Interview, Ivan Ramos

Ivan Ramos (b. early 1960s) was born in New York City, but relocated to Puerto Rico with his family when he was three years old. At age twelve, Ramos and his family moved to Rochester, New York, where he spent the majority of his life. Ramos went to school through the Adelante Program and attended Franklin High School in the 1970s. He worked in advertising, broadcasting, and sales for many years, both in Rochester and in New Jersey.

In this interview, Ramos talks about his experiences living in New York City, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Rochester. He outlines his educational and occupational histories and discusses the lives of his parents, detailing how they met and fell in love, as well as how they ended up in the United States. Although he is an American citizen, Ramos notes that he identifies culturally with Puerto Rico and that he respects both halves of his ethnic identity. He compares the experience of being a Latino in the Rochester area to being an American Latino in Puerto Rico.