Oral History

I interviewed my girlfriend Raquel Nevarez. She is 18 years old and is a senior at Morton East High School. She was raised by a single mom who sometimes struggled to raise her three children. Without any help from her ex husband or the government.

Where do you live?
I live in Cicero, Illinois.

How long have you lived there?
Since I was ten, so about ten years.

Do you like living there?
Yes I enjoy living there. (laughs) Theres always something to do.

Where did you live before you moved to Cicero?
I lived in Chicago on 26th ST.

How long did you live there?
I lived there for eight years.

Do you remember anything about that neighborhood that sticks in your mind?
Gang members all over the streets. Every time my mom would pick me up from school, they would be hanging around on the corners sticking up gang signs to cars that passed by. I felt frightened by them and did not want to walk by them.

Did this make you want to move away from that neighborhood?
Yes because I never felt comfortable walking around or playing around with my friends.

When did your parents divorce?
When I was eight years old.

How did this make you feel?
Well at first I felt mad at my dad because he abandoned us. When ever he called us I refused to talk to him, he asked my mom why she put things into my head and mom told him it was not her that was just how I felt. As the years passed I guess learned to overcome this anger I felt for him and began to talk to him, but it still wasn't the same. He is just another random guy to me . I see my uncles more as father figures than him.

Why do you see your uncles as father figures?
Because one of my uncles has been there since I was a baby. He helps me in whatever way he can. He is my role model.

Was it hard for your your mom to adjust to being a single mom?
Yes it was she worked very hard at one point I remember she had to work seven days a week in order to pay all of her bills on time. As a child I didn't see her as much as other kids see their parents. She worked second shift so I would only see her in the mornings before school, and sometimes I would see her for fifteen minutes after school.

How has this made you feel toward you mother?
With all that my mom has done for me and my brothers, I feel lots of love and respect for her. She is a strong woman and has worked hard to have what we have today. I believe she is very strong because there are some mothers that get sad and depressed and forget about their kids. For my mom my brothers and I are always her number one priority. She is like my best friend I feel like I can tell my mom anything. I look up to her and I know she will always be there for me no matter what. I know that when I have my kids I will be exactly like my mother. She is my hero and I want to make her proud of me thats why I want to accomplish all my goals that I have set for myself, and help her like she has always helped me my whole life.