Category Archives: Immigrant Interviews

MD Islam’s Interview as told to Shio Fung Zhu

Country Life

I was born in Bangladesh, in Chandpur in 1993.  I forgot a lot of the stuff, but the stuff I can remember was that it was more like the countryside.  So it was not a city, Bangladesh was mostly country regardless.  It didn’t have pavement; it had dirt roads.  It had like those flea markets that see, those were markets.  Our houses were not really modern; they had those metal roofs, the ones they use in the countryside [not shingles, perhaps similar to the metal roofs of houses in American shanty towns].  Bangladesh was like one of the most impoverished countries –a third world country– so it wasn’t high tech.  Country was totally different; it wasn’t like the city at all.  I also remember building a fucking a boat with tree logs or the like, and it would fucking float [the slang was used to refer to the act of building the boat as being funny; not in the disrespectful sense].  It was a raft; it was not like a canoe or whatever, so a raft would make more sense.

Continue reading MD Islam’s Interview as told to Shio Fung Zhu

Natasha Marsub’s Interview… As told to Maria

                                     Natasha Marsub’s Interview                                                                             As told to Maria In 1982, Natasha Marsub’s father got the exciting news of his acceptance into an American college. In the same year he departed Bangladesh and embarked on a journey towards his success, and that of his future family. Luckily, things have worked out but at the expense of being held responsible for the success of other family members. Life in the United States, however, hasn’t been as perfect as many of them envisioned, especially not for Natasha’s family. Continue reading Natasha Marsub’s Interview… As told to Maria

Trisha’s* Interview as Told by Makeba L. Ross

Years ago, Trisha’s* mother, father, grandmother, aunts and uncles decided to leave their quiet life in St. Georges, Grenada and make the trip to America. Trisha* was not present during her family’s migration- she was born in the United States years later- but was kind enough to sit down and talk with me about her family’s immigration and her life in America.

Continue reading Trisha’s* Interview as Told by Makeba L. Ross

Dora’s Interview as told to Thomas Saw Aung

Dora was enjoying her life at home as a housewife until she divorced her husband. After losing custody to her only child, she decided to move to the United States to get a job. In her native country employment was only possible for those younger than 35 years old. The States brought her loneliness bringing forth a revival of her faith in God.

Continue reading Dora’s Interview as told to Thomas Saw Aung