ENTREVISTA!!

Te presente mi amiga, Diana.

Q. Diana, de donde eres?

A. Tampico, in the state of Tamaulipas. It’s a beautiful city located on the Gulf Coast of Mexico, about half a day’s travel south of the Texan border.

Tampico, en el estado de Tamaulipas. Es una bella ciudad localizada en el Golfo de Mexico, aproximadamente a medio día de camino al sur de la frontera con Texas.

Q. What do you like most about it?

A. I love most everything about my hometown. The beaches, the food, people, music, etc .

Amo la mayor parte de las cosas sobre mi ciudad natal. Las playas, la comida, la gente, música, etc.

Q. Has Tampico been impacted by the drug wars?

A. Very much. Tampico is located in one of the bloody border states. People are dying every day and everybody’s trying to live their lives as normal as they can, while looking over their shoulder every single second.

Demasiado. Tampico está localizado en uno de los estados fronterizos. Hay gente muriendo diario y todos están haciendo su mejor esfuerzo por vivir sus vidas lo más normal possible, manteniendo un ojo pelado a todo momento.

Q. When I met you we were both living in Japan. What caused you to leave Mexico?

A. A variety of things happened around the same time: I graduated from University, my Grandmother living in Colorado needed help and I needed a change. I thought I’d stay for a few years to help my Grandma, until a more permanent solution was found, then either go back home or travel around some more. My plans changed a few years later when I met and married my husband.

Una variedad de situaciones se presentaron al mismo momento: Acababa de terminar mi carrera, mi abuela viviendo en Colorado necesitaba ayuda y yo necesitaba un cambio. Planeé quedarme un par de años, ayudar a mi abuela hasta que una solucion mas permanente se pudiese hallar para ella, y luego regresarme a casa o seguir viajando. Mis planes cambiaron despues de algunos años cuando conocí a mi esposo y me case.

Q. When I travel outside US, I face a lot of prejudice because I'm American; we are not the most loved country in the world. How has your nationality impacted  international travel for you?

A. In Japan, they find it interesting.

I have dual nationality: I’m half Mexican through my father and half American through my mother.

I’ve had both positive and negative reactions to either of my nationalities on both sides of the border. I hate stereotypes and it sucks that they’re alive and kickin’. Negative reactions have gone from random vulgarities said to my face, to job interviews gone south when interviewers realize what country I went to school in.

But, at the same time, I’ve also met people who are genuinely interested in learning about the culture I grew up in. I’ve developed great friendships with some of them.

I’m past the anger when a stereotype is directed at me, because I know people will not magically change their mind. The only thing I can do is change their minds through my actions.

Q. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? 

A. Oh my...that's a hard one. I don't think I could pick just one. I love traveling and there's a lot of places I've been to that I would like to live in.

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And that about wraps it up. Diana, thank you so much for joining us.
That's all we have time for today, Clase.
See you next week on *the whole audience shouts* BIENVENIDO!



EASTER EGG! Lucky readers, here's one more cultural tid bit for you. Check out a place Diana and I liked to eat called MikesTex Mex, a hub of MexAmericana in Japan.