Interview, John Nuñez

John Nuñez was born in Rochester, New York, in the 1970s. His parents were from Puerto Rico. Nuñez originally attended schools in Rochester’s inner city, but moved to the suburbs of Webster, New York, and Fairport, New York, when he was in his teens. He later became a teacher, initially working in the Rochester City School District before taking a position at an elementary school in Fairport.

In this interview, Nuñez details his experiences growing up in a Puerto Rican family. He explains that as a youth, he never experienced racism or marginalization due to his Puerto Rican heritage. Nuñez describes family traditions and what being Puerto Rican means to him. He indicates that he hopes to pass the Spanish language and Puerto Rican traditions on to his two young daughters. Though he has lost touch with his Puerto Rican roots, Nuñez still proudly identifies as Puerto Rican and embraces the culture in which he was raised.