Viet Thanh Nguyen Event

Viet Thanh Nguyen
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

The 21st Rutgers Living History Society Meeting & Stephen E. Ambrose Oral History Award Ceremony

May 2, 2026

Rutgers Oral History Archives

Date: August 11, 2020
Interviewers:
- Leo Valdes
Recommended Citation: Mendez, Lissa. Oral History Interview, August 11, 2020, by Leo Valdes, Page #, Rutgers Oral History Archives. Online: Insert URL (Last Accessed: Insert Date).
Permission:

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Oral History Interview (En Español)
Click here to view video interview or press play below

Interview Summary:

Lissa Mendez was born in Guatemala in 1991 and immigrated to the United States as a teenager. This interview discusses her youth in Guatemala, various states where she has lived, including Missouri, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York, her successful application for asylum, and her experiences navigating the Coronavirus pandemic. Topics include anti-queer bullying, religious faith, gender transition and economic challenges caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. Mendez currently works as a taxi driver, a profession she thoroughly enjoys, and has worked in the service sector, construction and as a nursing assistant.