Voces Oral History Center Interview with Fernando Jimenez

0000_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.