do sales in order to be on air. So in the sales part is the one that I didn't like. So you know like time went by I was there for two years, but it was kind of like more like a part time. So I got another part time job witch Chesterfield County. I was working as a creative content writer for public libraries. So I was there, I was the only one that spoke Spanish, so I wasn't only doing content creation, I was also doing translations. I was doing managing the social media in Spanish and doing outreach. So doing outreach, I think helped me to find a job that I have now, which is  multicultural programs coordinator working with the community creating these programs that can help people, immigrants and refugees because I work in the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement. So creating these programs so people can have that resource, you know, and they can know that we are here for them and help them get adapted to this new country, a new life, and I think we are the people that I wish I knew about when I came here.

Jason Tejeda Molina 16:35

Yeah, what has been some of your most fulfilling work in your current job?

Adriana Rosales 16:40

In my current job, I think seeing... right now we're working with the police Academy, seeing how many people showed up and actually had been. We were already promoting the police academy when something happened in the community, in the Latino community. One of the guys... Well, one of the most known stores Latino stores in Richmond got robbed and they killed one of the owners. And he was actually our neighbor, like my neighbor. And many people knew him. So after that happened, more people got interested in being in the Latino Police Academy because they wanted to know their rights. They wanted to know the process of everything, of every crime. So I think seeing how people are learning so many things and seeing them, they are willing to learn, think that has been one of my most fulfilling jobs. And I think also we have legal immigration clinics and I think connecting people with the help that they need at that moment and they trust us to do that. It's nice to see that people get help and that they they know that we're there.

Jason Tejeda Molina 17:45

Awesome. So being getting a chance to be a little bit vulnerable as well, what has maybe been some of the negative experiences, or maybe some of the challenges or hurdles that you have to go through in this position?

Adriana Rosales 17:55

I think... I think one of the hardest parts is that many people come here and they come to our office and they are looking for jobs. And I remember exact one guy. He came and he was like, no, I'm looking for a job and I think he had a disability, I don't remember what it was, and he was like, I only have $20 and that's for gas. I don't have money. I don't know if I can make it to the office. I was giving him the address where somewhere where he might be able to get help. Because I don't know if I can make it and the thing is like we're a government office, so I can't help you if you don't have documents, even if I want to, I can't. So I asked him so they have documents and he said no. And I think that's when you're like, what? What do I do, you know? I can't help you even if I want to. You know, I can't help you. So I remember giving him this phone number and this address was like, go there. I don't know if they're going to be able to help you if you don't have documents, but just go and ask, you know, you don't lose anything asking, and I hope he made it. I never knew anything about it, you know, about him after that. But I think that's one of the biggest challenges that you want to help but you can't.

Jason Tejeda Molina 19:05

And so I think this is a very apt question because you also yourself went through this process of immigration process. So has your personal experience how how has that informed the work that you do?

Adriana Rosales 19:17

I think for me, because I was so young, I was 15 when 15-14, when the whole immigration process was going through and it was more of like my mom going to lawyers, my stepdad going to lawyers. I remember for me it was just going to the embassy having an interview. They're asking me about my parents or, you know, my mom and my stepdad's marriage, my sister and that was it. Like I had nothing to do with the immigration process. But then seeing my mom go through her immigration process was more of like eye opening and kind of makes you realize that you really want to help other people find these resources and because my mom for 15 years, she went from lawyer to lawyer to lawyer to lawyer and nobody will give her hope. And she's married. She's been married for years. She does her taxes, she works. She has a daughter who was born here. Now I'm a citizen and she couldn't find, you know, a lawyer that will tell her. Yeah, we can work with your case. So seeing her struggle like that, I'm always like, when people come to us and they're like, oh, like you don't have trouble with this lawyer. It's been like, five years and it hasn't fixed anything. I'm like, come to our legal tenants. A second option. You know, a second opinion. Just do it. It's free. You're not losing anything. So I think seeing my mom's process and how it went inspires me to help other people to make them realize you not only have one option like you can ask many people, you don't have to say we want a lawyer. You can go through different lawyers, look for resources we offering it for free. And I know lawyers out there like consultations are… you have to pay money, like and people don't have that money. So I think that's how he has, like, helped me in my in my job.

Jason Tejeda Molina 20:56

So I'd say my next question to you is what aspirations or what goals do you have for the future? Is anything that you're looking forward to in the future?

Adriana Rosales 21:03

Yeah, I think have many goals like right now like I told you, I'm working on a podcast and I need to actually, like, sit down and just start recording and stop being afraid of, oh, maybe the lighting is not good. Like the sound is not, just do it, because people will listen because of the content, not because of how it sounds, not because of how it looks. So that's one of my goals right now like start my podcast and promote it and interview people and talk about whatever we want to talk about, make it kind of like a safe space. And I see my future, I want to start my own business, my own media business. I don't want to work for someone else, and I want to invest in real estate, not only here, but also in El Salvador. Now that it's it's getting better and you can invest over there. So that's that's my goal. Those are my goals you know.

Jason Tejeda Molina 21:49

Wonderful. So I think transitioning a little bit, we're going to talk about the COVID-19 pandemic and we'll talk about your experience there. So moving along, how did you first hear about just the pandemic? Where were you? What was your first initial thoughts and reactions?

Adriana Rosales 22:05

So I was in school. Randolph Macon was supposed to have a basketball game. I don't remember against who, but they were coming from kind of far away. So I remember we're taking a cycling class with my best friend. And we're the cycling class and they were talking about like, you know, like there's this virus that's going around, but you know, they say that one that they say the basketball game is going to get cancelled because some of the guys from the other team have COVID and we're like, oh, OK, you know, because we wanted to go to the game and then they were like, Oh well, oh, no, it wasn't going to get cancelled, It was going to be closed doors. So, just the team, no audience, nothing. So so ehh I wanted to go, you know. So I think that was on Wednesday. Then, like around Thursday, I had a public relations. And our professor was late and usually, you know when you're in college, you're like, oh, 15 minutes for a professor, he doesn't show up. Like, let's go. And she shows up like, right, like, 16 minutes after the in the time. And she said we were in the meeting with our professor with the rest of the professors seeing what we're going to do because, you know, stores are closing. Colleges are closing. We don't know what's what's happening. And she was like, just be aware of your e-mail. You're going to receive an e-mail to see what we're going to do next. The next day, we didn't go to school, it was a Friday, so we got the e-mail. So the classes are cancelled for the next day and then we get an e-mail like we're going to start virtual on Monday. So from Friday to Monday. You know, go virtual and it was it was hard because we never used zoom before. We didn't need to. And I remember also the same week my sister's birthday is March 10th. So that week we were like oh, it was it was. I think on a Wednesday, I don't know what day it was. But it was during the week. So we're like, you know what? Let's do something over the weekend. And we go to, we we usually go to a Japanese restaurant. We go to a restaurant on on Sunday, you know. Well, OK, great. Nice. Next thing you know, everything closes. So that was that was the birthday that she didn't celebrate. And after that, you know was so hard because everything was clothes or wearing masks and all that. So it was it was. I always remember that my poor sister couldn't celebrate her birthday because everything was closed

Jason Tejeda Molina 24:13

That's awesome. Where? So when? So finally, like, you know, school, the schools close. Where did you go? Did you go moving? Did you go with your parents or how was that? Where did you go once school was closed. When you had to Like leave campus

Adriana Rosales 24:26

So I was not living on campus, so it's in Ashland and I live in Chesterfield and so it was like 40 minutes. So I decided to drive and not stay there cause to save money. So I remember going back to going back home after my classes were over and telling my mom hey, we don't know what's gonna happen. We're gonna receive an e-mail. You know, so we received that e-mail and I, you know, usually my routine when I was in school, it was like going to school in the morning and getting my classes done everything and staying after for extracurricular activities because I was the vice president of the Hispanic Heritage Club. So we're doing some activities. I will get home, like around 8-9. So, you know, I barely saw my mom like that at night. And the next day it was the same thing. So going back home and during the pandemic being virtual classes was different because my mom actually saw what I was doing because, you know, she will complain about I have to clean this. You have to clean that, I have to do this. Mom, I have homework, I have school. I can't handle sometimes both things. So when I was, you know, at home and she saw me taking classes, she saw me doing homework. She's like, she saw me every day, every hour. And she I remember her actually saying like, no, like you, you have a lot work like, you know, I actually see what you're doing been telling you for like for like, this past year, but you didn't get it. 

Jason Tejeda Molina 25:45

Exactly So. Let me ask you another question as well about Latinos and Latinos Reaction. Like the Latino community at large, reaction to the pandemic, what was your experiences with like your either your friends or family members, who were Latino? Like you know, did they believe you know that this was like a real thing? How how, how cautious were you all?

Adriana Rosales 26:08

Yeah. So in my house, we were very cautious because my sister used to have asthma, so we all took care of ourselves. We were using hand sanitizer. We were going to the store and then coming home. But like it was infecting everything. So we were very careful. We had friends who didn't believe in it and they would go visit other people and they didn't care. Or we had other people who were like, it's fake. It's not, you know, like they were religious. And they feel like what the pastor was saying in front of them was the truth and not what was happening. And they're like you can't go to other people's houses. You can't have, like, big meetings and all that. And they were still doing that. And I remember my mom was like, that's not ok like, you know, people are actually dying because of this. And my mom is part of a networking business. So she used to have meetings too and they were still doing them. And my mom was like, I'm not going. She was one of the leaders, but she was like, I'm not going because I'm not going to risk my family and I'm not going to risk other people. So, we saw both sides, you know, like people who didn't people in it and then the vaccine came and people didn't want to get the vaccine because they didn't believe in it. And then we saw the other side of, you know, we're being very careful actually in my house, everyone got sick but me. Like, I was the only one who didn't get COVID and my stepdad, he really got it really bad. He ended up in the hospital connected to machines like we didn't know if he was going to make it. And that's when my mom was like no, people are. Why are people not taking, you know, precautions and staying home like we went through it. And I remember my mom telling these people from the networking business. Like you don't know what it's like, you know, like we couldn't sleep for a week because my stepdad was in the hospital because we didn't know if he was going to make it. And my mom was like, if you don't go through, you're not going to understand. And that's when people started. They started, they stopped the meetings. They didn't have meetings anymore. So yeah, we saw it close with COVID

Jason Tejeda Molina 28:10

And I assume was did your family get vaccinated as well?

Adriana Rosales 28:14

Yeah.

Jason Tejeda Molina 28:18

Great. How did you encourage other people to get vaccinated or start to take this more seriously?

Adriana Rosales 28:23

I think telling them about my stepdad because I was the one since my mom doesn't speak English. I was the one calling the hospital. I was the one asking the nurses like, how is he doing, how are his oxygen levels. Like, is he doing better? Because when my mom took him because, you know, he was getting-- he was sick. And I was like, I told them it's COVID like I know it's COVID. You should go to the hospital. He was like, no, solo es una gripecita, like I'll be fine, blah blah, blah. And I was like, no. And when we saw him that he couldn't even get up from the bed, I told him like you better take him or he's something worse is going to happen. So she took him and when he got to the hospital the doctor was like you came too late. You already have water in your lungs. So at that moment, my mom came home. She was crying. I was crying. The next day, she tells me, I called the hospital just to see, like I don't wanna. I don't wanna hear them say like, oh, no, he didn't make it. No, I don't want to call. So she was like, just call them. So I, you know, took a deep breath, called the nurses. And they were like, no, he's doing, you know, we don't know how he's doing right now, but he's like between you know, the oxygen levels, whatever they explained to me and then I would call every day, every day. They already knew it was me because other family members were not calling, so they already knew it was me. So they were like, no, he's doing better now. He's doing better now until he got better. And that's what I will tell people. I was like, you don't know what it's like to go through that. You don't want to go through that. So get vaccinated.

Jason Tejeda Molina 29:44

So I have just a couple more questions for you. Do you do you feel like you, you really belong in just like Richmond. Do you feel like you're part of the community here?

Adriana Rosales 29:54

I feel now yes, which I never thought I would feel like I, oh, I belong here. This is, you know, just coming here. You know, you just come here and you start living your life or whatever. But I think being part of the community because of the works I've done. Because of my jobs, I actually feel like I belong because I know so many people and it's like people when they need help and they need like connect to jobs or anything, they come to me and then you know, Adri is a good connection to have because she knows everyone here. Everyone knows her in Richmond. So that I never thought was going to happen, you know, because my mom had lived here for years and she wasn't like that. It was like, she didn't know about things. And people barely knew her, and now it's more of like, ohh, they know me. And then then I have to introduce my mom. So my mom has connected to so many people and so many resources because of me. So now I do feel like I belong.

Jason Tejeda Molina 30:43

Hmm, and asking me another question. Do you ever feel like being in these spaces or any of these professional spaces, Do you feel like you have to ever had to omit any of your identity to fit in these split in these spaces?

Adriana Rosales 30:55

I think I have to... I've never been in the position where I had to do that and I never wanted to either. I was like, you're going to accept me or you're going to give me the job because of who I am. Like, if you're going to deny it because of that, that's your problem. And I always been very. It took me a while to be proud of being a Latina, but I think college helped me a lot because I was... My high schools was very diverse. And going to College in Randolph Macon, it's a small town. It's a small college and it's a private school. So it was a lot of white people. And that's when you have to decide between, oh, it's a blend in and start putting my Latino side, you know, aside and become one of them. Or do I take pride of who I am? They either accept me or they reject me. And we started the Hispanic Heritage Club. I made friends, I had more international friends than American friends. And I think because we connected about, we're different and we're going to love who we are and we're going to be proud of us and we learn. I learned about so many cultures when I was in school and I'm proud of the friends I made. Like you know, and then not having... a lot of people make a bunch of connections because you know, like they could relate among each other. But for me, it was I kept my Latino friends and I kept my international friends and I'm proud of that.

Jason Tejeda Molina 32:18

Awesome. So I know that you. So what do you think of the issue of immigration being talked about by, you know, politicians or decision maker or even the general public? What would you like them to know about Latinos?

Adriana Rosales 32:28

I think I would like them to know how hardworking we are and I think they already know that because they have seen it, but it's just here I always say that you see someone you see a face, but there's a story behind that face. So take the time to get to know them, not as, Oh, yeah. It's a number of Latinos. No. Get to know their story. Get to know why they came here. Why they had to go through to come here and the reason why they're here. You know, I feel like they see us as a number and they don't see us as humans and we're not different from from who they are, you know, and we have brought so many good things to the United States and I feel like they just ignore that part.

Jason Tejeda Molina 33:09

What would you like the public to know your story?

Adriana Rosales 33:13

Oh my story? 

Jason Tejeda Molina 33:14

Yeah.

Adriana Rosales 33:14

I think that I came here when I was young and I had the privilege to come here with residency and I didn't have to go through the process that many people have to go through. And I would say it's a privilege because you know, you have to acknowledge your privilege. So I feel like what they I would like them to know is that we come here without knowing the language, but that's not, that's not an obstacle if you work hard, you're going to get where you where you want to be.

Jason Tejeda Molina 33:38

Awesome. Let me ask you. So I want I want, I want some advice. I want some advice for even for myself and for other students, what would... what would you like for other students like myself to know?

Adriana Rosales 33:49

To know about my story, or to know just.. 

Jason Tejeda Molina 33:50

No, no, just in general. Like if you want. Yeah. What's some advice you would give to other people, even maybe other Latinos?

Adriana Rosales 33:57

The same thing, it's don't... I think the main thing is being proud of who you are. It doesn't matter if you come from a Latino background. If you come from a Arab background, like wherever you come from. If you're here from the United States. Just be proud of who you are and be you that's going to take you many places and I think it took me a while to understand that and once I did, that's what got me the jobs. That's what got me the connections. That's what got me where I am right now. Just be proud of who you are. Be proud of who you are and love who you are.

Jason Tejeda Molina 34:30

Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you would like to add?

Adriana Rosales 34:34

No, I think you have really good questions in this research.

Jason Tejeda Molina 34:36

Thank you. We really appreciate that, but that's all the questions I have today. I'm going to stop recording and great. Thank you so much for your time and thank you for.

Adriana Rosales 34:44

No, thank you for reaching out

Jason Tejeda Molina 34:45

Of course.