Refugees; Eritrea; Logan, UT; Logan Public Library; Kahsay Berhe Gebremedhin-- Photographs; Interviews
Kahsay Berhe Gebremedhin and Berhane Debesai Abraha are pictured. It appears that Berhane is talking, probably translating something Kahsay said, as Kahsay sits quietly. Magen Olsen's hand can be seen holding a pen.
Gebremedhin, Kahsay Berhe, 1971-
Warner-Evans, Hilary, 1994-
Abraha, Berhane Debesai, 1980-
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project, FOLK COLL 58
Digitized by : Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library
Gross, Susan
Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the USU Special Collections and Archives, phone (435) 797-2663;
Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project
An inventory for this collection can be found at : http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv67608
Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project Digital Collection
Photographs;
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1083446 Bytes
tir; eng
Image; Still Image;
Eritrea; Ethiopia; Frankfurt, Germany; Maryland, United States;
Kahsay and Berhane During the Interview, Shot Taken from Directly behind Magen
This picture was taken from directly behind Magen Olsen. Kahsay Berhe Gebremedhin has his arms folded. Neither man looks like they're speaking.
931368 Bytes
Kahsay Berhe Gebremedhin clip 1; Kahsay Gebremedhin interview, May 23, 2015
Eritrea; Refugees; Ethiopia; Cache Valley (Utah); Africa; Farming; Holiday celebrations;
Clip from: Interview conducted with Kahsay Gebremedhin by Magen Olsen on May 23, 2015. Translated by Berhane Debesai. Discussion on Eritrea farming practices, Ethiopian refugee camps, etc.
Kahsay Berhe Gebremedhin
Kahsay Berhe Gebremedhin talks about the problems with buying meat in the US. Part of the interview with Kahsay Berhe Gebremedhin on May 23, 2015 in Logan, UT.
Kahsay Gebremedhin interview transcript, May 23, 2015
Interview conducted with Kahsay Gebremedhin by Magen Olsen on May 23, 2015. Translated by Berhane Debesai. Discussion on Eritrea farming practices, Ethiopian refugee camps, etc.
Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 1 CACHE VALLEY REFUGEE ORAL HISTORY PROJECT TRANSCRIPTION COVER SHEET Interviewee(s): Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Present: Magen Olsen, Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin, Berhane, Hilary Warner- Evans, Heidi Williams Place of Interview: Date of Interview: May 23, 2015 Language(s): Tigrinya Translation: Interviewer: Magen Olsen Interpreter: Berhane Recordist: Heidi Williams Photographer: Hilary Warner-Evans Recording Equipment: Tascam DR-100mk11 linear PCM recorder; Senal ENG-18RL broadcast-quality omnidirectional dynamic microphone Transcription Equipment: Express Scribe with PowerPlayer foot pedal. Transcribed by: Susan Gross, May 26, 2015 Transcript Proofed by: Brief Description of Contents: Mr. Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin talks about his life in Eritrea, his family, and escaping to Ethiopia as a refugee. He talks about his time spent at Shimelba refugee camp in Ethiopia, and the process he followed to come to the United States as a refugee. He discusses life in America, his current job and his dream to have a farm. Reference: MO = Magen Olsen MOI = Magen Olsen’s words interpreted by translator KG = Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin KGI = Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin’s words interpreted by translator NOTE: [You will have to modify this as appropriate—whether using CommGap or in-person interpreter.] The interview was conducted with CommGap Interpretive Services; the interpreter joined the interview via a cell phone. False starts, pauses, or transitions in dialogue such as “uh” and starts and stops in conversations are not included in transcript. All additions and added information to transcript are noted with brackets. TAPE TRANSCRIPTION Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 2 [Part 1 of 2 – 00:01] MO: Alright; we are here, it is – of course we are here – it is Saturday [laughing], ten o’clock in the morning, May 23rd, 2015. It’s raining today for about the 100th day – ??: In a row. MO: [Laughing] It seems like it’s been rainy every, single day. We are here with Kahsaoy, right? KG: Yes. MO: Who is a refugee from Eritrea; translating for him is Berhane. We have Hilary Warner- Evans on the photography end of things, and Heidi Williams is recording and taking some notes. And we’re going to go ahead and start. So how are you doing today? KG: Good. MO: Good, good. Thanks for meeting with us, and for being willing to talk with us and share some things about your experiences as a refugee, living in the United States. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: Thank you. MO: So we’ll start with the first question is what is your full name and birth year? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: His name is Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin; he was born in 1971. MO: Okay. What languages do you speak? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: Tigrinya. MO: That’s it? KGI: He speaks Tigrinya. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 3 KG: Yes. MO: Perfect. And tell me about your family? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Okay. [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: I have three children here, in America, and I got five more back in Eritrea. I have one brother here, in America, and I have six siblings back home. MO: So do they – your family members – they all live here (who are in America)? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, yeah. KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, three of them they are here (the youngest ones) – KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: But he got five more in Africa, two of them are in the Ethiopia refugee camp – the rest three are in Eritrea. [03:28] MO: So that’s got to be hard, being all over? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, it’s still hard because people are everywhere; even it’s hard for me – some of them, they are in the refugee camp, there is nothing over there – I have to send them money to support family there. It’s kind of hard. MO: What religion are you? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 4 MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: He is Eritrean Orthodox Church. MO: Okay, good. Can you tell me a bit about Eritrea, where you’re from? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Eritrea is a good place to live, but there is some problem – [speaking in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah; he says it’s harder to [??] stuff it has to do with farming, and we don’t have a lot and we don’t know anything about the life in the cities. So generally, the economy [??] MO: Did you grow up on a farm then? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, they are all from – KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Farmer. MO: What did you grow – animals, grain? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [06:20] KGI: We raise grains – we don’t have any technology, we plow the field by oxes; and when it comes to harvesting season, we harvest it manually and with the help of animals. And we also have animal harvest[??]. MO: Okay. So did you live in the – Berhane has talked about highlands and lowlands – did you live in the highlands or the lowlands? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 5 MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: He was living in the lowlands. MO: Cool. How long did you live there? So how long have you been in the U.S., I guess? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: He has been in American almost a year and eight months. MO: Good. KG: 2013. KGI: He came here on 2013. MO: Cool. Why did you leave Eritrea? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: I was in the National Service [??] army, and I have a lot of children – nobody supporting them behind me, and he is not getting anything. Finally he get frustrated and left Eritrea with the refugee camp in Ethiopia. MO: And when did you do that? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: Refugee – 2007. KGI: 2007. KG: Yeah. MO: So six years in Ethiopia? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 6 KGI: Yeah, six years and some couple of months. KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, he went there on July 15, 2007 – [speaking in Tigrinya to the interviewee] [09:20] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] 2013 – KGI: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] And he came here on September 2013. KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: On the 18th of September, 2013. So, do your calc – [Laughter] MO: I will once – KGI: It’s easier to do once – MO: Yeah, if you’re already there – [Laughing] So you’re in science, and we’re all in [laughs] folklore. KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, six years two months and three days. MO: Perfect. KGI: [??] [Laughter] MO: Two months, three days. So what was the experience like in leaving? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 7 KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, I don’t have any problem because I was born there, I know the whole land and we got farms in between. There was army soldiers in the trench, but sometimes they just don’t care because we go back and forth for our animals and farms; and he went to his brother and didn’t get any problem – he just crossed. MO: It’s hard for other people then, right (usually)? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: For me it was easy because I was raised in the rural areas, and we got animals so we cross all over the place (because our animals for food and water to the animals). But for some people who came from the capital or from the highlands – they didn’t know the area, even we are raised differently (maybe they cannot hike a lot). Sometimes they don’t know the land, they just go directly to the army, they get captured, and god knows what they do with them. But for me it was easy; but for some people it’s a lot harder. MO: That makes sense. So you relocated first to Ethiopia, right? [12:37] MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, from Eritrea he relocated to the Shimelba refugee camps in Ethiopia – the camp name is Shimelba. Do you want to spell? MO: Yeah. [Laughter] KGI: S-H-I-M-L-B-A. Shimelba. So he relocated from Eritrea to the refugee camp in Ethiopia. MO: And then did you go to any other refugee camps? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: From that refugee camp he directly came to the United States. MO: Okay. What was your experience like in that camp? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 8 MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: It was kind of okay for me because I was raised in rural area, and that place was a rural area. And since I was raised working with my family, in that refugee camp I was allowed to work; I was working, earning money. So for me it was not [??]; it was kind of okay. MO: But it would be hard for people from the capital, maybe? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [15:43] KGI: For some people it was hard because we were getting only 15 kilos of weight (around 30 pounds), and I was raised in a rural area around that area, so it was okay for me – I can go and work, communicate with the people because they got the same behavior[??]. But the refugee in the [??], they tend not to leave the camp – if you leave the camp it’s all your responsibility if something happens, so some people they get scared; but for me, it’s okay just leave and work – clear my mind and then come back. So some people they don’t want to leave the camp, some people they don’t know how to work in the farm. So you can’t [??] with the 15 kilos of weight; if you are lucky, if you have families in the U.S. or England, they ask for money or for help. But there were a lot of people struggling in that camp. MO: Did they have small houses for you, or how was the living situation? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah most of the times they don’t give us houses; for his case he get a plot of land – most of the time they give them a plot of land, you have to make your own house. Even for him they didn’t give him a plot of land, there was some of his friends (they have their own plot of land, they give it to him – he build his own house. He don’t know if they made houses for the first arrival refugees (because the refugee camp starts a couple of years before he arrived). He hears they help some women if they got problems, maybe children or other stuff; but if you are a man, they don’t give you anything – they just give you a plot of land: you have to make your own house. MO: So did you arrive by yourself and then some of your family came after? [18:38] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 9 MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: I cross the border with my brother – he has three children here – he met a woman over there, he get married with her in the refugee camp, and then she came here. MO: Okay. KGI: Only he made his house – KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: And now they are not even married, they are friends. MO: Okay. Is she still there, or is she here? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: She is here. MO: Okay, good. Were you assigned a job, or did you kind of find one on your own? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: In my case I was going out to the farmers near the camp, and ask the job from them – they can give you farm work, or construction – not big construction, but he just make some building walls and things like that – I do whatever I find. But there are some people they are educated [??] they work with [??] the camp, or something with the refugee administration. But for him, he was going to farmers and ask for a job. MO: Okay. How did you celebrate holidays in your camp? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [21:39] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 10 KGI: Because it’s the same culture, so we have everything what we can have in Eritrea; with whatever we got we make injera, we make soya (soya is a local drink in Eritrea), and we kill a goat, and we celebrate. MO: Is it easier – it’s probably easier, I shouldn’t even be asking this – it’s probably easier to celebrate in the camp, then (your holidays), rather than in the U.S., right? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah he said in American you can find anything at the shopping centers, but some people – they have money, they can afford it; but there are lot of them who cannot afford it. So it is easier here in American than in the camp. MO: Okay. Because you can’t go to Wal-Mart and buy a goat or a sheep [laughs]. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah you can buy meat over there. [Laughter] MO: That’s true. Well but we have farms, too, that you can go to and buy animals, right? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: Yeah [responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah there is an old man and a woman somewhere in this 600 South, they sell sheeps, chickens – I always go there and buy goats. [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: And they got a place, and he kills a goat and takes the meat and sells it fresh over there. MO: Good. They’re not worried about that or anything? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: They got a place for killing the sheep – Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 11 MO: Um-hmm? KGI: Even they show up, “Hey, you want to kill it – go kill it over there,” (to kill fresh stuff). MO: Nice! That’s a good deal. KG: Um-hmm [speaking in Tigrinya]. KGI: And they know us – when they see us they say, “Ah, it’s the guys who kill the goats.” [Laughter] KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: I know they don’t like us to kill the sheeps because they show us the place and they run away to their apartment. [Laughter] [25:02] MO: Yeah, I think it’s alarming for Americans to think that they would have to kill their own animals; we just like to pretend that we’re not eating animals, I think. KGI: Yeah. [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] [Laughter] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: I understand that. [Laughter] MO: I feel like the weird one, because it makes sense to take care of your own food like that. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: So he said for us it’s very [??]: we want to take care of our own food, we feel comfortable when we kill our sheep or goat. Sometimes it’s kind of hard to go to the shop and buy a meat because you don’t know who killed the sheep. We are kind of strict in our religion orthodox: you have to kill it yourself, you have to say, “By the name of God, Son, and the Holy Spirit;” and we feel comfortable. Most of the time we eat only sheep or goat, so if it’s other animal, hmm, we don’t feel comfortable (because we don’t eat pork). Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 12 MO: That’s typically a Muslim – KGI: If it’s Muslim they don’t eat it before we kill it. MO: Oh, okay. But I mean that’s Old Law, right? KGI: Yeah, it come from the Jews. MO: Right. KGI: Then the Muslim and the Christian, they are branches. MO: Because I know with like Catholics and Protestants – they don’t have any problem eating pork. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [28:22] KGI: Yeah, Islam – they have their own way; they are different from us. But if I go to Wal- Mart and buy meat, I don’t know whether it’s a sheep’s meat, or it’s a donkey’s meat: it’s just a meat, we don’t know. But according the way we are raised, and according to our religion – if I kill it, I know it’s a sheep or a goat. So we feel comfortable if we kill our sheep and goat (or other animals), and we know what we are killing, and we blessed it by saying, “In the name of God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” So we feel comfortable if we kill our own animals, rather than going to Wal-Mart and buying meat we don’t know. MO: Do you feel safe in the camp? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: For me, I was not scared for my safety; I always go out of the camp, work in the field, even sometime there are nights I spend my nights in the field. I am not a city boy – I was raised in farm and all our thing is doing the fields and spending the nights with the animals. So I didn’t have any problem, and I wasn’t scared because I don’t have any crime, I don’t have [??]. But there might be some people, even I remember one person who died in the fields – nobody knows who killed him; still nobody knows what happened to that guy. MO: Hmm. Did you feel welcomed by the Ethiopians? Because I know that you’re very closely related. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 13 MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] [31:20] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: As long as I was over there I don’t have any problem. Even I don’t have any problem, they always tell us not to leave the camp; if you leave the camp you are responsible for what happen to you – and they are right, they cannot protect you out of the camp. But with the people who are just going together, going along – we don’t have any problem. But I heard when I come here there was some fight in the camp. MO: Hmm. How did you learn about the U.S. refugee program? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya. KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: When I was crossing the border from Eritrea to Ethiopia, I didn’t have any idea about the U.S. refugee program, I just knew I wanted when I went to the refugee camp. KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, when we crossed (me and my brother), we don’t know what was the refugee program over there (even we didn’t know there was a camp). So when they crossed the border, the people who give them – after they crossed Ethiopia they were talking to [??] Amharic[?], but he don’t know Amharic[?], his brother knows a little bit of Hamari – they were telling them, “You guys are going to Shimelba refugee camp, there are other Eritreans over there. You guys will go to America.” And [??] says what is Amharic talking about; but when they took them the refugee camp there were lots of Eritreans, and they knew the refugee program to the United States from the other Eritreans who were in the camp before them. MO: Did they help you apply – because it sounds like they told you, you were going to go? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [36:22] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 14 KGI: Okay. When he crossed first the border the Ethiopian army, when they caught you they took you to some place (they call it [??]), then they register, “Who are you guys? Where do you come from?” Things like that. Then after they confirm they are from Eritrea and things like that, they send them to Shimelba refugee camp. Then the Shimelba [??] the refugee camp, they transfer all your paperwork with them, because these people in [??], they ask them a lot of questions in their own office, they register them. So they send their resume and their session papers refugee camp in Shimelba. In the Shimelba camp there are a lot of organizations they put them. There is Ara[??], these Ara are the people who gives them food – that means who gives them the food and other things. And there is a UNCR – they process the papers for a refugee to United States. [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, this UNCR – they process their guys to U.S., Australia and Canada. But there is not a lot of obligations things to do if you are in the country on the border, they put in paperwork, the Ethiopian army or police [??] – they transfer all their papers Shimelba refugee camp; after that you just wait for interview. MO: So the process took six years? When did you interview? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [38:37] KGI: Yeah, he is not sure about the months, but the interview was around 2010. KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: [Responding in Tigrinya.] He said I don’t remember the exact month, but I have my own record so maybe it’s in my cards. MO: It will be important for your kids and grandkids one day. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: Yeah. MO: Tell me about coming to the U.S. – what was it like? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 15 KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [Conversation back and forth between Kahsaoy and Berhane in Tigrinya.] [42:12] KGI: Yeah, he said when they come here they got a problem transit in Germany – [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Transit in Frankfurt – so when they leave the airplane the IOM people (they are the people who help with them with the airplane tickets, because they have to pay it back) – one of the IOM came he took other people, but for us he told us, “Just number 57.” And he said I don’t know anything about airports, even I don’t know anything about city life so I don’t know where to find number 57. But finally I just found it, but when I go over there I don’t know who to ask and I don’t know what to do. And we were struggling and stressed out in that airport; finally I saw an Ethiopian guy (he speaks some Amharic), and I talk to him. Then he went inside and he check with the airplane reservation things, and he told him to wait for some time. And we don’t have any money or we don’t have any dollar with us; and my daughter was crying because she was so hungry and she was crying so loud. The trip was okay, but we have a problem in Germany and nobody can help us. MO: Did you come to Salt Lake – were you assigned to Salt Lake? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: We were in Maryland. MO: And then from Maryland to Salt Lake? KG: We were assigned in Maryland. MO: So you haven’t transferred, or you’re still technically assigned? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: They were assigned in Maryland, then they moved to Utah. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 16 MO: That’s a big difference. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: Yeah. [Laughter] MO: You’re probably more comfortable here because we have so much farming, and Maryland doesn’t have anything? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: He said I like this place. MO: Yeah, I think I like it a lot more too. [Laughter] KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: I like agriculture, so I was happy when I moved to this place. MO: Good. How long were you in Maryland? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: I was in Maryland for eight months and some days. MO: What did you do for work? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: He was working in Lancaster Food Company – they were packing vegetables. MO: Okay. And did you come to Utah because you heard about JBS? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 17 [46:18] KGI: Okay. I heard about JBS, even I had that work that company he was working in Lancaster, it’s all the way in Utah (he didn’t know exactly where), but it’s somewhere around here. And besides that, they told me this is kind of rural area, not big metropolitan city like Maryland. Since I was raised on a farm I try to be close to farm, so that’s why I moved here. MO: Okay. There was something I was going to ask – I have to remember it. Oh, I am curious about what you thought living in Eritrea, what the expectation is of what Americans are like, and how did that change? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: When I was in Eritrea, I didn’t know enough about America (I just know America is a good place to live and a great country). When I come I was worried because as far as I figured America in my brain it was just big metropolitan area – I didn’t even know America has farmlands and rural areas. And when I come first, the first city I saw was big so many buildings on it; I was worried, “What I’m going to do in this country? How I’m going to live?” I don’t know any language, I don’t have education. But when I saw it’s okay, I can survive and the [??] has everything. But my expectation and what I found is so different; I was thinking about big buildings and metropolitan areas, but there are a lot of rural and farm areas too. MO: That’s good; it’s good that we have farms. [Laughter] MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [50:22] KGI: He say we are processing a lot of [??] in our brain because we are told this is hard country to live – even people will tell you that you can get lost inside America and nobody is going to find you. Even when I was coming from Maryland to Utah some people told me, “You’re going to get lost,” even I was scared I might get lost in between, so nobody is going to find me. But everything is [??] I’m told about in America – even if I get lost if I got some offices they come bring me a translator. So it’s a good country and everything is arranged. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 18 MO: Good, because I think a lot of Americans want to get lost, but we don’t feel like we can because our government keeps pretty good track of us. [Laughter] MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: They don’t get lost. [Laughter] MO: I’m not worried about you – if you can live on a farm, you deserve the right of being in the U.S. I think. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Now I can figure it out, even I cannot get lost in big cities because there are ways he can communicate with others. MO: Absolutely. So when you moved from Maryland to Utah, did the government help you in any way? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, when he moved he didn’t get any help. He just worked and he paid his travel expense with the money we saved. But when he was moving he took the agency who helped them, because he had so many medical papers (he got surgery on his) – [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: He got surgery on his left eye, so they collected all his paperwork and other medical records. And they gave all their paperwork to him, and he just moved with his own money. MO: Did you know anyone in Logan, or did you just sort of come in and find a place to live and work? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 19 KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah there were some people I know who live here; even my girlfriend – she first moved here because she got her brothers here, and then I just followed her. If we don’t know anyone we cannot move, because we cannot move in a place we don’t know anything. MO: Um-hmm. So you have a lot of friends, and even relatives here – do you feel included by the rest of the community? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [55:37] KGI: I don’t feel isolated from the community because they help us with anything we ask of them, even sometimes when we come first I just have the address in my hand but I cannot look at my apartment – I ask them, “Hey, do you know where this address is?” Some of them they just show me, but there are some good people that just took me until I reached the address I am looking for. So these people are loving people and they are good people. MO: Is there anything that we could do to help you feel more at home? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: I can’t ask for more because there is work opportunity, other stuff, but I prefer to have a farmland to make my own farm – I don’t want to work in JBS forever because I have eye problem sometimes it’s kind of hard for me to work the whole day. I have nowhere to ask, but if possible I would like to have a farm and do my own farm. MO: That’s the American Dream. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] MO: Every American wants to have a farm [laughing]. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: It’s a good dream; even I want to have a farm – that’s my field. MO: Yeah, I think it makes you a good American [laughing] to have that dream. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 20 MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] [Laughter] MO: So you have five kids still in Africa? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, they are in Africa. MO: Are you going to try to bring them to the United States? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [59:30] KGI: Yeah, I would love to bring them here, but the problem is how can they leave Eritrea? We cross the border, but they are too young to cross the border – they might have a lot of problems, they need an adult to take them out. The older one and his younger brother, they are already out in the refugee camp, but for the rest of them: they are too young to cross the border. So he is trying to figure out how they can retrieve them, get Visas for them. MO: The three you have here, are they in school or are they too young? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: The younger one is younger (he was just born in United States) – KG: [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KGI: The older one, she goes to KG[??] here – I don’t know but he was telling me the school somewhere around 300 North 300 West? MO: Okay. KGI: She goes there – the older one of the three; but the younger one is only two months old. MO: So not even talking yet? [Laughs] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 21 MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: The youngest is too young – not talking, but the other one is older – KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: He is an American before I am. [Laughter] MO: Speaks English and everything? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [Laughter] KGI: Yeah, he talks English. [Laughter] MO: Good. How are the experiences with your landlord? Are you in an apartment? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah. [Speaking in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, he lives in an apartment and he doesn’t have any problem with his landlord. MO: What would you like people in Logan to know about you and your community? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] [End part 1 of 2 – 62:06] [Part 2 of 2 – 00:01] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 22 MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: He said most of us in Logan we are here from villages in Eritrea: when we come, we came from rural areas (there are some who came from the cities). So we don’t know a lot of stuff because we are new and we are born in farm areas and sometimes we need help – [Phone ringing] We need help how to figure out how things work here, and sometimes I wish if the city can give us some farmland in something that grows because we are good in farm. I prefer to work in a farm with some of my community [??]. And we also need education – we’ve got children and we need education for us and for our children. MO: Um-hmm. Are the English classes helping then? Are you able to find any other – or what kind of education do you need? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [02:58] KGI: There is English school – that’s good, but sometimes it’s kind of far for us (some of us who don’t have cars), and sometimes we work in JBS this hard work all over and spending day in JBS and going to school is kind of hard. So if possible if they do it on the weekends it would be better, because we don’t have anything to do on the weekends – we can go there and study. MO: Okay; that would be a good idea. KGI: Um-hmm. MO: Would you ever go back home? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, I have a lot of family over there, but I would not go over there – I don’t think I can go there. I love living here. MO: Okay. What are you most proud of? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 23 MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: I am proud I can work and even myself because it’s not good to ask help every time from other people or other organizations. And I’m proud I am healthy, except I have problems with my eye; but I can work, I am healthy. And I am proud I have children with me here in the United States. And I am proud I am living here. MO: To own a farm is the ultimate dream? [05:07] MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yes, his dream is to own a farm. [Laughs] MO: Okay, well if you have a farm in America, you have to get a cowboy hat. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: Okay. [Laughter] MO: So that should be a dream too, to own a cowboy hat. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] [Laughter] MO: Do you have any other dreams? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah I have a lot of dreams, but I will do it one by one; we will see in the future – for example, I want to own my own house (I don’t want to live in apartments forever). It’s a good idea to own house first. MO: Um-hmm; good. Well those are all the questions I have. So do you have any questions for us, or does anyone else have any questions? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 24 MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KGI: Do you guys have any questions? No? ??: Have you heard about the garden that Nelda has? ??I: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] ??: The refugee garden? KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [07:40] KGI: There were a couple of guys who talked to Nelda about farm – ??: Um-hmm? KGI: And she send them to another lady named Jillian (he guess, or something like that). So she got an appointment to meet somewhere and to discuss about it, but they didn’t make it – they were mis-communicated about the appointment place or time. After that they didn’t hear anything about that. ??: Well hopefully that can happen. MO: That’s everything. I think we’re going to conclude this interview. We want to thank you again for meeting with us and telling us a little bit about, I don’t know, your life. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [09:23] KGI: Okay. I don’t know whether you guys can answer this question: but he was saying in this country they tell us you cannot punish your child, and children – they make a lot of [??] and a lot of [??] stuff and you cannot [??] them. If you do not [??] them, they go worse and worse and worse. So if you don’t [??] them, how can you correct them? Back home when children get mistakes or they do something bad, we punish them accordingly. MO: Um-hmm? KGI: So when we come here we don’t know anything and they told us we cannot punish our children – they do lot of crazy stuff and nonsense stuff, and we just look at them because we cannot punish them. So he wants to know, can we punish our children or not? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 25 MO: That is a great debate. [Laughter] If you ask my dad, you can discipline your kids – but make sure that they know that you still love them. MOI: [Repeating the statement in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: In Eritrea my children – Eritrea is a good country, but when my children make mistakes, I punish them and they know why they are punished. Even if I punish them they love me and they know I love them, because they are my children. ??: And I would suggest, because I know that my friend – because you could get in trouble like if you – it is kind of crazy here. Like if they’re doing something naughty in the store, she’ll take them out to her car, or she’ll take them when she gets home. So I think in your home, then no one can say anything. MO: You don’t want – it’s interesting; discipline in America is very different, it’s very interesting because it is such a big debate. MOI: [Repeating the statements in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] [13:03] KGI: Even back home we just don’t – kids, if we hit them we don’t hit them in front of other people; we just tell them what they did mistakes and we punish accordingly (sometimes we can take stuff they have, the stuff they play with or other things – it depends what they got). But here is kind of hard. MO: Well I think that’s how you should do it. ??: So you’re doing it right, if you do it. MOI: [Repeating the statements in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: He is saying if we don’t punish our children, what are you raising – some of them they will not go to school, some of them will be thieves or other stuff. And the worst thing I hate is prostitution – I don’t want my children to be that. Because if I don’t [??] them, if I Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kahsaoy Berhe Gebremedhin Page 26 don’t talk to them they are not going to know what is right and what’s wrong. So he say I just want to know whether I can punish and discipline my children. MO: I say yes. KG: [Laughs] [Responding in Tigrinya.] [Laughter] MO: Well we are going to at least stop the recording here, but just a final question: you are okay if we use this and put it in the archives, and use it for educational purposes? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: Yeah, I don’t have any problem; you can put it. This is what happened to my lives, it’s a very important thing. And I don’t have anything to hide – I tell you what the real thing is. It’s not political; the only thing I hate is politics. So I’m okay if you guys put it in the archive. MO: Okay. And online too? MOI: [Repeating the question in Tigrinya.] KG: [Responding in Tigrinya.] KGI: No problem. MO: Okay; thank you. KG: You’re welcome. MO: Thank you, thank you. [End part 2 of 2 – 16:28]
Kahsay Gebremedhin, 1971-;
Warner-Evans, Hilary, 1994-;
Berhane Debesai, 1980-;
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project, FOLK COLL 60
Olsen, Magen, 1986-;
Gross, Susan;
An inventory for this collection can be found at : http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv67610
transcripts;
application/pdf;
189675 Bytes
tir; eng;
Text;
Eritrea; Ethiopia; Germany; Maryland; Salt Lake, Utah;
Kahsay Gebremedhin interview, May 23, 2015
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project, FOLK COLL 61
An inventory for this collection can be found at : http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv67611
oral histories (document genre);
audio/mp3;
75448733 Bytes
Sound;
Kahsay Berhe Gebremedhin is signing the release form while Berhane Debesai Abraha looks on.
860318 Bytes
Outdoor Product; Catalog; Kahtoola
Kahtoola catalog, front cover, 2018-2019
Kahtoola
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-13, 2018)
Utah State University Libraries
Digital Initiatives Unit, Merrill-Cazier Library
In copyright, https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en
National parks and reserves--Utah; Natural monuments; Scenic landscapes;
Kaibab and Kanab. Houserock. Envelope 41.
Hopkins, William H., 1873-1958;
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, Dr. William H. Hopkins Addendum Collection, 1918-1939, Box 1, Book 3, Hopkins 137
Andrus, Dolph, 1890-1981;
Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the USU Libraries Special Collections and Archives, (435) 797-2663.
Dr. William H. Hopkins Addendum Collection, 1918-1939, P0360
Inventory for the Dr. William H. Hopkins Addendum Collection, 1918-1939, can be found at: http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv21139
Black-and-white photograph;
image/jpeg
544438 Bytes
eng
Image;StillImage;
Kanab (Utah); Kane County (Utah); Kaibab (Arizona); Coconino County (Arizona); Arizona; United States;
Automobiles; National parks and reserves--Utah; Scenic landscapes; Natural monuments;
Kaibab. Kanab. House rock. Sign reads Jacobs Lake, 46 miles to Grand Canyon. Historic Jacob Lake Ranger station was built in 1910 and is located one mile west and south of North Kaibab Vistor Center. Maxwell automobile parked in front.
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, Dr. William H. Hopkins Addendum Collection, 1918-1939, Box 1, Book 3, Hopkins 128
583864 Bytes
Jacob Lake (Arizona); Kaibab Plateau (Arizona); Coconino County (Arizona); Arizona; United States;
Refugees; Kakuma; Refugee Camps; Business
Esperanza Tabisha works at her small clothing business in Kakuma refugee camp.
UNHCR
Kakuma camp; Refugees
A photo of Kakuma camp, made available by the UNHCR
UNHCR. Accredition and link required to use.
Kenya; Kakuma; Nairobi; Map
A map showing driving directions from Kakuma to Nairobi, created March 27, 2020.
Haden Griggs (editor)
Google Maps
Outdoor Products; Catalog; Kamp Pack;
Kamp Pack
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-2, 1970)
In copyright https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en
Kappa Delta homecoming float: Aggies Are Swinging High, 1956
USU Homecoming; Kappa Delta; greek life; parade; Logan, UT
Photograph of the Kappa Delta Homecoming parade float in 1956, featuring the slogan, "Aggies Are Swinging High."
Utah State University Special Collections and Archives, Homecoming photograph collection, P0387, Box 1, Folder 3, Image 13.
Kappa Sigma homecoming house decorations, 1949
USU Homecoming; Kappa Sigma; greek life
Photograph of the USU Kappa Sigma house decorated for Homecoming with a fishing motif.
Utah State University Kappa Sigma
Utah State University Special Collections and Archives, Photographic Services collection, P0376, Box 6, Image 1837f
Outdoor Product; Catalog; Karakoram
Karakoram
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-26, 2010)
Tun Lay--Photographs;
Picture of Tun Lay’s Karen flag that is on his living room wall.
Tun Lay, 1958-
Gill, Meagan
Chit Moe
Hanks, Bethany
image/jpeg;
775229 Bytes
eng; kar
Karen State; Thailand; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Couty, Utah; United States; Logan, Cache Valley, Utah, United States;
National flag--Photographs;
The Karen flag photographed at Snay Tun's house in Logan, Utah on May 19, 2015. The small pictures at the bottom seem to be religous. The Karen drum is in the upper-left hand side of the flag.
Snay Tun, 1994-
Hanks, Bethany, 1989-
Van de Water, Wes
840395 Bytes
eng;
Karen State, Burma; Thailand; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States; Logan, Cache Valley, Utah, United States;
Karen Franco interview, November 14, 2012
Hispanic Americans; Minority high school students; Families; Education;
Ms. Karen Franco discusses her childhood, her parents and their homelands of Guatemala and El Salvador. She talks about her life as a teenager in Cache Valley, her goals for the future, and her perspective on the world.
Franco, Karen;
The original of this item can be found at Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, FOLK COLL 38 Box 12 Folder 9
Digitized by Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library
Williams, Randy;
Barry, Donna;
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives
Latino/Latina Voices Project, 2007, 2012
Latino/Latina Voices Project inventory can be found at: http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv83200
image/jpeg; audio/mp3; application/pdf;
eng; spa;
Image;StillImage; Sound; Text;
Guatemala; El Salvador; Cache Valley (Utah and Idaho); Utah; Idaho; United States;
Hyrum (Utah); Cache County (Utah); Utah; United States;
National Flag--photographs;
Eh Htoo's flag of Karent State, pinned on the wall of the basement of Kyaw Eh's house in Hyrum, Utah during the evening of May 16, 2015.
Eh Htoo, 1983-
2151485 Bytes
eng; kar;
http://digital.lib.usu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p16944coll14/id/4
Karen State, Burma; Thailand; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States; Hyrum, Cache County, Utah, United States;
Jolle
CC; This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Jolle at the Catalan Wikipedia project. This applies worldwide. In case this is not legally possible: Jolle grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.
Outdoor Product; Catalog; 1980
Karhu
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-03, 1980)
Outdoor Product; Catalog; Karhu
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-03, 1992)
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-03, 1994)
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-03, 1991)
StillImage
Outdoor Products; Catalog; Karrimor International Ltd.;
Karrimor International Ltd. Catalog, front cover, 1977
Karrimor International Ltd.
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-4, 1977)
Karrimor International Ltd. Catalog, front cover, 1979
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-4, 1979)
Karrimor International Ltd. Catalog, front cover, 1980
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-4, 1980)
Karrimor International Ltd., Haston Alpiniste, undated
Karrimor International Ltd. Catalog, front cover, undated
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-4, undated)
Outdoor Products; Catalog; Kastinger;
Kastinger
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-5, 1978)
Outdoor Product; Catalog; Kastle
Kastle
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-28, 1984)
Outdoor Products; Catalog; Kathmandu;
Kathmandu
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection (Book Collection 72, K-7, 2008)
Kathryn Turner and her art, August 8, 2017
Wyoming; Fine art
Dude ranches--Wyoming--Jackson Hole
Kathryn in front of some of her art pieces.
Turner, Kathryn, 1971-
Jones, Michelle, 1995-
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Jackson Hole Dude Ranching Tradition: Triangle X Folk Coll 64, Item
Digitized by: Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library.
Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the USU Libraries Special Collections & Archives, (435) 797-8248.
Jackson Hole Dude Ranching Tradition:Triangle X
913625 Bytes
Image; StillImage
Trio Fine Art, Jackon, Wyoming, United States
21st century; 2010-2019
Triangle X
Kathryn Turner describes how the ranch inspires her painting
Kylie Schroeder
Kathryn Turner in front of a moose painting, August 8, 2017
Image of Kathryn Turner in front of a moose painting
Portrait of Kathryn Turner in front of her painting of a moose.
732201 Bytes
Kathryn Turner sketching her family tree, August 8, 2017
Image of Kathryn Turner sketching her family tree
Turner family
903731 Bytes
Katie Willmore Fuller, Island Market Community Submission
Logan (Utah) -- History
Island (Logan, Utah) -- History
Small business
Grocery trade -- United States
Local history
Memory
This memory was provided through an online submission form created by Utah State University, Digital Initiatives department for "The Historic Island Market" digital exhibit. This story records and shares an individual memory about the Island Market grocery store. See the "Creator" field for the name of the writer. (Date shown is date memory was pulled from the survey)
Fuller, Katie Willmore (author)
"The Island Market Community Project" survey presented by Utah State University, Digital Initiatives department. Qualtrics.com. 2022. The submission form is available at: https://usu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ehBnBe5tJkPYygK
Digital Initiatives Unit, Merrill-Cazier Library (Publisher – digital)
Published with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Kaufman Jewelers ad in The Ogden Standard-Examiner, April 03, 1988.
Ogden, Utah; Congregation Brith Sholem; Judaism; Religion; Synagogue; Utah History; Kaufman Jewelers; Terri Kaufman; Gordon Kaufman; The Ogden Standard-Examiner
The Ogden Standard-Examiner
Newspapers.com, Utah Digital Newspaper Project
Utah Digital Newspaper Project
The copyright and related rights status of this Item has been reviewed by the organization that has made the Item available, but the organization was unable to make a conclusive determination as to the copyright status of the Item. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.
DNO-0128_Kaufman Jewelers ad in The Ogden Standard-Examiner, April 03, 1988.png
A clip from an interview with Kaung Lay, May 16, 2015.
Kaung Lay
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project, FOLK COLL 65
Refugee Camp
Clip from an interview with Kaung Lay 16 May 2015
Kuang Lay
Refugee camps; Burmese
Clip from an interview from Kaung Lay 16 May 2015
Kaung Lay holding an employee of the month certificate from JBS Miller meat processing
Burmese Muslim; Refugee; Employment;
Kaung Lay holding an employee of the month certificate from JBS Miller meat processing. He is standing in his living room in Logan Utah wearing a blue shirt. In the picture, a person from JBS is presenting Kaw Lay with the certificate.
Kaung Lay, 1967-;
Allred, Deanna, 1965-;
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project, FOLK COLL 70
An inventory for this collection can be found at : http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv67620
photographs;
1716478 Bytes
Burma; Thailand;
Kaung Lay interview transcript, May 16, 2015
Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 1 CACHE VALLEY REFUGEE ORAL HISTORY PROJECT TRANSCRIPTION COVER SHEET Interviewee(s): Kaw Lay Present: David Giles, Cami Dilg, Deanna Allred, Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, Khin Mar Cho (Kaw Lay’s wife) Place of Interview: Kaw Lay’s home, Logan, Utah Date of Interview: May 16, 2015 Language(s): Burmese Translation: Interviewer: David Giles Interpreter: Har Be Bar Recordist: Deanna Allred Photographer: Cami Dilg Recording Equipment: Tascam DR-100mk11 linear PCM recorder; Senal ENG-18RL broadcast-quality omnidirectional dynamic microphone Transcription Equipment: Express Scribe with PowerPlayer foot pedal. Transcribed by: Susan Gross, May 25, 2015 Transcript Proofed by: Brief Description of Contents: Mr. Kaw Lay discusses being born in Burma, and then the conditions during the war. He talks about his wife and children escaping to a refugee camp in Thailand, with him following later (after having earned more money to support the trip). He talks about the journey to the United States, and what it took to adjust and get settled in Logan, Utah. He and his wife talk about the struggles they’ve had, as well as daily life for their family in the United States. Reference: DG = David Giles DGI = David Giles’ words interpreted by translator KL = Kaw Lay KLI = Kaw Lay’s words interpreted by translator DA = Deanna Allred DAI = Deanna Allred’s words interpreted by translator CD = Cami Dilg CDI = Cami Dilg’s words interpreted by translator KC = Khin Mar Cho KC = Khin Mar Cho’s words interpreted by translator Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 2 NOTE: [You will have to modify this as appropriate—whether using CommGap or in-person interpreter.] The interview was conducted with CommGap Interpretive Services; the interpreter joined the interview via a cell phone. False starts, pauses, or transitions in dialogue such as “uh” and starts and stops in conversations are not included in transcript. All additions and added information to transcript are noted with brackets. TAPE TRANSCRIPTION [00:01] DG: Okay. This is David Giles; we are recording an interview for the “Voices: Refugees in Cache Valley” project. Also with me we have Cami Dilg and Deanna Allred (I completely spaced). Today is the 16th of May, and it is about one o’clock in the afternoon. We also have Har Be Bar, who is the interpreter today, and Kaw Lay, who we will be interviewing. Is there anything else we need to put on the tag, or is that it? Okay. Sorry? CD: Go ahead and ask who else is in the room – DG: Okay. CD: And have them be identified. DG: Okay. Could you do me a favor and just tell us your names? ??: My name is [??] DG: Okay. Sean[??], would you mind? KC: My name is Khin Mar Cho, his wife. DG: Okay. [Inaudible discussion with folks in the room.] DG: [??] okay. DA: How do you spell that? ??: T-H-U-V[??] DG: Oh, I think you were here yesterday. ??: Yeah. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 3 DG: Okay; alright. DA: How do you spell your name? KC: Khin Mar Cho: K-H-I-N space M-A-R space C-H-O. DA: C-H--? KC: C-H-O. DA: C-H-O? Thank you. DG: Okay. Now, before we start Kaw Lay, just to make sure on Har Be Bar, it’s easiest if we just speak one or two sentences at a time, give her time to translate. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] DG: If you would like to speak in English, that’s fine; if you feel more comfortable speaking in Burmese – that’s fine as well; just whichever you prefer. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: He will speak in English – oh, Burmese. DG: Okay. KLI: Yeah. DG: Alright. So my first question: can you tell us your first name and your birth year? And what languages do you speak? DGI: [Repeating the questions in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: First name is Kaw and the last name is Lay; he speak Burmese. His birthday is – KL: [Speaking in Burmese.] KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] KL: [Speaking in Burmese.] KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 4 KL: [Speaking in Burmese.] KLI: It’s 1963. DG: 1963, okay. Now let me see, tell us a little bit about your family – you know, how many children do you have? And how long have you been married? That kind of thing. DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: He don’t remember exactly how long he been married. And then he has five children. [Speaking in Burmese to interviewee.] Two girls and three boys. DG: Okay, thank you. Let me see – can you please describe the ethnic or religious community that you belong to? So you know, tell us about being a Burmese Muslim. DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [04:33] KLI: I’m kind of Muslim ethnic group. DG: Okay, thank you. Now let me see – can you tell us a little bit more about Burma? You know, how long you lived there, why you left? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: He was born in Burma, and then there was civil war going around, so they had to move around in Burma. So he had to leave Burma because of the war to Thailand camp. DG: So you went to Thailand first? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] Yeah, Thailand first. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 5 DG: Okay, so what was that like – having to move around, having to move to Thailand? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese. KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] [Discussion in Burmese between several people.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Well everything was destroyed, so we have to move around. Well he have to, so it’s kind of not good. DG: Um-hmm. KLI: Yeah, that’s what he try to say. DG: Okay. Let me see – okay. So about how old were you when you had to leave to Thailand? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Forty-four[??] DG: Okay. And do you remember how many kids you had at that time? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [08:23] KLI: At that time he only have four childrens, and then in the camp she was born. DG: Wow, okay. What was that like having little kids with you when you needed to leave? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 6 KLI: Yeah, it was the worst time ever, because the whole family cannot go together. At first his wife and two childrens went there first; and then he followed them. DG: Wow that sounds scary. KLI: Um-hmm. DG: Did you have to go separately because if immigration restrictions, because of laws? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: First because their family over there in the camp – they went first – and then they support them to get there. Yeah, he stay in Burma, work for a little bit and then get money, and then go. DG: I understand; okay, thank you. What was it like living in a refugee camp? What were your experiences there? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: He don’t have much experience – he get free food, he live with the food because he don’t work (in the camp there are no jobs). DG: Um-hmm. So what kind of food did you get? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Rice, beans, salt, oil, chilies. DG: Wow, so not very much? KLI: Not very much. DG: Not very much. Let me see – now what kind of medical care was there in the camp? What would you do if you got into an accident, or you got sick? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 7 [13:07] KLI: In the camp there are clinic, and then if he get sick he will go there. If the health is getting worse, and like dying, the clinic will support him to go to a Mae Sot hospital (he will get take care of him); he don’t have to pay for it. DG: Okay, thank you. What kind of hospital was it? KLI: It’s a clinic – in the camp? The clinic. DG: Oh, well you said if they got worse then they’d go to a hospital? KLI: Uh-huh, like in Mae Sot – in the big city. DG: Oh, okay; alright. Let me see – now you said there wasn’t any work that you could do in the camp, no jobs? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: No. DG: Okay, wow; wow. Okay, now when you were in the camp did you celebrate in holy days or any holidays? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: There are a lot of people (like Muslim people); so that way he could celebrate the Eid (they call the Eid). First he went to the mosque and then pray, and then come back and have fun with families. DG: Cool. Was there a mosque in the camp? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Yeah, they were. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 8 DG: Okay, wow. What was the mosque like – like what was it made out of? What did it look like? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese. KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: It’s made of wood and bamboo tree. DG: Okay. Was it specially decorated, or was it just you know, just a house? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [16:12] KLI: It’s kind of like a house, but it’s a lot bigger because a lot of people go there and kind of decorated. DG: Okay, thank you. KLI: Um-hmm. DG: Let me see – now what was it like politically? Like what was your relation – when you were refugees, what was your relationship with Thailand? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: You don’t have a lot of like relationship with Thailand – just live in the camp, and then their like government help. DG: Okay, thank you. Did you feel safe in the camps? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: It’s not safe over there; the Burmese people will come and burn them, but he was afraid. DG: That does sound scary. Thank you. Let me see – so how did you first hear about the United States’ refugee program, and how did you apply for it? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 9 DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [19:19] KLI: There is a group that called – [Speaking in Burmese to interviewee.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: UNHI – [Speaking in Burmese to interviewee.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: It’s called UI – he don’t really know. And then he had to register for to come here (like a lot of people were). DG: Okay, thank you. Did you get any help applying? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Yeah, the UI group helped with everything, because they don’t know anything. So they helped. DG: Okay, thank you. I have a question about the paperwork – was it all in English, or did you have to fill it out in Burmese? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Yeah, it’s in English, but there are translator that helped them. DG: Wow that sounds like a nightmare. KLI: [Laughs] Yeah. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 10 DG: Let me see – so what was it like coming to the U.S.? What was your experience with the move? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: From the camp he had to go to the city, in Thailand city – he had to like stay there three days in the church, and then he had to take the airplane (like three to four airplanes); and he went to New York, and from New York to here. DG: Wow. KLI: Yeah. DG: Wow. KLI: It’s a long way. DG: Um-hmm. Kaw Lay’s wife has just sat down with us. Let me see – now you said when you went to the camp you had to go – it was your wife and a couple of children, and then you came afterwards? Did you all go at the same time to the United States, or did you have to go twice like that? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [22:54] KLI: All together. DG: All together? KLI: Um-hmm. DG: Okay. Let me see – so when you first got to the United States, what was it like for those first couple months? Did anyone help you out, or were you just on your own? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: He get a little bit help with the renting and stuff, but there is a problem with his son broken leg; yeah. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 11 DG: Um-hmm. So who helped you with the rent? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [Discussion in Burmese among several folks present.] KLI: There is a group (IRC) help pay the rent for six months. DG: Oh, wow. That might have been the – Cache Valley group? We’ll look it up – [Discussion in Burmese.] You mentioned there was a problem when your son broke his leg – what happened then? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] [Discussion in Burmese among several folks present.] KCI: They get separated – he is in the hotel, and then she is in the hospital with the broken leg child; and then there is no phone, no number that to call. And then they don’t know how to contact each other. DG: Wow. And you’re saying this is Kaw Lay and his wife (for the recording)? KCI: Um-hmm, yeah. DG: Okay, wow; sounds very scary. Let me see – now did the hospital charge you for that? How did you get help paying for that (the broken leg)? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: The IRC helped them to pay for it. DG: Okay; alright, thank you. Let me see, next question – so how long have you guys been living here, in Logan? [27:44] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 12 DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] KLI: Like five to six year. DG: Okay, let me see – what is life like here? What do you do (what kind of work do you do)? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] KLI: He work in Miller, and then he is saying that he don’t get food stamps now – so with his money he buy food and stuff, and live like that. DG: What specifically do you do at Miller (like what’s your job)? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: He had to do the inside of the cow’s stomach – DG: Oh, goodness. KLI: [Laughs] Yeah. DG: Khin Mar Cho (is that how you?) – KC: Khin Mar Cho. DG: Khin Mar Cho – what do you do for work here, or do you work? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: She sew, she cook – she sew for other people like – she sew for my clothes too, and then I pay for it. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 13 DG: Oh cool; awesome, thank you. Let me see – do you feel included in the Logan community? Do you feel a part of the group here? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Yeah, he feel like it. DG: Good, good. Let me see – now tell us a little bit about your home here: like how is it like the house you had back in Burma, and how is it different? [31:13] DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] KLI: Thailand – the camp houses are like sometime missing a wall – KL: [Speaking in Burmese.] KL: Made with the bamboo trees. DG: Um-hmm? KL: And then here it’s like completely a lot better; yeah. DG: Um-hmm; okay, thank you. Let me see – oh, have you had any problems with your landlord, or have they been nice and helpful? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: The best landlord ever, he said, because whenever he need something he call it, and then that person come. DG: Okay, so the landlord is helpful then? KLI: Yeah, it’s very helpful. DG: Okay. Good, good; we’ve heard some stories where that wasn’t the case. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 14 KLI: Um-hmm. DG: If you could translate that. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: The others are not that helpful. Yeah. DG: Okay; wow, it sounds like you got lucky [laughs]. DGI: Um-hmm. [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] Very, very. DG: Um-hmm. Now let me see – so what would you like people in Logan to know about you and your family? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] [34:44] KLI: If they’re interested in them, they can come and ask about it; yeah [laughs]. DG: Okay. Alright, let me see – now if you could, would you like to go back to Burma? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: He would like to go back because he have like a lot of friends. And then if he goes somewhere else (like in the jungle) he is happy to live in there, because he feel like it’s his place – and here he don’t feel like it’s own place. And then his child would not go back because they live here, they feel like it’s their place. So yeah, he would like to go back. DG: Okay. I’m sorry – what was your name again? KC: Khin Mar Cho. DG: Khin Mar Cho – would you like to go back? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 15 DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: She doesn’t like to go back because there are still problems and then she doesn’t want to like get problem anymore – she just want to get free. DG: Um-hmm. KCI: Yeah. DG: Okay. Now let me see – I’d like to go back and ask about the move to the United States. Is there anything that you think that people could do to make that move easier, to make that transition? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [38:25] KLI: He want to get like easiest way that he could, if he can – but he had to go around because – [speaking in Burmese to interviewee] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: It’s the traveling stuff, so – KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Yeah, he cannot just go straight – DG: Are you talking about he would have liked to have flown into Salt Lake – KLI: Uh-huh. DG: Instead of going to New York and back? KLI: Um-hmm, yeah. DG: Okay. Okay now let me see – now just a couple more questions. So what are you most proud of? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 16 DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: He is very proud that he could come here, and then like his childrens can go to school free. Yeah. DG: Good. Now Khin Mar Cho – what are you most proud of? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] [Laughter] KCI: She said nothing because she can’t speak English until now. KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: Yeah, she wants to like speak English and then get better health. DG: Get better health? KCI: Um-hmm. DG: Okay. Are you having medical problems right now? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese – crying.] KCI: Yeah, she is having with medical; she want to have medical care. KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: Yeah, they don’t help. DG: They don’t help? KCI: Um-hmm. DG: Okay. I’m not sure – DA: Where does she go to get medical help? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 17 KCI: She just go to the hospital, but she has insurance in the JBS, but the JBS didn’t help them much; so, yeah. [41:27] DA: For her specific problem? KCI: Um-hmm. KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: The thing is that they could pay, but they did not pay. And then there is like a lot of paperworks come, and then she don’t know how to read and stuff. DG: Would you like us to see if we can help with that? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: Yeah, she would like you to. DG: Okay, alright. I don’t know how much we can do, but I’ll ask and see if there is someone who can help. DA: It sounds like there’s just a translation problem. Is it more than just a translation problem? DG: Yeah, it sounds like a problem with the insurance. KCI: Yeah, with the insurance – and then she don’t get the medical care from the government. DA: Okay. DG: If you could tell her we will try and help, but – KC: [Speaking in Burmese.] [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] KCI: There is still a problem with his son leg, and that he had to go every year and then he cannot go because of the medical problem that nobody problem. DG: Okay. Can you tell her we’ll talk to some people and see if there is something we can do – if there is some way we can help. DGI: [Repeating the question.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 18 KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: She doesn’t want any food stamps or stuff, she just want the medical care. DA: She doesn’t the what? KCI: The food stamps. DA: Yes, um-hmm. DG: Yeah, we’ll try to help. I don’t know much about – KC: [Speaking in Burmese.] DG: Okay, we’ll see what we can do. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] DG: Now just a couple more questions. What are your dreams for yourself and for your children? We’ve already talked about medical care – DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: She wants her youngest daughter to be a doctor – she really wants – DG: Um-hmm. KC: [Speaking in Burmese.] [Laughter] DA: Is that you? ??: Yeah. DG: Yeah, that would be very good. DA: That would be wonderful. DG: Now Kaw Lay, what are your dreams – for yourself and for your children? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 19 KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [45:44] KLI: He don’t have a dream for himself, but for his daughter and son – he don’t to be like him (like working hard), he just want like their lives to get better and better. That’s his dream. DG: Okay. Now let me see – is there anything else (this question is for both of you) – is there anything else you’d like to talk about that we haven’t asked? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Nothing. DG: Okay. Now those are all the questions that I have, but do either of you have questions? DA: I have some questions. If there were English classes available, do you have transportation to get there? Do you know if there are English classes? DAI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KC: [Speaking in Burmese.] KCI: There is people that come her house and like teach her English, but she don’t get it because of problem with the brain, I don’t know. KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: Yeah, she don’t learn anything. DG: I’m sorry – KC: [Speaking in Burmese.] KCI: When they teach she get at first, and then later she forgot all. DG: That’s kind of how it is for us too, actually [laughs]. Like in the classes that we’re taking for school, we need to learn things over and over. So, yeah. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 20 DG: Okay, any other questions. DA: I do have a question: when you were in the hospital with your son right after you got here, and you were at home – how did you find each other? How did you get back together your family? DAI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: They take a weeks, then the IRC come and then they find a way – DA: To get them all back together? KCI: Um-hmm, yeah. DA: They were separated for weeks? KCI: Um-hmm, yeah. DA: Because they couldn’t get back together? KCI: Um-hmm. That’s crazy [laughs]. DA: That is crazy. KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: Yeah, the IRC take – KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: [Speaking in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: The IRC took them to the hospital. DA: Okay. KL: [Speaking in Burmese.] KLI: Yeah, from hotel they rent and then once he got the home, and then they took him to the hospital. Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 21 DA: Um-hmm; okay. [49:47] DG: Okay, wow. KC: [Speaking in Burmese.] KCI: They can only drink water because they couldn’t eat the American food. DA: I’m sure; I’m sure it was very different – yeah. DG: And hospital food isn’t good anyways. DA: Yeah [laughs]. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] KL: [Speaking in Burmese.] KC: [Speaking in Burmese.] DA: Is there any American food you like now? DAI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: Like pizza. [Laughter] DA: Yeah, pizza [laughing]. DG: Okay. Now Cami, do you have a question? CD: Were you finished? DA: I’m done, thank you. CD: Um-hmm. I guess to follow up with the food question, where do you purchase your food? Do you do that here in the valley, or do you travel somewhere to get the food that you do eat? CDI: Now? Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 22 CD: Um-hmm. CDI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Yeah, from Salt Lake – they get from Salt Lake. DG: Wow. CD: How often do you make the trip down there? CDI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Once a month. KL: [Speaking in Burmese.] KLI: There is not a lot of Asians food in here, so they have to go to Salt Lake and once a month buy a lot of food. DA: Um-hmm. DG: Um-hmm. [52:05] CD: How do you get down there? Do you go with a family? Do you drive? Do you take public transportation? CDI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: They go as a family because he don’t know how to drive, so he had to take his older son. DG: Is his son [??] KLI: Yeah [??] DA: [??] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 23 KLI: Um-hmm. DG: Okay. CD: What is the traditional role of male or female, or father – or say husband and wife – in your culture? CDI: What is the traditional – CD: The traditional role – does the wife play certain roles, the husband play certain roles? CDI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: There is no traditional role, specifically, that they do; they just go to work, she just stay home; that’s it every day. DG: Okay. CD: I’ve got one or two more questions. DG: Okay, sorry [laughs]. CD: If someone wanted to learn more about your community (so someone from Logan), are there events or, you know, gatherings that they could attend to learn more about your community or to meet people from Burma? CDI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] [54:41] KLI: Yeah, they could come like when the Eid (the holiday) come – we cook, and then everyone like around the community come and eat. DG: Okay. When is Eid? DGI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 24 KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: Next month is the Ramadan – DA: Uh-huh. KLI: That we have to fast; and then after Ramadan is the Eid. DA: After Ramadan? KLI: Yeah. [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] KLI: It’s April 6th – [speaking in Burmese], like the 18th. DG: Okay, thank you. KLI: No, it’s June – DG: [Laughs] KLI: Sorry [laughs]. KL: [Speaking in Burmese.] KLI: Yeah, June 20th or the 18th. DG: Okay. CD: And then last question – on the reverse side (or the flip side), are there certain events that take place in the community (American events, I guess) that you participate in – or maybe just in general – are there things that you do outside of the home? I know you’re busy with work and taking care of the family – what are some things that you like to do outside? CDI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] KL: [Speaking in Burmese.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 25 KLI: [Speaking in Burmese.] KL: [Laughs] [Speaking in Burmese.] [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] [Doorbell rings] [57:48] KLI: Like they would like to go other people houses and visit – that’s what they like to do. DG: Okay; so they like to go to other people’s homes, and they like to visit? KLI: Um-hmm, yeah. DG: Okay. KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: They also like to go to Americans [??] houses, but they don’t know how to speak so – yeah, if they invite, they would like to go. DG: Okay. DA: Oh, well we can do that. CD: That can be arranged. [Laughter] DA: She can come visit us. KC: [Speaking in Burmese.] KCI: Yeah, they usually stay home because of like problems speaking English; and they don’t even go to the parent-teacher conferences. CD: Would they attend school events, or something like that (parent-teacher conference) if they had someone to translate? CDI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 26 KC: [Responding in Burmese.] KCI: Yeah. DG: Okay; alright, any other questions? Okay – if you could translate this for me – DGI: Um-hmm. DG: We are done with the interview now. We are going to transcribe this interview (we’re going to write it down), and we can also burn you a CD of what we talked about today. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] DG: This interview that we’ve had today – the recording and the text – will be stored in the Utah State University Library. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] DG: And we’ll also use this information to put together an exhibit about Burmese Muslims here, in Logan – and that will be coming up soon – DA: At the end of the month. DG: Do we have invitations? DA: Yes, I do. CD: We do, and we’d like you to attend – your family and your friends – if you would; we’ll give you the information. CDI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] DG: And thank you again very much for allowing us to come and interview you. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] KL: [Responding in Burmese.] KLI: It doesn’t cost anything? DA: No. DG: No. Can you do the release forms? [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project: Kaw Lay Page 27 DA: May I take some pictures? DAI: Yeah. DA: So can I take pictures of you two? DAI: [Repeating the question in Burmese.] DA: Thank you. DG: Now we do have two forms: one form we’d like each of you to sign. This is just a form giving us permission to use this interview and to, you know, store it like we’ve talked about. DGI: [Repeating the statement in Burmese.] [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] DA: Okay, I only have – [Background discussion between the interviewers.] [Discussion among Kaw Lay, Har Be Bar, and Khin Mar Cho in Burmese.] [End recording – 62:06]
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project, FOLK COLL 64
An inventory for this collection can be found at : http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv67614
182922 Bytes
2010-2019; 21st century;
An inventory for this collection can be found at : http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv67615
oral histories (document genres);
59624476 Bytes
Kaung Lay with his wife, Khin Mar Cho and their granddaughter, Thuza
Burmese Muslim; Family; Refugee
Kaung Lay, Khin Mar Cho and Thuza in their living room. Kaw Lay is holding a paper.
1491559 Bytes
Burmese Muslim; Refugee;
Black and White photo hanging in Kaung Lay's living room.
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, Cache Valley Refugee Oral History Project, FOLK COLL 69
An inventory for this collection can be found at : http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv67619
1948389 Bytes