New Mainers Speak 04/27/2014
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Description
Host Kate Manahan interviews German Veliz, who was born in Cuba, then moved to Miami in 1994, and moved to Portland six years prior to the interview. They discuss his experience learning English in Maine at Portland Adult Education after speaking Spanish in Miami; his choice to move to Maine, which he describes as feeling like “real America”; missing his family, who remain in Cuba. They also talk about his education in Cuba; the impact of communism on the country; his career in Cuba as an electrician and welder; and the diversity, multiculturalism, and culture of welcome and hospitality that is present in Cuba.
Since his arrival in Maine, he has worked at Barber Foods, as a dishwasher, and in sanitation. They discuss the difficulties many immigrants have in transferring skills and certifications from their country of origin, and organizations in Portland that can provide assistance. German advises new Mainers to go to school as a good way to understand American culture, and to build community; he also talks about his commitment to building a multicultural, unified community in Maine.
Publication Date
4-27-2014
Publisher
WMPG 90.9 FM
City
Portland, Maine
Keywords
WMPG, community radio, college radio, New Mainers Speak, Kate Manahan, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, Portland, New Mainers, German Veliz, Cuba, Miami, Spanish, English, Portland Adult Education, family, electrician, welder, multiculturalism, diversity, Barber Foods, Margarita’s, community
Recommended Citation
Manahan, Kate, "New Mainers Speak 04/27/2014" (2014). New Mainers Speak. 12.
https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/wmpg_newmainers/12
