BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK- PEOPLE
53CARLOS PAGAN ○ 40 →○ JACKSONVILLE ○ factory worker, census
enumerator, hip-hop artist, and entrepreneur“Wethoughtit wouldbeeasierforthefamilyin
Florida.It’sstillbeenhard.Atfirstwehadtowalk,because
wedidn’tknowthebussystem.I wrotea hip-hopsong
aboutbeinghomesickandmissingPuertoRicothatgot
ontotheradiostationandgavemea goodstart.I told
mywife,theSpanishadsyouhearontheradiohereare
reallybad.I thought,I can do this better. So we started a
productioncompany.
“Weworkallthetime,butmygirlsareina good
school.Wejustboughta house.I joinedtheChamberof
Commerce—I’mtheonlyhip-hopartist!I guessit’sthe
American dream. I’m still thinking about who to vote for.”CASSANDRA SANTIAGO ○ 31 �○ KISSIMMEE ○ cosmetologist
and Fairy Godmother at Walt
Disney World“IcameeightmonthsafterMaria.
TherewasnowhereontheislandI couldgo
andfinda goodjob.It’sexpensivehere.I
gota full-timejobatDisneyandstillhadto
getanextrapart-timejobtopaythesecurity
depositonanapartment.It’scrazy, but I
considermyselfreallylucky.
“I’ma FairyGodmotheratDisney
WorldinCinderella’sCastle.It’sliterallymy
dreamjob.Thelittlegirlscomeinandwe
transformthemintoprincesses,givethem
theroyaltreatment:hair,dress,nails.Atthe
endweturnthemaround,andit’ssuper
beautifultoseetheirlittlefacesreact.
“Atfirst,I wasshockedbyCovid.
AtDisney,wedidn’twanttobelieve
it becausewehavesomanycontacts
withpeoplearoundtheworld.It wasso
stressfulwhenthingsshutdown.Disneyis
reopened,butmyjobis notopenyet.Now
it’sgettingtothepointwhereI’mgetting
anxietyanddepressionagain.Howam I
going to survive on $200 a week?”PIZARRO
AND
GARCIA:
PHOTOGRAPH
BY
EVE
EDELHEIT
FOR
BLOOMBERG
BUSINESSWEEK.
SANTIAGO: PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN WESTBROOK FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK