Cultural Autobiography

Thank you so much for offering me the chance to come in and interview for this job.

However, I would not be here today if it weren't for my grandparents, parents, and other

important figures in my life who have helped cultivate who I have become today. Before we dive

into the interview, I would like to explain a little bit of my personal and cultural background, as

well as how I have been able to recognize myself as a cultural being.

To begin with my background, I was born on June 2, 2000 in Modesto, California. I grew

up in the Central Valley until I was eight years old, then we packed up and moved to Danville,

California, where I still currently live. Moving from Modesto to Danville was one of the major

experiences in my life where I can remember many specific aspects very visibly: my parents

telling us we were going to move, the for sale sign in the front yard, boxes throughout the house,

and finally the moving truck arriving at our house on that early August morning in the summer

of 2008. However, my story with Modesto does not end there. Modesto has been relevant in my

life for a while because it is where my mom grew up as well. So, my grandma still lives there

and we make sure that we go back and visit her frequently. However, the story of my

grandparents goes back way before they arrived in Modesto in 1970 with my mom and three

siblings.

As a cultural being, I am a mix of the products of my grandparents, parents, and family.

All four of my grandparents have their own cultural background and stories which help make up

who I am today. To begin with my moms side, my grandma is from Ireland and my grandpa is

from Iraq. My grandma, Mimi, was born and raised in a small village near the town of Galway

and moved to the United States when she was 14 in search of work in order to send money home

to her family. My grandma arrived in Chicago, Illinois in 1956 and my grandpa arrived in
Chicago a few years before that. My grandpa, Baba, was born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1929 and was

raised Assyrian, which is a small Catholic practicing group in Iraq. This small population of

Catholicism was an integral part of my grandpa's livelihood there, as well as when he moved to

the United States. He came to Chicago when he was 16 to play tennis at a small college, before

eventually meeting my grandma and getting married in 1964 (13 year age gap). Before my

grandparents got married, Baba’s parents refused to come to the wedding because they wanted

Baba to marry an Assyrian woman, but since Mimi was Catholic, Baba knew what he was doing

was right. They got married, had my mom and her siblings, then moved to Modesto in the

summer of 1971. I credit my cultural background to Mimi and Baba for constantly instilling their

Irish and Assyrain beliefs on me for the majority of my childhood. On my dad's side, my

grandparents were both born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to their parents who immigrated to the

United States from Italy and Ireland. My grandma grew up Italian Catholic and my grandpa Irish

Catholic, which resulted in the reinforcement of Catholicism from both my mom and dad’s sides

of the family. Today, I am constantly reminded of the sacrifices they all had to make in order for

my parents to be able to pass down what they learned to me. I am forever grateful for all they

have done for me.

As I grew up, my Irish Catholic background and beliefs were a fundamental aspect of my

life. Some of my earliest memories were going to church with my family and Mimi and Baba,

then going visiting with Mimi and Baba to their Assyrian relatives and friends houses all over

Modesto. By visiting I mean driving from house to house, going in one by one and sitting down

to talk with Mimi and Baba’s friends. To be honest, I still don’t know if any of them were related

or just very close friends. Nonetheless, this was a commonality among the Sunday traditions we

took part of regularly. I remember sitting with sisters, Megan and Lauren, looking around for
anything to do. We did not eat very much because the food was entirely Assyrian cuisine which

consisted of lots of rice, veggies, and chicken or beef to go along with some type of harissa or

borag. It sounds appetizing now, but to a six, five and four year old, the only thing we wanted to

eat was pancakes or waffles. However, going visiting was one of the earliest memories I have of

being immersed into my culture as a young child. I may not have been practicing any real

traditions or taking part in the meals, but I remember this enough to think critically on it now and

reflect on the fact that doing this was so important for Mimi and Baba, it was only fitting that

they wanted to spread their cultures to their grandkids.

One of the more recent experiences I have had in my Assyrian culture was when Baba

passed away a little over a year and a half ago. I remember living in CM and my mom called me

to let me know Baba had passed. It was not unexpected, for he had been battling dementia for

years before he eventually passed, but hearing it actually happened was devastating news. I went

home for the weekend to attend the funeral, and while I was back in the little church in Modesto,

I could not help but reflect on all of the past memories which had been made there. Seeing the

relatives who I had visited ten plus years ago, being with my cousins again in that church, and

being able to talk to everyone who came to the funeral. At the funeral, we made sure we ate like

Baba would have wanted, with all the veggies, meat, and borag of course, which has become a

staple of my family's food pattern.

As I conclude my interview and story, there are still more things that I want to do and

experience in my life. One thing which I really want to do is be able to go abroad to Ireland and

Italy in order to deepen my heritage and catholic faith, from an up close and personal experience.

I was supposed to study abroad this summer, but with the cancellation it has only made my
desire to go ever stronger. Thank you so much for the opportunity to come and interview, as well

as begin to explain my background and who I am personally and culturally.