Oral History with Andrea Mosquera, June 22, 2021 (Ms2021-023)

Partial Transcript: Jessica Taylor: Today is June 21, 2021. I'm interviewing Andrea for the Latino
oral history project slash Voces of a Pandemic project at Special Collections
and University Archives at Virginia Tech. This project is in partnership with
the Voces Oral History Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Please know
that this interview will be placed in the Special Collections and University
Archives at Virginia Tech, and shared with the Voces Oral History Center at the
University of Texas at Austin. If there's anything you do not wish to answer or
talk about, I will honor your wishes. Also, if there's something you want to
talk about, please bring it up and we'll talk about it. Because we are not
conducting this interview in person, I need to record you consenting. So I'll
ask you a series of six questions. Please say "yes, I agree" or "no I do not
agree" after each one. There are several questions we need to make sure you
agree to before we go on. Special Collections and University Archives wishes to
archive your interview, along with any other photographs and other
documentation, at Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech will retain copyright of the
interview and any other materials you donate to Virginia Tech. Do you give
Special Collections and University Archives consent to archive your interview
and your materials at Virginia Tech?

Andrea Mosquera: I agree.

JT: Do you grant Virginia Tech right, title, and interest in copyright over the
interview and any materials you provide?

AM: I agree.

JT: Do you agree to allow Special Collections and University Archives to post
this interview on the internet, where it may be viewed by people around the world?

AM: I agree.

JT: Do you grant Virginia Tech consent to share your interview and your
materials with the Voces Oral History Center, at the University of Texas at
Austin, for inclusion in the Voces of a Pandemic oral history mini project,
which will include posting the interview on the internet?

AM: I agree.

JT: We have many questions in a pre-interview form that we have already filled
out. We use that information from the pre-interview forum to help in research.
The entire form is kept in a secure Voces server at the University of Texas
Austin. Before Virginia Tech sends it to the Newman Libraries, we would have
stripped out any contact information for yourself or family members, so that
will not be part of your public file. Your public file will only be accessible
at the Newman Libraries. Do you wish for us to share the rest of your interview
in your public file available to researchers at the Newman Libraries?

AM: I agree.

JT: On occasion, Special Collections and University Archives and Voces receive
requests from journalists, who wish to contact our interview subjects. We only
deal with legitimate news outlets. Do you give consent for us to share your
phone numbers or your email with journalists?

AM: I give my consent.

Segment Synopsis: This is the required preamble and consent for the UT Austin Voces of a Pandemic Project.

Keywords: Introduction and Consent

Partial Transcript: JT: Okay, great. When did you first learn about COVID-19?

AM: It was interesting. I was in my country actually, like in 2019. I remember
that there was like first news, the media, like in November December 2019. You
heard, there is a new virus like in China now. I got back to the U.S. because
I'm doing my PhD at the university. I got back with my kids in January without
any problem. I started to listen to news now, every day that there were new
cases in China. They were like new cases in the U.S., but I think that in the
beginning I really didn't pay too much attention. I thought, oh, it's like a
virus. The thing that I took really awareness of it when my boss at a university
told me, it is serious. It's like a virus that is killing people. It was like
around February, March, when I realized all the airports were closed, the
university was closed, my kids' school was closed, now. And the life changes.

Segment Synopsis: Andrea shares some of her experiences with covid at the start of the pandemic

Keywords: China; January; November; school; university; virus

Partial Transcript: JT: What was your emotional and mental reaction to that?

AM: I think that my character is very calm person, very quiet. I think even
though I was worried, kind of concerned, I try to continue with my normal life,
not liking the conditions that were there and of course I was careful now, using
the mask. But I think that I took it really normal. When I took note to my
friends or my family members' reaction, I think that my reaction was like being
careful. Be aware of that. I think that I was not like in panic or terrified. I
was like, well,I need to continue my life. I just need to adjust to the new
conditions, working from home, and be careful when I get outside with my kids.
But I think that my reaction was like, of course taking it seriously. But I
think that I was not terrified or in panic or with this kind of anxiety. No.

JT: How do you feel like COVID has affected your kids?

AM: I think that for them it was really devastating. I think that they face a
lot of frustration when they have to be homeschooled. I started to homeschool
them and it was like an abrupt change for them. Now they are little, they are
five and six years old. They were in kindergarten and first grade and the change
was like uproot for them. So I think that they were kind of scared. But they
were like in the society to--you know, I have heard that for kids, it is not so
dangerous. It is really harmful for all people or for others, but for us it's
fine. No, I think that they were in this position. It is serious but it is not
going to affect us so seriously, but we need to change our lifestyle now. We had
to start from school to take classes virtually, and I think in the beginning it
was kind of fun for them. After I think that they are just used to it,
especially since they are little. I seen that they are really adjustable, very fast.

JT: What was it like to homeschool?

AM: I mean, to me it was really really challenging. I think that it is a word,
because like I said, I am doing my PhD. I was like in this last stage of my
preliminary examination. I know like the papers, the line, and suddenly I live
alone with them. Sometimes my mom visits me to help me. Suddenly it was like,
terrible, you know, the last seven years, just my PhD plus my work, but also my
kids are homeschooling. They are very little. They are really dependent on me,
so I needed to be all the time with them, guiding them through the assignments
or through the different school activities even like on a computer. Like another
life. I remember that I set a routine with them, like I mean all the morning
like from 9:00 to 1:00, 2:00 p.m. like a straightforward doing assignments and
teaching them things. After that I told them, well now I need to work on my
stuff, but it was really challenging. Plus the house work, plus making meals. A lot.

JT: How did that affect your education?

AM: Especially because my PhD was in the last stage, I think that my work was
really autonomous. So you ask me, I think that the pandemic really didn't affect
my work. I was doing the same at the office. My path in the last year has been
very isolated now, just focused on my research, my data. My social life is very
low. I think that that really didn't I felt like my education like in a way that
I say, oh, I didn't perform the same. No, I think that it was more autonomous
maybe, and of course I feel that it was more isolated even like meeting
professors. No, it was everything usually, but I think that my professors and
university did a great job, like tried to adjust quickly just to change the
classes virtually. Of course it was like another way of meeting them, but I
really don't feel that it was really really up root. I know like in the sense of
my learning path or my learning pace so there's a line that I have like to work
through. I've seen that was more and more of autonomous, and I will describe it
like more isolated.

Segment Synopsis: Andrea talks about the transition from normal life to covid, how this affected her mental health and education.

Keywords: aware; calm; concerned; education; emotional; house; mental; panic; person; terrified; worried

Partial Transcript: JT: You said your mother comes and helps?

AM: Yes, sometimes. Not because of the pandemic. During my PhD she used to come
to help me not so much especially when I am like in this line. I get lucky that
the last year when all this pandemic started before--I am from Colombia--the
Colombian airport was closed. I think that one week before she was able to get
here, so it was really like a blessing and she was with me. Now I will like
homeschooling because my mom doesn't speak English. I was doing like
homeschooling, plus my assignments, plus my work, plus everything, but of course
she was a great help, because can you imagine my little boys at home crazy all
the time? All the day, like I mean they are very energetic, so all the time like
playing, shouting, like kind of noisy and my mother was well with them. It was
like a blessing, yes, and she was here and she was fine.

JT: Beyond your mom, was there anyone else to help you or any organizations or
anything like that?

AM: No. Nobody. I was alone, just with my mom. I am called an IGA at Virginia
Tech.We have the assistantships, so no. My only financial help was my work. Yes
of course my mom living with me, I think that it was like crucial in this new
life in which I have like to assume different roles at home.

JT: How did the pandemic affect your other immediate family that might not live
there? Like your mom, but also people back in Colombia?

AM: With my mom, while she was here in the U.S., she was fine. My mom is kind of
similar to me. She takes things seriously and even though she's an old person,
she's seventy years, and she has many preconditions, she's in this position,
like, well if I have to die I die. She's careful but she's not in panic now. She
was not in panic like me. It was really good for me emotionally, like this kind
of peaceful environment. I think that it didn't affect her like in a way of her
emotion, but of course it felt like your normal life because she needed to get
back to Colombia in a short time. And because the airports were closed, she
wasn't able to get back. Then I was left with this feeling that I'm really
behind with the things that I have to do, the errands they have to carry out in
Columbia, her previous interruption of course with her family and her friends
suddenly were like a kind of a frustration time. Also like this kind of
uncertainty that you don't know what is going to happen. Everyday you listen to
news. There are new cases, there are more dead people, we don't know when the
airports are going to open. You feel like in this kind of uncertainty that you
don't have control of the future. I think she was in that position. There were
like point I think that on June, July that she were like, when it's going to get
done? The Colombian government just opened their airports in October, so it was
hard for her like her original plans changed. For my other family, when they
live in Columbia most of them, most of my uncles and aunts, they are retired.
They have a good quality of life there, so in other life was not what was like
to be at home, be careful about things. When we talk to them, of course, you can
find a variation. Some of them were really concerned. They said that it was a
very deadly virus. Others were taking things light, like normal. You can find
like their routines done. We didn't have close family members who died or who
were affected by the virus.

Segment Synopsis: Andrea talks about how covid affected here relationships with her family and friends

Keywords: Colombia; airport; carry; closed; errands; government

Partial Transcript: JT: In terms of taking precautions, how did you and your family feel about
quarantining and wearing masks and things like that?

AM: Yes, I seen that we were really precautious about it. We always use the mask
now when we got outside, when we went like to the grocery store. It really was
essential. The place where I live is very open and it has a lot of green lands,
like places for exercise, just to get fresh air, a very open space. I think that
it is an advantage that you can get outside and you didn't meet other people
really. We were precautious in that. And we always like quarantine, like if the
government, the Virginia government, or even like the university, they get like
the order where you have to stay at home. When you can get outside, you're fine
with that. When my mother got back to Colombia, she was like that, very careful.
Keeping the quarantine, like using the mask, washing her hands all the time, and
we tried to follow that rules even with my kids. When they don't like outside
even though they were playing alone without interacting with other kids. We try
to wash their hands. Be careful, be cautious about it. Not like in this kind of
panic. Now we were not like these kind of people, who were like in the entrance
of the door and take off all their clothes, not that point. But in the point of
washing hands, using masks, keeping distance.

JT: Did you and your family get a vaccination?

AM: Yes, I am fully vaccinated, right now, my mom is fully vaccinated, and my
father, in Colombia is fully vaccinated. I think my family in Colombia. Colombia
is a little behind on vaccination. At least, I think people who are older than
forty years, they are fully vaccinated.

JT: Was that a given decision or was it a debated issue to get the vaccination?
Was there hesitation?

AM: No. In my case, it was like a given decision. I have clear--it is public
health. It is for your security, but also like the security and the well being
of all people around you. For us, it was not a question. We were like no, we
will need to get vaccinated now. Even though it's very curious because, in
Colombia, people, especially in Latin American countries, there was like this
kind of conspiracy theories that this vaccine was created, that it is going to
kill the humanity, [inaudible 20:14] that it's like the evil mark. There's like
all this kind of I mean even for medical doctors. You just feel like it all the
time with your friends and your family texts like these videos. But I really
never believed in this kind of narrative. I always told them that they didn't
have like any science base. Maybe it's in Colombia. Here in the U.S. I haven't
seen that, but in Colombia, it was like a very strong campaign against the vaccine.

JT: What was it like to schedule the vaccine here? Did you have any problems?

AM: No. It was really easy for me. I think that I got the first dose in March. I
just call. I remember that there was like a special event for Latino American
people, for Hispanic people, at the health department of Virginia Tech in
Christiansburg. You just have to call and to make an appointment, and they say,
okay, you can come this day, this time and we got there no time and we got it.

JT: Where did you get it?

AM: The first dose was in the Virginia Department of Health at Christiansburg.
The New River Valley. That is like the building in Christiansburg, and the
second dose was in the Blacksburg Recreation Center. I just call them. I told
them, well, one month ago I had my first dose of Pfizer, so I need my second
one. I just make the appointment and I got it.

JT: What was it like to get it? What were your symptoms after and what was it
like to be there?

AM: The first time, to me, was a kind of accomplishment. I was like this kind of
person who asked for someone taking me like a picture. To me it was like I can't
believe that, you're going to get the vaccine that is going to prevent or at
least help my body to develop like antibodies, to fight against this virus. I
was really happy like the first time. It was kind of a new event in my life now.
It was kind of, oh, I got it. The second time I was used to it, of course. It
was like this same emotion, and I was excited, but I think that the first time I
was really excited. I was expecting--because you listen to, I mean, from
different people that they have some reactions, some allergy. So I was kind of
cautious if I got something but I didn't. It was like pain on my leg that this
is normal, but it really didn't have a fever or all like this side effects that
you can have.

JT: What about for your mother?

AM: For my mother, she got Pfizer as well. The first dose for her was a little
painful. I mean she was complaining about pain in her arm. She was with this
kind of cold symptoms like the first day, but she was fine. I mean, nothing that
really affected her daily activities. The second dose was fine for her. Well
like, similar kind of cold symptoms but nothing that really made her go to the bed.

JT: In terms of beyond COVID, when it comes to going to the doctor or
healthcare, has how you go to the doctor changed over the last year and a half
for you and your family?

AM: Yes. Especially, for example, the last year. Because of my PhD, it was not
seen related to the pandemic, but it was in a very late peak of stress because
of all my examination and papers and I was suffering from a lot of hair loss. I
needed to make an appointment with the dermatologist, the gynecologist, to see
if I had any hormonal imbalance or something, about was what was going on. It
was kind of different for this kind of journey, like to be pre-screen all the
time, to answer question all the time, to be subject that they measure your
temperature. You feel that you are talking to your doctors in a distant way, you
cannot touch everything. You expect to have a more personal treatment. You are
like in need of getting their attention and their care. They want to do it but
they cannot. They have some solid rules to follow. Kind of weird. I feel like,
well I am with a doctor, but they were like, oh, I can not see your hair
closely. It was kind of weird. With my kids was the same, when I took them to
the pediatrician or to the dentist. It was the same kind of pre-screening and
you feel that you have to keep this social distance. You cannot touch them.
You're like in this panic that if they touch something--kids tend to rub their
eyes, touching their faces. So we're kind of cautious about it, washing their
hands frequently. Definitely I feel especially with medical appointments, it was
kind of different, weird.

Segment Synopsis: Andrea talks about how she and her family adapted to the new mandates and how difficult was to access the vaccine here in the US and Colombia

Keywords: cautious; colombia; goverment; grocery; mandate; mask; order; outside; panic; precautious; quarantine; social distancing; university; vaccines; virginia

Partial Transcript: JT: Related to that, were there mental health issues inside of your family
resulting from the pandemic?

AM: No, not really. I think that we didn't feel any mental issue. I think that
the feeling like anxiety, it's not clinical anxiety, but it's this kind of
feelings, in which you always think, well, what is going to happen? What will
happen with humanity? What will happen with my life? [inaudible 28:10] always.
When we didn't get the vaccine, well, we are going to die, what will happen?
There's a point in which, if you don't know if you're sure, and you don't have
control of it, I think that it creates a lot of anxiety, kind of stress. But
nothing that [inaudible 28:30] to continue life, or to lose sleep.

Segment Synopsis: Continuation to the mental health segment.

Keywords: anxiety; die; vaccine

Partial Transcript: JT: In terms of not actually financially supporting you all, but in terms of
organizations in town, or anything like that, like churches, was there anything
else that provided structure and support and things like that?

AM: I attend like a regular church and of course they were closed during the
last year, but they still offer virtual services and virtual meetings. And there
were like the pastor, the elder talking about any Bible message. I think that of
course, it was not like the same. It was weird, but to me it was important. Like
try to join service. I think that it was fine because sometimes they didn't have
time. Let's say the time of service, but because it was recorded, I have to
listen to the service during the night. That is more like a decision for you.
It's more autonomous that you do want to continue and be involved like with your
church or with the groups that you're in before. I think that they still
continue like providing this kind of service and encouraging people saying,
well, we are praying. Everything will be fine. I think that it helps a lot
emotionally that they are just telling you--at least encouragement is useful,
like in that moment.

JT: Did your kids also get involved in the virtual services?

AM: Yes. We were like in the living room, everyone listening to the service.
They were involved, so they have activities for kids. They try to listen to
storytime. It was of course different. But again, yes. They still join the services.

Segment Synopsis: Andrea talks about the moral support her church gave to her

Keywords: Moral support; church; closed; emotionally; groups; paying; service; services; virtual

Partial Transcript: JT: In terms of politics, and things like that, how do you believe politics has
affected how COVID has been handled?

AM: I think that it has affected in many ways. I think that the pandemic made
governments think about different way of governing. It was like something up
root that they needed to change their political agenda, to get attention to this
problem in their localities, or countries or a state. So I feel that all the
prioritization around this. I think there was a new way of governing, like
changing all the agendas, all the policymaking process, make people even like
public servants, like working from their office--I think it was, I will say,
like a new way of governing, a new way of influencing people's life. They were
still like, in charge of guiding and ruling, but it was like in a different way.
I think that influenced a lot, and I think that in the U.S. especially because
also there was the election time the last year. Of course, I think all the
wrong, from my point of view, all this wrong way of governing, of managing the
pandemic, from former President Trump, I think that affects a lot on the state
and local levels. Of course, it helps a lot to give Biden the victory.

JT: In terms of current social movements, so like Black Lives Matter or the
thing that happened in January with the Capitol, how has that impacted your
daily life? We can also talk about the things that are happening in Colombia as well.

AM: I am doing my PhD in public administration of policy and my research focuses
on analyzing policies for marginalized populations, so I am a very pro-rights
person. For example, with this Black Lives Matter movement, of course I agree
with them. I share all their contents and arguments. I was kind of supporting
that. But also I seen that simultaneously, in Colombia and generally Latin
American countries, there was like all these waves of protest about social
policy and justice, no inequality. Of course, it has a different approach
because in Latin American countries was more about distribution of incomes,
equal policies, or more social programs for vulnerable populations. Here was
more like a kind of advocate for Black lives, rights. I think that it affected
me positively. I was more involved with news, with interviews from people or
from scholars involved like in the topic, and I really enjoy it. I am passionate
about research and studying on all these topics.

JT: Were you active in anything locally or nationally over the last couple years?

AM: No, not actively. I didn't have any kind of membership. It was just in news
or Twitter or like in Facebook. I'll give you my opinion, but no, sometimes it's
very private with some friends in Colombia. We have a common group in which we
debate about political issues, but nothing that does visual or like in the
public sphere.

Segment Synopsis: Andrea talks about how politics affected her personal life and the pandemic

Keywords: Biden; Black Lives Matter movement; Capitol; Colombia; Facebook; January; Latin American; Trump; Twitter; U.S.; group; locally; nationally; policymaking; political agenda; populations; vulnerable

Partial Transcript:
JT: Absolutely. Is there anything else that you experienced during COVID that
you'd like to share about your education or work or family or anything I haven't
asked about?

AM: For me, I am here alone with my kids and it seemed that this type of like
Christmas--because I was alone. My mom was not here [inaudible 36:45] and we're
very family oriented,it was kind of hard not being able to travel to Colombia
because I was like in this concern that, what happens if I travel with my kids
and I cannot get back? I cannot get into the country. It will be like a big deal
and I am in my last stage of my dissertation, so I think that it affected me a
lot. I will like alone here with my kids like all of December and January,
isolated without any person. It was kind of hard and having like the possibility
to go, but simultaneously like having these perception that you don't know but
what can happen. The airports were open in that moment, but you don't know if
it's something could kind of like come up and again like their airports got
closed. I think that it affected me a little bit. I feel that for the pandemic
everything is slow. If you ask for any paperwork at the university or any
paperwork outside--let's say that you are looking for a job or whatever, you
feel like the time gets slower, that everything has a different pace. Sometimes
it's kind of frustrating. So I will say that these both. Normally with my family
and the sake for like--try to wait and wait and wait. I remember you asked me
something that was kind of concerning. I don't know if you remember the last
year when Trump was in position, he showed these executive order to make
international students get back to the country. According to him, you're online,
you're virtual, you can stay like in your country. It was kind of crazy.
[inaudible 39:05] it affected me a lot. We're like, oh no. I had to go back now
with my kids and I am alone and I am working on my dissertation. But of course
because everything is online. So I think it affected--I was making this video,
oh, I will be outside the country. But that decision was later rebuked, so it
was good.

JT: Do you have plans to go back to Colombia now?

AM: Not now, no. I am still working on my dissertation. I'm going to have my
defense and right now there is a very hard situation.

JT: What do you want your kids to remember about this time?

AM: I think that they remember that of course was like a hard time. I have
explained that at least in my years of life this is the first time that I saw
something like that. Even though it was hard, it was a hard time, we were able
to overcome everything. We were able to adjust. I think they will have good
memories, I don't think really that it was something traumatic for them. Maybe
because they are little and because I was at home with them like teaching. I
think that they will remember that maybe that time in which or when they could
like spend more time with their mom and their grandmother. That for them was
kind of a fun blessing.

JT: Is there anything else you want to add?

AM: No, not really.

JT: Let me stop recording and thank you so much.

Segment Synopsis: Final words

Keywords: COVID; Christmas; affected; airports; colombia; concern; country; education; frustrating; pandemic; paperwork; perception; slow