Gabriella Wise  0:02  

My name is Gabriella Wise. I'm a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. I'm interviewing Marlene Laynez Loarca from Richmond, Virginia. Today is Sunday, October 20, 2024 and the time is 11:33am. This interview is being conducted at the Cabell Library at VCU. Marlene, thank you so much for allowing me to interview you. So first, I'd like to ask some basic questions about you, your family and your background. Could you start us off by sharing where your family's from, your childhood, and how you grew up?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  0:34  

Yeah, my parents are both from Guatemala. I'm the youngest of four siblings. My parents had all three of my brothers in Guatemala, so I'm the only American citizen as far as my siblings. My parents immigrated here at different times. I think my dad immigrated here, like late 90s, and then my mom immigrated here, like either 2000 or 2001, like early. And then, yeah, they went to Michigan, because my dad had family friends in Michigan, and they were like, 'hey, we'll let you stay here'. So, my dad went to Michigan, and then when my mom eventually immigrated here, she just followed along and she also went to Michigan. So I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and then we moved over to the state of Virginia, in like 2004, 2005. Anything else?

 

Gabriella Wise  1:39  

That's good. Um, so I know you said your brothers were born in Guatemala. Have you noticed any differences between y'all's childhood experiences?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  1:48  

Oh absolutely. Um, it's really silly and really funny, because they obviously got disciplined a lot differently than I did, I feel like. Just because, I feel like there really is no follow up in Guatemala as much as there is in the state. Which, I hate to say that, but I mean, I feel like it is true. But yeah, my parents never really forced me to eat whatever I didn't want to eat, or like they didn't, like spank me or anything. Like, I don't know, like, I feel like, that's like, a technique that a lot of parents use, and my parents felt more comfortable using that technique in Guatemala. And then...

 

Gabriella Wise  1:48  

That's so interesting.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  1:51  

Yeah. But then, in the states, they were like, oh, like... It's so weird. I don't even know if I'm allowed to say this. You can cut this out if you don't... if you're like 'that's so weird'. Um, but I think my parents like... having to raise a child in the States. They heard a lot of like, horror stories about kids calling ICE on their own parents. Just because they could. And I think that was like low key kind of...

 

Gabriella Wise  3:02  

So you think it was more of like a fear thing? 

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  3:03  

Yeah. I think it was like a little bit of a fear that my parents had. Which, like, obviously, now that they know, like, the person that I am, like, they know I would never do something like that. But I think in the moment, they were like, 'oh, well, like the schools can also call ICE or like...' So they, it was like a fear tactic that was, like, kind of implanted in their lives. Because they used to hear stories about kids doing that. But I don't know, I do think the way they raised me is a lot... was a lot more lenient than the way they raised my brothers. And then, obviously, I am the only daughter. So then, like, whenever we talk about, like our experiences and like the way we were raised, like they were still... had the fundamental like, strictness with all of us. But they were, like, definitely a lot more lenient with me, because I also was a female. Like they saw me differently than they saw my brothers, because they were like, 'oh, well, she's a girl', you know?

 

Gabriella Wise  4:09  

Are your brothers much older?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  4:10  

Yeah, um, the oldest is 40, the middle is 39, and then the youngest of my brothers is 33.

 

Gabriella Wise  4:22  

So how much of a gap is that? Like 10 years?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  4:25  

From the youngest to me it's 11. Yeah, 11 years.

 

Gabriella Wise  4:29  

So I guess by the time they moved to Michigan, they were kind of at that age where they weren't, like getting disciplined as much anyways.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  4:36  

Yeah, for sure. They um... they came to Virginia. So they didn't come over until I was like a toddler, until, like, we were in the state of Virginia. I don't know. I know my middle brother was the one who came here first out of all three of them, but I don't remember how old he was at the time. I do know that the eldest was the second brother to come, and I don't know how many years after it was, but he was 18 when he came here.

 

Gabriella Wise  4:41  

Who did they stay with?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  5:10  

They stayed with my aunt. So my mom's sister. And they grew up, they were raised in the house that my dad built and my dad owns. Like they were raised in that house, but it was just my aunt living there with them. And like, to this day, she still lives there, like she just takes care of the house because she's not married, and her kids are also grown up, like they're also in their 40s, and they have kids, and they have their houses in Guatemala. So she just kind of lives there, and she takes care of like, my dad's land...

 

Gabriella Wise  5:43  

That's cool.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  5:43  

And his house.

 

Yeah.

 

Gabriella Wise  5:45  

Do any of your brothers have kids?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  5:46  

Yeah, my oldest brother, he doesn't have any kids. My middle brother had a child when he was younger. So that's actually the reason why he came to the United States. So he got this girl pregnant in Guatemala. But her mom had just remarried with a Mexican man who had his American... like American citizenship. So then, as she was pregnant, he was working out how they could get their citizenship. And so he eventually did it, and she ended up moving to the United States with her siblings, her mom, and then her new stepdad. And she had my first nephew in the States.

 

Gabriella Wise  5:46  

Was your brother here then or no?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  5:48  

My brother was in Guatemala. So then he immigrated to the States because he thought, like, 'oh, she's gonna be right around the corner from where my parents are'. No, we were in Virginia and she was in Indiana [laughs]. So very different, but they, like, lost contact, after she, like, got her citizenship and came here. But yeah. So, he has one child out of wedlock, and then he got married, and now he has... With his wife right now, he has two sons and two little girls.

 

Gabriella Wise  7:17  

Does he see the other child?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  7:19  

Yeah. So when he... he's my age.

 

Gabriella Wise  7:24  

Oh really?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  7:24  

Yeah [laughs], he's six months younger than me. So it's funny that, like, I'm his aunt, because he's like six months younger than me. Um, but when he turned, like, 13 or 14, he started asking about his biological father. Because his mom remarried.

 

Gabriella Wise  7:42  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  7:43  

But he started asking about, like, his biological father, and then, like, that side of the family. And my mom and his grandma have always been friends, like since Guatemala, so they've constantly been in communication. So we, for years, we're, like, getting pictures of him, and like getting updates on him, but he didn't know anything about us because...

 

Gabriella Wise  8:03  

That's so interesting.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  8:03  

They wanted him to figure it out on his own, though. Like they wanted... they wanted that interest. 

 

Gabriella Wise  8:08  

So they wanted him to know.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  8:09  

Yeah, like they were very clear, like, they were like, you have another dad than your siblings. Like, you guys have different dads. But, like, we're not going to pressure you into wanting to know anything. So if you want to know something, you ask when you're ready.

 

Gabriella Wise  8:25  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  8:25  

So then, when he was, like 13, 14, he asked. And then, we took, like, a family trip to Indiana.

 

Gabriella Wise  8:32  

That's cool.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  8:33  

And now they go every year for his birthday.

 

Gabriella Wise  8:39  

Was it easy for them to, like, build that relationship or was it kind of...?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  8:43  

Definitely not. He doesn't speak Spanish.

 

Gabriella Wise  8:46  

The kid, yeah?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  8:47  

So he only speaks English. And my family predominantly speaks Spanish. So his dad knows, like, a little bit of English, but every like... it's my older brother and then him, and then my dad, who know English. So then my... the youngest of my brothers, and my mom don't. Like, it's fully Spanish. So they… they know a little, little bits and pieces of English, but it's very choppy, and it's very like... the accent is there, so sometimes they're a little difficult to understand. Also, because, like, their grammar is not great when they're speaking in English or typing in English, but they've tried their best. And I also think, like, part of that motivation to keep trying their best with the English too, though, was like, knowing that he didn't speak English so, or, like, didn't speak Spanish. So, like, that was the only manner of communication. But yeah, so like, I feel like language barrier wise, it was a little hard for them to form, like a connection with him at first. And also, he's, like, just a very quiet kid in general. So I think my family had a little bit of difficulty with that, because my family is very much so, like, talk your ear off, like they never shut up [laughs]. So it's just like, very different dynamics with the way that he was raised versus the way my family is. But I mean, now they have, like, a pretty okay connection, yeah. And then yeah... and then the youngest of my brothers has a 15 year old girl in Guatemala right now.

 

Gabriella Wise  10:28  

Is your brother still in Guatemala?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  10:30  

No, they're all here.

 

Gabriella Wise  10:31  

So, but his daughter’s in Guatemala.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  10:34  

The girl he had the baby with is there. So she's like, with her mom. So like...

 

Gabriella Wise  10:41  

Does she ever come visit, or does he ever go there?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  10:44  

No.

 

Gabriella Wise  10:44  

Do they have any contact? Like, at all?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  10:46  

They do. Um, they'll, like, call and text and everything, but it's only him, the rest of us don't have contact.

 

Gabriella Wise  10:55  

Okay. That's so interesting, though. How, like, the differences between, like, the two different siblings... with the kids.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  11:02  

Yeah, like the way they have their kids [laughs]. Yeah.

 

Gabriella Wise  11:08  

What was like the reunification process for your brother and your parents? Did they ever talk to you about it, like, when they started moving up here? Did they have a difficult time with that?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  11:18  

Like, you mean, as in, like when they moved here? Like coming to America?

 

Gabriella Wise  11:22  

Yeah, because when your parents were already here, and I guess they were with your aunt, did they have difficulty, like reconnecting with your parents?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  11:32  

The oldest two definitely didn't. I think my... so they... obviously education is different over there, but my parents really value education. So I will say, like, in the way that we were raised, like, that was one thing that remained constant with the way that all four of us were raised.

 

Gabriella Wise  11:52  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  11:52  

The only difference is, like, no one really made it that far. But like, when my first brother, so the second one, moved to the States, my parents were obviously happy. My mom was overjoyed, like, my mom just wanted to see her kids again. It's really, like, the basis of everything for her. But my dad was a little disappointed, because he, like, didn't really make it far in school, like, he made it to, like, what I guess would be the equivalent of middle school here. And so my dad was, like, disappointed in that, but he was also excited to see him. So I think both of them are just like, okay and content with that fact. And then when my oldest or... yeah, when my oldest brother got here, I know my mom obviously was very happy. I don't know... I'm assuming my dad was happy he was here. But um, I do know he was disappointed, because he technically dropped out like his last year of... before completing college, essentially to come here.

 

Gabriella Wise  13:08  

Okay.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  13:09  

So I know my dad was disappointed in that fact, in that aspect. Because he was like, 'you made it so far, like you were so close, like you could have had a profession there'. And so I think that was disappointing to my dad. But my last brother, the third brother, that one was hard. He's had a lot... and my parents obviously, like, they're immigrants, like, and I also feel like Hispanic families, like, you don't talk about mental health, like, that's like, kind of like a thing. You just don't talk. But like, my brother definitely has mental stuff going on, like he felt neglected. Like he thought that my parents leaving to come to the States was them neglecting him and like, basically, like them choosing that they didn't love him or care for him. So like, the way he grew up, he saw it as like, 'well, my parents left me when I was 11. Like, my parents don't care for me. They left me when I was like, 11'. So he didn't tell my parents that he came to the States.

 

Gabriella Wise  14:27  

Oh, really?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  14:27  

So when he first came to the States, he went to Miami to stay with the girl he was with at the time, like the one who we had the baby with... to stay with her family in Miami. And he just, fully, just didn't tell my parents that he was in the States.

 

Gabriella Wise  14:44  

How long was he here before...?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  14:45  

A few months, I think maybe, like, three, four months. But like, obviously, like, my parents found out immediately, just didn't bring it up to him. Because, like, duh, my aunt was the one taking care of him [laughs].

 

Gabriella Wise  14:57  

All of a sudden he's not there anymore.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  14:58  

Like he's gone. And so, like, duh, they knew. They just didn't bring anything up to him. They just kind of like, let it be. And then one day he told them. And like, I remember they were just like, 'okay, well, like, why didn't you come here'? Like that blows. Like, we are your parents, like... My mom, like, I tell you, my mom's like basis was just like, I want to see my kids again. So, like, she was heartbroken, because she was like now she felt neglected. You know? But I mean, he stayed there for like, a few months after that as well. And then one day he just hit my parents up and he was like, 'anyway, you guys can come pick me up'. So literally, it was my mom, my dad, me, and a family friend, and we drove down to Miami.

 

Gabriella Wise  15:51  

And he's been... is he still in Virginia?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  15:53  

Yeah, now, he's just here. We, like, all live under the same roof, except for my middle brother, who's married, has kids and everything. Other than that, like, we all live under the same roof [laughs]. 

 

Gabriella Wise  16:04  

That's cool. So we're gonna switch tracks now. I know you talk about how education is important to your parents and your family. We're gonna talk about your education. So I know you're a college graduate and you studied social work. Why do you think you chose that? And do you think your experiences had any input?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  16:22  

Oh, 100%. My parents also raised me very, like, religious. Um, but my parents raised me very religious, and so, like, a lot of what was put into my head from a young age was like, volunteering, volunteering, volunteering, volunteering. It was just something that was, like, constantly there, and it didn't matter where we were genuinely. Like, if there was someone who needed help, my parents would push me to it. Like, if we were at the DMV and someone was struggling to speak with the worker because they didn't speak English, my parents would be like, 'hey, my 11 year old can translate for you'. So, like, my parents really threw that onto me, and then when we were in high school, though, what really made me start thinking about, like, social work as a profession and like, as my future, was the Mata twins. Like Kaylah and I already forgot the other sister's name... Kiyah, I think it was?

 

Gabriella Wise  17:30  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  17:32  

What happened with them and like, their foster care situation. And then Simone's mom is a social worker. So like, those... like, just having conversations with them. Like, we would sit in, like the... like, in Ms. Cassano's little room. Like, I already forgot all the names we had for these rooms. But we would sit in Ms. Cassano's room. And, like, we were a small class, so, like, it was just kind of a few of us, and we would just talk about it all. And the Mata twins would always keep us updated with, like, what was going on with, their foster care situation as well. So I think that also had an impact on, like me choosing social work. But I will say, like, a lot of what I do, and like a lot of the root... like work that I do, I do think stems from the fact that my parents are immigrants, and I had to be raised in a household like that. So in my head, that takes a lot of importance to the things that I do in my life. If that makes sense.

 

Gabriella Wise  18:38  

And I know right now you're working with the Sacred Heart Center. Do you think that that influenced working with them?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  18:44  

Oh, 100% [laughs]. Yeah. I mean, we used to go to the Sacred Heart Center a lot, too, when I was younger, and then I've volunteered with them for years. So when I saw this position open up, I was like, 'oh, like, I want to try'. I mean, I love their mission, and obviously, like, I'm, again, not that religious, but I love, like what they stand for and like their mission. And I love that they are very focused on the Latino community, obviously. So, definitely impacts the way... like it's the reason why I chose to be there, I feel like.

 

Gabriella Wise  19:21  

Yeah. Going there when you were younger, what resources did you like, use from them?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  19:27  

So we would go there a lot. I think we only went there for personal... like, personal things. Like, a few times my parents would use their taxes, resources or stuff like that. Like... the nitty gritty, I feel like. But I would go a lot with my mom whenever she’d take other people.

 

Gabriella Wise  19:48  

Oh, okay.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  19:48  

So we'd go to, like, the Food Bank and like the classes and stuff. Because, like, my mom would take people. And my mom even took English classes with them at one point. It didn't stick, though, [laughs] but she went. She tried it.

 

Gabriella Wise  20:06  

Um, let's see. So I guess going off of that, what's your experience been with the Latino community in Virginia?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  20:16  

I genuinely like, sometimes I do kind of feel like an imposter. Because, like, I do feel like I didn't really start... well, okay. We lived in an apartment complex for years, like, up until, I think, junior year of high school. We lived in these, like apartment complexes that were just like, predominantly Hispanic andLatino. So, like, growing up, a lot of it was just like... the experience was second hand. Like from what I saw or like, my mom. Like, my mom is a stay at home mom, she doesn't work somewhere. But she would always make herself available to other people. So, like she'd give people rides to their doctor visits or to their jobs, or to, like, run errands and stuff. Because they all lived in the apartment complexes and they didn't have a car. So my mom, like, always made herself available to people, like, to Latinos who had just immigrated here. And like... there was, basically our... I don't know if you know where I'm talking about, like in the Midlo Turnpike, all the way down where the Krispy Kreme is?

 

Gabriella Wise  21:45  

Yes.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  21:45  

So before any of that was there, we lived there. Before it got like, the new buildings and the new restaurants and everything, it was nothing. Just like, absolutely nothing. So where the Wawa is, there's these really, like... bad, not bad, but they're just like, not the best apartments. We used to live there. Right across the street, there's New Grand. Which is like this Asian, ethnic store.

 

Gabriella Wise  22:12  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  22:13  

And really, whenever you go in there, it's just Latino workers who don't speak a lick of English. All of those workers live in these apartment complexes [laughs]. And they would just walk to work, like, every morning. Yeah, I mean, it wasn't bad. It was like, a 15 minute walk, but like, they'd walk to work. So, like, a lot of them, like, would immigrate to the states and then get a job there, and it was easy. Like, that's all they had to do. So then when they needed a doctor's appointment,like in upper Midlo or they needed to go somewhere over there. My mom always made herself available for that. And then, like, a lot of these people were, are men for the most part, I felt like. In my experience growing up, it was a lot of men who had immigrated here. And so the other thing my mom would sometimes do was cook for them. Like that was, like, another way she made, like, a little bit of income. She'd make meals for these men, and they'd be like, 'we're paying you for this'. Or she'd make like, tamales, like batches of tamales, and then go to La Mancha. Like these apartments that are like in... right off of Hull street. Like, she'd go there and she'd sell her tamales out of the back of her car. Like, very much so, like, an early 2000s like, Latino type of movie. I feel like you saw that a lot in like, early 2000s movies. But she'd do that and like, that was, like, her little form of income, but I'd always go with her, regardless of where it was. Like, I didn't have a choice. So I got to see, like, all of those interactions that my mom had with the Latino community. Like how she took people to places, how she kind of, like... she didn't know much, because obviously my mom doesn't know English. But like, she knew basics and she knew people who knew things. So she was able to, like, connect certain people to certain things I feel like? Which, when I think about it... I feel like, explains a lot about the way I ended up and like how I ended up in social work. Just like the way she made herself resourceful to people. But apart from that, I mean, I've had pretty... experience with the Latino community in Richmond. I feel like working with the Sacred Heart Center has helped. Like, years of volunteering there has been, like, a really big way that I've seen how the Latino community is. Like the food bank is one of the places where I predominantly would volunteer at the Sacred Heart Center. And just seeing how those interactions go and, like... all of that was really interesting. And then, like, right now I'm... So the job I'm doing right now with them, I'm just working with high schoolers to help them figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives and how to go forward from here. But like, right now I'm just... a lot of the kids I'm working with right now have recently come to the States.

 

Gabriella Wise  25:22  

Oh, okay.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  25:23  

So it's like, the interactions I have with them a lot is constantly informing them of things. Like, there's certain things I feel like that they're not informed of because they're like, 'oh well, my parents don't know this'. It's like, oh, okay. Like, one of my favorite things with them, though, is like, we took them to the University of Richmond, like, last week, and it was so cute, genuinely, to see how like... they've never seen a college campus before. So like, how shocked they were, how they were like, 'oh my God'. Like, it was so cute, and it's so fun. But yeah, I just feel like a lot of like, my interactions with the Latino community has, like, kind of been firsthand, but mainly second hand too. And it's been mainly immigrants for the most part, I feel like. Like my parents are immigrants, so, naturally, I've just had a lot of interactions with other immigrants.

 

Gabriella Wise  26:24  

So then what's your experience with those outside of the Latino community, I guess, especially considering that some of your family members don't speak much English at all and like... What has been their experience and your experience?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  26:36  

I mean, thankfully, so far, nothing racist. 

 

Okay. 

 

But I mean, I feel like my parents were really great on that front. Like nothing ever happened to them or my family. And I feel like most of the people that I've seen interact with my family have been pretty helpful, even when there is a language barrier. Like the neighborhood we're living in right now are mainly English speaking. There's really not a lot of Latino families in the neighborhood where we're living at the moment. But like, my mom goes on her little walks every morning. And when I was in high school, I would, like, go on my little walks with my mom. Or, like, early college, I'd go on, like little walks with my mom too. So I've seen the way that our non Spanish speaking neighbors interact with my mom and like, it's been very kind, very pleasant, which I think is great. And like, they'll try their best to, like, speak a little bit of English, I feel like. Or like Spanish. I feel like, they'll try to be like, 'Oh, hello' to like my mom constantly, so I think that's really great. But I don't know. I feel like... I feel like for the most part, I've surrounded myself with people who are pretty informed about social stuff. But then, like, I have also had like, coworkers or... like my partner is white. So then, like, my partner has friends who grew up in Midlo. And I feel like in Midlothian, it is a little different. I'm not gonna say they, like, don't have any Hispanics, but I do feel like they are predominantly white over there. So like, over there when... like, my receptionist job is in Midlo So when I am in Midlo though, I do feel like I explain a lot.

 

Gabriella Wise  28:44  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  28:44  

Or like, I have to explain a lot about the way I was raised. Because, like, people don't... I am currently the only Hispanic, Spanish speaking Hispanic, who works in that hair salon. And so I feel like I do have to explain a lot of things, little things... like they don't understand certain things? Or, like, they'll make comments and they don't understand that they're like threading on, not racist, but, like, insensitive. So like, with them, I do feel like sometimes I have to be a little bit more on the educating side. Which I do think it's funny, because I feel like it's two different energies. Like, when I'm in Richmond versus when I'm there, like when I'm in Midlo. And so it is a little like... Again, I love talking, like my family never shuts up. But like, I love talking. So I'm more than happy to explain these things. But at the end of the day it is, like, a little weird, especially after doing like, three years at VCU where everyone kind of understands it. Or at least has experiences that help them understand it. And then going to Midlo, where it's like...

 

It's interesting too. Maybe it's just the place I live in Midlo, but I feel like there's a good amount of like, Latino community. Which is...

 

Well, where do you live?

 

Gabriella Wise  29:27  

Like Hull street, but closer to where it's getting developed. Like, I'm near Commonwealth center, the movie theater.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  30:26  

Okay, well. So I have friends who live there, and I feel like that's kind of a Latino area. But then it is really interesting, because when you drive down to Midlo, and then, like... even my partner, he went to Midlothian High School. So even my partner, he'll be like, 'oh yeah, we really don't... like, we really only have like, white girls at our school. Like we all had crushes on white girls because we only knew white girls. Yeah, and then we graduated, and it was like, oh my God, there's people of color'.

 

Gabriella Wise  30:58  

That's so interesting. How it's different, basically, only by like, a 10 minute drive.

Marlene Laynez Loarca  31:02  

Exactly. That's what I find to be so interesting. Because, like he... I remember one time we talked about it, because he was like, well... his parents moved to Hull street, like, around that area where you live in, like two years into high school. But they got permission to keep going to Midlothian because they didn't want to, like, just leave their friends. But he was like, 'yeah, even the difference in neighborhood, like, the neighborhood where we lived in... in Walton Park, was just, like, predominantly white, and then we moved to this other neighborhood off of Hull street, and you see more people of color'. 

 

Gabriella Wise  31:38  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  31:39  

And I find that to be interesting, because I'm like, I don't understand. Like, it's a 10 minute drive. I don't understand how it's like that. But it very much so is like that. And I feel like, especially with this year being an election year and it being something that I'm obviously very passionate about... and like, I have stances that I'm very passionate about. Like I know who I'm voting for this year. I know what direction I want this country to go in. And having coworkers who I know are the complete opposite. It's so interesting, because it does feel like I do have to explain certain things to them. Because it's just like, how...

 

Gabriella Wise  32:23  

Yeah, and I guess it kind of comes down to like experience too. But it's crazy, because something that's so obvious to you...

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  32:31  

Is not obvious to them. And I find that to be so interesting, because... and I say it a lot, like I was raised by immigrant parents. I think that has a lot to do with the person I am now, the way I am now, the way I think. And so it is very interesting that to me, that's my normal, and then other people just don't think of that. Like it doesn't even double cross their mind, you know? Like, before we had the permit, because immigrants can't have licenses in Virginia, but they have the permit  license. So basically, like, if you get pulled over and the cop sees that permit license, it counts as your license, but like clearly, it's not a license. It's just, like a Virginia permit. But like, before we had that, right, before we even were able to do that... there are people in the state of Virginia that never had to think about, like, being cautious with driving.

 

Gabriella Wise  33:36  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  33:36  

Which I think is really interesting, because, like, I grew up always being scared of my mom driving by herself. Because I was like, 'well, you don't have your license. What if you get pulled over? You don't know English'. Like, I panic at the idea of my mom getting pulled over. Like, she'd drop me off at Thomas Dale, and it was a 20 to 30 minute drive from where we live at the moment. So like, she'd drop me off, and then I'd panic on the idea of like, if she made it home safe. Like, if... not even like, in the aspect of a car crash, just in the aspect of like, I don't want her to get pulled over. She doesn't know English, she's driving by herself, she doesn't have a license. So, like, it's so interesting, because to me, that was a really big issue growing up. Like that was something I felt passionate about. I went to the Virginia General Assembly for that. Like, I remember all of this. And then they got their permit license, and I was like, 'woohoo, like, change is made'. And everybody around me was like, 'what are you talking about'?

 

Gabriella Wise  33:36  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  33:50  

It was just not something they had on their daily mind. And like, it is very interesting to see how different it is when you have different experiences. But also just like, the demographic area is also really interesting. Like, how that takes play and the way people think as well.

 

Gabriella Wise  35:01  

Yeah. Do you think in that area, like, I guess, at work in Midlothian, or even while you're at VCU, do you feel like you had to omit parts of your identity or culture to feel like you fit in, or anything?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  35:14  

Absolutely not. Um, I kind of, like, genuinely don't care. Like, in the most respectful way possible. By any means possible I think there is nothing that is going to strip away my want and my need to admit that I am a Latina woman and that I am a first generation. And that... you know? In my head that was always such a flex. Like, especially coming to VCU, I think was what really solidified it for me. Like this school has so many first generation students. I think, like, 37% of the population at VCU is like a first generation student. And so, I very much took pride in that. And while I was at VCU, there was no shame in that. Like, I worked at, like, one of the offices in VCU and every time I'd meet with my director, he'd be like, 'so, how are your parents? Are they good'? They knew, it wasn't something that they were, like, opposed to either, which I think is really nice. And I think that maybe a few years ago, if you would have thrown me into the Midlothian area without feeling that confidence, or that self confidence, I maybe would be a little bit more hesitant to say something about it. But I think because of the experiences I had here too, and like the way that people treat you at VCU, there's kind of zero judgment in this school, which I love. You can dress however you want, you can look however you want, like no one's gonna really say anything to you. There's always gonna be someone empowering you. And I met so many amazing people at this school that now in any other aspect of my life, I'm like, 'oh yeah I'm a proud Latina woman, I don't care, I'm a first generation, I don't care'. I'm pretty outspoken, I feel like. So I will speak my mind. I'm not gonna hide that fact about me.

 

Gabriella Wise  37:12  

Yeah, that's good. Okay, so we're gonna switch topics. We're gonna talk about the pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic. So where were you living when it started, and how did you learn about it?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  37:25  

Um, what do you mean? How did I learn about the pandemic?

 

Gabriella Wise  37:28  

Yeah, like, how did you get to know about it?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  37:31  

Okay, I was a senior in high school. We were living in a rental house  off of Hul street. Yeah, off of Hull street. We were living in a little rental house. And actually, it was senior year, like, I remember, like, the last day I saw someone before everything was like, the world shut down, It was Emerson, and she took my grad pictures. So she took my grad pictures, and then I came home, and then I felt violently sick. And then everything started going on about like shutting down like schools and shutting down workplaces and everything. And then, like, three months into COVID, my brother finalized a sale, and he bought a house. So in the middle of COVID, while everything was shut down, we were packing everything up, and moving to the house that my brother bought And that was, like, off of Meadowbrook. So yeah. And then, like, so it was so silly. It was like, one day we were like, 'oh two weeks off of school'. And then the next day we were like, oh, senior year is over [laughs].

 

Gabriella Wise  38:57  

I guess, how did you and your family deal with, like, the stay at home orders? I guess, especially for your parents and your brothers for work?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  39:03  

Yeah. My dad got really ill too. He got COVID at one point. So he just shut himself out in his room by himself. And one thing about that man is he does not like to stay put, he constantly wants to do something or work. So for him, it was really difficult. My brothers, I feel like they were like, 'oh, chill, like, everything's all right'. Because they all work in the same construction company. But I think after a month of it having to be shut down, they're like, 'okay we can't do this anymore'. And, like, they were some of the first few people who were able to go back to work once things started opening back up. Because, like, obviously all these construction projects that had millions of dollars put into it got shut down.

 

Gabriella Wise  40:01  

What did they do for that little bit where they didn't work? Did they get paid still, or were they just kind of...?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  40:06  

I don't know. I genuinely don't know. I don't think I ever asked about that.

 

Gabriella Wise  40:10  

Because construction is one of those things like...

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  40:12  

Yeah. I think I was just way too focused and involved in the fact that, like, I needed to solidify everything for college. Like I was... home stretch. So I was too focused on myself. I just remember that they were all frustrated at the fact that they didn't like work for a really long time. But I don't really remember if they got paid or not.

 

Gabriella Wise  40:37  

Okay. Were any of your family or friends severely impacted by COVID, whether it was, like, getting really sick or, like, anything involving it...you know?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  40:48  

I'm not really sure.

 

Gabriella Wise  40:49  

Okay.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  40:49  

If I'm being honest [laughs].

 

Gabriella Wise  40:53  

Did you get vaccinated?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  40:54  

I did.

 

Gabriella Wise  40:55  

Did your family, like, did many people, you know?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  40:58  

My dad.

 

Gabriella Wise  41:00  

Just your dad?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  41:00  

Yeah, it was just my dad and me. And then no one else got vaccinated, I don't think.

 

Gabriella Wise  41:06  

How do you think... were they affected by that at all? I know it was more like a personal thing. Some people just didn't get sick.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  41:13  

Yeah, I mean, my brothers and my mom never got sick. I got sick before we even really knew it was COVID, like before we even gave it a name really I was sick. So I didn't get tested for COVID or anything. I was just... but in my head, I passed it off like I was just severely dehydrated the day that me and Emerson took my graduation pictures. I didn't drink any water that whole day. So in my head, I passed it off as, 'oh, I've made myself sick'. Could have been COVID, not sure. I was bedridden for like, a week, though. But then my dad, he got sick after it was confirmed, we knew what COVID was. Like, the world knew what was going on. But other than that, my mom didn't get sick, my brothers didn't get sick. They never got vaccinated. I think my brothers just never cared to.

 

Gabriella Wise  42:11  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  42:13  

And then my mom definitely was one of those, like, conspiracy theorists that was like, 'the government is trying to get you.'

 

Gabriella Wise  42:21  

Were they ever affected by the places that like mandated vaccines or...

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  42:26  

I think they just avoided it in general.

 

Gabriella Wise  42:29  

Okay.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  42:31  

My mom, she... the whole COVID thing was a really big debate in our household. Because my brothers didn't care to get vaccinated, but obviously they still put masks on and then my dad was a stickler on it. And then I kind of felt like a stickler on it. Like, we both got vaccinated, we both wore masks, we both limited interactions with the outside world. But then my mom, like I said, was, like a 'the government is trying to get you with the vaccine'. And then she also just hated wearing a mask. So, like, she'd constantly say something. If given the chance, she would say something about how she hated wearing a mask. And I... I was what? I was 18, 19. I would look at her and  be like, 'girl, suck it up, you're putting it on. You want to go to Walmart, you're putting the mask on'. Like, sorry, I'm not letting you go somewhere without a mask on [laughs]. I think that was about as much impact. Like, it really wasn't a... if it was a crazy thing, I probably just wasn't noticing it. Like, if my parents were genuinely concerned about, like, income, I genuinely just wasn't paying attention, then.

 

Gabriella Wise  43:46  

Okay.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  43:47  

Yeah.

 

Gabriella Wise  43:47  

All right. So we just have a few more questions. This is gonna be the last section. What do you think about how the issue of immigration is talked about by politicians and the general public, and what would you like them to know about the Latino community, specifically immigrants?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  44:09  

This one's just difficult. It's obviously like a big question. Overall, the topic of immigration in the States... I feel like politicians really undermine it. Just the way I see it, obviously, like there's statistics, obviously there's a bunch of research around it. But once again, like my family are immigrants. Like American citizens started after I was born in my family. I'm the first and then my nephews, my nieces, like everyone else after that. So I do feel like with that one, being the oldest American citizen in my family and having to be sort of like that guinea pig and to transition to like what American life is in the States. I've gotten a really big understanding that politicians in America just reduce everything to statistics. And at the end of the day, these are real people. And obviously, I first hand see that these are real people because, like... they are my family,they are my brothers, they are my neighbor. You know? Like, I've seen the impact that immigration and immigration laws and the restrictions that immigrants have on people I love and people I care for deeply. And I think that whenever I do hear a politician talk about immigration, there's very little to none empathy in it. I feel like we constantly talk about, ‘come here the legal way’. And I think we... I think that the way that the media kind of feeds into all of it too... it's like we forget that there are so many laws in place that make it difficult to come here legally.

 

Gabriella Wise  46:23  

Yeah.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  46:25  

Whether you're trying to get your green card, or your citizenship, or your visa. Like whatever, every single one of those processes is different, and it's difficult. And genuinely sometimes just comes down to the person you're talking to, at the end of the day. Because, like, I don't know... Like, I've had family members apply for visas. Like, my aunt has her visa, thankfully, and she's able to come to the States whenever she pleases. But then, like, her daughters, who are hard working, have their professions in Guatemala, have their kids, clearly have a good financial status... are clearly in the good have gotten rejected for their visas four times already.

 

Gabriella Wise  47:16  

Do you know why they've gotten rejected?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  47:18  

I genuinely don't know. Like, they never get a written down in depth reason for why they get rejected. They just do. And you know, how real this might be? I'm not sure. But they've been like, 'oh, well, the person I talked to at customs' in the office they go to 'you could tell they didn't like me, or like you could tell that she was in a bad mood today', or something like that. And sometimes we've, as a family, have just reduced it to that. Like oh well, you didn't get accepted because the worker was in a shitty mood that day. Which... how much truth is there in that? Who knows? But it really does make you question, why? Especially in that case, like that family, like the mom and then the daughters. How my aunt could have gotten it and then my... her daughters, who are well off and they're not asking for their children's visas or anything yet. They have slowly just been asking for their visas because they want to come see my family. They just haven't been able to get it. And they've tried time and time again. They've tried separate years apart. And they just still can't get it, which I think is wild.

 

But, yeah. I do feel like we kind of reduce it, or ought to be, like, 'oh, just come in the legal way'. And I think that I do appreciate it... more recently, I've been appreciating the way that Kamala Harris is kind of taking a hold of that conversation. Especially with the Univision, not debate, but like the Univision like panel she did. Like that, I think had a lot of impact. You could see how, like this politician sees Latinos as  real people, you know? Whereas, like, on the other side of the spectrum, I feel like Trump reduces us to be all just Mexican and eating cats and dogs and, you know? Like all of that nonsense. I feel like politics is all just the art of war at the end of the day, and they choose and pick what they get to say. And I feel like, up until this year,  immigration has been... and it fully just feels like it's because of the impact that Donald Trump has had. Immigration has become this wild thing. It's not accepted anymore. It genuinely feels like so much hatred has evolved from Trump's campaign, from.. you know, from when he first started. So much hatred has evolved about immigration, especially from the southern border. yeah, And I don't know. It just... I feel like there definitely is a lot more to get educated on. And I do feel like all of these agencies that are educating and putting the statistics out there about the Latino community really need to have more of a platform and need to have more focus on them. Because it would definitely be very beneficial if people could start seeing immigrants as human beings. And then, not... also like, I don't know. I feel like I've gotten asked so many times If I'm Mexican or I've been asked if I'm from here. And like, I understand where the questions are coming from, but it's also like... clearly there is an assumption you have about me just based off of the color of my skin. And I feel like that's a little irritating sometimes too.

 

Gabriella Wise  51:22  

Which goes back to when we were filling out the demographic form. And it's like, you're... on paper you're white. But you've never seen as white.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  51:30  

Yeah, exactly. Like even that. When... I'm telling you, when I was younger, maybe early... and I mean, you and I, we're not far off on age. But I'm not sure if you remember, there was a time where the Latino, like, the race wasn't even included. There was a time where it was just white, Asian, Black, like, no Latino mentioned at all. So when I was filling out paperwork for my parents...  I did that a lot when I was younger, I would fill out their paperwork. What do I put? Like, we're not Asian, we're not Black, we're not white. But the closest out of all of them would probably be white. I don't know. Like, it's kind of silly and kind of funny to think about it. But there was a time where that question wasn't even on there. They wouldn't even give you the option to put Latino or Latina.

 

Gabriella Wise  52:20  

But you're never seen as white.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  52:22  

Yeah, but you're never seen as white. It's all just like a blur [laughs].

 

Gabriella Wise  52:30  

What would you like the public to know from your life story? Or do you have any things that you want to talk about that we did not talk about?

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  52:39  

I don't think so [laughs].

 

Gabriella Wise  52:41  

Okay, then that's all the questions I have. Thank you so much for speaking with me.

 

Marlene Laynez Loarca  52:46  

Yay [laughs].