Arepa Meets Bagel Podcast
Arepa meets Bagel podcast explores what it means to be first-generation, bilingual, and caught between two worlds, using humor, honesty, and personal stories to connect with people who have similar experiences. The conversations touch on family, identity, relationships, beauty, self-growth, culture, immigration, and everyday life, while highlighting the funny and sometimes challenging differences between Latino traditions and American life.
Arepa Meets Bagel Podcast
Arepa Meets Bagel- Episode 1 - Michelle M
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Meet Michelle—a dedicated registered nurse whose story bridges two worlds. Raised in a vibrant Latin culture while navigating life in an American society, Michelle brings a unique perspective to everything she does. Her upbringing shaped her deep sense of compassion, resilience, and connection to community—qualities that now define her approach to patient care. In this episode you’ll get a glimpse into her journey, her experiences in healthcare, and how her cultural roots continue to influence the way she heals, supports, and inspires others.
So I'm not in Espanyol, English. It's totally up to you. Whatever you feel comfortable with. And um for our listeners, like where did you where were you born? Were you born in Colombia or were you born in the US?
SPEAKER_02I was born in Queens, New York.
SPEAKER_00You were born in Queens?
SPEAKER_02I was born in Queens.
SPEAKER_00I I could have sworn I thought you were born in Southampton.
SPEAKER_02Wait, are you being serious? Yeah. I feel like we have this conversation.
SPEAKER_00No, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_02Bro, we were born in the same hospital. That is crazy.
SPEAKER_00You know that hospital no longer exists.
SPEAKER_02Elmerst?
SPEAKER_00I was born in a private hospital that doesn't exist.
SPEAKER_02Oh.
SPEAKER_00That was in Elmerst.
SPEAKER_01Oh.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god, that's crazy.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00That's insane. Okay, so you're okay. So you were born in Queens.
SPEAKER_02Born in Queens and then Why?
SPEAKER_00Wait, why were you born in Queens?
SPEAKER_02My uncle's My parents were living. Oh yeah, yeah. My parents were living in Queens. Um they were at Me Tio Yuan's apartment.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02It was like all of them like I think it's like a one-bedroom, yeah, two bedroom. He did he still lives in the same apartment.
SPEAKER_00That's crazy because it's rent stabilized. So it just rents, so that's like awesome.
SPEAKER_02And then they found themselves in Montauk shortly after. Well, no, I went to Colombia a couple of months after I was born. I celebrated my first birthday there. Um and then similar to me, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's insane. That's crazy. I had no idea. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Why had I stayed in the city? I wonder what it would have been like.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. Wait, how long were you in Colombia for?
SPEAKER_02Uh, you know, say like a couple of months, maybe. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00No, see, that's funny, because when I was born, I was born in Queens, and then like a losanitos, my mama me mandó para um para Colombia because she could not like in those times, she would generate like six or seven dollars an hour. That's what they were paying. That was like um the minimum wage. And then she would have to pay three or four dollars an hour in a square. And she was like, I'm not gonna make money. So I moved to Colombia for like a year and a half, too. I lived, I lived with grandma, I lived with my other grandma. I was like all over, I was bouncing all over the place. So when you were born, did both your parents go to Columbia? Or just like your mom?
SPEAKER_02I was born in both I think both of my parents were there with me. Oh I'm just gonna say, yeah. Um, and then we came back. But then I don't honestly, I I don't know. No, no, no, no, no. I was born here, obviously, and then I went to Colombia and like my siblings met me for the first time. Isn't that crazy?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Filipe and Vivi, but they but you met them in Colombia or you met them here?
SPEAKER_02When I was brought to Colombia, is when I met the couple of years. Like my grandma, my mom's mom, my grandma was raising my I shouldn't say raising. Oh, yeah, and taking care of my brother and my sister, and then I always remember this story where my brother's like, I remember this lady knocked on the door and she had a baby, and I ran to my grandma and was like, There's some lady with a baby at the door. And then my grandma was like, Ah, yes, that's who mama. Is who is your crack.
SPEAKER_00Okay, hold on, hold on. So Felipe's at the house, at your grandma's house. Yeah. Some lady is knocking at the door with a baby. And it turns out it's you and your mom.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So Felipe, how long how young was Felipe?
SPEAKER_02Um, if I was like less than one, he was probably about to turn five. We're five years apart.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so yeah, as a young kid, you won't like, and she left the US and couldn't go, and she left Colombia to the US and she couldn't come back for a couple years or two. So Felipe didn't realize that that was his mom.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Wow. I didn't know that. That's insane. See, it's so funny. Talking things like this, you had no idea. You went.
SPEAKER_02It's just like, yeah, it's so different from a lot of people's experiences where it's like, oh yeah, my brother met me. Like he didn't meet me at the hospital. Yeah, when I came home from the hospital.
SPEAKER_00He met you in Columbia. Wow. Oh my god, I gotta talk to Felipe about this. That's insane. Okay, so you're in Colombia and then you moved back, and then you guys moved out to Montauk.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00For the people that don't know where Montauk is, Montauk is at the butt end of Long Island, La Punta de la Isla de Nueva York. La Putain. So yeah. La puta mierda. Literal, yeah. Um, so you guys moved to Montauk, and then that's where you started going to school.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Montauk Public School. So wait, okay.
SPEAKER_00So, okay, so you so you go to Montauk. And did you start off in ESL? Do you remember that part of growing up? Um English, right? Because you're brought up speaking Spanish.
SPEAKER_02Actually, don't remember learning either language. Really? It's like when you're like, Yeah, you're kind of like thrown into the fire and then I was just like yapping away in English.
SPEAKER_00Interesting.
SPEAKER_02But like I never remember, or I've never remembered like learning English. It's weird. I I have never met somebody else who like has the same kind of experience in a sense of like for example. I when I started kindergarten, I remember just speaking in English. I had never struggled speaking in English. Um I got polled for ESL. I think it was like the first week, probably. But I remember being polled and sitting in the classroom in ESL, and I was speaking to the teacher, and then she all of a sudden she was like, You you don't need to be in here.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and and for people that don't know, because I think it's not it's no longer called ESL. ESL stands for like English Second Language. I I forget what it's called nowadays, but it's not it's not it's not ESL. Um I forget what it's called anyway. So yeah, so she you got pulled into ESL to learn English.
SPEAKER_02Because my last name miss actually.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you were Spanish, yeah. So they're just like yeah, or Latino. Um or Latina, and so okay, so that happened. And then once you were in there, they're like, Yeah, you know, I was like, I know.
SPEAKER_02Because for me it was different, but I was confused, I didn't know why I was even in there. Like, I had no, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00You're a little five-year-old in a classroom with like other Spanish kids, and you're just like, what the fuck am I doing?
SPEAKER_02I understand what everyone's saying.
SPEAKER_03I was just like, okay.
SPEAKER_00That is hilarious. That is so funny. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, that's hilarious. Because for me, it was it was different. Like, I just remember I didn't know English, and I remember for like the first year, I peed myself every day. Cause I didn't know I didn't know how to say, like, hey, can I go to the bathroom? I'll just be like, oh shit. So what would you I would just my mom would um pack separate uh separate uh change of clothes every day, every day. Was she not like like and and no, no, she I'd just be like, mom, like I don't know, the teachers like I'd be like, I I had no idea what I was doing. Yeah, and I just remember being pulled. So you're in a classroom of 20 students, within those students, there's probably like two that don't speak English. I was one of those two, and I was put in ESL with Mrs. Fox, who's an angel, may she rest in peace. Um, and basically I'd be in a classroom, one would be like 10, another would be like seven, and like two others would be like five. So it's just like it's an odd mix. And I think during that time period, at least in New York, of East New York, Long Island, New York, we started to see a huge migration of Latinos coming to Long Island. Yeah, my mom's been in New York since the 80s. There's been a lot of Latino immigrants since like the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, but as and then Colombians also as well, uh during the 70s and 80s moved to Queens. Everyone lands in Queens first, and then people go to Connecticut, people go to Jersey, people go to Long Island. That's what happened with us. And um, and yeah, so I remember just being in a classroom filled with other kids, other Latino kids, uh different ages. And then I would spend my first four hours of the day in that classroom, and then towards the end, I would go and join the other kids, but I didn't know how to like communicate. I would be like, Hey, do you want to play? Like this and that. Like it was yeah. Wait, how old were you when you when I moved back to I was like three or four, probably four. Uh and then I didn't do pre-K, I just went straight into kindergarten, and then I got left back because the teachers were like, listen, doesn't know English. So we gotta so I did kindergarten twice. Like, who fails kindergarten? I did bro. The system failed me. No, but oh my god, I remember I got left back in kindergarten. Uh so I had to do kindergarten again. So I met a whole new bunch of other people, but when I went to ESL, I was just saying cats.
SPEAKER_03I was like, yeah, but yeah. I'm still here, I'm still here, I'm still learning.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's so funny. That is hilarious. Oh my gosh. So, all right, so now you're you know learning English, and then how was it growing up um in terms of being Latino or Latina and then having like did you have an other Latina friends, or did you have just all American friends?
SPEAKER_02Well, okay, that's uh We use the term white.
SPEAKER_00I hate to say it, but it's just it is what it is. We use the term white, like I had a lot of white friends.
SPEAKER_02When I came into kindergarten, I was already speaking English, and I just made American friends.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And I was not speaking Spanish. I actually not that I wasn't speaking, I was like refusing to speak Spanish.
SPEAKER_00I I can relate because I I did that as well.
SPEAKER_02And honestly, till this day, I still try and put myself in those like shoes and think like why?
SPEAKER_00Why did I tell teachers that I'm I can tell you why I did it and but I understand, but like I think you just want to like fit in with everybody.
SPEAKER_02I think so. And that's just like so sad as a child.
SPEAKER_00Well, you don't know any better. And like I remember I despise, like, I was like, ah, yo soy americano, yo no soy colombiano, yo no soy hispano, because I just wanted to like fit in with like my friends, and it's like that's what it was.
SPEAKER_02But now, no, no, yo soy his and like the fact that I was separated on like the first day or week I'm like, okay, so this is where the Hispanic people are. Yes and then the American people, but then I got set back to like the American people. Yeah, yeah. And I was just like, okay, so maybe I fit in more. I don't know. It's you just didn't really understand why you were in two different also in Montauk, there was not, I don't know, when I was in I was I was born in '95. I don't know when I was in first grade.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, there wasn't that many Latinos. No. Especially your age.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So I feel like I was already placed, you know, with a non-Latin. Latinos. Yes. So I was like, okay, let me make friends with these American kids. And I did.
SPEAKER_00I think we were part of that like generation where like the school systems were like, we gotta figure out how to teach kids English. We gotta come up with a program and and and we gotta figure it out, blah, blah, blah. Because it was happening not only in Montauk, but probably East Hampton and Springs and Bridgehampton. And like the teachers would all of East End Long Island, I'm sure it was happening. Yeah, it's but it was happening by like one or two kids at a time.
SPEAKER_02And slowly. Slowly, yes, yeah. And then I feel like all of a sudden it was like boom.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, it's just like at yeah, within the next five years, it was just a huge migration.
SPEAKER_02But like the teachers would, you know, not rely on me, but would be like, Can you translate and tell? And I would be like, No, I don't speak Spanish. And they were like, So the point that they called my parents really and they were like, uh yeah, your daughter's saying she doesn't speak. And I'm as an adult now, I'm like, I hope I didn't hurt my parents' feelings. Like, you know what I mean? You listen like you want your child to be Colombian and they are Colombian. You want your child to like represent and before.
SPEAKER_00Of course, no, like I was not that I was five years old, but yeah, no, and I I think people listen, like, I don't blame you because I was the same it I had the same feeling. Like, I didn't want to like I don't even know how to put it into context, but like I just wanted to feel American. I didn't I tried to reject my Latino side.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I definitely had my earlier years.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, oh yeah, for the first like at least like I want to say first like three or four years, but then as I got older, I started like realizing like, oh, this guy's also Colombian. Like, hey, I'm also Colombian, and I also speak Spanish. Oh, that guy, he's Ecuadorian and he speaks Spanish. That guy's Mexican and he speaks Spanish. So we started communicating in Spanish, and I was like, I love soccer. It's like so do I. So I started like relating to their likes, and I became friends with them, and then I I said, Hey, it's okay to be different. Because at first I like hated myself. I hated being different, yeah. And I'm sure you can, I'm sure there's plenty of other people that could relate, and and um it's weird as a kid, you just like I said, you just want to fit in, you know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and like that whole like how you started noticing similarities within the like other Hispanic kids, and yeah, yeah. I I feel like I tried for that, and then it like I don't traditionally look Hispanic, yeah, because you're blonde and you got green eyes or blue eyes. Trying to like make Hispanic friends, yeah. It was like, mmm, yeah, sure you're Hispanic. Like that kind of like feeling. And I I was like, all right, fine, fuck y'all. Hang out with the American kids then, like, sure, like someone's gotta accept me. Yeah, but then being with the American kids, you're miss something is missing. Something is missing.
SPEAKER_00Can I can I ask you, like, how are your lunches?
SPEAKER_02My lunches, I I made sure that I had the American-looking lunches because I did not want to feel left out or singled out, and I was doing so well. Yeah, because we didn't have a cafeteria growing up. So I'm doing so I was doing so well at like blending in and interesting. I would tell my mom, you know, bread, bologna, cheese. This is how you make it, this is how you do it, and this is how I want my lunch pack. I'm sorry, I yeah, it's I get it, I get it.
SPEAKER_00Oh man, it was such a learning curve for me. Yeah, because my mom would pack me rice, beans, I'll and the paisa. Yeah, rice, beans, meat, um, what else? Uh, that's pretty much it. And then like I would have some chips and some like soda. She would always give me soda, never like water or something healthy. Just because I could say our parents were ignorant in in to to that matter of like nutrition, they just didn't know. And it's okay. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02They they didn't know as long as you're being fed, as long as you're being fed, you're gonna be fine. That's it, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, and I would get made fun of because I remember one time um me mom meuro, and I didn't know how to say that in s in English. I was like, oh, this is still a struggle with that shit today.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, no, like how do I say this?
SPEAKER_00No, no, no, no. Uh paisa, right? Con un platarum mauro. And the kids were like, ew, what's that? And I was like, and it looks like a banana. So I was like, it's a fried banana. Obviously, it wasn't, but I didn't know you it was a plantain, and you know, and kids knew what plantain. No, didn't no one had no idea. So I got bullied because of what I ate. And then I made sure, just like you, that I had a sandwich every day because I wanted to fit in.
SPEAKER_02Because I didn't want to make make get made fun of sandwich, no flavor, nothing, nothing.
SPEAKER_00Just give me a sandwich, I'd be like, yeah, blah, blah, blah. But now looking back, bro, yeah. I had a kid. I had the best fucking, I would have that shit every day. Yeah, oh my god. And now I'm like, fuck, I'm such an idiot. But at the same time, like I don't blame myself. I'm a kid, I just want to fit in.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so and kids can be mean. Oh, like kids can be very mean.
SPEAKER_00Not that I was ever bullied, but like I got I got bullied for everything, what I wore, how how yeah, I got bullied. I'll never forget this. So one time, I guess so. Montauk is like a beach, skateboarding, surf town, right? And so in Montauk, a lot of kids surfed, a lot of kids skateboarded. I was I was like really good. I was like really good at skateboarding. And growing up, like all these kids would wear like surfboard shirts or skateboarding shirts, and my mom would go shopping at Kmart, um, which is like electro portugues, right? Literally. Um, and so I told my mom, I was like, Mom, like all these kids are wearing these type of shirts. Like, I want one. So she's like, Papi, tranquilo, I'll get you one. I was like, all right, cool. So Father Week comes, she gets me a shirt. It's a long sleeve shirt, it's green, it's super cool. It says like Surf City. I'll never forget it had a huge, like like a surfboard. I was like, oh, that's a cool shirt. I'm rocking that shit every day. Anyway, I put it on, boom. I go to school, it's recess. Some fucking kid comes up to me. He goes, Yo, what are you doing with my shirt on? I was like, nah, bro, this is my shirt. He's like, Nah, that's my shirt. Where'd you get it? I was like, No, my mom bought it for me. Anyways, long story short, short, I go back home, I go, mom, it's queue. I was like, oh my god, man, I was like, yo, I'm never putting on this shit shit again. I was so pissed. I was so bad. I was like, that that was a shirt. I was like, fuck this, man. I took that shit off and I threw it on the ground. I was like, I'm never wearing this again. I was like, yo, fuck that. And then I only put it on weekends.
SPEAKER_02Better not be at the skate park.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, hell no. Oh my god. But it's just so it's just like, damn, like you get bullied, like you get ah, man, like growing up, Latino, at least I think it's different nowadays because there's just so many Latino kids. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But back in the day, man, it was like yeah, there's so many Latino people nowadays, but there's a lot more openly racist people. So yeah, too.
SPEAKER_00It's a combination of both, but it's like at least you know, you're kind of within, I guess, a group where you feel larger in numbers.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_00And you feel like protected and you could, you know, have more friends. Back in the day, you I only had like one or two friends.
SPEAKER_02Well, I feel like also I not that I was like saved from the bullying, but I look white and American as fuck. So nobody would even think. So I I I would never get approached by the Hispanic kids. Yeah, yeah, because it'd be like, no, yeah, I'm not. And then even if I said I was, it was always like, oh, okay, so like what parent? Oh yeah, yeah. Both of my parents are Colombian. Oh. Like it's like I yeah, I just remember being in kindergarten and like at least trying. And the Hispanic girls that were there would always have their hair done by their mom. Always, you know, like it says like that, like with a little fun little um oh my gosh, what are they called? With the fun little like the pom-poms? Yeah, like the pom poms things like that. And I was standing in line one day, and these little girls were like, And I was like, I turned around and I was like, the fuck?
SPEAKER_03Oh my god.
SPEAKER_02And I felt like just instantly not like accepted.
SPEAKER_00I was like, the Latino culture.
SPEAKER_02And ever since then, I was like, well, fuck that.
SPEAKER_00My American friends don't judge me. Yeah, my American friends.
SPEAKER_02That's like a five, six year old, the fuck.
SPEAKER_00Damn, that's just crazy. Yeah, and and it's funny that you remember that because it's like little moments like that. That will stuck with me forever.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, will stick for you for with and like it's not even if you think about it, like it's about your hair being done. Yeah, but still, it still bothered me.
SPEAKER_00How was it like at home? Like, just you know, living in two different coming from two different worlds, basically.
SPEAKER_02You're like American and really like Gahana Montana, like that's how I felt. Like just yeah, yeah, at home in two worlds, like yeah, like Hispanic, Colombian Michelle is very different from American Michelle.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like I I get that. I get that.
SPEAKER_02And I've like struggled, I've I what is it, an identity crisis like that? Yeah, yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_00You're too right, you're too Latino to be from here, right? Right. You're Latino to be, and then when you go to Colombia, you're way too American to be Colombian. Yeah. Like Selenota in the Laul Lao, in La Ropa, in too. So it's just like you feel like you're not from here, nor from there. Ni de aquí ni de allá. You're like in limbo. And I'm sure you're not the only one. I'm not the only one. My sister, your brother. Um, it's just like, and I'm sure a bunch of the Latino community, or even if you're European or Asian, whatever, when you're in America, you don't fully feel like you're American. But when you go back to your homeland or where your parents are from, you don't fully feel like you're from there either.
SPEAKER_02So it's just like it's growing up, no, but now as an adult, I step foot in Colombia and I'm Like I feel at home.
SPEAKER_00Same. Oh my god. Same.
SPEAKER_02Like compared it to being here. I feel like this is my home, obviously. I want to be here. I want to live here full time right now. But like whenever I'm in Colombia, I'm like, this feels so much more homey for me.
SPEAKER_00And I embrace it so much. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Like as an adult now moving forward, that's that absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Of course. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02Growing up, it was more like a little bit of half and half.
SPEAKER_00Do you remember like going to Colombia when you were younger? Yeah. And going on those ships?
SPEAKER_02I have like the best memories. We'd always go every year. Oh my god. Since I was born, every year.
SPEAKER_00Um I'll never forget when we went to the zoo. The one that's right next to the airport. Yeah. In Pereda. That's no longer there. They took it down. Something else now. It's Ukumari. Ukumari's. Yeah, yeah. It's called Ukumari. Um, no? No, Toyana. Oh my god, the Nicade, no. So it goes. We went to win. But yeah, I remember going there with you, my cousin Felipe, all of our cousins.
SPEAKER_02That picture, the name. Yeah. Oh my gosh. My god. You should have put like a snapshot of snapshot. Snapshot of that photo in this.
SPEAKER_00I should. I'll do that. I'll do it.
SPEAKER_02Stick out like a sore thumb in that photo. Fucking blonde as hell. Yeah. Pale, translucent. Where is the thing?
SPEAKER_00That's in Colombia. I gotta I'll tell my mom. Yeah. I'll tell my mom to take a photo. She's leaving in two weeks.
SPEAKER_02Me with white hair, like glowing, translucent, and I'm just standing there like this, and everybody is very different looking from me.
SPEAKER_00That's so funny. Oh my God. So when you would go to Colombia when you were younger, do you remember? I mean, like I like when I went on vacation to Colombia, to South America, I didn't know that I was in Colombia. I was just like, I'm in a whole new place. I had like no idea. I didn't have like the concept of being in somewhere else. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_02I feel like my parents made it very aware to me that it was a very different area, different place, especially because of the way I looked. Um I looked very American. I was tiny, blonde, yeah, exactly. Pale, and they were always just like they I was so afraid. They like instilled fear into me. And as an adult, when I'm in Colombia by myself, I hate that it took me so long to like become independent in Colombia.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Because I felt like I relied on my parents so much. Of course. They made me so afraid.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. And then once the times were also very different back then, but yeah, you are right. And plus, like, yeah, I get what you're saying.
SPEAKER_02So like the first time I took a cab alone, I was terrified and like like lovely.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because you because they planted that seed since you were younger, and then the people there are just like at the license plate when I get in.
SPEAKER_02If it's just me, he's still still snap. I mean, I appreciate it. Yeah, yeah. Makes me feel safe. But I'm just like in school, like don't do that too. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh, it's so funny.
SPEAKER_02But as a kid, best memories with my cousins. Like, we were just like always on the streets playing games.
SPEAKER_00Like they say like your cousins are like your first like friends, and you know what I'm saying? And it's uh it's the best. So many memories.
SPEAKER_02I yeah, grandma's block, all of us there.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god, yeah, grandma. Grandma's turning, is it 95 or 96?
SPEAKER_0296.
SPEAKER_00She's turning 96 next year. Holy crap. Are you gonna be there?
SPEAKER_02Um, I hope so. Okay. I kind of want to go for Christmas New Year's this time. Yeah, yeah. Now that I can't take a lot of time off, it'll probably just be Christmas New Year's. But there's that. Um loved my memories in Columbia as I did as a child. They were good times. Literally like built me to be who I am, I feel. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That that was gonna be my next question. It's like coming now like from two worlds, like hold on, let me re-reaphrase that. Like what parts of of like your culture do you feel most proud of? Like knowing you're American and knowing you're Colombian, colliding those two worlds, it it has made you the person you are, and has that reflected on like who you are as a person, like in your job and your everyday life and oh yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_02I feel like I'm more well, first of all, the fact that I can speak two languages.
SPEAKER_00Oh, it's a skill.
SPEAKER_02It's and then also the fact that you have to like alter your personality in my like I'm a nurse and you know, with everybody that I interact with. I'm able to like kind of become this person.
SPEAKER_03Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_02And I don't know. I'm just very, very grateful that I can speak Spanish and English because it's like I feel like I could I'm a completely different person with the American per patient versus the Hispanic patient.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. What in what sense though? Like more like caring or more. Okay.
SPEAKER_02With my American patients.
SPEAKER_00Really?
SPEAKER_02And then with my Hispanic patients, I feel like I feel like they trust me more.
SPEAKER_00Interesting.
SPEAKER_02I feel the trust a lot more. And I think it's because I'm always like when a Hispanic patient sees me for the first time, okay, I initiate the conversation. The conversation in Spanish. They initiate it in English always, of course.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_02And then I will always, you know, be like, I speak Spanish, what do you prefer? And then it always speaks Spanish. And like it's always the vibe is different. There are a lot more a lot more like thank you. Like you have all their undivided attention.
SPEAKER_00So is the American patient more like, oh, you're just doing your job and you're here because you have to be kind of vibe.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I don't wanna I mean, I don't wanna like say that they're two different like patients overall.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02But the way I feel, this is uh how I feel well and also because it reflects on I guess the culture too.
SPEAKER_00I mean, yes.
SPEAKER_02Not not all of them.
SPEAKER_00Not all of them, that's true.
SPEAKER_02Not all Americans, but overall in my experience, and I'm talking like hospital-based experience. I'm not talking off like where I'm currently working right now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what I'm saying when you're in the hospital. Yeah, when I in the hospital, it's like I just like every time I would get a Hispanic family or Hispanic patient, I was like, yes. Like, this is gonna this is gonna be a good night. Like we're all gonna work well together.
SPEAKER_03Interesting.
SPEAKER_02But cuando americanos, it's it's so I literally, like I said, I feel like Hannah Montana, like two completely different, like a completely different that's such a great reference.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because it like for if if the for the people that has that knows about the show, she's two different people, right? Yes, she's the artist, right? Yeah, and then she just has her everyday life.
SPEAKER_02And then she's just at home, yeah. Yeah, and I'm just like, I feel I don't know. I I feel more relaxed when I'm with Hispanic people.
SPEAKER_00Interesting.
SPEAKER_02Um and I mean that in like the nicest or I'm not trying to say American people suck and they're all cold and they're all but just overall, I'm yeah, I'm just very grateful to be Hispanic and like we're just we're so loving and accepting.
SPEAKER_00Do you let me ask you something? Do you embrace the culture more more than ever now?
SPEAKER_02Or yeah, the last couple of years, I mean, it's hard when everyone is telling you growing up that you don't look Hispanic. Yeah, I get that. And I'll everyone questioning whether you are Hispanic or not. Yeah. And then you having to like prove yourself somehow. Yeah, I get that. So it's like I've always deferred from proving myself. Of course, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because I'm like, Listen, like I don't have to prove anything to you, you're nobody.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I've always been so concerned about what people like let's say, for example, if I put like the Colombian flag in my bio on Instagram, I was always for some weird reason so like someone's gonna see it see that and be like, who does she like what a poser? Like what a poser, what a weirdo. And then the older I got, I'm like, I don't give a fuck. That's who I am. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's who I am, and the people that know me know me. The people that don't like it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you're fucking monitoring. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. That's interesting.
SPEAKER_02But I've always been very um, I don't even know if like shy, scared to really embrace it because I feel like people are like, no, you're not. Like we've had I've had random people tell me I'm not, I've had family members tell me I'm not. I've had yeah, or like family members, not on our side, but and it's just like we're like yeah, just just be like, Well, you were born here, you weren't born there, so you're not.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, I get that idea. It's frustrating.
SPEAKER_02It's frustrating because like gets to you, and it gets to me too.
SPEAKER_00Triggers me because I'm like, You don't know my struggles, you have no idea what I've been through.
SPEAKER_02I wasn't born. What if I what if my parents were on vacation in freaking Morocco and they had me in Morocco? Does that mean I'm actually Moroccan and not like I don't mean I'm not Colombian because I was born somewhere else, yeah, exactly. So what if my blood? So my blood is just American now, my blood isn't actually Colombian. I actually did ancestry, if you want to know. But like I got bullied so bad that I not bullied, not bullied. I've like it got into my head.
SPEAKER_00Because of what people were saying, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I got ancestry, and I was like, fuck you guys, I am Colombian.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Oh shit.
SPEAKER_00Wait, what else did it say? You're Colombian, what else?
SPEAKER_02I'm Colombian and mostly Spain.
SPEAKER_00Really?
SPEAKER_02Jorge Tía, like literally, like era como cuarenta, something like that. Really? Colombian. Colombian. And then like 50, 50 something, it added up to Spain. So I'm actually a little more Spanish, I guess, than Colombian, but that is hilarious.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02So that gave me a little bit of a breather for myself, where I'm like, okay, yeah, because it's like it's more of like a mental aspect.
SPEAKER_00Like you know it, but it's like just with everything you've dealt with throughout your life of people doubting who you are as a person and you know, your culture and where you come from. That gets to you, and and that has gotten to me in the past, I'm sure other people as well.
SPEAKER_02Um, but wow, the culture and like going back to the culture, like our culture versus like the American culture, I guess. Um working in the hospital, like I have encountered co-workers that were um like pro-Trump and that have like talked a lot of things in my presence, not knowing Hispanic. That's happened to me before.
SPEAKER_00I've had And wait, wait, uh wait, but like did you say anything or did you did you just kind of like sit back, take it in, and then you and then like I guess you that person saw you saw that person's true colors.
SPEAKER_02I should have said something to be honest, but when you are working a plus hour shift with that person in the same cubicle all day, and you're all like work be being overworked and stuff, you just have to pick and choose your battles. And I'm like, I don't want to waste my energy that I need right now. Yes, I get it. So I'm just gonna clock that and never sit near you again. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like I'm just post it, not gonna fuck with you.
SPEAKER_02Also, like we are at work. I have to be somewhat professional, and like if it kept happening, I would have just reported her to be honest, instead of me confronting her because I I mean if we were outside of work, that shit would have been different, but yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, of course.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so there's that so you have to bite your tongue and basically just kind of sit back and hear this person.
SPEAKER_02Or I've heard the comment of like, you know, like La Familia Latinas son somos muy unidos, yeah, of course. So when there was a patient in the hospital, like the whole family was there, like everyone's there, chipping in, yeah, yeah, helping out, yeah. And like I just remember like someone is just like, why did they always have to come with so many people?
SPEAKER_00Really? I think that's the thing. Like, I think they don't understand that like families, everything. And yeah, I mean, listen, I don't know how the American culture families are. Um, I know a lot of Europeans are like that. I know a lot of Italian families are like that. Yeah, and the the the Italian families and Latinos families are in the culture, it's very similar, believe it or not. It's very like just you know, I agree. It's all about family loyalty, and I love that. And a lot a lot of cultures, and a lot of cultures, yeah, of course, of course.
SPEAKER_02A lot, yeah, noticing a little bit. It's all about family, a lot, but um, so yeah, and I was just like, that's that's an absurd thing to say. Yeah, yeah. How how is that affecting you that bad that you have to make a comment about that?
SPEAKER_00Like, yeah, I've had situations where I think there's probably more like, wow, I never had that. Maybe there were like jealousy could be jealousy. Yeah, like I never had my family be there for me, or yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_02When it comes down to things like that, I'm always just like, oh, they're they're jealous.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. You just try to avoid it. You know, you wish you were part of our family.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like I've had other situations where I've heard people like overheard people, even even actually vice versa, where I've heard like a Hispanic person talk shit. Really? And I'm like, In what sense? I understand.
SPEAKER_00Oh, talk shit about like you? Yeah. Oh, really?
SPEAKER_02I remember one time I this was years ago. I was in like high school, maybe. I mean no, maybe out of high school, but I worked a retail job that it required you to wear their required you to wear their clothing. And like it's I wasn't even wearing anything crazy. It was literally like these silk pants with like a flower pattern on them, whatever. I was at TJ Maxx trying to go through the racks. Um and there was a a Hispanic couple there. And I guess my pants, like, they came up to my belly button, and they were kind of like um, what is the trend right now? The ones that the they kind of like stick out.
SPEAKER_00What do you mean? Oh, like the barrel. I had no idea what fashion was.
SPEAKER_02So it was like a barrel kind of pant.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02And I guess looking back at it, it like sure could look like a like a clown, like pants, I guess. Okay. And she like turned over to her boy, whoever, and was like, huh. And I'm like, it didn't register because I'm looking through things, and I was like, wait, is this play about me? Like, is this about me? Yeah, yeah, yeah. What the fuck? I was like, okay. And then I was like, you know what? And then I had to pass them. So I look at them and I'm like, Ay, con permiso a que viene el payaso.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god.
SPEAKER_02And she was just like, and I was just like, whoops.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, fuck you, bitch.
SPEAKER_02And normally I'm way too shy, like, to confront people like that. Or when I was younger, yeah, of course. But after I did that, like my heart was racing. I was like, holy shit.
SPEAKER_00But I'm sure you felt like I was like, I stood up for myself. Yeah, hell yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But oh my gosh. Yeah. How old were you?
SPEAKER_02I was driving then, so I was probably like 18.
SPEAKER_0018. Oh wow.
SPEAKER_0218, 17, 18. And I was like bleach blonde hair at that time. And yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god. I mean, that's happened to me, but um in a different scenario where I was the one, I won't I won't say talking shit, but I was on the phone and I'm at a soccer game, I'll never forget it. I, anyways, I'm on the phone, I'm like, um, so I'm like speaking Spanish, and I was like, I forget who called me. It was, I think it was one of my boys. He's like, hey, what are you doing? I was like, no, so I can unpartido, pero uy hermano, acá hay una niña tan linda, una mona. Oh my quiero hablar, pero no sé qué easy, whatever. So she's just sitting there, and she just like I guess she heard everything. And then her phone rings, and but she speaks straight up like American. She looks so American. And be and be mindful, she's American, she's not Spanish, not Latino, not nothing. She picks up, she picks up her phone. She's like, hola Morco, ¿qué está? And I'm like, oh fuck. She understood everything. Long story short, I ended up dating this girl. Yeah. I ended up I I I felt so embarrassed. I was like, oh my god, Nina Capina, I'm sorry, blah blah blah. I didn't mean, you know. She's like, no, no, it's fine. Yeah, I know. I don't I look like I don't speak Spanish, this and that. Turns out it was her boyfriend that called her. Um, this was in college. They broke up and we started dating.
SPEAKER_03Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00And you know what's even crazier is that she has the same birthday as me and you October 28th.
SPEAKER_03Damn.
SPEAKER_00That's I mean, that's happened to me, but like vice versa. But I wasn't talking shit. I was just being like, I was like flirting, but like I was telling my boy, I was like, yo, this girl's really cute. But I said it everything in Spanish, but she was like, she's never gonna understand. I was so embarrassed.
SPEAKER_02I always, you know, I always remind my mom, love you, Ma, but you know, we do be talking shit. And I say it's like we'll be in public, y empieza hablar en español, like about like someone who looks American, and I'm like, hello. Yeah, I'm like, mom, mira mi a mi, like on the example. No, do that. Like, yo, you could be talking mad shit. Someone like me, like understanding everything. But I I I have to remind her here and there, you know, that is hilarious.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02A lot of Americans know know how to speak fluence fast.
SPEAKER_00Oh, of course, and I feel like also nowadays, it's just like New York is the melting pot of the world. You got Latinos, Asians, Americans, uh, Europeans, people from all over, you know, and um everyone dates different cultures, they embrace other different cultures, other foods, and um they pick up on the language, you know, they they like the language. I've I've dated, you know, were uh women that don't speak Spanish, but they embrace it and they start learning, you know. So now every everyone, you know, talks Spanish, at least at least a little bit, you know?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00A little bit of Spanish. Um, so yeah, you definitely gotta be careful nowadays. I know like you what you say and how you say it and who you talk to and who's listening, because you could offend someone.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Or you can compliment them, and like in my case, and then and then next thing you know, she knows that you know, she thinks that you know that you that you know that she's cute and whatnot, and all this, but yeah, uh, good times.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, literally. I that's so funny. I just thought of like the other day when I went to buy whatever at like a 7-Eleven and I walked in, and I always I never wanna offend anybody if they speak to me in English, like knowing that I speak Spanish, but they kind of struggle with their English. Okay, I don't wanna I don't know if they're practicing, so I don't want to be like, hey, like we can speak Spanish. Yeah, it's okay. You know what? I don't want to make them feel rude. I do you struggle with I struggle with that.
SPEAKER_00So when I go to the supermarkets um out here, like I know the the ladies at the counter, they all speak Spanish. So I'm like, um, and I think I don't know if like it's their policy or whatever. I have no idea. But there was like, oh, how are you? And I'm like, oh, I'm good, how are you? I don't know if they're practicing, I don't know if they don't know that I'm I'm you know Spanish, that I'm not, you know. I have no idea. So I just go along with it, and then towards the end, I'm like, muchisimo gracias, mi Olipag. And they're just like, ah, they're not because I just don't know if they're practicing, I don't know if their company makes them forces them to speak Spanish, and like I don't want to get them get them in trouble for just uh for them saying like hey, how are you? And then like me answering them in Spanish. Yeah, so I just don't know, but I just go along with it, and then then at the end, I'm just like, oh much gracias, mirepaga, whatever.
SPEAKER_02Because I'm always like hola, but then at the same time, they're probably like, Oh, this American girl saying hola instead of like hello. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, I get that.
SPEAKER_00I get that.
SPEAKER_02I don't want to offend you, I just want to make you more comfortable.
SPEAKER_00No good deed goes unpunished. It's it happened, yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's like you're just trying to be nice, and then I've had moments where like they were speaking English, and then at the end I'm like, Oh, muchas grazi, and they're like, You say Hola. Like, yes. It's like I can never win.
SPEAKER_00You can never win. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_02But that happened to me recently. Really? I went in for the second time because the first time I was like, hola, and she was like, hello, and I was like, okay, we'll just speak English. Then I went in the second time to buy something, and I was like, Hola, ¿qué más? Yeah, and why? And she's like, I used to la español.
SPEAKER_00I'm like, that's so worse. Oh no. Yeah, it happens. It happens.
SPEAKER_02I know, I think I just care too much about how people feel in that. Yeah, no, same.
SPEAKER_00Like recently, it's like, yeah, yeah, I just don't want to offend anyone nowadays. People just get offended so easy. It's like, listen, man, I'm just trying to go about my day. Yeah. So I get it. I get it.
SPEAKER_02I know. Have you ever been put in situations at your job to be translator? But like, for example, like without compensating you for knowing to. Languages, they're constantly using you as a translator, and you're doing kind of double the work, but you're not being compensated for it.
SPEAKER_00Um, no, but growing up, now that you know at least first generation children, not second generation children, but first generation children, we've been translating everything for our parents since we were young.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00Right?
SPEAKER_02Shout out to my older sister Bienna, she did a lot of that for me.
SPEAKER_00Really?
SPEAKER_02Well, yeah, because she was 10 years. Yeah, you know, she was a lot. So, like for like the heavier documents or like the more interesting. I was more so like, like mommy, I drew my pelidas like that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_00I just remember going to like everywhere with my mom, and then they would be talking English, and then I'd be looking at my mom, and my mom would be like, Casey, and I'd be like, Oh my, these are so I'll translate. So I was always the translator. That's so funny. I remember one time I did that, and the guy offered me a job on the spot. This was in East Hampton, it was at Gubbin's, and um, or no, sneakerology. No, it's not sneakerology. Is there a sneakerology? Yes, I think it's yeah, yeah. Sneakerology, the owner offered me a job. I was 12 years old, and I think because he saw something, he saw the transition of the Latino community really stepping in. And obviously he's in sales like listen, I need someone that could, you know, target both markets, not just Americans. Yeah, Latino. If I could get someone that could speak English and Spanish, I'm gonna do it very well. And he offered me a job on the spot just for translating.
SPEAKER_02I was like, I'm sure so many people have gotten jobs.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_02Over the course of time, one language versus two.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, of course. It's just like that's an advantage. And you know what's it's it's upsetting. Well, it's not upsetting, but I'm just like, it is upsetting. What am I talking about? It's upsetting because like I see a lot of second, third generation um Latinos losing losing that Spanish because I've I've met plenty of Latinos. I'm like, hermano, como amusto bien, and like I don't speak Spanish. I'm like, yeah, oh I have a story about that with my dad.
SPEAKER_02We went to Nautica, this was like two years ago, maybe at Tinger Outlets. Okay, and the kid at the register, like, you know, looks very Hispanic, straight freaking naño in the face, yeah, like straight Spanish, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Straight Colombian or Mexican or whatever, just looks straight Spanish.
SPEAKER_02And then I was just like at the end of it, I was like, wait, Dad, I don't I don't think he spoke like I don't think he speaks Spanish. He's like como así, como así que no habla español, con el Spanish Spanish, I was like, bro, that's just the way things are nowadays, too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and like I felt bad. One because I was, you know, I immediately thought, like, hey, this guy has to speak Spanish, but when he said, like, hey, I don't speak Spanish, I I don't know if I made him feel bad. I probably did without, you know. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I mean it wasn't your own.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. No, but I'm just like, so that's like upsetting, and I hope so. My goal with this podcast is for people to get closer to their culture, whether you're Colombian, Mexican, Venezuelan, Ecuadorian, wherever you're from, wherever your culture is from, your parents are from, your great grandfather. And if you're first, second, or third generation, hopefully with this podcast, like my goal is for people to talk to their parents or grandfathers about like their culture and wanting to go visit that their homeland, you know? Because I know plenty of Ecuadorians and plenty of Colombians that don't know Colombia. Believe it or not, they've never been, they've this and that. I'm like, dude, wow, like really that's crazy. Like that's mind-boggling. To me, it's mind-blowing that like you okay. So you're Colombian or you're sp or you're um Mexican or you're Venezuelan or you're from El Salvador, but you haven't been El Salvador is a different topic because just because it's it's changed drastically throughout the years. Um, and I'm dying to go. So if there's any any El Salvadorian girl that wants to take me, I'll be more than happy to go.
SPEAKER_02I will take us.
SPEAKER_00We're down to go. I'm fun. I'm dying to go.
SPEAKER_02I'm gonna wing.
SPEAKER_00We have my cousin, yeah. We have a cousin, we're down to go. Oh man. No, I'm dying to go. There's a place in El Salvador where um it's like a it's like Montauk. Oh it's like a surf town.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I'm dying to go there.
SPEAKER_02Um that's like um have you been to Sayulita in Mexico? You should. It's blown up a little bit, but it's a little surf town. Yeah, I think I have to pretty cute. Really? We went a couple years ago, I think in like 2021. But yeah, you should were like a dollar. Really? One taco. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00No, I definitely gotta go back. I I love traveling. But like, yeah, like there's a lot of people that haven't been to their to their country where their family's from. And I'm just like, wow, that's like that's upsetting. So my goal with this podcast is to potentially, you know, have more people travel back to their homeland or learn more about their culture, you know what I'm saying? And like I said, it doesn't have to be, you know, if you come from Greece or you know, wherever you come from, wherever your family's uh heritage is from. Um, hopefully that's the goal.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, totally. I yeah, like growing up, I had my friends were like rural only spoke English, but I had a couple of friends where like one parent was Hispanic and one was white.
SPEAKER_03Interesting.
SPEAKER_02Growing up, I never had like a wait, let me really think about this before I say it. That's funny you say that because it I don't think I had a full Hispanic friend, literally until like Meli and Kata came along. Love you guys.
SPEAKER_00That's interesting. Wow, so there's a mix, and nowadays are s you know, like I said, New York is the melting pot, but nowadays every there's so many different mixes. Um yeah. Um my boy uh Romero, he's a mix, he's a uh Colombian, Peruvian, and American.
SPEAKER_02Dang, he's a trifecta. I mean like my best friend Alex. Yeah, what Alex is Alex is she's Chilean from dad, Chilean and then mom is like a mix, a mix of white, white things, Irish, maybe something else in there.
SPEAKER_00So she's also a trifecta.
SPEAKER_02But like also because of Alex and her family, I was able to do a lot of like like you know how American families have the stereotype of like no sleepovers, like you can't do anything really no lay Han Salida, like Nola de Hannah. Yeah, thankfully, Alex's mom, Lorraine, she white, but speaks fluent Spanish.
SPEAKER_00Really?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. She I I could be wrong, but she spent a year or two living in Colombia when she was young. And she picked up, you know, the language, obviously. Of course, yeah. She met Alex's father and then continued speaking Spanish her whole entire life. So when I met Alex in kindergarten, she became, and we are still best friends today. But thank you to her mom, thanks to her mom, like she was the one calling my mom and being like, No, I'll bring the girls to softball. No, I'll bring the girls here. Don't worry, because my parents were always working, always working. I don't really remember, like my, you know, I did like after school sports and shit like that, but like my mom never came to the game, she was always too tired after work. My dad always made like an effort to show up. And he always he was pretty good at that, but like they were always working, they never had the time to pick me up. And like as an adult now, I'm realizing how much Lorraine did for me, which was like I'm so I'm gonna like start crying about it. But like she would just call and be like, Oh no, like the girls are gonna stay here at the house, like, don't worry. Like, if it wasn't because of her, like I would have been like a lonely kid, probably. Yeah, wow. My parents would have let me do anything. Wow, wow. But because she spoke fluent Spanish, my parents felt comfortable and like, oh, her dad's Hispanic, so they understand like values and we have similar values.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome. Shout out to Lorraine. What's her name, Lorraine?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, Lorraine.
SPEAKER_00Shout out to Alex and Lorraine. That's awesome. Wow.
SPEAKER_02They made a huge impact, I think, I believe, in my life. Like, I did karate with Alex because I'm assuming like Lorraine helped facilitate that. Yeah, I got into softball, like like um Little League and things like that, like after school sports and things like because of Alex was also doing it, so I'm like, I'm just very grateful.
SPEAKER_00Talking about that and looking back at that now, like were you upset that your parents couldn't always be there for you?
SPEAKER_02Oh my god, yeah. I was like, now as an adult, I wouldn't say I was an ungrateful kid, but like I was probably a brat about it and probably made my parents feel like shit. I didn't understand that. Of course, no, listen the parents were always going to the plays, they were always going to like all these, like I remember always and like our parents wouldn't be there because they'd be working.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And it's and it's tough.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, in my case, like my mom was mom and dad.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I would I would always play soccer in the weekend, she could never go, and and all these other parents would always be there, and you would just feel some type of way because your parents weren't there.
SPEAKER_02Like even at place, you get angry, you get mad. So mad.
SPEAKER_00But at the same time, I would be so upset, but at the same time, not at the same time, as I got older, I realized why.
SPEAKER_02As you get older.
SPEAKER_00As you get older, you realize, like, hey, like, you know, they're working for me. They're doing everything like this for me. Like, I could ask a place of sleep, eat, so I could dress well. And it's like, and it's it's tough, man.
SPEAKER_02It's tough to my yeah, our parents worked their asses off. Like, of course. I was never without anything. And like, he would make sure that I would have that, no matter what it is. Whether it's like a freaking Apple laptop that probably cost thousands of dollars.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I remember one time I was riding. If Alex is listening to this, she's gonna start cracking up. But we were riding her. Do you remember beach cruisers? Beach cruisers, all the kids had beach cruisers, those cute little bikes, and you can ride them on the beach and tires and like all these different colors. So we were um on hers, because I didn't have one, those were like $400 back in like the early 2000s. 400 bucks. Alex had one, so we would always go tandem to town. And I was always just like, I wish I had one of these bikes. I wish I had these are so expensive. We kept like falling one day and just wasn't working, and I got so fed up. My bratty ass called my dad on like his lunch break, and I was like, I really, really want this bike, like da-da-da-da-da. And just just because like Alex had it, I felt like I could have it too, no matter what. Yeah, and what happened? My dad came on lunch break and bought me the bike. Oh wow, like as a kid, you're just like, Woohoo, I got it now as an adult.
SPEAKER_00Like, you appreciate you appreciate all the hard work that your parents do.
SPEAKER_02400 bucks. I'd be like, fuck you, no.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02Like go work and save up.
SPEAKER_00Like, that's you, yeah. I think, yeah, as an adult, you you look back and you're just like, wow, you did all this for me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and there's like so much more I could say, but yeah, I know I get it.
SPEAKER_00I remember one time I signed up for Pee-Wee football and I had no idea how to read. I can never read and comprehend. Like reading comprehension was not my strong suit. So I just saw like the prices at $250. I was like, Look, mom, I have to pay $250 for me to pay Pee-Wee football. So I go in, I I give $250 to Coach Salmon. May he rest in peace. He um he looked at me, he's like, no, no, no. This is in case you lose the equipment, you have to pay $250. To sign up for Pee-Wee, it's $15. I was like, oh, I'm in. But the fact that my mom gave me $250 for me to play says a lot. Just so I wouldn't feel left out, just so I wouldn't, so I could be part and of a team and have friends and stuff. And it's just like looking back, it's like, damn.
SPEAKER_02Nope.
SPEAKER_00No, like you appreciate everything later in life.
SPEAKER_02So much. So much. I'm like, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's mind-blowing.
SPEAKER_02It's like I feel like I go through cycles, like every three months I think of something, and I'm like, oh my god.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, no, it happens. It happens.
SPEAKER_02It just like hits you or like it comes to surface again, and you're just like, or you're like, I didn't realize that was like down there. Yeah. Damn.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's like deep. Yeah. If you like start really thinking about shit, it will get to you. So before we close out, if there's one thing that you could say right now to your parents without crying. You could cry. No, you could cry. And and I think in this podcast, we're gonna see a lot of people that cry, that laugh, that show a lot of emotions, you know. So at the end of the day, it's all good to cry. I'll cry with you. Um, because I can relate. Um, if there's anything that you could say to your mom, to your dad.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03It's tough.
SPEAKER_01It is tough. It's gonna take a moment to get all my words out, and it's gonna have to be in English because I will.
SPEAKER_00You know what's crazy is that I have tissues right there too.
SPEAKER_01Where I got you.
SPEAKER_00And it's funny because I got these. I got these just for this. Because I knew because I knew that people would cry. People will, you know, talk about what they've been through.
SPEAKER_02I first of all to kind of not give up, but to prioritize a better life for your children, and then like literally leaving the only country that you know.
SPEAKER_00It takes balls. Not like they say they de su casa.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. My mom had a whole nother life before she met my dad. You know, she had her husband, my my siblings. So she had a whole nother life. My mother was uh became a widow at 28. Like I'm literally 30 years old. My mother already had two kids and by herself essentially with a restaurant. So I had so much respect for someone that decided to leave their two kids with their family so that they could leave and and and hopefully find a better life for their for her children. I respect that so much. I always think about this quote and it's like it's your parents' first time living too. So like I always compare myself to my parents at their um, like my age and where they were at at my age. And I could not imagine like doing what they were doing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I say the same thing.
SPEAKER_02You have to be so strong and so tough, and put so much trust like into just the universe and hope that things turn out well, and you have to sacrifice everything, everything your your good healthy years you're putting in like my parents right now, physically I can see that they're getting tired, and like I can't help but compare them to like patients their same age with different lifestyles that didn't have to physically work as hard. And I'm like, okay, like that's my parents sacrificed their health. And like that scares me just because like that takes off of their older years. So it's like they really sacrificed years off their life for a better life for their children.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And also puts a little bit of pressure because I'm like, okay, I have to have a super successful life now.
SPEAKER_00I was gonna ask you, do you do you feel some sort of pressure like you have to be successful?
SPEAKER_02You have to be yes and no, because I know that they aren't like you have to, you know, it's not.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, certain cultures or certain, you know, or families put that unfair.
SPEAKER_02My parents never put that pressure of like you have to be the best. No, you just have to be something. Just be be something anyway. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But like, don't be a mom, obviously.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And I'm just I'm just so grateful.
SPEAKER_00What do you mean, don't be a mom? Like, don't be a bum. Oh, a bum. Okay. Yeah, like don't be a bum. Like, do something. Yeah, do something. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And also, I think like growing up and wh watching your parents work really hard also gives you good work ethic.
SPEAKER_00It it definitely shapes you. Oh my gosh, yeah. I yeah, no, it gives you really Do you think that instilled like work ethic?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. Work ethic and like although I do notice though with my I've noticed with my dad, like good work ethic, but also the learn to stick up for yourself in the workplace. Yeah. Just because um you don't speak the language as well you shouldn't allow your job to like overwork you. Uh-huh. You know what I mean? Of course. Like you shouldn't, and I'm just mean like just Hispanic people in general that w work super, super hard, they also don't are afraid to stick up for themselves.
SPEAKER_00Of course, because that's like their only job. And and so they have to take care of it. And they just take it in, take it in, take it in, take it in. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Like my dad is always like, if I get to have a good job or whatnot, he's like, quid, like, cuid, yeah, I will. But there's also limits. I'm not gonna allow myself to be overworked. I'm not allowed to Yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_00No, I agree because that's what my mom says. I'm like, mom, like, listen, I understand where you're coming from, and like I'm thankful for my job that I have, but also I'm not gonna take shit. Like, I know my rights, and I know I'm not gonna fucking um just for a job. I I could find a job somewhere else, I could do something else completely different. And um I think it's it's hard for her to understand that because you know they've had my mom's been at the same job for almost 38 years now. Yeah. So and so she, you know, but I I I get I get where they're coming from because it's the the language barrier, and they they got the opportunity to have a job, so they gotta take care of that job, whatever the boss says, this and that. So I get that.
SPEAKER_02It's like the more you work, it's like good, yes, keep working, work, work, work, work, work. They don't understand that you also have to rest and you also have to like put yourself and health first.
SPEAKER_00I think our parents, but yeah, no, I think our parents, and I'm sure a lot of other um young adults out there that have parents that are the same age come from that generation where they come to this country and all they know is work, work, work. And the minute they stop working, that's when they really start getting sick. And exactly so it work, there's got to be some sort of balance. And I think as a 37-year-old, as a young woman, you know, our our job is to kind of help our parents heal and show them a different side of life. Like I took I took my mom to her first concert two years ago.
SPEAKER_02Really?
SPEAKER_00And she started crying. She was like, I felt so bad. So I felt bad. Um because she never experienced that, and I didn't know she, so it's like, in a way, I'm showing my mom a different side of life. Yeah, you know, and I think as as young adults, we should definitely take care of our parents uh mental on the mental side because they don't really know. Absolutely, you know.
SPEAKER_02Oh gosh, I can I can go into the whole I know, I know it's yeah, we're all yeah, therapy is a touchy subject in our family.
SPEAKER_00Oh, very tough, yeah, very, very I don't know if you know this, but your dad, my uncle, isn't me padding. Yes, I think while you were pregnant and before I was not pregnant. I mean, not I mean while your mom was pregnant with you. Yes, while your mom was pregnant with you, they took me to a water park and I hung out with my pet with my uncle, mi padrino all the time, and your mom. Yeah, I don't think I don't know if you know that.
SPEAKER_02There's like photos. I I remember there's like photos of like little you and Felipe. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was yeah, you two with my parents.
SPEAKER_00But I always hung out with them. I remember that. That's funny.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, my brother, I mean my brother, my dad would say, like, yeah, yeah, they take care of you guys a whole lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that yeah. I mean, growing up with you guys in Montauk was a thing in itself.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_02Just I'm also very grateful that I had at least cousins like close enough in my age that we could all kind of still hang out, of course. What the hell's going on in this world?
SPEAKER_00Oh, it's so funny.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, I'm very like I'm within the last two to three years, I'm embracing more where I come from, and I think that came more from me not giving a fuck what people think or say anymore.
SPEAKER_00Amen to that. Oh yeah. Everyone has an opinion, so no matter what the hell you say, people are gonna fucking it was much harder years ago, you know, as as and as especially as being as a kid, like growing up and not knowing anything and not knowing why you're different or why you speak Spanish. Yeah, and your friends don't speak Spanish, like you know, I get that. I understand.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and it's just like yeah, that carries into every aspect of your life, your dating world, like your friendships, just just every your relationship with your parents, your relationship just with everybody. It it really affects it all. Like, yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Well, listen, Michelle. Um thank you again for sharing your story. I'm sure we're gonna we'll do this again uh another time, but thank you for being on uh oh yeah, of course, of course, of course. But thanks again for being uh for coming out um driving out. I know it's a long drive. Um and thanks for being on uh Adepa Meets Bagel.
SPEAKER_01Anytime. Anytime.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that is awesome. All right, this is great, and that wraps it up. Thank you so much. Oh man. That was great. That was awesome.