For this interview, Sabbir A. spoke with both his parents, Bengali immigrants, about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Question: How do you feel about the COVID19 pandemic?
Answer: (Mom) It made our lives upside down which we have never faced before.
Question: Did anything change in your life from this pandemic?
Answer: (Mom) From this pandemic, we couldn’t go to work, went out once in a while for grocery, and couldn't walk.
Question: How did your social life get affected by COVID19 quarantine?
Answer: (Mom) I can’t visit my sisters or send gifts because it increases the risk of getting the virus and everyone’s fears. Anything that is bought from outside as they know the tiny virus might be anywhere.
Question: How do you keep in touch with your friends and families during this situation?
Answer: (Mom) Using the phone most of the time to get in contact with friends and families.
Question: Do you like staying at home during this quarantine?
Answer: (Mom) Staying at home feels boring and unhealthy because I like to walk before all this started I used to walk outside a lot and this sudden change did impact my life.
Question: What do you do now with free time?
Answer: (Mom) I do cooking, listen to the news, watch after my 1-year old daughter, and take naps during the afternoon.
(Dad) I use facebook, talk with my friends, and listen to music.
Question: Does this pandemic change any thoughts about taking precautions?
Answer: (Mom) Every time now we have to wear a mask, gloves and stay out of crowds which I did not think these kinds of extreme measures would be needed. This pandemic surely changed my thoughts and taught how we have to be concerned about being clean and germ-free by taking proper precaution.
Question: Did you face any other epidemic or pandemic before?
Answer: (Mom) This is the first pandemic I’ve witnessed and saw how deadly this virus is which killed millions.
Question: Do you like the way the government is handling this pandemic situation?
Answer: (Mom) I think the government is doing a great job managing the situation. Like they made lockdowns and warned the people to be more careful like never go out unless for emergency and always disinfect groceries so we don’t get the virus, taking care of the unemployed workers, started online school all this to avoid losing more lives.
Question: Have you gone outside during quarantine?
Answer: (Mom) After this COVID19 exploded going outside is just another way of saying go to hell. Hearing from my friends that some people are not following rules to be safe as if nothing happened.
(Dad) Sometimes once in a week goes outside only for groceries for the entire week which is overwhelming.
Question: How does it affect your mental health?
Answer: (Mom) In this situation, I always have a constant fear lurking, from which corner the death will arrive which makes me anxious about this thing to over soon so I could go on with my normal life.
Question: Do you have any thoughts about how the virus spread so rapidly in the U.S?
Answer: (Mom) “I think the government did not take it seriously and stop flights coming to the U.S before and be more careful like what they did after creating the loophole for the virus. They should have been more careful before which could have saved lives.”
Question: What advice would you give to someone who is scared during this time?
Answer: (Mom) “Don’t be afraid, and be careful, we are all in this together being scared only makes matters worse. We all need to be calm and be more serious about what to do next.”
An Interview Across Borders
By Esteban M.
Esteban interviewed his close friend, José Grijalva, age 16. Esteban and Jose have been close friends since his birthday party many years ago. They are still very united even though Esteban lives here in the United States and Jose lives in Ecuador. According to Esteban, Jose is an incredible person, very charismatic and always trying to see the good side of things and help those who need it, no matter who.
Question: What has changed in your life since the pandemic started?
Answer: What has changed the most in my life since this pandemic began is that I no longer do the same things as before. I can no longer train for soccer, I can no longer go out with my friends, and I can no longer go to school normally, so it has been a quite big impact, but on the other hand I have changed the way I see things, and now I help my family much more and spend much more time with them.
Question: How do you feel about all the changes that have occurred?
Answer: The truth is that it feels strange, since it is something that has never happened before, but you have to cope with things. You have to know how to live them and this helps us to be stronger, and to know that you have to enjoy life to the fullest because one does not know what will happen next. And well, although I have always been someone very active, this has not hurt me to stop doing it, so there is always a solution, despite everything that is happening.
Question: Do you think that social distancing is a good or bad thing?
Answer: I think that social distancing is a bad thing, really, because I think that the most beautiful thing is to share with people your experiences, your tastes. It is nice to share with the people around you, but at least we can be, even if it is in my case, with my family and that makes me very happy and helps me carry this quarantine much easier.
Question: What bad things do you consider social distancing can have?
Answer: I think that social distancing causes me a lot of despair, sometimes anger. What has happened to me lately is that with all this that we are locked up, I am much more easily enraged. You also already have the despair of not going to see your friends, of not going to see other people, so I think that is what has affected me the most. I suppose that the rest also because not being able to be with other people is very harmful.
Question: What good things do you consider social distancing can have?
Answer: I think that social distancing could be good. Sometimes you need to be focused on yourself, on your things, and sometimes when you are with other people or you pay a lot of attention to what they tell you, that hurts you. Or you don't have time for yourself. One cannot do what you like because you are aware of other people, so on that side it is good to be estranged, and also because you can be more aware of your family.
Question: Do you think quarantine was a necessary thing to do?
Answer: Well, I think that quarantine is something necessary because even though there is a quarantine, the infected are more and more every day, and if there were not this, I would not want to imagine how we would be. But I also believe that we must learn to live with this, because we if continue, the economy is going to fall, there are going to be a lot more people without a job, and that is going to end up hurting the country more. Ao I think that it was a good measure, but we have to start giving facilities to work and to do things that we need to do.
Question: What other ways do you think can be very useful to reduce the spread of the disease?
Answer: I believe that the best way not to contract this virus would be, first of all, to be aware, because if you are not aware of what you are experiencing, and of the consequences that it may have, ehh, you will not be able to achieve anything. But knowing that, I think you have to keep your distance, constantly be disinfecting your hands, your face, but keep doing the things we need to do, wearing a mask, but continuing with a normal life or if it not, it is going to be worse.
Question: How do you think the pandemic could have a dramatic impact?
Answer: I think that the pandemic did have a dramatic impact, because nobody expected something like that. At first there were some cases in China. Then it spread until it became worldwide. Then it has a big impact. First of all due to the fact being locked up is a very big impact, and then knowing that it is a virus that can kill you, that can kill your family, so it is something that worries you a lot and causes you a lot of despair of not knowing how to solve this.
Question: Do you think that life will one day become as we knew it before the pandemic?
Answer: I think that after a while everything will return to normal, that everything will have happened and we can continue with our normal life. Of course this is going to be something that we will never forget, but it is something we learn from. It is something for which we must be prepared and we must move forward. I hope that all this can be finished as soon as possible, but I do have faith, and I hope that all this will end soon and we can continue with our lives.
Thank you very much for doing this interview, being able to answer these very good questions to give my opinion about what is happening, and help people to start to become aware and can realize that everything that is happening is very wrong and that we must improve.
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by Ligia E
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Ligia interviewed her mom, Alicia Padilla. She is 37 yers old. She is from Ecuador and now she is living in the USA.
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Question: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected you?
Answer: This pandemic has affected me in many ways, some have been financially because I lost my job, socially because I could not leave without seeing my loved ones, and psychologically, because for a long time I cannot see my family. This whole situation, it causes me a lot of stress
Question: How has your quarantined life changed?
Answer: It has changed because now I am more careful when I go out. I have to wear masks and not get too close to other people. It has also changed because I am now more careful with hygiene at home.
Question: If you had no job, how did you survive all this time?
Answer: I had to use the money I had saved and stop buying some things that were not so necessary.
Question: How long have you been out of work?
Answer: I have 3 months without a job and still can't get one.
Question: Did you find it difficult to get food?
Answer: No, because with my savings I was able to buy food
Question: How much longer do you think the money you have saved can last?
Answer: I think only about 15 more days.
Question: How have you felt in the past few months?
Answer: Very sad, stressed and desperate because I don't know if I'm going to get my job back or I don't know how I'm going to survive later.
Question: What are you going to do if you don't get your job back?
Answer: I will have to try to get another job or ask my friends for help to help me get it.
Question: What did you do to entertain yourself during all this time that you have been in quarantine?
Answer: I watched television, played sports at home, played some games, and called
my family to find out if they are okay.
Question: Did you or someone in your family get sick during this time?
Answer: Yes, some of my relatives, but now they are all fine.
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Interview with my dad
by Dazne G.
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Question: What did you think when you found out about the covid-19?
Answer: I really didn’t think it would be what it is today
Question: Do you agree to the quarantine?
Answer: Yes I do
Question: What was your biggest concern about the covid-19?
Answer: That the covid affected my family
Question: What has been your biggest difficulty being locked up at home?
Answer: Just that I can't go to work, and I need money
Question: What do you most enjoy being at home?
Answer: My wife is pregnant so I have enjoyed it so much
Question: After quarantine which is the first thing you want to do?
Answer: Go to the beach to take pictures of my wife pregnant
Question: How do you occupy your time in quarantine?
Answer: Im learning about the stock market so I think that I’m making the most of my time
Question: Do you fear getting the virus?
Answer: I really do because my wife is pregnant
Question: What do you think about the people who say that the covid 19 is not real?
Answer: I think people are ignorant
Question: How do you feel with all this situation
Answer: I’m happy because thats why Im making the most of my time.
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Patricia M. interviewed her mother, Roxana, from their apartment in Queens on June 5th.
Question: How does pandemic make you feel?
Answer: The pandemic makes me feel anxious and very tired.
Question: What do you do to be calm or calm so as not to panic?
Answer: My belief in God gives me peace.
Question: What do you think of the situation now? Do you think it will get better or worse?
Answer: With faith, everything will get better.
Question: Do you think the government is helping in the pandemic?
Answer: Yeah The government is helping
Question: What do you do to not get bored?
Answer: I practice English, watch TV, and talk to my family on WhatsApp.
Question: How could your situation improve in a pandemic?
Answer: Taking care of myself with the help of the state.
Question: What will you do when the pandemic ends?
Answer: Thank God
Question: Do you think the pandemic helped you in any way?
Answer: Yes, in many things.
Question: What new things did you learn?
Answer: I learned to be tolerant and stronger.
Question: Do you think there is a lesson that you should learn from this experience?
Answer: Yeah, that money is not everything.
