WASHINGTON
SAW
SPOKANE, WA
“Back in my country, it is very difficult there. You can’t speak against your government, or any leader who you don’t like, but in this country, we all have equal opportunity. It doesn’t matter where you came from, but as long as you are here, you have voice to speak up against something that you don’t like. You have right to call your own senator, representatives that if something that you want to advocate on. I think it’s the freedom of being able to live freely—not having to worry about corruption where I used to came from.”
I am originally from Burma, now called Myanmar. I live in United States for about 15 years. Every single refugee who came to America, they have the story. Because of some violence that happened to them, they cannot be in their country, that’s why they have to flee. And my personal story is, I have been rejected from every corner. I have been rejected from my own government. I have been rejected from Thai government. And as a minority group, you have no right and you can’t speak up, and you do not have any citizen grant right from Burma. Citizen-less, country-less, stateless – I do not have anything in my life. So United States welcome me, here in America. It just feel like a newborn – you feel like you are being human again. You feel like someone in this world welcoming you, and you have right, and you able to have a citizenship – being human just normal people want to be.
I do remember we waited in the airport in Thailand, Bangkok. Waiting for that moment to be in the plane is almost a life-changing travel at the middle of the night, midnight — start riding a plane at 1 AM in the morning.
We land in Minneapolis, Saint Paul Airport. I remember with a big flat banner, welcoming sign—welcome to America! And see so many people that welcoming me from my community. It’s a moment where I am in America. It’s so thankful and I am now safe from all the difficult life that I have to go through.
Remember being a first time in the front seat of the car, which I would never afford it if I would be in my own country – to sit in the front seat. But, it is just the beginning and from my journey.
It’s very challenge, because when I first came I did not speak any English. And for you to make friend, go through high school, life is very challenge. And also at the same time that you never been away from your parents, and you never have to be take your own responsibility, pay your own rent. You have to find a job, and at the same time going to high-school – it’s just very difficult.
Honestly, I don’t remember anybody would support me throughout my high-school years, except my brother, who I resettled together with him. I do wish that I could have somebody supported me, or be mentor to me to go through the high-school year. Yes, I am really thankful for his support for me to graduate from the high-school.
I remember first day of being in the class. I do not have any friend. I just sit in the middle of the class. It is the moment where I have to do it, and for me to learn English, I just have to sit through the class. For being almost six months, still do not speak the language. But kind of hearing and sort of can get the listening to people speaking around you what’s going on. A year later, I start speaking the language and start making friends when I speak the language.
But I also really supported my teacher who, even though I do not speak the language, by taking time to make sure that I understand the language, because we are in ESL classes. So that only one period we have is ESL class. The rest of my other period is the regular classes you have to go through and sit through the class with all other high-school kids. They do not friendly with you because you don’t speak the language. And maybe, you know coming from the same middle school, where they used to have friend and then they going to high-school with the same group – which I don’t have those connection.
But I think the turning point is when I start working, which the first six months when I arrive in the United States I start working as a cashier at the Thai restaurant. And, at that time, it is changing me that I can live in this country if I have a job, if I have access to transportation. And the most important thing when you have your own car, so you could travel freely. Waiting for the bus is kind of challenge. The weather in the winter time is very difficult to travel. But once you get a job, when you have a car, you think you could manage to live in this country.
The way my parent raised me is different than I would raise my kids because my parent would spank me, would not allow to go out at night, and if I do I would get really bad punishment. And in this country, you can’t spank them. Or you can, but you can’t make them bruises! Or it’s violence to punish a kid. I think that is kind of challenge for every family to adopt to the culture of parenting here in America.
It is a country where it is difficult I think to me to raise your kids, especially when the kids would go through middle school, high-school. That’s influential if the kid would have a good friend. I think the kids would do well. But, if the kid has a friend who are not interested in education then I think it is going to be difficult.
As parents, I always pray about it. I hope that my – I would support my kids in anyway if my kids would be in a situation where they need help! I would find a counsellor, a mentor or churches to be involved to help my kid to be on track. I think it need supervision from some institution to make the kid be successful.
Back in my country, it is very difficult there. You can’t speak against your government, or any leader who you don’t like, but in this country, we all have equal opportunity. It doesn’t matter where you came from, but as long as you are here, you have voice to speak up against something that you don’t like. You have right to call your own senator, representatives that if something that you want to advocate on. I think it’s the freedom of being able to live freely—not having to worry about corruption where I used to came from. I really appreciate all the democracy that we have here in this country!
DIANA
SPOKANE, WA
“I feel like America split up, even in the political view now. So some people will accept you and say, “Oh, wow! Congratulations: you now live in America, your English is great.” And some people will say, “Oh, you have accent, where you from? Why did you came here?” … I was in college taking some social service classes together with this one guy from Uganda. So he was a refugee, and one day he told us his story, and it was unbelievable, heartbreaking story. When he was a professor back in Uganda, and he spent like 13 years in jail. He didn’t even know if his wife alive, and he accidentally found her in a refugee camp after 13 years. And he’s here now in Spokane taking classes with me. And I was like, if people will hear more of these stories, they would change. I know that.”
Okay, I was born in Turkmenistan, which is former Soviet Union country. And I think I was two years old, or maybe three or four, when we move to Azerbaijan. I live there for a while and I went to school there, and then the war start in Azerbaijan between Armenia and Azerbaijan. They have a small piece of land – they still fighting about this, even now. And in 1992 we ran to Russia. I went to school there and I used to live there till I finish medical college. And then I married Russian guy, and his family applied for the refugee status in the U.S. We went to interview together, and in 2005 we came here.
Yes, I do remember this day. My husband’s family – which is huge – and all of them were at airport. I was too tired, because I had the baby in my arms. So as soon as we came, it was a huge dinner – family reunification, maybe forty people together. And I was too tired – I didn’t even go upstairs for dinner.
I was like, “I’m done, I want to sleep!” That’s it.
Well, my regular life in America? Very interesting. I mean, I knew about America only from the movies – Hollywood ones. And yes, that is not matching at all. I thought, “Is America so fancy, and everyone walking in the heels and fancy dresses?” That’s actually what people are doing in Russia. But when I came here, and everyone is in sweatpants, pajamas, slippers, and I was like, “Ha!” That was super weird for me.
In Russia, that’s not okay to smile to strangers. It’s more like a kiss, you know? You’re smiling only to a person who you know. That’s why when people were smiling at me, I was like, “Ooh, that’s weird, why they are all smiling?”
So here’s the deal. I came and I stayed at home eight years. I got two more kids, and I was like, “This is my goal, I’m going to stay with them. I don’t want to use different people who are going to take care of my kids.” So for me it was like eight years I was at home, and it was kind of like eight years with no English. My English was kind of like – I was struggling a lot making appointments by phone. I mean some people understood me, but by phone I’m still terrified of the phone sometimes. I was crying over the phone, asking my husband, “Can you please make appointment for us?” And he’s like, “No, do it! Because that’s the only practice English for you.” And I was like, “Okay.” I was crying, trying to make appointment for my kids. And when the other person on the other side of the phone did not understand me, I was crying. I throw my phone to my husband. I was like, “Talk to them! They don’t understand me.” Oh my goodness, that was unbelievable. And then eventually, eight years later all my kids went to school, and I was like, “Okay. That’s the time, so let’s go back to school.” I went back to ESL classes and I was level six already, so I took one quarter and I finished it.
So I came here with a medical degree, and when I realized it’s nothing here – they don’t want to accept even like 15 credits – I was like, “Can you guys at least take some general classes so I don’t need to take, I don’t know, math again or something?” They said like, “No, you can try to wave your diploma, but we don’t give you guarantee we will accept at least 15 credits.” And I was like, oh great. So I start from the beginning again – like English, math – so I didn’t choose medical field, which I still want to do, but I feel it’s too hard. It’s going to be for me. I mean, I know it’s a lot of homework. Maybe eventually I will do it, when my kids will be older, because I know it’s like sleepless nights to do homework. But I still don’t give up with my dream. Some day I might be working in the hospital again. When I was in a counseling office, we talk about my medical degree, and he asked me, “What else would you like to do?” And I say, “You know, I love to help people.” And he said, he asked me maybe social service. And I said, “Oh yeah, maybe!” That’s why I got my degree in social service.
Working now here at World Relief, I am working with these women who came from a different culture where they are just staying home, wives and mothers. And I’m using my example, you know, that I came here with the baby, and then I have two more kids there, and I still finish college, and it’s possible. Yes it’s hard, but it’s possible. It’s take time, and it was kind of shame for me at the beginning to finish ESL class after eight years – but I mean it’s worth it, even eight years later.
I feel like America split up, even in the political view now. So some people will accept you and say, “Oh, wow! Congratulations: you now live in America, your English is great.” And some people will say, “Oh, you have accent, where you from? Why did you came here?” Sometimes we are in a Wal-Mart or whatever, or Costco, and I’m speaking to them in Russian language. And I see the people who are turning their head look at us like, “Who the heck they are, speaking different language?” And I don’t have any comments now, recently. But when we just came to America, I still remember a couple comments negatively: “Oh, you need to teach your kids speak English.”
I was in college taking some social service classes together with this one guy from Uganda. So he was a refugee, and one day he told us his story, and it was unbelievable, heartbreaking story. When he was a professor back in Uganda, and he spent like 13 years in jail. He didn’t even know if his wife alive, and he accidentally found her in a refugee camp after 13 years. And he’s here now in Spokane taking classes with me. And I was like, if people will hear more of these stories, they would change. I know that
PATRICK
SPOKANE, WA
“After maybe three months, now I say oh Spokane is good! Because before to take the bus is hard. Sometimes you waiting, you don’t know maybe the schedule for bus. Or maybe you come late, the bus already pass. Now you are waiting waiting another maybe 30 minutes, maybe 40 minutes… The first three months – it is hard because everything is new. You can never buy maybe something in the supermarket or the shop, because you do not know the place, know the number for the bus maybe. Ah this one. Supposed somebody to help you. Somebody not come to take you. You can never move. Yeah, this one is a hard. But after three months, it is better now.”
I am from Congo. I live in the United for 3 years now.
I take the airplane to New York to Spokane. It is Southwest. I land in Spokane, it is 11:00 pm. I have two men. He is waiting for me. Now he is taking me the place – I don’t know Spokane – he is take me to the place where I don’t know. After two days, he take me to the office to say this one is your caseworker, this one is the office for refugees. Everything for me is new. Now I try to learn. Maybe he send me to go to learn English. Now I can speak English, because if I speak French… Now I am happy because I (have) small English. I know I live in America now, because before I live in Africa. Yeah, I am happy.
Oh in America, I can say I like everything. Just anything I hate is the snow. The other thing is good for me, because now I can speak English each one is good news for me. Now maybe after two weeks, I have my check. In Africa, maybe you can work, you don’t have any money. Yeah, everything is good – it’s just I hate the snow.
After maybe three months, now I say oh Spokane is good! Because before to take the bus is hard. Sometimes you waiting, you don’t know maybe the schedule for bus. Or maybe you come late, the bus already pass. Now you are waiting waiting another maybe 30 minutes, maybe 40 minutes. Maybe you want to go to school, you forget maybe the address for the place you have the school. After maybe three months now, slow slow. It is good for me. But the first three months – it is hard because everything is new. You can never buy maybe something in the supermarket or the shop, because you do not know the place, know the number for the bus maybe. Ah this one. Supposed somebody to help you. Somebody not come to take you. You can never move. Yeah, this one is a hard. But after three months, it is better now.
I never drive car in Africa, now I drive in Spokane. This one is a big big project for me, because now I can take my driving license. Something that is hard for me, now I have. The first time I failed maybe two times, but I take it.
Something I miss in Africa is maybe African food. Yeah, sometimes we have more African food. You can maybe in the supermarket. You can looking and you never see, “Oh this one is from Africa! Try this one, I like it.” I miss the food from Africa. Yeah, just I miss my family. I can wait maybe after 5 years, maybe to be America. I can try maybe to ask maybe the government to help me to bring my family together. I believe one day – one day, one time – maybe I can live together for my family. Maybe to be married to have the children too. That’s right, yeah.
After five years, I would like to apply to take nationality. After this one I can change this job. I like to be – you know TSA, the people they work in the airport? This is the job I would like to do someday. See God maybe he helping me to be American, I can change this job to work for TSA.
I can say maybe some people who have received this position maybe to help the refugee… He can help because we have more people who is refugee. He is waiting to come to America. You know, the life of the refugee is hard. Sometimes in hot weather, maybe no food. Maybe no medical. Maybe you can go to hospital maybe you can die or continue to live. Yeah, it is just deciding to help him. You can help him maybe to do – maybe to enjoy the life for America too.
ZULMAI
KENT, WA
“I could talking every day sometimes with my brother, or sometimes my mother. There is a lot of my family in Afghanistan. I talk with them. They have asked me about myself and my family – “It is good? What do you do? You can find a job or you just jobless?” How do you do like that!”
I am from Afghanistan. I coming three months ago. I have a long flight coming Afghanistan and United States by three flights. The first flight I coming Kabul and to Dubai. After this, I am Dubai flight flight and then Los Angeles. And Los Angeles, after coming 2 hours and 30 minutes, then Sea-Tac. 3 months I is living in Kent.
In Afghanistan I work in the shop in the tailoring for five or six years. After this, I worked in the construction company. Also, I have experience in tiling – like ceramic or bathroom. And also I was security in this company for 5 years. And after this I worked in the U.S. Embassy. I was security guard.
I could talking every day sometimes with my brother, or sometimes my mother. There is a lot of my family in Afghanistan. I talk with them. They have asked me about myself and my family – “It is good? What do you do? You can find a job or you just jobless?” How do you do like that!
I hope in the future I can continue to live in this country, the United States better. I have not now a home. It is a very problem. The rent is very high. I want to working hard, and if I can, in the future buy a home.