My Interview with a Liberian Refugee

Here are some maps showing you the borders of Liberia and Sierra Leone. As well as a world map, a map of Phoenix, and a Liberian child in traditional dress.

How I met Tina:

    As of student of ASU West I have met very diverse people from many different backgrounds. I

have met both immigrants and refugees from other countries. I met Tina in my Refugees and

Immigrants class. We met when we were assigned as team mates on a group project. As I got to

know her I found out she was from Sierra Leone. I knew she would be a perfect candidate to

interview. I asked her early in the semester if it would be ok to interview her. She agreed and we

set up a time to meet.

     We agreed to meet at the Starbucks at ASU West because it was a central location for both of

us. As I walked on campus I noticed that the weather was becoming warmer and soon summer

would be upon us. Tina was running late so I passed the time by going through what I was going to

ask her. As I took in the sights and sounds of the campus I wondered how these everyday sights

and sounds were viewed by people from other countries. When Tina arrived we agreed to sit

outside. The interview with Tina will be in first person from her perspective.

Interview with Tina:

     My home country is Liberia. When I was six years(in 1990) old a political war broke out and my

family and I were forced to escape to Sierra Leone. If we had not we would have been killed.

Liberia and Sierra Leone share a common border so many refugees from the war sought asylum

there. My family and I lived in a refugee camp for fifteen years before the UNHCR- United Nation

High Commission for Refugees could find a place to resettle us. They decided to resettle us in the

United States. Once we were in the United Sates we were resettled in Phoenix by the IRC. IRC was

our sponsor in the US. I moved here in 2005 when I turned 21.

      Before I came to the US I believed that Americans were wealthy. I did not know that you have

to work very hard in order to go to school and that you have to work to support yourself. Things l

like cars and houses were free here. I could not believe it the first time I saw a homeless person.

This is the United States how can there be homeless people!

      My worst experience since I have been here is the fact that I have to work and pay my own

bills. I had no previous experience working. In the refugee camp we just attended school. My first

job was a factory job. It was a very hard job and I am glad I do not work there anymore. My

greatest experience since living here is the fact that I can have an individual lifestyle. I can have

the freedom to go to school and have access to whatever I need. I also like that you can have one

on ones with your professors. Back home I could not do that. The professors do not have time to

talk to you and act like they are superior.

      I spoke English before coming to the US since Sierra Leone was a British colony. How I

pronounce things can be different than the way Americans pronounce things. Also I had to learn

slang language that Americans use when describing things. I had gained a little weight after

moving here and went clothes shopping. One of the clerks saw a shirt I tried on and said” that’s

tight”. I thought she meant it was too small so I asked for a bigger size. She meant that it looked

nice on me. Also when you have an accent some people treat you like you are not smart. You may

be more educated than they are but because you speak with an accent they treat you differently.

      A cultural difference I have had issues with is eye contact. At my job one of my bosses had a

meeting with me about this. I explained that in my country it is a sign of respect to not look elders

in the eye. In the US it is considered rude to not look someone in the eyes when speaking to them.

Another difference is that you may mistreat younger siblings abusing the fact that you are there

elder to make them do stuff for you. Here in the US I see that siblings treat each other as equals. I

now treat my siblings as equals and I am more open minded. I sent remittances home every

month. Sometimes my relative complain if we do not send enough back. They told my cousin she

had a car now. But she worked hard to get that car it was not just given to her. They think when

you come to America you are given anything you want. They do not believe you have to work

hard and save for things.

         To keep our culture alive we speak our native language at home. We wear African dress to

church, shop at African stores, and eat African food. I have tried to incorporate the best of both

cultures into my life. I like to listen to hip-hop music, chicken alfredo, and like my individual life. I

can go back home and understand the struggles they face. I can see how life here and back home

are different. I like Phoenix and feel I am treated the same as anyone else.

    I am happy to be here but there is no place like home. I hope to graduate with my masters and

go back home. I want to get a nice job with IRC or the UN and help out back home. I also want to

pay back the agencies that have helped my family and I. I have brothers back home and

extended family I would like to see again.