It was interesting to interview my mom as an immigrant. I learned new things that I didn’t know before. I was surprised by certain aspects that were new to me.
I learned some new things about my mom. For example, I thought she would have been sad to leave her country, but I was wrong. I also thought that maybe her parents would be mad that she was leaving and maybe her siblings might think that too. But all of her family encouraged her because all of them had had a chance to experience the U.S. it one point of their lives. Another thing I learned was that she keeps in daily contact with all her friends.
I was surprised by how hard it was for my mom to communicate with the locales. Since she studied English in her country but hadn’t had the chance to practice it until she arrived here, it was very tough at first to do many things. Another thing that surprised me was that her first job was at the NYU Medical Center working in the Pediatric Oncology unit. NYU is a very good college so I didn’t think my mom would get such a good job so fast into her immigration.
I wonder what I would have done in my mom’s shoes. I don’t know if I could live my family and start all over again in another country speaking another language. It sounds very challenging. I feel proud of what my mom has done.
Finally, the interview was much more typing than I expected. If you do not believe me here is proof.
Immigrants name: Elvira Medus
Relationship with me: Mom
1 What was your date of birth?
September 11th, 1971
2 What was your place of birth?
Biahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
3 What is your country of origin?
Argentina
4 Why did you leave your country?
“I wanted to have the experience of living in the U.S., one of the most successful countries in the world. My parents studied and worked in the U.S. for 1 year when they were young. My 5 siblings also had the opportunity to live in the U.S. and get to know its culture. I, as the youngest of my family, wanted to follow their steps.”
5 Describe how you felt about leaving your friends?
“I never felt I left them. For me, it was about seeking an adventure that I would share with them. Even today I am in daily contact with my elementary, high school and college friends. Friendship is 1 of the main values in our culture. Once you have a friend they will always be your friend no matter where you all live.”
6 Describe how did you feel about leaving your family?
“It wasn’t a sad moment. My parents encouraged me to have this experience. They knew I would grow in many ways. Living abroad could be challenging, but my family knew that it will open my mind helping me become a better person. Learning about other cultures and other ways of being, help you better understand others and, most importantly, yourself.”
7 Describe how were you feeling when you left?
“I was excited and looking forward to what was ahead of me. However, I was a little nervous about the unknown but the support of my family gave me the support I needed to feel confident to make this step.”
8 Describe your travel experience and did you bring anyone with you.
“I came with my fiance.” “ We came by plane strait to Chicago, where we would live for 2 years. My husband was admitted to do his M.B.A. at the University of Chicago. We had already rented a furnished apartment that would welcome us into a new life.”
9 What do you miss most about your homeland? Why or why not?
“ What I miss the most is the intimacy and deep connection of the human relationships. The close relationships in my country are spontaneous, genuine, and intimate. I miss developing more of those type of relationships here.”
10 Describe how did this country meet up to your expectations?
“I was surprised about how much I liked this country. It exceeded my expectations in many ways. I found out I have much more things in common with this country than I originally thought. Some of my personal values aligned with this country’s values like: self sufficient, freedom, independence, order, hard work, self determination, etc. Overall, I could relate to this country and also felt I could belong. ”
11 Describe your first job in the U.S.
“My first job was at NYU Medical Center working in the Pediatric Oncology unit. I worked helping parents deal with the emotional difficulties of having their kids with cancer. It was a sad and, sometimes, painful experience but, rewarding at the same time. It was a meaningful job that helped me grow professionally and personally.”
12 Describe what was the hardest thing you had to face in the U.S.
“The hardest thing was to feel unable to express myself as I wanted. Speaking another language was a limitation at times. Specially, because I couldn’t show my true self. I felt limited in my language to truly communicate what I wanted to say. I felt people didn’t know me. I could only show to others what my English allowed me to. Moreover, at the beginning, I also felt difficulties understanding others. Specially, I found it challenging to get to know all the abbreviations the English language has. I remember receiving an email saying that my kids had PE the next day. I didn’t know what they were talking about. Another day, I went to Parent-Teachers Conferences thinking I would be in an Auditorium with many people to listen to a Conference. To my surprise, I was only meeting with my kid’s teacher. Talking about these episodes makes me remember how lost I was at times!
- Describe first communications with Americans
“When I first arrived to the US, I remember going grocery shopping. The man asked me if I wanted plastic or paper bags. I felt proud that I understood what he or she asked. I even remember calling my mom and telling her that!”