Persona & Empathy Map

            Cristina Garcia is a 24 year old Mexican woman living in the United States. She is bright, well educated and comes from a conservative family. She has been married for the past two years to Carlos, a Mexican working professional with whom she is very much in love with. Cristina is very supportive of her husband’s goals and ambitions, since she understands that working in the United States is a great opportunity that will boost his career. They are thinking of starting a family in the short-term and, although she misses home, her family and friends, she understands this sacrifice will allow them to improve their situation and provide better opportunities for the whole family. Unfortunately she does not have a work Visa, but she works remotely part-time for a Mexican company and aspires to continue developing professionally.

            Cristina lives in a friendly, healthy and safe environment. She has been able to make great friends, with whom she meets on most days to chat, get some coffee or play some card games. Since she lives downtown, she walks to most places, and she drives her personal car everywhere else. She and her husband like to go out and have fun on the weekends. They usually go to bars, and she typically orders a long island ice tea or a screwdriver. They go to the movies, which is always complicated, since she likes romance movies and Carlos really likes action films. Sometimes they go out to dinner, since both enjoy a good meal with a glass of red wine. They enjoy each other’s company but they also like getting together with their friends.

Besides her spending half her day working online on her Mac computer, she fills her days with interesting activities. She purchases the weekly groceries and does the cooking, washing and cleaning in their small apartment. She doesn’t like to get her hands dirty and gets really tired after a day filled with chores, but she likes keeps everything clean and in order. She likes to buy healthy food, although she loves chips and sweets. Additionally, she takes weekly tennis lessons, goes to the gym and occasionally plays golf. She is occupied most of the day, but she also finds time to relax, hang out and watch TV. She especially likes to watch all types of sports channels and will never miss a tennis tournament.

 Cristina is an outgoing woman, and she has no problem starting up a conversation with new people. She is well articulated and traveled, and maintains aware of world news and events, which help have interesting conversations. Her friends trust her and like spending time with her. The ones in Mexico are very affectionate every time she visits and miss her every time she leaves. Her friends are also starting their families, so she likes to talk on the phone and Skype occasionally, to keep in touch and know what is going on with their lives. When she visits, she tries to see them as much as possible, and they have visited her as well. She is a good host and even purchased a really comfortable inflatable bed for when they visit.

Cristina is an attractive woman who likes to dress nice and takes care of her appearance. She likes buying good clothing and likes to carry a nice purse, but not necessarily always expensive brands. She always keeps her makeup in her purse and makes sure she is wearing enough lipstick. For this and all her other things, she usually carries a large purse, unless she is really dressed up. She has many shoes, of different colors and styles, and between her dress and sports shoes, she fills up most of her closet.

She likes helping people and has a good attitude towards life and others. She does well with her work and her boss lets her work without interfering much, because he knows she is responsible, loyal and hardworking. Although she is easy to get along with, she has a strong character, argues strongly in what she believes in and looks for what is just and right. She hates when people don’t do their job and would never allow anybody talking to her in a disrespectful manner.

            Even though she lives a happy life, Cristina has her troubles and worries. She misses her family and likes to visit Mexico as often as possible, because she fears she will lose the relationships she’s built throughout her life. This can get complicated, since airplane tickets are very expensive and driving over the Mexican border is currently pretty dangerous. Also, she feels lonely when Carlos travels for work and hates being alone. She knows it’s something he needs to do, but gets frustrated every time he leaves. Her main fear is the uncertainty for the future, because she knows raising a family is expensive, and she wants to give her children the best opportunities.

            She hopes that one day she can go back to live in Mexico. She wants her children to grow up where she did, live surrounded by the Mexican culture and get the right education to prepare for their future. She knows there will be obstacles, but the future will depend on her husband’s career opportunities. Most of all, she wants to have a long and happy life with Carlos. She hopes to be healthy and enjoy her life with her family. She wants a nice house and would like to take several fun and memorable trips with her family. She wants to be a good wife and a good mother, and hopes to have a loving and lasting marriage with her husband.