Interview, Christian Merantis

Christian Merantis was born in Nebraska and raised on Long Island, NY, by his Guatemalan father and Ecuadorian mother. His parents both moved to the United States when they were young and have lived in the United States since. He moved to Rochester, NY, a few years prior to 2018 for college.

In this interview, Christian discusses his parents’ reasons for coming to the United States, his experiences visiting their home countries, and the importance of religion in his family. He explains a bit about the traditions his family celebrates, his view of the current situation of some Latinos in the United States, and the discrimination he has witnessed primarily in regards to his father. He also discusses some of the differences he has noticed between his generation and his parents’ generation.