The Life of Sandra A. Rodriguez
Submitted by Yestriel.HSES_US on Tue, 06/16/2009 - 10:51.
Although I know that I was suppose to interview a grandparent or an older person from my community I found someone a little bit more special. She is my mother’s aunt now at the age of 61. It all began when Sandra Rodriguez was born in New York City, but her parents were not financially stable and were forced to move back to their hometown, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Later on in life, she finally got the chance to move back to her native land. When she got here, the differences in customs, lifestyles, and values were much unexpected.
Question: How does the way you consume energy and resources differ from the past?
Answer: “Well… a lot. I mean I was raised in the Dominican Republic and the United States was such a huge transition. In the past (in Dominican Republic), the lights would always go out in my entire neighborhood. I was always prepared with candles and backup lights but, here (in the United States) I don’t have to ever worry about that! It’s amazing how the lights don’t go out at random time periods. This means that I can cook, clean, and shop… even at night. I feel so liberated!”
Question: How do you remember energy and resources being used in the past?
Answer: “There was not a lot of energy where I grew up. In the morning everything was turned off and at night only the necessities were turned on. We were very poor. We had to grow a lot of our own fruits and vegetables. Here, I buy everything I need to eat. My DVD and stereo player stay on all day. I see lights everywhere… even on the streets…”
