People were being killed and you don't know what's going to happen

Interviewer: Jacklyn Miranda
Interviewee: Millen Worku Gebreselassie
  

What is your full name?

Millen Worku Gebreselassie

What is your nationality?

I'm a naturalized U.S citizen.

What is your date of birth?

July 7, 1975

Where were you born?

Etria, Ethiopia

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

I moved into the US in a 1990 and I moved to Philadelphia in 1997.

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

Uh, education, there's only, like, one university in Ethiopia, so that was a ok .

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

It was very unstable politically, people were being killed and you don't know what's going to happen.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?

Philadelphia, I was moving from Med. school in the U.S. I guess that was the easiest place to come to.

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

I came on the plane I think that's the only way to come to Ethiopia here. That was a very very long flight, all right.

How did you find a place to live in Philly?

I just came here, shopped for apartments.

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

My family, my parents and my sister.

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

The weather. It was spring weather all year round it wasn't cold and it wasn't hot.

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

Language, it was having to speak English all the time VS having to speak about 3 languages where I grow up. Differences: life was a lot simpler and where I grow up. For example: like, we don't use shower curtains, like, we don't even think about using shower curtains, you just mop the bathroom floor after you're done showering. It wasn't, you know, something you think about.

What did you expect about the US/Philly?

I really didn't know what to expect, the only thing I've seen, you know, stuff on movies I guess I expected people to be a lot more friendlier than I find them to be. I didn't expect to see that many poor people.

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

I wanted to go to school and I'm going to school. I'm in medical school and I'll I guess I would like to finish.

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

I guess the difference between Bush in presidency and Clinton Oh [laughing]. I'm married with a baby!

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

I left my family members. Most of them died after I left. Sacrifice? I guess leaving the culture even though there are a lot of people from my culture here is not the same.

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

Culture shock. I'm coming from a very Etrian oriented [waits] coming to a very individual culture with definitely different learning to have eye contact and I was raised not to have eye contact.

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

I came with my family, so my father had the money. I'm not sure exactly how much money he had but it wasn't a lot and, yeah, and my parents had property so they sold their property over there.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

I had some family members here so they are very supportive and friends that were from Ethiopia that been in the US for a while helped me.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

Well, I met my husband I [excited] I'm in Med. school which is my life dream.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

I left right after my 9th grade education and I just stood, finished high school, finished college and now I'm in 3rd year in medical school.

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

No, like I said, you know, I'm definitely doing what I always dreamt of doing and [stops].

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

I would like to do medical missionary and go back as a Christian medical missionary

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

Well, I worked in fast food restaurant when I was in high school. That was interesting. People curse you out, you make minimum wage, you can't say anything back - all you got to do is smile, nod and say thank you. [laughing] But I had scholarships in college and right now Med. school is basically loans and my husband works.

Is there anything you would like to add?

[nods, no]