Crossing The Valley With My Mother. 

On May 1st 2009 I conducted a interview with my mother Shokriya Raies. The interview took place in Phoenix, Arizona at my Mother's place of residence. When we made the decision to leave Iraq it wasn’t because we wanted to rather we felt like we had to. On May 19^th 1982 we left the city of Bagdad. It was my husband and I and our three children Saad, Jemi, Silvie. Habib and I decided to leave the country because of the war between Iraq and Iran. Habib and Saad would have been drafted into war that was dictator Sadam’s policy. Saad was only 15 years old and my husband and I could’nt bare to have that happen. We drove into Amman, Jordan by taxi the border between the countries of Iraq and Jordan would open from time so people could cross. As soon as we knew the boarder opened up we decided to make our move. Once we settled into Amman Habib’s bother started the process for us to come to the U.S.A. Habib’s brother was a United States Citizen and had been living in the U.S for many years. The process took 1year and 10 months. We lived in Jordan until we were approved to come to the United States. We arrived into Detroit Michigan on February 9^th 1984. Silvie was almost 4 years old. We lived a good life in Iraq. I never would have left if it wasn’t for the war. Most of my family lives in the United States and I have others that live in other countries besides Iraq. In Iraq I have one nephew and his family and two cousins on my side of the family and Habib has two nephews still in Iraq. I try to help once in a while by sending them money.  It’s difficult to send money if I do it has to be through some one that is going there with a non profit organization or through church, and it’s so difficult to survive here that even when I am able to send my husbands and my family money it’s only about $100.00 or even less. I have never worked in the United States my husband always took care of the finances while I took care of the home and children. I have learned English over the years enough to get by in a small conversation. My primary language at home is Aramaic. I also speak fluent Arabic and a little Kurdish. It has been so long now that I don’t remember what my expectations of the United States was before I came to the country, what I can say that surprises me is that how marriage is not so important in the United states, people have children out of wedlock so much and it’s accepted as a way of life here. In Iraq it’s a no no. I guess the morals of some individuals in this country are very minimal. I one day would like to visit Iraq but I could never adjust to the life style there again. I hope one day Iraq will be civil within its own country. The terrorism in the country will stop and we can find peace with in the nation. For United States I hope we are able to get out of our economy crisis and continue being a strong nation. Religion is really important in my culture although in the middle East the dominanting religion is Muslim there are other religions as well. I am catholic Iraqi. What bothers me the most is when people ask me where i am from they assume I am Muslim, not that there is anything wrong with being Muslim, It's just annoying when people think that's all the religion that exists in the Middle East.