“Did you ever wonder about living anywhere else outside your hometown?” I innocently asked my father. “Yes” he replied. A middle-class family would often visit his neighborhood every six months and they arrived in a pick-up truck. They came from San Antonio, Morelos Chihuahua located in the Western Sierra Madre. This family had a farm and my father always wanted ... Read More »
The first person who came to mind when this assignment was presented was my eldest Aunt on my mother’s side, “Betty.” Out of her 5 siblings she was the only one who was not born in America and wasn’t a citizen until her adult life. To protect anonymity, all names have been changed. She and I have never had ... Read More »
My mother is Amy Li (name changed), who grows up in China. She has immigrated to the United States in 1996 and started her new life in Boston. This is her American story. She told me that the experience of immigration led her to see the wider world and meet more kind people. In ... Read More »
We sat across from each other with some coffee and some appetizers. It was noon, I could tell she was nervous to speak about her life mostly since I had mentioned that I would be asking her about her traumatic experience. I let her know that if she was more comfortable doing this interview in Spanish we could. Most ... Read More »
I interviewed my step-grandfather, Juan Herrera. He came into my family’s life in the mid-90s by marrying my biological grandmother on my mother’s side; however, his journey before joining my family is quite inspiring. He came to the United States in the 1980s as an undocumented immigrant to create a better life for himself and escape the poverty he was ... Read More »
I will share the story of my handsome husband, NK (who prefers to go by his initials only), and his immigration to the United States. NK immigrated in 1999 from Chennai, India, when he was 29. He began his life in the USA, in Sunnyvale, CA. Much of his education was in English, so speaking the language was natural for ... Read More »
Introduction: This project inspired me to learn more deeply about one of the people that has become such a massive help to my family over the past few years. Bridget came into my family’s lives when my grandfather was diagnosed with dementia. She is one of two full-time caregivers but has also become a symbolic member of the family. While ... Read More »
What was your life like in Ethiopia? Saba (name changed) was born in 1982 to loving parents in the capital city of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The city name, translated from Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia) to English means new flower. The city name is apropos as Saba’s essence reminds me of a new flower by shedding beauty and ... Read More »
What was your family situation like where you were from? Respondent: My family was large and wealthy. My father was employed in a public office, which meant that he was in a position to provide for a large family. What was your family situation like then when you came here? Respondent: My family faced a political tragedy as my father ... Read More »
Khushwinder (name changed for anonymity) was happy to talk about his life. He said “I am feeling like a celebrity doing this interview. Nobody has interviewed me before. I am feeling very special.” I was also happy to see him ready for this interview. Then I asked him how his family was and where he belonged from. He started talking ... Read More »