Conversation with Arturo Ortega

Title

Conversation with Arturo Ortega

Description

Arturo is twenty-eight years old and born in Mexico City. He lived in Ixtapaluca, Mexico, before moving to Ottawa in August 2024. Arturo is taking his master's in bilingualism studies at the OLBI department. Arturo enjoys cooking Mexican food and attending Latin American events throughout the city to celebrate his heritage and feel closer to home. While he didn't move with any family, he is engaged to a Brazilian woman and enjoys spending time with her and her family.

Date

2025-03-20

Format

MP3, 20 min 18s

Language

English

Interviewer

Alice Cordeiro

Interviewee

Arturo Ortega

Transcription

Alice: Hello. Thank you so much for agreeing to take part in this interview with me today. We are so excited to be learning more about Latin American communities here, specifically in Ottawa, and it is amazing that you are able to share some of your stories with us.
Arturo: Oh, it's a pleasure. Don't worry. I'm glad to help.
Alice: That's great. Before we get started, I just wanna liceconfirm that you are okay with participating in this interview, that it is completely voluntary, your participation?
Arturo: Of course. Yeah. There's no problem.
Alice: Alright. Great. Then let's get into the first question. So first and foremost, what is your country of origin?
Arturo: Well, I was born in Mexico, so I come from there.
Alice: Okay. That sounds good. What part of Mexico are you from?
Arturo: I am from Mexico City, the capital.
Alice: Love Mexico City. It's a very, very nice place, but also very busy.
Arturo: Yeah. It's very it's a very big city. It has a lot of people, so it can get very hectic at at times.
Alice: What's your favorite part about the city?
Arturo: I like that it has a lot of museums. I think it's 1 of the cities with the most museums, at least in Latin America, but not in the world.
Alice: Oh, wow. That is so cool. Anyway, what brought you to Ottawa?
Arturo: Well, I came here because of a relationship. I moved here with my partner, but I also came to study a master.
Alice: That sounds amazing. Where is your partner from? Is she also from Latin America?
Arturo: Yeah. She is. She's from Brazil.
Alice: And what's your master's? What program are you doing here at UOttawa?
Arturo: Well, I came [...] I got registered at the official languages and bilingualism institute here in UOttawa, and I am part of the master's in bilingualism studies.
Alice: That sounds very interesting. And that honestly brings me to my next question. Do you have family here? Did they come with you, like, when you moved? And if you do, do you see them frequently?
Arturo: No. I didn't come with anyone. I came here by myself. Although I am with my partner, I didn't really come with any family, so I don't see them as often other than through the phone.
Alice: Oh, that must make it a little bit tough. Do you do you keep in touch with them? And what are some things that you do that bring you close to home?
Arturo: It's definitely different. I wouldn't say it's hard, but it does come with its challenges. Could you repeat the question, please?
Alice: Oh, yes. Of course. I was just asking, what are some things that you do that bring you closer make you feel at home or, like, remind you of your home and make you, let's say, miss Mexico a little less?
Arturo: Well, there's definitely some things that I do. The first thing that comes to my mind is food. Although the ingredients are very different here and quite expensive, I would say. Making food that I know from Mexico, like, makes me feel makes me feel closer to my home. I also like to go to events and try to talk with people who speak Spanish, you know, which is the language from Mexico.
Arturo: And, yeah, I think that's that's about it.
Alice: Oh, that sounds all very nice. And do you then live in a Latin American community or a neighborhood in which you can speak Spanish, as you just said, to, like, to other people or with people from Mexico maybe?
Arturo: No. Not at all. The place where I live doesn't have a lot of people who are Latinos as far as I'm concerned. It is honestly very different because in Mexico, you're used to knowing your neighbors. Right?
Arturo: And you would talk to them, and you would see them all the time. So you would know who lived in every house, and you would talk with people. But here, it's very different. People are more distant with each other, and neighbors barely talk. So I couldn't tell you if people from where I live are Latinos, but I haven't seen anyone.
Arturo: The contact that I have with people from Latin America that I mentioned before is just from people who you find in the mall, in university, you hear them speak in Spanish, and you go and talk to them. Or you go to these events that are made for Mexican people or for the Latin community, and that's where you find them.
Alice: Oh, I see. I see. But then do you have contact with other people from the Latin American community that are part of the Latin American community in Ottawa? Do you maybe celebrate some events? And what are some events that you guys celebrate in Mexico that you appreciate and really like?
Arturo: Oh, that's a very nice question. As I mentioned before, like, at least in within my neighborhood, there's not a lot of people, but but, yeah, like, you always make friends and even sometimes you don't even, like, exchange numbers or even know, like, how's the other person the other person's name. But, yeah, definitely, I have some friends. As I mentioned also, my partner and her family are from Latin America, so there's that 1 that is the closest 1. But, yeah, I definitely have friends.
Arturo: I hang out with them. Regarding the events, well, I'll start with the ones from Mexico. There are quite a bit that I really, really enjoy. The first 1 that comes to mind is Día de los Muertos, or day of the dead. Another very representative 1 is Independence Day in Mexico.
Arturo: Yeah. Those are the 2 that come to mind right now. And, yeah, I sort of celebrate them here in Ottawa. I'm pretty recent. I am a pretty recent [...] I'm someone who arrived here pretty recently.
Arturo: So yeah, I haven't had the chance to be through all the events on the year, but I had chance to be on these 2, the Independence Day is in September, and Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, it's in November at the beginning. So, yeah, I've been to both, and it's pretty nice because you find people from your country, like, almost exclusively from your country, and you find food from there. There are vendors who do that or products from Mexico, and it really brings you back to how the culture and the events are lived in Mexico. For example, last time I was here in well, not last time. Last September, I was here in the September 15.
Arturo: That is Independence Day. Yeah. There is an event here in downtown that is organized by the embassy of Mexico where they do the the same celebration that we would do in Mexico. It's the cry of independence, which is a historical event that is celebrated. Normally, the president is the 1 who does it and the governors of sometimes cities, sometimes the whole states.
Arturo: But here, the ambassador of Mexico goes on a stand and does the cry. There's a lot of people there, and we do some celebrations. As I mentioned before, they bring food that is from Mexico that you can buy, which is pretty, pretty nice. You get to join the spirit of the celebration. And, well, as Mexico is a place with a lot of dancing in the culture, there's also a lot of music, and you can dance while you go there. [00:08:34.920] -
Arturo: And I've heard of this big parade that it's also done in for this event, but for this day, I'm sorry. But I don't really know what that 1 is about.
Alice: Wow. I'll definitely have to attend to the next 1. That sounds really fun and really interesting.
Arturo: You should.
Alice: Okay.
Alice: Thanks for the invitation. Maybe you can show me around to the next 1.
Arturo: Definitely.
Alice: Awesome. I'm gonna hold you to that. Well, since we're talking about celebrations, which celebrations are the most important to you, like, that you celebrate in Mexico?
Arturo:Well, I mentioned 1 of them. Day of the dead, Dia de los Muertos is a very is 1 that I really, really enjoy. It is [...] It has transformed itself from what it was, which has its roots in, like, pre Hispanic culture, but it has now transformed in a way which is in which is very similar to Halloween. If you saw the movie Coco, then you saw a little bit of how it is. It still holds its traditions.
Arturo: There are some nice things like putting the altar for the people to remember them, feeling like they visit you and prepare the food, like, brings you closer to those feelings of loss that you may have felt and lets you celebrate them in a way. I think it's a very beautiful tradition. And yeah, it's one that is very very representative. The other one if I had to choose. Well Mexico shares a lot of celebrations with the rest of the world. Just for me personally I think I could say Christmas.
Arturo: We also celebrated in Mexico, and it holds the same meaning. Although sometimes it's overlooked a little bit, and it's just seen as a celebration. But, yeah, we we give it our own touch. We [...] You probably know pinatas. So we have pinatas on the on the day.
Arturo: We prepare Mexican dishes there are gifts, there are celebrations, music, and, normally, it's an it's an excuse for family to to get together and celebrate and enjoy each other's company. So I think that's a very nice 1.
Arturo: Yeah. I think those 2 would be the most notorious ones and the way the ones I enjoy, but there's a lot of them that I really like and enjoy celebrating.
Alice: Oh, wow. That is so interesting. I absolutely love Coco. It's such a cute movie, and it sounds like a very beautiful tradition. Also, I love Christmas as well.
Alice: Christmas is such a great holiday, and it's so interesting that you guys have your own take on it, having the pinatas and everything. That's all very nice. Alright. Changing the subject a little bit.
Alice: Could you describe maybe a typical day in your community here in Ottawa or maybe back at home, but, like, maybe the a contrast of both?
Arturo: Yeah. I could do both pretty quick. At day here with my community, it's it's a little weird to describe because as I mentioned before, there is not really a big community that I'm a part that I'm a part of on a day to day basis. So a normal day for me, it's I wouldn't know how to describe it. Live the best that I can in Canada as I was as a Mexican.
Arturo: But, yeah, like, which, yeah, it is very different as in Mexico. As I mentioned before, well, I think we are very social in Mexico, and you get to know your neighbors. You know? If you go out to walk to take a walk, go to the market, or go anywhere, you will probably find at least someone who will say hi, or even if you don't know the person, but they are friendly, they will say hi to you, which is very nice.
Arturo: it's it's not the best for introverts, but it's very nice for people who enjoy this. So in comparison, it's I would say it's the socialization aspect is what's very different. Here in Canada, unless you are with some people that are part of your culture, you would socialize very differently or barely. Whereas in your country or, for me, in Mexico, there would be a lot of socialization.
Alice: Awesome. Yeah. When I went to Mexico, I did certainly notice that Mexicans are very, very social. Alright. This might touch a little bit on what you have already discussed, but how do you celebrate your heritage here in Ottawa being away from your country?
Arturo: Yeah. I think, yeah, I think we touched on it. In general, I would say, just to not repeat myself that much, I would say the food, going to events that that are celebrated also in Mexico, making, yeah, like, just keeping in contact with people from the same roots.
Alice: Yeah. That sounds great. And what are some values that you hold most dear? Like, as a member of this community, of the Latin American community, what are some, like, values that you think are so important as a part of who you are?
Arturo: I think that's a very deep question. I don't know if I can answer that right away or completely, but I think something that I hold very dear about myself that is, like, representative of the Latinos is the warmth that we give. We are people who are very affectionate, and we don't have the we have no fear in showing it and telling people that we love them and we care for them. I think that's something that I really, really enjoy.
Alice: Those are really beautiful values, and they're great values, I believe, to hold. What would you like to share about yourself and your community that you think it's important for people to know? Maybe a misconception or something that people just don't know about.
Arturo: Yeah. I think there's this big misconception that just because us Latinos have a lot of celebration and really enjoy the celebrations that we don't work as hard as other people. Like, it is true that, for example, in Mexico, we have a lot of days where we don't work because there's a holiday even though it's not related to big, big celebration. Like, constitution day, flag day. Sometimes we take those as days not to work, but but that is sometimes taken badly, and it's just considered as if we didn't work hard enough.
Alice: Yes. That is definitely a big misconception, and it sounds like a very bad stereotype that people might have. I'm really glad that you're able to share this here, and, more people will see it and understand a little bit more about this culture.
Arturo: Yeah. I hope so too. That'd be nice.
Alice: Yeah. Going back to the trend of celebrations and things that how you celebrate your heritage and things that bring you close to home, what foods do you like to make that remind you of home, and where would you get the the groceries to prepare these meals?
Arturo: Well, it's it's a little difficult because you cannot find all the ingredients or, like, the favorite foods that I would think of making. But, yeah, I think there are certain ways where you can find them. There's this dish that is called cochinita pibil, which is basically pulled pork with a sauce with orange and something called achiote that I've been very lucky, I think, to find. And I have gotten this ingredient, which would be the hardest 1, achiote, at loblaws. So, yeah, I haven't had that much problem finding that.
Arturo: And I know of land markets that have products from here, so maybe I could find them there, but as for me, with these dishes, I think it has been a little easy to do, but I know some other things like tortillas or different things I couldn't find that easily.  
Alice: Yes. I understand your struggle. I've had the same problems trying to find the foods from my own community as well. But I'm glad that you've been able to find some of these groceries to make the foods that you really enjoy and that bring you close to home. Alright. 
Alice: And then to our next question, how likely do you think you and or your family be to use this website that we are creating for uploading these interviews to share the stories of the Latin American community?
Arturo: Yeah. For sure. I don't really know what it is about, but if it's just for interviews, I think it would be nice to hear what other people from different countries, not even just Latinos, think of of how or how they celebrate and get close to their roots. I think it would be very nice.
Alice: Yes. And I believe that is exactly 1 of the main reasons as to why make a website It's also that so everybody can learn a little bit more about these each individual cultures that make up the Latin American community and see how they're able to navigate their life in Ottawa. In conclusion, we would like to better serve the community. So do you think you have any suggestions about the access to the website or maybe things that should be posted? Anything that you'd like to say about the website?
Arturo: Well, if the website is related to just 1 community as, for example, the Latinas or 1 nationality, I think going to events that represent this community and maybe making posts about it, interviewing people about them, and start some sort of, like, blog where the community could go and look for other experiences and maybe support. Who knows? I think that could be very nice if, yeah, if it work as some sort of social media of sorts.
Alice: Wow. That is actually a very interesting take. I hadn't even thought of that or even heard anybody think of that. That is such a nice way to be able to share more about these communities. Do you have any other comments or concerns about this interview or the or the website?
Arturo: No. I'm just thank you very much for including me in the in the interviews. I look forward to taking a look at your website and learn about other people.
Alice: Alright. And thank you so much for for taking part in this interview. It's greatly appreciated.
Arturo: Thank you. No problem.

Original Format

In person