Interview with Yessica Alcantara

Interview with Yessica Alcantara

3/30/2017

HI251C: History of Latinx in the U.S.

Yessica talked about moving to the United States from the Dominican Republic and it's impact on family dynamics, racial/ethnical self-identity, and future opportunities/dreams. _

English

Yessica immigrated to New York City from the Dominican Republic when she was 4 years old. As she explains, immigrating to the United States was always part of the plan for her family but it wasn’t until her father passed away that her mother began taking serious action to make that dream a reality. Yessica explains that her family immigrated to New York for better economic opportunities with the help of her uncle who already lived there. Yessica discusses her transition to the United States; the fear of deportation before she got a green card when she was 10 years old, her conflict with belonging both domestically and in the Dominican Republic, and the impact of immigration on her family structure and relationship. Yessica spoke about her struggle with identity both racially and ethnically based both on stereotypes and standards place upon her by her family which she internalized as well as external societal pressures and perceptions. Finally, Yessica discusses her longing to be back in the Dominican Republic which she looks back on fondly but concedes that she has experienced a lot of opportunities that would not have been afforded to her in the Dominican Republic.

Tierney, Elise

Yessica Alcantara

23/04/2017