Bright Transcript

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Alright, so my name is Bright. I’m twenty years old and I work for the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine and I am also a part time student at Central Maine community college.

 

What are you studying there?

 

For now I am still like kind of decide, but I am doing general studies. So I have taken two classes so far: psychology and interpersonal communications, and I am really enjoying it.

 

Did you immigrate to this country or was it your parents?

 

So I’m an asylum seeker, so I came here with my mother and my brother. It was after a series of different events in our lives that made us feel that we were unsafe and that we just couldn’t stay where we were. We were able…we got an opportunity to come here and we sought asylum.

 

Did you come straight to Lewiston?

 

So I was in Buffalo, [NY] and I was there for like a month and a half just like living at a shelter. And we didn’t know anybody, so it was really hard for us. And one of the, I guess, the director of the shelter we were staying at was like, ‘You could always try going to Maine.’ And as Africans, I don’t know, we were able to like get in touch with some people who were able to get us like temporary housing here in Maine, even though we didn’t know those people. But I feel like the fact that we’re Africans is what made them help us. So we came here, landed in Portland. Not landed, we took the bus and we arrived in Portland and then we came to Lewiston and we stayed at somebody’s house. We stayed at that person’s house for probably a month because it was so hard to find our own housing, so we had to be assisted. When we got the housing paper from [unclear] we like went around looking for a home and it was…I don’t know why it was so hard for us to find a home, but it was. So finally we were able to get a home, but it was a really bad Landlord, so I remember the first day that we moved in there I swear to god I thought I was going to freeze to death because this was November of 2016. Oh and it snowed that night. I remember that. And it is always so cold before the snow and so cold after the snow. So I woke up in the morning and I was freezing; it was the most horrible experience, but yeah.

 

Do you mind telling me what country you came from?

 

Oh so I was born in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I left there when I was seven years old. We left because my parents were being persecuted and they were, like, being sought after. People wanted them to probably to incarcerate them or whatever because they had an opposite political standing than the current president that’s there. And we fled to South Africa and we were there about twelve years but then the xenophobian attacks started happening in South Africa. Like it was really every year after 2018 and so we were victims of those attacks like maybe twice. Yeah, it was twice. The first time I remember one it was in our home and the second one was personally for me. I was in a school and I saw a man almost being beaten to death in front of me because he was a foreigner. I was like,’That could have been me. I am not from this country. That could have been me.’ And so I was like, ‘There’s no way I can do this anymore.’

So we were able to go back by route to go back to Congo because I didn’t have a passport. I needed to get a passport to be able to travel. So we went back home. I had to wait a long time for my passport because it takes such a long time. Our system is crazy. Once we were able to get the passport we were able to get visas to Nigeria. And then in Nigeria it was…I feel like when we went to these different countries, our hopes was that we could find better lives and that we would be safe and that we wouldn’t have anything to worry about. In South Africa there were the xenophobian attacks and in Nigeria there were all these like bomb threats and like these wars to like the different tribes and different religions and stuff like that. It was very intense; I remember when I was in Nigeria (we were there for about five months) and I don’t think I left the house more than five times. It was just like I was too scared I really was. So when we go the opportunity to come here, it was like no questions asked we’re gonna take it. We were really just…we exhausted all of the options we were able to come up with and I feel like this is my last chance. I am twenty years old, I shouldn’t be saying that so I am really hoping that this works out.

 

So is [your mother and brother] all of your immediate family?

 

No, I have a father and I have a sister. My sister is still in South Africa, but she’s really in a different area than we were living with the xenophobian attacks. Where she is living it is a little more diverse and it is very touristy and cool. Like if those things are happening they happen in the rural areas and in the townships which are like the poor communities. But in the cities and most of the areas it is pretty much kind of safe for her for where she is right now. But you never know what the situation will turn out to be.

And my dad is still in Nigeria, I mean it is very hard to convince someone to do something when you don’t want to so it is not like we can force him to come here. But it is like an everyday struggle, worrying about him, is he going to be ok and all these things.

 

Did you guys decide to come to Maine just because someone said it?

 

Kind of, it wasn’t like a pre-analyzed decision or like something. I can honestly say I didn’t know Maine when I was in Africa. I mean you hear about all the different big cities and maybe some cities in the midwest, but I swear I never heard of Maine. It was honestly because someone suggested it to us and because we thought maybe we could try coming here because they told us there was a strong immigrant population here. And so we thought maybe we might go there and meet some people who could help us I guess.

 

So what has it been like to be here in Lewiston?

 

I mean it hasn’t been so bad. I mean the first couple of months was really hard. It was hard and it’s not just like the weather but you’re in this new foreign place and you’ve got these new foreign people. You don’t know anybody. I mean it was just the three of us, my mom, my brother and I. I would say it was even maybe a bit depressing at times. I feel like it would have been a lot worse if it had been just me alone. I am so glad I had my mother and my brother with me there for supporting that we all had each other. Because if we were alone I don’t know how…it’s crazy.

So it was definitely hard the first couple of months but like as time started passing by I feel like things got a little bit easier. You know when we were able to get our work permits and start working things got a little bit easier we’re able to support ourselves now. And we’re like paying taxes. We’re just normal kind of living normal lives which I think is so great. I think that some of the things we have accomplished so far in the United States, in all the years I spent in Africa we wouldn’t have accomplished. Which is such a hard fact because, you know, Africa’s my home. And I come to this foreign and I am able to do all of these things that I couldn’t do in my own home, which is kind of really messed up.

 

What was the hardest part do you think to adjust to this area?

 

For me, especially in Maine, I felt like there weren’t that many…or the part of Lewiston that I’m in I felt like there weren’t that many young people. And if they were they were probably like in the high schools or the colleges and I didn’t have a chance to go to high school. Well now I am going to college but I just feel like even in my class I’m the youngest person in my class. Which I just like feel like there are not that many young people. And where I was coming from where I went to school in Africa so I was surrounded by many people. Many were my friends and I was just around young people a lot. And being just like torn away from that was really hard for me. I for the first couple of months missed my friends so much. It was really hard for me. I felt really alone and up until now I can say I probably say I have like two, three friends. I am okay with that because I am still in communication with my friends back home. It maybe bugs me but I feel like it doesn’t bug me as much as it did before. I’m kind of okay; I guess I have learned to be okay with being more alone and with less people around me. So it is just the adjustment.

 

Have you found that the people around here are welcoming to you?

 

I would say, and maybe it is just Lewiston, but I would say yes. There have been very rare cases where I actually felt like the person that I was speaking with wasn’t welcoming or they were like discriminating against me or anything like that. Maybe under like five times really cause most of the people I have interacted with are very open and welcoming. Even if they say something that might make me uncomfortable but it’s like I feel like I am [understood] the way I am understanding them, that it is the first time they are interacting with people like me and they just want to understand and they want to get to know me better. You make mistakes when you’re learning things. You make mistakes. You ask wrong questions. But for me I just want people to be more educated and to know that there are different things going around. You know, that there aren’t only Somali immigrants there are different  immigrants from all over the world. People need to be educated about that and I felt like because I was open and welcoming to people talking to me and having questions that they were more open and welcoming to talk to me.

 

Is there anything that you like see around this community that you think could be improved, maybe just in general or to like help immigrants?

 

I think maybe the integration between the New Mainer community and just the Maine community. On Lisbon street there are different ethnic stores and different American organizations and companies but I don’t feel like there is that proper interaction. It is hard to see like a white person going into like any of the ethnic stores. And if they do they are probably accompanied by a friend that’s black or Somali or something and if they aren’t accompanied than those are really rare cases. And you don’t really tend to see like people like me going into a place like Simone’s, it’s a cafe like right down the street and the first time I went in there was like two weeks ago. I had their coffee and I had their breakfast sandwich and I was like, ‘Oh my god. This is so good. Why have I not discovered this place all this time?’ I swear when I went in there I was like the only black person, and yeah I got a few stares but the people who were serving me were super nice and friendly with me. I was like I really like this place. So really that interaction and integration between the communities is really lacking in Lewiston at least.

 

Just what are some of your hopes and your goals for yourself and for your family?

 

I feel like that changes all the time depending on what happens to me and what my experiences are. When I was in South Africa I said I wanted to become a diplomat because I used to do model and like mock United Nations debates with a lot of schools and we would go and we’d act like we’re in parliament and we would have all these debates about different issues facing the world. And I loved that and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness I want to do that in the future,’ but I kind of got discouraged with all the corruption that goes on. People aren’t being helped in the world and I just don’t want to go into a career where I just get sucked into that. Get sucked into the corruption; get sucked into bad things because of influence. I don’t want that. But I want to help people. And how better to be in politics and be one of the good guys, but it is so much easier said than done. So I don’t know what I want to do. I want to help people, that’s the first thing I know. I want to help people be better. I want to educate people. I want to be better myself. So maybe a diplomat, maybe a senator. I don’t know. Just anything where I feel like I am useful and I am making a change, I am making a difference.

 

So do you think you want to stay in Maine long term?

 

For now, I mean I am in no hurry to move. I feel like this could slowly become my home, you never know. I mean if every person who came here ended up leaving, then there is not going to be any change in Maine. So if you think that others aren’t gonna do that, why are you going to be that other? Literally be the change that you want to see in the world, Do what you want others to do and hopefully others will follow you. So I don’t know. Let’s see where the road takes me. Maybe I will stay or maybe I will go and maybe I’ll come back. It depends, but I really do want to do something impactful and where else to do it but Maine.

 

Have you like made connections with people at college? Have you found like a community there at your school?

 

I’m pretty new. I just started in January and I’m not full time. I feel like if I was full time that would be different. I would totally probably have a community by now. But I really enjoyed my interpersonal communications class. Everybody in there is super nice to each other and we’re like our own little family. But I feel like once the class ends it’s gonna be over, no interaction, stuff like that. So hopefully, maybe soon.

 

How did you get involved with the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine?

 

So when we were getting assistance from general assistance in exchange for the assistance you have to do workfare, which is basically you’re volunteering. So I was assigned to volunteer here. I started volunteering here November of 2016 and then I got employed here September of 2017. So I am the diversity and training coordinator. I coordinate different trainings, presentations, workshops, community [unclear] focus groups so we are planning a lot of things that involve the community. So I am in charge of helping with that and just anything  that involves the community or service providers. Like the liaison, if you can say that. So to try to bridge the gap in different ways with different ideas to organize things events that can help bridge that gap. Educate people.

 

What is your favorite thing that you do?

 

My favorite thing would probably be talking to people. I was able to go to Wiscasset, which that was my first time being there in the middle of nowhere. And I was able to do a presentation with police officers, advocates, nurses, and I think even a judge was in there. And that was my first time doing something like that in front of all these important people and that was something important for me. I loved it. I loved being able to talk to them and share my stories and them ask me questions and even be receptive and attentive to what I was saying. That was a really great opportunity.

 

What is one of the biggest messages you try to get to those people?

 

I feel like it is one thing to try to educate people and tell them something but you also have to remind them about the responsibilities that they hold with the information that they are receiving. They can’t just take and not do anything with what you are receiving you have to take a step forward, do something. It doesn’t matter what you do but you have to do something. So really enforcing to people that they have their responsibility, that it is not just good enough to sit in a room and listen to someone talk about their experience and not do anything about it to actively engage and try to be a part of the community and try to be part of the change.

 

Can you just tell me a little bit about like what this center has done for you and your family?

 

When we started volunteering here, this was a way for us to get into the hustle and bustle of the American life. I feel it gave us a little bit of experience of how things work in the United States as volunteers. We went to the event when we went to Augusta to testify when they were like trying to cut the benefits for the immigrants. Just different events that really opened our eyes and educated us about the place that we were living in. I think that’s the most important. I think if we were sitting at home or if we’re doing something like going to public works or soup kitchen, we wouldn’t have been able to have our minds opened and learn so much about there we were living. I think that is something very important that this organization did for us.

 

I covered all of my questions so is there anything else you want to share or that you think is important for people to know?

 

Well just I think we all need to work together and we just have to be welcoming. It’s not that hard, it’s really not. Just smile at someone, you know? We only live once and we’ve gotta make the best of it. If you are going to live your life angry all the time or closed off all the time, I don’t think that’s a happy life. So just for everybody try the best to be the best that they can be. That’s all I can ask.