Michael Castaldo

Written By Guest User

ANNOTATIONS

1. COVID-19 Hospitalizations - Michael’s description of his family’s experience working at hospitals refers to an earlier period of the pandemic when hospitals were just grasping how to cope with the surplus amount of people, and how these numbers and his relatives’ experiences had changed by the time of the interview. Over the summer of 2020, New Jersey COVID-19 related hospitalization rates plateaued and continued to decline through November. These rates went down partially because of the arrival of warmer weather, which made social distancing an easier task. According to the Journal of Infectious Diseases, "Outdoor spaces generally allow for more physical distancing, which mitigates the risk of virus transmission through larger respiratory droplets Outdoor spaces allow for airflow, ventilation, and lack of recycled air, which all minimize the theoretical risk of aerosol transmission through smaller respiratory droplets” (Bulfone et al.). Transmission rates are significantly lower outdoors, and with New Jersey's typically warm weather, cases dropped with more people gathering responsibly outside.
2. Digital Divide - Low income families with children that are attending school through a public education system are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, particularly if they have limited access to WiFi. The digital divide, a symptom of economic vulnerability, has only been exasperated by the pandemic, and students without stable access to the internet can easily fall into a precarious relationship with their education. Luckily, Michael’s children have received specialized intervention, but without specific attention towards the inevitable learning gap that children facing precarious housing often face, the gap will never be closed, and students will continue to struggle in the new educational age that works against those without access to WiFi or data.
3. Public Health Messaging - In Michael's experience, wearing a mask is seen as an attack on his personal liberties. His opinion is representative of a country-wide issue; because of the newness of the virus, and the experimental nature of the scientific process, variations in messaging appeared as inconsistent communication from public health officials. As a result, a portion of the general public feels that they are being misled or, at the least, receiving conflicting messaging from public health officials. Opinion on the danger of the virus, mask-wearing, and social distancing practices are all so incredibly varied within the country, most likely due to this gap in communication.
4. Verbal Affirmation - Children who lack verbal affirmation and affection from parental figures can easily fall into problems dealing with relationships, every day life, stress regulation, and often lack the right tools to manage adulthood. Michael recognizes that verbal affirmation, something he didn't receive from his parents in his own childhood, is imperative for his children's sense of self and development. Without clear and loving verbal communication, a cycle of emotional neglect can continue, leaving children without the emotional tools for a safe and effective adulthood.
5. Pandemic Fatigue - The lockdown caused extreme stress within children who lacked the understanding of how to cope with the new reality presented to them. As a result, this stress caused issues like increased irritability, anxiety, and separation issues associated with the parental figure they were quarantined with. In Michael's case, he seems to witness some symptoms of separation anxiety and a general pandemic fatigue from his children's questions of when the lockdown would end.
6. Housing Quality, Permanent Supportive Housing - The quality of Michael's living situation affected how he went about his everyday life. By granting his family a permanent place to stay, the path towards stability is clearer and more attainable. The Housing First approach functions under the belief that housing a family as quickly as possible, and in an environment with actual comfortable standards, is one of the most effective tools to end the cycle of houselessness. The Housing First approach puts a particular focus on families experiencing housing instability. For family units like Michael's, the Housing First approach provided accelerated housing and propelled them into healthier practices for their stability.
7. Social Support - A closeness with your extended or immediate family can potentially break the cycle of homelessness or precarious housing. Not only can family members provide material support with items like food or clothing, but they also can function as emotional support that influences a stable lifestyle. Typically, the strongest social network is found within family, but those seeking a support system can seek organizations that provide a sense of community if they are estranged from family. No matter where they find the support, it is imperative for a family experiencing housing precariousness to have some outlet of constant support.

TRANSCRIPT

Interview conducted by Cara Del Gaudio

Conducted Remotely

September 2, 2020

Transcription by Rutgers Oral History Archive

0:00

Okay, you can talk now.  

Alright.  So, you guys are all set?

Yes, I think so.

Okay.  So, you understand all the project goals and things like that?

No, I don’t even know what I’m being interviewed for.

Okay, so then I’ll talk a little bit about that. 

Yes.

So, the Shelter Project is taking place, I think, in a few organizations– or a handful of organizations throughout the country from a grant from the Luce Foundation and it’s working with populations who are– have faced housing instability, food insecurity, things like that, during the pandemic.  So, the big question is, what does it mean to shelter in place if you don’t have a shelter or if you’re transitioning shelters, things like that.  So, I got involved because I’m in the Public History program at Rutgers, um, and so since this is such a big historical moment, um, I’m very interested in, and a lot of people are very interested in preserving what’s been going on, and it’s especially important to me, and many others, to do that from a perspective of people whose histories are maybe not in history books, things like that. 

Yes.

I’ve been talking a lot, so. 

That’s fine, no, I understand now, I get it. I get it. I get it.  

Okay. Yes, so there are a lot of different, a few different populations that we’ve been working with. People who are reentry after incarceration or people who are just, um– well all different situations really.  We haven’t done as many interviews, I think, as we initially thought. So, it’s just been a matter of, you know, when people are able to be interviewed and things like that. 

Let’s rock and roll.  

But I definitely– have you looked at the consent form and things like that?

Yes, I signed it. I didn’t bring my reading glasses, so I just signed it. I don’t care.

Oh okay, because there will be parts that are going to be published online, so.

That’s fine.

Yes.  

I don’t care.

So, that’s all up to you and then, yes, so it’s recording, I believe, already, although I don’t see that it says it is.  

I have no idea. 

Yes, I’m just going to poke around a little bit because usually, I think, it says recording in the corner and I don’t think I do that on my end, oh, record. Was there somebody in the room with you before that you might be able to find?  

There was, I don’t know where he went, he just left.

Okay. Well, I’m sure it’s not the end of the world if it’s not recording– or maybe it is, I don’t really know.  

He said it was all set up and ready to go, so that’s what he said.  

Okay, I’m just gonna call my professor really quick.  

Where’s this guy at? I’m hooked up to this thing now, I’ll end up breaking it. He should’ve turned the AC on in this room, boy it’s hot in here.  [laughter]  

I hope this isn’t weird, okay. Hi, Dr. (??), I’m sorry to bother you, this is Cara, but the Zoom is not recoding and I don’t know if that’s an issue? I think they left the room and it’s not– it says, “Please request record permission from the meeting host.”  Typically, it says recording in the, oh, then never mind, okay. He said that they said it was all set, so I guess it’s all set.  Okay, thank you so much, alright, thank you, have a good night, bye. Okay, so that’s all set then. So, do you want to start by telling me about yourself?  

Yes, I guess, I’m a truck driver.

5:12

Okay.

I have three kids, single father now.  We were having a bad year before COVID hit and then when COVID hit, it was just add to the stress type deal, and with me, we were living in a hotel at the time, when it first came down.  

Okay.

We just got out of the hotel in July.  So, and with me, it wasn’t that bad because I’m considered essential, so I kept working, but the kids were going crazy.

Okay. How old are your kids?

Sixteen, fourteen, and eleven-year-old girl.

Okay.

And I could see how hard it was weighing on them and especially being at the hotel and not being home, it was, it was starting to stress everybody out, so. 

Yes.  

Staying home, no school, no activities, no nothing, was killing them, but we didn’t really, like, I didn’t press, because I don’t know.  I thought I had it already but whatever. I only started wearing a mask recently, when I go into places, and we’re fine, thank God, so.  

Yes, where are you staying now?  

Edison in Marina Drive.

Okay.  

They got me in a complex. They found us a place. Yes, so I was happy.  

Great.

That’s why when he asked me to do this, I said no problem.  

That’s great. Just looking at my questions. Are you from New Jersey?  

Well, I lived here since I was fourteen.  

Okay.  

I’m originally from Brooklyn, my family and they moved us out here and it is what it is.  

Yes.

I love New Jersey. I don’t even tell most people I’m from Brooklyn, so. I’m a Jersey boy. That’s what I tell people.

Yes. 

My family gets mad but that’s alright.  [laughter] 

What does a typical day look like you for you and your family?

Now?  

Yes.

Kids are home– man, they’re bored. I just picked up my son from– he just started playing baseball, so he’s happy. Baseball just started for him. My daughter’s going crazy because she wants to do gymnastics and they won’t open it yet and she’s driving me crazy. She’s stuck in the house and they have no friends yet, new school. They’re doing remote learning, so they ain’t going to meet, you know what I mean?  

Yes.  

So, she’s stuck home on that TikTok stuff, whatever, the phone and all that.

Yes.  

So– but for the most part, I go to work, they’re home. I get out around now. I just got out of work. I go home, walk the dog. She usually comes with me and then I cook dinner, clean up, and she’s on TikTok. I watch television. My other son, my oldest son, is on his computer playing them games with the headsets and talking to people and whatever that is and my fourteen years old is usually at practice. I go get him afterwards or whatever he’s doing, you know what I mean. He has baseball now, so then he’ll go home now, I mean, come home. He wanted to sleep at his friend’s house but I said no because there’s school tomorrow. It starts tomorrow. 

Oh yes.

Yes, so, they got to start getting used to that. Well, I’m going to try to get him used to that, what for the last six months, because of COVID, they’ve been staying up all night.  

Yes.

They have no, you know what I mean?  

Yes, I think that’s pretty common for little kids.

Then there– I could see that they want to get out and go back, or my daughter keeps asking me, “When is it going to end? When is it going to end?” So.  

[Annotation 5]

Yes, it’s hard for a lot of kids to understand and even adults.  

No, yes, it is what it is. We’ll survive.  

9:22

Yes, do you know anyone who had COVID?  

No, no.  

Okay, good.  

No, not at all. My sister and my niece are RNs, one works in JFK emergency and my other sister works up Holy or something, up there in New Jersey, are nurses, so. They said it was bad for a while. They said it ain’t that bad now.  

Yes.

You know.  

Definitely a relief to look at the graph right now. 

I was surprised. I was in the hospital two weeks ago. I got cuts and bad infections in my legs from at work and the emergency room was nobody, nobody. I was in and out in two hours.  

[Annotation 1]

Interesting.

I couldn’t believe it. It’s better than DMV.  [laughter]

Yes. So, one thing I’ve kind of been working on with the interviews is trying to let it flow and hear what you have to say because I think it tells a lot about a person what they want to share but I have a habit of asking all the questions. 

Okay, fine, do whatever you want. I’m pretty outgoing.  Hope I’m not making you uncomfortable.  

No.

People say I talk too much, so.  

Good, that’s what I need.

I talk to a lot of people anywhere I go. That’s how people know I’m from New York because I talk to anybody, anywhere I go.  

Do you have any hobbies that you’ve been able to keep up with?  

Nah, I haven’t had, I got kids and work by myself. I don’t even have time for myself.

What do you like to do?  

I like hiking, bowling. I just told my kids, as soon as everything opens up Sunday, we’re going to join a league, just us, you know what I mean, like a family type thing. You know what I mean? I think we should be together more, I feel, you know?

Yes.

One of my rules is, now that we got a house, well an apartment, we have to eat dinner every night at the table and no phones.  

Yes.

Which they’ve been doing, so I can’t complain. I’m not the greatest cook, but hey, sometimes Dominos cooks. [laughter]  But, you know, that’s it, that’s really it. I like going to baseball games. I love watching my son play baseball. I love going to see the Mets, you know, with the kids.

Yes, that’s awesome.  My dad and family are Mets fans.  

Oh, we’re diehard Mets fans, and Jets. I’m a Jet fan. Me and the kids are Jets fans. So, hopefully, we can get back going to games.  But I enjoy the most watching my son play, he’s really good, and hopefully he gets a college scholarship for baseball. I hope so.

That would be awesome.

And he goes to a big good college. He likes Rutgers.  

Yes, I love Rutgers. I didn’t want to go to Rutgers at first but it really just has a ton of programs for anything you could want to do.  

I like it because it’s close. He won’t need me, if–

Yes.

I want my kids close. I don’t want them to go far.

I’m about forty minutes out and I don’t think I’d want to be any farther than that.  

Got to stay close to Mom and Dad.

Yes.

Yes, I agree.  

12:54

What else?  Did you go to college?  

No, do I look like a college person to you? No, no.  

Then, one of the questions from before that. You said you just started wearing a mask?  

Yes, pretty much. I was forced to wear a mask.

Okay.

When they started to force it to go to Shop Rite and stuff.

Yes. 

The only time I wear it is to go into a store.  

Yes.

And if they make you. If I go to the 7-11 in the morning over here on Route 1, they don’t make you wear a mask, so I go in without one.  Only if they make you wear it, I’ll wear it. Because I don’t want to argue with people, so if someone says something.

Yes.

I get aggressive fast. That’s why I won’t.

You just don’t like it?

What?

You just don’t like wearing it like?  

I’m overweight and I’m asthmatic, so it makes me hard to breathe, and plus, I believe it’s over and I don’t want to argue with people about their politicians, you know what I mean? I feel like it’s all over politics right now.  

I definitely feel the desire to not get into arguments.  [laughter]  

And I know that people don’t believe in the same thing I believe which is fine, everybody has their opinion but don’t force me to do something I don’t believe in. Like I won’t force you to do something you don’t believe in. You know what I mean? 

Yes.

It’s my choice, if I want to risk catching it, that should be on me. That’s like seatbelts. I don’t believe the cops should ticket you for a seatbelt, but if I want to take the chance, I should be allowed to take the chance with my life. Nobody should be able to tell me yes or no. You know what I’m saying? That’s being free ain’t it? 

[Annotation 3]

Okay, I’m actually glad we talked about that because I haven’t asked anyone about masks yet.    

Yes, I hate it. I actually started coming up the stairs and I said, “Shit, the mask.” Turned around and walked and got my thing. My daughter got me this one because its easier for me because, so I could just bring it up.  

Yes, my cousin had that.  

I got this one. Got a Spiderman one and I got a Hulk one. So, when I pull it up, it looks like their mouths, pretty cool actually. [laughter]  People say I look mean so they don’t usually don’t bother me because I look like the type of person that’s mean, so they stay away.  People don’t usually question me.  

15:24

Roughly how old are you?

Forty-five, I’ll be forty-six September 10th.

My birthday is September too.

My ex-wife is the 11th. My niece is the 7th. My sister’s the 13th and my brother-in-law is the 14th.  

Wow.

So, we have a lot of Septembers.  

Wow, yes.  

It means our families were getting busy for New Years. They were drinking too much.  

Are you close with your sister’s family? 

Yes.

That’s good.  

I’m very close with all my family.

Good, good. 

All my family. It’s good for kids to have cousins I feel. Yes, my kids are the youngest, because I’m the youngest, so.  

Yes.

But all my nieces pick them up, buy them clothes, they treat them like little brothers and sisters.  

[Annotation 7]

That’s nice.  

Yes.  

I was hoping to be able to drag this out some more. Looking up some questions.  

That’s me sorry.

Okay, no that’s fine.  

Katie, I’m in the interview I’ll call you back. I’ll call you back, I’m doing the interview. I love you. Be home soon, bye. My daughter, sorry.  

Well.

She has a fit if I don’t answer the phone. That’s why I had to answer her. 

No worries at all, I understand that, especially when they’re that young.

Her mother left, ever since her mother just vanished and left us, she clinged onto me like, she calls me every forty-five minutes when I’m at work. It’s constant, constant.

Yes, that’s hard, but I think that’s a very natural reaction as well. 

She’s getting better, she’s getting better, so. Hopefully, it’ll pass soon.  

Yes.

I don’t care. I love my kids. I’ll do anything for them.

Yes.

I tell her that every day. I tell them I love them every day. I tell– my son’s in the car, I get out of the car, my son says, “I love you dad.” “I love you too, I’ll be right back.” I never had that. My father never told me that. I knew he did. He never, when he was dying, on his deathbed he told me, yes, but we didn’t do it the way we do it now like, you know.  

[Annotation 4]

It makes a difference. 

Oh, I think so. I think so, definitely. I think they trust me enough that they tell me things like I didn’t tell my family, my parents, you know what I mean? And their friends are very open towards me, so. 

It’s nice.  

I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s my persona, you know, I don’t know, the way I act. I act like a kid. I don’t know. They’re very good with me, I like it. Their friends like me being around too, so I don’t understand.  

18:20

It’s amazing. Having them home has made you guys closer?

Yes, especially with all we’ve been through. 

Yes.

We’ve been through a lot this year, a real lot. We lost our home. Like I said, their mother and my wife walked out on us, we found out a lot of bad things that she was doing and then we were in– the hotel we were in was awful, from last October till just July 1st. That was the worst thing in the world. On top of that, then the COVID, we had to stay there. They had to stay in that room all that time. 

Yes.

And the hotel was awful: drug deals, prostitution. Cops were there every night, just about. Twice a week they were taking someone OD’ing out, or something. It was awful. I couldn’t wait. This place saved me. When they told me they had a place for me I was like thank you God.  

[Annotation 6]

Yes, I’m really glad you found it. How did you find out about it?  

One of the people I was talking to at the hotel told me about Pastor Seth and my DYFS worker looked into it because they called DYFS on my wife. She’s still my wife. We didn’t get divorced yet but– and he looked into it and then I met them and within three weeks they had us a place, thank God. 

Wow, yes, that’s great.

Yes, we were out of there with the dog and everything.  

You said thank God, are you religious at all?

Catholic. I was brought up Catholic. 

Yes.

I went to Catholic grammar school and all that. Yes, I wish I could send them. I don’t have the money. It’s too much. 

Yes.  

I make decent money but it’s still too much.  

Got you. 

Then I’d have to send three.  

Yes.

I tell my mother, “I don’t know how you did it. I tell her all the time. I don’t know how you did it. I don’t know how you guys did it,” and she laughs. 

I have siblings, too, and now we’re all in college.

I don’t know how she did it, man, but that’s alright. I’ll figure it out. That’s what I tell my kids. We’ll figure it out when the time comes.

Yes.  

When it’s time for you to go to college, we’ll figure it out.  

That’s a good attitude to have.  

Yes.

How do you typically get your news? 

Me? When I’m at work in the truck. I drive a truck all day. So, what I try to do is I listen to 101.5, New Jersey 101.5 from, I love Bill Spadea, I love him, and I love the afternoon show. I try to listen till about eleven o’clock and then I shut that off and I put on YouTube.

Cool.

I like listening to those paranormal stories, like creepy.

Oh yes.

Like Creepy Pasta, Darkness Prevails, that kind of stuff I listen to the rest of the day. So all my news comes from 101.5.  

21:19

Did you guys have a phone or a computer, and everything, when you were in the hotel?  

We had their phone. We had our cell phones but that’s it.  

Is that how the kids did school?  

They had worksheets because the Wi-Fi was garbage. They couldn’t use the Wi-Fi and data, it’s too much money. Three kids, they’d run through it with nothing. So, South Amboy– the guidance counselor, the principal for the elementary school, they are awesome. They are phenomenal. They helped us so much. I couldn’t believe it  They went and got worksheets, printed everything out and would bring it to them. So, that’s how they did it and I’d hand it back in when they were done and that’s how they went through school. I actually got to send them a gift because that’s how much they helped us. It was unbelievable how much the South Amboy Elementary School people helped them. I couldn’t believe it. But there are good people in the world. As bad as it looks, there really are good people left.  

[Annotation 2]

Are there any other organizations that have helped?  

No.

Well, it seems like you got two big ones, so that’s– and having a good relationship with your family helps too, even if–  

Well, we got food stamps if that counts.  

True.

That’s it. That’s really it. Everything else, nothing else I qualified for because I work.  

Right.

They told me to quit my job. They said, “Quit your job and you’ll get everything for free.” I looked at the lady like she was nuts. I was like, “Are you out of your mind?” Who tells somebody that?

Yes.

The idea is to help me until I’m on my feet, you know what I mean, and then I don’t need it anymore. Not do it and stay on it forever, come on, that’s not what the program is meant for, you know.  

23:15

Okay, well I don’t have anymore questions.  

That’s alright, if you get anymore, you tell them, I’ll come back again. It’s no big deal. They need it, I’ll do that.

I appreciate that. I probably won’t do that to you but I appreciate it anyway.  

Could I tell that guy to come in here? 

Yes, I guess so.  

Well, thank you. You have a good day.

Good luck with everything.

Thank you so much.

And good luck with school for your kids.

It starts tomorrow.

Mine started yesterday.

Well, you good luck, have a good day and be safe, alright.

Thank you, bye, now.  

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