Marisela Perez Interview

Marisela Perez is a twenty-three-year-old student in the MSW program here at Southern Connecticut State University. Marisela is an United States citizen, but most of here family originated in Guatemala and El Salvador. Her primary language is Spanish, which is only spoken in her household. English became her secondary language when she transitioned into the New Haven Public school system. She was raised in a single parent house hold with her mother and four other siblings, two boys and three girls. I chose to interview Marisela because, we intern at the same placement and at times she would disclose personal details about her life. Listening to her talk about her upbringing, made me more interested in her life and her culture. Throughout the semester, I’ve been working closely at my clinical internship with a 15-year-old girl, who is of

Traditional meaning, there isn’t a huge difference from living in her native country and residing in America. Although she is a offspring from two parents who weren’t born in the United States, she was raised with the same values, the same culture and traditions as any other person born in Guatemala. Adapting to the American way of life did not come easy for her, and is still something she is working on today. Just to give some insight on her very traditional life she described how Easter is a major holiday in her family. Every year it is celebrated in a very habitual way. For a week, up until the Friday before Easte, her family fasts and refrains from engaging in any activities. Using electronics, cooking and working are some examples of the activities that are prohibited around the time before Easter. Food is prepped for the entire week, which does not need require anyone to use the stove or an electronics to heat up the food. Although, this type of ritual for Easter originated in Guatemala, her family continues to keep their ties to the Guatemalan