Interview, John Medrano

John Medrano was born in 1984 in Suffern, New York, to an Irish-American mother and Salvadoran father. He was raised in nearby Middletown, New York, where he completed his elementary and high-school education and began community college. In 2002, he moved to Rochester, New York, where he completed his degree at Monroe Community College. At the time of this interview, he continues to live in the Rochester area with his wife and children.

In this interview, John Medrano discusses his upbringing, his Salvadoran heritage, and his family. He explains how he views his identity and the effect it has on his children, the differences he has noticed between Rochester and New York City, and his relationship with the Latino community in both cities. He also discusses how his parents met, what he knows about his father’s life in El Salvador, and his awareness of how his upbringing has affected him.