Interviewee: Steven C. Magnin
Interviewer: Steven S. Magnin
Relationship: Father
Date: March 23, 2003
Man Moves to Philadelphia for Marriage
What is your full name?
Steven Scott Magnin
What is your nationality?
I'm from Americ . . . I'm an American.
What is your date of birth?
September 24, 1951.
Where were you born?
I was born in Philadelphia, but was raised outside of Philadelphia.
When did you (move to the U.S./move from somewhere else in the U.S.)
to Philadelphia?
As an adult, I was about 22-years-old. I guess that was 1973 or 1974, I'm not
quite sure. I think it was '73.
Why did you leave your country/State/former place of residence?
Because a house where my wife had lived went up for sale, and the price was right,
so we went there.
What did you like/dislike about your home/country?
I liked my former home fine. It was not too far from Philadelphia, it was in Delaware
County, and it was a nice area. It was in the suburbs, and it had a creek right near by
our apartment building, so that was nice. I liked that.
Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?
I think I just stated why, ha ha. It was where my first wife was from, Southwest
Philadelphia, and the house went up for sale that we lived in.
How did you travel here?/What type of transportation did you use/take to
travel here?
Just came by car. We weren't that far away.
How would you change that?
I probably wouldn't.
With whom did you travel? [Who did you travel with?]
With my wife and my son.
Give 1 thing you remember most about your home town and why?
It was a pretty town. Lots of stores. Places were pretty close, easy to get around,
plus it wasn't too far from where my mother lived, so I liked it there.
How did your life change when you moved and what were the differences between
the two places?
The people were different, I noticed. The people in the city seemed much more serious
about things, and they also seemed to be a little more honest in the city, and I feel
that to be true.
What did you expect about the US/Philly?
It was nicer than I thought it was gonna' be. The people were nicer than I thought
they were gonna' be. Crime rate was not what I was been led to believe that it was
like. Those things surprised me.
What did you come here to accomplish and what else do you feel you still need to do?
To raise a family, and lead a good life, and I'd still like to leave something, some
kind of a legacy, for my family when I'm gone, and I don't know what that's gonna' be yet.
What are the differences between when you came here and now?
I think the city is more active than it used to be, and more construction going on,
seems to be more of a travel destination, more tourism than there used to be in the city.
What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?
Oh, nothing, really. I didn't feel I sacrificed anything. It was more or less a place
that became available for us to live in, it was convenient at the time so, I don't
think I sacrificed very much.
What problems did you encounter coming to the US/Philly?
None, really.
How much money did you have and where did you get it when you came to Philly/US?
I don't know if this really pertains to me. I was already working. I served an
apprenticeship at a newspaper for pre-press printing and I've stayed in that field
ever since. So, that's where I get my money.
How did you adapt to your new environment?
Really wasn't hard to adapt because I was familiar with that neighborhood already
since my wife was from that neighborhood, and there really wasn't any need to adapt.
What education did you have before/after you arrived?
I had a high school education, and some college, and an apprenticeship program,
and it didn't change after that.
Do you [ever] regret moving? Why or why not?
No, I don't regret moving, plus I thought it would be better, since I didn't have
much of a city experience growing up, to move to the city, just to kind of round
out my personality and my experience about things.
What reason would/could make you go back to where you came from?
I don't think this question pertains, either. I don't know what reason. No reason, really.
Describe your first job here.If you didn't have one, where did you get money?
I already had a job when I moved here. It was in pre-press printing, I don't know
if people know what, really, that is, but we do typesetting and art placement, and
ads and books and things like that, and I already had a job in that field, so.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Not really. I'm happy I moved to the city. I like the city of Philadelphia quite a
lot. I'm defensive of it when people say things about it that they don't really
know about and aren't really accurate, then I'll defend the city. That's about it.
