Interview, Robert Maldonado

Robert Maldonado was born in Manhattan in 1956 and was raised in the Bronx. His parents were from Puerto Rico and grew up in a community-oriented neighborhood. After working several jobs during high school and college, he found himself interested in the fields of criminal justice and public safety. He worked for the New York State Police from 1981-2002, then moved to the Rochester Police Department for a year before going to work for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Maldonado became the Director of Campus Safety at Nazareth College in 2006.

In his interview, Maldonado addresses the occupations and backgrounds of his parents, both natives of Ponce, Puerto Rico. He also discusses holidays and customs. He comments on assimilation and how his observance of various cultural and religious traditions (such as Christmas and the Quinceanera) has changed over time. Maldonado admits that his attachment to his Latin heritage is not strong and indicates that his children were not exposed to the culture as much as he would have liked.