“I didn’t live with them the whole time. My siblings came from Mexico when I was older so I didn’t really spend a lot of my childhood with them.”

Rocio Contreras is 34-years-old and she shares stories of her childhood that she really enjoyed and some favorite memories she has had.

She shares how it was growing up with four siblings she didn’t really talk to, except one who she favored. She says that there was conflict between them as well throughout her childhood.

Rocio states that she grew up in a house of love with very loving parents. She also wants to visit their birthplace and get to know it one day.

Rocio says she hopes to travel more in the future and get to know more beautiful places by starting her own business in Mexico.

Transcript:

Yanelly Gomez: So what’s your name?

Rocio Contreras: My name is Rocio Contreras.

YG: And how old are you?

RC: I am 34 years old.

YG: And uhm what’s your birthday?

RC: My birthday is on December 29, 1988.

YG: And what is a favorite story that you have when you grew up like your childhood?

RC: So one of my favorite childhood memories is one day that we went to our local swap meet that was called “Los Amigos swap meet.” It was me my sister and her friends, so basically they were having a contest like a kid – girl well girls and boys contest of uhm singing contest and it was Selena Quintanilla songs and Selena Quintanilla was my favorite artist at the time well singer so I was so excited to do it and it was kinda embarrassing. At the beginning my sister pushed me in, she forced me and made me do it and she literally pushed me in to do it and I had to go in front of everyone and sing and I actually won. I won and I got a cassette and I think a shirt or something and my sister was so proud of me.

YG: And how did [laughs] you feel?

RC: I felt very proud of myself because uhm like I mentioned I was really shy I thought I wasn’t going to do it and I thought I was going to make a fool out of myself, but once I was in front I just did it and I actually won so that made me feel proud and also made me have more [laughs] uhh it made me have more confidence.

YG: Uhm did you feel shy while performing like nervous or anything?

RC: Yes like I said I was really shy I didn’t want to do it. I was refusing at the beginning but my sister just didn’t care and she just pushed me in and once I was in front I just had to do it, yes I was shy but I got over it.

YG: So how many siblings do you have?

RC: I have five, sorry I have four.

YG: And what are their names?

RC: Uhm from oldest to youngest its Alejandro Contreras, Vicente Contreras [inaudible] wait no I did it wrong [laughs] its Julianna, Alejandro, uhm Vicente, Guadalupe, and myself, well I’m not part of my siblings.

YG: Ok uhm and how was it growing up with four siblings?

RC: For me it wasn’t much of a deal because i’m the youngest and I didn’t live with them the whole time, my siblings came from Mexico when I was older so I didn’t really spend a lot of my childhood with them until I was seven or something like that – seven or eight for the first time actually.

YG: And how did it feel finding out you had siblings?

RC: Well I knew I had siblings.

YG: Oh well how was [laughs] it how was it meeting them?

RC: It was very fun because I grew up alone. I thought I was the only child but – well I didn’t think I was the only child but it felt like I was the only child so when I met my sister Lupe, were like seven years apart it was very uhm very cool. She was like 13 and I was like 7.

YG: Mk so -.

RC: And they used to beat me up.

YG: [inaudible] So what were your parents like?

RC: My parents were very loving, very caring parents very uhm how do I say it, ok so my parents were very loving and caring and I lived with both of them and basically I lived in a home full of love [inaudible].

YG: Uh ok so uh where are your parents from?

RC: My parents are from Mexico.

YG: Cool what part of Mexico?

RC: Puebla.

YG: They’re both from Puebla?

RC: Yes there – well actually my mom is from Puebla and my dad is from Veracruz but he lived a majority of his life, well not life but his early age, he lived in Puebla.

YG: And have you ever been to where they are from, like Puebla or Veracruz?

RC: Unfortunately no I haven’t. I’ve been to Mexico though to different states in Mexico but not to Puebla.

YG: Would you ever want to visit Puebla?

RC: Yes I do want to visit Puebla. I’m going to visit next year maybe.

YG: So and if you do go to Puebla where would you like to go visit like first thing you would like to go?

RC: The first place I would visit if I went to Puebla would be my parents’ hometown, well there yeah their hometown, it’s called Coatzingo, Puebla.

YG: Oh ok thats cool uhm have you traveled anywhere else besides Mexico or out of the state?

RC: Out of the state, yes, like Vegas and Texas.

YG: Oh so do you like traveling like is traveling something you enjoy or something you’re okay about?

RC: Well traveling is definitely something I’m looking into. I’ve only been to Mexico but I’ve been to very very beautiful places in Mexico so that has motivated me to know other countries cause I’m sure there’s a lot of beautiful places out there. But yes I do want to travel like I said I’ve been to Mexico a lot of times and it’s very very beautiful but I do want to visit other countries as well. 

YG: Nice and so what do you work as? 

RC: I work for an apparel company, its an import apparel company. It’s a warehouse where the designers and headquarters work. I work with them and I am on the production design team. I do mostly production, which is keeping track of all the incoming orders from China and making sure the production is going well – approving and confirming uhm fabric colors and all that fun stuff. 

YG: Ok so when you were younger did you ever think you would be like a production designer or work in the fashion industry?

RC: I did not actually because when I finished high school I went to a technical school to learn about medical assistant and I graduated as a medical assistant. I didn’t serve my hours though because at the same time when I finished the medical assistant school uhm I started working at the fashion industry and I really enjoyed it and uhm I decided to stay in the fashion industry.

YG: Do you think you would see yourself as a medical assistant now?

RC: No I do not see myself in the medical field because currently uh a lot of things scare me like blood and stuff and after Covid I became very paranoid about diseases and viruses and all that so I don’t see myself working as a nurse anymore.

YG: Ohh, so do you have any goals for this year?

RC: Yes I do have a lot of goals. Actually, this year is almost over so my goal for next year is to travel more and to start my own business. Basically it’s going to be selling like different products like makeup and clothes and a lot of women’s stuff in Mexico.

YG: Oh that’s cool I didn’t know about that.

RC: Well now you know [laughs].

YG: Well that’s all I have to say thank you for this interview.

RC: You’re welcome.