Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Interview
Name: Clarence Elmo Wilson
Country of Birth: Trinidad
Age: 50
Gender: male
Marital Status: Married to Leslie Wilson
How old were you when you came to America? 20
How did you travel to the US? On a plane.
Who did you travel here with? My mother and brother Robert. (age 19)
What made you want to come here? I read books and learned about other places, I wanted a change of pace, wanted to see the world, get off the island. Also, to live near my mother.
Where was the first place you lived in America? Cleveland, Ohio
How old was your mother when she came? 34...she was there 10 years before my brother and I came, she flew down to Trinidad to get us.
What was life like in Trinidad? There was only 2 seasons; a rainy season and a dry season, I only wore shoes sometimes.
What did you do as a child? Made kites and flew kites, had kite wars in the sky. They were kites that you could move around by pulling on the strings.
Are there any traditions or customs specific to Trinidad that you have either abandoned or held on to since coming to America? Always held on to the music…I loved the music. Calypso and Soca. Love for the island. Fresh food…juice, fruits, vegetables, meat. Island cuisine.
How was life different once you got to America? The seasons, in Trinidad there are only 2 seasons, and America there are 4. When we got here it was cold. The way people interact with you is different, people in Trinidad are friendly. People say hi as they walk by. In America everyone minds their own business. You don’t see as many old people in America.
What activities did you do with your friends? In Trinidad we got together and played soccer, or rode bikes, went to the beach together. In America, kids hang out but they do some different activities like going to the mall. I always liked to paint and draw.
What was your first job? Welding when I was fifteen, and I worked for my dad who was a plumber, for five years. I finished school at age fourteen in Trinidad.
What made you want to join the Army? I needed something with a steady paycheck and my brother was already in the army and said it was ok so I decided to join.
How was your experience in the Army as an immigrant? People didn’t treat me much different because there were a lot of other people from different ethnic backgrounds and from Trinidad and other islands.
Did marrying an American help you assimilate? Yes, she helped me assimilate to American culture; she brought out the warmer more considerate side of American culture.
What was the hardest part about coming here? Adapting to the changes, everything in America requires you to go to school and become certified to do a certain job. Being black in America, without that piece of paper was difficult. In Trinidad it is predominantly black people and it is a melting pot, everyone gets along.
What did you do to assimilate yourself? Reading about American history and war history. To be in the army you had to know about different leaderships and to do that you had to read books. Also, interacting with American people everyday.
How have your experiences as an immigrant affected your life? It gave me a foundation, a belief system, a value system. I value family and education.
What are your plans for the future? Complete my certification for special-education. Get a master’s degree in psychology and my ultimate goal is to teach psychology at a college level.
Do you still have family in Trinidad? My brother, aunts, uncles and cousins, nieces and nephews.
Country of Birth: Trinidad
Age: 50
Gender: male
Marital Status: Married to Leslie Wilson
How old were you when you came to America? 20
How did you travel to the US? On a plane.
Who did you travel here with? My mother and brother Robert. (age 19)
What made you want to come here? I read books and learned about other places, I wanted a change of pace, wanted to see the world, get off the island. Also, to live near my mother.
Where was the first place you lived in America? Cleveland, Ohio
How old was your mother when she came? 34...she was there 10 years before my brother and I came, she flew down to Trinidad to get us.
What was life like in Trinidad? There was only 2 seasons; a rainy season and a dry season, I only wore shoes sometimes.
What did you do as a child? Made kites and flew kites, had kite wars in the sky. They were kites that you could move around by pulling on the strings.
Are there any traditions or customs specific to Trinidad that you have either abandoned or held on to since coming to America? Always held on to the music…I loved the music. Calypso and Soca. Love for the island. Fresh food…juice, fruits, vegetables, meat. Island cuisine.
How was life different once you got to America? The seasons, in Trinidad there are only 2 seasons, and America there are 4. When we got here it was cold. The way people interact with you is different, people in Trinidad are friendly. People say hi as they walk by. In America everyone minds their own business. You don’t see as many old people in America.
What activities did you do with your friends? In Trinidad we got together and played soccer, or rode bikes, went to the beach together. In America, kids hang out but they do some different activities like going to the mall. I always liked to paint and draw.
What was your first job? Welding when I was fifteen, and I worked for my dad who was a plumber, for five years. I finished school at age fourteen in Trinidad.
What made you want to join the Army? I needed something with a steady paycheck and my brother was already in the army and said it was ok so I decided to join.
How was your experience in the Army as an immigrant? People didn’t treat me much different because there were a lot of other people from different ethnic backgrounds and from Trinidad and other islands.
Did marrying an American help you assimilate? Yes, she helped me assimilate to American culture; she brought out the warmer more considerate side of American culture.
What was the hardest part about coming here? Adapting to the changes, everything in America requires you to go to school and become certified to do a certain job. Being black in America, without that piece of paper was difficult. In Trinidad it is predominantly black people and it is a melting pot, everyone gets along.
What did you do to assimilate yourself? Reading about American history and war history. To be in the army you had to know about different leaderships and to do that you had to read books. Also, interacting with American people everyday.
How have your experiences as an immigrant affected your life? It gave me a foundation, a belief system, a value system. I value family and education.
What are your plans for the future? Complete my certification for special-education. Get a master’s degree in psychology and my ultimate goal is to teach psychology at a college level.
Do you still have family in Trinidad? My brother, aunts, uncles and cousins, nieces and nephews.
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