INTERVIEW

PRESENTATION
By: Michelle Calderon
Table of Contents
● Who is Melissa
● Regional
● Facts about Cuba
● Family
● Nationality, Language and Religion
● Education
● Interests and Hobbies
● Questions and Responses
● Goals
● Multicultural Card
Thinking Map
Facts
Who is Regional
about
Melissa Cuba

Family

Meliss
Goals

Nationality,
Language
and Religion

Questions
and
a Interests
and
Education

responses Hobbies
 This is Melissa M.
● Melissa has been a friend of
mine since my junior year in
high school.
● She is an only child
● Currently working as a Personal
Care Assistant
 Regional
● Melissa was born in
Havana, Cuba
● When she turned 1 she
went to Italy then to
Spain till she was 13.
● Then went back to Cuba
for a year, North
Carolina for 1 year, and
then a year after came
to Las Vegas, Nevada
Facts about Cuba
● Cuba is the largest Caribbean island both terms of size and
population. It is also the 17th largest island in the world.
● Baseball is the most popular sport in Cuba by far.
● Vintage American cars from the 40s and 50s are still driving on
Cuban roads.
● In a traditional Cuban meal the food is not served in courses,
instead all the food is served at the same time.
● The most popular dish is ‘arroz con frijoles y ropa vieja’
● Many of the world’s most famous cocktails originate from Cuba
Melissa and her family
Nationality, Language and Religion
● Melissa is fully Cuban
● The languages she can speak is
English, Spanish, and a little bit
of Italian and Portuguese.
● She was raised as a Catholic but
as of right now, she doesn’t have
a specific religion and believe
there’s something more
Education
● Melissa also graduated from Green Valley High School in 2018
● She changed her major twice then ended up not going to college
● She is about to start studying Esthetics
Interest and Hobbies
● Melissa enjoys playing piano, she learned on
her own when she was 6, then enrolled in the
conservatory when she turned 8.
● Making her own music
● Kickboxing
● Playing guitar
Nostalgia
What do you miss about your home country?
“I miss my family, friends, the music, the food and the people.”
What is the number one thing about your culture that you would like to add
to the American culture?
“Probably the way people are, so happy with so little.”
School Systems
How are the two school systems different?
“The one in Cuba is military. It’s separated by classes.
Every morning every class goes on formation. They
have to be separated by arm length, so basically like
you’re in the military. We have to sing the anthem, say
the pledges and do other formations they ask us to.
After that everyone goes to class in formation. Same
when they go get lunch, and when we’re ready to go
home. I think class is from 6am-4pm. If you, your
whole group doesn’t do the formation or pledges right
before you leave, everyone has to stay in school until
it’s done right. The one is Spain is just like the one in
the U.S.”
Prejustice
Can you name a time when an American made you feel like a
minority?
“Yes. One day I was working as a hostess in this restaurant at the
Cosmopolitan and these two girls approached me. There was
people around, and they asked me where this sushi place was at. I
told them the name and that it was right behind them, asked them
if that was the place. The girl that asked was like “What?! I don’t
answered what you’re saying??” I told her again, she said the
same thing and asked “Are you even speaking English??” So I
told her friend that same thing I told her and was like “Do you
understand me or not??” They obviously did, they turned around
while the same rude girl kept saying “Is she even speaking
English?” and went to the sushi place. Everybody that saw it
thought it was really rude and told me that I handled the situation
really good and I spoke a perfect English.”
Goals in Life
● Melissa wants to be successful and accomplish her
dreams in the music industry
● I wish for the best for her and to be able to achieve
her goals
● Huge thanks to her for letting me choose her as my
interviewee.
Multicultural Card
Role Model: Juan Almeida Bosque (Cuban politician and one of the original commanders of the
insurgent forces in the Cuban Revolution). Rosa Castellanos (was a freed slave, medic and soldier
in the Ten Years’ War, Cuba’s first fight for independence and a bid to abolish slavery.)
Learning Styles: Kinesthetic
Belief System: Roman Catholic Christianity, Atheism or Agnosticism, Santeria and Other African-
Caribbean Folk Beliefs, and Protestantism and Other Non-Catholic Forms of Christianity.
Activities: Horseback riding, swimming, drive around in vintage cars
Cultural Contribution: Café Cubano and Afro-Cuban Jazz
History: Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba in 1492, and claimed it for Spain. Cuba and the
United States restored diplomatic relations on July 20, 2015, relations which had been severed in
1961 during the Cold War. The United States, however, continues to maintain its commercial,
economic, and financial embargo, making it illegal for U.S. corporations to do business with
Cuba.
Holidays: January 1 – 2 Triumph of the Revolution and Victory Day, January 28 – José Martí’s
birthday, February Cigar Festival, July 26 – National Revolution Day, September 8 –Virgen de
Cobre Feast Day
Read Aloud Literature: In Cuba I was a German shepherd by Ana Menéndez
Recommended Literature: Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas