DEPARTED FROM
Quezon City, Philippines
ARRIVED IN
San Francisco, California
YEAR
1983
AGE
20
NOW LIVES IN
San Francisco, California
TRANSCRIPT
Toni: Shelby
Me: Hi!
Toni: Hi! How are you?!
Me: I’m good! How are you?
Toni: I’m good.. I’m tired..
Me: Did Andrea tell you what I’m doing?
Toni: Ok, yeah that’s fine!
Me: Ok so…what was your first day like? What do you remember about your first day that you came here?
Toni: Oh, god. Okay. My first day. It was my first time to be that far away from the Philippines, right, from where I’m from. But I think I was more anxious than I’m excited Cause I really didn’t know what to expect, I just knew I was gonna go to school. I knew I was gonna be with a group of people the same age as myself who are also not from here, so I thought that was exciting. But once I got here. I think one thing I noticed was the blue sky. You know how California is always so blue? So that’s the first thing I noticed.
And then I think my first day I went to visit the school, cause where I stayed was only a few blocks away from the university. I was what? I was barely 20 I think when I came. So…I was with Andrea’s dad, we were dating then. He was convinced by some of his friends to move to San Francisco and go to USF. And then he convinced me to finish my college years here but I had no idea what I was gonna get. I mean but I think it was the best thing that had happened to me because when I lived at home, it was different. Everything was taken care of. Normally people that come from Asia, and they emigrate here, it’s to have a better life, right? Mine was a different story. My life in the Philippines wasn’t so bad and it wasn’t really because I wanted to come here and live the American life (laughs) way of life. I live it but, how do you say it, like I said it was a very sheltered life and that’s why I think it was really good to get out of that world and come here.
