Interview with Aracely Aranibar Zambrana (2024-04-08)
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Interviewees
Aracely Aranibar Zambrana
Interviewer
Isabella Alpire-Roca
Study ID
045
Description
Aracely Aranibar Zambrana discusses her upbringing in Arlington, Virginia, where she was raised as a single child by her Bolivian parents. Her father crossed the border multiple times before settling in Virginia, while her mother followed him, also facing border challenges. Aracely attended Wakefield High School and grew up Catholic. Her parents, who arrived in the U.S. without papers, have struggled to secure legal status. Aracely's relationship with her half-siblings is strained due to ungratefulness. She values her Bolivian heritage, participating in cultural activities and maintaining close ties with her extended family in Bolivia, despite the challenges of distance and immigration status. Aracely Aranibar Zambrana shared her experiences growing up as a Bolivian in the U.S., facing cultural misconceptions and bullying. She recounted incidents from elementary school, including being mistaken for Mexican and receiving lunch detention for defending herself. Aracely discussed her struggles with ADHD and the challenges of fitting in academically. She also detailed the impact of COVID-19 on her family, including her parents contracting the virus and the loss of her grandmother. Aracely emphasized the importance of cultural identity and the support she received from her community and educators, which helped her navigate through difficult times. Aracely Aranibar Zambrana discusses her cultural identity, expressing a desire to connect more with her Hispanic roots. She reflects on her roommate experiences, highlighting cultural differences and the influence of music. Aracely critiques the portrayal of immigrants in the U.S., emphasizing their essential contributions to society and the negative stereotypes they face. She argues that immigration policies should be more inclusive and acknowledges the challenges immigrants face, such as low wages and physical strain from labor-intensive jobs. Aracely also expresses pride in her Bolivian heritage and hopes to raise awareness about Bolivia's rich culture.
Note
This interview was conducted in English, and the transcript is in English only.
Topical Subject
Bolivian Americans; Hispanic Americans; Latin Americans; Emigration and immigration; Bolivia; Arlington (Va.); Group identity; Education; Multiculturalism; Children of immigrants; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023; Emigration and immigration law; Immigrants--Cultural assimilation
City/Location
Arlington (Va.)
Genre
oral histories (literary genre)
Local Genre
oral history; sound recording; text
Type
Sound; Text
Digital Format
audio/mp3
Language
eng
Rights Statement URL
Rights
This material is protected by copyright, and copyright is held by Aracely Aranibar Zambrana. You are permitted to use this material in any way that is permitted by copyright. In addition, this material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Acknowledgment of Latino Virginia Project and Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is required.
Collection
Latino Virginia Oral Histories
Contributors
Latino Virginia Project
Source
Interview with Aracely Aranibar Zambrana (2024-04-08), Latino Virginia Oral History Project, Virginia Commonwealth University.
File Name
lvoh045_AranibarZambranaAracely_interview.mp3
Disciplines
Latin American History | Latin American Languages and Societies | Oral History | Public History | Social History | United States History