Rihla #18

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Name of interviwee: Leonela Rodriguez
Relation to interviewer: Mother
Decade of choice: late teens early twienties (1980's)

Environment: she had just crossed the boarder a couple months before to the United states and was trying to go to school. She was living in a one room apartment working at a chicken factory with my grandfather.

Activities:she was going to school to get her GED. And was working a factory.

Social events: Ronald Reagan was elected president. PAC-Man the video game became popular. There was a war in Iran for its oil. Sandra Day O'Connar becomes first female supreme justice.

Biggest turning point: When She met my father and got her diploma. These were her turning points becuase she was able to finish her education and move forward in her life. Not only that but she was very independent and when she met my father she still kept being an independent woman. She never settled for being a stay at home mom. With all the women in history gaining miore power she was inspired to not just take on the typical woman role.

Part 2

I do think location impacted my mother becuase if she would have stayed in mexico she would have not been as educated and independent as she is now. She would have also never met my father , and she would have never had me and my brothers and sisters. With that my future would have changed completely too.

I do believe that I am also influenced by location becuase going to UIC College Prep I grew as a person, compared if I had gone to a different High School. Location changes who you are as a person and what you know. If you surround yourself with positive things your more likely to be a positive person.

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