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Junior,
1995.Junior
August 3, 1995
Junior's Apartment
Upper Tenderloin, San Francisco
Junior's younger brother Bunso is present.
Junior: I grew up in the Philippines, in Manila. I have two brothers, one older, one younger, and an older sister. We don't have a lot, but we survive. I went to Catholic school through high school. We're family-oriented people.
Everything is really simple in the Philippines. My dad moved here and my step-mom sponsored us. I moved here with my brothers' five years ago Christmas. We stayed in Daly City, and then after a month we got our own apartment, my brothers and I. Then my sister moved in with us. I was 18, my sister 20, and my younger brother 13. We have responsibility to work and pay our own rent, which is hard because it didn't give us time to enjoy San Francisco or travel, or find a school to go to for college. My dad has a business in San Jose at that time, so we started working for him, but I don't want to work for my dad. Once a week I would go to San Francisco and look for a job. I would visit 100 companies a day and give out my résumé and call people. It's a struggle, because I look so young. Even though I'm 18. Being Asian, I look younger.
One day I was looking in a lobby where they have all the names on a board. I saw this name, Robertson Peterson, Investment Management. I had no idea what they do, what investment management was. But it sounds good and it's long. I saw on their door, aside from Robertson Peterson, it says Robertson Securities. And I thought, "I don't want to be a security guard. I don't have the body for it." Then I thought, "no, maybe they share an office." So, I went there and said, "I want to see the office manager for Robertson Peterson." I was sent to an office of this woman, her name is Barbara, who ended up being a close friend. She's like my American mom.
I
knocked on the door and asked permission if I could come in, and she saw
that as an extraordinary trait for someone young, who's polite and looks
sincere that I want the job. After two months she phoned me and asked if
I would like to work for them. When she made me an offer, I was about to
start another job. I had to make a decision because they can only hire
me part-time, at a lower rate. But I think I have a better opportunity
here because they're small, I can grow and learn a lot. I took a chance,
and I'm glad I did that. I worked for them part-time for a month or so
then, a company below them was looking for someone part-time. I ended up
working more than a full-time job. I learned a lot, and I made a lot of
sacrifices by not enjoying teenage life. I go out every now and then. But
I end up being a loner a lot of times. I do my own thing on my own and
I'm not really open about my personal life to people. Even with my brother
Bunso, who is here now, I have a hard time talking to him.
