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performanceofbecominghuman-blog · 7 years

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Antonio’s Journey

Nikko Leyva

For this interview, I interviewed one of the oldest person I know, my dad. My dad’s name is Antonio T. Leyva. The name was given to him by my grandfather Mauricio Leyva, and my grandmother Lourdes Leyva; together they had 10 children. Antonio was born on September 24, 1947, in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines. He has a total of 5 children, having 3 girls, and 2 boys; myself being the youngest, and my sister April the oldest at 37. One of his earliest memories he remembers as a child was when he was in elementary school, he was watched and experienced a total eclipse. He was very fascinated of how the light from the sun disappeared and the day turned into “night-time” for a split moment.

When Antonio was in high school he was one of the best basketball players in his school and was asked to play, a league called ABL, short for Antipolo Basketball League. His first year playing he was able to win the championship, and take home the gold. When Antonio is not playing basketball, him and his friends would go in the woods or forest to get fruits from trees or bushes, and they would either eat them or sell them to people to make money. Also on the weekends he worked at a bakery that his aunt owned and sold bread, cake, and other things. Learning this about my dad made me realize that as a teenage boy we were both very similar with our hobbies and makes me proud that I am sort of following his footsteps.

Antonio earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural design at Far Eastern University in Manila. There in college he worked as a waiter, and a bus driver to earn some extra money. After graduating he was given a job at Western Drafting Board Company and worked there mostly his whole life. I highly praise my dad because he was able to go through college barely being able to pay for it. Also, I am very impressed that he was an able to get a degree as an architectural designer, because as a current college student I understand the daily struggle of studying and other stuff. When Antonio reached age 58 he was given the opportunity to travel to the states along with his family, and start a better life with a better job. He first moved into a small apartment in Vineland, New Jersey, near Vineland High School. He was given a job at Division Five Detailing Company, and he was the head structural detailer. After a few years of working and earning money he was able to buy his own house, cars, and other things.

However, the United States isn’t the only countries he has visited. Matter of fact he has visited five other countries! In 1980, he traveled to Saudi Arabia, as a supervisor for many architectural work. At first, he thought the culture was very weird, he quotes “Around that time (1980), as a catholic man you were not allowed to look at an Arabian woman.” Also, he says the water he drank there was very salty, and things were not very sanitary. He mentions it is bad to eat around lunch time and had to be sneaky while eating. If he chose to eat around lunch time he either ate in the bathroom, or in his car. Other than that, he said the food he ate was very similar to the food he ate back at home. After my dad have told me all these places he’s been to it made inspired me to want to travel to different places just like him. I plan to travel to different countries this summer because of this information my dad has told me about his past.

In 1991, at age 45 he traveled to Singapore also a supervisor for the architectural work there. Antonio lived around the boundary of Singapore and was very close to Malaysia sometimes would go over the border. When someone mentions to him “Singapore” his first thoughts about it is that it was VERY CLEAN. People were not allowed to chew gum in public due to people throwing it away on the streets. He says there were many Chinese places there kind of like here in America. He says food was very cheap and he was able to buy meals costing him about 2 Singapore dollars (equivalent to 1 American dollar). Also, one of his most memorable moments there was meeting the President of the Philippines Corazon Aquino. After President Aquino gave a speech, there was a small gathering that Antonio decides to go to. There the President Aquino notices my dad as a fellow Filipino and asked him to sit and eat lunch beside her.

After asking if there was anything he could go back to and change what would it be, he responds with, “My major…” He says the major took a lot of effort, and thinking involved. To him it was very stressful, and that he was given many responsibilities. He frightened that any mistakes made would go back to him, and would be held responsible. Also, he says that the thing he hated the most about his work was that it turned half his hair white due to the amount of stress it put on him. He wishes instead of architecture, he would’ve join the police academy, because it would’ve paid a little more, be less stressful, and he would look more, “bad ass.” However other than that he says he is happy with the decisions he has made in his life, and he is very content on where he is today.

To Antonio he believes that what is most important thing to a person is the money you have. To him he feels that without money, you are nothing. “Without money, we would not be where we are today.” Antonio explains. He says because of money we were able to leave a very poor country, travel across the world, and live a better life. Because of money he was able to take care of his children, give them better home, and safer environment to live in.

As Antonio’s youngest child I would have never guessed that my boring ole dad lived such an adventurous life. Before doing this interview, I always thought my dad was just this goofy, retired, old man that had a regular day job. Now that I have learned more about his past, and some of his childhood, I look at my dad as a different person. Knowing more about my dad gives me more of a reason to look up to him and be just like him a few years from now. I never realized how much effort and stress he had to go through throughout his entire life just to make sure all five of his children receive the best opportunities in life. I could not ask for a better father than my very own and I would like to thank him for all his sacrifices because I would not be half the man I was today if it was not for him.

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Komal Naqvi on White Privilege and Islamophobia

“I’ve always believed that the best way to make change is through political advocacy and I feel that standing up for issues that affect our student body is an amazing place to start. I want to be there for the people I represent.”

Politics and activism are a huge passion in Komal Naqvi’s life. As a full-time undergraduate student at Rutgers University, Komal was recently elected as Senator at the Douglass Residential College through Knights for Change. Knights for Change is a student body government organized by Rutgers students. I was lucky enough to discuss her experiences with racial bias, how it affected her mental health and how we can prevent this. Here, I recognize the privileges I was afforded as someone who is white and has received more opportunities, due to my race. Education has failed us. I admit, that I, too, can be very ignorant on these issues and need to further educate myself, regarding history and Middle Eastern studies. In fact, I learned more about history through Komal than I have in any history class I have taken in middle and high school. Hate crimes have increased exponentially. Systemic oppression is prevalent everywhere, and now that our current president is reinforcing Islamophobia…it is crucial that we provide a safe space and educate the public.

So what were your experiences growing up in Pakistan?

Komal: So I actually wasn’t born in Pakistan. I grew up in Brooklyn and I moved from NY in 2001. So basically my experiences aren’t strong examples of Islamophobia. I know my sister dealt with it a lot more. Like, she would be asked, “Oh, are you Osama Bin Laden’s daughter? Is he your uncle?” Basically, asking her, are you related to the terrorist and things like that. For me, it was very common to not tell people you’re Muslim. They felt like it was a lot easier to avoid anything and not have people ask you questions and go on their merry way. I remember one time, my brother was asked from an older white man, “are you Muslim?” to my brother who is in preschool! It’s kind of like, why are you asking that? What’s your purpose and intent? And it kind of just gives you anxiety already. I’m not sure if this relates to Islamophobia or just xenophobia in general, but when we were first buying our house, the people we were buying the house from were really nice. They were really working with us because my dad couldn’t afford the amount they were asking for. They lowered the amount of the house so we would be able to afford it. It’s pretty big, it’s a nice area. But my neighborhood is very Catholic and there are many churches in my town and it’s very religious. And they had a meeting. It was a bunch of white old ladies to discuss whether or not we should even be living there. They called this woman and said, “We don’t want you to sell this house to them because we don’t want brown people living in our town.”

Wow, I am sorry to hear about that. I also apologize for assuming that you were born and raised in Pakistan. I might have gotten confused with someone else. But, how do you think these experiences have affected your mental health?

Komal: I’m really anxious living in my town. Even though were located in Central Jersey, my town is very Republican. So growing up, I was always concerned for my black friends. People had blatant, Confederate flags on the back of their pick-up trucks and I didn’t really understand. I’m always concerned for them because it wasn’t too long ago where we had a Confederate flag flying in our town hall. When my best friend moved there, that’s when she told me that her father had asked if they could take it down, otherwise they didn’t want to move their family there. It obviously made them feel unsafe. I used to be really scared to go outside. As a person of color, you’re just very aware of everything because you see yourself as the person who’s being discriminated against, as you’re growing up. Even in class, things that people would say, you could understand that people were mocking you. When I was younger especially, I didn’t have the language to talk to these people to say, “Hey, what you’re saying is really hurting me. It’s effecting how I view my own culture.” I remember kids would make fun of Indian culture and then, just blatantly group us all into one category. So, I’ve been made fun of for wearing henna. Growing up in a community like this, you kind of have to take a step back and analyze everything. The way I grew up, I just had to realize things weren’t in my favor. There were also opportunities I didn’t get because people saw me as the model minority, Smart Asian, quote on quote, “Indian kid,” even though I’m not Indian…it still kind of made me think that there are opportunities that I’m not getting and why are they so hard to reach? One thing I’m thinking about right now is Honors Society. Most of my friends were black, from South America. We were all really smart and all of us tried REALLY hard in school. But the kids who were always chosen for Honors Society were the white kids, who were like the teachers favorites. It was so obvious that none of my teachers wanted to give me or my group of friends a letter of recommendation for Honors Society. I was in the top 25, but since our high school was so small only the top 10 were chosen.

So, this leads me to my next question, how would you describe white privilege to someone who isn’t familiar with this issue?

Komal: One thing we talk about in a class I’m taking, called Feminism, Policy & Poor, is that some people aren’t going to have the same opportunities or life chances as somebody who is white, just because the system generally favors white people. It’ s easier for white people to get jobs. It’s easier for them to get access to opportunities. For example, there are people of color who come into bankruptcy and are unemployed, simply because they’re colored. As opposed to a while person who is unemployed or coming to bankruptcy because of a financial issue within a company. They lost their home because of their financial decisions. A black person could lose their home because they refused to give them the same extensions as they would a white person. They wouldn’t trust them as much. They can be in the same situation for different reasons. That’s why there is this disparity. There are white people who struggle the same way as black people do, but not because of their race.

Absolutely. But, how can we make people more aware of this issue?

Komal: Education. We need more workshops in the local level. I really believe in a big government and I think they should take responsibility in having cultural education, cultural advocacy. We need to be supportive in the community and let other people know that other cultures exist. One thing about white people is that as a person of color, this can be very difficult to talk about. White people need to call out other white people. It’s hard as a person of color to constantly see that you’re systematically oppressed and then call them out on it. It affects your mental health.

So, how are you and your family coping with our current president (even though I should just refer to him as #45 because I refuse to acknowledge him as a President)?

Komal: My parents have gone through different presidents in this country, so they’re not as concerned. They were concerned about Medicaid. My dad always keeps up with politics, but he’s been through so much shit that he can handle anything that comes his way. He’s strong. Me and my sister were very distraught and effected. I took a couple of days off from class because I was crying. I had to watch political satire shows just to find humor in this situation. My personal belief is that if you want to fight something, do it politically, which is why my major is Political science and Women & Gender studies. I feel like local and state politics are very important. No matter what happens on the federal level, as long as our state is strong. I want to find an internship that deals with state work and local districts because I feel like that’s very important. We have to take it one step at a time. My brother, Sean is like a little firecracker. He’s 13. I remember when I first started telling him not to tell people he was Muslim. I knew that when I was growing up I didn’t have that kind of language so how was he going to know? The thing is, he has that language and I think it’s because my sister and I have that influence on him. He’ll talk to kids about being Muslim and educate them. I’m a little anxious because kids are very mean and they regurgitate everything. Little kids are really influenced by their parents. One girl told my brother’s friend that he was going to have to leave the country because he was Mexican. Their parents don’t care. My brother is learning not to internalize things. I did when I was a kid.

Well, I feel like that has to do with gender roles too. Females are more likely to internalize and ruminate over our emotions and men tend to distract themselves. This is just how society has been for so long. What kind of advice would you give someone who is currently facing oppression and Islamophobia?

Komal: I would find a community. Find a place to talk about what has happened to you with people who are similar to you. You need solidarity, no matter what level it is. If it’s with your family, or other Muslims in the community or people of color, you need to find other people you can trust and talk to about. Even that small aspect of organizing, I feel like you can take it to a lot of places. You don’t always have to be political but you can organize a club, if you want. I know people in different high schools who have had a social education class. You can’t just be ignorant. Most of the things people say stem from people not knowing or not understanding, and that results in fear.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Komal: My dream goal would be to run for something, whether it’s Board of Education or working for non-profit organizations. I want to work for Grass Roots Activist Work. That’s what I’m really passionate about because I feel like we can accomplish a lot on the state level. One of my passions is domestic violence work in the South Asian community.

What are some of the stigmas that people have about the Middle East?

Komal: So Pakistan actually isn’t part of the Middle East. It’s part of South Asia. We used to be one country with India. The construction of the Middle East is very western. I don’t call it the Middle East. I call it Arab States or Gulf States. But, yeah I’m south Asian because I have south Asian cultures and practices. And then Afghanistan onto the west is considered the Middle East.

Okay, so that’s a stigma right there, how I assumed Pakistan to be part of the Middle East!

Komal: A lot of people say that just because it’s an Islamic- Republic. I’m Shiam-Muslim and I face A LOT of oppression. Shia’s are 20% of the Muslim population and Sunni’s are 80%. In Pakistan, we’re seen as not being Muslim, even though our belief system follows the prophet-Mohammed’s family. Basically, what the Taliban target are Shia’s. We have very limited political leadership in Pakistan as well. My personal experiences have more to do with living in America. What people expect with living in Pakistan is that it’s all impoverished, it’s in ruins, there’s no education for women, but that’s just a stereotype, honestly. Like my mom has a Bachelor’s in Education. My dad has a Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s and he got a Master’s in International Relations. To think of Pakistan as an impoverished country is something that the Westerners have made it out to be.

So before you get offended the next time someone tells you to “check your privilege,” think of the racial remarks and stereotypes that persist. Put your own beliefs to the side for a moment and empathize with those, like Komal and her siblings, who have been victims of racial inequality. Next time you hear a racial slur or joke, I encourage you to take advantage of your privilege and raise your voice to shed light on this topic. Even though it may not be affecting you specifically, it can be detrimental to someone who faces this bias on a consistent basis. Creating a safe space and empathizing with those who are less fortunate than us is extremely important.

If you’re interested in learning more about privilege, I highly recommend taking this Buzzfeed quiz here.

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performanceofbecominghuman-blog · 7 years

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Video Interview

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Q&A Interview

Q: Is there anything that you remember from living in Peru?

A: The streets that I grew up in are what I remember most vividly. The streets having a mix of dirt and road, family owned and operated stores and restaurants nearby; the sound of bus callers that let the people know that a bus is coming. These are all memories that I have from my time in Peru.

Q: What elements of your culture stick with you today?

A: Food and the way my family celebrates many different holidays such as Christmas and New Years. We feel that our style of food and cooking are one of our strongest links to our home country.

Q: Is there anything in particular that you believe makes you Peruvian aside from your heritage? (i.e. cultural aspect, the way you comprehend or associate things, your mentality)

A: Little quirks like having the need to carry multiple things into the home or rooms, how I greet my fellow countryman, how I form my opinions on people and build my relationships with family and friends.

Q: Our cultures, Chinese and Peruvian, do have a mix culture that is in Peru, aside from food do you think there was any other cultural influences they shared? If so, do you have an example?

A: Unfortunately I don’t believe that either culture had much of an influence on the other. Peru, being a very conservative country, would provide many challenges and hardships for Chinese immigrants that arrived on their shores. If anything, over the years both cultures have come to integrate each others customs in very specific parts of Peru.

Q: In my culture, we have various festivals for various occasions, does Peru have anything similar?

A: Every September a festival named “Mistura” (Mixture in Portuguese) takes place in Lima, Peru. It is a grand festival for chefs from not only Peru, but all across Latin America to come and share their expertise with people. During Mistura many of Peru’s famous dishes are served to many people.

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20 Questions with Soph

My initial idea was to interview my best friend, but unfortunately, because of conflicting schedules, I was not able to do it. So instead I interviewed my younger sister Sophia. She is a 14-year-old teen in middle school, I thought it would be interesting to compare different points of view to find differences and similarities between our generations. My inspiration for random questions came from Vogue’s video interviews called “73 Questions”

Q: Name 3 artist that you are listening to? Why?

A: Kanye West because of his style and fashion are out of the box

Kendrick Lamar because he raps about relevant issues

J. Cole his lyrics have meaning.

Q: Name 2 woman you look up to. Why?

A: Malala Yousafzai because I feel like us as girls, we take school for granted, we don’t realize the great opportunity we have. She gave women a voice.

Mom because I feel as if she is able to do anything.

Q: What celebrity do you think negative influence to your generation?

A: Well I have a lot, XXXTentacion his lyrics are bad, and he’s been in jail for battery, abuse.

Famous Dexter same reasons

Q: What is a subject in school you feel you are never going to use?

A: Project and Solving- all we do is create random projects.

Q: What is one law that you think is unnecessary?

A: Kids are not allowed sharpies, I’m not sure if it’s true but I feel as if it is unnecessary.

Q: How feel about Trump?

A: He’s not open minded. Honestly, no one in school likes him. He’s just racist and acts childish.

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world for a year where would you live?

A: Tokyo, Japan; The culture intrigues me. It’s a city that I always wanted to visit and live in.

Q: Nikes or Adidas? Why?

A: Nikes because I’ve always had nikes. They are classics.

Q: If you won the lottery what would be the first thing you would buy?

A: I would buy an island so I can escape whenever I wanted.

Q: Friend, Marry, Kill? Kanye, Kendrick, and J Cole?

A: Friend- Kendrick

Marry- J Cole

Kill- Kanye

Q: What do you think is the biggest threat to humanity

A: Humans themselves, all the greed.

Q: What do you think High School is like?

A: The same thing as Middle School, just bigger and more classes.

Q: One good thing about Franklin (the town we are from)?

A: The schools are not bad, they are divirse.

Q: Bad?

A: Students care more about socializing than education.

Q: If you could ask any celebrity any question, dead or alive; who and what?

A: Kendrick- Tell me about growing up in Compton

Q: Top 3 most important social medias

A: Instagram

Twitter

Snap Chat

Q: A celebrity that best represented Latinas?

A: Selena Quintanilla

She was proud of her Hispanic background

Q: What do you think college is like?

A: Lots of homework, classes, always running late.

Lots of parties

Q: How do you feel about Rutgers?

A: It doesn’t look bad, it seems diverse, I wouldn’t mind going there.

Q: What is one thing that you are thinking about right now?

A: I want to sleep

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Familiarizing the Unfamiliar

Note: Since my subject lives in Miami, Florida, I was unable to interview her face to face. This interview was conducted over FaceTime on April 1, 2017.

JA: Thank you for taking time out of your day to participate in this interview. Tell me a little bit about yourself and what you do for a living.

ES: No problem at all. My name is Elizabeth but everyone calls me Lizzy. I grew up in New Jersey and moved to Miami right after college and I’ve worked in the sex industry as a porn performer for almost five years now. I got started in the sex industry working at a popular strip club in Miami that I shall remain nameless. I stripped for about six months and moved on to the porn industry.

JA: How do people typically react when you tell them what you do for a living?

ES: Typically I’m met with a mixture of shock, curiosity, or disappointment. I’m completely honest about what I do and I think that honesty tends to confuse people once in awhile. I’m not trying to be shocking or controversial; I just think that kind of honesty is important, especially with what I do. I understand that I don’t work a typically conventional job but it’s pretty normal to me. I graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice with an exceptional GPA. When I told my parents about it they were not exactly pleased but they have always been supportive of my decisions. My dad would always ask, “Why don’t you do something with your major? You did so well in school”. Once he realized that I wasn’t going to do that I think he was able to accept my line of work a little more. But, I mean, never say never. I loved my major and maybe down the line I will do something with it, but for now I’m happy with what I’m doing. Anyway, my parents have always been great but of course there are people that do not understand or are unwilling to accept what I do. I’ve lost a few friends and a few partners as a result of it. They make their assumptions about me and how morally corrupt I must be.

JA: What do you think the perception of female porn performers are?

ES: That we’re all addicted to drugs, have traumatizing pasts of physical and sexual abuse, and that we all completely hate our dads. (Laughs) Well not always the dad part but definitely the rest of it. Also, that we’re uneducated and have low self-esteem. And yes, sometimes that is true. There are a lot of girls that come in that are completely broken and are just looking for a quick way to make money. Girls that are strung out that have been through some serious shit. Those girls don’t tend to last, though. They’re in it to escape their lives… not because the porn industry is something they truly want to be a part of. The group of girls I’m friends with in the industry are unbelievably kind, smart, and gracious. Many of them have masters degrees and fucking PHD’s. Society places a negative stigma on porn stars and those perceptions are really hard to break. When people meet me that are not in the industry and I tell them what I do after we’ve talked for some time they always say shit like “but the language you use”, or “but your demeanor”, or “but you’re so well rounded”. Yes, I can be smart, witty, powerful, and influential while still working in the sex industry.

JA: As you mentioned, you’re very open about what you do. Do you think if more porn performers were as honest as you that the perception of the pornography would change or gain more positive awareness?

ES: Probably not, to be honest. I think it would take a lot more then that covert society into sex positive thinkers. I can’t expect everyone to be open and willing to speak about it just because I am. I love my life and my honesty is natural. I couldn’t be secretive about this if I wanted to. Not everyone has the same circumstances as I do and that could affect their willingness to be open and honest. I don’t hold that against them. Some girls are fiscally dependent on their parents, and they have to keep quiet for fear of being completely shunned by them. There are a lot of foreign girls that perform in the industry that have to stay quiet in fear of the repercussions from their own government. It’s really fucking crazy that that’s a reality for some people. I can only speak for myself and I make an effort to be as truthful as possible.

JA: You mentioned the term “sex positive” earlier. Can you tell me what that means to you in relation to your line of work?

ES: Yes. Sex positivity for me is that all sex is safe, consensual, and healthy. All the shoots that I do are always safe, consensual, and healthy. The people I choose to work with are courteous and my boundaries and limitations are always respected. I make porn that is true to me. This is definitely a male dominated industry. Porn is always made for the male viewer. I like to create porn that caters to both male and female viewers. So when I do a shoot that means I truly enjoy myself and the sex I’m having. That also means I’m not faking an orgasm to appease a male audience.

JA: Thank you for your time and for being open and willing to discuss your life with me. Your openness is courageous and really refreshing.

ES: No problem at all. I’m happy to help. This was a pretty short interview but I hope that I was at least able to bring a little more of a positive and less judgmental awareness to what I do and the amazing women I work with.

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Chinese International Student Interview by: Drew D’Andrea

Levi Xu- Freshman International Student Interview

How was your experience growing up in China?

“I spent my middle school years living in a boarding school. I liked it a lot because in that school I met my best friends. They made me feel really happy, even though my grades lowered because of it. I wasn’t nervous about getting into a good high school, because i was confident in myself. One of my friends had a villa nearby the boarding school. Only on the weekends could you leave the school. We used t go to his house and play on the weekends.”

What did you have to do to get into high school?

“Unlike the US, in China, we had to take an entrance exam to get into high school. I prepared for the exam for three years beforehand. The exam was hard, and you get ranked based on your grade. If you are really talented academically you can go to a honors high school. I went to a normal high school. In high school we had to choose a certain direction to take, such as science or art.”

Was your social life similar to middle school? Or different?

“I didn’t make new friends in high school, i just stayed with the friends i made in middle school. I regret not meeting people in high school.”

How did you decide to come to America?

“my parents thought it would be a good idea to go to college in America. I learned english for one year in china, and then I started college in New Jersey. I don’t have any family in America, except for one aunt that my family does not know very well. I had to learn a lot of things about American society while being here.”

Do you miss your family back home?

“Of course i miss them, and think about them a lot. I talk to my parents on the phone every week. I do not feel really homesick, though mainly because I am so busy with everything at a school. Making new friends also makes me feel a sense of belonging”

Was it hard to get used to living here?

Except for the fact that english is the main language, many things were surprisingly easy to get used to. Except for the language difference, America is not that much different to when i was living in China. Being on my own in a different country was scary at first, but i got used to everything pretty quickly. It is hard however to be away from my friends from school. I was very close with them, and being in a new place, and not knowing anyone, was hard at first. But once i started meeting new people in my dorm, and joining clubs, i found people that i got along with, which makes being here a lot better”

Is there a main difference between China and America?

“Getting used to english was very hard. I still have trouble with it now. I know english pretty well, but if people speak very quickly, or use big words, then i get confused. I also notice that meals are different. The portions in America are much larger, and in china, everyone shares meals with each other.”

Do you plan on living here in America, or going back to China?

“I think it would be best to stay here in America, but i feel that it will be harder to find a job here, because of my difficulty with english. This summer i plan on returning to China and be with my family. I know that i will stay at Rutgers for at least four years.”

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performanceofbecominghuman-blog · 7 years

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I interviewed my friend Evanna while she was studying for her microbiology exam. Shot on iPhone and edited in iMovie

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Experiences of a college student

My older brother is a graduating senior at Syracuse University, with a bachelors in IT. These were his thoughts on his college experience, what he thinks about it, and how to go on from here:

What are some of the biggest things college has taught u?

- “So far college has been a tremendous journey which has provided me with

many great experiences. College helped me see what independence is really

about. Attending to a college a couple hours away in another state has really

helped me test if I am truly ready to be independent, which I think I am.

College has also taught me that you must take advantage of the opportunities

that present in your way, and creating these opportunities when they do not

show up. However, out of all things, college has really helped me found a

potential in my that I hadn’t seen before. Between many challenging classes,

work, and social life I thought I would never have time to do everything, but

with some time management training, I learned that I could successfully

accomplish all these and more. Once I saw this potential, my confidence

increased and became more motivated to get things done.”

Do u think the experience was worth the money?

- “College has definitely been a worthwhile experience and I wish I could do it

all over again. However, the cost of college tuition is very high, which deters

many from getting an education and leaves many others with large burdens

of financial debt (student loans). College is a great place to find opportunities

and develop oneself, but is something that it should be affordable to anyone

with the desire for a higher education. I am one among the students that will

have some student loans to repay post-graduation and even though I am

happy college opened many opportunities for me, I do wish I could of had

this experience without having to worry about paying thousands of dollars

once its over.”

Is “the struggle” when it comes to finding jobs after college real?

- “I think the answer to this question depends mostly on how one approaches

the situation. I have found that networking and building connections is key to

finding a job, or at least a job that you would actually want. Taking action

early, building relations while still at school and thinking what profession

you want to pursuit will make this “struggle” less of an issue. I’ve met some

peers that have found their careers and have everything figured out and

others that have not even started thinking what they want to do once they

graduate. I believe attitude is another key component to finding a good job.

The opportunity is always out there waiting for you somewhere, but you

have to do whatever is necessary to find it, thus your mentality could be the

deciding factor between working hard to find the dream job or getting stuck

at a mediocre job.”

Who are some of the brightest and some of the worst people you’ve met in ur college career.

- “During my underclassmen years of college, I mostly focused on the fun part

of college and was always hanging around with people that wanted to just

hang around and play video games. During this time, I was getting good

grades, but simply did the work because I had to do it and was more driven

towards getting my homework done so I can hang out with friends

(sometimes leading to mediocre work), but to be fair I feel like this is a

similar situation for the majority of students. During my last two years, I

started to focus more on school and started to hanging out more intellectual

individuals that were more focused on working on projects and thinking

about their futures. Hanging out with these guys encouraged me to become

more involved on campus, which definitely opened many opportunities.

Hanging out with people that were school and career-oriented helped me

land a position as director of the research center at my school as well as a job

at a startup company. Out of all this I can finish with one conclusion, the

people you hang around with really does matter.”

What would u do different if u could do it all over again?

- “Like I mentioned earlier, college tuition is very high and carries a burden of

debt when graduation happens. something If I would had done something

differently, I would of definitely applied to more scholarships to reduce my

college debt and maybe even go to a cheaper in state school like you did. I had

a lot of fun though, not much I would change about that experience.”

What is ur biggest regret in college so far?

- “My biggest regret is not having started thinking about my career since the

very beginning of college. When I first got accepted, four years seemed like a

really long time and thought I had time to figure everything out. However,

I’m about a month away from graduation and realized that these four years

flew by really fast. I am not very upset that I didn’t start that early because I

had to go through that experience to learn, but I would consider that my

biggest regret. Start looking for internships and what you wanna do now that

you still have time.”

Do you think u have solid plans for after college?

- “I am still in the application and interview process, so I do not have concrete

plans as of yet, but I think I will be fine.” (I could tell he was somewhat scared of

that question)

Are u ready for the rest of ur life?

- “Life is something that is inevitable whether we are ready or not. I’ve learned

in college about my potential and that we can grow if we have the desire for

it. I am sure that I will have many more of these insights throughout my

career, thus I am looking at life as a learning process and trying to focus

living in this moment, since tomorrow is always a mystery.”

______________________________________________________________________

Before we did the interview, my brother asked me if he should be honest or just make the answers sound good. This made me think while the interview was going on, and I think to an extent he answered the way most people would. With the question about plans after college, I could tell that like everyone, he has some self doubt but he is trying to be as optimistic and professional about it.

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performanceofbecominghuman-blog · 7 years

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Interview with my Grandfather

Q1.) Can I have your name and birthday? Tony: Antonio Lourenco. October 30th, 1960. Q2.) And your profession? Tony: I own a fish market in Elizabeth. Q3.) How long have you been doing that? Tony: 26 years, 16 years after I came home from the military. Q4.) Can you tell me more about that? Tony:When I was 22 I was drafted into the Portuguese army in order to combat forces in Angola. Q5.) What was going on in Angola? Tony: The Angolan War for Independence. Angola had still technically been a colony of Portugal, and a revolution formed very suddenly when I was young. The opinions of the people were very distinguished, mostly people in the clothing industry desperately wanted the Angolans to remain under Portuguese power because they were forcing them to grow cotton, which was then sold for very cheap, Clothes were one of the cheapest essentials in Portugal at the time and they were in high demand. Q6.) Were you ever deployed? Tony: Never on a mission, but we were stationed in Angola for 3 years alternating from Portugal to the northern side of Angola. Q.7) So you grew up in Portugal? Tony: Yes. I lived there until I was 18, when I moved to America and got involved in the business with my uncle. Q.8) Do you think a lot has changed comparatively from your generation? Tony: I think so. Legislations are granting rights we never thought people would have when we were younger. It’s all for the better, but I never imagined so much effort would be invested into social justice as it is today. This generation was raised in America all their lives, they love this country, and wanna have part in defining it. Q.9) How about other countries? Tony: I’ve been to France Spain and Italy as well, the European countries are similar in structure, but you can see their culture very clearly and definitely. They still have bullfighting in Spain, which would be animal cruelty in America, but the people love their traditions too much to remove it, but they have drastically reduced the number of bullfights. Paris and Sicily are as beautiful as you could imagine, it’s just like being in a movie.

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performanceofbecominghuman-blog · 7 years

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vimeo

Do I Value Life

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performanceofbecominghuman-blog · 7 years

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JUST READ

“Call me a nerd or a geek, but connecting vivid imagery with exciting stories helped an introverted kid like myself dive into different universes. It’s something that really changed my life.” -Liam Panero

Graphic novels and comic book series are a staple in the hearts of the young and old across the country; they offer a sort of addicting balance between nostalgia and excitement for the future that no other concept can replicate. However, for Liam Panero comic books aren’t just a cherished childhood memory. These publications gave him something more, which was the ability to transform a once painful experience into a beautiful love.

JULIA : “I really wanted to talk about the topic of books because to me, they are sort of a gateway to another world. They’re magical and I grew up constantly reading, so books ultimately let me escape some of the things that went on in my life.

But for you, Liam, I’ve learned that it seems to be the opposite. Textual books act as a sort of anxiety for you, and words themselves are not friendly. However graphic novels, or comic books, seem to combine the world of text and illustrations in order to help you experience the storytelling magic. So, can you please explain what provokes these anxieties toward linear text and how graphic novels have become this childhood gem that really helped your comprehension.”

LIAM : “I am dyslexic. In the 3rd grade I was taken out of schools for tutoring, I had those experiences. But at the end of the day, those sessions just taught me tricks and shortcuts to help me deal with my disability.

It isn’t something that just goes away. My anxieties towards books isn’t just nervousness, I literally get migraines from looking at words in that format. Reading a paragraph was painful, it was so hard to focus and read lines. I associate textual books with pain.

My dad instinctively got me into comic books, which was more of an excitement for him because he grew up with the original Superman and Batman series. No one really understands how important these books are for someone like me. Call me a nerd or a geek, but connecting vivid imagery with exciting stories that helped such an introverted kid like myself dive into different universes, is something that really changed my life.

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JULIA : So did you find that the visual illustrations graphic novels offer allowed you to comprehend the captions and dialogue better?

LIAM : Absolutely. I find that the images, which are done by incredible artists that need more recognition, sort of served as a usable door to the comic world. Just like how you imagine the places you read about in text, I get that through beautiful and ultimately cool illustration.

“Really before I knew it, I started to read book after book..”

JULIA : Do you remember the first comic book you read?

LIAM : If I’m going to be honest, I really don’t. The way I got into these Marvel and D.C. worlds was through the movies, they intrigued me as a kid. So, after seeing those films I wanted to learn more about their stories. Really before I knew it, I started reading book after book, so much so that I can’t even remember my first.

“Comics helped me cope at the time with my disability…But, the most important thing that comes out of that is soon I may get to bring them to life.”

JULIA : In your opinion, did “raising yourself on comics,” rather than traditional text, inspire your career? I look at you and I see someone who was shaped by graphic novels, is this assumption true?

LIAM : Comics acted as a sort of gateway to storytelling. I couldn’t learn the traditional, or academic, way, but imagery really allowed me to immerse myself in stories. My dad always told me that it was okay that I couldn’t read books or novels, as long as I understood the story. It was the story that mattered. My career path is producing, but I study integrated digital media and film at NYU. Currently, I am working on producing a short film called “What Here Needs Love” with my best friend, which will hopefully get admitted to Sundance or any other film festivals next year. To me producing is the gateway to movies, just like how comics are the gateway to text. They don’t directly relate, but there’s a joy in applying my passion for storytelling with the knowledge I learned from comics.

From my past, I learned how vital stories were. Just like text allows for you to create worlds and spark imagination, graphic novels really allow me to dive into places and have that same experience. With reading I’ll always be a step behind, and I’ll always try to improve that.

Simply, comics helped me cope at the time with my disability. They’re a modern myth that need more attention. But, the most important thing that comes out of that is soon I may get to bring them to life.

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Books, much like people, come in all shapes and sizes. It isn’t just the standard text version that launches intellectual validation. No reader should feel inferior because they cannot finish a 500 page novel in week or less, nor should one feel superior for being able to do so. Storytelling sheds its light on multiple spectrums, for it graces the minds of its audience with open arms and zero judgements. Whether it is the words or graphic illustrations that provoke the imagination, the true goal of authors, graphic or textual, is simple: to tell their stories and hope to touch those who read them.

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