NatalieAdams

4/9/2015
EDU280
ImmigrantInterview

Whatcountryareyoufrom?Canyoutellmeaboutthelanguageandculturesfromyour
country?
AsyouknowIamfromGermanyandspeakGermanandthecultureisnotthatmuchdifferent
fromhere.Wehavesomedifferentcustoms,buttherearealotofsimilaritiesalso.
Mymomstayedhomelikemostwomeninhergeneration.(ManningandBarruthstateonpage
151statesthattheGermanAmericanwoman,regardedashardworking,dutifulandsubservient,
adoptsherhusbandsfamilyandfriendsandgainshissocialstatus.)Nowthingshavechanged
andalotofwomenwork.Iamsuretherearestillhiddeninequalitiesbetweenmenandwomen,
butoverallthewomenareequal,theygotocollegeandwork,butgetalotoffreetimewhen
theyhavechildrenandcaneventakeextratimeoffafterhavingababy,whenthegovernment
givesthemmoney.(Herviewisdifferentfromwhatthetextstatesonpage151statesthatthe
Germanwomanscontributionsfocusonhouseholdandfamilyduties.)Familiesgetchildmoney
foreachchildtohelpwithexpensesandtoenticepeopletohavemorechildren,becausethe
Germanpopulationisatadangerousdecline.Theyareworried,thattheywon'tbeabletopayall
thesocialservicesfortheolderpeopleiftheydon'thaveenoughyoungpeopletopayintothe
system.Ifyouhave6or8childrenyoucanalmostliveoffthechildmoney.

IlearnedEnglishbackinGermanybeforeIeverthoughtofcomingtotheUnitedStates.Mostof
theyoungpeoplespeakEnglish,theylearnitinschoolandalsothroughsocialmediaandsongs
andmusic.(ManningandBarruthstateonpage153U.S.Censussuggeststhatmostlearners
fromGermanyandtheUnitedKingdomhavelittledifficultywiththeEnglishlanguage.)

WhydidyoudecidetocometotheUnitedStates?
Thereasonformyimmigrationwas,thatmyfuturehusbandwasstationedinGermanywhereI
methimandthenIfollowedhimtotheU.S.(andstillregretit,haha!!)

Canyoutellmeabouttheimmigrationprocess?
Everythingchangedinthe38yearsIhavebeenhere.Icameonatouristvisaandbeforeit
expiredwewenttoWashingtonD.C.togetitextended.Theytoldustheycouldn'tdothat
becauseitwasn'texpired,butifitwasexpiredIwouldbeillegal!Sotheyfinallydecidedtogive
meafourweekextensionandthensentmeanastyletterthatIamsubjecttodeportationetc.So
wegotmarriedandappliedformygreencardafterthat.Ithinkitsdifferentnow.Ittookabout
9monthsandthenwehadtogotoAtlantaforaninterview,welivedinNorthCarolinaatthe
time,andIgotmygreencard.Theydidn'tharassusasmuchasotherpeoplebecausemy
husband,StuartwasintheNationalGuardwithsomebigshotinthegovernment.Youknowthe
Goodoldboynetwork.WhenwewenttoWashingtonD.C.Weweretreatedlikecriminals.The
ironywas,thatallthepeoplewedealtwithhadaccentsandwereoriginallynotfromtheU.S.
(ManningandBarruthonPage147statethatGermansareoftencharacterizedasevil,

incompetent,ormad. ThistypeofstereotypingmayhaveledtodiscriminationUrsulafaced
whileapplyingforandrenewinghergreencard.)IhadthesameexperienceinCaliforniawhenI
hadtorenewmygreencard,everybodywasunfriendlyandbrashandallofthemhadanaccent
andcamefromanothercountry!

CanyoutellmeabouttheVISA/greencard/citizenshipprocess,costs,time,andchallenges.
Inthebeginningthegreencarddidnotexpire,butthentheychangedthelawandyouhadto
renewitevery10yearsanditalsobecamemoredifficulttoenterthecountrywithagreencard.
Torenewmygreencard,IwenttoSantaAnaat3amandbyfarwasn'tthefirstpersonthere.
Thefirstpersonhadcomeatmidnight.Wewaiteduntil8amforthemtoopenandthenwaitedin
lineuntilitwasourturn.SoIdecidedtobecomeacitizen.Ihadtofilloutanapplicationand
thenwaituntilIgotanappointmentforfingerprinting.ThenIwaitedforanappointmenttohave
aninterview.Ihadtoanswer10randomlyselectedquestionstherewere100possiblequestions,
writetwosentencesandanswerquestionspertainingtomyapplication.Theinterviewerwas
VietnameseandspokeEnglishverypoorly!IpassedthetestandthenwaitedagainuntilIgot
invitedtotheswearinginceremonyinLosAngeles,whereliterallythousandofpeoplewere
sworninatthesametime.AfterthatIappliedformypassportandthenwasanAmericancitizen.
Thecostsatthetimeweren'tashighastheyarenow.Ireallycan'trememberhowmuchIhadto
pay.

WhatwereyourexpectationsforlifeintheU.S.? Towhatextentweretheexpectations
confirmedornotconfirmed?
IvisitedtheU.S.severaltimesbeforeImovedhere,soIreallyknewwhattoexpect.Iprobably
didn'trealizehowhardlifeisintheUnitedStates.Comparedtomycountry,peopleheredon't
haveasmuchvacation,weget6weeksinGermanycomparedto2here,theydon'thavethesame
coveragewhentheyaresickorhavebabies,andoveralldon'thavethesecurityandhealthcare
wehadathome.

WhatdoyoulikebestaboutlifeintheU.S.? Whatisthemostdifficult?
Thepreviouslymentionedthingsareprobablythemostdifficultandthatyouarenottakencare
ofinyouroldage,unlessyousavemoney,inGermanyeverybodygetsapensionandistaken
careofbythegovernment.WhatIlikebestisthatthereissomuchspace,somuchopenland,if
yougototherightplaces.Peopleareveryopenandfriendly!

IfounditreallyinterestingthatUrsulawaslookeddownuponbyotherimmigrants.Shedidnt
seemtounderstandeitherwhatmadethembetterthenher.Asteachersweneedtoensurethatall
studentsfeelequal,thatnotonestudentisbetterthenanotherduetotheirculturalheritage.
ManningandBaruthstatethatExamplesofprogressandtheimprovedrelationshipsbetween
majorityculturesandpeopleofculturallydiversebackgroundscanbelookedonwithpride,but

educatorsmustnotassumethatalliswell. Thereisroomforimprovementinreducingracism
anddiscriminationandinprovidingajustandequalsocietyforallpeople.