Conversation with Carlos Gnecco

Title

Conversation with Carlos Gnecco

Description

Carlos Gnecco is a Colombian student studying International Development at the University of Ottawa. Inspired by Colombia's challenges, he developed a passion for social equity and sustainable development at an early age. After completing high school in Columbia, he set out to expand his understanding of global development issues through international education. Carlos is studying international development and globalization at the University of Ottawa through a multidisciplinary approach. His coursework encompasses sustainability, economic policy, and social justice, enabling him to analyze global issues critically. His active participation in student groups, advocating for marginalized populations and drawing attention to international problems, is a testament to his commitment. He has been involved in projects that promote environmental and community sustainability, demonstrating his commitment to creating positive change. Carlos aims to leverage his experiences and education to drive policy change and make a meaningful impact in Colombia and beyond, emphasizing the importance of global cooperation.

Date

2025-03-21

Format

MP3 12 min 32 s

Language

English

Interviewer

Yilin Zang, Akweshi Valery

Interviewee

Carlos Gnecco

Transcription

Transcrpit 
Akweshi Valery Hi, everyone. Welcome. I am called Akweshi Valery, and I'm here with my colleague.
Yilin: Hi, I'm Yilin We are gathered here to conduct an insightful interview with Carlos, aiming to understand the experiences of Latin American communities in Ottawa. Allow me to introduce our esteemed interviewer, Carlos.
Welcome, Carlos. Thank you.
Carlos: Thank you guys for having me.  Thank you. We appreciate you doing this for us. Our first question will be, what's your country of origin? 
Carlos: My country of origin is Colombia. It's located in South America, which is a diverse country. I'm from the Caribbean region, which is in the northern part of the country.
Akweshi: Thank you so much for that brilliant answer. What brought you to Ottawa? 
Carlos: I came to Ottawa for work. I got a job in a company my mom's friend owned, so I just got in. For that reason and then for that reason I just like to hear… I worked there for a year and now I have decided to stay. So it's already been three and a half years of living in Ottawa. 
Akweshi: Do you have family here, and do you see them frequently?
Carlos: Yeah, so precisely in Ottawa, I don't have any family, but I have family in Canada, down south in Cambridge, Ontario. I have my aunt and my cousins. I do see them every once in a while. But not as freaking as I wanted to. But yeah, there's no family, but still there in Ontario. 00:02:50.618 --> 00:02:55.618
Akweshi: Thank you for the brilliant answer, Carlos. Do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish or Portuguese on rare occasions? 
Carlos: Since I moved to Ottawa, my mom's friend has been from Santa Marta, the city I am from in Colombia. Since I came to Ottawa, I've been surrounded by Spanish-speaking people and moved from one place to another. Everywhere I move, one or two people usually speak the language, and I sometimes speak with them. We have things in common, even though they're not Colombians per se. They are Latin America, and that is something that ties us together. Talking about different Latin American problems shows us how similar we are in culture and politically speaking. 00:04:24.169 --> 00:04:33.169
Akweshi: I will ask the next question, what celebrations are most important to you, Carlos? 
Carlos: Since I've been here in Canada, the new year is one of the most important celebrations. In Colombia, we usually see it as a family occasion, so all the adults and children get together. Usually, we are at grandma's house, so we interact with each other. Some people like that don't live in the city; they just go to the town for that occasion, so New Year's will be a significant celebration. There will be lots of food, lots of dancing, and lots of singing. So yeah, that will be the most important, but in Colombia, there are so many celebrations during the year. So we have variety. That's why that's the most important thing for the family. But there are more different celebrations.
Akweshi: Another brilliant answer. Mr. Carlos, thank you so much. And I hope one day I could gain that experience too. I would love to experience that, maybe someday. Thank you again for the brilliant answer. So, how do you describe a typical day in your community??
Carlos: Okay, so yes, thank you for that question. My day would start in the morning. I would just make the coffee in my cafeteria, which I brought from Colombia. I like making arepas and corn flour dough that you can fry, and I enjoy going to school and working in the afternoon. I have friends and colleagues from Latin America. Thanks to technology, I can bridge the distance and keep in touch with my family. Platforms like FaceTime and WhatsApp have become my lifelines, allowing me to share my daily life with my loved ones back home. I enjoy the day by practicing some customs that I have from Colombia.
Akweshi: Oh, thank you for the wonderful answer. How do you celebrate your heritage 00:07:46.623 --> 00:08:16.623
Carlos: So, it's pervasive. So I look for new festivals, or like there is the Colombian independence, there are usually Latin American film festivals, and there is the Latin American Heritage Month. I typically try to keep in touch with/  Here's everything going on in Ottawa. Usually, the embassy is in charge of organizing these events. But sometimes, Latin American people organize it, so I try practicing my heritage because it's extraordinary. It's very, very. It keeps me grounded and focused on who I am and where I came from. And how beautiful it is to share it with everybody else in Ottawa. 
Akweshi: Excellent answer, Carlos. So, what values do you hold most dear as a Latin or Caribbean community member?
Carlos: So, as a Colombian, there is family solidarity. The family is central to Colombian society, and I have strong ties. I also like to keep in touch with all my extended family. We also—well, in my family—respect the elders. This is always most important. I intensely care for older people, usually my grandmother. She says that she created it all. It all began with her. And that's a big thing in the Colombian community: respect for the elders and faith. We practice Catholicism, which influences our daily lives because of how we talk and act. We just have to align with our religious faith. Colombian culture tends to be more socially oriented. It's more of a community rather than an individual. We like how we can contribute to the collective well-being. And yeah, that's something that I have to say about Colombia.
Akweshi: Thank you for your amazing answer. What would you like to share about yourself or the community that you think is important for people to know?
Carlos: As I mentioned in the last question, that is very important to the family. I like to keep that heritage and value going because that keeps me motivated. I want to share my day-to-day life with my family, including my siblings, nephew, grandmother, uncle, and extended family. I also really keep a good relationship with my cousins. We all grew up in the same atmosphere, the same And… Yeah, so I would say that living here, it is essential to know that keeping their more… The more collective, socially focused, the better than the individual, so that's how I like it.
Akweshi: Carlos, thank you so much. So, first, I want to ask you: Do you make that remand at home? Where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals?
Carlos: All right. Thanks for that question. I like to make my food. I want to cook for myself, and I have so many recipes that my Abuela has passed on to me. I like sancocho, a lovely soup with so much Protein, meat, and vegetables—suitable for a freezing day here. I also want to eat empanadas, which are made of Corn flour. The dough is filled with either chicken or beef and then fried. As I mentioned, you just fry or pan fry, and some of this stuff is hard to find here in the local grocery store. However, there are some Latin American, African, and Asian stores. Akweshi: Okay. What food do you make that reminds you of home, and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals Carlos: All right. As mentioned, I like to make my food at home. 00:00:22.603 --> 00:00:49.603 I like to get everything from grocery stores and small Latin American stores. I want to make sancocho, a soup filled with vegetables and protein. It's suitable for a freezing day because it's warm and warms you up. I also like to make empanadas. They're usually more complicated because you must fill them out. It can be done with beef or chicken. It's also good to do it on a free day when you can talk with friends or family. As I mentioned, I also like arepas, which are circular dough you pan or fry. However, some ingredients are hard to find in a regular grocery store. So I go to the Latin American market or a couple of stores in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and find some Asian ingredients. There are excellent African supermarkets here in Ottawa. For specifics, I usually go to those Latin American markets, but for everything else, I use a regular grocery store here in Canada. 00:02:13.903 --> 00:02:16.903
Akweshi: Okay, thank you for the amazing answer. I would like to ask this question:How likely would you and your family be to use the website we are creating to upload your stories? And how will you use it? We would like to save the community better, so any suggestions from you about assets, as well as should be posted would be greatly appreciated.
Carlos: All right. Thanks for that question. It's good because I am a student as well. I recommend the website. I just want to see myself in other interviews and how similar we are culturally. Because there will be only Colombians, I'm sure there will be people from Mexico, Central America, and the rest of South America. I recommend this website to my family. That way, they will not know how people act or interact here. My apologies for the inconvenience in Ottawa. I would encourage the community to see how connected we are and how we are connected And it'll be important for them to know how the community gets together. Through different experiences. What I mean by that is just a good opportunity. For people to know. How was everybody's different experience coming here to Ottawa?
Akweshi: Well, thank you. For the wonderful answer, Carlos. Thank you for the two. Do you have any other comments or concerns?
Carlos:  I am happy with all the information I have to share, and it's an excellent opportunity.  Would you like to share it? Carlos: As I mentioned before, to people from the Latin American community as well as those who are not from the Latin American community, because that way we see our different perspectives and maybe how we relate as immigrants to this city more specifically. And yeah, I appreciate it. 
Akweshi: Well, Carlos, thank you so much for sharing this with us. We appreciate your contribution, and we hope to learn, in the future, about some cultures of Latin America. Thank you for being here with us. Thank you.  Appreciate your time. Carlos: Thank you, guys. Thank you for having me, and I hope it all goes well.
Akweshi and Yilin: Thank you. Thank you. 
Carlos: Thank you.

Original Format

On Zoom