Rodríguez-Martinez, Rocio

Rocio Rodríguez-Martinez’s oral history is one that comes with the glimmer of emeralds, soft aroma of orchids, and the powerful scent of coffee—100% Colombian coffee, that is. Born in Bogotá, Colombia to Eustacio Rodríguez and Tulia de Rodríguez, Rocio’s story is one that takes her from pretending to be a teacher at her family store in Santa Isabel to teaching English to mothers of students in the Clark County School District [CCSD] of Las Vegas.

Growing up in a middle-class family, Rocio talks about her life as the “spoiled one” in the family and being the youngest of five siblings in her home. Working hard to earn scholarships for her education, Rocio was a dedicated student motivated by the pride of her father. In her oral history, she looks back fondly on famiy traditions from lighting farolitos on Christmas Eve to running around the block with her sister, with empty suitcases in hand as the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve. She talks about shifting careers and finding her passion in the hospitality and tourism industry after earning her degree in 1985 from the institution Inpahu.

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In the mid- to late 1980s, Rocio’s recollections from Colombia were of tanks patrolling the streets of the capitol as the Presidential Palace was overtaken by guerillas and living in a “new normal” where Colombian women were regularly accused of transporting drugs and actively harassed in airports. Seeking a better life, she turned to the United States to live with her sister.

Rocio describes her migration story to the United States as a miracle—one that includes being interrogated in Tijuana and getting stopped by immigration officers in San Clemente. Arriving in 1991, she shares her expriences being discriminated against as a Latina in Calfornia and throwing items from the second floor of her home as she escaped approaching wildfires. By day she worked in an array of occupations, including cleaning homes and working in cargo for airlines, and by night could be found in West Los Angeles earning her GED where she would meet her future Salvadoran husband, Leonardo Martinez.

For Rocio, 1998 marked the start of a new chapter—the year she became known as “Nathalie’s mom.” Her oral history reflects the value of her identity as a mother and the longlasting friendship she built with her daughter from letters she wrote to her when she was pregnant to supporting her at high school swim meets. The love she had for her daughter drew her to sacrifice the life she had built in California and take on 120-degree heat on a fourth of July weekend to move to Las Vegas in 2006.

She goes on to describe the diversity of the city through the lens of the CCSD—as both a parent, volunteer, and employee. Seeing her daughter grow up learning from the Latinx community and adopting Mexican idiomatic expressions, she discusses what it was like for her daughter to be exposed to a variety of Latinx cultures outside of the Colombian and Salvadoran traditions of her household.

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Working in CCSD, Rocio describes her experience as difficult yet rewarding. Motivated to serve and give back, she supported students with special needs and also dedicated herself to inspire members of the Latinx community. Her work teaching English and Spanish language classes through Family and Community Engagement Services [FACES] through games of UNO and singing songs, allowed the dreams of a young girl in Bogotá come true.

Outside of crafting and raising parakeets named Chelo, Rocio is a proud Colombian woman who is dedicated to her roles as a mother, educator, and community advocate. Her goals are to earn her license to be a teacher and continue inspiring mothers in the Latinx community to continue striving for their dreams. As a volunteer for the Latinx Voices Oral History project, Rocio has played an essential role in the mangagement of the Spanish oral histories collected. The Latinx Voices team is grateful for her time and the passion she showed as she learned more about the community that made Las Vegas more than a home for her and her family.