Conversation with Rommel Molina

Title

Conversation with Rommel Molina

Description

Romel Molina is a Nicaraguan immigrant and political refugee who moved to Ottawa, Canada, in 1988 at the age of 13 to escape Nicaragua's communist regime. Initially eager to return home, Romel eventually embraced Canadian society. Although he and his family visited Nicaragua frequently until 2018, political instability has since prevented their return. In Canada, Romel found a sense of belonging within the broader Latin community, although he notes a divide between the Nicaraguan community and his own extended family due to political disagreements. Passionate about community involvement, Romel actively participates in events like Latin Fest, drawing inspiration from his parent's cultural engagement. He talks about the upcoming Tamale Festival on April 5th, celebrating Latin American culinary diversity. Romel is also dedicated to preserving his Nicaraguan culture within his family and instilling that into his children. Rommel reinforces through the interview the importance of family and work ethic to himself and his community. His story highlights the vital role of family and community within the Latin diaspora and how each cultural group contributes to Canada's rich diversity and evolving national identity.

Date

2025/03/13

Format

MP4, 19min 48s

Language

English

Interviewer

Carolyn Phidd ;David Bahufite

Interviewee

Rommel Molina

Transcription

Carolyn: Hi, everyone. I'm Carolyn.
David: And I'm David.
Carolyn: We're gonna be interviewing Rommel today.
Rommel: Hi.
Carolyn: And just really asking him about his community and where he comes from. So first, my first question is when did you immigrate to Canada and what brought you to Canada? More specifically, Ottawa.
Rommel: Because the family immigrated in 1988. We well, we're not really immigrated. We were political refugees. So, really, we didn't wanna be here. We're just forced to be here. So in 1988, we migrated to Canada. And then we've been here in Ottawa ever since. Carolyn: So you immigrated from where again?
Rommel: Nicaragua.
Carolyn: Nicaragua? Okay. And who did you come here with?
Rommel: It was, my mother, my brother, sister, and, and and one cousin. Carolyn: One cousin? How old were you?
Rommel: Yeah. I was 13. David : 13? How was the process of immigration?
Rommel: How was the process? Well, the that was a communist country. So at that time, unless you have money, you were able to to buy your way out in a way.
David: Mhmm.
Rommel: So thank God my parents worked really hard. And, and at that time, my dad was in jail. So we have to leave the country.
Carolyn: Without him?
Rommel: Without him. Because yeah. Like, we're put as a political refugee. So we we suck aside aside. Asylum. So and then Canada was open. It had the open borders. So and then my mom went to the capital of Nicaragua. And then within a week, we we're flying to Canada.
Carolyn: Perfect.
Rommel: It was weird. I said it was not. I was not happy. Carolyn: But were you eventually happy when, like, after a few years coming here?
Rommel: It took me it took me about two years to adjust to actually stop asking my mom when I'm when are we going back home? When are we going back home? Until she says until my dad came over and says, you're Canadian now. Get over there. So we did. David: What did you think about the weather when you started? Out there.
Rommel: That was the best part.
Carolyn: You love the cold?
Rommel: Yeah. Because we came 10/22/1988. And October 23, it snowed.
Carolyn: Really?
Rommel: So when we woke up, there was, like, white snow. Never seen it before.
David: Did you liked it right away?
Rommel: Loved it. Loved it.
Carolyn: How long did it take for your dad to come over? Rommel: Took him maybe about six months maybe. We have something like that. Six months? Yeah. Put it apart. Because he was still in jail. Like, he took some they they let him out on probation and then took him back to shoot that and we left. And then he went back to jail, did his term.
Carolyn: And Have you ever been back since?
Rommel: Yes. I used to go frequently. But then, the last time I went was 2017 with my kids and the family. My sister, kids, and family. And then that was the last time we went because there was, another revolution. So then we couldn't go back again.
Carolyn: Did you go to the back?
Rommel: I haven't been back.
Carolyn: Do you plan to?
Rommel: Oh, yes. Of course.
Carolyn: Once it's, like, safe?
Rommel: Once I'm allowed to go back. Yeah.
Carolyn: Were your parents able to go back as well?
Rommel: No. No. Yeah. None of my family members. We are not allowed to go back.
Carolyn: How were you able to go back? No. I mean, like, before 2017.
Rommel: Yeah. Before 2017, yeah, we were able to go back and enjoy ourself there. But after 2018, April '2018, we're not allowed to go back.
Carolyn: Because of the revolution?
Rommel: Yeah. It is, like, it's a communist country. So when you speak against the government, then you put you put you in a blacklist. Yeah. So since I spoke a lot about against the government, I'm in that list. That means that my my family, my my dad, my mom, my kids, they're that list. That's too bad. It is.
Carolyn: Yeah. I'm sorry. But since you've been in Canada, have you found, like, a good community?
Rommel: Oh, I love Canada. Canada is my home. I was home. Yeah. Yes.
Carolyn: So have you found, like, a good community of, like, people, like, maybe, like, from your country or from, from, like Yes.
Rommel: The community, unfortunately, like, Nicaraguan community, because of the political, the the political Climate? Climate in Nicaragua, is hard. It's very hard. Like, I I don't know. Communism, you know, that that mentality. So they pin people, family members against family member. Mhmm. You know, like, I have family members that they support the Sandinistas and I have other family members that they support another different. And so they can't even communicate with each other. I have cousins that don't speak with me because I speak against the government. So it's hard. It's unfortunate. Yeah. So that's why the community here, there's, like, some like to talk to each other, some don't they hate each other. So it's the community is very divided, I'll tell you.
Carolyn: Is it like specifically, like, Nicaraguans or, like, also just, like, anyone from, like, South America?
Rommel: I can tell you what because I've been here for so long and I know all the community members from El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico. I can't speak for them, but I know that the Nicaraguan community, we're not a a Tight nit community. Yeah. We are a divided community because of the political the political how the the qualities in Nicaragua are.
Carolyn: What do you think should happen for anything change?
Rommel: Oh my god. That's a Complicated question. You see, like, the government of Nicaragua, they've been in in power for over forty five years, not forty three, forty five years. So it's it's it's a dictatorship, a family dictatorship. Like, the president of Nicaragua is the president. His wife is the co president. Mhmm. So she gets a vice president, and he gets a vice president. So the son is in charge of economics. So he's in charge of any business around the Nicaragua One. He's in charge. So the whole family, the oldest son is in charge of the radio. Yeah. The oldest son is in charge of TV. The other the daughter is in charge of tourism. So that's I just mentioned six. All of them are head of the main, and then they they they have the power and the army. So they have a lot of power, and then the police. So so Nicaragua is in like a jail that kinda Yeah. Yeah.
Carolyn:There's no room to move to, like, room for growth.
Rommel: There's no room for opposition. You oppose the government, then you either go to jail or something might happen. Mhmm.
Carolyn: Despite, like, all of that within your community, do you still feel like you're able to, like, celebrate within, like, some parts of the community?
Rommel: Oh, I do. I've been doing I've been doing events for that for as long as we've been here because, it was installing us from the beginning as kids. The community, like, we used to celebrate each other a lot. Like, we have events. Carolyn: And what sort of events?
Rommel: Okay. So we have the, the Latin Fest every year. It's been going on for more than twenty years now. And, I started in a Catholic church, and then we go from there. So the Mexican community, Nicaragua, all these communities we get together and then we celebrate the Latin, Latin heritage. Oh, okay. And then there's one coming up in April the 5th that is, we call it a tamale festival. Because in every culture, every, like, Latin American culture, corn is a big part of our meal. So we make this meal that is called tamale. So in every, every country, like, from Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, we all make the same tamale, but different flavor, different flavors.
Carolyn:Different ways?
Rommel:Yeah. Different ways. So we celebrate then. So it's coming April.
Carolyn; How often is it? Like, is it once a year?
Rommel: Once a year. So we celebrate the first festival of the year here, and then the last festival is in September, the first September, at the September is the Latin Fest that we celebrate at Lansdowne Park. And so every community, they bring their flags.
Carolyn: It's one day?
Rommel: One day. Well, last year was two days. So this year, we're not gonna make it try to make it two days. David: What country has the best, tamale?
Rommel: Nicaragua. Hands down. Like, we won two times, no joke. Two years in a row, we were rewarded by the people.
David: Why is it so different? What's the flavor of the other kinds?
Rommel: I tell you through that, I I would say that gastronomy was that's what you call food. It's so different in every country, but it's all it's all the same. And I I know It's just a certain way. Something that is why it's better than me. I’d say my moms is the best. That's the best. Yeah.
Carolyn: That's so fair.
David: You miss the food from your own?
Rommel: If I miss it, I just call mom. And she lives in Toronto. Okay? So I go to Toronto just to eat, and then I can't. Just when I miss it. Carolyn: Would you say it's easy to, like, access food from your home country in Ottawa?
Rommel: Oh, definitely. Yeah. Like, there's a lot of, like, markets and stuff that They they you go to? Not market because, like, let's say, like, a Jamaican Jamaican market, they might have products that are sold in Nicaragua. We have the same. Yeah. You know, so there's a Mexican supermarket. They sell all the the stuff from Central America. So at at one point, there was only one. Like, in 1988, there was only one and it was everybody used to order. And now there's so many of them here. There's, like, I can count 10 of them that you can buy stuff for you to eat from different countries.
David: Is the food the same? Because I have a French friend and who used to say that, like, the pain baguette here. Like, they're not the same as in France. Like, in France, they're lighter. They're better. Yes. Is there, like a difference,
Rommel: Oh, definitely. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Look. Like, when you make, let's say, the tamale. You know, the tamale over there, they make it with plantain leaf over here. They don't make them plantain leaf because because you don't have access. Have access to both cut contain it. They wrap it with, like, tin foil. So it's still good, but they give it a little taste. So the the taste do change. Yeah. Yeah. Like, cooking, we like, let's say wood in a fire, open fire, then cooking in that in the kitchen. Then you get the taste. Yeah.
Carolyn: What are some values that you hold most dear, like, as a member of the Latin community?
Rommel: Family value.
Carolyn: Family?
Rommel: Yeah. I would say family value. That's very strong in our community. Family comes first. Every Sunday, we will get together. We have like, last week, we have tacos. Last Sunday, after church, we have dinner. We have to celebrate something. Birthdays, always Christmas. So it's family. Families are big, everybody for us.
Carolyn: What would you say is something that you would you want most people would think is most important for people to know about your community?
Rommel: Well, we work hard, as you can see everywhere. So I I I think a lot of us I have a lot of Canadian friends that I grew up here. And a lot of us are, I think, misunderstood. I find that a lot of us are misunderstood. And, yeah. So what would I want the people to know about us? That we like to party. That's for sure. And then we're fun, friendly, and we know how to have fun. That's basically it.
Carolyn: Yeah. Very good to know. Alright. I feel like do you have any more questions? Is there something that you wanna talk about?
David: Yeah. Is there anything you wanna add? That you think we we missed that we should have covered? Do you wanna share?
Rommel; Well, if you guys tell me what the whole, what you're trying to accomplish just by people knowing what the Latin community is all about?
Carolyn: Or Like, a little bit. We just wanna kind of shed light on personal like, experiences from different, like, cultures within the Latin community and just, like, what that kinda looks like.
Rommel: Well, I can tell you that the group that that I belong to is, like, the community that we build that I belong to. We are very close to each other.
Carolyn: What area are you resident in Ottawa?
Rommel: It's right here.
Carolyn: Like Like Like like? My kids grew up, like, five minutes from here. So Like, right here. Yeah. Right here. I grew up ten minutes, fifteen minutes on Donald Street. Ovenia. Yeah. Right. So it's yeah. I all all the community is from around this area, most of the Latin community. And then, we do create a lot of, events for us to to for the for all of Canada to see. And, what can I add? I don't know what to add.
Carolyn: You don't have to go on anything too, but if you feel like that's good.
David: You told me earlier you are a carpenter.
Rommel: Yes.
David : Was it hard to find a job when you first came in ottawa?
Rommel: Most of that, my skills, because I came here at a early age, like, at 13. All I know about carpentry, I learned it from French people. Like, I grew up among white people. Mhmm. When I said that my dad came here and says, well, you're Canadian. You gotta become Canadian. Then I I kinda accepted it. I was like, oh, yeah. I have to accept it. So then I started learning how to snowboard, ski, skate. Like, I'm the Latino that teaches white people how to skate, how to do the snowboard because I do tricks and I jump and I do all this. But I learned this at 14 because I was, like, doing the canal every every in the winter, I would come to the canal, take the bus, and and go skating. So I used to love that.
Carolyn: Would you say it was, like, easy to immerse yourself then, or did you feel like people like me judged this?
Rommel: Oh, it was very hard.
Carolyn: It was hard?
Rommel: Like, in my time, it was a lot of racism. And just to tell you, there was a lot, I went to Lester .B High School, Lester.B High School, and there was 1,200 students. Those 1,200 students, there was only 50 of what? I mean, 50 black people.
Carolyn: They're just not white people?
Rommel: Yeah. There was only between the black people and the Latinos. There was only 50 of us. And we have to fight. I fought a lot because I was bullied a lot. I was very quiet, very timid. I never picked a fight, but I finished fight because I I have not sure if it's after they kick you so many times, you have to defend yourself. So, yeah, it was hard. Even carpentry, when I when I first became wanted to become a carpenter, I went to, to apply. Mhmm. And they said, no. We only hire within house. Within house means that they only kept they only wanted, like, the white people to become a carpenter. Like, they keep us they try to keep us down. And I always felt that way.
Carolyn: But you were able to break through?
Rommel: Oh, yes. But, like, yeah. We we will break you break through barrier by my work ethic. Like, I've been able to while they put me down. But then when I went to the highest, I was the boss of 20 white guys And I've been telling them what to do, and I'd be like, wow. Now I'm on top. You start at the bottom, but then you go all the way to the top. It's about how hard you work. So I've been able to do that thing a lot. David: Would you say that, like, these experiences, like, shaped you into the man you are today?.
Rommel: A 100 %. And I teach that to my kids. this is why I am involved in that in the what I do. Like, I mentioned the Nicaraguan community is not that tight so I do these events, kind of like me being here because I want my kids to be able to always remember the culture. I wanna make my mom and my dad proud because they sacrificed so much to come here. Mhmm. You know, like, over there, we're not rich, but we're, like, in the middle. In Nicaragua, my mom's a teacher, and my dad's an accountant. And they sold everything to come to Canada, and they became janitors. You know, that's a big sacrifice. So I do this for them, and I bring my whole family for them. Like, if you guys go on April, well, I should ask if you guys do, I'll keep you posted.
David: I actually will.This sounds delicious!
Rommel: You have fun, music. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. And this is what and I have my mom's coming from Toronto. My with my dad. My brother's coming from Toronto. It's three kids. My sister's coming. She's gonna participate with three kids. And all their girlfriends and boyfriends, they all come. So, you know, like, my mom, there was only three of us that came here. Now my mom has 12 grandkids out of all that. Oh. So that sacrifice, you just It paid off.
Carolyn: Yeah. But would you say now you're proud to be Canadian and you feel, like, genuinely immersed in it?
Rommel: I'm ready to fight Americans. Hundred percent. I love my Nicaragua for giving me birth, but Canada is my country. Definitely. Yeah. I feel like, Yeah. I feel like we can end it there. That was pretty good.
Carolyn: Yeah. Do you have anything else to share? Yeah. If you guys have a good day, it's pretty good. Yeah.

Original Format

In person