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Samuel McMinn Bautista

Samuel McMinn Bautista

Interviewer: Mateo McMinn Bautista
Transcription completed by: Mateo McMinn Bautista
Language of Interview: English
Length: 1:26:15

Abstract

In the interview, Samuel McMinn Bautista, a recent undergraduate student from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Art’s, who is of Salvadoran and American heritage, shared their unique experiences navigating their Latinidad in both personal and academic spaces. Furthermore, they reveal how intertwined their work and art is at times with their identity, their narrative paints a picture of dynamic, multifaceted Latinidad, shaped by their Salvadoran-American heritage. Revealing the diverse experiences of Latinx individuals within the United States and within the city of Richmond, Virginia.

Keywords: Salvadoran-American, Latinx, VCU, identity and culture, undergrad, Latinidad

Read the transcript here!

00:00:01 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Hello and good afternoon. My name is Mateo McMinn, Bautista. I am a student at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA and today I am here with Samuel McMinn Bautista from Washington, DC.

00:00:15 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Today's date is March 18, 2024 and we are located here in Richmond, VA. Thank you for having me today, Sam. I'm really excited for all these things that we have.

00:00:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Of course, of course.

00:00:25 Mateo McMinn Bautista

To cover first, I really just want to know some basic things about you, basic questions about you, your family and your background. So if you don't mind, could you start us off by sharing where your family is from your childhood and how you grew up? Remember, these are all open-ended and we.

00:00:41 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Want to hear your story?

00:00:43 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I mean, well, originally my mom's from Texas and my dad's from El Salvador. So growing up, I grew up in Washington DC so.

00:00:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of had a mixed environment of, you know, meeting different people from different backgrounds and at the same time being influenced by that. So kind of growing up, I guess.

00:01:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

In Washington, DC, I kind of.

00:01:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Had a more inner city life, so I kind of definitely knew about other backgrounds and, you know, had a good diversity of people in my life besides, besides, like in my family. So that was definitely a aspect that has stuck with me, like the alley growing up. And, you know, it's just.

00:01:35 Samuel McMinn Bautista

A big influence in my life so.

00:01:38 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, that's a bit about my family and, you know, kind of where I've been growing up for the past few years and kind of staying around the DMV area, so yeah.

00:01:50 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So more about specifically where you're from, do you recall the neighborhood you're from?

00:01:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, well, I'm from Petworth Northwest and Washington, DC I went.

00:02:03 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And how is that growing up compared to maybe other areas versus like where you are now or?

00:02:08 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Just that upgrading.

00:02:09 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And that certain part of the area.

00:02:12 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, when I went to, when I went to college, coming out to Virginia was definitely a big fluctuation versus like I guess being in like a more condensed and you know more active city environment. So growing up, it was definitely like.

00:02:32 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of a more being on your feet.

00:02:34 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And.

00:02:35 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of just being more aware of, like your surroundings and kind of like when I moved out to Virginia.

00:02:43 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It was definitely more of a.

00:02:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Relaxed environment I would say, and definitely like brought more of a.

00:02:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Calm mindset when just kind of going about it and going about your day so.

00:02:57 Samuel McMinn Bautista

There was definitely like a change between that both while growing up in DC definitely just taught me a lot more about like.

00:03:08 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Things I can apply to my daily life and things that can you know that have influenced.

00:03:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

A lot of the things I do.

00:03:17 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, with art and things of that sort, that's a big thing. And like I'm passionate about and that's kind of why I came out to Virginia.

00:03:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

When I wanted to pursue more of that area, so.

00:03:30 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It's definitely been on been impact on my like on my craft and life entirely.

00:03:37 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So with the influence, how would you say that your childhood played out in the aspect of?

00:03:42 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know what their.

00:03:45 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah. How? How did your childhood? Because I know in this interview we are breaking lines of professionality. I am your brother. But the aspect like.

00:03:56 Mateo McMinn Bautista

How do you see your childhood? Because obviously I see mine entirely different to an extent.

00:04:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I mean, for my childhood, I felt like.

00:04:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Played out pretty general like I guess, like how.

00:04:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess most inner city life kind of can be like and.

00:04:16 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Within my family, like I kind of felt like I was, I am still very grateful for a lot of the.

00:04:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Things that I had around me and the people I had around us and.

00:04:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, that's definitely just been.

00:04:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of. Just like, let's keep me.

00:04:34 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Going for a good amount of time. It's just having that community aspect and.

00:04:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Having a.

00:04:40 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Safe and good place to go back home and.

00:04:45 Samuel McMinn Bautista

When when in, like stressful situations or you know just.

00:04:50 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Going about life so.

00:04:52 Samuel McMinn Bautista

That's definitely been like beneficial like.

00:04:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think for myself and for like those around me so.

00:05:01 Mateo McMinn Bautista

OK, perfect. So if you don't mind, how would?

00:05:04 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You say you.

00:05:07 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I mean, you emphasize a lot of this aspect of inner city living or more so living in a metropolitan area like DC that's very much diverse. Has these varying cultures. How does that culture collide, say within yourself within your own upbringing? That's another question a little bit further on but like.

00:05:28 Mateo McMinn Bautista

In relation to your upbringing in DC, you know.

00:05:33 Mateo McMinn Bautista

How would you say influential? It's been compared to I suppose.

00:05:40 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Things outside of your identity.

00:05:43 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know, like your identity as who you are and how that influence your upbringing.

00:05:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, yeah.

00:05:48 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Well, I mean like, I think, like something's for myself. Like for I I for identity kind of like interlaced with the aspect of like you know.

00:05:59 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Because, like, you're kind of integrated and like intertwined within the city with like a bunch of different like aspects coming coming at you from different angles like you kind of.

00:06:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Adapt and adjust these different aspects and like you know kind of conformed into like how they apply to you, like your daily life. So that's kind of like how I feel.

00:06:19 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

00:06:20 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Having like, you know, some things like you know.

00:06:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like living in DC like you kind of are more vigilant, more aware of like to like, where your neighbors are around you. Or like, you know who's living where. And I think when like coming out to Virginia, where things are a lot more like spaced out, you know, like and people kind of drive everywhere for everything. You know, that's like.

00:06:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Those are adjustments, things like that so.

00:06:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Just I guess have like not conflicted but definitely like flash like heads every once in a while and kind of like maybe like feeling homesick or something or something that I would react differently to like, you know, being back home versus like how I would like react to like being here.

00:07:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Or, you know, kind of just like how you adjust to.

00:07:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

A different neighborhood, you know.

00:07:14 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So moving to this entirely different question, if you don't mind telling me about a little bit about your educational trajectory.

00:07:23 Mateo McMinn Bautista

In relation to.

00:07:25 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I guess when they say trajectory like you're upbringing from middle school, from all elementary and like where you are now and like, where did you go to school and what is the highest level of education you have achieved?

00:07:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I think like kind of when I started discovering a bit more of like what I wanted to do growing up and you know who I wanted to surround myself around, I think like I was doing a lot of like self discovery before.

00:07:59 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Finishing like middle school, so I got intrigued a lot into, like, a lot of the art and.

00:08:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of that in itself. I kind of push myself towards kind of just like how anyone else does. I guess with like explaining what they want to do or who they who they are genuinely like, I kind of just took that form for myself within like.

00:08:22 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Exploring art and seeing where that would go and so that kind of eventually transitioned to like high school and then from there kind of like where I wanted to go more forward like college and and they're just kind of like now pursuing where.

00:08:42 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, putting my everything I've learned since then and also like my passions and skills.

00:08:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, to the things I want to apply myself to like.

00:08:53 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think that's kind of like how.

00:08:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I kind of also found myself and also developed more about understanding just what I want out of life. So it's definitely like intertwined in like in a big aspect for myself so.

00:09:10 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah. So for those listening in, the aspects of this, a lot of the context is not existent because I do know of your educational journey compared to those listening.

00:09:23 Mateo McMinn Bautista

How did it feel going to an institution that was called Latin America and Montessori, Bilingual Public Charter school, and then going to one of the most prestigious high schools, known as Duke, in my?

00:09:35 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Opinion how does it?

00:09:37 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know, to me, it's very monumental that your curriculum, your education has been a lot, you know, has been providing a lot of opportunities compared to a lot of other people who live in the city.

00:09:49 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Could you describe the educational journey of perhaps like navigating, you know, lamb, Oyster and Duke, if you don't mind? And then even VCU, as you are a recent graduate, congratulations, of course.

00:10:05 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Thank you. Yeah, I mean, I think for me I think.

00:10:09 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of the aspect of.

00:10:13 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, transitioning from Montessori to regular like?

00:10:17 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess American curriculum like, you know that definitely like was a big transition for me and.

00:10:25 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, just kind of thinking like, you know, going to the schools that were like predominantly focused on, you know, being in Spanish speaking and, you know, focused teaching you and these like this different aspects. I thought that was.

00:10:40 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

00:10:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

A good adjustment at the same time, but it was also very difficult, I guess for myself, because Spanish wasn't my first language and so. But you know, I would also see the aspect to where it'd be like the complete opposite to me, where I see individuals where Spanish was their first language and they're.

00:11:01 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Having big issues with transition into speaking English, you know.

00:11:06

Yeah.

00:11:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

So that was definitely like I think it brought a lot more of like a culture aspect of, you know, just like understanding, like, you know.

00:11:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like everybody from different backgrounds, you know, like, you know, it's just can be very confusing sometimes. And, you know, everyone's just also trying to understand more about like themselves. And so I thought this school brought a lot of that, like, together. And I thought it helped me a lot, like, and others around me, like figure out like.

00:11:35 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like you know, everyone just kind of adjusts and I guess also adapts to like what their environment is now versus like to how it was before or like how they grew up.

00:11:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

So I thought those schools definitely like taught me a lot about, you know, just understanding a lot of people's backgrounds and being that fleeing like, you know, more understanding, open minded to it all.

00:11:57 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah, sure.

00:11:59 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Uh.

00:12:00 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, with Barrett.

00:12:02 Mateo McMinn Bautista

We will transition to an entirely different question.

00:12:07 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Did you grow up with religion in your household and?

00:12:13 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would say yes and no. Like I feel like, you know, like my my dad came from a very like, you know, religious Catholic household. You know, when he grew up in Osama Nador. And I know my mom.

00:12:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

00:12:28 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I feel like they had a bit of like, you know, church going like when she was growing up in Texas.

00:12:33 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But it was never like anything that was like, really like.

00:12:37 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, forced or like kind of taught upon us versus like, you know, like I said, like in my family and then like in our school as well, like, you know, growing up with different people from different backgrounds, you know, you'd see very different varieties of religion aspects. And so, you know, you kind of get, like, a gist of.

00:12:58 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like it all. And so I kind of felt like that's why, like, our parents didn't really like forcing upon us, but it was also, they weren't very religious likes like that. But I kind of really liked that aspect because I was like, you know.

00:13:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Able to ask about those things and you know, talk about those hard questions, you know which a lot allowed me to like, I guess, explore more about just other people and everything of that sort and of myself really.

00:13:27 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Beautiful. Would you consider yourself?

00:13:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I wouldn't say like.

00:13:32 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I consider myself like, like believing in one God. I definitely believe there's like a higher being out there. I don't know about, like a singular God, and I kind of like.

00:13:45 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like I've had, like the conversations and of my own experiences with, you know, things of that sort. So I definitely do believe there's something else out there, I don't know entirely about.

00:13:57 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know Jesus, Jesus himself and things of that sort or, you know the Koran or.

00:14:05 Samuel McMinn Bautista

All these other religions like I don't know, it's just a lot of questions and just a lot of.

00:14:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Filling with them, I guess.

00:14:13

Yeah.

00:14:17 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Is there anything else you have about religious religion?

00:14:21 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Or in the aspect of perhaps I know the upbringing.

00:14:26 Mateo McMinn Bautista

In this context, we weren't necessarily.

00:14:30 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Raised within religion, but we were never denied it. Do you ever felt as if like you have sought after religion in your youth compared to perhaps now?

00:14:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I'm.

00:14:43 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I feel like I sought religion and like.

00:14:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

My in my own agenda that makes more sense, kind of like, you know, not doing it to fulfill anyone elses satisfaction on it, but just kind of like out of my own curiosity or like what I think works best for me.

00:15:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And so.

00:15:04 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah. I never felt like, you know, having that feeling, I guess, on religion.

00:15:10

Beautiful.

00:15:12 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Moving on.

00:15:14 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Really want to know about, not specifically the family's journey as they are still in DC, but how you arrived to Virginia. How did you end up coming to Virginia and how long have you lived here? And have you lived anywhere else prior to settling here in Virginia?

00:15:34 Samuel McMinn Bautista

UM, well, kind of like with where I chose to.

00:15:38 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Go with school. I kind of chose to go here in the Virginia area when I was, you know.

00:15:45 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Choosing colleges, you know, I wasn't even at first, like even sure if I'd get into college. So kind of just having that opportunity to do that. I kind of felt like more comfortable being in an area that's new to myself, but also not to.

00:16:03 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

00:16:03 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Far away from home and.

00:16:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of felt it was the right fit through, like all the different art programs I.

00:16:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

To applied to and then knowing that you know, Virginia or VCU had the best like, you know, our program like kind of what I wanted to go into. So I kind of felt staying in this area is kind of how I chose living in Virginia and then over the time like kind of just fall more.

00:16:30 Samuel McMinn Bautista

In love with the area and you know the whole different aspect, I guess from living in the city versus like you know, yeah.

00:16:40 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Could you detail the timeline when you arrived to Virginia? Do you recall the year your freshman year essentially?

00:16:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:16:47 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So what year was that? Was that 20?

00:16:50 Samuel McMinn Bautista

19 yeah.

00:16:50 Mateo McMinn Bautista

28 to 19 and then you returned home for COVID for a little bit, and then you came back and went 2021. OK. And you've been here in 2021, and we moved in last year together. So you've been here roughly about 5.

00:16:58 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:17:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:17:11 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Years nearly half a decade. How does that?

00:17:14 Mateo McMinn Bautista

As I feel living in a place not too.

00:17:16 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Far from home.

00:17:18 Mateo McMinn Bautista

But just close enough where it's still tactically feels like a home. How does it feel? Yeah. Also, have you lived anywhere else prior to that? No, right.

00:17:28 Samuel McMinn Bautista

No, I didn't say that. Yeah.

00:17:29 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah. So going back to the aspect of being here for quite a long time, how does that feel?

00:17:37 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Compared to when you.

00:17:38 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Got here to where you are now.

00:17:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I guess like when I got here originally, definitely like everything felt more new and you know, everything felt more explorable. And I just kind of, like, wanted to see, like, all these different activities and, you know, things that I can get into and, you know.

00:18:00 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, explore that lane with, I guess, like within my freshman year and you know.

00:18:07 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Going from there, I guess.

00:18:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess like kind of like also like you start to familiarize yourself with like the area and then kind of know like, what are your interests and you know. But I think like, I guess just like how with moving forward with like I guess my artwork or just my career path like.

00:18:30 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Definitely want to explore different areas and kind of see what else is out there as well.

00:18:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But you know, it's just always. It's definitely been a good memory and definitely make good.

00:18:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Memories here for sure.

00:18:45 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Do you have any family members still living in?

00:18:48 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Your parents country of origin, I guess. Could you describe your family nucleus?

00:18:55 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Because, you know, we have family in the states, but we don't. We have some.

00:18:58 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Family in Osada but not.

00:19:00 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:19:01 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Close family could you describe that if any know?

00:19:03 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I mean, I guess like if I could describe like I guess I asked for that you're talking about close family and like most of our family from like our moms side is like here in the United States and you know.

00:19:03

That we have.

00:19:21 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Our one of our aunts, like, doesn't even live in the States and was like across the country and like Australia. And so our families like definitely all over the place. But like you know, we definitely try to connect and reconnect when we can. But like for our our father's side, it's definitely like a whole different aspect.

00:19:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like having to do a lot with like you know, his immigration status growing up and his ability and our ability to go down to El Salvador to, you know, visit or even try to reconnect, it's definitely been a.

00:19:58 Samuel McMinn Bautista

A fluctuation of things and it's kind of felt like this left us.

00:20:03 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And these weird Gray spots, and I guess kind of trying to understand our origin and then knowing where our origin is and then what's kind of like left of it and so.

00:20:17 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I think that's definitely been.

00:20:20 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess a journey. And so it's an ongoing journey. Yeah. So yeah.

00:20:25 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, the follow up questions would be you kind of answered them, are you close to them and how often would?

00:20:31 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Top or see each other.

00:20:33 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Relatively minimal to some extent because of distance, but is that is that, would that be your opinion?

00:20:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I mean, I would say it's like not even distance. I guess it's just like.

00:20:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I don't know. I kind of feel like I don't know so much of, like my father's side because, like, he's like sometimes very, like, close close on it all. And so I kind of feel like it's kind of a hard thing for like, him to really share with us sometimes.

00:21:01 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And because like you know, he fled during the Civil War. So I kind of feel like he also like ourselves kind of has this big disconnection from, like, you know, where he grew up. And, you know, we're kind of like also on the same journey with him on like.

00:21:18 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of trying to understand like you know who is like, I don't know like.

00:21:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Left of our family. Or you know who really is, like, is our family down there and the only real person I knew, like growing up was like my grandmother or my father's. Like mother like, you know. And I only was able to see her like.

00:21:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Twice and once or twice in my life. And that was when, like my dad got his Hisense ship here in the US and was able to go travel down there so.

00:21:54 Samuel McMinn Bautista

His green card, I mean. Yeah, his green card. That's fine, man. Yeah.

00:21:59 Mateo McMinn Bautista

But you know, I'm a different dog.

00:21:59 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:22:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But yeah.

00:22:04 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So to some extent it disconnect.

00:22:09

Well.

00:22:09 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know you didn't you aren't necessarily mentioning it, but we can go back to another step. How do you identify yourself?

00:22:18 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Do you identify as a?

00:22:21 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Salvadoran American a Latin American a an American.

00:22:27 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Biracial person, a mixed person. How would you say that? How does that?

00:22:32 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Intertwined itself with like, you know, the upbringing, the recollection of histories of our families. Yeah. On both sides. You know, how would you call yourself?

00:22:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yes.

00:22:37

Yeah.

00:22:43

You don't mind me?

00:22:43 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Asking, I mean I think for like myself, I guess like all those different aspects that you said like.

00:22:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of felt.

00:22:55 Samuel McMinn Bautista

How do I say it? Like I kind of like applied to them, but also don't apply to them at the same time and so I kind of always felt like that's been.

00:23:03 Samuel McMinn Bautista

My thing.

00:23:05 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And.

00:23:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess it's been, I guess, like even to this day, I still don't really know. Like what I kind of identify as you know, because it's like I can feel.

00:23:18 Samuel McMinn Bautista

More connected with one side than the other, like someday or kind of like I guess like.

00:23:24 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I don't know. It's just kind of hard. Some days, definitely for sure. But like even to this day, I still don't even know. Like, where I didn't find myself with this, but I definitely like try to take in every aspect and you know, history or culture that I can from either or. And I'm trying to understand it more.

00:23:43 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So with that, do you have any family living?

00:23:50 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Here in Richmond.

00:23:53 Samuel McMinn Bautista

That I know of, like I don't. I don't think we have any family living here.

00:23:55

They are not any.

00:23:56

Family of this.

00:23:59 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So no family members that live in Richmond.

00:24:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think we have like a family member that was like from from what I recall from when my father was said sometime.

00:24:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Oh yeah, my brother.

00:24:11 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:24:13 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And who is your brother?

00:24:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Who's my brother?

00:24:16 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Oh.

00:24:17 Samuel McMinn Bautsta

Hi brother.

00:24:20 Mateo McMinn Bautista

But yeah, some family in Fredericksburg, I think.

00:24:22 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Right.

00:24:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I think Fredericksburg or Alexandria.

00:24:27 Mateo McMinn Bautista

In the Richmond greater area.

00:24:29 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:24:30 Mateo McMinn Bautista

But with that, yeah, if you don't, could you tell me about them? And I guess tell me about your nuclear family and tell me about your extended family. You really want to know about your story?

00:24:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Well, I mean, I guess like kind.

00:24:42 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Of like.

00:24:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess kind of because I guess we kind of grew, I grew up with that aspect of like not really knowing too much of like my father's side and not too much of like my mother's side. And you know, they're both from different parts of.

00:24:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

00:24:57 Samuel McMinn Bautista

The world. We'll talk and you know, they kind of like formed their own type thing here.

00:25:04 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And growing up, you know, I was surrounded by, you know, my godmother, who's Mexican. And, you know, we'd have that, like, you know, that Mexican culture like.

00:25:16 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And green notes.

00:25:16 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like ingrained. Almost. Yeah. 100% like ingrained into us, kind of. Just like from who we grew up around and, you know.

00:25:25 Samuel McMinn Bautista

She was the principal of, like, the the Montessori School I went to. And so, you know, it'd be all these different.

00:25:34 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

00:25:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Cultures and influences growing up with and so I couldn't really tell you too much about like.

00:25:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like my actual.

00:25:42 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Nucleus family. Is that what you said?

00:25:44 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, then, could you tell me about your brother?

00:25:47 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, yeah, my brother is. I don't. I don't know to tell you about my brother, I guess.

00:25:55 Samuel McMinn Bautista

He just.

00:25:57 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I don't know. I mean, if I were to tell you about my brother, like, you know.

00:26:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

He's definitely.

00:26:03 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like I would say, he's definitely more intertwined and more inter tapped with like, you know his culture and trying to like and self identity like you know based off like the major and career.

00:26:18 Samuel McMinn Bautista

He's been trying to pursue and you know, it's definitely like had me, like, reflect a lot more on like, you know, all these different aspects about myself and self identifying, you know, like.

00:26:32 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Self identifying more I guess.

00:26:38 Samuel McMinn Bautista

What we can take into into account like you know, with all this influence from.

00:26:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

These different upbringings and different backgrounds like coming together and so.

00:26:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I never like I I catch myself sometimes thinking about it like very much, and then not sometimes like other days. But I feel like.

00:27:00 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

00:27:01 Samuel McMinn Bautista

My brother is like definitely more like focused on.

00:27:05 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Trying to figure out.

00:27:07 Samuel McMinn Bautista

In the most positive way, like you know.

00:27:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

What this means for I guess figuring out self identity and then also understanding you know the influence and culture aspect we also bring into the picture when talking about these things and talking about the importance of.

00:27:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

One another is like upbringing in culture.

00:27:34

Yeah.

00:27:35 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Obviously I am your brother, but.

00:27:39 Mateo McMinn Bautista

With respect to it, really want to gauge a little bit more about how?

00:27:45 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Perhaps you know his own self identity and reconciliation with it, compared to your own.

00:27:52 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Like going back to the aspect of how do you view yourself in the context of the larger world compared to how to use you? Do you feel like you really questions further along the lines, but do you feel as if you adhere to any of your assigned to assumptions people may put on you?

00:28:12 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Where do you feel?

00:28:12 Mateo McMinn Bautista

As if like.

00:28:15 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You are conformed to this normative Society of having to fall within lines. Or do you feel as if?

00:28:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean.

00:28:20 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You cross those lines.

00:28:22 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean like how I said before, I kind of feel like it can be like either or. Yeah, because I kind of feel like I've definitely been called like, you know, all types of things and positive and negative aspects and yeah, and. And so like, I kind of like.

00:28:35

Yeah.

00:28:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Take that into course sometimes, but don't at the same time I guess.

00:28:43 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah, of course, yeah.

00:28:46 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Moving on.

00:28:50 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I really want to focus about your life here in Virginia. Specifically, you did kind of mention.

00:28:56 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And you did.

00:28:57 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Gauge it a little bit so more so how has your time in Virginia?

00:29:05 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know, how has Virginia changed so specifically, Richmond, when you first moved here and what was it like? And then how has it changed over that period of time? Obviously there's various events of that, but how did?

00:29:17

Yeah.

00:29:18 Mateo McMinn Bautista

It change from your.

00:29:19 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Perspective. I mean, I feel like Richmond has changed in a lot of different aspects.

00:29:24 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Uh.

00:29:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess.

00:29:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Politically, physically and like, you know, mentally.

00:29:32 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Definitely for sure. Like you know, there's definitely like, what's the thing? A few years ago, I think 20/22/2021 like, you know, the Robert Lee statues around here, that was a big thing, especially like it being, like literally around campus.

00:29:48 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know a lot.

00:29:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Of.

00:29:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like areas of Richmond have definitely fluctuated with more apartments and complexes pop popping up versus like how it was a few years ago where.

00:30:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Definitely, there's a lot more like crime activity like around versus like I think like kind of now it's definitely like a lot more safer. But you know, I guess like with anywhere.

00:30:13 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You live.

00:30:14 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Always be vigilant. Like you know things can always go South any second.

00:30:19 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But I think like with my comfortability like living here versus like, you know what I've seen back in Washington, DC over the years and what how, what, what's changed here and what hasn't changed there, you know, like felt like Richmond has definitely changed a lot itself like versus.

00:30:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You see where I grew up and.

00:30:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I think definitely a lot of more like fluctuation, I guess like or more like people coming in and.

00:30:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I don't know. I kind of feel like the city's kind of like.

00:30:55 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess like leveling itself out with like.

00:30:59 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Figuring out you know.

00:31:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

What they need to improve on or what they need to work on, I guess, and I kind of feel like here like I feel that a lot more than like I guess back home in DC even though like I've been living here and this is kind of my.

00:31:14 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Home now.

00:31:16 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So I mean with that I mean would you say that it's been for the best it's been for the worst, how has it specifically impacted you such a change, a large and small scale, how would you say?

00:31:33 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean.

00:31:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think for me, I guess like.

00:31:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It has been.

00:31:42 Samuel McMinn Bautista

A bit better.

00:31:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Because.

00:31:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I don't know, like I can only imagine. Like what it be like if I went to school like, you know, for example.

00:31:53 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like, I feel like like school had a lot of like revolving around like, you know, where I really was going to live. You know, a lot from being from DC where we're not a state and we don't get that state, you know, tuition. So, you know, seeing the the price difference like, you know, in DC versus like here in Richmond.

00:32:13 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Where if like like, yeah, you know, it's all these, like, different aspects of it. So I think like, you know, seeing that now versus.

00:32:20 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like if I were to like, live in DC, I think like for the best Richmond like has benefited me for sure. And I would say like for I guess like other people who would be like in my shoes or like in my footsteps like I would assume like you know or like to assume that you know they prefer this place rather than.

00:32:40 Samuel McMinn Bautista

The other area that they were we're coming from because I feel like it has a lot of like benefit benefiting aspects to it.

00:32:51 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I could backtrack. I will. How would you say this transition of like, you know, a lot of people come to, let's say in our age group, within the within the VC community, a lot of students come from rural areas and this is the.

00:33:05 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Biggest.

00:33:07 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Place they've been like the biggest metropolitan area for us.

00:33:09 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:33:10 Mateo McMinn Bautista

We come from the opposite. How does that kind of play into, I mean, you kind of already mentioned with like a head on the swivel this and that but.

00:33:21 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Do you like that?

00:33:23 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Do you appreciate this transition or how did that transition?

00:33:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I think it.

00:33:27 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Work for you?

00:33:29 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think it's just like.

00:33:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I don't think it had like any influence on me, I.

00:33:35 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Guess.

00:33:37 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, seeing like for example when you say like people like, you know, this is like literally the biggest city, like they've been to, you know, versus like the small town. Like they were living to, you know, I think that's, I don't think it had bad influence to me because I guess like I was saying this or not, I guess like before I was.

00:33:54 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Saying this that you know.

00:33:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

There's, like, everyone's really just trying to like discover themselves. And, you know, in that process, you know, versus, you know, if you're in this like new environment, you're definitely gonna, like, try to adapt and find these new aspects or be new aware to these new aspects. And these new way of thinking. And so like, I don't like spider like, you know, have, like, any frustration with it.

00:34:17 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Just like, just like how myself like I'm in the process of also adapting and adjusting, I just had different knowledge to them versus like, you know, to me they probably definitely know things that I don't know.

00:34:29 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know what I mean? So like we're just both, really. We're both all like, really trying to apply and understand to this all. So I wouldn't say it's like a learning curve or a bad thing, nor like a good thing like it's just it's what.

00:34:43 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It is.

00:34:46 Mateo McMinn Bautista

With all this.

00:34:48 Mateo McMinn Bautista

What has your experience with the Latino community been?

00:34:52 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Here in Richmond and.

00:34:54 Mateo McMinn Bautista

What about those outside of the Latino community?

00:34:57 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So here we are shifting focus so that that's in.

00:35:00 Mateo McMinn Bautista

The community what?

00:35:01 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Has your experience really been with it for?

00:35:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I think for me, the Latino community like.

00:35:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

In Richmond, you know, I was definitely like, I felt like it was a lot more dull to my to me versus like, you know, or not dull. Let me say like, you know, influence to me and let me read, let me just run that back even more. Cut that part.

00:35:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think when I came out to Richmond, you know, I didn't have the same influence. And, you know, culture intertwining that I did versus like in DC. And so I never really felt like I had that aspect really brought up to me at all really at any point.

00:35:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Going to VCU versus like when I was in high school and you know, just the community around me in DC like, you know, that was a.

00:35:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

A lot more different and a lot more diverse versus like when I came here to Richmond and that was I was, I would say that's more predominantly probably because you know, because of the college that I was going to and you know, just knowing that diversity aspect in college itself wasn't really and still isn't really like there too much.

00:36:16 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And so kind of like having that like, you know, the people and friends, like I surround myself around kind of made a lot harder to like relate and converse with you.

00:36:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, but also at the same time, like it didn't really have too much of like a negative aspect because like.

00:36:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I kind of felt like.

00:36:38 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Because I was kind of like one of the like of some few people here that was like Latino like, you know, it was kind of.

00:36:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

00:36:47 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of felt like in some way I had to uphold to, you know, representing and you know, so like my like thing died, you know, going to college and you know, like.

00:36:53 Mateo McMinn Bautista

If you need that.

00:36:59 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, like I and I also like holding it to like myself specifically, but not like to the work and like art that I was creating, you know, cause and I would do that sometimes when, like, you know, I wanted to be like when I'm talking about myself or expressing myself. But I wouldn't wanna like necessarily try to intertwine.

00:37:19 Samuel McMinn Bautista

To make it to where, like you know, I'm just this person trying to put on.

00:37:24 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, and it's kind of like it's this whole other thing I guess with I guess identity with oneself and then identity as like an artist.

00:37:33

Interest.

00:37:34

Yeah.

00:37:35 Samuel McMinn Bautista

So.

00:37:37 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, we'll get into that.

00:37:39 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Later on, honestly with your.

00:37:40 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Heart because. But with that, what about those outside?

00:37:45 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Of the Latino community.

00:37:48 Mateo McMinn Bautista

How has your interaction been with individuals who are not Latino outside, you know here in Richmond?

00:37:55 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I feel like my interactions I guess would would be fine would be either or because like, I guess being a person that can pass as either or sometimes you know you kind of get this.

00:38:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, definitely you definitely kind of get like this insight from both sides and just kind of understanding what some people are thinking is what some people don't have like knowledge about. And so like you know it's sometimes be like you know I would have to tell someone about this culture aspect.

00:38:30 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Because they don't know anything about like the like, that Latino aspect. And so it'd be like the opposite too, sometimes with like like, you know, like the white aspect of myself and like, hearing people around me.

00:38:45 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And you know, just kind of like this whole different, like, upbringing and culture and mindset too. It's just, like, completely different. So.

00:38:53 Mateo McMinn Bautista

This is not an interview, but has your Latino dad ever been invalidated?

00:38:59 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, yeah.

00:39:01 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Has your witness been validated?

00:39:04 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, yeah.

00:39:07 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And if you don't, if you're comfortable, could you?

00:39:09 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Share that experience.

00:39:12 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean like you know.

00:39:13 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Just.

00:39:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of like people telling me, like who I should identify as or like what aspects I have, you know, based off the traits that I.

00:39:25 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And pretending at the moment you know, like they'll try to make these connections or try to like not validate like how I feel about myself sometimes.

00:39:35 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And it'd be like for like the like, the smallest things to it would be out like, you know, from people, you're going to classes with every day. It would be out of like, you know, they're like, you know, they're bliss ignorant to it all, you know, also or sometimes like the opposite. Like, just complete spite and.

00:39:55 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know that be like in public too. And you know you kind of like.

00:40:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess like you know, I don't want to say you desensitize yourself to it, but you definitely, like, make yourself like a little more like, hardened to it all and you don't, like, try to take it personal because.

00:40:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess like it is what it is and I can't really change what those people are like thinking about like in that innocent moment. And I don't think that's worth like my energy.

00:40:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Unless they're like trying to listen, you know.

00:40:28 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So what would be some of your biggest obstacles?

00:40:31 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You have encountered in Richmond?

00:40:33 Mateo McMinn Bautista

This one kind of go along the.

00:40:34 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Lines being it the Confederate.

00:40:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And I guess I guess it would be like, you know, stereotypes to like this or I guess like you know, just kind of.

00:40:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

People thinking that I literally don't speak English sometimes and you just be like in a store.

00:40:55 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like walking and doing your own thing. Or like, you know, like it'd be like the complete opposite. Sometimes when we go to a lot or I go to Latino market and someone thinks you, you're not speaking or you don't speak Spanish or anything in that source because of, like, how it looks. So they start talking about you in Spanish thinking like I'm not fluent in it.

00:41:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know what I mean? And that's happened like to me like like till this day. Since like, you know, like I could remember. So it's always like, you know, been like that so.

00:41:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Would you say?

00:41:27

That's.

00:41:28 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Comparable and comparable to your experiences at DC.

00:41:33 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would say.

00:41:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess I guess it would say I would say it's both because I would say it's incomparable because like you know.

00:41:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like I can't compare situations like that when that situation happens, you know that's a bad situation. But like I think like if I don't ask and can really compare, it's like the.

00:41:54 Samuel McMinn Bautista

The the the amount of times that happens because you know, I guess you know, living in a more rural area, your altercations are definitely a lot lower than you when you're in a more congested city. You know, so like the likability of like, you know, just things happening because things happen, you know.

00:42:14 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It definitely felt like.

00:42:16 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like, I don't blame it on like, where I'm at. I think it's just, you know, really people themselves.

00:42:23 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So with that.

00:42:27 Mateo McMinn Bautista

This is before another question. Have you when you were at your with your time at VCU? Had you ever gone to, say, a Latino community with on campus like a, you know, LULAC or something like that? Have you? Did you reach out to those organizations? And if so, did you have, if any, experiences?

00:42:47 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, like I went to one like my freshman year, but I kind of felt like I just when it went to it, to kind.

00:42:54 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Of.

00:42:54 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Just feel more comfortable, I guess, like in the Community and so like.

00:43:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like I would say, like it's definitely like a good and beneficial thing that these colleges have, you know, and that it's they're available for me. I just never felt like, I guess, like for me, someone who I guess.

00:43:16 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess like is the struggle with self identity wasn't too comfortable, I guess like being I guess and feeling like I would be stigmatized or something or I don't know, because like how I say, I guess like sometimes I feel like.

00:43:33 Samuel McMinn Bautista

My identity fluctuates, so I guess like I wouldn't. I would feel like I wouldn't be.

00:43:37 Samuel McMinn Bautista

The most.

00:43:38 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Comfortable there, I'd feel like I'd have the most eyes on me and I don't know you could. I guess someone could say, like, you know, that feels like very self-centered. But I guess like.

00:43:48 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I just like, wasn't really so comfortable with like with like with like myself and confidence and going to go do something like that, you know.

00:43:57 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Would you say?

00:44:00 Mateo McMinn Bautista

The conflict, the lack of confidence of your Latini that or the the other aspect of like being diminished.

00:44:07 Mateo McMinn Bautista

To your whiteness.

00:44:09 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think like how I said, like literally both like like, yeah, like, you know, I'd feel like I might be like.

00:44:17 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, someone might judge me for like, I guess not.

00:44:21 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Showing enough Latino like characteristics or like, you know, I'm showing too much of, like, you know, my whiteness or something like that, or like whatever that means. And for either or, you know, it's just like, I don't know, it's just like.

00:44:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I always felt like.

00:44:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I want to identify myself like as myself and you know, also just understand more of my upbringing and not try to like enter like, you know, like understand more about like MyHeritage and things of that sort and not really try to like intertwine them in the aspect of like, this is my complete.

00:44:59 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Self identity and so I don't know. Yeah.

00:45:04 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So with that along the lines with organizations, with your time here, so maybe on VCU campus or just in Richmond in the area, what kind of resources have you found here to help you with your life, for example, have you benefited from the help of any organ?

00:45:23 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Or individuals. This can be nonprofits, clinics or just like community outreach programs.

00:45:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, yeah, like, I definitely like have benefited from like, you know, scholarships I applied to like in the past for like, you know, I don't even remember, like, the title of the name of the scholarship I got. But, you know, it was what? What was it?

00:45:47

I do.

00:45:49 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Ohh the the one for.

00:45:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Your art.

00:45:51 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I don't remember, but I do remember the kind of the fuss around it of like the honorability of it.

00:45:59 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:45:59 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I remember the build.

00:46:00 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Up to it, and then you getting on campus.

00:46:02

Yes.

00:46:03 Mateo McMinn Bautista

But yeah, with respect to that, did you feel like those resources were ever present or like and you could just reach out and grab it or that there were like distance from you?

00:46:16 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I felt like they were there because I was kind of like.

00:46:21 Samuel McMinn Bautista

In this box to where like you know, because of like.

00:46:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

This part of like my Latin dad like you know, was prevalent and like appealing to others. Like, I'd fit these certain like demographics, you know, to like, you know, apply for these scholarships, you know, and, you know, they did definitely like, you know.

00:46:45 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Work for me, like in the long run, but like I guess also at the same time in the process like you know like.

00:46:52 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

00:46:53 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would feel like do I really qualify for this? I guess it comes down to like I guess back to the identity aspect and then, you know, when I went to the awards that like I won like, you know, there'd be people there who I didn't even know who would like randomly, like, who were just like catering the event like, you know, say like.

00:47:14 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Thank you for like you know, putting it on for like the community or like you know for like the like for like for like Latino people and you know so like it'd be like this whole fluctuation of like like feelings on it all.

00:47:28 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And.

00:47:29 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But I would say like the resources were definitely like there because like I was able to also.

00:47:35 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, fit in this box, but also like, you know, want to like prevail. And like, you know, do the best for myself.

00:47:44 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Uh, yeah, so.

00:47:47 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Can you think of any like organizations that may have played a big role like that? Do you remember the organization?

00:47:54 Samuel McMinn Bautista

AIGA.

00:47:56 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And that was through VC or that was through.

00:47:58 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Duke.

00:47:59 Samuel McMinn Bautsta

After Duke or I guess that was like through my own doing, that was like, yeah, now she's applying for a national scholarship.

00:48:03 Mateo McMinn Bautista

The national scholarship, right?

00:48:09 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So with that, the following question is about employment.

00:48:14 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Can you tell me about your current job and other jobs you have had since living here?

00:48:20 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, what about the employment you had through radiography through the work, the summer camps and all this and that you tell me a little bit about that?

00:48:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, yeah, like, I guess like, since graduating like I've had a few like.

00:48:37 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Things here and there like video work and kind of.

00:48:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Trying to just like apply it to like my major now is really what I kind of just been out in the looks about and.

00:48:53

Yeah.

00:48:54

For sure.

00:48:58 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, you don't have any children, do you?

00:49:01 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Not that I know of.

00:49:04 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know.

00:49:06 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Right.

00:49:07 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So.

00:49:08 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You're not necessarily involved in the organization of business, but I would really be interested in talking about specifically art and kind of almost fulfill entropy behind it. Or like, you know, the work that, I mean, there's a lot of talks that you say about creating like a collective, right, right now, right.

00:49:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, yeah.

00:49:28 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Collective of art and honestly, free speech. We're just, you know, work right.

00:49:36 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Could you tell me a bit?

00:49:37 Mateo McMinn Bautista

About perhaps your own art trajectory and how that translates to a lot of the things you.

00:49:43 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Are seeking with profession.

00:49:46 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I mean that transition to from high school, from middle school you.

00:49:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Know, I mean, I guess like kind of just like from high school, middle school and then like till now like kind of just been trying to create a craft to where like you know I can kind of express myself but also apply to.

00:50:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

So.

00:50:07 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Real life like aspects, I guess. And so that's kind of like what I try to pursue more into. And I was like pushing forward more into the lane of like videography and film and you know, kind of just expressing and you know.

00:50:24 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Sharing stories and expression and just like this whole different like art form and.

00:50:34 Samuel McMinn Bautista

That's kind of like, you know, the skills that I kind of want to apply it to.

00:50:40 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know the for the to upcoming like opportunities that I want to have and.

00:50:48 Mateo McMinn Bautista

What would you say was one of the most influential?

00:50:53 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Either things, people, events or so, and so that kind of inspired you to.

00:51:00 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Take art seriously, cause just how many I mean.

00:51:04 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Would you consider your art journey beginning before the stickers?

00:51:08 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Were because of stickers.

00:51:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would say like before the stickers because.

00:51:14 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And if you could mention that a little bit.

00:51:16 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I mean like, I guess like what kind of like got me into this whole pursuit of, like, art and things of this sort was collecting and creating.

00:51:28 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know my own stickers. And then also like sending them out to other artists around the world. This is like when I was getting familiar familiarized with like, you know, social media and Instagram things of that sort. And I kind of just started like trading my artwork with other artists. And that's how I kind of just got myself intrigued into this whole world.

00:51:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

With like art itself and then kind of from there, like I just kind of really wanted to explore new and different aspects of like expression and different forms of it and so.

00:52:00 Samuel McMinn Bautista

So eventually, like I got into videography when I like, kind of like, you know, started pursuing more of when I got into college and everything. And you know, the stickers and all that kind of like sending it all out like, and photographing and collecting and just, you know.

00:52:20 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Learning what I can do with like, you know, just the power of, like drawing, maybe wanted to pursue the like, you know, these different powers of creativity and explore like, you know, how can I apply?

00:52:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

To what I want to talk about or what I want to express like visually, you know.

00:52:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:52:50 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I mean with that uh.

00:52:53 Mateo McMinn Bautista

One position I do recall of yours and the power that it has.

00:53:00 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Along the lines with art would be your educational positions in which you were able to actually, you know, sit down with children, work and you know, produce art with them, right? How do you?

00:53:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

00:53:13 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Did you feel? How does that feel as an artist and?

00:53:17 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Perhaps like as a profession or profession.

00:53:20 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You don't pursue.

00:53:21 Mateo McMinn Bautista

As you feel educating youth.

00:53:24 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think it feels like you know.

00:53:29 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I I I don't want to say like if he was like satisfying, I would say like if he was like, you know.

00:53:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

More relieving because I guess, like you know, it's very interesting to me to, I guess have this aspect of being able to share knowledge that you know you found on yourself over the years and then being able to pass out, pass that down to someone or even like see it like in a split second.

00:53:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Glimpse of like you know, the self discovery of, like, you know oneself like, you know, seeing that I think it's like definitely like a lot more like unique than I guess like feeling like I'm trying to bottle up all this creativity and thought processing like that's artist.

00:54:12 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And I feel like that's like could sometimes like be like a very, like selfish thing to do. And so that's why I've always felt like with.

00:54:22 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, with like my work and whenever, like creating something like you kind of want to or what I want to do is like have this aspect to where like, you know, it can give more thought process and more like, you know, inspiration to others than like.

00:54:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, I guess having someone just really, like try to guess how they did something or why they're creating it and things of this sort.

00:54:50

Good.

00:54:52 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So the following questions will take a shift and they do pertain to your experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

00:55:00 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So if you don't mind starting us off, where were you living when the pandemic started, and how did you first learn about it?

00:55:08 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I mean, like when the pandemic started, it's like it was of my freshman year of college and literally it was like towards the end of graduate of freshman year and so.

00:55:21 Samuel McMinn Bautista

We this like I just kind of like we were. We went. I think it was spring break or fall.

00:55:25 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Break that. We went on fall break.

00:55:28 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I think it was.

00:55:28 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Spring it was spring break that we went on and before we even got back, they sent us a message saying that's like, yeah, we're shutting down campus for the semester. Everything's about to go online, come and grab your stuff. So it was like a complete shock to me. And like everyone around me and so.

00:55:47 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It was definitely like a big adjustment, but also like I guess like because of this whole editing aspect that I was like going into, it definitely allowed more I think of myself to.

00:55:58 Samuel McMinn Bautista

To you know, practice and get more into this creativity, like flow of things and.

00:56:04 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It was like definitely like up and down there for sure and.

00:56:09 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But I think like in the long run, I think like we've all.

00:56:12 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Learned and had our ups and down with it all.

00:56:17 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Do you mind explaining a little bit more about?

00:56:20 Mateo McMinn Bautista

How did you learn about it?

00:56:22 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Oh, I mean.

00:56:24 Samuel McMinn Bautista

So I mean, I really learned about it or how I.

00:56:28 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Learned about it, I guess.

00:56:29 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Both.

00:56:29 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Is, yeah.

00:56:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I really learned about it like when I was seeing it like.

00:56:35 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, just kind of like trend on social media, but also like I took it more seriously like, you know, when my mom like, you know, being a registered nurse and constantly being around, you know, people can be sick at any second, you know, like, you know, when she just started telling us to.

00:56:55 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, take the stuff more seriously. I definitely, like, started doing it all. And when isolation like finally hit, it was definitely like definitely.

00:57:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It was like it was kind of like, I guess, like because I guess I was in like, my freshman year college, it's kind of like that feeling when, like, you get that one day like in middle school or high school, you get a snow day or something, right. But then that snow day, just like be lasting, like, you know, more than two years. So it was just.

00:57:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Want to?

00:57:28 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah. You know, thinking about that and it got definitely like tiring and exhausting every time. And then that was a big adjustment, like, you know, trying to do all these like.

00:57:40 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Projects were like, you know, it involved filming and.

00:57:45 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Trying to get out in the bowl kind of made it a lot more difficult and coordinate things with others. Made it a lot.

00:57:50 Samuel McMinn Bautista

More.

00:57:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Challenging, you know?

00:57:54 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But.

00:57:55 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It had, like I said, I had this up and down, up and downs.

00:57:58 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Of course. So with that, it has been four years, actually the March 13th was officially unofficial. The day of the start of pandemic, and I want to say in the northwestern part of the US, just in the US itself, how does that?

00:58:19 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Carry.

00:58:20 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know, being four years in.

00:58:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean.

00:58:25 Mateo McMinn Bautista

It's still getting sick.

00:58:28 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, it feels like it was a long time ago, but I feel like you all, like, learned how to adjust. And when something like that does happen again, I think would be a lot more considerate and take things more serious, you know, but.

00:58:47 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think like is. I think like for everyone and like especially like myself like 20 years from now, it's definitely be like a very heavily, heavily and like remembered memory for sure. That's like you know for a lot of people like I guess my age it was something like supposed to be in these years when you're supposed to.

00:59:05 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Be.

00:59:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Out and exploring.

00:59:07 Samuel McMinn Bautista

More of yourself, but now you're, like, stuck inside and have it, yeah.

00:59:11 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So how did you enter your family deal with all the abrupt changes like stay at home orders?

00:59:20 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know, how did that work?

00:59:23 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You describe your whole family.

00:59:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I felt like we did a pretty good job trying to keep it moderated and controlled. I personally never got sick of it. Yeah, I never got sick, but.

00:59:38 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You're the only one I've gotta say continuously.

00:59:43 c

All y'all got COVID I don't know.

00:59:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

How?

00:59:47 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But yeah, I don't know. I thought felt like it.

00:59:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Was a lot more.

00:59:53 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like like we definitely like were. I mean, I think everyone and ourselves, we're definitely, like, scared about it at first. Definitely like, you know, not us wanting to end up in the hospital and then etcetera. And you know, just letting your paranoia push on and your fears and so.

01:00:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It was definitely like an adjustment, but I think like overtime we all just kind of proceed with like anything and everything like a lot more with caution and just more considerate about like.

01:00:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know.

01:00:29 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Being in a more enclosed being more enclosed than you usually are, you know.

01:00:35 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So I know you were on. You weren't working on it. Did you have your?

01:00:38 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Work study at the time.

01:00:40 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Now that school was cancelled.

01:00:41 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah. So you were online back in DC, right? What was that like being online?

01:00:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

01:00:51 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And for how long if you remember?

01:00:54 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I think we're online for like 4 months and I think it was definitely like.

01:01:01 Samuel McMinn Bautista

A little harder at first.

01:01:03 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Because you know.

01:01:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You are already spending so much, especially like in my mage. You're already like spending so much time behind the screen and so that on top of like, you know your regular class times, add it to screen time like it definitely like was like how they said like zoom fatigue like you definitely got zoom fatigue and.

01:01:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And it was definitely like a hard adjustment.

01:01:30 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And I think like I wouldn't say like it restricted me too much on creativity and things of that sort. But I think it was just like a physical and mentally draining like environment to adjust yourself to, you know.

01:01:45 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Which is like to what you were kind of like used.

01:01:47 Samuel McMinn Bautista

To.

01:01:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like you know, since growing up kind of, you know?

01:01:53 Mateo McMinn Bautista

An abrupt change that really disrupted everything. How would you say?

01:01:57 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Uh, I guess in retrospect, how did it?

01:02:02 Mateo McMinn Bautista

How does it feel then? How does it feel now in relation to you?

01:02:07 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Know. I mean, yeah, would feel horrible. Like, you know, like we just.

01:02:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

On a call and you got to hear all your other classmates, you know, talk about, you know, the terrible things they're going through and how they're feeling. And it kind of like eventually it kind of felt like zoom calls were just.

01:02:24 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind.

01:02:24 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Of like, really, like a therapy session for us all, like, because this was like our time for, you know, for connection.

01:02:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

With others. And so it was like this really weird like.

01:02:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Environment and creating this weird like sense of like community like which is good but like you know in this online aspect it was not as like human connecting I would say versus like being in a place with other people.

01:02:50

Yeah.

01:02:53 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Along the lines, how does it feel having?

01:02:57 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know your mother being a registered nurse and your father being essentially an essential worker, how did that feel?

01:03:05 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, it was really scary.

01:03:07 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It was scary to like, you know, think that anyone of these days like one of them can come home sick and you know.

01:03:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Everything could change at an instant, and this was also before even like having the vaccines like it was very scary to think like, you know, how are you supposed to treat and take care of this? And like, like, what's next, you know? And so that aspect I think was.

01:03:33 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Very scary, I think, like, I guess for myself because I guess we were younger and I felt like, you know, more healthy to it all. Like I didn't feel so concerned, like for myself, if I were to get it. But I felt like definitely like, more, like terrified. If, like, my parents were to.

01:03:52 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well along the lines.

01:03:56 Mateo McMinn Bautista

How did you? How do you feel that? What was the impact for you and then perhaps your relative, your brother with the impact of online learning, how did that sense of?

01:04:12 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, were you doing high school online, right?

01:04:14 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I was in junior, I had my senior, I had my junior year and senior year entirely.

01:04:19 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I mean I would say like.

01:04:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would say that fellow would feel a lot different because like.

01:04:29 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I don't know. Like I.

01:04:31 Mateo McMinn Bautista

It's your experience was four months, but even then zoom was very much still and continues to be.

01:04:37 Mateo McMinn Bautista

In your life, you know.

01:04:38 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

01:04:40 Mateo McMinn Bautista

How does that feel now being posted out and?

01:04:43 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Do you feel like?

01:04:44 Samuel McMinn Bautista

What's your question now?

01:04:45 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, I guess in the aspect that is it, what is the impact of online learning and your experience and those around you?

01:04:53 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I feel like for those around me, it was like.

01:04:57 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess it was like kind of the same like you just like no one really wanted to be in that situation, but we all kind of just had to adapt and do what we had to do to continue and still feel like we were functioning.

01:05:12 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And so still having like I would say assume definitely like brought out like a few better things out of like you know the workspace and school space and definitely brought a lot more accessibility to you know everyone itself.

01:05:29 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But I would say like it's definitely like brought this whole different aspect on like how we got to get things done.

01:05:39 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So with the impact of COVID, were any of your family members friends or someone you were close to severely impacted by COVID? And if so, would you help me a little bit?

01:05:50 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I mean, I knew a friend that parent died from COVID.

01:05:58 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And.

01:06:00 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, didn't really talk to them too much like after that whole passing. And we were like.

01:06:07 Samuel McMinn Bautista

This is like I think like a year after, like being out of high school and they still hung out and talked to them and everything of that sort, but.

01:06:18 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah. That like mentioned him once and it was like.

01:06:21 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It was very hard and weird conversation. Yeah, Anthony.

01:06:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah.

01:06:29 Mateo McMinn Bautista

This.

01:06:33 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, with with our condolences, Anthony's parents were Latino. How do you think?

01:06:41 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know, the pandemic affected Latinos compared to different demographics.

01:06:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean.

01:06:52 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I feel like with any like you know.

01:06:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Minority group, but sometimes a bit harder for like you know to have those sick days and you know have that availability to like, you know miss work and you know, be out for a few days but.

01:07:09 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think like you know, even like with like my friend Anthony like, you know, hearing that once his dad passed, even though he was like, you know, the sole provider for the family, you know, hearing about all those things, just you definitely.

01:07:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Take into account and I think like in the Latino community, it's definitely like impacted it as like like, you know, like how it impacts any other community.

01:07:35 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, with that, did many people that you knew got vaccinated?

01:07:42 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I mean, I feel like I I knew everyone around me was getting accentuated. There's a few people who were bit like, I'm not too sure on it at all. Things of that sort.

01:07:50 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But you know.

01:07:53 Mateo McMinn Bautista

If you're comfortable sharing, did you get vaccinated?

01:07:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I got, actually, yeah. Like three times.

01:07:58 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Did you get a booster?

01:07:59 Samuel McMinn Bautista

He got like 2 boosters.

01:08:07 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So with the pandemic, is there anything?

01:08:10 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You would like the audience to know about the lived experience of it.

01:08:17 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Wash your hands.

01:08:21 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Stop coughing on people.

01:08:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It's not that hard to use tissue and.

01:08:34 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I mean, yeah.

01:08:34

So.

01:08:37 Mateo McMinn Bautista

No. When conducting around this you see the sense of.

01:08:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

What I would tell people like, you know from this experience is that like, definitely be grateful for those around you and you know, even if it's like the smallest moments you have with them but be appreciated like, of that time that you do because you'll never know. I can, you know, the next day that might be the last time you talk with that person.

01:09:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

No matter like whatever circumstances it is, you know so.

01:09:07 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think that's what COVID and you know, just that time on zoom isolation and.

01:09:14 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know this this connection to one another is definitely like taught me.

01:09:19 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So yeah.

01:09:21 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Concluded with COVID, but at the moment we just have a couple of final questions. Do you feel as if you belong in Richmond specifically?

01:09:35 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I feel like.

01:09:38 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Richmond.

01:09:40 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It's definitely taught me a lot about myself. I don't know if I necessarily, like, want to live here the rest of my life, but like, I don't think it's like giving me, like any bad aspects in life. And like, you know what I want to do like moving forward so.

01:09:58 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Yeah, I guess that's how I feel on it.

01:10:00 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Do you feel like you're going to Virginia?

01:10:03 Samuel McMinn Bautsta

No.

01:10:09 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Is there anything that like prevents you from feeling?

01:10:12 Mateo McMinn Bautista

At home, then.

01:10:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I guess like I don't know what it means to be at home besides like I guess the ones I want to be around, like my family, you know? So home for me, that's necessary to, like, hold me to a state, I would say home. Like holds me to like the ones I want to surround myself with.

01:10:33 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Yeah. Peter, would you, could you consider yourself living in DC then?

01:10:39 Samuel McMinn Bautsta

No.

01:10:42 Samuel McMinn Bautsta

Maybe. I'm not sure.

01:10:44 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And what would deter you?

01:10:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would say definitely like the pricing.

01:10:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Taxes and no statehood.

01:10:52 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But besides that, it is a beautiful city and it's a good diversity of like every aspect of life and.

01:11:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, I do really enjoy that about it.

01:11:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But I think at the same time like.

01:11:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I'm only here for so long and and I think I'd rather like explore other places as well for like for the time being that I'm here.

01:11:19 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But that's just me.

01:11:21 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well.

01:11:24 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Throughout this interview, or try to address your lived experiences, have you omitted parts of your identity or cultural practices to fit?

01:11:33

In.

01:11:34 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And this kind of goes back to.

01:11:35 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know the.

01:11:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Have I admitted part of metric?

01:11:37 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Admitted, essentially refrained from being to this or that.

01:11:42 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And conform to better fitted to.

01:11:45 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Certain ideals or areas. Do you code switch for example?

01:11:52 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I feel like I used to go switch when I was like.

01:11:55 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Younger.

01:11:57 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I feel like now like it's like I'm more confident in like my own self identity. I feel like.

01:12:03 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know.

01:12:05 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Being influenced by these two aspects, I kind of like.

01:12:09 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I find I don't know. I think I've always thought of myself as like, you know, more of, like vigilant observer versus, like someone who's always trying to vocalize how they're feeling and.

01:12:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I kind of just try to like digest like whatever situation that I'm in and you know kind of reflect on it like afterwards.

01:12:31 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, to build off that, have you refrained from doing something in order to be accepted in the US?

01:12:39 Mateo McMinn Bautista

The cultural practices or?

01:12:42 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Linguistic things or just?

01:12:44 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Like.

01:12:45 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Any part?

01:12:47 Mateo McMinn Bautista

That you felt was untrue to yourself. To.

01:12:49 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Better be American.

01:12:53 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean.

01:12:56 Samuel McMinn Bautista

No.

01:12:58 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I thought I could think of really.

01:13:00 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Unless.

01:13:04 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Because I feel like code switching is like one thing.

01:13:08 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And then there's, you know, like trying to fit in. And I feel like code switching is more like around the line where like.

01:13:10

Yes.

01:13:17 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Actually, I guess I'll take that back. I kind of feel like they're both like on the same thing.

01:13:22 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Well, I use code like switching as a reference, but like have you.

01:13:27 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Like, yeah. Have you, like kind of hidden parts of your identity?

01:13:32 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Or have you felt like you've never had to?

01:13:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I felt like I felt like.

01:13:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

People do that upon me rather than me doing it, you know, to like others because I felt like being a person who kind of like goes into like either one of these, like.

01:13:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Attributes of like a culture like I've always like been told on either this or that and never felt like I'm over here trying.

01:14:01 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, code in and switching to something else to say. I end this, you know, because I've always felt like.

01:14:09 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, other people are are like already doing that for me, but like not in like a positive manner you know.

01:14:17 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So always felt like you were spoken for before you could speak for yourself when you only ever felt like.

01:14:25 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You didn't need to say anything, period.

01:14:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Well yeah, because like, I feel like I that's how I've always felt. It's just like it's who I like. When people ask me, it's like, oh, what do you identifies or like, you know, like what initially are you or not even that. It's just like, what do you identify as just like, identify as me? Like, I'm myself like, you know.

01:14:29 Mateo McMinn Bautista

It's just who you are, period.

01:14:45

Yeah.

01:14:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like.

01:14:47 Mateo McMinn Bautista

For the construction.

01:14:48 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like I have these attributes, if that's what you're trying to mean, but like, that's not who I am at its fullest. And so like, I feel like that whole aspect is definitely like always had me be like, you know, if you want to put me in this box, that's the box you're putting me in. But I'm not going to do that to myself.

01:15:07 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Because I felt like that's always I feel like for anyone that's very constricting, you know, to put yourself in a box.

01:15:16 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So I mean with that moving on, what do you think of how the issue of immigration is talked about by politicians and the general public and?

01:15:29 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I mean, I feel like that's even broader, especially like, you know, the amount of borders that we have now to.

01:15:36 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Cool.

01:15:37 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like like.

01:15:38 Mateo McMinn Bautista

The Canadian.

01:15:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Canadian border overseas borders like the Mexican border, like there's a lot of borders. And so like you have all these different like, I guess, like aspects of like where people are like talking about, like, growing up. I remember like, you know, that's a whole different thing like, you know, to the Mexican border.

01:15:57 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But you know.

01:15:58 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know having that.

01:16:01 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, stigma or like, you know this.

01:16:06 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like again, again back to this thing. Like when people try to push you to like these attributes, that's definitely like a big thing that definitely like fluctuates and gets more intense versus like, how these politicians are talking. But, you know, like.

01:16:18

Yeah.

01:16:20 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like I feel like when any group or anyone is really like talked bad upon. It's just like it's not. It's not good for anyone you know.

01:16:30 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So I mean with that, how do you think going to maybe your own identity? How do you think the Salvadoran community is received by our politicians and the public?

01:16:42 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I feel like.

01:16:42 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Both both here and in the nation.

01:16:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I feel like for those that like who do know about Osama odor like and are from Osama bador.

01:16:54 Samuel McMinn Bautista

They definitely know it's like a mixed feelings like of like, a lot of things. But I would say like, you know, for those that don't and like you know, are just seeing what's like being projected. Especially like with this state of exception, you know, it kind of like shows this, like, intense over exaggerated like situation.

01:17:15 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like you know, from what it really is. And then all these other countries are trying to like, you know.

01:17:21 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Speak good and bad things at about the same time, so I feel like the general like public like assessment is on it. It's just like it's like.

01:17:33 Samuel McMinn Bautista

For the best, based off like what's been happening, even though that's not even like the truth.

01:17:43 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Versus like, let me take that back cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, run the question again, run the question again.

01:17:48 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You you make well, how do you think the Salvador and individual like diaspora people here in the US? And then people in El Salvador? Of course, how do you think that diaspora is expressed you?

01:18:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Know it's kind of hard to tell.

01:18:04 Mateo McMinn Bautista

The politicians and.

01:18:05 Mateo McMinn Bautista

The public in relation to, I guess your identity and how you.

01:18:09 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would say it's kind of hard.

01:18:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

To tell because.

01:18:11 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Within the US, it's hard to tell. Well, obviously.

01:18:14 Samuel McMinn Bautista

It's kind of hard to tell in the US and like also what's even being showed from US, stuff of like Salvadoran input, you know, it's like kind of hard to tell if it's like, you know, it's being.

01:18:26 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Your seafood is bad.

01:18:28 Samuel McMinn Bautista

If it's being, yeah, if it's being received as like, you know, whatever is happening, that's good. It's like, you know, it's kind of like not the best situation, but.

01:18:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think like and this also you also got to think about like I guess the different and new generations of Salvadorans who are born in the United States, who are now like seeing what's happening back in, like, you know, their families like home country, you know, and then also having this American like, you know.

01:19:01 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like ideas, exactly these American ideals, like so, I think that's what's kind of like, I guess kind of hard to see, especially like when, like the news and stuff is kind of, like, constricted to, like what they kind of like, want to show.

01:19:15 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So.

01:19:17 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Very suddenly, you kind of almost agree with.

01:19:19

Canon.

01:19:22 Mateo McMinn Bautista

The president booked it.

01:19:24 Mateo McMinn Bautista

To the aspect of external forces like the US and this and that talking about the sovereignty or their right to.

01:19:34 Mateo McMinn Bautista

You know, basically self govern, how do you.

01:19:38 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Interpret the aspect of like how?

01:19:41 Mateo McMinn Bautista

The international community is talking about.

01:19:46 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Immigration, or, you know, human rights or just.

01:19:49 Samuel McMinn Bautista

One of the things I feel like it's been said in the title itself like it's a state of exemption, but it's been like accepted like you know for like that for like a long time. It's. Yeah, it's been extended for way too long.

01:19:58 Mateo McMinn Bautista

It's been extended.

01:20:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, and so like, I think like at first for like for what it needed to be done like it got it done. But like you know for like.

01:20:11 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Kind of like still pushing it forward and constantly like moving these states for us. Like, I don't know for like for me, if I or I, I feel like if you were to see that in United States, you know, we feel like a type of way about that we'd be like, why are we still in this state? I thought we're like, everything's good, you know. And so.

01:20:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I don't know like it makes, I would say like it makes even Salvadoran Americans like conscious, cautious on, like wanting to, you know, kind of go back to this country where, like, you know, you're seeing anyone locked up for, like, you know, a simple tattoo that they have and, you know.

01:20:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You and me like ourselves have tattoos, and that's a very like concerning, like fear, even though, like, they're not gang affiliated. But you know, because of this aspect of it like that, it could be anyone can like, you know, call you in and like, set you up for it all and then boom, you're in a person with like, you know.

01:21:10 Samuel McMinn Bautista

No hearing. Nothing. And you're just there for a while. That's very scary for anyone.

01:21:18 Samuel McMinn Bautista

So.

01:21:19 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So I mean we.

01:21:20 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Talked a little bit about that, but.

01:21:21 Mateo McMinn Bautista

What would you like?

01:21:25 Mateo McMinn Bautista

What would you?

01:21:26 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Like politicians or I guess the public to know about Latinos, your own self, I guess.

01:21:34 Mateo McMinn Bautista

What do you have to say along the lines of the issue of immigration and what should be known about Latinos?

01:21:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I think I think these politicians need to know more about like.

01:21:46 Samuel McMinn Bautista

What's actually like, you know, going on in these other countries, because I feel like.

01:21:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

They are just, you know, like shadow banning people by just saying like, they're not an actual, like, harm's way because everyone's just trying to seek asylum.

01:22:03 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, like, no, there's a lot of stuff going on right now around the world, everywhere, and it's and you see it now even at the US borders is people from all types of backgrounds, all different ethnicities, not just from, like, Southern American countries, you know, like, that's not the case.

01:22:23 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Anymore and.

01:22:25 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, I I think a lot of these politicians are not coming to a realization with that and they're they're still kind of stuck on this whole different aspect of like, it's just the Mexican border. It's just people from these countries, which is not true at all. If you're seeing people coming all the way from like, you know Mumbai.

01:22:45 Samuel McMinn Bautista

India, bro like you know, for a fact like, it's not just this border. So I think our politicians are just.

01:22:57 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Just like how they kind of usually do is to try to kind of procrastinate.

01:23:00 Samuel McMinn Bautista

On the task.

01:23:02 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Find a different route.

01:23:06 Mateo McMinn Bautista

So with that being said, outside of our politicians and to our audience here, what would you like the public to know about your life story?

01:23:18 Mateo McMinn Bautista

What can you tell us?

01:23:20 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would say to others that like.

01:23:24 Samuel McMinn Bautista

If you're in the same circumstance of like.

01:23:27 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Having this identity.

01:23:31 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Self reflecting like you know.

01:23:34 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Journey.

01:23:37 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would say definitely.

01:23:39 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Be more.

01:23:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Understanding be more thoughtful of others and just be more like, you know, considerate and.

01:23:51 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know, respectful of, like, everyone's journey, because everyone's on this whole different.

01:23:58 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Journey on, just like I guess, finding ourselves and just identifying who we are and just.

01:24:04 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know what we're even related to. And then some people connect with one thing more than the other, then that's good. But you know, like just got to also be thoughtful about everyone else's upbringing and backgrounds and who we are as a people. Because at the end of the day.

01:24:20 Samuel McMinn Bautista

We all people.

01:24:22 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Beautiful.

01:24:25 Mateo McMinn Bautista

I mean, yeah.

01:24:29 Mateo McMinn Bautista

What would you like people to really take away from this interview, I guess.

01:24:34 Mateo McMinn Bautista

By yourself about the interview itself.

01:24:37 Mateo McMinn Bautista

About such interviews in the future.

01:24:41 Samuel McMinn Bautista

I would say I wouldn't want people to take away that life has. It's like, you know, different journeys and you, you can take that and different aspects and you know like what? Help me find me and like where I'm still going in life, it's, you know, being in this process and, you know, trying to identify who I am.

01:25:00 Samuel McMinn Bautista

And like.

01:25:01 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Like ethnically, mentally and you know, like, like, morally and that's, you know, my culture background and the people around me have definitely been influenced to how I kind of got there and.

01:25:18 Samuel McMinn Bautista

But you know, like I said, just be accepted to everyone and then understand that everyone has to.

01:25:26 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Different path and journey of understanding and figuring things out.

01:25:33 Samuel McMinn Bautista

This beach here.

01:25:35 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Is there anything you want to add that we may not talked about?

01:25:39 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Is really your option like.

01:25:41 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Tell me anything you would like. Anything else?

01:25:43 Mateo McMinn Bautista

We can talk.

01:25:43 Mateo McMinn Bautista

About before we conclude.

01:25:45 Samuel McMinn Bautista

You know.

01:25:48 Samuel McMinn Bautista

Give a stranger a hug. Be nice to people.

01:25:52 Samuel McMinn Bautista

That's all I can say.

01:25:56 Mateo McMinn Bautista

That's it. That's all the questions I have.

01:25:58 Mateo McMinn Bautista

For you today.

01:25:59 Mateo McMinn Bautista

Thank you so much for speaking with me.

01:26:02 Mateo McMinn Bautista

And I hope everyone who is listening is having a wonderful day and is able to take a lot away.

Latino Virginia

College of Humanities and Sciences

Samuel McMinn Bautista

Abstract