1 10 6 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/75a8a29df90355802aefe4a4880a4509.jpg?Expires=1779926400&Signature=Cf3dXuZw0EVkCJ-EXB3MePo511zdMR%7Ei9t6w1VwnDFyHO7mOw3Vdud35rrojIQjxDcSJ0UbNjLDA52fCQiP9ONHAxbHJD2AC0uQsR%7EVIypOMBNU%7E-e0dDOFRELTUmT0XQ4MeUEEtJy3O8yY8wX3-i4RMz-XWIlIov1Nn9VK0027UiwFXM8CUQtiQXh7wAxnbUKiUNEAOpRWrIQrNLHgfecTVEYdmiLfnk0tj2G8m84dPQMFE%7ENOjJmb7K%7EC-pON-tO46rQtbY%7E7PpnYELrvtS-4E4KNlCxn33K--D6Iw8c%7Eny6XfSloN7n9HGnp3Usd90d6b%7EE8%7EP2HbJqpeo3-NRg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 4939aef8ae70ac2cb391d00a7504edf1 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/2c8f7a1f63f585f3e494e1ce271c811c.pdf?Expires=1779926400&Signature=EgCtuFuA2AK-JKjawbbZRtSAiuQ%7Ez56CxdyPofp%7EHCHYi4GYwEsoU0OkmgX9cwTjUAi32zIBU74geoQKXgMWMorUfChNDCxiic2dvks00VL70V%7E7noxHp2G12jSYpYqR6TAkKkcS4y%7EA8jkhm7QQlAdPp0TK99S7H6pwQd4FXgKXih%7EfBQmu3w1Q0JnNBLlCkd1P0rqZmYwSe2PXhQFrpTTETwA4OdEhW1DjdlUm3i2txvqiaCCGjRqmzUF2P2s4BR8FtxZEkFz1RyXdSZoaJHuRU2Vd7iS9U2Wuwr-dNWa-%7EbwWHMIXjUazqSqE4p--oHrBfl7u4cS8nOp1AWV14w__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 80cf06db14b059ba23dfbb84ca1d862b PDF Text Text 1 Transcript for Oral History Interview Conducted for University of Maryland Course Hist 428M - Spring 2021 Instructor: Dr. Anne S. Rush Interviewer’s name: Antonio J. Palas Interviewee’s name: Antonia A. Sfiriou Interviewee’s Country of Origin: Greece Interviewee’s Current Residence: Baltimore City, Maryland, U.S.A. Date of Interview: February 28, 2021 Place of Interview: Baltimore City, Maryland, U.S.A. Introduction: This interview between Antonio Palas and Antonia Sfiriou is a comprehensive look at the experiences of Antonia as a female immigrant to the United States from Greece. Born on a small Aegean island, Antonia was brought to the United States by her parents when she was very young. She details her story of leaving Greece and settling in a Greek neighborhood in Baltimore, her struggles to learn English, her ambitions to enter the healthcare profession, and the obstacles that she faced to attain her dream. Antonia’s interview shines light on the attitudes and beliefs of Greek culture on women. She recounts how her story fit and broke the mold on women assembled by Greek culture. Keywords: Greece, Rhodes, Halki, Pondamos, respect, perspective, Baltimore, Catholic, women [Snoring may be heard throughout the interview; Interviewee’s father is an oncology patient which she did not want to be too far away from.] Palas: I am Antonio Palas, interviewing Antonia Sfiriou in her home in Baltimore, Maryland. So, let’s begin. Uh where were you born? Sfiriou: I was born in the island of Rhodes which is about an hour away from the island of Halki, which I am originally from. Palas: Uh, what were your memories of Greece before leaving? Sfiriou: My memory of Greece um, (pause) uh, I was young. And I remember going to the, our house was located like, five minutes away from the beach of Pondamos [Popular beach on the island of Halki]. I remember when I was younger, my dad would take me fishing on the fishing boat, uh. Going to the, we have olive trees too, I remember that. Going with my grandparents, my mom’s mother and father, going to the olive groves. I remember multiple things. I remember really good happiness and going down, seeing my aunts, my uncles. Walking with my dad and �2 my mom. We had goats. We had lambs. There was different areas on the island of Halki that we were going through, those were fantastic memories. Palas: How old were you when you left Greece? Sfiriou: I was about six or seven years old. Uh, didn’t know a word of English. I remember my dad and my mom getting us ready. And I just thought of, okay, it’s an adventure. It’s a vacation or, you know, you’re six or seven years old. You really don’t know. I didn’t know what to expect. Palas: What was it like leaving your home at such a young age? Sfirou: Um, I felt like it was an adventure. It was a journey. I was with my parents. Um, I really didn’t know much until we came here. And that’s when it really hit me. Palas: Do you remember any of the process of leaving Greece? Was it difficult in any way? Sfiriou: I remember from what my mother and my father was telling me, it’s not like it used to be. It’s not like it used to be now. Before you would have to wait. My uncle, my mom’s brother, was here. My uncle, my mom’s mother’s brother, was here too. So, you had to actually put in an application. I remember that process from what my mom and my dad were talking, but it was a process that you had to wait for approval. And then after you get approval, then you would come here. It’s not like it is nowadays where you would come here get a work visa. My parents didn’t have that. My parents had to wait for approval before coming to this country. They wouldn’t approve them without um, immigration, coming into the United States. Nowadays, I see multiple things happening. I see people coming in, under student visas and staying here. I see people that come here and work, which I’m not discriminating. It’s just a different process now. Now you have more things that are available to immigrants, where my parents did not have any of those things. I remember, we, you know, my parents were working hard. My mom worked as a seamstress in a factory. My dad was a painter. It was just, it’s not the same as it was back then. Palas: What can you recall that you were thinking, or what was going through your mind on the trip to America? Sfiriou: I really didn’t have much I, just like I said before, I just I was with my parents. I felt secure. Um, it was unknown. I didn’t know what to expect when I came here. I didn’t know anything about America. I didn’t know anything about that. So, it’s an unexpected journey. Palas: Did you have any hopes or expectations of what you wanted America to be? Sfiriou: Not at that age. Although when I went to school, that’s a different story. I don’t know if you want me to elaborate on that. Palas: We’ll get into that later. Um, what can you remember from what it was like when you arrived in America? Sfiriou: Pure craziness. I remember arriving at J.F.K. [International Airport]. My mom holding me tight, and I was holding her tight. My uncles came to pick us up. My dad was there, I had my little sister with me. It was just, J.F.K. was just madness. It was just crazy. I’ve never seen so �3 many people compared to where our island is nice and peaceful, everybody knew everybody, then I came here, and I didn’t know anybody. And it was just like a lot of people, a lot of commotion. It was scary, at the same time, but I felt secure because my parents were, you know, I was holding on to my parents. Palas: And do you know what the reasons were that you, your family moved to America? Was it political reasons in Greece? Was it economic reasons? Sfiriou: No, I think it was just because my mom’s brother was here, my uncle was here, and my parents wanted a better life for us. And I have to say, I love it. I’m glad that we came here. It was very, very, very challenging for my parents, and for myself, coming here, um but we came for a better life, you know, just like everybody else, they come for a better life. Greece, Greece’s way of life is different. They are enjoying life where, I’m not saying that we don’t enjoy it here in the United States. But now that I’m a U.S. citizen, which I chose to be, because that’s what I’m proud to be. I have so many opportunities here than I would have gotten in Greece. Uh, my way of life here is different than it would have been there. So, I’m actually happy that my parents made that decision, even though it was hard, and it was challenging. It gave us, it gave me a new perspective on life. Something that a young woman in Greece wouldn’t be able to do. Now they can, but it’s still not as it is here. The equal opportunity, the choice of what college I want to go to, the choice of going to college, the choice of working in a great career, you know, you don’t get those opportunities. The government dictates to you in Greece, according to what you sit on exams [on your exam results], on what your profession is going to be. I shouldn’t have to have them choose what I want to do. I want to do what my passion is, what my choice is. Palas: Do you know why your family chose to settle down in Baltimore? Sfiriou: Yeah, yeah, so from what my mom and my dad have told me in the past, we arrived in New Jersey, and we stayed there for a few weeks. But my mom’s brother was there. And they just, my parents decided to come to Baltimore because there was more of a Greek knit, it was a tight Greek family here in Highlandtown. Now, not so. But before it was, everybody knew everybody; it was more of a Greek community. So, I’m actually glad that they settled in Baltimore. My dad, at that point, found a job working as a painter. My mom found a job as a seamstress. Then my grandparents came from Greece, again, with the same process that we had to wait, you know, it’s not an easy process, you have to wait about a year or so. Even more sometimes. It’s not like it is now. I mean, I can’t emphasize how challenging it was for us. We didn’t have resources like they do now. Palas: Was the American way of life at the time different from that in Greece? Sfiriou: Yes. Yes. It’s still different now. It’s still different. I’m not saying that we don’t enjoy our life here too, but the whole way of work ethic there is different than here. There’s, I feel even me visiting in Greece, there’s no respect for women, especially in higher career paths, which shouldn’t be that way at all. You know, it should be that everybody should be treated equal and respect each other. But they don’t have it there. They don’t have that work ethic. I mean, they have a strong work ethic, like they work really hard. And it’s not everybody. It’s just, it’s a �4 different dynamic. I can’t explain it unless, unless you live it. I am more Americanized than Greek. My sister, on the other hand, is more Greek than Americanized. Palas: So, after you came to Baltimore, you settled down, moved in. What was your childhood like? What, what memories do you have of living here in Baltimore as a kid? Sfiriou: Oh, fantastic memories, fantastic. Um, I wish those memories could come back. (begins to get choked up) It was great. My parents didn’t spare us, they worked very hard for what we had. And they actually gave us an opportunity to progress in this life. To make it better for us, and I think they did. For me, I have to say, I’m very grateful. They gave up so much for us, so much. My mom working hard, nonstop in the factory. Those conditions in the factory are so different than they are now. Um, my dad working nonstop. So, but they never said no to us on anything. We never went without food, we never went out, you know, without clothes. They gave up what they needed for us, for my sister and I. And it was very hard. I mean, those fantastic memories. But it was hard in that school, it was very hard. I remember my mom having to pay tutors because it was so hard transitioning. When I came and they put me in first grade, I actually had to stay back a year, because I couldn’t understand. They didn’t take the time. I think the public-school system didn’t have translators. They did not have all that stuff. I remember going to the doctors where we would have to translate for my parents, where nowadays it’s not like that, you know, there’s laws that are implemented. Now, um, in the past that was it. But I have to say, nothing, we didn’t go without. We did everything, they put us in Greek School. Of course, we had to keep the same Greek traditions which was very hard going full time school in American School and then going to Greek School also. And then Sunday School, and then do all the extracurricular Greek so we wouldn’t be without knowing where we came from. So, to me, I had wonderful young memories, wonderful, because we never went without. They made it fun for us. Palas: Can you recall any specific instances where language was an obstacle for you in school? Sfiriou: Oh multiple! I remember, yeah it was extremely difficult. I mean, in my opinion, they should have had other things put in place in the school district, especially after my parents were paying tax dollars. And they should have implemented a lot of resources. My mom had to pay, work extra, and pay a tutor to help me with school. Um, I mean, I shouldn’t have to be kept back without helping. I mean, I remember being in a public school until third grade, and it was a very, I had to work so hard. I mean, endless times working and studying late until my mom transferred me to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School. And that’s when I just flourished. I, they took the time, I remember those nuns taking the time, um to teach me, to help me read. Um, there was always extra time within that eight hours of being at school that they took that time, that extra half an hour having that nun help me to understand what each word was. I’ve never um felt so secure than I did in a Catholic school. But the public schools I have to say were, (sigh) were horrible, horrible. They didn’t understand the cultural aspect of it. Yes, they had a lot of Greek kids and, but the Greek kids that were here were already living here. I came from Greece and automatically placed in first grade. Do you know how hard that is? It’s very challenging, very challenging for a young person to read and to not understand and then, it’s hard. And not only that, but some of the teachers did not have that education and the cultural understanding of, you �5 know, how the family dynamic works. Like, yes, I go to American school, but I also have Greek homework that I have to do. And there was times I remember that I sitting for a test and I would write Greek instead of English. So yeah, I have to say, I think the public school system failed me. They could have easily helped me out or having a Greek teacher, because I know there was Greek teachers there. I think, yeah, the public schools failed me, and it failed my family. Palas: How did your parents react to the public school system and their neglect, so to speak? Sfiriou: My mom was upset; she wouldn’t say it in front of me. But I could hear her sometimes crying late because I couldn’t understand a word that they were telling me and then it was very hard. But I remember them conversing with my dad late at night and I could overhear. Not that they were loud, they weren’t arguing or anything, they were just conversing. And that’s when they made a decision that I transferred to Catholic school, even though they couldn’t even afford it. But they went without, for themselves, just so I can get a decent education and my sister. And that’s when I, like I said, I flourished in Catholic school. It was a smaller environment, they were more compassionate, they took the time out to understand. And they, I saw a lot of other kids, there were some Asian kids and some different kids that they took the time for every single one. They understood diversity, they, you know, that’s why in a young age, I understand as an immigrant coming here how important it is to have that other individual understand what you’re trying to explain to them. I think it’s very important for you to understand the different cultural aspects and what different cultures beliefs are, and you have to just go with it. Palas: Did language affect your social life in any way, making friends around the neighborhood or anything like that? Sfiriou: Oh yeah! My parents were, they did not let me socialize because they were so scared. Um, especially in grade school, with anyone who wasn’t Greek, like we had no non-Greek [friends], until I went to Catholic school, and I went into high school. And then my mom started trusting people. And I had really good friends that were Italian. There were a few friends from Spain. So, then it started getting better. But they still had us close, like it was still close knit, we weren’t allowed to do a lot of things. Because they were so, my parents were so scared. Plus, it’s also that Greek cultural, old mentality that the girl should stay home, you don’t do what, you know, there’s no need [for girls to leave the home]. Like, let me give you an example: Halloween. Yeah, we would buy costumes, they would buy us candy, but we weren’t allowed to go trick or treating. So, (laughs) I couldn’t understand the fact that I could get a costume and go to school dressed up, but then I can’t go trick or treating. And seeing all my friends go trick or treating (laughs). My parents would think that they would poison us. Like, that’s how scared they were. So, um yeah, I remember sneaking out one year (laughs), and my sister and I, when everybody else was leaving, trick or treating in our neighborhood. And finally, I remember this old lady next door she goes, we don’t have any more candy, but here, here’s some frozen steaks. (laughs) I’ll never forget it. And some pennies rolled up. I’m like, what are we gonna do with this, we can’t go home now with this. (both laughing) So we had to throw it out. So, it’s just some of the things that you do. It’s just funny. Yeah, so they would buy us, I’m telling you, we didn’t go without. We would get a whole bunch of candy that my mom and dad would buy, and �6 Halloween costumes. But what’s the point of getting dressed up if you can’t go trick or treating to experience that? Palas: So overall, would you say that your parents being really old-fashioned Greek was an impediment on your social growth? Sfiriou: No, I embraced it. But I also um, I also taught them to have an open mind about other people and trust other people. And just because they’re not non-Greek [not Greek], and that’s when they started learning. Palas: How so? Sfiriou: Like my friend Gia, they had to meet her parents and my mom knew some Italian but not a lot. My grandmother did, my grandmother, my mom’s mother who lived with us. But she had to like, you know, she had to feel them out. She had to know where the families were before we could actually go and socialize. But again, it didn’t impede my social life at all. Palas: Did your parents ever learn English fluently? Sfiriou: My dad um opened up a company, a painting company, he did well. And yes, my sister helped him a lot, and so did I. But he understood, and he could communicate with other people. He had a lot of government jobs [Government painting contracts]. And you know he really did, he had a successful business. My mom on the other hand um, so my dad had a successful business, and then he became uh an American citizen too. But I think I was the first person who became an American citizen first. (laughs) And then the whole family became an American citizen. My mom did not. Um, I don’t know why she just, she didn’t have to learn a lot of English, she could understand it, believe me. When we would talk English, she would understand it. She just couldn’t say anything. But again, I think she knew more than she let on. And she understood and she could speak broken [English], but not actually go into the doctors and understand exactly what they’re saying. Palas: Did your parents put forth a strong effort to learn? Sfiriou: Yes, they did. So did my dad and so did my mom, it’s just hard. I’m telling you, I don’t think they had the resources to learn. And just like other Greek families here, in my mom’s generation, they had the same thing. They didn’t have the resources. So, what do you want them to learn when they’re late? Like my dad had more resources than my mom. But again, it’s because he learned from my sister and me. I mean even though it was broken English, they still learned. And it’s the same with the Italian communities and the Polish community, especially my dad had a lot of um friends that were from different cultures and they were the same way. So. Palas: What effect did religion have on your upbringing? Sfiriou: Oh, religion is huge part of my upbringing. Um, we went to church and Sunday school every Sunday. We um celebrated all the holidays, all the holy holidays. Huge. My mom was a um huge Christian and so with my dad, but she was very um— Palas: Spiritual? �7 Sfiriou: —very spiritual, very spiritual. My dad not so, my mom, yes, super spiritual. And my sister’s the same way. I am too. I’m just more conservative than, my sister’s more pushy. Where I am more conservative, and I let people decide for their own what they want to do. You know, their choices in life and learn from their mistakes. Palas: So, the church was a big part? Sfiriou: Oh yes. Huge. We went to confession. We did communion we did the 40 days of fasting. We did the christenings, the weddings, everything. It was huge. Um, and it’s not just my immediate family. It was a huge part of our friends and our community, the Greek community. It still is. And I am very religious, and I consider myself very spiritual. I just don’t push it on people. I let them choose. Give them the facts and whatever they believe. It’s their choice. I can’t force them to believe in something they don’t believe in. Palas: Did the church ever play a social aspect of your life? Sfiriou: What do you mean social? Palas: Like um, so today you know how the church you’ve got the basketball teams at the church and stuff and people hang out at the church. What social aspect did the church play in your life? Sfiriou: Oh, yeah, I was part of the like the, I was, my sister was more with the Greek Orthodox G.O.Y.A. [Greek Orthodox Youth Association], the basketball. We did the G.O.Y.A. dancing. Yeah, it was huge. We had a lot, it was our little community, like our little Greek island, in the small community. We had the dances, we had the movie theaters, the church played a huge role in the youth bringing up so they wouldn’t be without. So, the church was a huge resource for the Greek immigrants. Huge. Um, learning, you know, whatever they needed, everybody pulled together. People that were um born here, the community, the church came too. St. Nicholas [Greek Orthodox Church] especially. I remember the priest there, Father George, was a huge advocate of just embracing the youth. He started a lot of the Greek youth, the basketball. So, the kids can have something to do. They had roller skating, they had movie theater, movie nights. Um, they had plays, they had brought actors from Greece, and they would sell tickets. But then it also gave to the people that didn’t have, no matter what their nationality no matter what their culture was. They had like soup kitchens, feeding the poor. So, we were all part of that, you know? So yeah, the church did play a huge role on who I am today. Palas: When your family eventually settled down in America, in Baltimore, did you feel a sense of loneliness, or was there like a community there to welcome you and to help you out? Sfiriou: No, in Baltimore, there was a community, St. Nicholas was a great community. I’m actually happy that we relocated here. Um, personally, I’m thinking of when we went to, I think it was Paramus, New Jersey, to stay with my uncle. There really wasn’t much to do. And there wasn’t a big Greek community there at all. And we stayed there for a few weeks. But thank God, we came to Baltimore, because when I came to Baltimore, like everyone on our street, understood kids that um were immigrants like myself, but there was also kids that were born here. So, I had cousins, also my dad’s side of the family, they were on the same street. So, they �8 embraced a lot of um, help us out. And we would hang out, we would do different things. So yes, they were welcoming, they would teach us certain things, you know, what’s going on in the community, how we should adapt to the American life. So yes, and it was a huge welcoming in Baltimore, especially in Highlandtown, not so much now. But it was before. And to this day, St. Nicholas, the Greek church, uh still does that. We still welcome new families that still immigrate here to the United States. And we have different [people] from different cultural backgrounds too, with intermarriages. We acknowledge each person, and we love them on how they are. Palas: Would you say that you found more of a community in the people from the same island in Greece, or just from in general people from Greece? Sfiriou: In general, in general. There’s different, there’s people from the island of Chios, there’s people from the island of Karpathos, they’re all from different parts. There were people from the Bahamas that immigrated to Baltimore (laughs). Um, people from Cameroon, Africa that immigrated to Baltimore. So no, it’s I think, our community here. Palas: Did, growing up, did the knowledge of being an immigrant ever affect or skew the way you saw your future going? Sfiriou: Um, no. I do understand diversity now, being an immigrant. I can understand people who immigrate here now and understand what they’re going through. But um, I just wish we had the resources that we have. I mean, I wish we had the resources they have now for us. Because they definitely have more benefits. They definitely have health care access, they have people who can assist with individuals who don’t speak the language and come from a different culture and understand, you know? So yeah, it has changed me to understand what people are feeling. When they come here, their fears, their, the feeling of unknown and just making sure they’re at ease and making sure that I can tell them there are resources to help. Palas: Have you lived anywhere else other than Greece and Baltimore? Sfiriou: Um, well I lived in Albany, New York for 10 years. Um, different way of life there, that’s for sure. I went to the Church of St. George, which is also a tight knit community. They’re more Americanized than they are here in Baltimore. Um much more Americanized than how we are here in Baltimore. Much more Americanized than we are here in Baltimore, I think. But the traditions are still there. The people are friendly, you still have all the traditions that we go through in Greece. So, you know, I went to Albany for 10 years. But again, each state, each city has their own unique um stance, meaning their own identities of what they, I mean, we have three different churches here in Baltimore, and the three different ones have different identities you can tell. Most kids yeah, you go to Greek school, but you really don’t speak Greek. You speak like American Greek. I can’t explain it. It’s not Greek Greek. Sfiriou: It’s like broken Greek. Palas: Um hum, would you rather have grown up in an area that was more Americanized? Or are you happy that you grew up in an area that’s more rooted in Greek culture? Sfiriou: Oh no! No, I’m definitely happy that I’m here in Baltimore, and I was raised in Baltimore, definitely for sure. �9 Palas: Why? Sfiriou: Because I don’t think I would have had that experience anywhere else other than Baltimore. They’re more, I’m more Americanized, I mean, more Greek here in Baltimore and learn different um traditions. Where in Albany, they don’t do some of that stuff. Or in some of the churches here in Baltimore don’t have those Greek roots. Um, from the dancing, from the way, you can tell if people are from, I don’t want to say any other, but you can tell if they’re, yes, they go to a Greek church, they’re a part of the Greek community. But you can tell when they speak Greek, where they come from (laughs) because it’s not Greek Greek. I can’t explain it unless without, you know, disrespecting someone else, and I don’t want to do that. Palas: (laughs) Growing up, and throughout your life, what jobs have you held? Sfiriou: Mostly healthcare, everything has been healthcare. Um, and I don’t know why it drove me there. I think maybe because when I was going to Greece, during the summers, I remembered the healthcare access is so limited there, like there is no healthcare like we have here in the United States. And my grandmother was sick when I was younger, and I always, I don’t know, for years I wanted to become a nurse. Now I’ve finished my Master’s in Public Health. I’m more emphasizing on patient safety, and how we can um prevent any harm. Especially for people that come from different cultures and different um diverse backgrounds. Because you should give them all their options and let them decide. But also, on the medical part, you have to make sure that they understand what you’re saying. So, we have to follow the rules and um policies that have been implemented for different healthcare organizations and laws. So. Palas: What was your first job? Sfiriou: My first job, um my very first job? Palas: Yes. Sfiriou: At 16 I was working at McDonalds. Um, and then I quickly found a medical receptionist job. And then immediately after that I went into school, I went into the X-ray uh, technology program. And then from that, I was offered a medical reception, and then after that went to medical assistant school. And ever since then it was just like that until I went to New York and finished my associates in nursing. And then I went, got divorced, came back, finished my bachelors and my masters. And I took care of both of my parents while working. And also did management too in a behavioral practice with autistic kids. Palas: Were you fluent enough in the language by the time you got your first job? Sfiriou: Oh yeah, I became an Americ—because when you are an immigrant, you have a Green Card. I’ll just explain the process back then. You would have to go into this downtown Baltimore, um I remember I was 18, downtown Baltimore down at this courthouse with a whole bunch of like, you would think it was like different people from all different backgrounds. Um and you would sit there in line like you were waiting at a deli. And I just sat in my chair waiting for my number to be called. And thinking, oh, this is not happening right now. I can’t do this. So, I, while I had my ticket (laughs) in my hand, I found this sign, there was always a person there, they said if you wanted to apply to become a U.S. citizen, I said, oh yes! So, while I was waiting �10 with my sticker, I went to the little table there. And I said, nope, I want to apply right now. I can’t do this anymore. Because you had to go every like, I don’t know how many years, to renew it [Green Card]. No, that wasn’t happening with me. So, I was actually the first out of my whole family to become a U.S citizen. So, I took it upon myself, and I went, I sat, that process of becoming an American citizen was very challenging, but it felt like so good to know that I had that opportunity to be an American citizen. Palas: Was the rest of your family as excited for citizenship as you were? Sfiriou: Yeah, my dad was, he got his afterwards. A few years after. And my mom at that point, became very ill, so, she couldn’t even like sit for the test because she had multiple strokes. But um she had her Green Card, and we renewed everything. But my dad was so excited. I remember my brother-in-law was helping him with the test, and he was so proud when he became an American citizen, he was holding his flag, he still has that flag. He’s just so proud to be an American citizen. I mean, it’s a huge accomplishment. It’s a huge honor that you can apply for it. Palas: And what about your sister, was she as excited or was it more of something that, you know, you just kind of did? Sfirou: My sister on the other hand (laughs) was more like my mom’s mentality. I don’t want to become. I said, well, you have no choice. Your whole family’s American so I suggest you go sit for your test, because you’re gonna have issues. So, then after she, you know, just smooth it over and I gave her all the options. And she’s like, yeah, I’m gonna go for it. So, she finally went for it. But yeah, she was happy when she became an American citizen. But again, she’s really Greek at heart. You know what I mean? But me on the other hand, I’m more Americanized than Greek. Like, I am proud to be an American, like when I go to Greece, um I have dual citizenship, but I am definitely happy to come back to the United States (laughing). Palas: So, would you consider yourself American, or Greek, or Greek American? Sfiriou: American Greek. Palas: American Greek, so American more than Greek? Sfiriou: Oh yeah. The United States gave me so many opportunities that I would’ve never had in Greece. So many opportunities and choices that I made that I would’ve never had the opportunity in Greece. Palas: So, your sister having the opposite mentality, do you think that that strained your relationship at all growing up? Sfiriou: Not strained, well I mean, like, siblings are siblings, but yeah, we have different perspectives. And I think kids see that. Um, definitely different perspectives with the way of life in Greece versus here. You could tell, even my family in Greece could tell, your sister’s totally Americanized. Or like when I go one vacation, I just want everybody to leave me alone because I’m going on vacation. I’m going to sit there and read a book. I work very hard to enjoy my life when I go to Greece, right? But there their mentality is so different. And I can’t explain it, unless your actually lived in the United States and lived in Greece. And people that lived in the United �11 States and relocated to Greece understand what I’m telling them, like they get it. My sister on the other hand, enjoys the way of life there. Me, I fear the life down there. (laughs) She enjoys it where I fear like, I just want to go on vacation and leave and come home. Do what I have to do. \ It’s just different from their banking to their banking hours, to them, let me give you an example, like I go to the bank to do something or pay taxes down there or whatever, and you actually have to wait in line. And when they are drinking their coffee, and they’re closed at two o’clock, that’s it, you have to come back the next day and wait in line again! So, you have to keep doing that. And make sure you’re the first in line to get done. Where here, you don’t do that. There’s respect about other person’s time. Palas: It’s a more relaxed and leisurely like— Sfiriou: Laxed! A lot leisurely! And that’s just all of Europe. It’s not just Greece, it’s Europe. Italy is like that. Spain’s like that. I mean, I have friends that are from Spain, and I have people, I have really good friends there from the Island of Dominica and Dominican Republic. So yes, I think different countries are different than the U.S. [Background noise of an air conditioning unit stops, and the room much quieter from this point until the end of the interview.] Palas: Um hum. So, growing up, did you feel you had a responsibility to hold on and continue the Greek culture at all? Sfiriou: Yes, absolutely. Um, it’s always a responsibility when you’re a Greek to uphold the Greek traditions and the culture and where you came from and continue uh your parent’s legacy and your ancestry. I mean, that’s just part of you. That’s part of your culture. And I wouldn’t have it, I mean, I’m proud to be Greek. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud to be Greek. It’s just, I don’t believe in certain Greek ways. I believe there’s different ways of doing things. And it’s not just the being narrowminded, and you just have to be objective, you know? I just feel like you have to be objective, you can’t just put um horse blinders, you know, you have to look at all aspects and what opportunities are available. Um, like, let me give you an example: I go to Greece, I do different things. But they’re like, oh, well, that’s not the way we do it here. Well, okay, just the way you do it here doesn’t mean that its always the right way. There’s different ways of doing things that um can be better. But sometimes the Greek mentality is, oh, Greece is better, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, well, if Greece was better, you guys wouldn’t be so behind. Um, you would have health care access for everybody, you would be able to um, have health care and hospitals and clinics on the island of Halki, and decent healthcare on the island of Rhodes. But because it’s a universal insurance, and because it’s a government-based um insurance, they just don’t give the good quality of care that the hospitals and the nurses here have, like being a nurse in Greece is not a good profession. They think all nurses do is clean people, and that’s it. Whereas they don’t realize that the nurse has a bigger position and a bigger role here in the United States where they’re the eyes and ears of the doctor. They are the front-line people before the doctors. They just look at you and they think it’s a disrespectful profession. They feel like a woman should have a job that’s for a woman or just stay home, be married, and have kids or they don’t realize that certain women don’t want that certain. I mean, not saying that it’s not possible. It’s just to certain people and see in different people’s lives. Um you have to go through different �12 things. I’m divorced, so they think divorce is so bad, but yet you look at other people and I have a good career. I have my own house. I took care of my parents, you know, I don’t really need that. Do you understand what I mean? Palas: Um hum, um hum. Sfiriou: They think a woman who is educated, um in other words, the men are very intimidated by a woman who is educated. But people, like I’ve met doctors down there that were educated here in the United States and they understand and are respectful of that. Where the doctors down there are not (laughs). Certain doctors they have that mentality and the way they talk to you is different too. But my sister learned firsthand when she went on vacation and she went to a hospital down there where they don’t take care of patients like they do here. Like the nurses they also have like 30 patients to one nurse. And you have to buy your own gauze, you have to buy your own medication before you get into the hospital. I mean, there’s just a lot of shady things, I think. Especially on the small islands I feel like there needs to be more um access. And I think they’re going for that. And it depends on the person who is like the mayor of the island, they have to put their community first and make sure that they have everything that’s possible. Palas: Would you say that, that sense of duty to carry on the Greek culture and traditions, was something that was more self-inflicted? Or something that your parents really pushed? Sfiriou: Oh no, it’s definitely my parents pushed. Um, but I’m glad that they did. Because when I went to New York, I sort of laxed, like I let some of the great traditions fade away. And I started feeling myself, because I wasn’t speaking Greek fluently, I was starting to lose that. So, I definitely, I didn’t like it. But I’m happy that my parents pushed me. Even when I came back and relocated, I’m happy, because I started feeling like I’m losing all the culture, all that close-knit communities. Um, (pauses) so I’m actually glad that my mom and my dad pushed me um more, and my sister, because she can become very overwhelming and pushy, um pushing me back to my Greek roots. Palas: Knowing that you come from a culture that’s very traditional, and uh especially when it comes to women and their role, has that affected, especially growing up and knowing that you come from this culture, has that affected where you wanted to go into the future? Sfiriou: Yeah, it was very conflicting. Um, because when you’re young, all you’re taught is, okay, yes, you’re going to have a good job. But you really need to get married, you really need to have children, you need to be at home, be a housewife. And me deep down, I really didn’t want any of that. Like, but, I was still going through the motions. So, and they were really pushing about you getting married before 30, pushing, pushing, pushing. Me, I wanted to be educated, I always wanted to learn, I always wanted to be my own. My sister got married before. And then, of course, in the Greek culture, the, the eldest first gets married, whereas my sister got married first, and then she had kids. Palas: She’s younger than you? Sfiriou: She’s younger than me. She’s three years younger. But I was happy for that. I didn’t have a problem with that. It’s just that um, I wanted different things. She wanted to do the whole �13 Greek thing. Me, on the other hand, I just wanted to go to college and just be career driven and not need anybody. I wanted to stand on my own two feet and not worry about depending on a man. That, I have to say my dad, like yes, my mom was pushing, and I could hear them arguing sometimes, why are you telling her? Well, I’m letting my daughter not depend on a man, that’s good. And so, my dad kind of taught me and gave me strength to like do what I wanted to do. Of course, he was scared to say it in front of my mom. (laughs) Um, but like he would teach me you don’t need to have a man. You need to be your own and not have to depend. Like and I’m so glad that I listened to him because me getting married, and I’ve been in a bad relationship, and I was really contemplating for 10 years, I was, 10 years we were dating, and then 10 years I was married, and I was miserable, miserable. I was away from my family; I missed my family. I’m very close knit to my family, my sister, the kids. So, it was very hard for me, very, very, very hard for me. Because he was more Americanized, but he was Greek also. But he wasn’t, he was just um (pause) he had issues, like psychological issues. Um, so that gave me the opportunity, thank God, that I finished school, graduated, because he wasn’t happy with that either, when I went to college, when I got accepted at um Maria College for Nursing. Even though he said he was proud of me, he really wasn’t. He was just feeling um very intimidated, I could tell. That I was educated, and I really did not need him. Um so that, to me, that shows how um a man in the Greek culture, not all men, again not all men, but some men in the Greek culture are very intimidated. Instead of being happy and proud of having a wife who’s educated and has a great career, uh they’re intimidated by their success. And in Greece it’s like that too. So, in that aspect, I’m not happy when I go to Greece um when I see that, because they look at me in a different, I could tell the way when they talk to me, not all the modern, the educated people, but the uneducated people. And you could tell the narrowmindedness, oh, oh your divorced? Oh, you’re by yourself? Oh! I said, you don’t need to feel pity for me. You do not feel sorry for me. I have more than what you guys have done in your whole lives. So, I think they’re kind of narrowminded because I don’t have children. But I have my niece and I have my nephews, and to me, that’s all I need. Palas: If you could go back and have stopped your family from coming to America, would you? Sfiriou: Heck no! My sister yes, me no. Um, I love the fact that they had guts to come to a different country, start all over, because we were well off in Greece, start all over from scratch, from nothing, and to establish and create something precious, that’s what you come to the United States for, it’s to build something better. And I, believe it or not, my parents were very proud, very proud that I accomplished everything. (gets emotional) And it’s deep down I’m very proud that I accomplished everything because not everybody does it. But now I’m so happy that I came to the United States because I can tell you, when I’m in Greece, I think I would’ve not been around. I would have been stuck in those narrowmindedness um disrespectful attitudes that they have and wouldn’t have an open mind of other different cultures or diversity, or respect that everybody deserves and everybody um needs to have time to prove and have those opportunities in life. I’ve seen people that finish with all these degrees, like a friend of mine finished psychology, and she works so hard, and never gets acknowledged for the hard work that she does. So no, I am definitely happy that I’m here in the United States. And definitely happy even though it was not easy, but it was very hard, and it was very challenging for myself and for my parents. But I’m glad that they gave me the opportunity to create something special here. Most �14 people don’t even get that. And I’m happy that I had the opportunity to become a U.S. citizen because, whoa, that immigration process was crazy. Crazy. I mean, it’s different from the way I’m telling you and different for you living it. It’s frustrating. It’s um, you just feel like you’re in an assembly line. It’s horrible. It’s a horrible feeling. I mean it’s streamlined now. For me when I had to renew my mom’s citizenship papers, um it’s definitely better. But man, when I was 18, I’m what 49 now, it was not easy. It was really bad. So, I’m glad that I had that opportunity to actually become a U.S. citizen. And I don’t regret that one minute. Palas: Are you proud that you come from a country like Greece? Sfiriou: I am proud. I am proud of my family. I am proud of everything that Greece stands for. I’m proud of our Greek culture and our heritage. Um, (pause) but um, I’m sorry what was the question again? Palas: (laughs) Are you proud that you come from a country like Greece? Sfiriou: Yes, absolutely! I’m very proud. But I’m also proud to be an American. Heck yeah! Um, but Greece has so many like beautiful places, and different whole traditions, that it’s from one island to another island that has different traditions. And there’s so many things that I still need to learn. Um, but when I go down there, I’m so limited because I only have like two weeks to go. And by the time you finish the Greek stuff, is what I’m saying, like I come back frustrated, because I still, when I go down, I have to meet up with accountants, I have to meet up with the taxing department, I have to meet up and pay, you know, everything. And even when you’re doing it here in the United States, and paying there, it’s so different. I mean, their system sucks. So, I’m happy that I’m Greek, but I’m proud to be an American. Palas: So, when you go down there for vacation it’s more of a chore instead of a vacation. Sfiriou: Yeah, it’s more like a burden than a vacation. Because the whole week I’m running around doing stupid stuff instead of relaxing. And then by that time I’m so frustrated. Plus, I am very like, like the example um, I went on vacation to do uh snorkeling. So, the difference between the United States and Greece is there’s not protocols or policies. Okay, so I go onto this, this boat for scuba diving, but yet, there is no safety jacket, there’s no um railing to it when you get out. Like he just left me in a cave to swim like I want to say half a mile, so he can come under the cave or the cavern to pick me up, in the middle of the ocean! Um, here in the United States, you would not leave your passengers uh to swim without you having safety protocols and policies. This is what I’m telling you is their policies and protocols, especially with safety, customer safety, or even people in general, they have no policies. Um, like, I also I have dual citizenship. And I can vote in Greece, but yet, you have to go to another island to vote. It’s messed up, the way of doing things is messed up. It’s just when you go into the doctors, they don’t even know, I mean, not all healthcare is like that. But it’s just the small islands. So, can you imagine what these small communities are going through? With not having these policies implemented. That why I can’t do well in Greece. I don’t do well, there is no structure. Everything to them is, oh, let’s go have a cup of coffee. I don’t want to have a cup of coffee. I want to get my stuff done and enjoy my vacation! Palas: Was it difficult maintaining a relationship with the family that is still in Greece. �15 Sfiriou: Oh yeah. It’s still hard because they don’t get, not all, not all my family, certain people, um they get it, but certain people don’t get it. Um, and a lot of my family doesn’t have a career. Most of the people who have a career like, such as mine is the men. They don’t have a college degree. Well, my cousin’s wife has an economics degree, bachelor’s. But she’s running a flourishing business. But not everybody’s like me. Not everybody has um, (sighs) not everybody has something that they do on their own. Like, mostly it’s their family that’s paying to create something for them, where I did it on my own. Does that make sense? Palas: Um hum. Sfiriou: Where their parents create a business and then they run it. Where I found my own job, on my own merits. I bought my own house on my own. They don’t do that. It’s like, it is different. And some, some of them understand, some of them don’t. And some of them that don’t understand, I just kind of learned to walk away now. So, they can keep talking. And I’m just walking away because they just don’t get it. Palas: Now before we finish up, was there anything else you would have liked to talk about? Sfiriou: No. Palas: All right. Sfiriou: I just have to say, I’m sorry that I’m taking care of my father and he’s in the other room sleeping because he’s just not well. Palas: So that’s what the snoring was? Sfiriou: Yes, I’m sorry. Palas: In case anyone on the interview hears it, that’s what that was. Sfiriou: Yeah, he’s an oncology patient, so. Palas: All right. Thank you so much for your time. This was a great opportunity. All right, thank you. Sfiriou: Thank you. Interview Ends � https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/5cab25810e5c6829db9504776629e007.m4a?Expires=1779926400&Signature=MvskkUCL9L1cqlyTAgalyntl8SbM%7E0W9HM34Yo3s7hVZKmc9Nt1DyDCIKmcVXM97b4FOwHuGgIKj7yg-XV4r6AKZpJQCN25Meg1LfK8Y2ZOhAwTg6smzLCHnpGDQY8WZ7OsVw3ruQ0qbqlONnZ7A%7Eq9DIDlnGR2KGd-N3S5Af68U8Hgz6M%7Edlu-mpWcdxRMeu8Rh8Km1qKFJYgCfDzdo4KlTCRfhhKLZwXWe7TTFrGw2engOdxHqcZIjv7VDbKe21gFpNhX9LIEZRUMcRx654y5Niiac14ckX8E9S3QeC4wyiTGnZ0VlHrGPdEznIQyXGEvrTVMdAVNBOEAeVWt-xw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 358d08f53d65762d7997d1e55f742d63 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Spring 2021 Interviews Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Antonio Palas Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Antonia Sfiriou Location The location of the interview Baltimore City, MD Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview of Antonia Sfiriou Description An account of the resource This interview between Antonio Palas and Antonia Sfiriou is a comprehensive look at the experiences of Antonia as a female immigrant to the United States from Greece. Born on a small Aegean island, Antonia was brought to the United States by her parents when she was very young. She details her story of leaving Greece and settling in a Greek neighborhood in Baltimore, her struggles to learn English, her ambitions to enter the healthcare profession, and the obstacles that she faced to attain her dream. Antonia’s interview shines light on the attitudes and beliefs of Greek culture on women. She recounts how her story fit and broke the mold on women assembled by Greek culture. This interview was conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park course HIST 428M (Spring 2021). This course was led by Professor Anne Rush of the Department of History, College of Arts and Humanities, and was sponsored by the Center for Global Migration Studies. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Antonio Palas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Center for Global Migration Studies Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The full rights of this oral history interview were given by the interviewee to the University of Maryland, College Park. This interview may be quoted from, published, or broadcast in any medium that the University of Maryland, College Park shall deem appropriate. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF, M4A, JPG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 28, 2021 Catholic Catholicism education Greece Women Women's History https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/23ffa7699eb0332ce6e957685ac99b52.png?Expires=1779926400&Signature=blom4AhE08zFalkiujiSktRMtJ5Mhvneq3LhQazZ1pr0WUWyGbCSn5fRIeqV72Ul%7E-ttzLiZsoZC1wRpNvyTh%7EI0xB6zfqO009Qj6At-ssQD%7EtlU-d%7EUcZ2IMk58y5BRxxl9GWQkAn14ZMD9zxHPe8y0QBYr2G-LDX8Sg0hyV2C25Z4qxxMTqcifnN51besZIEm0GDxYhC2HT-XF%7EtqdFKOnHFWJ7QurXvJbWcYy67AGnbrYeywaFMzm3uZuBqVSVzmH4n-I8mdUgCCpm%7EMXQG0Q09JPkXxGZYCOniyukoXLpL50oEOCAJehY5sbf4gYksz-hhTvFfE1hXDQkv9Nwg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 7c1eeaf73a7efd1528441acae023166e https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/b9cc9fdc5d65e5eed0a31c9deaad87d2.pdf?Expires=1779926400&Signature=JErgRpUGFIRQ5XXE9Wd9KNN12V9SM2EO2OvVaxi-Bi7a5Ot0GQcWJBpbschLVgn1SF3kQC%7E-YTqQ3Yl-sT6i5fkqdLgGuSWYlZLFngYVYrLhiCsBCUyELjf-aGJFDqLvK2L7K0cUbDNwv9g0RK0IrgImZ%7E1DhPfoesxuPt71Z8h6uBHrv9LWaowRdIzw8WN3syZMoY68pbYDto-wg3A2ZseN5SsPFH7RQ7oK2hplLqaezip9WFbnwMsh7W1YemDvdtg9EQsEgQQaJ84LD97P14Uot7e2Lo-4-Dzym2nuSqnwSA438p8jo-KYTt2eKk-Et2YfAKa9ggArPyYtVBN3JQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 775823f9a926b4e4c4869d4c4e8fe4e6 PDF Text Text 1 Transcript for Oral History Interview Conducted for University of Maryland Course HIST 428M – Spring 2020 Instructor: Dr. Rush Interviewer: Anthony Hassan Interviewee: Faizah Haddad Interviewee’s Country of Origin: Jordan Interviewee’s Current Residence: Damascus, Maryland, U.S.A. Date of Interview: March 9th, 2020 Place of Interview: Damascus, Maryland, U.S.A. Introduction: This interview between Anthony Hassan and Faizah Haddad follows the life of Faizah as she grew up as a Catholic girl in a predominantly Islamic nation of Jordan and her immigration to the United States. Born in As-Salt, Jordan, Faizah went to Catholic school for 7 years and then public school for 3 years. Soon after her family arranged an early marriage for her to start a family. She and her husband had two children and traveled around the nation for 8 years, escaping war, terrorism, and economic uncertainty. She recalls experiences related to the Jordanian Civil War and the early wars on the West Bank of Jerusalem. Then her husband suffered an early death due to leukemia. Without a penny to her name and no work opportunities available for women, she and her two children left Jordan for the United States in hopes of a brighter future. Faizah continues her recollection with stories of adjusting to America, finding work, and raising her children as a single mother as well as her memories of her former home. Keywords: Jordan, Black September, Civil War, West Bank of Jerusalem, Single Mother, Catholic, Arabic Hassan: Alright, my name is Anthony Hassan. I’m int—I’m interviewing Faizah Haddad. Um, the time now is about 4:35 on February—not February, March 9th, uh 2020 and we are in Damascus, Maryland. How are you doing today Faizah? Haddad: I’m doing okay, thank you for asking. Hassan: Very good. So, um, I want to ask you a little bit about, um, where you are from. Haddad: I’m from Jordan. Hassan: Like uh what—what city? Haddad: Uh originally, I’m from the second largest city in Jordan, called As-Salt. �2 Hassan: Could you spell that for me please? Haddad: S-A-L-L-A—S. Salt. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: S-L-A-A-T. Hassan: Gotcha, Um-hm. Alright, and um when—when were you, uh, born around there? Haddad: I was born in 1949. Hassan: Mhmm. And, uh, you lived there for how long? Haddad: I left Jordan when I was 27 years old and I came to the States 1975, May 28th. Hassan: Alright. So, while you were living in Jordan, growing up there, could you walk me through like a typical day? Haddad: Uh, it’s very, very, uh, laid back people. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: Uh, very simple life. When I grew up, we didn’t have electricity, we didn’t have radio. Uh, we used to read on the lanterns. Hassan: On the what? Haddad: Lanterns? [pause] It’s like candles, the light candles. Hassan: Oh, like a lantern?! Haddad: Lanterns, yes. Hassan: Yeah. Haddad: That’s what we used to read, and after like in the ‘60s we started getting the radio, the black and white TV, and the electricity. We used to have—well, we didn’t have, uh, I mean, regular, you know, WSSC [Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission – the local water & sewage company]. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And—but now, Jordan, it’s very, very modern. I go visit every year, two years because I still have family there. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And uh, what? Hassan: (chuckles) No—no that’s great, that’s great. Umm, I also wanted to ask, so, like what— what was like happening, like globally, when you were growing up, there? Um— Haddad: The weather there, it’s very nice in the summertime. �3 Hassan: Okay. Haddad: We didn’t have humidity. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: It’s dry weather, it’s most[ly] mountains. We had only a small sea called Aqaba. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: In uh—part of the Red Sea. Hassan: Okay— Haddad: And the—the Spring there, it’s beautiful, the Fall, it’s nice, the winter, it’s—we didn’t see much snow in Jordan. Hassan: Yeah, I—I think in 2013, that was like the first time they had snow there in decades. Haddad: Yes. Hassan: (chuckles) But, um, yeah, I know, I—I’ve seen pictures, it looks like a really lovely place. I plan to go someday soon. (laughs) Haddad: Um, the mountains there are so beautiful, the cities there are so beautiful, we have lot of historical places to visit. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: You know? Hassan: Oh yeah. There’s like the Petra and, uh, the kingdom. Haddad: Petra, Jerash. Hassan: The Jerash. Haddad: Northern Jordan is so beautiful, they have very, very like old, old castles. Haddad: Mhmm. Haddad: You know? It’s—it’s nice to visit there, you know. Hassan: Oh, yeah. I also wanted to ask, so um, since you grew up there, you know, from—from birth to um your late twenties, uh you went to school, I’m assuming? Haddad: I went to school and I finished until 9th grade. Hassan: Did—was that like typical to go and then stop at a certain point or was ninth grade like the end? Haddad: No, no, no. The reason I—I couldn’t finish my, uh, education, I didn’t go to high school, I didn’t go to college because I get married young. �4 Hassan: Oooh. Haddad: I get married when I was 17. [pause] And this is normal in—in the Arabic countries, especially in Jordan. Girls, they get married early. Hassan: Yeah, um— Haddad: Especially—[pause] (whispering) stop the recording. Hassan: Okay. [Recording pauses.] [During the brief pause, Faizah took a moment to express a bit of discomfort around the topic of early marriage and culture politics foreign to the United States. After a brief reassurance that the purpose of the recording is to accurately document her life as an immigrant and not to alienate her culture, she allows the recording to recommence.] [Recording resumes.] Hassan: So, um, that’s good. And, you know, uh how does, like um—oh my gosh, I completely blanked. (laughs) So, when you’re—when you’re in the village and stuff like that—was it a village or a city? Haddad: It’s a city. Hassan: It’s a city, sorry. Haddad: It’s a city, like the second—second largest city in Jordan. Hassan: Second to Amman, right? The capital. So, it must be huge. Haddad: Yeah, yeah Amman is the capital of Jordan. Hassan: And then you said you, uh, got married at 17 and then you left Jordan about 10 years later. What was happening in between that—that decade? Um. Haddad: I have two kids. Hassan: Okay. Haddad: A boy and a girl, okay. And, uh, I lost my husband. Did I have to write that? Hassan: (chuckles) Would—would you not feel comfortable saying that? Haddad: I lost my husband when I was 21. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And I have the opportunity to come to America. I brought my kids and I came to the United States to start a new life. Hassan: So, what—what was that opportunity, if you don’t mind me asking? �5 Haddad: I mean I always heard America is the land of opportunity, when you come, they—you have—we didn’t have much freedom in Jordan as Christians because the majority is Muslims [Islamic]. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And, uh [pause] I came here to the United States to look for better life for my kids. And [pause] thank God they doing okay. Hassan: Yeah. Haddad: After all these years, we doing good. Uh, we feel comfortable here. Uh, in the beginning it’s so hard to, you know, come from country to country. Different culture, different language and, uh—but with the years go by we get much, you know, much easier to live here. And, you know, to have opportunity to work, to make a better living for—for yourself. Hassan: And when you came to the United States, what, how—how did you get here? Like— Haddad: I get my visa. Hassan: Visa. Okay. Haddad: Yeah. Hassan: And did you come on a boat, on a plane? Haddad: No, on the plane. Hassan: On the plane. Haddad: Yeah. Hassan: Uh, what was the process of obtaining a visa like? Was it—was it difficult, was it easy? Haddad: In the old days, it’s much better than now. Now it’s after, uh, 9/11. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: It’s very hard to get a visa to get to the United States. But before, it was, uh, very, it’s easy to get a visa to come here, and, uh, you know, to get your, uh, green card and, you know, be a resident in the United States. Hassan: And, um, eventually you—you guys all got your citizenships, right? Haddad: I have my citizenship, my kids they have their citizenship. Hassan: Was that a—how was that process? Haddad: If you live—after five years in the United States and you have a clean record, you can apply for your citizenship and you can get it. �6 Hassan: Okay, very good. Um, if you don’t mind, uh, me touching back; so, when you were in school, um, what—what was—were there like different school options? Did you have—did it— was it like here where if you live in a certain place everyone goes to this school, or? Haddad: No, the city they have schools. So, we used to walk to schools, no buses. Hassan: Right. Haddad: Everybody walks to school, sometimes some—some, uh, kids they walk like 2 miles to get to the school. No buses, no cars, no carryon to take the children—the students to the schools, they walk, we walk, everybody walk to school. Hassan: And, uh, did they have like—what kind of subjects did they teach, do you remember? Haddad: They have regular subjects, you know. English, history, geography, math, uh, chemistry, science. All is exactly the same thing, but in the Arabic language. But we—they teach us second language, it’s English. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And Jordan used to be ruled by the commonwealth. Hassan: The commonwealth? Haddad: Yeah, but after that, [in] 1956 they took—Jordan, they got their independence. Hassan: I, um, I actually did a couple—a little bit of research on the history of Jordan and I think, um in the—in the time period that, uh, you were living there, there were actually a few kind of like, not so much wars, but there were some conflicts going around. Haddad: Conflicts in—in the seventies between the Palestinians, PLO, and the Jordanian army. Hassan: Right, um, d—did that affect your life every day? Did you ever witness anything? Haddad: Yes. Hassan: Would you mind expanding? Haddad: We—we couldn’t go out, we couldn’t leave the houses, we live under the, uh, you know, down in like the basement. Uh, we know, uh—but, I mean, we heard—we heard the, uh, you know, the bombings, we heard the fire, we saw the fights, but—it’s scary. Hassan: It sounds like it. Haddad: Yeah. Hassan: Um. But, you know, it didn’t last too long, right? Haddad: No, it didn’t last too long because the Jordanian army took over and they stopped— they had a cease fire, and they stopped the war. �7 Hassan: And—and, um, I’m sure that actually, um, heightened, you know, um, perception of Jordanian culture, right? Like, um, from what I’ve seen, Jordanians have a very large sense of pride in their culture, [for] where they come from. Haddad: We are very proud, Jordanians—one thing about Jordanian people, they are very generous. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: They are very hospitable, if you visit them, they’ll do anything for you. Hassan: Of course. (laughs) Haddad: Okay, and uh, very happy people, they like people. Uh, now, now these days, Jordan is for everybody, it’s open, it’s like a safe haven for everybody. Hassan: Oh yeah, um, very, very peaceful nation now. Haddad: Yes, I hope it stays this way. (Both laugh) Hassan: Um, so, I also have, uh, another question for you. Was it—so, you—you got your visa and, um, your family, you all came, um, you and your two kids came to the United States. Did you know anyone in the United States before you came? Haddad: Yeah, I had some of my cousins here before I—when I came. Hassan: Okay and when you—when you—did they like, uh, help you, not so much choose, but did you go to where they lived so you could all be close together? Haddad: I lived with my in-laws, they was here before me. I lived with my in-laws, and I start working and, uh, they took care of my kids, you know, when I was working. Hassan: And did you also work back in Jordan or just in the United States? Haddad: No, no, just in the United States. Hassan: Okay. Um, so, how—how was the, uh, if you don’t mind me asking, how—how was, uh, life, you know, being a single mother, raising two children in Jordan before coming to the United States? Haddad: It’s hard. It’s hard but if you have the strength, and you have the courage, you can go through it. Hassan: Yeah, it’s a great story. (chuckles) Hassan: Um, did you, um—I’m so sorry (laughs). So, but, uh, in Jordan, kids—there weren’t like child labor laws either though. Right? Like you could, uh—there were things saying children were allowed to work in Jordan, not like, you know, like hard factory labor, but they had like smaller jobs for—for children to work. �8 Haddad: Not too many jobs in Jordan because Jordan, first of all, it’s very small country. They didn’t have any—I mean they didn’t have, uh—they live—most of them farmers. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: You know, they lived what they sell from their farm and the kids help their parents in the farms. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: Yeah. Hassan: So, what—what kind of uh agriculture did they farm? Like, what was— Haddad: They have olive trees, they have fig trees, they have, uh, fields of wheats and all the harvest. Everything in the harvest fields, they have it, you know, vegetables, almond trees. Jordan, that’s why they call it uh almond Jordan’s because they have trees of almonds and trees of uh pistachios, they are famous with that. Hassan: I love their pistachios. Haddad: Yes! Hassan: Um— Haddad: And grapes! Hassan: Oh yeah, got to get the grapes! Haddad: Grape vines everywhere in Jordan because it’s mountains, you see, it’s very beautiful scenery to see all the mountains full with, eh you know, grape vines, and fig trees, and stuff like that. Hassan: Oh, I’ve seen the pictures, it’s gorgeous. (laughs) Haddad: Yeah. You’ve never been in Jordan? Hassan: I’ve never been! I’m planning on going this summer. Haddad: You should go, you know. Treat yourself, not now with the corona virus, nobody wants to go anywhere. (Both laugh) Hassan: Right, I’ll go eventually, I’ll go soon. Haddad: Yeah, hopefully. It’s nice to go for a visit. Hassan: Now that school is about to be over too. Um, I also have a, uh, another question for you. If you don’t mind me, uh, just touching back. So, where—when you left Jordan to come to the United States, where did you come, initially? You said you lived with your um— Haddad: Direct, I came here to the, uh, Maryland state. �9 Hassan: To Maryland? Okay. Haddad: Yeah, I live in, uh, Aspen Hill area, in Silver Spring and Aspen Hill area. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And when my kids moved to Damascus, I moved with them to the Damascus area, in Montgomery County. I mean, I’ve been here since 1975 in Montgomery County. Hassan: And, um, how old were—were your kids when—when you came? Haddad: When I came? Hassan: Yeah. Haddad: Uh, 6 and 9. Hassan: 6 and 9, oh wow. And—and they, you know, of course, went to public school and everything? Haddad: Yes, they came to public school, my daughter went to Maryland University [The University of Maryland], graduated from Maryland University with consumer economics. And my son, he didn’t go to college, but he finished his [high school education], but he is very smart! Hassan: Yeah. (Both laugh) Haddad: And he’s doing very well. Hassan: Yeah, yeah. Um, did you find it easier to raise them here, in the United States, or more in—in Jordan? Haddad: Uh, they have better opportunity in the United States. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: You know, and [pause] it’s hard but we—we manage. Hassan: Oh yeah. Haddad: You know? Hassan: That’s—that’s good to hear. (laughs) Um, another thing is, um, when you came, you know, you said you learned some English in school. Haddad: The second—uh second language in Jordan is English, you have to take it with, uh, you know, with your uh n[ative] language, you have to. They teach—always teach English after—with the schools, in the schools. You know? Hassan: So, would you say your English was—was pretty good when you came over? �10 Haddad: Uh, it’s—it’s good, they teach us the proper English, you know, but here they have the short English. Hassan: Yeah. Haddad: You know, but I went to, uh— when I came here, to learn more English, I went to the adult education school for English, in, uh, Wheaton High School. I went two evenings a week. Hassan: I actually did not know that. (laughs) Um and did you feel like that—that kind of helped you get more adapted? Haddad: Yes. Yes, this way—and I work—and when you work with the—and you have to learn English no matter what. When you work with people, they don’t know your language, you have—you force yourself to learn the language. Hassan: And where—where did you work, if you don’t mind me asking, what did you do? Haddad: I work, uh in the beginning, I work at Holiday Inn for two—uh, two years and a half. And after that I applied for Giant Food Company, and I work as, uh, a baker. Hassan: Ooh, (chuckels) and, um, excuse me, did you find it easy to get those jobs, like initially when you first came? Haddad: I just applied, and they expect—accept me. Hassan: Very good. Um, and those were like your first jobs, huh? Haddad: That’s my first, uh, you know, I worked with Giant for 34 years. Hassan: 34? Wow. Haddad: Yeah, and I retired. Hassan: All 34 is, uh, in the baking? Haddad: As a baker. Hassan: Which Giant was it, if you don’t mind me asking? Haddad: I worked at different Giants. Hassan: Oh, they—they moved you around? Haddad: Yeah. Hassan: I bet you brought up their sales, everywhere you went! (chuckles) Haddad: Yeah, I used to do a lot of cakes for them. Hassan: Um, and, um, all the while, your kids were going to school, you were learning, you know, you were brushing up on your English and getting things better, and then you said eventually, um, you moved out from your in-laws, right, and you moved with your kids to Damascus. �11 Haddad: Yes. Hassan: Did—was that— Haddad: No! My in-laws passed away, you know— Hassan: Oh! Okay. Haddad: Okay. Hassan: Sorry. Haddad: It’s okay, I moved myself, when I started making a little money, I moved by myself, with my kids. Hassan: And that was still in Aspen Hill area or into Damascus? Haddad: I lived in Aspen Hill area around 25 years and then I moved here [Damascus]. I’ve been here, maybe, uh, 16 years. Hassan: That’s quite some time. (chuckles) And, um, just a little more about the process, um, you—you said came in on a plane, you had your visa, your papers, all that stuff like that, um, how—did—how was your perception of the United States, when you first came? Haddad: (sighs) I mean, you—you can, like I said before, you can—it’s a new country, a new people, a new culture, a new language. It’s going to take you a while to adjust, but I’m—I’m happy. I think I made the right decision to come here. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: Don’t take me wrong, I miss my country. Hassan: Oh, of course. Haddad: You know, my—I’m proud to be a—a Jordanian, but at the same time, I love the United States and I lived here more [longer] than I lived back home. But you always miss your na—uh, you know, native county because you grew up there. Hassan: Mhmm. So, we also talked a little bit about being, um, in—it’s an Islamic majority country... Haddad: Mhmm. Hassan: Jordan. Um, now this is kind of a sensitive question, so, you know, answer however you feel comfortable, but did—was there a separation between, um, you know, being a Catholic person versus, uh, living in an Islamic nation? Haddad: Actually, not really. We lived together, respect each other. Respect our—there is ex— extremists. Hassan: Mhmm. �12 Haddad: Until now, they have the extremist uh Muslims, they hate anybody not Muslim. But, when we grew up there, we didn’t have this. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: We grew up, uh, respect each other and, uh you know, uh, we lived like a family together there. We shared their happiness and their sorrow, they—they shared our happiness and our sorrow. We never had a problem with that. I mean, but when it comes to religion, I mean, there is limit. Hassan: Of course. Haddad: Okay, there is like they said redline. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: You don’t talk about religion, you respect them, they respect you. Hassan: People first, right? Haddad: People first. Hassan: That’s good, yeah, um, I think the thing is like extremists are a very small minority. They’re not the—they’re not a representation of the group. Haddad: [At] that time, we didn’t have, you know that [extremists], but now it’s getting uh worse and bigger. You know, like ISIS. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: Like Boko Haram, the one who’re killing people in Nigeria. You know, and uh, these people, they are very—they don’t belong to Islam. Islam is not like that. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: I mean, I grew up, my best friend she was Muslim. Hassan: Do you still keep in contact? Haddad: Actually, no, she get married and she moved away. And, that time, before, we didn’t have a lot of connections, no telephones, no messenger (laughs). Now you connect with everybody on the, you know—the technology now different than 20-30 years ago. Hassan: Of course, it grows fast. Haddad: Yes. Hassan: Um, so when you—when you left Jordan, you said, um, around that time, that’s when you started getting radios, the water and everything like that. What was the United States like, technology-wise when you came? Did they have like computers and telephones yet? Haddad: Telephones, yes but not computers. �13 Hassan: Okay. Haddad: Maybe, um uh, limited. Hassan: Yeah. Haddad: The comp—but, phones, yes. Hassan: Did you find the—the new excess of technology—was that more helpful or was—did that actually make things more difficult to adjust to? Haddad: Now—now it’s more helpful. Hassan: But at the time? Haddad: Before? Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: Uh, I wasn’t, uh, I mean, I didn’t need to use it or to, you know, get involved with it until my kids grew up and they start using it. Hassan: Okay, so it—it kind of was just there but not— Haddad: There, you know, but now we—it wasn’t necessary that time, but now it’s necessary. Hassan: Mhmm, I 100 percent feel that. (chuckles) Haddad: You know. Hassan: And then, let’s see. You said you also had like your cousins here. When you were coming. Haddad: I had my cousins, I have uh my sis—my younger sister and my nieces they live here. Hassan: Oh, you had siblings? Haddad: Yeah, I have one sister. Yeah, my younger sister she lives here with her family and her husband. Hassan: Oh, so, umm, is it just one sister, or? Haddad: Mhmm. I came from a family of eight. Hassan: Oh! Haddad: Yeah, but I lost, uh, five of them and only three girls left. Hassan: Jeez, was it— Haddad: Back home. Hassan: Yeah. �14 Haddad: They died back home in Jordan. It’s just me and my younger sister here from my family. Hassan: Were you young went that happened? Haddad: No, I was here when they passed away. I—yeah. Hassan: Um, hopefully natural, or not painful (nervous chuckle). Haddad: Old age, and you know, they older than me, all of them, yeah. Hassan: Okay, and, uh, do—do you still keep in contact with your sister? Haddad: My sister? Yeah, she lives here, only like 15 minutes away from me. We see each other at least once a week or every 10 days. We talk—we talk to each other daily, you know. I now, with the technology, with [Facebook] messenger and, uh, viper, I call my nephews and nieces back home. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And, I have 37 nephews and nieces. Hassan: (chuckles) Haddad: And, I don’t keep in—in touch with all of them but some of them. Hassan: Of course, I mean that’s a lot to. Haddad: Yeah. Hassan: Um, so it’s good that you had some like family here, you know, must have made things a bit easier to adjust, I hope— [inaudible] Haddad: Yeah, I have in-laws here, you know, brother in-law, and, uh, their—their nephews and nieces from my fam—uh, my husband’s side, they live around here too. Hassan: Did they contact you to come to the United States, or how did—how did that go through? Haddad: They here, they—all of them came here, you know, the immigrant open for everyone. Hassan: Okay, I—I see what you mean. And let’s see, let’s just touch back on a few things. Um, as far as living in American goes, um, did—you know, you mentioned, briefly, stuff like 9/11 and these Islamic extremist groups which some people project on to the Arabic people, but as we know that’s not a good representation. Haddad: I never had a problem here, with that. Hassan: Okay. Haddad: That’s the honest truth. Hassan: That’s good! �15 Haddad: You know, here they respect the human—as a human being, they respect you, doesn’t matter who you are. Because this is—this country is built on foreigners, you know. If you want to come to the United States, they respect you, you have the opportunity, to become a good citizen in this country, and you have the right like any other American. Hassan: I know, that’s like the beauty of this place, huh? Haddad: This is the beauty of America. And you know what? God bless America, it’s good country. Hassan: I know. Are—are there any, uh, stories you have from living in Jordan? Haddad: Uh, I went to, uh, Catholic school with nuns, they are very strict, but the same time they teach you all stuff they’d never teach you in this, uh, American schools. Hassan: So, you went to Catholic school? Haddad: Mhmm. With nuns. Hassan: With nuns. Uh so, there was—there were Catholic schools in Jordan, and they were separate from the government school? Haddad: Yes. Hassan: Okay. Did, uh, did that impede you to, you know, make more friends or did that actually help? Just being with—and did—did they—how—how did the Catholic school work, I guess is—is what I’m actually asking? Haddad: It’s any normal school, you know. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: But there, uh, most Christians, they send their kids to, uh, Christian schools. But until 6th grade, after that you have to go to the public school. Hassan: Ah, okay. And, um, excuse me (chuckles). And do you remember, uh, like what your parents did for work and stuff like that? Haddad: My father used to have a lot of lands and he used to be landlord, he used to plant all kinds of vegetables and, uh, grape vines, and they, uh, collect all of the harvest in the summertime, sell it. They lived on that. They didn’t have jobs, their job in the—their farms. Hassan: And that was, like, typical? Haddad: Typical, typical, uh, Jordanian people. The young people, they work, some of them, in the government and you know. Some, uh, young people, doctors, nurses, teachers, you know. But my parents, my dad used to be a landlord, had a lot of land. Hassan: And, if you don’t mind me asking, um, do you remember what your husband did? �16 Haddad: My husband used to be a teacher. Teacher, not to teach [in a school], he teaches like, uh, carpenter. [He] teach the kids how to do, uh, cabinets, doors, I don’t know what they call it in English, what kind of teacher is, uh— Hassan: I think you had it, a carpentry teacher. Haddad: Yeah, that’s what he used to do. Hassan: Yeah, which—woodwork. Woodworking, that’s—that’s what it is. Haddad: Yeah. Hassan: Um, and did you, um, not work in Jordan because like there was like no need, or? Haddad: I mean, I—I got married young and I have two kids to raise and I didn’t have, you know, college degree to work or to be—do something. You know, I just stayed home and took care of the kids. Hassan: And that was like, uh, that was kind of like the typical role? Haddad: Yeah, yeah. Hassan: Was your marriage arranged, if you don’t mind me asking? Haddad: Yes. Hassan: Yeah, and then that was normal at the time, right? Haddad: Most—most marriages until—even until now some of them arranged. Hassan: But you—I’m sure, you know, it’s—it’s actually kind of strange, I find that you— because I have Jordanian relatives too. The arranged marriages are the ones that are actually the more loving. It’s a little strange. Haddad: You know, I’ll be honest with you, uh, when you get married, there is a respect and a devotion to the marriage. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: You know. You married, you have to respect the marriage, you have to devote your life to your—to make your marriage work, you know? And, uh, the divorce [rate], it was one percent maybe, in Jordan. Maybe less than that. That time, when I grow up, you didn’t hear anybody divorced. Even in the Islamic, uh, marriages. You didn’t see a lot of divorce in the old days, but now it’s very common. Hassan: Mhmm, it’s a bit different here. Haddad: It’s big differ—not even—even back home now. Hassan: Oh, really? Haddad: You hear a lot about divorce [now]. Not when I grew up. �17 Hassan: So, um, another question, a little bit on the brighter side, um, so, when you, uh, when you came over to America, what did—did you bring anything with you? Like anything— significant, heirlooms? Stuff like that? Haddad: Uh, I bring like my own spices. Hassan: Okay. Haddad: I bring my own things to use. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: Uh, we use—we famous with the Turkish coffee, I bring these—my cups coffee. (Anthony laughs) This is—very important to have them in your house. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And, I mean, anything you use back home, you try to bring it with you here. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: But now it’s—you find that here, it’s very, very—uh, when I came 40 years ago you didn’t find anything like that here. But now you find it everywhere. Hassan: Are you saying, um, like the spices, the—the coffee sets, all that stuff, you couldn’t—it was harder to find in America when you came, but now, we have, uh— Haddad: Yeah, you have like Arabic stores. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: You find it in like the global stores, you find it—the global store, they have everything from all over the world. Hassan: Yeah, there’s one in Gaithersburg I go to with my dad, I like that one. Haddad: One—the one—which one? Hassan: I—I can’t remember the name but it’s off of, uh, 355 on the left side, right next, uh, not too far from the Weis. I can’t remember its name, but he—he goes there a lot. Uh, do you still have that same coffee set or did you get a new one? Haddad: I have them. Hassan: You still have the same one from Jordan?! Haddad: I have different ones. Hassan: Ahh, okay. Yeah, I’d imagine that over time, they always break with the kids and stuff. (laughs) Um, alright. And is there—there—I’m not—I think I already asked but just to make sure, was there any other reason that, uh, you came to the Maryland D.C. area other than, uh, family here? �18 Haddad: Because I have family here, you know, I—I came here, and I stayed here. Hassan: Okay, and let’s see— [Anthony brushes through his notes] Haddad: How’s it so far? Hassan: Uh, it’s—it’s going well, I like it. Still have a good amount of time left. Um, let’s see if we can think of, uh, any more stories, um, growing up in Jordan and stuff like that. So, after, um, high school you got married, you were raising your kids, uh, did you still live in the same city the entire time, in As-Salt? Haddad: No, I moved when I get married, I moved to Amman. Hassan: Oh. So, you moved to the capital? Haddad: Yeah. Hassan: Was there any big difference between the two? Haddad: It’s the capital, it’s big—you know, Amman built in seven mountains. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And they used to call each mountain by name, yeah. Hassan: What—what do you mean by that? Haddad: The city of Amman built in seven mountains. Hassan: Okay. Haddad: Like, they say jabal Amman, jabal al-Hussain, jabal al-ashrafee, jabal al—Jabal is mountains [in Arabic], that’s what jabal is. Uh, Jabal al-ashrafee, jabal al-naudeef, jabel alwkhdat. Hassan: Ah, so they’re all named? Haddad: All named by the, uh, mountains, but the whole—the whole [set of] mountains, it’s [in] Amman city. Hassan: Sounds like a really big place, it’s got seven mountains. Haddad: Yeah. They have like maybe six million live in Amman city alone. Hassan: Jeez. Umm, did you think that would be a better to place to live than—than your hometown, or do you feel like, uh—like which did you like better? Haddad: Don’t take me wrong, I love Jordan, but I like it here, because maybe if I stayed in Jordan, I’d live a good life there because I used to have my brothers and sisters and my, uh, my mom, but now, uh, my five brothers, I lost three brothers and two sisters and my mother that pass away. I mean, but I’m happy now here because my kids are successful, they have a good life, I �19 have a good life, I have good friends here. I—I mean, if you tell me to choose where you want to live now? I live in—I stay in the United States. Hassan: I mean, that makes sense, this is where your life is now. Haddad: Yeah, I lived more years here, than I lived back home. Hassan: But you still do visit Jordan? Haddad: Yeah, I every—I go—I have half-sister, she is older than me. I go every two years, sometimes, to visit her. Hassan: Oh, a half-sister? Haddad: Yeah. Hassan: Could you tell me about that? Like— Haddad: She’s 87 years old. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: Now she’s, uh going—her memory—she’s losing her memory and they put her back home in nursing home a couple months ago because she doesn’t have kids to take care of her. And my nephews, back there, they put her in nursing home because she couldn’t take care of herself anymore. And I was planning to go visit her this—the end of this month but because of the corona, uh, my nephews told me not to come for now. Maybe—hopefully, uh, when things wind down, and I hope this virus goes away and makes people—because everybody freaking out about it. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: You know? Maybe in the summertime or the end of the summer I’ll go be with her and see how she’s doing. Hassan: I hope she’s doing well. Haddad: I called her and, you know, I call where she’s in, and the nurse said—once in a while, I’ll talk to her, but now she starts forgetting everybody. Hassan: Yeah, that’s just the thing. Haddad: She’s going through, uh, you know, Alzheimer’s and she’s losing her memory. Hassan: Mhmm. Um, I also wanted to (laughs) ask—sorry. Um, when—when you came, you know, you brought your spices and you brought a lot of stuff for cooking, you know you worked at a bakery, was cooking and, uh, and stuff like that like—was that a big, um, influence for your household? Does that make—does that question make sense? It just seems— Haddad: I’m a baker, not—not a chef, there’s a difference between—baker you bake bread, you do cakes, you do all the sweet stuff. You know, that’s why I’m fat! �20 (Both laugh) Haddad: That’s a good one! (Both laugh) Haddad: From all the sweets, even if you smell it you get fat! (Both laugh) Hassan: Um, okay, uh, sheesh, I’m running out of questions (laughs). Haddad: Do you want to take a break, get you something to drink, to eat? Hassan: We’ll take a quick break. Haddad: Okay. Would you like some fruits? Hassan: Uh? Haddad: I have orange— [Recording pauses.] [A ten-minute break goes by with the recording paused. In Arabic culture it is considered very rude to not accept snacks or beverages from your host.] [Recording resumes.] Hassan: Uh, I also wanted to ask, just real quick, about, um, a few other events that were going on in Jordan, while you were there. Um, like Black September and the Disaster of 1967? Haddad: Okay, before ‘67, my husband was a teacher. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: We lived in Bethlehem on the West Bank [of] Palestine for a year and a half before the ‘67 war. When we find out there was going to be a war we moved back to Amman. Hassan: Mhmm, okay. Haddad: Okay. And, uh, the ‘67 war Israel took over the West Bank from Jordan. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And, you know, Palestine—the Jordan river between Palestine and Jordan. And they took over the whole land, they occupied the West Bank. And that’s—that’s the Six Days War between Jordan and between Israel. Hassan: And that was— Haddad: When they took over. Hassan: Mhmm. And that was resolved quickly I suppose? But that caused you to move. �21 Haddad: We moved before, when we heard there’s going to be a war, we moved before, like 2 weeks, 3 weeks before, before the war start. Hassan: So, um, you’re living in As-Salt, you got married and you went to the West—East Bank Bethlehem? Haddad: No. I went to, uh, Amman, after that, after I have my child, uh— Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: In two months, I had my baby in Jordan. A baby girl. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: I move—I move with my husband to Bethlehem because he was a teacher. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: And we stayed there for, uh, from ‘66 to, uh, maybe May ’67. And when we find out it is going be a war, we moved back to Amman. Hassan: And then that was the—that was pretty much the end of the—uh, as far as that event goes? [inaudible] Haddad: Yeah, yeah. And we moved back and after that the war start in ’60. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: You know in June—in June. Hassan: Yeah, ok, and, um, is there anything else, um, sort of your experience maybe in your adulthood, um, living in Jordan? Before you came to the United States. Like what was happening before you came to—to the United States? Haddad: Uh, I lost my husband when I was 21 years old. And my son, he was, 3 months old, my daughter, 6 years—uh, 3 years old and uh, that’s in 1969. And after 6 years in 1975, I came to the United States with my kids. Hassan: Um, did—would you mind if I asked how he passed? Haddad: He had leukemia. Hassan: Oh. Haddad: He was very sick. He had leukemia. He was 27 years old. Hassan: Wow. That is really, really young. I’m sure that was really hard. Haddad: It’s very hard. Hassan: And you had to take care of the family for the um— �22 Haddad: I took care of my kids. I lived with my in-laws and, uh, my sister-in-law, she was a teacher, she never married. She helped me out to raise my gran—my kids. And uh, after that I moved here, I came to the United States in 1975. Hassan: Ok. So that was kind of the like the whole list of events and stories up to the point of coming to the United States. And, um you know, you said, when you first came to the United States, it was—it was pleasant, you know? It was welcoming? [inaudible] Haddad: It, uh, uh, pleasant, but at the same time it was hard to, you know, to adjust to the new area, to the new, uh, you know, people. Uh, every—even if you move from house to house, it take you awhile to adjust. Hassan: Oh yeah. Haddad: And it will be hard, you know, to adjust. Everybody you know who moves from placeto-place, it’s going to take him awhile to adjust the, you know, kind of living, you know. But people here were differently—was, uh, respectful. Uh, I didn’t have any problems. I mean living here. Hassan: But—but you did feel that you did adjust, right? Haddad: I did adjust after maybe a year, I start adjust. And I learned how to drive. And I started, you know, to drive. You know. Hassan: You know it’s interesting that you bring that up. Did they have a lot of cars in Jordan before you left? Haddad: (sighs) Yes! Hassan: They did? Hassan: Yeah. Yes! Haddad: What—was it like here where pretty much everyone has a car? Or was it more of— Haddad: No, not everybody had a car. I mean maybe the people who live in the city and they are well-off or educated, they have cars. But the majority of Jordanian people they don’t have cars. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: But now, now, these days, everybody has cars. Hassan: Oh yeah, everyone. Haddad: Yeah, it’s different. Hassan: It’s different, yeah. Haddad: After, I mean, uh, everything different! Even—you know? �23 Hassan: Mhmm. And were there people, like how—do—do you know? Like could your husband drive in Jordan or did you not? Haddad: No, he never drove. Hassan: There was just no need? Haddad: Uh, no, because the transportation there, is very cheap. It’s very easy to take the bus or take taxi, you know, to go anywhere you want. And it’s cheap. Hassan: That’s, uh, the primary method of transportation? Just taking the bus and stuff? Haddad: Yes, yes. The bus and the taxi. Hassan: Did they have trains? Haddad: One, uh, train. (Both laugh) Hassan: Have you ever ridden on the train there? Haddad: No. Hassan: No? Okay. Um, excuse me. Now when you go back, comparing it, uh—like when you visit, comparing it to now to then, how—how are things with the transportation? Haddad: Now it’s—everything—the transportation? Hassan: Yeah, for the transportation. Haddad: There, it is the same. You can, uh, take taxi. If you are a visitor, you don’t have car, but most people now they have cars. Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: I mean all young people, they drive, you know? Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: It’s different. You go there, they are more advanced with everything. Hassan: Right. Haddad: You know? Hassan: And, uh, would you say—lets now be a little more general, um, how would you compare it now to then? Like when you left to—when the last time you visited, in Jordan. Haddad: It’s completely different. Hassan: In what ways? Haddad: In the technology taking over. �24 Hassan: Mhmm. Haddad: You know, in Jordan. I mean you go to the hotel; they have everything you need for your—to—for your needs, you know. Hassan: Okay. Yeah, there must be a big jump between the two. But it is still recognizable right? Haddad: Jordan? Hassan: Yeah. Haddad: I know the—the old areas but the new areas, if I go there, I don’t know the new areas. I get lost. Hassan: Oh, it’s completely different? Haddad: Completely different. Hassan: Wow. Um, so I think we’re getting close to our wrap-up time, is there anything else you’d like to tell me? Haddad: I just want to say, thank you to—and wish you luck. And, uh, I’m happy I live in the United States, even I’m proud to be came from Jordan. And I just want to say God Bless America. Hassan: Alright, thank you again, Faizah. Haddad: You’re welcome. Hassan: Alright. Let me stop the recording. � https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/06b07829f75aa629ad120d12293982ed.mp3?Expires=1779926400&Signature=ljEz5JuCsp6H1vyMZKqWGSnGvHE3j23aCr-eW4FhHeE8p4GQC3lIjUIPKHeIsdA-EEeZ7YGHn2I5PHhIt6p80YPDaKAgGYPYkSinNac8-y4d%7E2RF0k2Wqs-i%7Ehibh9kVWlsv9Ikzzv45tsNBSAKqR-2WfQtkJLdjMQgoBtdbfXc2EfJtQwBbaMSzLfCSWJMzx1mXu%7EgRubu4X82Lc98nlgFbFs-BA3VYOCTXXEAhNJ-nvQfBOhRfuwtuisLPvayutHRZ4%7E6xYNRi-HZPJxJrE3Xl8LqZuSnINC2vvDFV%7E7qLWOg9ygFymBMozcnb%7E7ctrE5J5EVnJKVYXjQDFQQ4YA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 21355a16d823959dae86f83d3bfe0953 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Spring 2020 Interviews Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Anthony Hassan Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Faizah Haddad Location The location of the interview Damascus, Maryland, USA Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data DOCX, MP3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview of Faizah Haddad Description An account of the resource This interview between Anthony Hassan and Faizah Haddad follows the life of Faizah as she grew up as a Catholic girl in apredominantly Islamic nation of Jordan and her immigration to the United States. This interview was conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park course HIST 428M (Spring 2020). This course was led by Professor Anne Rush of the Department of History, College of Arts and Humanities, and was sponsored by the Center for Global Migration Studies. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Anthony Hassan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Center for Global Migration Studies Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 9, 2020 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The full rights of this oral history interview were given by the interviewee to the University of Maryland, College Park. This interview may be quoted from, published, or broadcast in any medium that the University of Maryland, College Park shall deem appropriate. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF, MP3, PNG Language A language of the resource English and Arabic Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History Catholic civil war Jordan Middle East https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/19e91fe3719521e479f044d58477cb53.jpg?Expires=1779926400&Signature=ZYjBUamYvXhdph1P7WLSAmTDOQX0o3m5qQQFO3tzZXDfesWKMBkffDI86eerGfW-AZObYAZ%7ENsS-npnK7KfmPSeCI5F%7E9znhQ6hhYUbXIqU8N2V5zvsrWab9bycnacvAVGWCMG%7EEwHvLJ3jax-RhOkjZiRV5Q%7Eg9nSAjbE95uvAYc4FkSPwMZ8sjpe9Tq%7EUVhQHKYZHijEfyCGaS2S7AElfXybNi2YkSJuadnH5Nh7oXiw7UCz8yAkTJHsg6IvFEJI5XYy3IBzziH6ZRGHiiMcXQoF9ojnZ%7EP0jCYHWrSCoITjOworpi9XC-Q7DvKZNgnzqVBoK94mJ0yaXSs2fjSw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM eab7aa5778ac7222a9dadc15e421fc70 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/2a69f1a86ca4e863318e1158a1056161.pdf?Expires=1779926400&Signature=QgrEBcEBvvLTC2OJuI8W0M-3hH30oSI-TJmnun7RxWCANzGYJXS%7ECXWxEb0vUKHASuv2AqhrEJxRiLjwOn4aFVdEHT9ycqkksXZjAEW0vbSL-0j%7EqCqhJ7aIZ6BM5EWuUiGz281IaH1DMeHKUlXvk611VGTTqZBBZYiqlf3OzI-Y2Giri%7E0UYS-fFKMr8R-trLBZFGg1pZdJN9mBApIc%7EbMUI4ZDSUeCFSQP0d8I32XvCBqkFl4HNqSHkqngbZBip%7EXhKjIWoOr7C7fOPCi2jknlifyGrXC45sHTBVq6IjutrkD16-RmLhSc2MYqsqNHyGzdzeJf52%7Eyh3m7o-X9ew__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 721dcf877dcccf559c4d570800319b3b https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/b8fa0a33cb0ad81be35d76cad622c51d.jpg?Expires=1779926400&Signature=kPdC1W2-mOR%7E31ivT2jPVGxEje%7E5n%7EYluWiQYmoGRtR9U9pTMXuOiCKLaK7BV%7EBL-%7EpyL2VeKR7LwEdBbSlrKaRxORybgSjPrPibY6dpDW3zu1iafHULEAvc515Kgt8Kd34SrJz6aA%7ERZ%7EFcftpwm1tjCPS-cIq9g1Zg%7E0mj15tyro%7EcB0F2zwMKHgKKbvcbHPLtISCS6N8s4mmGY7vhebQvOxOgDtdmUdhiIEo0BcNdlEvN0e4WVtILMqLL7d2o2iZUWIPQ7go7ISTSxCBqH%7EkjWeHsG3H0rQamTWVE-o9dxTDuZ%7EfChKKm0cWSWblPPWtYZYNyVVzraLABfQieKg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 82f9c85142681a14da5d00d8add05c1d https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/76eb52efd316df7de968cf7d6b6735ad.mp3?Expires=1779926400&Signature=G%7Ej0AGwabm08bQlGDI8Ay5jyKnYV6VH-IrTlvAjpTM9ZcU7XhMrji4PNBIiVkfm68P9C5JdszhzO2EaPV-LHTt4D75Iu2X8Z9BnUP8SwAIWu48yE0ceJxtsNwVY-5NS8xtxEsqwQj-O6OK0CuoIEHrlf5OToB%7EiuJc0p2qnqyYSWuoI7z%7EzITHhDt-Q6ytN15J1S5Tsw2iWX3hV5Awb%7EXaJ4ieb1VDFgr4%7EfymQYXnbCOsbPIEyVV%7EGQpor2TwFHxBLyt-yPDEkoj%7E7nMpTOXbKTlioDFqSypHsRp-WNtG96ZQUvywJhAV%7EAHbXJ2DK0zIJo2%7EBM8meEWenkdYmWsA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 44820d7e62a43c353f1f690ec5382689 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Spring 2018 Interviews Description An account of the resource These interviews were conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park courses THET489V (Spring 2018) and HIST428M (Spring 2018). THET489V was led by Professor Esther Lee of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, HIST428M was led by Professor Anne Rush of the Department of History, College of Arts and Humanities. Both courses were sponsored by the Center for Global Migration Studies. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Alireza Shokoohi Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Joo H. Moon Location The location of the interview Bethesda, Maryland Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data PDF, MP3, JPG Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview of Joo H. Moon Description An account of the resource This interview of Joo H. Moon, South Korean immigrant who moved to the United States when he was nine, focuses on his childhood experiences prior to and after immigrating to the U.S. Joo discusses cultural differences between the United States and South Korea, as well as the role of religion in his life. This interview was conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park course HIST428M: "Oral History of Immigration" (Spring 2018). This course was led by Professor Anne Rush of the History Department, College of Arts and Humanities, and was sponsored by the Center for Global Migration Studies. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alireza Shokoohi Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Center for Global Migration Studies Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 3, 2018 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The full rights of this oral history interview were given by the interviewee to the University of Maryland, College Park. This interview may be quoted from, published, or broadcast in any medium that the University of Maryland, College Park shall deem appropriate. 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Spring 2017 Interviews Description An account of the resource These interviews were conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park courses THET428I (Spring 2017) and HIST428M (Spring 2017). THET428I was led by Professor Esther Lee of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, HIST428M was led by Professor Anne Rush of the Department of History, College of Arts and Humanities. Both courses were sponsored by the Center for Global Migration Studies. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Kyle Strouth Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Rosalina Santos Shipley Location The location of the interview Hagerstown, Maryland Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data PDF, MP3, JPG Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview of Rosalina Santos Shipley Description An account of the resource In this interview, Rosalina Santos Shipley explores her life and journey to the United States. Rosalina is the interviewer’s aunt. Shipley was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States on September 5, 1980 when she was twenty-one. She worked as a housekeeper at a Hampton Inn at the time of this interview. Over the course of the interview, Shipley discusses her childhood life in the Philippines, her decision to immigrate, and her first impressions and experiences in the United States. This interview was conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park course HIST428M: "Oral History of Immigration" (Spring 2017). This course was led by Professor Anne Rush of the History Department, College of Arts and Humanities, and was sponsored by the Center for Global Migration Studies. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kyle Strouth Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Center for Global Migration Studies Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 4, 2017 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The full rights of this oral history interview were given by the interviewee to the University of Maryland, College Park. This interview may be quoted from, published, or broadcast in any medium that the University of Maryland, College Park shall deem appropriate. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF, MP3, JPG Language A language of the resource English Catholic child rearing childhood community economic opportunity food holidays language Manila motherhood Philippines religion school siblings Southeast Asia traditions travel https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/08e6e72cd2f66bdbd79979098a5cbe19.png?Expires=1779926400&Signature=YP7pvLAxRJhSKGfvosMwxcYK9G7iWXLYb-TSAouvJKYxGGUvT10jNRdprWUSwS6w0ipIds0uGr-LI-D%7ErtlLuIL6Rv05mHaR%7Eu7y7hQbDWrGsIAG8nZDnUqw-lSq6a6uM7qy7YUaKWjEaVW6w1mHRNgkGfwr0w%7EzybqPqixPBZCFVf34RYbsHOdYgEeLGp4kREIxmE1UX4VElwwXU5K3zprrMbJ2tUKoFS6hPD6sSGUS2uY4LCu8S5sYZviAXnojdvJfNov8cg75UlRAGlbc4ykbN5H8Jy73Wgh2vvm1Hofg9umtJC9HKnlDTZ65jMRWTEMo5XaWi2WixJoFfumJ8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM cbc24005c8eca61f08a2344fbff9e121 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/fbff887a07ce62022cdc1b2ae1ef80d7.mp3?Expires=1779926400&Signature=tyXPeBS7RkvS9xCg6v4drcr9MiT56xttcuFCwzBSn07idPXWAyjsy%7EehbTt07p67gB5yb29EHn1j02%7ErvPFy0n5JTH5zm37YoPvJpnGQ2iFZuh8mNqqoqNbrQ2NMOuKa1OgB5VZRCymL1gxshKKrPcBUmnolK-Q%7EEKGJDwqqnlzuqVFNW8aV%7EmHR9pK7ZvUO5zBLKuJx2sCgaHujB-bR9hL7%7Eqs43CwZ1n-cX1U2zmTwk%7E-Gyf9arjFH0%7E8OBUNZYxk-wo9o5l7y3Pg4QL-v63InY3NI207AOc%7EMnpP-Q62%7E-Kz9wVmr-hkGLL2stfsf91QtolTLIT5n8Z4lSBvYDA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 3ffa7735ba0c0607e7ff6bffdb40515e https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/1bbb2a43af4880862b4e709b2a92ca4a.pdf?Expires=1779926400&Signature=hQjoxPjKGMi6a02d%7EYCE3wkq1DDRbEMbyrxOxWtXtIUy48-6EdlS7CDgPys5PMxuam9LjBKUstK1UvXkD3rVXfO1muFYCx6eovyxJfNVM4XywruL2M5V6R63sRTnu2%7Eo6cYwwliFsDldePSQcDiLe-H9PsUSSliJgOafcT5h07SmXV77OLepIl4wbiwtVDZHG4FyO0ikK8-k8LDFBVJX1Ax8EtIheVBfLaoIBbUpCaerR9pGUHQEHlcuyqBd21hrE5R6FVGzTRgsOHJj08-QD4EwY1D8RDimw%7EawG5Som3wYUFY8pPZ%7Ep1qvINPMcyJuszc9p4WMyLYYXuKaNgZ9dQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 8cdbc8e41b61c34e46b1763c894983ca Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Spring 2017 Interviews Description An account of the resource These interviews were conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park courses THET428I (Spring 2017) and HIST428M (Spring 2017). THET428I was led by Professor Esther Lee of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, HIST428M was led by Professor Anne Rush of the Department of History, College of Arts and Humanities. Both courses were sponsored by the Center for Global Migration Studies. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Erin Durham Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Murali Location The location of the interview Bethesda, MD Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data PDF, MP3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview of Murali Description An account of the resource This interview between Erin Durham and Murali (pseudonym) explores Murali's experiences as an immigrant to the United States from Sri Lanka. This oral history documents the experiences of Murali (pseudonym), a Sri Lankan Tamil, who sought asylum in the United States in 2001. Murali recounts his experiences of growing up in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during the civil war, and experiencing bomb threats on a weekly basis. He discusses his experience traveling to Miami and applying for asylum. Murali describes the discrimination and challenges he faced after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the six-year legal process of gaining permanent residency in the United States. Murali discusses the Sri Lankan conflict, Tamil and Sinhalese identities, the role of religion in his life, his thoughts about receiving American citizenship, and his experience volunteering in Sri Lanka in 2011. Murali’s interview touches on themes of ethnic identity, and the intrinsic worth of every individual. He emphasizes the importance of not labeling or isolating refugees, but giving them the respect deserved by every human being. This interview was conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park course HIST428M: "Oral History of Immigration" (Spring 2017). This course was led by Professor Anne Rush of the History Department, College of Arts and Humanities, and was sponsored by the Center for Global Migration Studies. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Erin Durham Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Center for Global Migration Studies Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 5, 2017 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The full rights of this oral history interview were given by the interviewee to the University of Maryland, College Park. This interview may be quoted from, published, or broadcast in any medium that the University of Maryland, College Park shall deem appropriate. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF, MP3 Language A language of the resource English 9/11 Buddhism Catholic Catholicism Citizenship civil war culture Diversity divorce education employment family food friendship higher education propaganda refugee religion Sinhalese South Asia sports Sri Lanka https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/05019defe43860bab1ad724efe9bc376.jpg?Expires=1779926400&Signature=Ty7SECoiXYLSUvwO28Cq4K5KYhk14OdaymLiSNk9bnnh9l7iWixAUQZwUW2ngyYt7CHOUiDx4zrquzVxDprMF3Jjjo%7ElL9cT62WHjSevwE8B7smn3G974tXE6mkqHKX5sL4MJtl%7EKflE20%7EbF%7EYbijV42mL7p4tyNOz8L4Pj1cCfzx4iYtquA-KdeUFRerxqi7n2ifO3jW5Jl2Y85cFodZm-a4nQEFCvHbiJAd5lbOFQovJeiLJ9QYnbSMbiHKNcVhwMU9wS%7E0YITdcMRxA5oz3o86DUFsX7WUL5ipFPbP8Dk6iVcL4bMT0pf9Zwb%7Ezal0ffSxReXvOb-EYCGbnbJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 7436580fd9fa7e165c8dfe1634f6bf28 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/8a19382e456e8b490c48d6c6021e1c39.mp3?Expires=1779926400&Signature=hYm4E5YgAOxDntgg1aEh6tlAVbNEh6Aku0I7SA-h2I3xms0I9St8L%7EXNi3fO4uR6f%7EZjOYo1GOINKKiXD1zjSmJOLM9bZHbbfuUeBaOl--OFNLTWs3LL8csX4-TxYfs9V1lr1cpRxvnPjAWjpTXjpA30%7ERxOQqjabPrjd6qpwwHzQYfxTYTUKBCV43LdNMolu662uADS4cR6n6TZ%7EYD%7EcBy8VpZkgwyAbMXUu5vYANmCoPkWzG69qM9MtyRuLgS9yit7OCzgUucXWlsgQ5%7EZPtObwBZfAbs7MAqRhhEMQ%7EIBOXAPBBYS54f1BVrJG%7ExZJGpv8D3ZvTTJ9fszINgiDw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 1c20c22df2792b709fbfdc186fe603c8 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/16159/archive/files/d6bd6a17e72559e8ce7f030c9379e525.pdf?Expires=1779926400&Signature=fWYwLt3Fg3WzfhKxBtocRdiEuUpTX9zgBS9xyRwnLqc-9fF9hiR-E7eoi0KjmXbbZmTyOYZgy0fMQe8MRyLVVWEw42YMkgJUBhriUv1TxiszhH7G8IOw3joCELB0AkgvtiLwwVbxcDEk%7EuLpIKnO92owDzI1kjANf9%7EeS6kLSbd9Y5LIcZvKOBUiAqq9AJJJrsPkGuWl5XW7PuixJpSMr28eym-J6cgu2s1ugs6-eJb%7EbRuaziz9Rpqj2C1oKqOcwtQebNrLnVo%7EnPX3TuP802x9yrzkrW38IzafxFOfiBu4Tfx68fpV9mcK1qrHZ8jDEV86ev%7ErV98HnZAaUGZQsg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 44ddba5944b2553e3726400e1a4671f2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Spring 2014 Interviews Description An account of the resource These interviews were conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park course HIST 428N (Spring 2014). This course was led by Professor Thomas Castillo of the History Department, College of Arts and Humanities, and was sponsored by the Center for Global Migration Studies (formerly the Center for the History of the New America). These were part of the original series of online oral histories the Center gathered. Therefore, the transcripts appear different than that of later interviews. Additionally, many of these interviews were also filmed. Please contact us for access to available video files. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Center for Global Migration Studies (formerly The Center for the History of the New America) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 2014 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The full rights of these oral history interviews were given by the interviewees to the University of Maryland, College Park. These interviews may be quoted from, published, or broadcast in any medium that the University of Maryland, College Park shall deem appropriate. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Mallory B. Herberger Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Violeta Rivas Location The location of the interview Silver Spring, Maryland Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 1:00:19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview of Violeta Rivas. Description An account of the resource In this oral history interview, Violeta Rivas discusses her experience as an American immigrant. Born in Nicaragua in 1960, Violeta and her husband came to the U.S. in 1984 to escape the Sandinista regime and to build a new life. Thirty years later, they are still here. Although Violeta had originally intended to return to Nicaragua, she and her family stayed, and throughout the course of the interview, she displays an acute awareness of her life in retrospect. Leaving her home was a sacrifice, but she did it for her family; every obstacle she faced and every cultural barrier she had to overcome was for her family. That is the essence of the interview, and throughout the course of this oral history, Violeta guides her listeners through the things that matter the most to her: religion, tradition, and moral values. Violeta’s story is not just one of many Central American immigrant narratives; it is a part of a whole, and without it, the picture is not complete. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Center for the History of the New America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 26, 2014 Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History, Audio Interview Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived This interview was conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park course HIST428N Immigrant Life Stories: An Oral History Practicum (spring 2014). This course was led by Professor Thomas A. Castillo of the History Department, College of Arts and Humanities, and was sponsored by the Center for the New America. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The full rights of this oral history interview were given by the interviewee to the University of Maryland, College Park. This interview may be quoted from, published, or broadcast in any medium that the University of Maryland, College Park shall deem appropriate. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio file with ID3 version 2.3.0, contains: MPEG ADTS, layer III, v1, 192 kbps, 44.1 kHz, JntStereo Language A language of the resource English, Spanish Catholic Central America El Salvador Mexico migrant Nicaragua Peru Sandinista