0:000000_FernandoJiménez (Mp3)
Wed, 6/10 1:37PM • 45:09
SUMMARY LOC SUBJECT HEADINGS
Valle de Bravo (Mexico); Mexicans--Arizona; COVID-19 (Disease); Coronavirus
Infections--economics; Mexicans--Arizona; Mexicans--Arizona--Social Conditions;
Spanish (language); Quarantine--America; Quarantine--United States; Social
Interactions--United States; Mexicans--Arizona--Phoenix--Economic conditions;
youth; Latino Americans; Latinos (United States);
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Mexico; Mexico City, Mexico; America; United States; Coronavirus; Economic
Impact; Financial Impact; Pandemic; Tourism Industry; Arizona; Phoenix, Arizona;
Prescott, Arizona; Education--Online-Learning; Language Barrier; Social
Distancing; Essential Worker; Health Services; Healthcare System; Undocumented;
Protest; Trump Administration; Anglos;
00:04 -- Vincent Peña
Hello, today is May, June 6, my name is Vincent Peña. I'm interviewing--
00:12 -- Fernando Jimenez
Fernando Jimenez
00:14 -- Vincent Peña
Fernando Jimenez for the Voces Oral History Center at the University of Texas at
Austin. Please know Mr. Jimenez that this interview will be placed at the Nettie
Benson Latin American collection at UT Austin, if there's anything you did not
wish to answer to talk about, I will honor your wishes. Also, if there was
something you do want to talk about, please bring it up and we will talk about
it. Because we are doing this interview in person, I need you to record you
consenting. I'll ask you a series of five questions. Please say yes, I agree or
no I do not agree after each one. And then there are two questions we need to
make sure you agree to before we go on. So Voes wishes to archive your interview
along with any other photographs or other documentation at the Benson library UT
Austin. We will retain copyright at the interview and any other materials you
donate to VOCES. Do you give VOCES consent to archive your interview in your
materials at the Benson library.
-- Fernando Jimenez
Yes I agree.
-- Vincent Peña
Cool. Do you agree versus copyright over the interview with any material you provide?
Yes I agree.
-- Vincent Peña
Do you agree to allow us to post interview on the internet? where maybe viewed
by people around the world?
-- Fernando Jimenez
Yes I agree.
-- Vincent Peña
If any one of these questions is no, the deal's off, but hopefully you would
have discussed you're not supposed to read that.
01:31 -- Vincent Peña
We have any questions. In the pre interview format we've already filled out we
use the information from the pre interview to help inform research. This entire
form is kept in secure VOCES server. Before we send it to the Benson we need we
would have stripped out any contact information for yourself or family members.
So that will not be part of your public file. Just anything that's on the video
will be you know, public in the Benson Center. Your public file will be only be
accessible at the best library. Do you wish for us to share the rest of your
interview in your public file to research At the Benson library?
02:01 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yes I agree.
02:02 -- Vincent Peña
On occasion VOCES receives requests from journalists who wish to contact our
interview subjects. We only deal with legitimate news outlets. Do you give
consent for us to share your phone numbers or your email with journalists?
Yes. I agree.
02:17 -- Vincent Peña
That's all I've got. Okay, so that's basically it. So now we can go in and start
the interview. And I have-- let me pull up the questions for you.
02:43 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, so first, just start by telling me a little bit about yourself. You know,
who you are, where you're from family, that kind of thing.
02:52 -- Fernando Jimenez
I am from Mexico City and a small town called Valle de Bravo, south of Mexico
City. I'm 44 years old. And I am the third son of six. I the third one. I have
another four brothers. We have four brothers and males, just two sisters. I came
to America, the United States, to the United States to first was for just to
know the country, you know, I always was impact of the difference of worlds. You
know, I just love -- it was always It was my dream, you know, like how it's
called the American dream. I wanna, I just wanna know, is when I go farther than
just know my country. So that is why here I was. I get here when I was 27 years
old. And since the first day I came here, it was to work. You know? I came here
for a weekend and next Monday it was working. And from there I never stop.
04:16 -- Vincent Peña
And what's most of the work that you've done?
04:19 -- Fernando Jimenez
Work?
04:19 -- Vincent Peña
Yeah What kind of work.
04:22 -- Fernando Jimenez
I do painting, and I do some construction, but most mostly painting. But I can
do whatever is the I got a chance where I can I get some kinda money you know.
-- Vincent Peña
Whatever pays the bills right?
04:38 -- Fernando Jimenez
whatever pays the bills, exactly. I am going to be there.
04:42 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, so how much I'm going to get back to your job and everything and your
work, but when did you first learn about Coronavirus and how did you learn about it?
04:54 -- Fernando Jimenez
I learned it, well, from the internet, I just hear like these virus From China.
came from China. It was first like a joke. It was transmitted by the bats. And
then just I just wrote it off, pull it up and then later on I when I hear the
news that is coming here. That it is transmitting to another countries and I
just kind of like think about like, this is gonna be here. It's gonna come to
the United States, you know? And that's how. And when the time is -- I was I
never was scared but it was a time I knew it was going to be here. Like always
happened. Yeah.
05:48 -- Vincent Peña
So I guess what was your initial reaction when we're first feelings like after
you thought it was a joke? Was there any you know, fear or nervousness or
anxiety? Worry?
06:02 -- Fernando Jimenez
Just worried. Worried more about my family. My family's worried about like this.
This is real. Like, what's gonna affect my family cuz I'm here and I have kids
now and I have a wife. But what's worrying me more is like my family. Even in
Mexico, like I hear I have my family over there to two brothers, nephews, and
uncles over here they're like yeah, it's real and it's everywhere.
06:42 -- Vincent Peña
Absolutely. Is uh, does -- woah I lost my train of thought there. Is your family
in Mexico is the Coronavirus taking us seriously down there as it is as it is
here. And that you know of I guess, if you've talked to them.
06:53 -- Fernando Jimenez
In Mexico -- where I come from is a small town and it's a beautiful town. We'll
live from tourists. Because we have a lake, and it's surrounded the Lake of the
town. And it's really tourist place. And my family from that, from the economy
over there is about tourists. People come to the town, you know, restaurants,
hotels, Mexican food business. This is all about that. And now with this is
changing, alot because they put a quarantine out there too. And people are
coming down to the town and my family is feeling it. Everybody's feeling it over
there. And they're like, well, there's no people, there's no business is this of
course they take it really serious. Because I call them sometimes and they are
scared too, worried about what's going to happen.
07:57 -- Vincent Peña
Absolutely. I mean, that's both, I guess the health scare and also the economy
because if you rely on us going down there basically are other you know,
tourists. Yes and no one's traveling right now. So why Okay, so I'm gonna ask
you basically the same question but how it's impacted different parts of your
family or your life. So how is it? How would you say that the Coronavirus has
impacted your children?
08:22 -- Fernando Jimenez
[It has] impact them because, well, as everybody knows, they they're not going
to school. They stuck a home and what I see is like I know them, they need to be
social, they need to be active, you know, at least when they go to school like
they're active. You know, now they're at home. And we try. but I work so many
hours that I can't take them to go outside or however everybody knows here in
Arizona the weather is super hot. and I you see them sitting there on the TV, on
the phone, is only that worries me more because pretty much we don't pay them
then no no well yeah we don't want them to get any about this that that the
COVID you know?
09:14 -- Vincent Peña
Yeah, absolutely. Okay so, I mean, like even -- how do you think, I mean you
have already answered how it effected, you know, your family members down in
Mexico. Do you have, has it impacted you for your other any your neighbors or
church organizations that you're part of -- has that impacted you at all?
09:33 -- Fernando Jimenez
Well, the church we try to go on the weekends, you know, and organizations, we
pretty much like we don't belong to anyone but yeah, mostly like our social too
you know, like, like we like to go outside. We like to go eat. We like to go to
the movies. But mostly like, we were not so sure. Yeah, we stay at home. And we
-- just that impact. For example, my wife is a teacher and she's stuck at home
and she's doing her work out from the house. But of course another thing is, I
think what impact is like, well, you're stuck at home.
10:28 -- Vincent Peña
Absolutely. So then I guess how has it impacted your ability to gather with
family and friends that have you based you know, in other words, who have you
been interacting with? Is it just you know, people here or have you been
interacting with -- Is there like a small group of people that you allow to see
or you're allowed to see are you kind of -- I know, you know, like, my family,
like all they all see each other. But like back in Texas, I only see my
girlfriend and like one friend We decided okay we can hang out but I don't see
anyone else.
11:04 -- Fernando Jimenez
That impact me a lot because here in Phoenix and Arizona I don't have so many
friends. And the only the only friends they have is from a small town close to
here, Prescott, Arizona. It's one hour and a half and then sometimes we hang
out, you know? But mostly the people here and because my job I just have people
that help me and its relatives you know. there's there are people that are from
my own family that helped me to do my job. But from there we don't social. I
don't social, we don't social with mostly like, we don't social[ize] at all.
11:47 -- Vincent Peña
yeah. So that has pretty much, really you know, changed your life in general.
11:54 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yes, it's changed my life. Definitely.
12:01 -- Fernando Jimenez
It's keeping a distance to everybody, keeping us separated is what happened.
12:07 -- Vincent Peña
And do you know anyone personally that has COVID?
12:11 -- Fernando Jimenez
Personally? No, I don't have any, any member of my family or friend. Like he got
it. Not at all. I don't have nobody. Like, like, I know. Nobody.
12:32 -- Vincent Peña
Alright, so I'm gonna pivot a little bit, because you talked about, you know,
kind of the, the only people you interact with the people you work with, right?
And so who is who do you work with normally?
12:44 -- Fernando Jimenez
I work with contractors, mostly all the time. And I do my jobs as a painter.
Sometimes I do my own business. And that's all contractors and small things that
I do on my site. I don't belong to any company or I don't work for any
organization. They just use all my contacts that I have as a contractors, and myself.
13:22 -- Vincent Peña
So, do you do you usually work alone or do you hire people to work with you and
if you do, who do you usually work with?
13:30 -- Fernando Jimenez
I hire sons of my wife like, let's say his stepsons, and that's all. And
sometimes I hire people when I need more -- another extra hand and I hite some
other Mexicans like me.
13:51 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, do you just look for people you already know, or where you you know, run
down to Home Depot and you know, ask people for some work or do friends or how
do you find them?
14:03 -- Fernando Jimenez
Random people. Like I go to Home Depot a couple times or I check the internet or
our social media. And that's where I can find sometimes people that they are
looking for work.
14:22 -- Vincent Peña
So do you, I guess, has Coronavirus or the COVID pandemic has that changed how
many people are willing to work or work with you? Or I guess, you know, has your
day to day interactions with your coworkers changed or people were kind of
hesitant or worried about working with someone they don't know, cause of the virus?
14:40 -- Fernando Jimenez
As Latinos, Mexicans, now that all this happening. A lot of people that they
need work, they they looking for work, like tons of people. Because some big
companies, they just don't want to work. because they're afraid. But all these
people that is they fire or they put on a break, these people need to be
working. They're still looking for pay the bills, just pay the bills is mostly
-- And it's a lot of people are looking for it. As Latinos or Mexicans, we never
stopped work. This Nah, this effected us maybe at the beginning, but right now
is like, everybody's looking for work. Big companies that let go of a lot of
people. And that's what I see like they need work and people are looking for work.
15:38 -- Vincent Peña
So would you say there's more people now looking for work or to work like your
kind of work than there were before?
15:43 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yes.
15:44 -- Vincent Peña
Okay. And so I guess the question that we would have is, how has it impacted
your finances or your financial situation? Or it has, I mean, it sounds like
you're working just as much if not more, so is it negatively impacted you or
positively impacted you at all? and is that is are your finances a worry given
the Coronavirus?
16:06 -- Fernando Jimenez
At the beginning of this when they put the quarantine in Arizona, I was afraid I
was like worried what was gonna happen. But with a time passing it's like, I
think getting normal, getting normal, or more work, a little extra busy because,
like, many guys -- some contractors they stopped and some other ones, they got
their employees and then-- It's hard to find a good one, so I got a lot of calls
from contractors.
16:47 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, so then, it's uh, I guess my would you kind of, you know, back up a little
bit and talk to us about like, it's what's your day routine like what is what is
work look like for you? Or in other words would you describe a specific day of work.
17:09 -- Fernando Jimenez
For me, my days of work is mostly the same every day. is like mostly I do
painting and then I go just got a call you know about this house to get painted.
Needs to get painted. So the people that hire me just given me the job and
address, phone call. I showed up to the to the place ,and they provide the
supplies, paint, and everything. I get started at seven in the mornings. Just
get done, get done a job every day, like painting a house -- exterior, interior,
remodeling exterior. So, it's mostly pretty much the same. Before we go to work,
we go to the gas station, get some food get some supplies -- food, drink, ice,
and from there get to the house at 730. Same routine.
18:12 -- Vincent Peña
Okay. And how long do you usually work for each day?
18:16 -- Fernando Jimenez
I work -- I try to always work my eight hours. With a half hour, 30 minutes of
break. Sometimes I set a little bit longer just to finish the course and try to
finish a house every day.
18:32 -- Vincent Peña
Okay. And then so how many days do you work a week?
18:36 -- Fernando Jimenez
I work Monday to Friday, but I if I have work Saturdays, I do Saturdays too. But
mostly Monday to Friday.
18:46 -- Vincent Peña
Would you say you work alone most of the time or do you work with someone Most
of the time?
18:51 -- Fernando Jimenez
I like to work with someone. Sometimes, I like to have a couple of extra hands.
The two guys, Make it easier for me and no faster.
19:05 -- Vincent Peña
Absolutely. So question, do you wear masks when you work? I mean you probably
wear one because you're painting right? Or--
19:12 -- Fernando Jimenez
I wear mask everyday because the fumes of the painting that we use all the time
will pass effects, you know? Because they are chemicals.
19:25 -- Vincent Peña
So you wouldn't, I guess, that hasn't changed because of Coronavirus? You
already wear a mask.
19:30 -- Fernando Jimenez
No, not change. It just not much change at all. Just everyday use a mask to
protect you from the paint, but because of the coronavirus -- no I don't think
that affected me or change something.
19:45 -- Vincent Peña
Do you wear a mask like when you go to the store or something?
19:50 -- Fernando Jimenez
At the beginning I was wearing it for a couple of days and now, this is like
normal. You wear this to the paint store, the store, the gas stations. Mostly
it's just the paint store and the gas stations. We don't weat it [at the store].
Because there's no masks. Like, where I get my masks, are from the paint store.
And that's the better protection, the N-95, it was supposed to be there to help
you protect you. And it's not what I know is that they take all the although
this kind of mask, they take it to hospitals or any places that they keep
service to, to cover this Corona.
20:47 -- Vincent Peña
Yeah, I noticed that when I arrived. In Texas everyone's wearing I mean, there's
15 people at Circle K, and no one was wearing a mask. Okay, so I guess a little
bit more about your work, has anything at about I mean, you kind of already
answered this, but is anything about your money or your work changed? Do you get
like you said, there's more workers, but are there less --And you work the same
hours, but is there less workers or more work now? I mean, are people I guess
you have more opportunities for work or has it kind of stayed steady throughout?
21:28 -- Fernando Jimenez
I think we have a little bit more opportunities and make a little bit of extra
money because even then, the contractors, they know, they shouldn't be working,
But they want money, they want they wanna pay the bill. So they offer you a
little bit more is what happens. I don't know.
21:54 -- Fernando Jimenez
I don't know why they would, but they give you a little extra.
21:58 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, so that's all this is. It's been kind of better then actually--
22:04 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yeah.
22:07 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, so another question I have is there, you know, given you send send, I
guess would you send any money back to any family in Mexico or is there any
relationship you have with [them] like where you're I guess you or anyone in
your family financially dependent on you besides you know your family here? and
is that impacted at all or vice versa is there you know, any--?
22:36 -- Fernando Jimenez
Mostly, I try to provide here. First of all, my family is here. My family's my
kids and my wife. Whoever is surrounded from me here, but in Mexico my family
is, is okay. They are established. They have to their own way to survive, but
yes, once in a while, just because, I try to help. Extra help, I guess.
Everybody knows the dollar from the exchange to pesos is a big difference. And
yeah, like, sometimes I have an extra 200 bucks, 150, and I try to help as some
of my members of my family that they need regular, like maybe once in a while I
am on two months.
23:37 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, I mean, I know you talked earlier about, you know, your kids being home
now a lot as opposed to when they were at school. So how is that changed the way
you or they get their education, how I guess describe the experience of you
know, them being home and what that was like for you? Yeah, how's it different
than being out of school? If you had any hand and, you know, what role you might
have played or not played?
24:13 -- Fernando Jimenez
It's hard to because let's say that have a lot of homework -- they have homework
where sometimes it's hard to help them because the -- here it's going to become
another factor because the language. My first language is Español. And then try
to learn this language just with listening and I put a lot of effort to learn
it. But then when I have homework, when they have homework, sometimes it's hard
for me to understand that instructions, mostly the math and some other kind of
words I am not familiar with. And that's the only thing that affects me or
affect me to help them to do homework. But what I see is like they have
homework, they do it by mail by the computer or whatever, but the only factor,
the only thing that affect me is that I try to help them but I can't [because]
the language.
25:33 -- Fernando Jimenez
It's mostly the language.
25:35 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, so the language barrier is basically the biggest hurdle? That's
understandable. And how what challenges I guess what did your you know your
children face any challenges with school? How are they with the transition from,
you know, the in-class school to online Was it easy for them or difficult?
25:57 -- Fernando Jimenez
I think it was difficult, difficult. I have two kids, Sofia, 13 years old, and
Daniel, 10 years old. Sophia is very, very, how do you say the word --
independent. She's very independent, really smart. The other kid, it's just a
little bit different with him because, you know how all the kids are not the
same. But yeah, we have a little bit of problem with him like, focus[ing] on his
work, focusing on what he needs to get done. And at our school, we have a a lot
of contact with a teacher, that Danny [lacks] a little bit of attention at home
at school. And here we have that we have to push him sit down and do his
homework and go in the computer. It's mostly that. So, of course it affects
these kids.
27:08 -- Vincent Peña
Yeah and so and that sounds like that kind of made, you know, sound like lack of
attention issues right? So being home, did that help her hurt that make it worse
or they did it get better being here or--?
27:23 -- Fernando Jimenez
It made it worse. And of course, well, I would say the social -- the social
between them and other kids is now, is zero. Once in a while he'll hang out with
some kids, but this, I think this is bad for them.
27:43 -- Vincent Peña
Yeah. And so they have but they like they've also been distanced away from their
friends like like you guys have?
27:50 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yeah. This just that the distance that is changing everything.
27:58 -- Vincent Peña
So, are there any resources or tools, I guess, resources for the school that you
don't have access to anymore or it was you know as it hasn't been just I guess
how has that affected you? You know any resource like you know thinking about
like free lunches you know in school like you know the fed at school so is that
kind of impacted you all here at all like having to--?
28:26 -- Fernando Jimenez
Not really. The service the school does is just maybe after program, after
school to watch the kids, or lunch that they supply at the school but from there
this is not a problem with all the services that the school does.
28:52 -- Vincent Peña
So they, did they, did the school while I was during the the lockdown, you know,
the quarantine, did they provide food the school like was there options for them
to go or did you guys just--?
29:02 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yeah, they have an option to go but we decided we want to keep the kids safe. We
don't want them to be walking around it was [we don't know] if this virus is
real or not, we just don't want them to get this kind of virus or get sick. That
would be worse.
29:28 -- Vincent Peña
And did they provide any technology, like access or computers or any help with
the online learning?
29:39 -- Fernando Jimenez
No, like what I know is no, no, no, there's not kind of help with some kind of
tablet or iPad or nothing to help. About to do their homework. We we have our own--
30:00 -- Fernando Jimenez
We have our own computers, laptop. We don't ask the government for any kind of help.
30:10 -- Vincent Peña
Were you, just kind of randomly in contact with any of your professors, any of
their teachers? I guess if you interact with them at all or was it kind of like
did they, or like how was the learning? Were they guided by their teachers and
like are did they have to do stuff online and assignments or--?
30:31 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yeah, they have a guy with, from the teachers they have a lot of support and
help. Like the teacher like the teacher is in online pretty much all the time
when he was at school and he wanted to see the, the help of what they need, or
how much they are growing and what they learned.
31:06 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, like progress, right?
31:08 -- Fernando Jimenez
Progress, yes exactly.
31:10 -- Vincent Peña
Okay. And so I'm gonna move on basically one more section for now we'll talk
about like health care. And then some any last thoughts anything you have so we
should be wrapping up here pretty soon. So I guess Are there any you know,
you've already talked about being worried especially at the beginning and maybe
less so now about -- So did you have any questions or concerns about healthcare
in terms of paying for it or anything like that or just healthcare in general? I
mean, like for, for me, you know, like my dentist appointments were canceled and
they were pushed forward. So are there any difficulties in terms of that?
31:46 -- Fernando Jimenez
For me, well, being, because my status is not formal. Like I don't have the
right to go. If I get sick. I don't have the rights to go to the doctor or any
service so pretty much like I my own I don't get any help from the government.
Let's say we get sick I get sick I will deal by myself I try to deal with it
whenever I can. See if there are other ways to get help. One way or another way
is I just leave to get help. But yeah, no. No, help at all.
32:35 -- Fernando Jimenez
And I just, and of course, it's scary because my family, mostly. I don't wanna,
and I try to not get in a lot of social [situations] with other people. Just
work and home, that's all. So I don't, I don't want to get sick and I don't want
to go ask for help because I know they would deny it.
33:05 -- Vincent Peña
So I mean, so basically you're, you know, there's a worry that you know, you
can, there might be some negative consequences for seeking health care. Like if
you were to go to the hospital or something like that?
33:16 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yes, there would be a tremendous impact if I get sick. Mostly I'm the head of
the family who provide, and that would be the big impact. And yeah, it's zero
help from the government. It's zero, you know, help or benefits from hospitals.
33:45 -- Vincent Peña
Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, so yeah kind of a different question, but did you? You
weren't eligible then for the stimulus that the government sent out, the 1200 dollars?
33:56 -- Fernando Jimenez
No. No. There's no help from the government since we don't have any, we don't
have any chance to go ask for it. So pretty much we're on our own as Latinos or
Mexicans without status. It's zero. We are not allowed.
34:18 -- Vincent Peña
So have you ever gotten sick or ill or had to have any kind of surgery? And if
you did, did you, I guess, how did you deal with it?
34:28 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yeah, I've been a couple times sick with flus, mostly like the flu because of
weather seasons is what you get sometimes gets sick, you know, allergies, flus, or--
34:45 -- Fernando Jimenez
But from there, no.
34:49 -- Fernando Jimenez
I just figure it out by myself. So a lot of the places where we can figure it
out like that over whatever it is, whatever this is, we can get. But yeah, if it
was something serious, serious, we will have to leave we will have to go get it
in our own country.
35:12 -- Vincent Peña
And so, I guess, are there any other concerns about healthcare that you've had
or that have been made worse by the Coronavirus? I mean, sounds like you were
already kind of like you said you're on your own when it comes to health care.
But is it scarier now that or more worrisome? Now that you? Is it a pandemic?
You know,
35:38 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yes, because it is a virus that can kill you. It's a virus, nobody wants to get
it. And, of course, this impact me, and will impact my family, you know, we'll
be impact if somebody in the family gets sick. But of course, knowing that
there's no help, that we will be on our own to try to get better.
36:09 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, so this might be a weird question, but I guess how has a what are your is
the current administration? You know, this President Trump and the things that
have happened while he's been president, has that made your, you know, has that
made things worse is that you know, like, since you've been here since you were
27 so you've been here for what? 17 years
36:34 -- Vincent Peña
1617
36:39 -- Fernando Jimenez
15 years.
-- Vincent Peña
Has that changed anything for you? Like the
36:43 -- Fernando Jimenez
With this new administration of course that has affected us because let's say we
get sick or we will try to get help. As I know, like we're being persecuted,
persecuted pretty much.
37:04 -- Fernando Jimenez
Or it's a lot of people that they don't want us here. And now it's coming up
more. And it has caused an effect of fear, you know, fear to be in the street
knowing like, or just with being sick. We don't know, like, we went to the
hospital try to and any hospital or cleaning or whatever, somebody will call
somebody else. And then we'll arrest you of course, with this administration
this causes more of a factor of fear. And racism and hate around about Latinos
about Mexican, about brown people.
37:52 -- Vincent Peña
Have you ever experienced any discrimination or racism in your time here?
37:58 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yes. We sometimes, because my work, and because this season of heat, sometimes
we travel to another state and other small towns close to Arizona and one time
we moved to this place, Kingman. So this place, it's mostly white people, and
then yeah we feel that over there. We feel, we feel and we see people that was
like racist, like staring at us or sending saying words about us like, "What are
you guys doing here?" going to restaurants and we feel them staring at us or
people don't want to serve us because we were brown, we're Mexican, Latinos.
38:54 -- Fernando Jimenez
And from here in the big city. Sometimes we go to houses where we need to do
good jobs and sometimes out people is really rude. You know? And we know like,
it's racist. But yeah, of course, this uh, this, uh, this time right now that
we're living with Donald Trump being the president of course. And it's let them
grow more hate, more racism, more discrimination.
39:30 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, well, so that's there's only two more questions I have. And one is about,
you know, given the current social environment, you know, with the protests
going on, I guess has that impacted your life in addition to you know, the
Coronavirus? So, you know, we have we have this virus and we have these mass
protests now against police brutality. Has that I guess, you know, what are your
thoughts and has that changed anything for you?
40:00 -- Fernando Jimenez
Not really. You know work still going on. And my feeling about being afraid of a
cops is-- I'm not afraid about cops. It's respect. And I have been I've been a
couple of times stopped by cops where they because my status they asked me about
my license drivers and I can't, I don't have a one. But the cops always ask me
the question, you know, [driver's license], and I don't provide one. And this
there's one I hear them "okay your vehicle is going to be towed, because it's
the law." But no, I have always been this always been found good cups cause they
never do nothing. You know, just they just give me a break and they give me my
ticket. But I think I have been surrounded by good cops. And my feeling about
that is like there's good ones and bad ones. But it's not afraid. But I know
like there are some out there. You know?
41:19 -- Vincent Peña
So there's no I guess like especially within Phoenix, you know there's a curfew
and effect, has that made anything different?
41:29 -- Fernando Jimenez
Not really, I mean, we don't, we are outside all the time we are not like guys
whether we are nighttime driving or -- it's not a factor. This is probably like,
when this curfew started at the night is, we're home. We're not like driving
around, we are not moving around. So, it's not affected us at all.
41:59 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, and lastly, you know, I guess is there anything that I haven't asked you
about this you know your experience with Coronavirus that you want to talk about
or any you know other remarks that you know he's been talking now that you want
to say?
42:16 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yeah, well this Coronavirus, there's some Latinos some Mexicans who it's
sometimes hard to believe whether this is real because--
42:30 -- Fernando Jimenez
I don't have any particular any family friend people that I know who get this,
and this is weird like is weird like try to think like it's real or not real.
Even in Mexico, I have my family over there like I think it is just a panic, a
fear that does not make sense because the Mexicans live with the fact we live
out, okay. Yeah, until I can see it, I know it's, it's not real. And I feel like
this is maybe something made up. This is not real or until I see it.
43:22 -- Fernando Jimenez
And I am not afraid like, because every day you know, I go outside and go look
for work and I'm in contact with another people. I don't see, I don't see it,
like if it's there. I don't see that fear in other people. So it don't make
sense until I see it I will believe it.
43:50 -- Vincent Peña
See it's not real until like it, it's right in front of you, right? Yeah.
43:53 -- Fernando Jimenez
Yes. That's how Latinos or Mexicans lives, you know, until I see it, until I
feel it, until I touch it. That's when I will say, "Yeah is it real."
44:05 -- Vincent Peña
But you said like it feels real right? Like so even though it's you haven't seen
it yet the you know the environment and their reaction still makes it feel that way?
44:16
Yes. yes I still have to see or feel-- I use I just worry about the people
around me, for my family. That's all. But for me like I do my life normal. My
work is normal. You know?
44:37 -- Fernando Jimenez
I go gas station every day, paint store, social[ize] with people, my customers,
and, no, there's no change.
44:57 -- Vincent Peña
All right. Yeah. If you don't have anything else you want to say then we can
wrap it up.
45:01 -- Fernando Jimenez
No, that's all.
45:05 -- Vincent Peña
Okay, cool. We'll go ahead and finish.