Her way of life in Sierra Leone

Interviewer: Gabriel Gonzalez
Interviewee: Name Withheld
Date: December 4, 2000
Relationship: Friend

What is your nationality?

Sierra Leone

What is your date of birth?

[Around 1980]

Where were you born?

I was born in Sierra Leone; Capital Freetown.

When did you (move to the U.S./move from somewhere else in the U.S.) to Philadelphia?

I moved to Philadelphia on August 8th, 1994.

Why did you leave your country/State/former place of residence?

I left my country because the United States offered many more opportunities than my country education wise, food wise, and my future.

What did you like/dislike about your home/country?

I dislike my country because we have a lot of civil wars, we didn't have enough food and education went on for [only] so long: you could only go to school 'til you go to high school and that was it -you have to get a job.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?

I choose Philadelphia because my mom was here before me, and friends were here and it was the easiest place for her to start.

How did you travel here?/What type of transportation did you use/take to travel here? How would you change that?

My mother's friend filed for me and my brother and we used an airplane to come here. It was very difficult to come here, my mom had tried for 6 years to get the visa, even a visiting visa. I would change it by making it easier for people who want to come to the United States for more opportunities.

How did you find a place to live in Philly?

My mom was here for 6 years before me and she had a house.

With whom did you travel? [Who did you travel with?]

I traveled with my little brother. My little brother was one years old and I was twelve.

Give 1 thing you remember most about your home town and why?

I remember our culture, the way we dress, and our environment - the way we live - the houses were more open, it was more like huts, and people would sleep outside, everybody is outside all the time.

How did your life change when you moved and what were the differences between the two places?

My life changed because I had to learn a new language, I have to learn a different way of studying in school, and the major differences is the time, the school hours, the language again, and that is it.

What did you expect about the US/Philly?

I expected so much about Philly and so did everybody back home, we expected the floors to be like gold everything was free and it was just like heaven it was no place like United States or Philly.

What did you come here to accomplish and what else do you feel you still need to do?

I came here to accomplish my education and get a future and I still feel like I have a long way to go to finish college and go to school and finish my career.

What are the differences between when you came here and now?

It's easier now that I can understand English more and I have learned to cope with the temperatures. Stuff like that, the food, the people, nothing else.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

I left behind my grandmom, my cousins, my friends, and family, my culture, well, part of it, and my first home.

What problems did you encounter coming to the US/Philly?

I didn't encounter many problems on my way to Philly, its just that through the flight we had a lot of stops in the airport, passports, visas, making sure I was legal, I was suppose to be here and I was the right person.

How much money did you have and where did you get it when you came to Philly/US?

I didn't have any money on my way to Philly, like I said, it was me and my brother, so my mom didn't think we were suppose to have any money and when I came, my mom was here, and she came to the airport to pick us up.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

I went to school as soon as I came in August. September I started school, I went to the library, I did everything I could to learn English to meet with people and I went to the playground and stuff like that.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

Because now that I look back, if I was back home I wouldn't be at where I'm right now. I wouldn't know so much that I know right now, I wouldn't be so tolerance as I am right now.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

When I came here I was in high school over there, well, like high school is still like elementary schools here, so they had to put me in the 8th grade but over there I would have finish high school by now, and I would have been working, like, 3 years ago.

Do you [ever] regret moving? Why or why not?

I regret sometimes and I don't regret because it was my first home and my family stood and my grandmom is still over there my aunt is still there, but I don't regret it because up 'til now we are still having civil wars and life styles here are so much better than over there.

What reason would/could make you go back to where you came from?

Just go to see my family and my home, like I said and just want to go back to my home.

Describe your first job here. If you didn't have one, where did you get money?

My first job here was at St. Christopher Hospital. It was a volunteer job and I just worked in a secretarial department and it wasn't very difficult 'cause I worked with someone else even though I had very hard times speaking and hearing people.

Is there anything you would like to add?

I would like to add that right now I'm in college and I'm doing very well - much, much better than what I would have been doing back home. I talk to my family once in the while, I would love to go back, in fact I just studied and took my citizen test about 2 weeks ago and I am happy to be here.

Thank, Thank you Gabriel.