Hello, this is Victor Cecena interviewing Maria Castro about the City Heights community. The date is May 24, 2016. 

V: Maria, my first question off is what is your favorite place to go eat?

M: In City Heights, I like to eat seafood.

V: Seafood, really?

M: Yes. Puerto Nuevo Restaurant, in City Heights, El Cajon Boulevard is like, the place to eat.

V: Would you say there's a lot of places to eat that's very diverse around here? Like, more choices from different cultures?

M: Yes, you can go eat pizza, Mexican food, but like, seafood, there's a lot of different restaurants here in City Heights. All kinds. Denny's, McDonalds, Burger King, but like, seafood.

V: When you're doing your day to day activities, what kind of people do you meet, daily, or see on a daily basis?

M: In City Heights, there's a lot of Chinese people, Somali people, Mexican people, a lot of Mexican people. 

V: Would you say you're one of those people? Cause you said you had moved from Mexicali or Mexico, and would you say that it's different here? Like, how would you describe living here in this community, the City Heights community, from where you're originally from?

M: Mexico and US is different. The culture, well, Mexico is like, tierra.

V: Tierra?

M: The United States is like, ok. [Laughs]

V: How has it changed your life living here?

M: Different, over there. I was (drunk?) I don't have no (keys?) Now it's, my family, my sons, my young daughters, its different.

V: What do you think about the general, the City Heights community?

M: Ahh, I live for many, many years in City Heights in different places. For me, it's a good place. Some areas, they're dangerous when you go out, but, a little, little areas. I mean, in the nighttime. The daytime, it's ok, it's (muffled). I like City Heights.

V: Do you feel as though you belong in this community, as like, you feel a part of it?
M: Yes, cause I live for many years here. I know a lot of people, and I know the places, the streets, just like my country, I know everything over here, because I've lived for a long time over here.

V: Well, Maria, last question, if you had a choice to change where you lived before in the past, would you have changed it to a different place besides City Heights, San Diego, or would you still keep it the same?

M: I think, well, I like City Heights, but maybe I move. Yes.

V: Is there any specific reason?

M: Because there are places you can go in the nighttime, you can go out over here. Before it was different, you can go out, but now, I don't know, now, I guess I'd move to another place.

V: Well, thank you Maria, for taking the time to do this interview, and that is all.

M: Thank you.

V: Thank you.