Manuel Mendoza oral history interview, 2002 September 13
Description
Manuel Mendoza immigrated to the United States from Santa Ana, El Salvador in December of 1999. He describes differences between the United States and El Salvador and the rest of Latin America, including language, culture, and way of life. Mr. Mendoza discusses feeling like a second-class citizen and his fear that because of heightened homeland security in the United States, he may be mistaken for someone from the Middle East and be persecuted. He encourages Latinos to assimilate when living in the United States, but retain the positive characteristics of their own culture. Mr. Mendoza remarks on tensions between Latin Americans and African Americans in Charlotte, and says that both groups would benefit from talking about their grievances to avoid bigger problems in the future. Other topics include Mr. Mendoza's Protestant faith and the cultural significance of soccer in Latin America.
