Claudia

“My name is Claudia. I'm from Bayshore, Long Island, originally from Ecuador.”

Claudia was a friendly face that stood out to me from the crowd. Her warm smile beckoned me in and of course, I had to introduce myself.

I was intrigued by her colorful tattoos, her soft blue dress and of course, the story behind her inviting energy.

From our quick 3 minute conversation, Claudia flowed. She openly and succinctly shared her immigrant experience and what home meant to her:

‘ I came here when I was 9. I’ve been here for 37 years now.’

Question: What was that like leaving everything behind and coming to a strange country at 9 years old?

Claudia: “it was definitely scary, but I was coming here to meet my mom and dad because they were here first, so it was like no-brainer. I never looked back kind of thing.”

(Claudia Cont’d): “But I do wish that I would have maybe stayed connected a little bit more because when trying to fit into this country in the beginning, we kind of shut off our own culture just to make it easier to integrate. But, yeah, I'm definitely trying to reclaim that a little bit more, you know. So, yeah, enjoy it.”

Question: Where/whar is home to you? Is it a physical place? Ecuador? New York? Define home.

Claudia: “Home is definitely where the family, my family is. It's definitely not a place. It's because right now they are all over the place. So, home is just in the heart. It's the family.”

On this final question, I noticed there was more she wanted to say, but didn’t share. However, her response as brief as it was, held power, emotion and ironically, drove the point home.

Question: Is there any advice you would give to 9 year old Claudia or anyone else on that journey to living somewhere new?

“I came here when I was nine years old. I came here because my parents had already been here. But, I didn't really look back once I came here and I wish I would have…and I wish that I just... My advice is for people to stay connected. Remember where they come from.”

Thank you Claudia for connecting with a stranger and for making this world a more familiar place with your story.