Young man sees the world and discovers he's an American

Interviewer: Isaac Clinton
Interviewee: Thomas Webb
Date: May 20, 2000
  

What is your full name?

Thomas Christopher Webb.

What is your nationality?

As they say, "African American," I guess.

What is your date of birth?

February 10, 1978

Where were you born?

I was born in California, on an army base not too far from San Francisco.

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

I moved to Philadelphia in 1988 I believe ... no, no, no 1989.

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

Basically, real quick, both of my parents were in the service so we moved a lot, from state to state at first, then Korea and Madagascar and then in Europe, London and then to Germany.

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

Well, I liked the culture, especially in Germany. We ate different foods like French fries with mayonnaise on them. Of course mayonnaise isn't the same in Germany as it is here.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?

My mom moved us here so it was, like, come to Philadelphia and we were, like, okay.

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

Um, we used plane transportation. How would I change it? Well, being that we crossed an ocean, it's kind of hard to use anything else but I would definitely say that The States could use a lesson from Europe in that the European trains are more efficient because you can travel to France and back in a day.

How did you find a place to live in Philly?

You know, the classifieds, looking in the newspaper. But, now I use the internet, which is much more efficient.

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

I traveled with my mother and my brother. It's funny because my mother was telling us about how great The States were going to be. So when we got here we went to the bathroom and we were, like, "Mommy the bathrooms stink."

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

Well, I don't remember where I was born in California, because my mom moved me right away. So I was a 2 week old baby on an airplane (not allowed) so I was an early traveler.

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

The culture (Germany to the U.S.) was totally different in the the fact that being just outside the army base you're in an army society. I didn't understand racism, it was, like, you were black or white or this or that. I fought a lot in school because of that. Everything is a little bit different.

What did you expect about the US/Philly?

Basically, I expected it to be a little more sanitary.

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

Well, we never really came here to accomplish anything, we just came.

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

As I get older I realize that the U.S. is my home.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

Old friends I guess. But, most of them were army kids and now with the Internet I can contact them.

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

I wasn't allowed to speak German. We started early in the military so the school district tried to hold me back, because I was so far ahead.

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

I had exactly $8.72.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

I drove my mother crazy. Well, actually I just ignored people, but that just got me into a lot of fights. So I finally figured out I could impress adults with the German.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

It gave me a chance to see a new place and learn about new things.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

While we were in Germany I was way ahead of the U.S. so I already knew trigonometry and that was when I was in the fourth grade.

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

Sometimes I miss Germany but there really is no reason for me to go back.

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

Probably to go see friends. Nothing else really.

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

My first job was in a corner store. That experience was... err interesting.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Ich haben sie hungar (I'm hungry).