Oral History with Johan Castañeda, June 16, 2021 (Ms2021-023)

MS____

Narrator: Johan Castañeda

Interviewer: Jessica Taylor

Date: June 16, 2021

Transcribed by: Otter Voice Meeting Notes, https://otter.ai

Audit-edited by:

Final edited by: Bethany Stewart, July 16, 2021

Jessica Taylor: Hello,

Johan Castañeda: Hello.

JT: Today is June 16, 2021. I am Jessica Taylor and I am interviewing-- Please say your name sir.

JC: Johan Castañeda.

JT: --Okay for the Voces Oral History Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Please know that this recorded interview will be placed in the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American collection at UT Austin and it may be available online via YouTube or a similar platform. If there's anything you do not wish to answer or talk about, especially given that your recording may appear online, 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. Let me just go ahead and make sure I have the right one-- Please know that this interview will be placed in the Special 1:00Collections and University Archives at Virginia Tech and shared with the Voces Oral History Center at the University of Texas at Austin. 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?

JC: Yes, I agree.

JT: Okay. Do you grant Virginia Tech right, title, and interest in copyright 2:00over the interview and any materials you provide?

JC: Yes, 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?

JC: Yes, 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?

JC: Yes, 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 form to help and research. The entire form is kept in a secure Voces server at the University of Texas at 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 3:00will not be part of your public file. Your public file will only be accessible at the Newman Libraries. Question five: do you wish for us to share the rest of your interview in your public file available to researchers at the Newman Library?

JC: Yes, 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 emails with journalists?

JC: No.

JT: All right. So let's go ahead and get started with the questions. How did you first learn about COVID-19?

JC: Well I used to still live in my country. I've been living here, in Virginia, since the 2018. I still have contact with my family and France back in my 4:00country. So then when all the situation with the pandemic has started the news started to show up all the things that person did, the people who started going to the country with a with an illness. So that's how I started to heard about it. I also like newspapers, articles, internet.

JT: What was your initial reaction to hearing the news?

JC: I'm the kind of person who don't believe the first thing that I heard and I basically just do my own research. I like to read our other opinions and maybe share my opinion with other people to know more about it. So at first I was 5:00kinda curious and I wasn't sure if I believe it or not.

JT: Okay. When did you realize that it was going to be serious?

JC: When I heard that someone I knew got the COVID, that I was like, okay, this is serious.

JT: What about that made you realize that it was serious?

JC: When I heard that he got the illness, and he was a healthy person. Then he talked to us about it. He was like, this is serious. This is the first time that I've been dealing with this symptoms, with this situation. So please be careful. Like that make you like shocked? And then you started to believe it like at first you--

JT: Where was that person located? Where they got COVID?

JC: It was in Colombia.

JT: Okay. How were you communicating with that person?

JC: He was a friend of my family, so they had a group on WhatsApp. When everything started, we created that group. They were like, if you need something, just let us let us know. We're here to help you. So he recorded some videos, and he sent that to the group. That's how we noticed that he was really bad. He was really sick.

JT: What other information about COVID was being discussed through WhatsApp?

JC: We will also talk about like, they were kinda explain how that happened. So the first story was about the bad and then the scoop and then other articles trying to find an explanation of what was going on. Another person, I don't 7:00remember who was, he sent a video trying to explain how the COVID affect your body and your health.

JT: Okay and you have family here?

JC: I live with my parents.

JT: Okay and then you have family in Colombia, right?

JC: Yes.

JT: And in France, you said?

JC: Yes.

JT: Okay. How has COVID affected your family?

JC: My granddad passed away because of the COVID. That was in August last year. Then also here my mom lost her job because they cannot handle all this situation. They were about to close the store, so they had to fire her. A lot of 8:00my friends, they also lose their jobs. Also a bunch of people in their families, they die. So that's how that affected-- In my personal case, well, I'm a student, so I started to take classes online, which is not the same. That can affect me, like in a professional way and also like my mental health.

JT: So there's a lot there. You said your grandfather got sick in August?

JC: Yes.

JT: Okay. Were you communicating with him at the time?

JC: Yeah, I did. I remember the last time I talked to him. They were about to introduce a tube through his throat because he couldn't breathe. That was the 9:00last time I talked to him.

JT: Where was he located?

JC: He was in Bogota, Colombia.

JT: Okay. What did he say to you when you talked to him?

JC: He felt like really bad. At the same time, it seems like he was strong enough, but he was confused. Also, I don't know if that's something bad about my country or something. He was kind of trying to hide what was going on. We had a lot of problems with the medic stuff, like doctors and nurses. They're supposed to give you like a report every single day, and sometimes they were like, oh, we don't have the report yet and you're supposed to wait twenty-four hours more then we'll give you another report. So we didn't know what was going on with 10:00him. We contacted a lawyer because it was serious. We didn't know anything about him. The lawyer contact the doctor. He was like, okay, I'm gonna give you the serious report. Your relative is not behaving. He doesn't want us to help him. I was like, this is just weird because he actually he agreed. We'd asked to provide him everything, even with a tube, all that kind of stuff? He agreed. Then they were saying like, he didn't behave. Then suddenly one day, they were like, he just die. Sorry. So he was like shocking. We didn't know anything. We didn't believe that that was what happened so it was hard.

JT: I'm very sorry for your loss. And you said your friends also lost family 11:00members, too? Was that in Colombia?

JC: Yes.

JT: Okay. Were their circumstances similar there?

JC: Some of them? Yeah. They're still dealing with the situation because the government haven't provided enough vaccines, so they're still dealing with the illness. It's kind of bad.

JT: How do people feel? How does your family feel about doctors and nurses and people in the medical community?

JC: Most of my friends, my family, they're nurses, doctors, so we're rare. We're kind of trying to help each other with that situation. That's why even though almost my entire family like all got COVID, they were fine. My granddad was the 12:00only one who actually passed away. So I guess it was better because of their influence, not because the doctors and nurses were professional. So this is a really serious--. A local journalist was actually doing a research, and he found that the government and international organizations were given money for each that person. So they started to say that doctors were killing people just because they're getting more money for that. It was real serious. We were scared. Even in my position, because I'm here, everything is different here. But 13:00still feel like you need to do something and you just can't. So it was bad. Especially for my mom. Man, it was her dad at the end of the day so--

JT: Absolutely. You're at New River Community College, right?

JC: Yes, I'm in the second year.

JT: Okay. How did COVID affect your ability to perform at school?

JC: I took some classes online and some of them went well, but some of them were really unprofessional. I felt like I wasn't learning at all. I was just reading all the assignments and just doing all the stuff, but I wasn't actually learning 14:00something. In some of my classes, they request us to buy a lot of books. Actually, I had to get a microscope for one of my classes. I just use the once and I was like, this is I'm just basically throwing my money because I didn't use it. It was the same with the books. I was like, this is bad. I need to go back to normal.

JT: You also mentioned that this has affected your mental health. Do you want to talk a little bit about that?

JC: Sure. I consider myself to be a strong person. I don't let things to affect me. I'm always like the support for my family, for my friends. When that 15:00situation happened to my granddad, my mom changed. She is another person now. She's not gonna be the same never. That can affect me because I felt guilty. I was always trying to see the positive way. Maybe I subtract importance of the situation because I was like being positive. I don't know if I didn't take it seriously. Then when that happened, my mom just looked at me. I felt really bad. I was like, I'm so sorry. There's nothing-- I felt guilty. I don't know why.

JT: Has this affected your relationship with your parents?

JC: A little bit especially because part of my family, they're really religious, 16:00which is fine. They were kind of trying to blame the fact that they were not religious to the fact that they get sick. Then suddenly my granddad just passed away. So basically, they were like, he died because he didn't believe and I was like, how dare you say that to us? Like that's just ridiculous. My mom was kind of try to be like, no, let's just be nice to them. Just try to be understanding. I couldn't, so that affect my relationship to my family and ergo also with my mom.

JT: So your mother lost her position?

JC: Yes.

JT: How did that affect your family?

JC: Economically. That affect us because I don't really know how they handle the 17:00economic thing amongst my parents, but I know for sure that she was helping us and also helping my family. She will send the money to my grandma and also with the rest of the family. So that affect us and that also affect them. Even though my dad still has his job, we felt like the change.

JT: What strategies did they use to help make up the difference?

JC: We started to don't waste money basically. We started to realize, if we 18:00don't really need this, then we can wait until our situation change and then we can get it. But for now, we can just save money. We have to because we didn't know. Especially with my dad, I was like, what about if one day they decided that they're gonna fire my dad because of the pandemic or because another situation? So we have to save money because, who knows?

JT: Just to clarify, what do your parents do for a living?

JC: My dad works in a company. It's called Phoenix Packaging. I don't know if you heard about it. Yeah, he works there. My mom used to work in a company, who used to keep materials and machines and all that kind of stuff from Phoenix, as well. They basically had to close a big part of the company, and they had a sell 19:00it or something. That's why my mom lost her job.

JT: Okay and are you working right now?

JC: No.

JT: Okay. You mentioned that your family is religious. Does the church or other organizations help your family, either directly or through emotional support, things like that?

JC: I think that helped them especially because my mom was kind of trying to get an answer of what happened. She was kind of trying to feel better with herself. That's why she got involved more and more into church. But they didn't help them like, if you need something just let us know. We're gonna give you this money. 20:00We're gonna give you food if you need it. They didn't do that. No, what's the word? Emotional.

JT: What churches does she goes to?

JC: I don't really know-- They're Christians. They're not Catholics. I don't really know the name of the church or something. I just know the part of my family-- they're belong to that church, and they were trying to make my mom be able to join them.

JT: So your mother goes to church and your father does not?

JC: Mhm.

JT: So your family basically made it themselves financially?

JC: Yes.

JT: Okay. In terms of travel to either Colombia, or France, or to see family, 21:00have you all been traveling over the last couple years?

JC: My parents, they went to Colombia, three or four months ago. I couldn't travel because I was starting and then I had like personal situation, so I couldn't. They went back. That was the first time since all the situation with my granddad happened. My mom went just to be with the family. It was like a relief for her, a way to say goodbye as well.

JT: She couldn't be there for the funeral?

JC: She couldn't. It wasn't possible.

JT: In terms of health care in the United States, do your parents go to the 22:00doctor regularly during COVID?

JC: No.

JT: Not at all?

JC: No, not at all.

JT: Is that normal during non-COVID times?

JC: No, really. When I was in my country, I used to go to the doctor like every six months or something. But since I've been living here and then also with pandemic, prices are not something that we can afford. So we try to don't go to the doctor if we don't really need to go.

JT: Is that the same for mental health?

JC: Yes. We're handling that situation since some of my friends, they're psychologists, and they're been trying to help us with that. So that's a relief.

JT: That's great. That's wonderful.

JC: Yeah.

JT: So as far as the vaccine goes, how do you and your parents feel about it?

JC: I was kind of scared at first because the media, they started to be the same as the first of the pandemic. So they were like, they're gonna have put a chip on you. They're gonna manipulate your DNA and all that kind of stuff. So I did my research again. In the school, they actually were wanting us to study more about the subject and they can explain us how the vaccine worked. That's how we took the decision. We made a decision to get the vaccine. My dad was the first one.

JT: What was registering like for you all?

JC: For my dad, I guess he was-- I don't know Moderna. He got Maderna and then we got Pfizer.

JT: So no problems registering? Where did you end up getting it?

JC: I don't remember that was April or something. Here in Blacksburg, they organized like a special day for Latin people. So I didn't do unemployment or something. We just came to the place, and we fill out all the papers, and then we got the first shot.

JT: That's great and how did you hear about it?

JC: I'm in a lot of different groups. So they just shared information and that's how I heard about it. It was really handy. Also I shared the information with the people I knew and it was great. That was really fast.

JT: That's wonderful. That's amazing. So your parents were okay with the vaccine?

JC: Yes.

JT: Okay. Any after effects or anything like that?

JC: Not on me and not my mom, but my dad, he got fever and he got chills. He felt really bad that day, but that was the only thing. I guess it's because he got Moderna and we have Pfizer. So maybe because he was different, different 26:00side effects as well.

JT: Absolutely. Now that you have the vaccine, do you all have plans to travel or things that you expect will change in the coming months?

JC: I just expect to back to in person classes. That's something I really need and I really want. I'm not planning to travel-- maybe for the end of the year, maybe for holidays? I don't know yet. But for now, the principal thing is my college.

JT: Just to clarify, what's your major and what are you going to do after college?

JC: I'm planning to transfer to tech and I'm studying liberal arts for now.

JT: Cool, that's awesome. No clear sense of what you want to do after college?

JC: Not really. No, yeah. I just like languages. I'm kinda want to be a polyglot.

JT: Yeah, that's awesome. All right. So in terms of politics, during the last couple years, there have been a lot of changes and a lot of social movements. How do you think politics affected how COVID was handled?

JC: The ex-president was kinda more focused on his campaign that installed the situation with the people. So he was the first person to say that he didn't believe that it was real. So that cannot change the perspective on some people 28:00and the way they handle the situation. For instance, here, some people, they refuse to wear masks. Like some people get sick because of that, because others were care less about it. So that's how that affected I guess.

JT: Absolutely. Do you have a sense of how it changed things locally? Like do you have specific memories of people talking about politics or not wearing their masks around you, for example, things like that?

JC: Yeah, but not just here in Blacksburg. I guess here was really like different than other places. For instance, my mom used to work in Pulaski and 29:00things were there were really different since most of them were like Republicans, and they basically believed that it was fake. That place was full of people that refused to wear masks. I guess here maybe because Virginia Tech or maybe because here like some people, they're like nice maybe things were different.

JT: Did your mother work in Pulaski for the most of COVID like at least the beginning of COVID?

JC: The beginning, yes.

JT: Okay. What was that like for her to be in Pulaski during that time?

JC: I guess it was hard for her because she felt unsafe since the rest of the 30:00people, they were like-- so she felt that she was supposed. Even though she was wearing like, two masks, she was wearing gloves and I don't know that feels safer or actually works. I don't know, but she was doing it just because she wanted to be safe.

JT: Do you have a sense of how Virginia politics may have affected COVID and regulations and your family's experience?

JC: There's a website and they used to give them numbers of the people that got the virus and also how many people die. I was checking that website all the time. I downloaded another app, they give you their local news. That's how I was like into all the situation here in Virginia at least.

JT: Great. There have been social movements over the last couple years. Have you 31:00been involved in any of those?

JC: Not really. Not here. I guess I got it enough with my own country. I wasn't involved with that, but now here--

JT: Are you still involved in that?

JC: Yes.

JT: Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about that?

JC: Since the pandemic, the government started to make a move to keep people safe in their houses. That cannot actually work at least the first of the beginning of the pandemic.Then people started to complain because of the lack of opportunity, as they lost their jobs, and the government was not giving or providing enough benefits to the people. They didn't get paid for nothing and they didn't receive food. People there were basically dying because of the COVID 32:00and also because they were hungry basically. So they're starting to kill each other and there started to be chaotic. Then after that, the government decided to reopen again, even though we did we don't have enough vaccines. They said that because they were covering, like, health and also food and mask and all they can staff. We had a doubt. Yeah, like, we have like a doubt. We call that there was a fiscal, which means now we need to pay a lot of money to the state and they gave us like a lot of taxes and people disagree and they get mad. They started to march. We also were in national strike right now. I've been kinda 33:00supporting and my friends and family there. We actually March here in the Virginia Tech campus. That's the way I've been trying to raise my voice.

JT: Has COVID affected your ability to do that?

JC: I think yes because some people didn't want it to get exposed. It's natural. You're not gonna get sick just because you're gonna do once things change. Some people think that that's not the right way to do it. So they were like, okay, I'm support you, but I'm not going to get exposed. I'm going to be in my home because we're in the middle of the pandemic.

JT: In terms of American or United States social movements, do you have any thoughts on Black Lives Matter or the election Or the January sixth thing that happened?

JC: Yeah. I guess race is something that the entire world deal with, not just here. Of course it's something that makes you think and make you feel that things has to change, especially with the police and also with those population that are being just [inaudible] I have been actually doing research for school 35:00about that and about other kinds of groups, especially girls, indigenous people, black people. It's something that moves my thoughts.

JT: Moving forward, what are your perspectives on going back out and not wearing masks and everything that's going on currently that in summer 2021?

JC: I'm still wearing a mask. I think I feel safer. But I'm okay with people around if they don't wear a mask, it's fine. I actually feel like I'm the weirdest because when you're wearing the mask, people might think that you refuse to have the vaccine or maybe you're sick or something. But I'm fine.

JT: Are you all planning get togethers like, either with friends or with family, or anything like that?

JC: Mhm.

JT: What are you all gonna do?

JC: I'm getting married. I'm gonna get married on Saturday, so that's gonna be the first thing that I going to do after the pandemic is going to be a lot of people in that committed space.

JT: Oh tell me about planning your wedding during COVID.

JC: I think that have an ethic like too much the way I've been planning my stuff because we just got an idea and we're just working on that. So it's not something that make us change our plans or something. So it's fine.

JT: Do you have family coming in from out of town or anything like that?

JC: No, just my parents, friends, basically.

JT: Awesome. Congratulations.

JC: Thank you.

JT: Is there anything else you'd like to share with me about your experience with COVID that I haven't asked about? Any stories or opinions?

JC: No.

JT: Okay. All Right. Okay.