Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute Collection

João Mendes Interview

Mendes, João

Little, Tristan

ENG

Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute

11/7/2021

SCUAD_pbbi_00050

Tristan Little: Interview with João Mendes. Okay. What is your full
birth name?
João Mendes: My full birth name is João Teixeira [inaudible] Mendes.
Um yeah.
Tristan Little: Were you named after anyone or is there a story behind
your name?
João Mendes: I was named after my grandpa, who was also João.
Tristan Little: What was his or her full name?
João Mendes: His full name is João [inaudible] Teixeira. So, the
Teixeira, the Teixeira is from my mom's side and then the other two
last name is there, they're from my dad's side.
Tristan Little: Okay. So, you took on both their names yeah?
João Mendes: Yeah.
Tristan Little: Okay. Uh when were you born?
João Mendes: I was born on September 21st of 1998.
Tristan Little: Okay. And then where were you born?
João Mendes: I was born in Brasilia.
Tristan Little: Brasilia?
João Mendes: Brazil.
Tristan Little: Okay. What early memories do you have of a child in
the Brazilian American community? So, yeah. So, what, what's your
first memories you have of coming or when you first came here to
America?
João Mendes: But like, because I, I mean, I never was like really in
the community here though, like Brazilian community.
Tristan Little: Mhm. Well, I mean, just being like, what's your
experience like your first experience when you first came here to
America?
João Mendes: Okay. Well, I really feel like it was well accepted by
everyone. Um uh was a lot of people had like, a lot of, like,
different impressions from Brazil. So, it was kind of cool to, like,
kinda educate people more about like, what, you know, what our culture
um has and everything. So, yeah.

Tristan Little: Okay. Why did your family go to Brazil or when, do you
know when they went to Brazil and then why they went to Brazil? Like,
when they first went there or no?
João Mendes: Yeah, so my, my grand, my grandpa's dad moved from
Portugal to Brazil. Yeah.
Tristan Little: Oh okay. Do you know why he did?
João Mendes: It was back in the day, back in, like, during the, like,
where Brazil was, like, had a big Portuguese colony.
Tristan Little: Mhm.
João Mendes: That's when it, like, a lot of people was there, a lot of
people were moving, like, to Brazil.
Tristan Little: Oh, okay.
João Mendes: But I don't know exactly the year though.
Tristan Little: Um, I guess, yeah, you got something to ask your
grandparents or something.
João Mendes: Yeah, I would have to ask him that. Um, I can, I can ask
for me then so I can, I can get you the year.
Tristan Little: That's okay. Uh, why did you come to America?
João Mendes: So, I came here to, um, I got offered a scholarship to
play soccer and go to college. So that's why I moved here. Um, it was
on 2016 that I moved here.
Tristan Little: Is there any reason why you came here instead of,
like, is there any other schools or colleges that?
João
the,
and,
than

Mendes: Yeah. So, the reason why I chose here was, was just like
the place like Lake Tahoe in the area, like, really attracted me
and just like the quality of life here. It's just much better
other places that I looked into.

Tristan Little: Yeah. It's hard to resist here. That's why I came here
as well.
João Mendes: Yeah, I know.
Tristan Little: Um, did your, did your grandparents or your parents
ever tell you what it was like to adjust, like a new country or a new
life? So, when they first came to Brazil, they tell you like what it
was like to.

João Mendes: Oh, yeah, I mean, I obviously coming in, I came here
really young. So, um a lot like the lot of stuff that I would hear
from my parents just like, try to just sort of like adapt uh and, and,
and behave according to the culture there. So like, even though we, we
have Brazilians, like we have our customs, and we have like our way to
talk our way to like, approach to people. Like I was like, especially
my dad, like my dad always told me how Americans are different than
Brazilians that they usually like to have their, their space and, and
we are not like that. We're more like we, we touch, and we’re touchy
people. [simultaneous talking] Yeah, we're more personal. We, we
interact more with each other. So that was definitely something that,
that I kept in mind before I came here.
Tristan Little: That is true. Yeah. That's true. A lot of people do
like their space, they like being-João Mendes: And at first that was, that was something that I struggle
with, like, especially the, the, it's like the interaction, like the
way we, we treat, the way we, we introduce ourselves to people in
Brazil, everything is different. So, yeah.
Tristan Little: Uh was there any stories that your grandparents told
you that like about regarding to like, like adjusting to a new country
or anything like that?
João Mendes: Um nothing specific. I mean, I, I've, I've had family
that, I have like a lot of family that lived in other places too. So,
it was just like, kind of like listening from their experiences and,
and also like dealing with cold. I, I had family that like, we don't
have a lot of, like in Brazil it's not cold. So, the weather was
definitely something that, that I had to, to learn how to deal with
too.
Tristan Little: What's the coldest it gets over there? Like-João Mendes: Oh, dude, like the coldest might be like forties, low
forties.
Tristan Little: It's not terrible compared to here. But yeah, like
Tahoe, Reno is way worse. Um let’s see, uh when you're coming to
America from the United States, how important was you to maintain your
Brazilian identity?
João Mendes: A lot, a lot. And that is something that um I'm proud to
say that I've been here for five years already and I haven't lost, you
know, my, my foundations, my, like, you know, my, like my values that,
that I, that I got from my family and, and I feel, I feel like it's
super important to, to just be myself and a lot of the things that I
achieved, I think part of that is just because I'm a very approachable

person like, you know, in, in, that's like part of my country. We, we,
we, we like to talk to people, we like to, to connect and, and I feel
like that's something that, you know, it’s part of me but, and, and,
and also like our, our, our, the way we live our life too. It's just
like a little, it, it's at a different pace to like Americans are
usually more um rushing everything. They, they don't like—
Tristan Little: Fast paced.
João Mendes: They, their priorities are different sometimes and, and
we, we, we're a little different. So, so definitely, definitely. Yeah,
I try to keep my, like, learn, as I said, like, learn how to adapt but
don't lose like the, the, the main core values.
Tristan Little: Yeah, uh well your identity, you know—
João Mendes: Yeah, exactly.
Tristan Little: And knowing you, I know you, I know you haven't. Um how
do you think you express your identity the most while being the United
States? Like, is it through language or foods or any traditions you
still keep or festivals you still celebrate?
João Mendes: I would say like more through like the language and, and,
and the, I do have contact with, with the Brazilian community here and
when we get together, we still like do um the what, what we, we call
Brazil churrasco, which is a barbecue, like usually a Sunday
afternoon. You would just like, get your friends together and, and um
put the meat in the grill and just like, drink beers and talk and, and
just spend time, so definitely those traditions are, are, are stuff
that and, yeah, like, I, I would say like food and, and, and mostly
like language and, and try to keep the, the connections even though
it's not a big Brazilian community here. I still do have contact and I
still try to like, be up to date on everything. It's like special,
like music and all of that.
Tristan Little: Why, why is it so important to you to like, maintain
it? Like what is there any like deeper feeling or emotions that you
have that-João Mendes: I just.
Tristan Little: Want you to keep that?
João Mendes: Yeah. Um 100%. I just feel like it's even though I'm here
and like, I, I, I'm living here now. I should never forget where I
came from. So that's definitely like, and I wanna pass this to my kids
even though like if, if I, if I have kids that are born here, I, I
wanna make sure they speak Portuguese. I wanna make sure they, they um
know like about like our culture, know about like where they came
from, like just like kind of you with Portugal, you, you probably

wanna know about your family, you probably wanna, wanna know like—
Tristan Little: Yeah, know about it.
João Mendes: So, it's, it's, it's just that, that feeling that you
gotta pass it over to like different generations and, and yeah.
Tristan Little: Um, this one says, have you ever been to the Azores,
the Portuguese Island?
João Mendes: No, no. Yeah.
Tristan Little: Um, would you ever wanna go?
João Mendes: Definitely. I had to look that up when, uh, when you
asked me for it because I didn't even know what they were. But, um, it
looks really like pretty. I would, I would definitely want to go
there.
Tristan Little: And my grandma's been there a few times. She says she
loves it, loves it.
João Mendes: Yeah, Portugal has some, like really nice islands.
Tristan Little: But the one that, uh, Ronaldo was born in, uh
[simultaneous talking] let's see. Okay. Uh, let's see. Okay, I'm gonna
change this question a little bit but, uh, when you came and visited
like our hometown or Carlos's hometown, like the, we call it like the
Central Valley.
João Mendes: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Tristan Little: Uh, how was your experience there? Did you? I mean, I
don't think you met any other Portuguese.
João Mendes: No, I don’t think I did, should’ve taken me though to
the-Tristan Little: I know to the Portuguese club. Yeah. Uh, yeah, Tulare
Angrense and you always still could come down, we have a for- or a
soccer tournament coming up soon. Um, but how was your experience in
the valley? Did you like it or?
João Mendes: I liked it. It was, it was different. It remind me of
like some, like, actually remind me like of Brazil, some parts like
the farms and like the rural area, like, you know, like a lot of
cattle and stuff, like, just that smell like that. Uh, there's some
parts in there just like that, you know, uh, farm and, and, and, and
I, I like it, it's just, I'm from the city so it's different for me.
I'm not a big fan. I, I don't think I would be able to live there for
me. It's just, like, too boring. But, um but yeah.

Tristan Little: No, I feel you there. It's not the ideal place to
live,
João Mendes: But it's definitely like cool to visit and spend a few
days and, and just see how it is.
Tristan Little: Yeah.
João Mendes: But yeah.
Tristan Little: Yeah, it's not one of those places. No one says I want
take a vacation to Fresno.
João Mendes: And for me that I like to live like a fast-paced life.
Like it's definitely not, I wanna be at yeah.
Tristan Little: You do activities. It's a lot of, you know,
snowboarding or something. Yeah. Um so it says what proud moments do
you remember in your Brazilian American community? Like, what are you,
what are you most proud of? Uh okay, I'll change it a little bit. What
are you most proud of uh since you've been here in the United States?
What have like, what have you done in the past? What has it been, five
years?
João Mendes: Yeah. Uh What I'm pro like most proud is just like the
whole journey I would say like, it's like just as a whole coming here
really young to a country that I hadn't, like, I hadn't, like, have
any connection before and coming here and being able to adapt and, and
as I said, like throughout college, be able to, to have a few jobs
and, and, and achieve things like, uh even after I graduated here, uh
started working. So just like being an immigrant and, and, and
succeeding, I think that's what I'm most proud of.
Tristan Little: Absolutely, so I thinking about it, like, you're
hearing your story the first time it was like, coming here by
yourself. It's kind of scary. You know, there's a lot of unknowns but
exactly. And I think you're pretty accepted. I mean, it helps that
you're on a soccer team and, you know.
João Mendes: Yeah. And then, yeah, so, like it, in my situation, your,
your friends, they become your family pretty much. That's what it is.
Tristan Little: Um, when you first came here you didn't know any
English, huh? Not at all?
João Mendes: I don't know. My English was, was really, like, basic,
wasn't really good. But I knew, I mean, I, I could, I couldn't
understand most like, everything and, and, but just when I would have
conversations like--

Tristan Little: How was that journey? Like, trying to learn that
language?
João Mendes: Like, the language?
Tristan Little: Mhm.
João Mendes: Was it? I mean, I, I took classes in Brazil and that's why
that, like, that helped me a lot. And, uh, but what, like, stuff that,
that helped me a lot, one thing that helped me a lot was writing. I
would like, I would write a lot and that was, that definitely helped
me, like, learning and, and just music, movies, and everything that I
could, like, put the settings in English. I would always do that too.
Tristan Little: Do you ever have like a go to movie to watch, to,
like, when you're trying to learn?
João Mendes: Uh, I would always watch The Fast and Furious, the
series. I would have always watched them in, like, in English.
Tristan Little: There's a lot of them, there’s frickin’ like ten of
them now
João Mendes: Like, but yeah, I’ve, I've always been a fan of it. I was
in Brazil that, that movie over there. A lot of people watch it too.
So-Tristan Little: Really isn’t one of the movies in Brazil?
João Mendes: Yeah.
Tristan Little: Uh let’s see your question. To what extent do you
believe being a Brazilian American has shaped you to the way you are
today? Like both professionally and personally? Like, how is coming to
America? How has it changed you, like, yeah, in any way, shape or
form?
João Mendes: I think it changed the, like, it's, it's just in terms of
like, I would see professionally a lot because just being able to have
like the experience of working here. If I were to go to Brazil, people
look, like, look to that a lot. It's just like in, in, especially in
my field, the business field, like all the, all the, the new trends
and everything usually come from the US. So having the, just having
the, the, the experience of working here, of knowing the culture of
knowing how to deal with like with people and, and yeah, let me see
what else I can, can think of. But yeah, like just, just more, I would
say just like, understanding the how the people are here differently
than Brazil. I think that's super important, you know, like, and here
in the US is a very globalized country. So, you, you're connected with

all types of people and, and I think that's, that's really good to
know, uh, to just learn about other cultures and, and look, like, know
how to interact and, and, and socialize with all of them. So, yeah.
Tristan Little: Um, what does Brazil, what does being Brazilian
American mean to you?
João Mendes: Well, it means that we, like, represent for me, like, in,
in personally that we represent our whole country. Like, we're here
representing our people, representing my, in my, in my kids, like my
family, you know, we, we have a, we have a name to carry, like, I, I
bring the, my family's last name here and, and I just, I just wanna
keep working to, to put that name up there and, and, and, and, yeah.
Tristan Little: Mhm. Yeah, because people think of Brazil and they
might think of, oh, João yeah, I know he's from Brazil.
João Mendes: Exactly. That's exactly like when, when people think of,
oh, like that's that Brazilian hardworking guy, you know, like that,
that's the reputation that we want to have.
Tristan Little: That you represent. Yeah, because that people might
associate.
João Mendes: Exactly.
Tristan Little: Um, how do you see the Brazilian American community
today?
João Mendes Um, I see it, uh, like in the big, in the big, like, um,
areas in the country are really big. They're like, strong and I just,
like, see, I see it, I see them growing and growing for, like, in the,
like, especially now with the, with the future generations coming
people that are actually like Brazilians Americans that are born here.
I’ve, I've been seeing that a lot lately. So, I just feel like that's
gonna keep growing and, and for me, it's just like we, it's, its super
important. I feel like we, uh a lot of Americans, they don't really
know a lot of like about like, they don't know about our culture and
it's important to have those communities to kind of show them like our
food and, and our, our, our, our music. We have like a lot of um we
have great artists too in Brazil and, and, and people need to know
that. So, it's super important to have the community showing, showing
what we have the best.
Tristan Little: That's true. So, you see a little bit more, you want
to bring more awareness around it just like in the, in the United
States. But you also kind of see it coming a coming out, coming around
like more people are expressing their uh their identity of Brazilian
or Portuguese descent. Uh last question is there anything else you
wanna say, say about Brazil or say about your story or anything that

we didn't cover? Um.
João Mendes: I think we covered everything pretty much but um uh yeah.
Tristan Little: Yeah. All right. Well, thank you for let me interview
you.
João Mendes: All right, of course.