داستان کوتاه انگلیسی

Escaping a Revolution to Find the “American Dream” (part3)

What experiences or memories stick out to you from those early years in the U.S.?

It was New Year’s Eve when we first landed in the states. We arrived in Edin, Oklahoma, where I had a cousin. This was my first impression of America. It was dark out as they drove us out of the small town into a really rural area. I was looking around trying to find those high-rises I associated with America, and was pretty surprised to see it wasn’t as interesting as I thought. There was nothing.
I remember the next day after I arrived, it must’ve been New Year’s day, my cousin drove me to see his business and get acquainted with the work I’d be doing. When he drove out, I kept looking out the window, and all I could see was flat farmland, even some tumbleweeds blowing across the deserted highway. There was nothing.

I remember asking, “This is America?”. It took me a while to learn that we were in the middle of rural Oklahoma. It was a small town, you could go from one end to the other in twenty minutes. It was very depressing. So from that point on, I wanted to get out and actually see America. The America that I came so far to see.

At any point did you consider going back to Iran?

I was living in Northern California with cousin Mo. It’d only been three or four months. And one night I came home, I used to walk from the convenience store I worked at to his house, and my car wasn’t there, I guessed he had taken it out. The next morning, a police officer and the building’s manager knocked on the door and asked me, “Who are you?” I answered that I was Mo’s cousin.
They said that he was in an accident the night before and he passed away. So, there I was, all by myself, with nothing. It took me a while to recover from this, with nowhere to go, I had nobody in the United States. So I wanted to go back to Iran. Then I told myself, I’m gonna try a little longer, I came all the way here. I’m going to stay awhile and see what happens.

How did you end up owning your own business and establishing the life you have now?

After my cousin died, I met a guy who was buying and selling cars from his house. He would put an ad in the newspaper and people would show up to his house. I had saved some money from Iran and started doing the same thing with him. So we used to buy cars from auctions and fix/sell them at the house for some extra money. Then after a while we had enough money to rent a lot and start a used car lot. I did that for a bit with a couple partners, but realized I really didn’t like having to be dishonest with customers. They would lie and sell people cars that weren’t good, and at one point I had enough, I couldn’t do that anymore. That’s when I decided I was going to work for myself.


For a short while, I worked for a guy in his painting company, eventually became his foreman and started making good money. After a few years working there, it was maybe 1991, I got my contractor’s license and started my own company. I hired helpers and started working all around the Bay Area. That’s the business I’ve built to this day and it’s what’s given me this life in America.


What did/does the phrase ‘American Dream’ mean to you? What feelings does it evoke and has its meaning changed for you at all?


It hasn’t changed. The American Dream is, you can do anything you want in this country, as long as you follow the law and work for it, it’s available. Plus, there is a lot of freedom in general that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. That’s the dream people have: to come here, be a part of this nation, live here, work here, and be free. There are a lot of things we take for granted in this country that are unimaginable in other places. The American Dream means freedom, that’s basically what it is.

Source: http://madeintoamerica.org

Escaping a Revolution to Find the “American Dream” (part2)


I was on a two-month waiting list. So in the meantime, I talked to one of the embassy employees and started helping out by getting the lists of people’s names and numbers. I used to go to the embassy everyday, because my brother Hooshang lived across the street from the American embassy. I could see the embassy’s door from his window. I’d go to check people in and take their names down, and also check my status on the wait-list.

On the day that the hostage crisis started, my turn to get my visa was supposed to be three days away. That day, I was at my brother’s house, and I started hearing a lot of commotion. I could see a lot of people crowding and yelling around embassy – I thought there was some kind of demonstration going on. I didn’t see them climbing up the gates or anything, so I assumed it was just a protest. By the time that night came around, I found out that they had actually taken over the embassy.

So, everyone who was waiting for a visa at that time was obsolete and so was mine, and that was it. I was very angry. I could’ve gotten my visa three days later. That event alone delayed my immigration another five years. The government then closed all the borders, they weren’t letting anyone get in and out, and after they opened, the only way I was able to get out was to get my visa from a European country. The only reason I was able to do that was because the business I owned worked closely with European countries.

How did your family and friends react/treat you when you left home? What were their expectations or hopes for your future?

There were mixed feelings. Everyone wanted to leave the country at the time. Of course, they were sad that I was leaving, but at the meantime, they were happy that I was able to get out. I got my visa to come to America through our company; we were working with European companies and therefore had some influence. So I got my visa from Italy, got my American student visa from there, and came directly from Italy. I was definitely considered one of the lucky ones. It wasn’t that easy for everyone to leave the country.

My family was happy that I had this opportunity to go to America for school, but they were also sad because they thought we could’ve established a good life in Iran. I had a good job and they wanted our children to be there. But they wanted the best for me, and with this lucky chance I got, they understood that I had to take it.

What were your expectations or hopes for life in America?


Back then, when I was younger, America seemed to me and everyone else like a wonderland. Everything was new, advanced, life seemed to be easier. Success seemed easier. Not only that, but the freedom was the most important thing.


Where did you start out in the US and what kind of work did you find?


I had a cousin who lived and worked in Oklahoma. We were supposed to stay and work there with him. He had a supermarket and oil well drilling company. I stayed there for a bit then ended up moving to Los Angeles because that was supposedly where all the Iranians were. I had a few close friends who lived there who grew up in the same neighborhood as me in Iran. I found a job working the night shift in a 7/11, and after like 6-7 months I moved to Northern California, to live with my cousin in Fremont. Over there I started working in a convenience store.

Escaping a Revolution to Find the “American Dream” (part1)



When you look back on your younger self, living in Iran, what compelled you to come to America?

As a kid, before the revolution, most people had hopes of going to America to go to school, and eventually, come back to Iran to establish their life/career. The general feeling was that an American education would allow us to come back home and create better futures for ourselves and our families. Anybody who came back with a degree from America in those days could establish a very good job and their life would be set.

That was my idea – to come, get educated, live here for a little bit, then go back. My plan was always to come to America after high school and go back. We all still had faith in our country’s future. After the revolution though, that idea died.

What were you doing in Iran prior to immigrating?

I did some military service in the army, which was cut short because of the revolution. They let everybody out earlier. So I started working with a friend of mine, we established a company importing beauty supplies from Germany. We were doing pretty well, expanding the business. And from there I was introduced to another person who was doing International transportation, and he invited me to go work in his company. I worked there and was introduced to other people from European countries working in the import/export business. I met people from Germany, from Italy, from France, England. We communicated in English.

How much did the events of the Islamic Revolution influence your decision to leave home?

The revolution killed any kind of hope we had for the future of Iran. From that point on, I’d say a couple of years after it started, the idea of going to America for school and coming back changed. At first we thought the revolution was going to turn our country into a democratic republic. As soon as it turned religious, we knew that things were going in the wrong direction.

It didn’t make sense to come back. What was happening to our country was against our beliefs. Everyone’s plans for their future changed a couple of years after the revolution.

Tell me about the American hostage crisis of 1979 – you were at the American embassy when this happened, right?

Well this was right when the revolution started, so a lot of Iranians were trying to get visas to leave the country. They were trying to get whatever visa they could get, everybody just wanted to get out. I went and applied for my student visa; they put your name down and give you a number outside of the embassy. Everyday there were people lined up outside waiting to get their numbers and have them called. They’d accept 150 people everyday.

Imagine a Commercial for a Better Life (part3)



7.) What did you do for work? Was it hard to get work?
Johnny: “For work I did a lot of things, I was a farmer out in the fields picking produce from sunrise to sunset. I was a gardener for my neighbors then was a gardener for my neighbors and their friends. When I finally got around to being a little more established I got a job at a company that cleans parts they use for hospitals, military and other things. It was really cool to look back on my journey. Not only had I landed a good decent job that allowed me to now provide without having to worry. I knew that I was going to get a paycheck and a consistent one. But it was nice to see that I also learned a lot of life skills. As my kids got older I was able to build things for them, I was able to teach my oldest son how to build things as well and now he loves to build different things around the house and others. I would say my overall work experience was humbling and always kept me grounded. I never forgot or forget where I started, but I appreciate where I ended up.”

8.) If you can tell yourself something you know now that you didn’t know back then what would it be?
Johnny: “ I would definitely tell myself to slow down. I think my body is paying for it now! Just kidding. I would tell myself to keep the same dreams and to never let anyone make you feel like you can’t do something. Anything is possible whether you have the same resources as someone else or not. It’s your own journey and what you want to do with it.

No one else is going to work for you, so how bad do you want it? I grew up in a time where you have to work your butt off to get anything that you want, I guess that’s why when it comes to our kids we bend a little and sometimes give them what they want because we remember how it was. But it’s a good lesson in life to learn and if I would’ve told myself this back then I think at least work wise I could have started my own business or something. But I’m okay with it, I’m happy.”

9.) What do you enjoy most about being here now?
Johnn: “ What I enjoy the most about being here now is that my kids have kids now. I’ve got to see everyone grow up. I like to think that I planted the seed for all of them and it was up to them what they wanted to do and I can say they’ve all done a pretty good job. I’m so proud. My kids are happy, healthy and have a good job. My grandkids are the best. I’ve got to share my own stories with them and hope one daythey get to share these stories with their kids. I am ready to go back home, once my wife is ready to retire. We miss home and it’s almost like our work here is done. That’s always been our plan though, to go back home and live a slower lifestyle, so we’ll see when that day comes.”

10.) What do you wish more people knew about people who have immigrated here from other countries?
Johnny : “ I wish others knew that when people come over here from other countries it’s not to take over or start a war or anything to that extreme. It really is for a better life. Governments and authorities are different everywhere. Some places are the worst. They limit you and what you can do even with having all the resources and ability to do what you want.

It’s like when people see a commercial for a hot brand new car everyone has to have it right, everyone wants it. Now imagine a commercial for a new start, more opportunity and the freedom to be able to do everyday life things normally without having limitations. I gotta have it, I want it. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a better life for you and your family. Together as people we provide different resources, we provide different skills and perspectives that’s what helps make the world a better place. Being different.”

Source:http://madeintoamerica.org

Imagine a Commercial for a Better Life (part2)


4.) So what would you say your main goal was for leaving home, did it change since you had already come back and forth so many times? Weren’t you scared to get caught again?
Johnny: “ My main goal at first was just to come and see if it was what everyone said it was. The limitations and the poverty I grew up in was so normal to me that I never thought anywhere else would have been different or in other words better. It was more of a reflection on my life and what I had to do when I was younger. Not much school, working when I can at a very young age. I knew one day that I wanted a family but there was no way I wanted this lifestyle for my kids.

To be able to give your kids a different and better life than what you had is the most rewarding thing and it makes you forget about all the bad things that may have happened when you were younger. So I would say my main goal for leaving home was a better opportunity and an actual future for myself, my wife and future family. But now that I’m older I can’t wait to retire and go back home! To answer your other question about being scared, I was terrified. It was terrifying but sometimes you have to push yourself to get things done. I knew my intentions for coming to the US weren’t bad, so I was confident in myself and was willing to risk what it took just to have a better life.”

5.) Since being here what would you say was the hardest thing to adjust to?
Johnny: “People usually say the language barrier, but for me it wasn’t. It was very difficult at first but after a while you just find a way to communicate. The hardest thing for me was just getting over the fact that people would look at me like I was so different. Although since the beginning San Jose to me has always been so diverse, you would still get people who treated you differently. That was the hardest for me, I didn’t care so much about what people thought of me. I cared more about how they treated me. I’m still a person, just because I’m a little tanner, speaking a different language shouldn’t make me a target for you to belittle or get satisfaction by using power or control or whatever you think you have. It was tough.

There were days where I’d pick up a job doing someone’s lawn front and back, take care of their flowers, trees all of that and would be paid with food or drinks. Not that I wasn’t thankful, I’ll take a hot meal anytime. It was the fact that I was looked at as not someone who was capable of being paid with money. The way I saw it was, you go to work, you do your work and you get paid in order to support my living and household. What was I supposed to do with that meal, I couldn’t provide that sandwich or coca cola to the rest of my family. Some Days it sucked feeling that I Had to prove myself worth more than a sandwich.“


6.) What motivated you everyday to keep pushing knowing that your situation was different compared to someone who already lived here?
My family of course. But more for myself. I needed a reason to get up and prove to myself that I was capable of doing more and providing more. I wanted my kids to grow up and see that they could do anything they wanted. There were days when I was intimidated by others and how easy and natural things came to them but then I realized if I had the same opportunity and learned what you learned I would probably be in the same boat you are.

I noticed I started to get a little envious but I knew that my motivation was to prove to myself that I can take any situation and turn it into an opportunity for myself. Plus there were days where I just didn’t care and whatever happened happened. It was definitely something I struggled with mentally but back then men had to be the strong ones and hold it together. Different times, very different times.”

Imagine a Commercial for a Better Life (part1)



1.) What was most difficult for you when you decided to leave your country?
Johnny Appleseed (using a pseudonym): “ I would have to say the most difficult thing that got in my way when I was deciding to leave was not knowing how my family would be without me being here with them. Since I was the first one to leave to seek opportunity I had to leave my family behind in order to try and establish something for us before we all came over to the United States. I thought of every single thing that could go wrong and everyday leading up to the day I was leaving I tried to talk myself out of it. But for every day that passed by, all the pros of leaving my ranch always weighed out the cons. I knew I had to do this, I felt selfish if I didn’t.”

2.) Why here? Why San Jose CA and not somewhere like Los Angeles or San Diego closer to Mexico?
Johnny: “It’s nice to get asked this because I’ve never gotten asked this before. The reason why I chose San Jose is because I had long distant relatives here, it was an easier adjustment than if I would have moved elsewhere. I think my pride and stubbornness had gotten in the way because many of my family members had offered me a place to stay but I didn’t want the help or handouts. I didn’t want to get too comfortable and I needed to do everything for my family back home. I slept in parks, I looked for work and took the work no matter what it was. It was probably the hardest thing but the most rewarding and humbling thing now. I also felt that settling in Los Angeles or San Diego was a little too close to home so it would be easier for me to go back home whenever I was homesick and I didn’t want to give up.”

3.) When did the rest of your family finally come with you?
Johnny: “ This one might be the hardest to answer. At first it was just me, my wife was still in Mexico with her family. At the time she was pregnant with our first child but our first child didn’t make it. When I first came over here I got sent back, then I came back again. Then I got sent back to Mexico and for the third time my wife had finally decided to come with me. By then I had already established enough for us. Since it had just been the two of us we made it work for a while. We then started to grow our family after the pain my wife and I had suffered knowing that our family would have started already. But you know what they say, God has his own plans for you. We accepted what it was and healed together. Then came our growing family.”

Roller Skates to Revolution (part2)

She was blonde, blue eyed and taught Beby things and showed her around. Mary Allen taught Beby the song “White Christmas”, they would sing it over and over again every night in the rec room. Beby was able to quickly pick up English and in three months she was fluently speaking, had made friends and finally found a place where she could enjoy herself. One year later her parents were able to make it out of Cuba and join her in Chicago. They picked her up from the boarding school and she was so elated to see her parents, but her emotions were torn. She had found a home and friends in the boarding school. Beby, with her parents and siblings, moved into a place in Chicago and she attended the public high school and found some normalcy in her life.


Beby found love with an Irish immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1957, named John Kells and they have been together since high school. They married April 29, 1972 and moved from Chicago, IL to Indiana, were their first son, Matthew, was born. After a few years they moved out to California and found a home in Los Altos in the bay area. Beby became a United States citizen in 1984. She had always wanted to become a citizen and she knew that she had lived in the U.S. long enough, her kids were born here, and she had always had an affinity for the U.S. Her grandmother taught English back in Cuba, and taught Spanish to the U.S. military members in Guantanamo. Beby was familiarized with America from the visitors from the base and the English radio shows her grandmother has listened to.

“Being in Guantanamo, I think it made us closer to that [American] lifestyle… it was a small town, but it was not a dirt road. It was more like Los Altos. We had great schools, theaters, everything. I do not remember not having high class stores, we even had Sears! We had many people from different countries where I lived, I had friends who were Chinese, of many different religions.”

Beby has had a long and fulfilling work life and volunteer life in the US. She studied Art History and worked for a newspaper company as an advocate, developing programs to encourage readership. Later on, she became the CFO for Aeron Clinical Lab. She also volunteered for 10 years at a Day Worker Center teaching English, and volunteered at Generation Connection Garden, connecting school age children 1st to 3rd grade with adult mentors.

Beby has been married for 49 years, and currently resides in St. Augustine, Florida. Although her roller-skating days are behind her, she still enjoys walking on the beach every day and taking lots of pictures.


Source: http://madeintoamerica.org

Roller Skates to Revolution (part2)


“One day, I remember this so vividly, the school had very large wooden doors, but then they had a tiny little wooden door, like some of the churches and somehow I was able to get out. There was so much gun powder and ammunition being fired, helicopters, shooting. So, I got out and I ran because I wanted to go home. All of a sudden I see this military jeep barreling down towards me and my uncle just picks me up, boom, and just throws me right in…The day is still so vivid in my head, I can still see the day, the part, the sun, everything… He said how dare you get out of school; you know you are not supposed to leave. But I was so scared in school, I thought they are going to bomb this place and I am going to die in here.”

Everything had changed, Beby went from a carefree child, to a rebel target. Towards the end of 1961 Beby would go around handing out pamphlets against Castro and a family friend told her father that she needed to get out of Cuba, she was now a huge target and the only way for her to stay safe was to leave. On January 12, 1962 Beby and her older brother were finally able to get Visas to leave Cuba and go to The United States.

They were a part of the Peter Pan flights that carried political asylum seekers to the U.S. Before leaving, Beby did not want to go and leave her parents, friends, and her life behind. Her parents could not go with her because they would not let her father out. He was put in jail at least 15 times by the Castro regime and they struggled to get out. She remembers her parents telling her to not worry, she will only be gone for a year. However, Beby never went back to Cuba, and her biggest regret was not saying goodbye to her paternal grandparents, who she never saw again.

Once arriving in Miami, Florida, Beby and her brother, Abe, stayed with family friends who had left Cuba before them. They stayed with them for a few months until Beby and her brother were able to travel to Chicago, where one of her uncle’s had moved to in 1959. At that time in the United States, the government felt that it was inappropriate for Beby to live with her uncle, brother and now her mother’s dad since she was a girl. So, they tried to put her into foster care, like many of the other children who came to the U.S. without parents, seeking political asylum. Beby’s uncle was able to keep her out of foster care by enrolling her in a boarding school in Chicago instead. Sadly, Beby was now in a new country, a new school, away from the only family she had in America and she did not speak a word of English. Many nights were spent alone, crying, not knowing what the future would hold. Beby made her first American friend in a girl named Mary Ellen Boubniew.

Roller Skates to Revolution (part1)



This is a story about a resilient and smart kid who loved to roller skate and her journey to making it to America as a political asylum seeker from the Castro regime in Cuba. Beby Kells was born in 1949 in the beautiful town of Guantanamo, Cuba in the Oriente Province. She was the youngest of three, with one older brother and one older sister. Beby grew up going to the beach, having large gatherings with neighbors and family, roller skating, playing the piano, and hanging out with friends.

Her Sundays were filled with trips with her Grandfather to go on adventures, taking pictures and coming home to freshly baked cakes, that her mother lovingly baked for the family every Sunday. Beby lived a life of freedom and fun, without fear until one day it all changed. In 1959 around the age of ten, Beby knew that the revolution had begun and was starting to take hold of the life she held so dear. Castro and the rebels had moved into the Sierra Maestra in her province and they were taking control of the people and the land, burning buildings, the sugar cane crops and creating warfare in the streets.

Her father and grandfather were both in the military that was currently backing Batista, so her family was heavily targeted. Little things, such as taking piano lessons was no longer fun or a safe option for Beby, as she was insulted by a little girl who lived across the street to where she took her piano lessons, when she would walk to and from. There were many people who supported Castro and people were turning on neighbors, friends and political signage was only egging people on.

“There were signs in our town that said, ‘kill every single one of them, from the oldest to the youngest.’ And guess who was the youngest? That is how it all started. People did not want the government that was currently in place.”

“I can remember on my birthday, I think it was my 11th birthday and the rebels came through our house and they took everything from out of every closet, every drawer and threw it all around…they came through the house and took everything out because they thought my father was getting a group together to assault the Castro group. But Castro was already in power, and we could not leave the house, we were on house arrest.”

There Beby was, 11 years old and living under house arrest; her house was guarded by men with guns and one of her uncles had to be her bodyguard. When Beby went to school or left the house, her uncle wasthere. When she went to school, her parents had to tell the school the only people that can pick her up from school were either her mom or dad or her uncle. They had to do this to make sure was protected and not targeted by the rebels.


At this point in time, there was gunfire and bombs going off day and night; long gone were the days of roller skating around carefree. If she heard gunfire she was taught to drop down, do not look to where the shots were coming from. Due to the fighting her school was often put on lockdown, no students could leave without their parents or a guardian picking them up. The rebels would often go to the private schools, knowing the children of military and government members went there, and would tell the nuns or principal that they were there to pick up which ever child and take them.

Escaping Iran’s Revolution



At the age of eight, losing both parents is not something a child should go through. I remember hearing shaking words (in Farsi) come out of my sisters mouth, “Vic (name changed), we have to go to the hospital mom and dad were in an accident.” I was rushed into the car by my sister and we were on our way. My parents had got into a car accident and did not make it. My whole world felt shattered, I was a little 8 year old boy who knew nothing but had so much life left to live.

I was born in Tehran, Iran. I was originally raised by my parents, but after their passing in 1971, I was raised by my aunt and my 4 older siblings. As much as I was grateful to have them, I still just wanted my parents.

As much as I was broken by my loss, I lived a pretty normal life. I went to school, did my chores, and played around. I had friends, mostly my cousins, and we would play in the streets for hours just running around.

A couple years later, my whole life changed again. This time it was the whole country’s life that had become threatened. The Iranian Revolution. America downplays the whole thing. They try to make it seem like they were the “good guys.” I lived it, so I know about what actually was happening.

The people of Iran were deceived by religious extremists by filling their heads with lies about how the Shah of Iran is a dictator and there is no Freedom of Press, Freedom of Speech, and lack of social injustice. The United States was against Iran getting too westernized. Ayatollah Khomeini was the leader of this revolution with the help of Britain and the United States. They did not want the Shah as an ally because he was getting too powerful and controlling oil prices, which the United States and Britain did not agree with.

The burning of a cinema in Ahvaz, intensified the revolution and maybe was even the start of it. I believe that the extremists started the fire, not the Shah’s which some people believe is true.

While this was all happening, I was watching it with my own eyes. My aunts and uncles thought it was best for me and my brother to escape to the United States and start our lives there. Luckily I had an older sister who already lived in California .When I was going through security in the US, the police at the airport took all the videos I took of the revolution. Until this day I do not know why, but they gave me back my film and it was all empty.

I moved to the United States when I was around 15 years old. I got sent to a boarding school in California, I first lived in Los Angeles with my sister who is married with a kid only a little bit younger than me. It was hard getting sent to a new school, and I didn’t even speak the language so it was incredibly difficult for me, but luckily I made some Iranian friends that helped me get through it.


Once I turned 18, I got some money that my parents left me. But I did not have enough money to go to college, I took some community college classes but it was hard working and taking care of myself at the same time. I moved to the Bay Area with my brother and I started working in a furniture store with my friend. I met my wife when I was around 23, and I got married a couple years later and had my first kid. As time went on, I had two other kids and I opened my own furniture store. The start to my life in the United States was not easy, but it could have been a lot worse.




Source:http://madeintoamerica.org

Corruption and Discrimination Live Everywhere (part2)


6. What do you miss about your home country?
The food, I miss the people and how the culture is over there compared to here, I never felt alone in Mexico. In America, there is a big emphasis on independence, everyone must struggle on their own and be successful on their own. It makes us want to socialize less and makes us want to focus on our busy schedules and our work. I always had time for my family and they always had time for me because we lived close and the community aspect is a lot stronger.

7. How is American life different? Do you prefer this lifestyle compared to the oneyou had back in your home country?

The lifestyle in Mexico is a beautiful thing, I always felt there is no competition and the relationships I made were genuine. In America, I haven’t been able to find that same feeling of community and there is always a sense of competition and the desire to be better off than someone else. There’s too much focus on individualism and not enough on community which I think is really harmful, especially when you look at politics and corruption and how individualism plays a big role in discarding the poor and criminalizing minorities.

8. Do you feel accepted as an immigrant (or American) in the United States? How does your viewpoint reflect your sense of belonging?

I still consider myself Mexican, and I’ve noticed how my last name changes the way Americans treat and view me as a person. If I introduce myself as Mexican people tend to see me as less than, and when they ask about where my last name came from I tell them from Basque, from Spain they think I am white, and treat me as an equal. My viewpoint of belonging here…I don’t think I feel like I belong, I remember being pulled over by a cop car and a police officer thought I was a suspect and treated me like a criminal, he told me to get out of my car and pointed a gun at me, searched my car with little notice to how I felt. Once they realized I was the wrong guy, they simply said “sorry, wrong person. You can leave now”. They act like that won’t traumatize a person and we still see it happening in this country.

9. What was the hardest part of adapting to American culture? Do you think you have assimilated or do you still have your roots and traditions?

I think the hardest part of adapting is the lack of community, and celebrating traditions I grew up within Mexico. There’s a lot of holidays I haven’t been able to celebrate because America has their own holidays that overshadows our own. I still feel super connected to my roots and traditions, I still have foods and recipes my mom used to make for me, that reminds me of life in Mexico and gives me a sense of nostalgia.


10. Reflecting on your journey to a new country, what is something that you vividly remember? What part of your experience has left a big impact?


Something I vividly remember is traveling by bus from San Diego to ModestoCalifornia, it was a dirty and old bus. On the first day of living in America, I was uncomfortable and it was a moment where I thought how did I get here? I used to work for a good company and I used to feel free and it was a moment I knew things were going to change. Once I got to Modesto, I had lost my luggage as well, and most of my things were gone it was a discouraging moment. Coming to a new country with most of my clothes were gone, coming in an uncomfortable bus, my first experience was awful and I’ve compared it to my other vacations and journeys, and never felt that way about any of them.



Source:http://madeintoamerica.org

Corruption and Discrimination Live Everywhere (part1)



I never felt alone in Mexico. In America, there is a big emphasis on independence, everyone must struggle on their own and be successful on their own. It makes us want to socialize less and makes us want to focus on our busy schedules and our work.



1. What perspective do you wish non-immigrant Americans understood about your journey?

Personally, from my experience, I learned how difficult it is to become documented, I had the opportunity to come to the United States because my wife was able to get papers, I had it easy compared to other immigrants that need to sacrifice a lot and yet not get the proper documentation they need. Many immigrants don’t have the same luck as me in getting into the country safely and then be recognized as American by the government, which then people in society take notice of and devalue their identity and experience.

2. Did you have any fears before coming to America?

No, because my country had a lot of corruption, death, and overall dangerous
situations, that I no longer felt fear surrounding my daily life. I was used to situations being unexpected, and I knew my family in Mexico needed my help to become financially well, so I took it into my own hands to obtain a better life for me and my family.

3. Who were the people who saw you off? Is it hard to keep in contact with them now?
The people who saw me off were my cousins, my mother, my sister, and your mother’s side of the family. I said goodbye to everyone in Uruapan and traveled by airplane to Tijuana from there we traveled by car. It was hard to keep in contact with everyone before, due to technology not being as advantaged as today, now its easier to text them, to video chat. Although it’s definitely not the same as before, first moving to America I wasn’t able to talk or see my side of the family for around 6 years. My mom would visit me yearly, but the connection I had with my family, was gone for a long time.

4. Was there a misconception you had about America that you realized was false?
Every person has a different story and experience when it comes to America, I had the illusion that I was traveling to a different country without corruption. Living here for 28 years and I’ve realized what I was trying to escape is also here, and it was very disheartening to realize a lot of the problem I had in Mexico, I was able to find here. I also noticed how in my workplace I tend to be discriminated againstbecause I don’t speak the language fluently, I had coworkers and my boss doubt I could do my job correctly and efficiently due to how I spoke. And I’ve been able to demonstrate them wrong and show them I won’t have to be fluent in order to be successful in what I do.



5. How did your family feel about you leaving your home country?
They all felt sad, no one wanted us to leave and some even became angry with me because of my decision. I had a good job in Mexico and many of my family members told me why to leave when you have a good thing going on here.

Sponsoring Relatives and Safety from Nazis in the US (part3)



Q: When did they stop treating you like you didn’t belong?

A: Generally I was never bullied, no one mistreated me, I never felt like they treated me like I didn’t belong. But people could tell from my accent in English that I wasn’t born here.

Q: What cultural differences did you have to adapt to when you came to the US?

A: I don’t really know. I think my surroundings in the US were different because I was so young when I left Vienna. I didn’t play in the streets in Vienna since I was too young, but I would do that in America.

Q: Do you identify more as an American or more as an Austrian?

A: American.

Q: At what point did that change for you?

A: As soon as I got off the ship. My name was originally Heinz. But when we got to America the guy told me that doesn’t sound American and changed my name to Henry, and that became my name.

Q: Do you think that this would have been different if you had left under different conditions?

A: No.

Q: Would you say that the process of immigrating affected you and the rest of your family similarly, or did either you or your parents seem to have more trouble integrating?

A: It was more difficult for them. I picked up the language faster. When I first came to the US I did my homework after school, and then I’d help my mother make little bracelets that she’d sell so we could support ourselves. My father shoveled snow off people’s sidewalks, and my brother got a newspaper route so that we never had to go on welfare.

Q: Did your family try to continue any traditions from your childhood associated with Austria?

A: No, none.

Q: Did you mostly speak German at home?

A: We spoke German at home pretty much until I was in my late teens.

Q: I know that both of your parents were originally from Poland, right?

A: Yes, but they had lived in Austria for a long time. My father lived in Austria beginning in 1928. He was 13 when he came from Poland. His parents had rented a farm in Poland because Jews couldn’t own land. My father was one of 8 siblings. They all immigrated to Vienna. There were lots of stores there called Schreiber that sold kitchenwares, like pots, pans, and cutlery because of all of his siblings.

Q: What was the process of becoming a citizen like?

A: We had to take a test, answer some questions and take an oath. That was in 1945, so I was 14 years old. My parents got it at the same time.

Q: Is there anything you would have changed aboutthe process?


A: For me it was fine the way it was.


Q: When you returned to Vienna to visit, did you feel any sense of belonging, or like it was ‘home’ in a way?


A: No. But surprisingly enough when I went in 1982, I still knew my way around the city. I remembered where everything was, as if I had never left. I just remembered one funny thing that happened when we were still in our original apartment. When the Nazis came all the buildings had Swastika flags on them, including ours. But one day the building superintendent noticed the one on our building was torn, and my mother had a sewing machine so he had my mother fix it.



Source:http://madeintoamerica.org

Sponsoring Relatives and Safety from Nazis in the US (part2)


We had to move two more times, each time to a new apartment with several more families. My mother contacted an immigrant aid society to find relatives in the US. They were able to sponsor us to get to the US, and promised to support us for 5 years so we wouldn’t have to get any kind of government welfare. We got an American visa. We found out that we were supposed to leave for a concentration camp in a week.

Q: Could you describe what it was like arriving in the US, and how you were able to get here?

A: We got on a train to Italy with only what we could carry. Since the Nazis had taken all of our money our American relatives bought our steamship tickets. We went right around Christmas of 1939, when I was eight and a half.

Half way there a German submarine stopped the ship and took several people off. One’s name was Schneider, and my dad thought they were saying Schreiber. Luckily they weren’t. I’m not sure what wound up happening with the people they took.

We got to New York just after Christmas. These relatives waited on the pier in Manhattan for hours for us so they could take us somewhere we could stay the night. They were there in the cold from 7:30am until we finally got off at 4:00pm. They took us to a brownstone where a family lived in Brooklyn, NY. They found us a 1 bedroom apartment. The kitchen was about six by eight feet; it just had a sink, stove, and fridge, no counter, no table. We lived there for a number of years. The landlord was a Jewish man that charged us 25 dollars a month in rent. I went to grade school in Brooklyn. I was one of 5 white kids in a class of 43. I remember one night my mother got mugged on the way home from a PTA meeting. Then we moved to a different neighborhood in Brooklyn. We had a very small apartment there also. It was right across the street from my grade school. I wrote a poem about the flag that I could see at the top of the school. I applied for the Brooklyn technical high school, which was an elite school; you had to take an entrance exam and be in the top of your grade school class. I got in and went there for four years. After I went to Cooper Union where I met grandma in the Cooper Union hiking club.

Q: What did you think when your family revealed you would be moving?

A: I was very happy because it meant we would get away from the Nazis.

Q: Was there anything that stood out to you as being different when you first arrived here?

A: In school here they threw stuff around the room. I had never seen that before. In Austria everyone was always very quiet in class.


Q: What helped you assimilate to a new country where you did not speak the language?


A: When I got into grade school I didn’t speak the language. Luckily my teacher from the first class I went to was a Jewish lady who spoke Yiddish. It was similar enough to German that I could understand. She set it up so I could eat lunch with a German-American girl. She would help me with my English at lunch, and that’s how I learned English.


Q: Were you treated as an outsider by your peers?


A: Oh yeah. I spoke like the Nazis. They identified me as one of the Nazis in the radio programs they heard.

Sponsoring Relatives and Safety from Nazis in the US (part1)



Henry Schreiber emigrated from Vienna, Austria with his family in 1939 to flee Nazi persecution. They moved to Brooklyn, New York. Here he is interviewed by his granddaughter.

Austrian flag from 1934-1938, the time when my grandpa was growing up there.


Q: What was life like for you in Austria before you left? How did this change as the Nazi regime took over?

A: I was born in Austria; I was a little boy and my family lived in an apartment. When I got old enough I would go riding in the park. I had an older brother who was 7 years older. My father had a business in downtown Vienna. We also rented a summer home in the suburbs that my father and aunt rented together. We spent two months a year there. It was a fairly normal life, I used to play in the park nearby and watch what was going on in my father’s store. My mother did the housekeeping. We also had a maid and nanny.


And one day my parents were listening to the radio and they said that Germany was invading Austria. The chancellor of Austria came on and gave a speech, and they played the Austrian national anthem. As this was playing on the radio, German warplanes started flying overhead, and all the Austrians were happy to see them come in. They felt that the Germans would bring them a good life and good economy.

My father was a sportsman, mountaineer, hunter, and had a motorcycle. He had a lot of friends from these hobbies who wound up being Nazis. They never considered him a Jew, he was one of the boys. The Nazis remained his friends, and warned him when they would be picking up Jews in certain neighborhoods. We were made to move into another apartment. It was a 3 bedroom apartment that we shared with 2 other families. One day an army truck came to my fathers store and stole his merchandise.

There was one night called Crystal Night. The Nazis smashed all The Jewish store windows and set fires to the synagogues. Since my dad had friends who were Nazis they didn’t hurt his store. But then one day he came to work and his store had a swastika over the keyhole; it had been confiscated by the Nazis.

In 1938 I was kicked out of 1st grade because I was a Jew, and my brother was kicked out of middle school. We stayed home, and played chess. I would also play dominos with my ‘girlfriend’. I remember pushing dominos with her on the wood floor, and I got a splinter under my thumbnail, about half way up the nail. It got infected, and my parents took me to a clinic for Jews. Someone cut down each side of my thumbnail and yanked out my nail with no anesthetic, because Jews couldn’t have anesthetic. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life.

From Netting Mackerel to Starting a Bio-Tech Company (part2)


John arrived in Chicago, Illinois on December 14, 1957. His father John Kells Sr. had saved enough to rent a house with a few acres just outside of Chicago. This only lasted for about two years, as the family moved around a lot. Money was hard, and with seven people to feed, it wasn’t always manageable. He had to work hard as a kid, especially to get an education. He paid his way through high school, and attended De Paul University Academy Private Catholic School in Chicago. He would work all night, and would sleep-in class during the day. After High School he was accepted to Illinois State University. He was the first to go to college in the family. About this time, his family had saved enough money, to finally buy a house. John was working for the Chicago Fire Department as a director for an inner-city youth pool. That was the summer of 1968, and the year of the Democratic National Convention. John had a bird’s eye view of the riots that had engulfed the city. The city was in civil unrest, and the world was watching.

“I tried to dial 911, but the operator told me, all available units were busy with the convention. I had already seen the fires from the sky, and knew that I was on my own to maintain order at the pool. I walked out of the trailer that was the office, and saw a few guys fighting. I immediately tried to get control of the situation, by stopping the fight. Before I could say much, someone hit me in the back of the head with a bat. All I remember is punching, and getting punched from all directions. I grabbed one of the guys, and pulled him into the water with me. I figured since I was a trained swimmer, I would be able to overpower my assailant. I spent the next few weeks in a hospital with a broken hand, and ear drum.”

John graduated in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in business. He married his high school sweetheart, a Cuban born political exile. He bought his first home in Elkhart, Indiana, and had taken a job with Miles laboratories, working in sales. In 1976 he had his first son, and a year later left Miles labs, taking a job as a manager with Syntex Corporation in Palo Alto, California. John drove across the country without his new wife and baby to find a home, much like his father had many years before. He found a home in Santa Clara, California, and sent for his wife and child. This is where his second son was born in 1979.

After making a name for himself in the Bay Area Health Care Industry, he opened his own laboratory, Aeron Bio Technology, in San Leandro, California, in 1986. By this time, he had bought and sold a few homes, and had moved to Los Altos, California. Part of his company’s main focus was finding a cure for breast cancer, for which he would later develop an at home testing kit for. His work with doctors, and studies with hormone replacement therapy, would lead to a co-authored book on the subject in 1999. In 2016 he sold his company, and the home in Los Altos.


He bought a condo in downtown Hayward, California, and a home in St. Augustine, Florida where he lives with his wife of 49 years. He still loves walking along the ocean every morning. He is currently saving sea turtles, and raising money for research. His younger son is married, and currently working as a PA Physician Assistant in Seattle, Washington. His eldest son is married, a perpetual student living in San Jose, California, and is telling the story.



Source: http://madeintoamerica.org

From Netting Mackerel to Starting a Bio-Tech Company (part1)



“I was running as fast as I could. My mother on her blue bicycle, followed my father as we made our way in the direction of the water. My brothers and sisters ran alongside my parents as we raced towards the end of the West Pier of Dun Laoghaire Harbor. I was never a fan of mackerel, however there wasn’t really a choice. My father would cast his net into the ocean, and catch the fish. We would then take our haul, and make the short journey back to our home in Monkstown, Ireland. We were poor. The struggle was real, but my parents never complained.”



John Matthew Kells was born In Dublin, Ireland in 1949. John was the middle child of five, born into an Irish Catholic working-class family. At the age of seven, his father immigrated to America, to give his family a better opportunity. In 1955 his father left his wife, and kids in Ireland, and made the journey to Chicago, Illinois. He would send money via Air Mail for two years so, his family could follow. After two years apart, on Friday December 13th 1957 just before his 9th birthday, John, his mother, two brothers, and two sisters, boarded a plane in Shannon, Ireland bound for America.



“As we walked along the tarmac towards the large propellered airplane, I remember thinking, how was that going to cross the ocean. The red letters TWA on the tail wing, that we had jokingly named “Try Walking Across”, was getting closer. I had never been on an airplane before; I was excited, and a little nervous. We carried all the belongings we owned in the world, in a tea crate, and a potato sack my mother had sewn shut. I knew we were never coming back to Ireland, and I was beaming with anticipation, but more importantly, I was looking forward to seeing my dad again.”

Innocence and Youth (part3)


What would you say is your biggest accomplishment in life?
Becoming a mother to my five children has to be my biggest achievement. Experiencing motherhood as the happiest moments of my life. Watching each of you grow and taking care of you all was my purpose and I enjoyed every bit of it.



Do you miss your life back home in Fiji?
Yes, I miss my life back home dearly. If I had the chance to live there again, I would. I understand now, the sacrifices that my elders used to make for us. I understand now the meaning behind everything they ever taught us. I grew up with my parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents, and I looked up to all of them. Which is why, every chance I got to visit back home I would take so many gifts. I would take evergreen Bollywood movies, candy, and clothes or shoes for my family.

Knowing what you know now, would you do it all over again?
Yes, I would do it all over again. I would however like to change certain things that have caused me a lot of pain. Although my childhood was great, we were always taught to never speak up. We were held back a lot during certain times, and I think that followed me into my adulthood. Once I was married I experienced a lot of tragedies and for that I am full of regret. I wasn’t able to keep my marriage together and therefore my children suffered.



Reflection: I get really emotional thinking about my mother’s story because she lived such a youthful and innocent life in comparison to her life in America. Life in Fiji was fruitful to say the least and I couldn’t help but get a sense of sweetness listening to her story.

I can now see how the lives of my ancestors have impacted me today. It was a story that took place more than 30 years ago and it has shaped me into the person that I am today. The trajectory of the lives of my ancestors and myself aren’t that different. I am also on a journey to find myself and my place here on earth. Now, not only for myself, but for my children as well.


Source: http://madeintoamerica.org

5-What holidays did you celebrate growing up?

There was nothing like a Christmas Day traditional Lovo while growing up. The smell of fresh lovo in the morning was something very special to wake up to. During those times, the whole village would prepare a large feast. Lovo is a traditional Fijian way of cooking different dishes underground. You make a large pit, start a fire, and leave large rocks on the bottom to contain the heat. Once dishes were marinated, they were left upon the hot coals and covered with the remaining dirt. Last, we would cover the pit with large banana leaves to seal in everything. There was always a hustle and bustle about Christmas morning and our parents made it special for us. Our Mom was able to have gifts ready for us and we would sometimes receive baby dolls and pots and pans to play with.

During Ramadan my sister and I used to watch our aunts make sweets for the big festival of Eid. We weren’t allowed to always help out with the process but we would watch closely. Then, my sister and I used to sneak in all the ingredients and a kerosene stove into a room and hide and make sweets for ourselves. We would mix all of the ingredients to make Lakdi Methai which are “sweet sticks”. We would make a dough, cut the shapes out, and fry them until they are golden brown. Then, we would make a syrup to coat the sweet sticks with. This is the type of activities that we would keep busy with as children.

6-What was your first impression of America?

I remember being so scared when I saw how many roads and freeways there were. Fiji only has 2 main roads that go around the whole island so to see so many for the first time was shocking for me. I thought that every taxi car was a police car and everything was so new to me. I was newly married and had a little 7 month old daughter to share all of this with. In comparison to Fiji, everything looked so big and clean in America. There were multiple places to do your shopping and I couldn’t believe that there was so much to do in California. Communication was also different in America because there was a time difference now if I wanted to talk to my family back home. We were accustomed in sending letters or recorded audio tapes in the past. Now, I could place a call by purchasing a calling card and talk to my relatives back home.

7-What was your first job in America?

Oh my goodness, my first job in America was such a long time ago. There used to be a paint shop in Redwood City a long time ago, andI had a part time job there as a merchandiser. From there, your dad was interested in learning how to make pizza so I got a job at Round Table Pizza. I had various jobs since then and have worked in a grocery store and then with Unisil. Unisil was a mechanical manufacturing company and I would help assemble parts there. Times were hard and in between my pregnancies I had stopped working. Your father had a work injury which led him to change careers as well. Since then, I opened up my own business and would sell blankets and curtains at wholesale prices.

I tried having my own spices brand and would items such as turmeric, masala, and whole spices as well. I used to be involved in the local Polynesian community and would sell trays of food after their church services. One thing I learned while navigating through life in America, was that there was always a means of income if you just put your mind to it. I did begin to take computer classes at one point but I could never finish or pursue education because our lives were so busy raising five children.

Innocence and Youth (part1)

1- What is your name and date/place of birth?

My name is Shaima Bibi and I was born on September 20, 1966 in Suva, Fiji Islands. The most memorable thing about my birth as I was told by my mother was that I was born at home with the help of the local midwife named Kanjie Nani.

2-In what year did you migrate to America and where?

I migrated to America in 1989 after I married your dad at the age of 21. Once we were married, I immediately became pregnant and your father was already in America by the time I gave birth. It took us 7 months to finally be reunited after obtaining my visa. Your dad would meet your eldest sister when she was already 7 months old. We were picked up at the San Francisco International airport and drove home to East Palo Alto.

Jamillun Nisha, mother of Shaima

A tragedy did occur just one week before I came to America. My mother had a horrific accident where she slipped and fell whilst doing laundry. She hit her head on the cement so hard that she bled to death. My mom just became a grandmother and she was the happiest to see me so happy. I was so heartbroken to have lost her so suddenly.

3-Tell me about your siblings. How many do you have? Where do they live?

I have a total of 6 siblings which include three brothers and three sisters. I am the third eldest and I have such fond memories of all of my siblings. As of now, two of my brothers have passed away, my youngest sister still lives in Fiji, and I have a brother and sister whom live in Australia. The distance was always hard but we knew that we all would have to go far away from one another someday. We were all we had and we loved one another deeply just as much as we used to fight on a daily basis.

4-What was your life like as a kid? What were some of your chores?

All I can remember is that we always got everything we ever asked for as kids. My father was a foreman for construction and he help make the Sheraton Hotel in Nadi, Fiji. He had a well-paying job and was able to provide all of our basic necessities. Our childhood was so enjoyable and I feel rather lucky to have had experienced it. In those days there were no internet and television, and when televisions came out they were too expensive to purchase. We played with our tricycle, played basketball, soccer, hopscotch and a game called Tin Paani. Tin Paani is played by stacking cans and hitting them over with a ball. The motive of the game is to restack the cans as fast as you can before getting hit with the ball.

There was no such thing as boredom and we were very active as kids. If we weren’t walking to and from school, we would help in tending to the farm. My main chore coming home from school was to cut down grass to tiny little pieces and feed them to the calves. We would cut firewood, feed the chickens, and milk the cows. My favorite activity would be to join my grandparents when they would go shopping for fruits and vegetables. One particular day on the way back home from shopping we had a flat tire. My grandfather could drive but he only had one leg so it was hard for him to do other tasks.

I told my grandfather not to worry and I changed the tire all by myself. I was all but maybe 10 years old. One of my favorite things to do with my grandmother was to go crabbing and catch prawns under the bridge next to our farm. During school holidays us siblings were sent our aunts house in Navua to help plant rice in their rice fields. We would also grate coconuts to make oil. It definitely was a whole family effort.