2 10 42 https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/c18f417d80f71390cad5a969e003f94d.jpeg c8114d53bb45dbd51528c93179e4012d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Annika Soderberg Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Min "Mandy" Wang OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0149_irw0080_ohm.xml Interview Keyword Changsha City (China) Changsha (Hunan Sheng, China) Food habits Childhood OHMS Object Text 5.2 2019oh0149_irw0080 Interview with Min &quot ; Mandy&quot ; Wang, March 14, 2019 2019oh0149_irw0080 irw I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Immigrants Emigration and immigration. Philadelphia (Pa.) Education Families. Employment Occupations Liuyang Shi (China) Changsha City (China) Changsha (Hunan Sheng, China) Food habits Childhood Min &quot ; Mandy&quot ; Wang Annika Soderberg 2019oh0149_irw0080_wang_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2019oh0149_irw0080_wang_acc001.mp3 Other NULL audio 2 Introduction to project and brief background of hometown Two. Three. Alright, it's counting so I think that means it's on. A brief introduction is given to the project in which this interview is included. Wang teaches Soderberg how to say &quot ; hello&quot ; in Mandarin Chinese. Wang introduces her hometown and her work at a printing company sourcing printing materials with her husband. &quot ; Fireworks City&quot ; ; China ; Free Library of Philadelphia ; Hunan Province ; Liuyang River ; Print industry ; West Chester University Employment ; Immigrants ; Liuyang Shi (China) ; Occupations 28.163547, 113.642514 6 Liuyang, the &quot ; fireworks town&quot ; , where Wang grew up. 125 Husband's arrival in America / Reasons for immigrating And, but, my--because my husband, uh, born in Hong Kong and he when she--when he at high school, and she--he come to America, United States. Wang details the journey her husband made to America before they were married. He lived in Philadelphia for ten years, and now has his citizenship. He had trouble adapting to the Chinese culture after growing up in Hong Kong and living in the United States, so the couple was motivated to immigrate. She then briefly describes three main reasons for immigrating: education, air pollution, and food safety. Wang feels that the Chinese model of education creates too much pressure and less independence for students. Air pollution ; Changsha, Hunan Province ; Citizenship ; Education ; Environmental hazards ; Food safety Changsha (Hunan Sheng, China) ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants 28.223534, 112.934018 12 Changsha, where Wang and husband resided briefly, approximately 1.5 hours from Liuyang. 356 Growing up an only child in the &quot ; Fireworks City&quot ; I think, I'd like to go back to your, to your childhood. Wang shares her family's experience under the one-child policy in China. She is an only child ; she explains that in cities in China, families could only have one child, although in villages families may have two children if their first child is a girl. Perhaps more uncommon is that her parents were very loving and did not impose as much pressure as other Chinese parents may have. She directly translates the word 'harmony' when describing their family relationship. She shares her mother's work in the local fireworks company and her father's work in government-sanctioned construction. &quot ; Fireworks City&quot ; ; Boyfriends ; Construction ; Fireworks company ; Harmony ; Liuyang, China ; One-child policy ; Parent relationships ; University Childhood ; Employment ; Families. ; Liuyang Shi (China) ; Occupations 17 https://www.npr.org/2018/07/16/629361870/despite-the-end-of-chinas-one-child-policy-births-are-still-lagging Scott Neuman &amp ; Rob Schmitz, &quot ; Despite The End Of China's One-Child Policy, Births Are Still Lagging,&quot ; National Public Radio, 2018. 692 Pressure in the Chinese education system You also mentioned education was one of the reasons why you came to the United States. Wang describes the education environment in China as highly competitive and pressured. Most families gear their children from a young age to study to pass exams which will then help them get into a good school and find a good job. She desires a more relaxed environment for her own children to learn in. She recounts the strict exam-based approach to learning in her own experience with learning English in China. Education ; Examinations ; Exams ; Hardships ; Job searches ; Pressure ; Spoken English ; University Childhood ; Education ; Families. ; Liuyang Shi (China) 17 809 A choppy journey to America So at what point like--how old were you when you moved from China to the United States? Wang remembers first visiting Philadelphia for three months in 2016, returning pregnant to Hong Kong where she gave birth to her son, then came back to Philadelphia in December 2018. Her husband already lived in Philadelphia at that time. By giving birth in Hong Kong, her son became a Chinese citizen, but since Wang's husband is an American citizen, he is also an American citizen. She recalls the comfort of having family in Philadelphia to welcome her and ease the transition of moving. She had to teach her husband Mandarin, and she learned English from him. Childbirth ; Children ; Dual citizenship ; English ; Family ; Hong Kong, China ; Mandarin ; Moving ; Pregnancy ; Teaching Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Hong Kong (China) ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 981 First house and adapting to Philadelphia What was your first house like in America? Wang describes her current living situation and expresses a desire to move to Lower Merion, a better school district for her children. She illustrates differences between American and Chinese culture, mainly a lack of common kindness in China that Wang sees in Philadelphia and the very different rules of traffic and pedestrians. American culture ; Chinese culture ; Development ; Education ; English ; Hopkinson House ; Language acquisition ; Lower Merion school district ; Manners ; Pedestrians ; Road safety Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/58c9f0e83897e9085038787906749ff8.jpg Connie, “Hopkinson House, Washington Square,” February 15, 2008. Philly Immigration. 1193 Adapting to cooking in the United States So are y--now that you're in the United States, do you contact your family in China? Wang shares her discomfort with shopping and cooking as Philadelphia does not have all the same ingredients or tools as China. However she is grateful for the exhaust hood above the stove which allows her to cook some spicy food, especially her favorite pork dish from home. She briefly shows pictures of family members. American food ; Changsha City, China ; Children ; Cooking ; Exhaust hood ; Family ; Hunan cuisine ; Pork ; Shopping ; Spicy food Changsha City (China) ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Food habits ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/aaafa8275afbe55b637d2409f339627a.jpg siaosiao, &quot ; Chinese Clay Pots,&quot ; November 4, 2007. Flickr. 1548 Culture shock and learning English So you had your son--um, I'm trying to remember--you had your son in Beijing right? Or, um, in Hong Kong, you said? Prior to immigrating, Wang had visited Philadelphia. She recounts the difficulty of moving to Philadelphia with little English and little assistance. She is grateful for the free English as a second language lessons offered at the Free Library of Philadelphia which allow her to become a better communicator. Because of programs like these she is a more confident English speaker, better able to make friends, and converse with her children's teachers. Culture shock ; English as a Second Language (ESL) ; English classes ; Free lessons ; Language acquisition ; Pronunciations ; Questions ; Transitions ; Travel Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/acfbda867ceaa465988acb88946927b1.jpg csbarrett, &quot ; Independence Library,&quot ; July 17, 2010. Wikipedia. 1765 Friend from home, learning English, and maintaining Chinese culture Do you have like other friends-- Wang details the experience of attending university in China with a friend who also came to America as an exchange student, where she met her husband and lives in Washington, D.C. She recalls studying written English during this time, but not spoken. This caused some difficulty for both she and her friend upon immigrating because the spoken language was so fast and difficult to pronounce. Wang wishes for her family's Chinese heritage to remain alive and achieves this by exchanging the English lessons her son learns at school with Mandarin lessons. Chinese culture ; English ; Exchange students ; Language acquisition ; Mandarin Chinese ; Pronunciations ; University ; Washington, D.C. Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/d23f6b017b51c3928611c6c66aa3de98.jpg Huangdan2060, &quot ; Central South University of Forestry and Technology,&quot ; August 22, 2014. Wikimedia Commons. 2019 Bringing Chinese culture into the home So does your h--what does your home look like? Wang shares how the apartment her family rents has little Chinese decoration. They had limited room for bringing cultural items with them, so they bought some Chinese decorations and display those in their home. Wang acknowledges how these are not the same as what she knew in China and hopes that in time her family's little apartment will start to feel like home. Apartments ; Chinese heritage ; Cultural items ; Photos Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 2144 Visiting parents and home in China Do you ever go back and visit? Wang shares how she is in the process of obtaining her green card and how she will then be able to go back to China to visit family and friends after obtaining permanent residency. She reflects on her parents' full and happy lives now retired in China, and on future plans to possibly care for them in America. Caring for parents ; Green cards ; Immigration status ; Older adult university ; Parents ; Retirement Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 17 2269 A typical day for a Chinese student So, um, well I wanted to go back to your education and university in China. What was y--do you have a favorite memory about going to school there? Wang goes into detail about the academic environment for a typical Chinese student. Most of the day, night, and weekend was consumed with some form of studying. Oftentimes parents added to this pressure, anxious for their children to perform well. It is this environment that inspired Wang to seek a different, more relaxed education for her children in America. Chinese education ; Extracurricular activities ; Homework ; Job competition ; Parental anxiety ; School pressure ; University ; Weekend study Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 17 2558 Making the difficult decision to stay in Philadelphia What made you say, &quot ; I want to stay here&quot ; ? Wang emphasizes the opportunity in America for her children to study in the education system, and for herself to grow personally. She describes a restricted view of the family that is common in China, limited to obtaining a house, car, and children. She states her desire for a life made up of more than these things, including exercise and studying English, which she feels she can do here in the United States. Exercise ; Meaning of family ; Planning for the future ; Possessions ; Status Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 15 2650 Learning about American culture Um, are there any other, um, like, cultural practices or religious practices you would do in China? Wang shares the various ways she learns about and experiences American culture, including through a book on American culture and through Google. She notes one point the book, that Americans are very independent and unwilling to help. This has been surprising to her because she has experienced Americans in Philadelphia as very helpful and nice. Cultural differences ; Culture books ; Google ; Independence Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 2768 Current life and making Philadelphia home Well, can you tell me about--how do you--like, what does your day--what does a normal day look like for you now? Wang describes what her life looks like now as a mom with a newborn baby and housework, and as a student learning English. She also shares her dreams of possibly going back to school or opening her own company. She hopes to find a job after she obtains a green card, where she can make more money to give her children a good education. Once she improves her English, she hopes to work in her brother-in-law's eye doctor clinic. She considers continuing her schooling to get training in a field of work she enjoys, although she is unsure what field that will be. Breastfeeding ; Certificates ; Entrepreneurship ; Eye doctor clinics ; Green cards ; Housework ; Lower Merion school district ; Private schools ; Studying English Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 40.029768, -75.284240 15 Lower Merion School District, where Wang would like her children to go to school. 3025 Clean food and clear sky Um, you mentioned in the beginning that the main reasons you wanted to come over here were education, air pollution, and safety-- Wang marvels at being able to see the clear sky and houses from far away in America, which would not be possible in the smoggy cities of China. She discusses the better quality of food in America. In particular, she notices the U.S. government paying more attention to food policy and making more effort toward cleaner food than China. Blue sky ; Consumer demands ; Food additives ; Food safety ; Government policy ; Junk food Emigration and immigration. ; Food habits ; Immigrants 17 3244 Living under the Chinese government Um, were you happy with--you mentioned that your government in China didn't have good food quality policies. Were there any other policies that you weren't happy with with the Chinese government? Wang describes the fear citizens experience under the Chinese government, largely due to bribery present in powerful businesses. She says most other Chinese citizens live in fear of the government and keep most political opinions to themselves so as not to offend them. Bribery ; Cost of living ; Fear of government ; Government work ; Power in business China ; Politics and government 17 3477 Friendships in China versus the United States Um, are there any other aspects of Philadelphia that you really like? Wang reflects on the friendship she has experienced in the United States. Compared to some of her conversations in China filled with double meanings and deception, she appreciates the simple nature of saying simply what she wants to say and trusting the other is doing the same. &quot ; The friendship is more simple.&quot ; Complicated relationships ; Deceptive conversation ; Double meaning ; Friendship Changsha City (China) ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Food habits ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3567 Comparing Chinatown to the ever-modernizing China Is there anything else that you want to share before we close? Wang discusses the fast development of society in China with improving online technologies and very cheap prices. This makes the Chinatown in Philadelphia look very old and dirty. She prefers to go grocery shopping at Acme or Whole Foods. She also shares some compliments she has received about her outfits, which she happily replies with saying that she bought them from China, where clothing is &quot ; very cheap but beautiful!&quot ; Acme ; Alibaba Group ; Cheap labor ; Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Clothing shopping ; Fast development ; Illegal immigration ; Modernization ; Online shopping ; Spa services ; Tao Bao ; TaoBao ; Variety of goods ; Whole Foods Emigration and immigration. ; Food habits ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3982 Hopes for the future Does it--is there any part of Philadelphia that reminds you of your home a little bit? Wang notes the older look and feel of Chinatown as a result of an older generation of Chinese immigrants that have settled there. She hopes for a new flow of immigrants to come and bring some of China's modernization to the area. She shares how she wants to do her part in updating the appearance and culture of Chinatown, and continue adapt to the culture of America. Changing Chinatown ; Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; English study ; Modernization ; New immigrants ; Older generations Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 https://www.phila.gov/CityPlanning/plans/Independent%20Community%20Based%20Plans/Chinatown%20Neighborhood%20Plan%202017.pdf &quot ; Chinatown Neighborhood Plan,&quot ; Philadelphia City Planning Commission, 2017. interview Wang details the journey her husband made to America before they were married. He lived in Philadelphia for ten years, and now has his citizenship. She then briefly describes three main reasons for immigrating: education, air pollution, and food safety. Wang shares her family's experience under the one-child policy in China. She describes the education environment in China as highly competitive and pressured. Wang remembers first visiting Philadelphia for three months in 2016, returning pregnant to Hong Kong where she gave birth to her son, then came back to Philadelphia in December 2018. She illustrates differences between American and Chinese culture. Wang notes the older look and and feel of Chinatown as a result of an older generation of Chinese immigrants that have settled there. She hopes for a new flow of immigrants to come and bring some of China's modernization to the area. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0149_irw0080_wang_ohm.xml 2019oh0149_irw0080_wang_ohm.xml https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7m901zgq96 Indexed By Annika Soderberg Sort Priority 0035 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Min "Mandy" Wang Description An account of the resource Wang details the journey her husband made to America before they were married. He lived in Philadelphia for ten years, and now has his citizenship. She then briefly describes three main reasons for immigrating: education, air pollution, and food safety. Wang shares her family's experience under the one-child policy in China. She describes the education environment in China as highly competitive and pressured. Wang remembers first visiting Philadelphia for three months in 2016, returning pregnant to Hong Kong where she gave birth to her son, then came back to Philadelphia in December 2018. She illustrates differences between American and Chinese culture. Wang notes the older look and and feel of Chinatown as a result of an older generation of Chinese immigrants that have settled there. She hopes for a new flow of immigrants to come and bring some of China's modernization to the area. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2019oh0149_irw0080 Subject The topic of the resource Immigrants Emigration and immigration. Philadelphia (Pa.) Education Families. Employment Occupations Liuyang Shi (China) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available WCU, HIS 399/HON 451 Oral History of Philadelphia Immigration, Spring 2019 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 14, 2019 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Relation A related resource <a href="/exhibits/show/min-wang/chinese-american-dream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Explore an exhibit on Mandy's life</a> https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/2bab22ce75f21acfa4cdc9d76cf266b1.jpg 2e8370ac00bc0629565fcd5e6aab632d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Colleen Dougherty Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Xichuan "Matt" Zhang OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0148_irw0079_ohm.xml Interview Keyword Tai chi College environment College students--Social conditions Universities and colleges. Pucheng Xian (Shaanxi Sheng, China) Shaanxi Sheng (China) Childhood OHMS Object Text 5.2 2019oh0148_irw0079 Interview with Xichuan &quot ; Matt&quot ; Zhang, March 9, 2019 2019oh0148_irw0079 irw I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Families. Occupations Employment Education Communism Emigration and immigration. Immigrants Teaching Teachers Martial arts. Philadelphia (Pa.) Tai chi College environment College students--Social conditions Universities and colleges. Pucheng Xian (Shaanxi Sheng, China) Shaanxi Sheng (China) Childhood Xichuan &quot ; Matt&quot ; Zhang Colleen Dougherty 2019oh0148_irw0079_zhang_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2019oh0148_irw0079_zhang_acc001.mp3 Other NULL audio 5 Introduction My name is Colleen Dougherty. I am here with Matt Zhang. We are at the Northeast Regional Library in Philadelphia. The interview starts with the introduction of Matt Zhang explaining the purpose of the meeting, which is to study his reasons for moving to the United States and later Philadelphia. The interview was conducted at the Northeast Regional Library. Matt Zhang ; Migration patterns ; Northeast Regional Library 17 25 Early life in Shaanxi, China And to start, why don't we start with your childhood? So where were you born? Xichuan &quot ; Matt&quot ; Zhang starts by explaining where he grew up, in a small village called Pucheng County in Shaanxi Province, China. Zhang was raised by his mother and grandparents, while also living with his four siblings. His father did not live with the family full time because he worked as a technician in a state-owned factory in Xian City, which was several hours away. Childhood ; Factory work ; Grandparents ; Pucheng County, China ; Shaanxi Province, China ; Siblings ; Xi'an, China Childhood ; Employment ; Families. ; Occupations ; Pucheng Xian (Shaanxi Sheng, China) ; Shaanxi Sheng (China) 8 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/fe42546a5e900cbe52707bb709dd1021.jpg Family photo, courtesy of Matt Zhang. 174 Value of education At the time, so there was of course the Cultural Revolution in China. Zhang shares that he was born in 1964, toward the end of the Cultural Revolution. Zhang recalls the value of education in his hometown, growing up “under the red flag.” In school, he states, he was a good student and remembers leading the class in morning exercises and was the &quot ; monitor,&quot ; or student leader of the class. Zhang describes how he was the first person in his family and village to pass the college entrance exam, and the whole town celebrated his accomplishment. Zhang moved to Xi'an city where he studied English literature, enrolling in Xi’an Foreign Languages Institute, now called Xi-an International Studies University. Confucian ; Cultural revolution ; Education ; Language acquisition ; Pucheng County, China ; Shaanxi Province, China ; Xi'an International Studies University ; Xi'an, China Childhood ; Education ; Families. ; Pucheng Xian (Shaanxi Sheng, China) ; Shaanxi Sheng (China) 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/b505a7420007ad5c00a30518374a3b60.jpg Xi'an International Studies University 642 The roles of Zhang's mother So you mentioned it a little bit about how your village got so excited when you first--when you were--you passed the exam. Zhang notes the close relationship of the people in his village. He then explains the roles his mother played, such as seamstress, chef, and artist. Zhang's mother worked at the People's Commune where she cooked food for hundreds. Even though his mother did not receive an education, he describes her as a very smart woman who hand-sewed their clothes and gifts, along with his traditional tai chi uniforms. China ; Communism ; Community ; Neighborhoods ; People's Commune ; Sewing ; Tai chi ; Traditional Chinese clothes Childhood ; Communism ; Education ; Families. 12 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/8d5cce6448f56db022ad034bed7c5fdb.jpg People's Commune canteen in China 832 Expectations of the United States and English language acquisition And so before you came over to the United States and growing up, what did you know about the U.S.? Zhang grew up admiring the United States because of its freedoms. Growing up, he worked on a farm and knew that he had to work hard in hopes of one day moving. In high school, his English teacher initially taught Russian, therefore he did not learn the correct pronunciation until he began college. In college, Zhang recalls listening to the radio, reading newspapers, watching movies, and learning from native speakers which increased his understanding of the English language and American culture. He remembers expecting America to have a lot of high-rises and believed everything would look like New York. He jokes that when he first arrived in the United States in 1995 that it was not what he expected. English ; Farm life ; Language acquisition ; Movies ; New York City (N.Y.) ; Newark (Del.) ; Newark, Delaware ; Radio ; University of Delaware ; Voice of America ; Xi'an Foreign Language Institute ; Xi’an International Travel Agency Childhood ; Communism ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; New York (N.Y.) 17 1269 Invitation to the United States So how did that whole process start of you being invited over? Zhang discusses how he applied for a student visa twice to earn his masters degree in physical education but was rejected because he did not have a sponsor. After he graduated, the government assigned him a job at Xi’an Physical Education University as an English as a second language instructor. In 1993, U.S delegates came to speak at his university and they were interested in martial arts. At the time, Zhang was the interpreter for the conference, and because he was well versed in both English and martial arts, they invited him over to teach for the University of Delaware Physical Education College. Beijing, China ; Chinese martial arts ; Interpreters ; Invitations ; Kung fu ; Tai chi ; University of Delaware ; Visas ; Wu shu ; Xi'an Physical Education University College environment ; College students--Social conditions ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Universities and colleges. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/f49003120cbf70ce75bdb5182d544e5e.jpg Letter of Appointment courtesy of Matt Zhang 1604 Moving preparations / First day in the United States How did you prepare to come to the U.S after you were invited? Zhang remembers the preparations he made to move to the United States. While preparing, there were things he had to leave behind in China and others that he found essential for teaching. He also jokes about his first day in the U.S and what he expected versus what he experienced. Zhang mentions several of his colleagues and friends who helped him prepare and those who helped him after his arrival. He remembers being very hungry, and to his surprise, he ate his first meal at Burger King or a similar fast food restaurant. Several neighbors and colleagues helped him to get settled by supplying a bed for his new apartment in Newark, Delaware. Beijing, China ; Bicycles ; Burger King ; David Barlow ; Immigration journey ; Japanese ; John F. Kennedy Airport ; Martial arts ; Rooms for rent ; Tim Miller ; U.S ; University of Delaware ; Xi'an, China College environment ; College students--Social conditions ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Universities and colleges. 39.677942, -75.750547 15 University of Delaware 2033 Teaching in the United States So what was it like teaching in a different country? Zhang discusses that he was surprised when he first started teaching that those who may have had disabilities, were in poor shape, or who were not athletic were allowed to take a physical education class. In the beginning, he received feedback that his teaching style was too strict. To help his students, Zhang developed a simplified version of tai chi that still focused on the fundamentals of the sport. Zhang also mentions the challenges he faced when trying to teach Americans tai chi as it forces you to be patient and relax. Breathing ; Chinese martial arts ; Education ; Folding Tree posture (Tai chi) ; Kung fu ; Meditation ; Meridians ; Qi gong ; Shadow boxing ; Shaolin boxing ; Tai chi ; Teaching ; University of Delaware ; Xi'an Physical Education College Education ; Immigrants ; Martial arts. ; Teachers ; Teaching 17 2460 Tai chi Why, why did you want to study it? Why did you want to study tai chi? Zhang highlights the benefits such as relaxation, patience, and balance that tai chi offers. To protect himself and his family in his neighborhood in China, Zhang originally practiced martial arts as a form of self-defense. At first, he had little interest in tai chi because it appeared too slow. In college, Zhang discovered the different styles of tai chi, such as Qi Gong, which focuses on breathing techniques and even helped him with his forgetfulness. Zhang jokes how one of his tai chi students reminded him to use the strategies he taught them when he went to take his driving test. Chinese martial arts ; Health ; Philosophy ; Shaolin boxing ; Tai chi Education ; Immigrants ; Martial arts. ; Teachers ; Teaching 17 2653 Education in China / Learning English Um, what was school like back in China? Zhang recalls the education back in China and how at times it was difficult without fancy facilities or heat in the winter. The English teachers were supportive and helped him pass his college entrance exam. Zhang states that college was better because they lived in dormitories and received funding from the government that covered tuition, food, and textbooks. He also mentions that in the big cities English is taught in middle school, but in the countryside English began in high school due to a shortage of available teachers. Zhang started to learn English his second year and even recalls one of his favorite teachers, who he still connects with, who helped him to pass the college entrance exam. Zhang also shares that along with martial arts, he was a nationally ranked gymnast. Education ; Gymnastics ; Language acquisition ; Martial arts ; Pucheng County, China ; Pucheng Middle School Childhood ; College environment ; College students--Social conditions ; Education ; Teachers ; Teaching ; Universities and colleges. 17 2998 Bringing martial arts to Philadelphia What--how did you get to Philly? What made you move to Philadelphia? In 1997, Zhang met his wife, Georgina Doherty, at an annual spring festival in Delaware. Zhang and his students performed a tai chi demonstration, and it caught his wife’s attention. After they were married, he spent several years performing tai chi demonstrations at the spring festival until one year he received an invitation to bring his skills to Philadelphia. At the time, there were no groups in the Philadelphia area that taught the full series, and he believed that teaching kids who tended to lean more towards drugs and crime martial arts could lead them towards success. Ambler (Pa.) ; Ambler, Pennsylvania ; Chinese festivals ; Chinese martial arts ; Chinese Military Police Boxing ; Georgina Zhang ; Kung fu ; Mayfair Community Center ; Montgomery County (Pa.) ; Montgomery County, Pennsylvania ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Tai chi ; University of Delaware Spring Festival ; Willow Grove (Pa.) ; Willow Grove, Pennsylvania Education ; Immigrants ; Martial arts. ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Teachers ; Teaching 17 3345 Building a martial arts community Before you moved--before you re, re, relocated to Philadelphia, what were your expectations of the city before you moved here? Zhang talks about his goals to open his own martial arts school. At first, he offered free classes at the Mayfair Community Center, but attendance was low. Zhang recently opened a studio between Magee Avenue and Bustleton Avenue in the Northeast, but still experienced low turnout because many of the residents in the area did not drive. He explains that as a committee member for Philadelphia International Martial Arts week he plans to promote Chinese martial arts. Zhang and about twenty martial arts schools will have a kickoff event with free and discounted classes at the courtyard of Philadelphia's City Hall. Caster Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Chinese community in Philadelphia ; Magee Avenue and Bustleton Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Mayfair (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Mayfair Community Center ; Philadelphia 76ers ; Philadelphia City Hall ; Philadelphia Councilman David Oh ; Philadelphia Eagles ; Philadelphia International Martial Arts Week ; Roosevelt Boulevard (Philadelphia, Pa.) Education ; Immigrants ; Martial arts. ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Teachers ; Teaching 17 3625 Northeast Philadelphia--The second Chinatown So how's the--cause you mentioned a little bit that they're all coming together, which is incredible. Zhang only lives a few blocks away from the Northeast Regional Library on Brighton Street. He details the thriving Chinese community in Northeast Philadelphia, which is now more populous than the community in Chinatown. Zhang is the main organizer for the Chinese New Year festival where he invited not only the Chinese but a Russian group that also does martial arts called Sambo. Zhang highlights how the Chinese community works with places such as the Northeast Regional Library offering free tai chi classes and hopes to provide English as a second language classes. Brighton Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Chinese New Year ; Community ; Culture ; Islamic mosques ; Mayfair (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Northeast High School (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Northeast Philadelphia ; Pennsylvania State Representative Jared Solomon Community ; Education ; Immigrants ; Martial arts. ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Teachers ; Teaching 17 3868 Zhang's book, &quot ; Pronunciation Skills of American English&quot ; So how do you compare Delaware and Philadelphia in terms of culture? Zhang remembers living on campus at the University of Delaware filled with college students and faculty. His transition to Philadelphia was different as his circle of friends grew, as well as a feeling of relaxation. Zhang recalls attending the English Institute, also known as the University of Delaware English Language Institute, to improve his English. Feeling inspired to help others, Zhang wrote a book called “Pronunciation Skills of American English,” making him the first author in China to write a pronunciation book with audio tapes. He has plans to write a second book. Authors ; Martial arts ; Newark, Delaware ; Pronunciation of American English (Book) ; University of Delaware ; University of Delaware English Language Institute ; Xi'an Foreign Language University ; Xi'an International Studies University Authors. ; Education ; Immigrants ; Newark (Del.) ; Teachers ; Teaching ; Writing 17 4094 From tai chi to computer science So you have a ton of plans for yourself. Zhang recalls that when he first got married he hoped to move back to China, however, after the birth of his two sons, he had to find a job to support his family. Zhang earned a degree in computer networking and data engineering from Chubb Institute and a master’s degree in computer science from Syracuse University and has worked for the Wissahickon School District and Pennsylvania Department of Education, as a technical specialist. He also worked with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network, known as PaTTAN, teaching special education teachers how to use technology to help their students. Zhang mentions how he is in between projects, but one day hopes to continue work with his studio and promote not only Chinese culture but also his skills in English language and computers. Chubb Institute ; Comcast ; Computer networking and data engineering ; Computer science ; King of Prussia, Pennsylvania ; Leo Zhang ; Luke Zhang ; Pennsylvania Department of Education ; Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) ; Syracuse University ; Technical specialists ; Wissahickon School District (Philadelphia, Pa.) College environment ; College students--Social conditions ; Education ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Teachers ; Teaching ; Universities and colleges. 17 4580 The ancient cities of Xi'an and Philadelphia--Education and crime How has Philadelphia changed the way you see home? As a community leader, Zhang attends several meetings that focus heavily on the improvement of education. Originally from Xi'an, the ancient capital of China, Zhang comments that he considers Philadelphia to be the ancient capital of the United States. He compares the education systems of both Philadelphia and Xi'an and hopes that the two cultures can work together to make improvements. Zhang describes how there are kids involved in drugs and crime and believes that education here in Philadelphia should be as strong and vital as it in China. Ancient city ; Community leaders ; Education ; Improvements ; Pennsylvania Department of Education ; Success ; Wissahickon School District (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Xi'an City ; Xi'an, China Education ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Teachers ; Teaching 17 4924 Future plans Where do you want to be ten years from now? Zhang's goal is to continue working on his studio, the East West Institute, and plans to offer not only martial arts and tai chi but also Chinese, English as a second language, and computer courses. Due to Zhang's strong belief in education, he talks about finding sponsors to help his school become a non-profit. Zhang describes how he wants to share his knowledge with the people of Philadelphia so that they may have a better life. East West Institute ; Education ; English as a second language (ESL) ; Kung fu ; Martial arts ; Non-profit ; Tai chi ; Teaching Education ; Immigrants ; Martial arts. ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Teachers ; Teaching 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/55dcbeac2b263f48caa50de8e9fc7689.jpg East West Institute, courtesy of Xichuan Zhang 5011 Final statement--Free education for all So my final question, is there anything that I didn't ask that you want to add for someone who will be listening in maybe ten to twenty years from now? In the future, Zhang wishes for better communication between China and the United States ; hoping we can develop a deeper understanding of the different cultures. In ten to twenty years, he hopes that students don’t have to pay for tuition for all those seeking higher education. Zhang envisions a prosperous country where people are not searching for jobs and are unable to pay their bills but instead are successful and happy. Zhang believes that knowledge is power and one day hopes that we are free to learn. &quot ; Melting pot&quot ; ; Culture ; Free education ; Knowledge ; Open policy ; Power ; Prosperous ; Success Education ; Employment 17 interview Matt Zhang discusses his journey from Shaanxi Province, China to Delaware, then to Northeast Philadelphia. He starts by discussing his childhood and what he knew about the United States growing up. From there, the conversation shifts to how Zhang came to the United States and the cultural difference and challenges he face when he first arrived. He highlights his purpose for coming to the United States and what he likes about Philadelphia, as well as future goals he has set for himself. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0148_irw0079_zhang_ohm.xml 2019oh0148_irw0079_zhang_ohm.xml https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7m901zgq96 Indexed By Colleen Dougherty Sort Priority 0036 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Xichuan "Matt" Zhang Description An account of the resource Matt Zhang discusses his journey from Shaanxi Province, China to Delaware, then to Northeast Philadelphia. He starts by discussing his childhood and what he knew about the United States growing up. From there, the conversation shifts to how Zhang came to the United States and the cultural difference and challenges he face when he first arrived. He highlights his purpose for coming to the United States and what he likes about Philadelphia, as well as future goals he has set for himself. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2019oh0148_irw0079 Subject The topic of the resource Families. Occupations Employment Education Communism Emigration and immigration. Immigrants Teaching Teachers Martial arts. Philadelphia (Pa.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available WCU, HIS 399/HON 451 Oral History of Philadelphia Immigration, Spring 2019 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 9, 2019 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Relation A related resource <a href="/exhibits/show/matt-zhang/health-wealth-happiness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Explore an exhibit on Matt's life</a> https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/3850babccb0d1d557743a3b9cb0cea8d.jpg 4bff9d37e98d9a87423bc63bd8fa3a69 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Janneken Smucker Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Irina Melekhina OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0147_irw0078_ohm.xml Interview Keyword Jewish ethnicity Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Soviet Union Russia Assimilation Religion Jews--Identity. Physicians Military education Traditional dance Republic of Crimea Kiev (Ukraine : Oblast) OHMS Object Text 5.2 2019oh0147_irw0078 Interview with Irina Melekhina, March 9, 2019 2019oh0147_irw0078 irw I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Families. Childhood Occupations Employment Education Emigration and immigration. Immigrants Communism Moscow (Russia) Dentists New York (N.Y.) Philadelphia (Pa.) Jewish ethnicity Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Soviet Union Russia Assimilation Religion Jews--Identity. Physicians Military education Traditional dance Republic of Crimea Kiev (Ukraine : Oblast) Irina Melekhina Janneken Smucker 2019oh0147_irw0078_melekhina_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2019oh0147_irw0078_melekhina_acc001.mp3 Other NULL audio 0 Daughter of Soviet doctors --dental school after that. I have a lot of friends in the dental school... Melekhina shares that she attended first to third grade in Simferopol, Crimea where she was born. She later moved with her family to Kiev, Ukraine after her father changed jobs. Both her mother and her father worked as medical doctors in the Soviet Union which allowed them to have luxuries compared to other citizens. Family life ; Kiev (Ukraine) ; Medical doctors ; Parents ; Professors ; Republic of Crimea ; Russia ; Simferopol ; Soviet Union ; Ukraine ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Childhood ; Education ; Employment ; Families. ; Kiev (Ukraine : Oblast) ; Occupations ; Physicians ; Simferopolʹ (Ukraine) 44.947247, 34.099257 13 Simeropol, Crimea. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/162382656d8f4bbfabfd1842648ede25.jpg Irina Melekhina in the Northeast Regional Branch Library on March 9, 2019 for her oral history interview. 122 Training as a dentist, but dreaming of dancing And then, uh, uh, you--when you went to school, you wanted to become a dentist, is that correct? Melekhina remembers living in Kiev, Ukraine between the ages of 10 - 17. After finishing her schooling, her parents encouraged her to become a doctor, so she decided to attend dentistry school in Kiev but finished it in Crimea. Right after graduating from dental school, she immigrated to the United States. Despite her dentistry degree, Melekhina confesses that she had always wanted to be a dancer and dreamed of dancing her entire adolescent life. She describes the folk dancing that she enjoyed preforming. Ballet ; Dentists ; Folk dancing ; Hungarian dance ; International dance ; Medical schools ; Russia ; Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Childhood ; Education ; Employment ; Families. ; Kiev (Ukraine : Oblast) ; Occupations ; Physicians 50.427735, 30.481994 13 Kiev, Ukraine 234 Immigrating as Jewish refugees with a two month old on the day of revolution / Communism in the Soviet Union So can you tell me about, um, when you say &quot ; we,&quot ; was that with your parents? Melekhina’s father died at age 43, which led her and her husband to return to Crimea where her mother lived. She met her husband, Aleksandr, at dental school, and then had a daughter, Alisa, in 1991. The family obtained refugee status through her husband's Jewish ethnicity, which he had to suppress in the Soviet Union. He changed his last name to hide his Jewish identity in order to attend dentistry school. On the day they were supposed to immigrate, the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt began. Melekhina recollects living in the Communist Soviet Union where she had to use coupons instead of money to acquire food rations and says that she was very hungry during her pregnancy. 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt ; Adult immigrant education ; Communists ; Food rations ; Immigration journey ; Jewish ; Jews ; Moscow, Russia ; New York ; Refugees ; Revolutions ; Russia ; Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ; United States ; United States Embassy in Moscow Communism ; Dentists ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Moscow (Russia) ; Occupations ; Physicians 55.756041, 37.579319 17 United States Embassy in Moscow, Russia 748 Arrival in New York in 1991 / Relocating to Philadelphia in 1994 So then you arrive in New York City. What do you remember about your arrival? Melekhina reminisces on arriving in New York City for the first time and seeing the bright lights and fluorescent colors, despite being exhausted from their harrowing exit from the Soviet Union. They lived with her husband's extended family for a short period of time before obtaining aid from the Jewish community and settling in Brooklyn, New York. Melekhina's husband then attended New York University's College of Dentistry to retrain as a dentist. After he graduated in 1994, the Melekhina family relocated to Philadelphia to corner the Russian dentistry market, as it was too competitive to be a Russian dentist in New York City, as there were 200 Russians training at the same dental school. Living in Brooklyn felt like living in Russia because there were so many Russian immigrants in their neighborhood. Brooklyn (N.Y.) ; Brooklyn, New York City (N.Y.) ; Brooklyn, New York City, New York ; Dental schools ; Jewish Federation ; John F. Kennedy Airport ; New York City (N.Y.) ; New York University College of Dentistry ; Refugee status Dentists ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; New York (N.Y.) ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Physicians 40.677763, -73.940840 15 Brooklyn, New York, United States 1000 Resettling in Philadelphia / Establishing dentistry careers And, uh, you said Alisa, your daughter-- Melekhina tells how her husband was able to find a job right away due to his experience in dentistry in Russia right after resettling in Philadelphia. She liked Philadelphia because it was smaller and quieter than New York City ; they lived in the Haldeman area of Northeast Philadelphia. At first, Melekhina stayed home with her young daughter but eventually she decided to attend the Community College of Philadelphia to become a dental hygienist. Melekhina's second daughter, Caroline, was born in Philadelphia. Community College of Philadelphia ; Dental hygienists ; Dentistry ; Haldeman (Philadelphia neighborhood) Dentists ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Physicians 39.962765, -75.167007 16 Community College of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1210 Daughters' educations and opportunities in the United States What did you think of her education opportunities? Melekhina describes the educational opportunities her two daughters Alisa and Caroline had in Philadelphia. They both attended the Philadelphia Public School System, including Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Alisa home schooled for a period, because she was a world class competitive chess champion. She then attended Drexel University with a philosophy major and then earned a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She now lives in New York where she continues both her law and competitive chess careers. Caroline now attends Temple University as a psychology major and hopes to go to graduate school to become a neurosurgeon. 2nd generation immigrants ; Daughters ; Drexel University ; Education ; Home schooling ; Lawyers ; Opportunity ; Second generation immigrants ; Temple University ; University of Pennsylvania Law School ; Woodrow Wilson Middle School (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; World Chess Champion Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 1416 Learning the English language / Becoming a United States citizen Um, you speak very good English now. Did you have to learn? Melekhina recalls expanding her knowledge of the English language through her college classes and American TV shows. Her oldest daughter can speak Russian, but her younger daughter could not, so this meant that Irina and Alexandr needed to learn to speak English at home. She also discusses becoming a U.S. citizen and the freedoms she now has in the United States compared to those in the Soviet Union. This includes both freedom of speech, voting, and the choice to wear whatever clothing she chooses. She describes the dress code enforced in the Soviet Union and her first time voting in the United States. Children ; Citizenship ; English as a Second Language (ESL) ; Freedom ; Language acquisition ; Russia ; Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ; United States citizens ; United States Citizenship Test ; Voting Communism ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 1702 Connecting to Philadelphia's Russian community through dentistry / Changing family traditions Um, I know here in Philadelphia there is a growing, um, community of Russians. Melekhina reveals how her family connects to the Russian community in Philadelphia through their dental practice. This includes Russian immigrants seeking out the Melekhinas’ practice specifically due to their shared heritage and language. They also have many friends that they knew in their home country who now live in the United States which they are able to keep in touch with. Melekhina reveals how her family has stopped practicing all of the Russian traditions but have adopted Christmas for their two daughters. Assimilation ; Christmas ; Community life ; Dental practices ; Friends ; Holidays ; Russian community ; Traditions Dentists ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Physicians 17 1871 Hiding Jewish identity to attend medical school in the Soviet Union Does your, uh, husband still identify as Jewish? Melekhina recalls that in the Soviet Union her husband had to cover his Jewish identity in order to go about his everyday life, including changing his last name in order to attend dental school and stating his ethnicity on his passport. This made Melekhina's husband feel as if he was a lesser member of the Russian community because of his Jewish heritage despite not actively practicing the religion. Jewish ; Nationality ; Religious persecution ; Russia ; Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Communism ; Dentists ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Jews--Identity. ; Occupations ; Physicians ; Religion 17 https://www.nytimes.com/1970/05/03/archives/on-the-jewish-question-in-the-soviet-union-on-the-jewish-question.html &quot ; On the Jewish Question in the Soviet Union&quot ; , New York Times, May 30, 1970. 1934 Owning a home in Philadelphia / Her mother visits with a green card How has Philadelphia changed in the years since you've--I guess, you've been in-- Melekhina talks about how her family has lived in Philadelphia since 1994, and that the city has experienced significant changes. During that time, they have bought a home from which they run their dental practice. Melekhina's mother has also obtained a United States Green Card so she is able to visit often and spend time with her family. Green Cards ; Home ownership ; Northeast Philadelphia ; Northeast Regional Branch Library ; Permanent residency Dentists ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Physicians 17 2099 Visiting Crimea / Learning the culture of the United States Have you been back to Russia since you-- Melekhina recollects visiting Crimea and realizing how much she did not like it anymore. Melekhina describes the turmoil Crimea has experienced as the territory has switched back and forth between Russia and the Ukraine. She describes how she cannot switch back to the culture she used to once live in after adapting to the culture of the United States. Melekhina recalls having to learn new practices like shopping in a supermarket when she first immigrated, but that she embraced these differences as she wanted to start a new life. Americana ; Capitalism ; Communism ; Culture ; Jewish Federation ; Republic of Crimea ; Returning home ; Russia ; Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Communism ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 17 2404 Reason for immigrating to the U.S. / Hearing of the collapse of the Soviet Union You mentioned that your options at that time would've been to, uh, immigrate to either the United States or Israel. After obtaining refugee status, Melekhina remembers how her family had three options for immigration: Israel, South Africa, and the United States. They chose to immigrate to the United States due to their relatives and they have been residing in the country ever since. Once they arrived in the U.S., Melekhina had a hard time remembering that they could openly talk with one another and loved the freedoms she had. She describes going to a supermarket as being a “kid in a candy store” due to all the choices. She also recalls feeling sad when she heard that the Soviet Union collapsed and crying as a result. She describes how shocked she was when she learned about aspects of Soviet history that had been suppressed until after its collapse, including the mass imprisonment of citizens. Today, Melekhina claims that she does not follow the news of Russia as much as she used to when she first immigrated. American food ; Collapse of Soviet Union ; Economy ; Freedom of speech ; Israel ; Jewish immigration ; Mikhail Gorbachev ; Propaganda ; Refugee status ; Russia ; South Africa ; Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ; United States ; Vladimir Lenin ; Vladimir Putin Communism ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 17 https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/collapse-soviet-union &quot ; The Collapse of the Soviet Union&quot ; , Office of the Historian. 2839 Medallion of the Soviet of the Socialist Republic Um, can you tell me about this? Melekhina shows off a medallion that she purchased at a Russian store in the United States. She bought the medallion to remember that period of her life and to help teach her daughters what the Soviet Union was like. Her daughters have expressed interest in learning about this history. Medallions ; Russia ; Soviet Union ; State Emblem of the Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ; United Soviet Socialist Republic Communism ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/2c2a7c0bb7ac3cdc9b363d50861ceeed.png State Emblem of the Soviet Union / Medallion of The Soviet of the Socialist Republic 2903 Mandatory military training in the Soviet Union And this one here, like we have to do like a military, uh, you know, like classes all the time in high school. Melekhina remembers participating in mandatory military trainings throughout her schooling in the Soviet Union. These trainings included learning how to march, learning the army commands, and learning how to use a rifle. Melekhina recalls the feeling of impending attack from Western countries that she continually felt throughout her childhood. This sort of propaganda was preached to the citizens of the Soviet Union and was not necessarily truthful. She shows a photograph of her as a high school student dressed in military uniform. Brainwashing ; Cold War ; Communism ; Education ; High schools ; Mandatory ; Military classes ; Military training ; Nuclear war ; Propaganda ; Required military ; Rifles ; Russia ; Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ; Vladimir Lenin Childhood ; Communism ; Education ; Military education. ; Military training camps 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/b6babfc1cb08f7c7a40f0bedf629b73b.jpg Irina Melekhina dressed in military uniform as a high school student (front row, second from the left) c. 1980s. Courtesy of Irina Melekhina. 3190 Training in Ukrainian (international) dance as a child And this one right here? Melekhina talks about how the dance studios worked in Russia. She began dancing at 5 years old, where she trained in Ukrainian dance at her grandmother’s encouragement. She loved performing. Melekhina danced all throughout her time in the Soviet Union including medical school. Ballerinas ; Ballet ; Dance studios ; Folk dance ; International dance ; Russia ; Soviet Union ; Traditional dance ; Ukrainian dance ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Childhood ; Dance ; Education ; Families. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/7b2e0f0f6fce30bfae28f66bdec3275c.jpg Irina in a dance studio in the Soviet Union (7th from the left). Courtesy of Irina Melekhina. 3326 Being a Young Pioneer in the Soviet Union / Her father's Communist Party membership And this is my like--the school, you know, like uniform. Melekhina explains how she had to wear a red tie as a part of her school uniform, symbolizing that she was a Young Pioneer. She shares that as children grew, they advanced in a hierarchy from Young Pioneer to Komsomol to Communist. Her father was a mandatory member of the Communist Party because he was a professional, otherwise he would not be able to have a job. When her father died when she was age 19, the family lost some of the privileges obtained from him being a party member. Black Sea ; Communists ; Komsomol ; Red ties ; Russia ; School uniforms ; Semi-Island ; Simferopolʹ (Ukraine) ; Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ; Young Pioneers Childhood ; Communism ; Education ; Employment ; Families. ; Occupations ; Physicians 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/0f73ff9de7af8a4a4b56db7abe614265.jpg Melekhina in her school uniform. Courtesy of Irina Melekhina. 3576 Traditional Russia artifacts / Difficulties of assimilating What else? Like, I don't know, like I brought some stuff. Melekhina shows traditional Russian objects that her friends sent her from their home country in order to remember where she comes from, including nesting dolls and small painted wooden objects. She now considers herself an American, not a Russian. She also recalls how hard her immigration journey was, especially because there are fewer Russians in Philadelphia than there are in New York. As a new mother she had a harder time adjusting than her husband who was in school with many other Russians. American identity ; Americanization ; Assimilation ; Culture ; Education ; Folklore ; Immigration journey ; Language acquisition ; Parenthood ; Russian identity ; Russian nesting dolls ; Traditional Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/10b0011368fefb9a3a8b95ee23db9920.jpg Russian Dolls 3780 Reactions to visiting Russia Have they traveled back with you as adults? Melekhina discusses how there is a completely different environment in the United States compared to Russia. She also remembers returning to her home country where she felt judged by her friends for leaving Russia because they believed Melekhina betrayed her country. However, Melekhina's family understands that the country was unlivable during the time of the Soviet Union and that ultimately immigrating was the best decision. Betrayal ; Green Cards ; Permanent residents ; Russia ; Soviet Union ; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ; Visiting Russia Communism ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 17 interview Irena Melekhina recounts her experiences growing up in the USSR, earning a degree in dentistry, and then seeking refugee status along with her husband prior to immigrating to the United States in 1991. She recalls a sense of being brainwashed by the Soviet government, yet still feeling a loss at the collapse of the Soviet Union. She and her husband and 2 month old child arrived in New York City in August 1991, just as the August Coup was taking place in the USSR. The interview recounts these early years of adjusting to life in the United States, resettling in Philadelphia for better job opportunities, and raising their family in Northeast Philadelphia. Toward the end of the interview, Irina shares a series of photographs and memorabilia from the Soviet Union. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0147_irw0078_melekhina_ohm.xml 2019oh0147_irw0078_melekhina_ohm.xml https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7m901zgq96 Sort Priority 0028 Indexed By Kayla DiPaolo Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Irina Melekhina Description An account of the resource Irena Melekhina recounts her experiences growing up in the USSR, earning a degree in dentistry, and then seeking refugee status along with her husband prior to immigrating to the United States in 1991. She recalls a sense of being brainwashed by the Soviet government, yet still feeling a loss at the collapse of the Soviet Union. She and her husband and 2 month old child arrived in New York City in August 1991, just as the August Coup was taking place in the USSR. The interview recounts these early years of adjusting to life in the United States, resettling in Philadelphia for better job opportunities, and raising their family in Northeast Philadelphia. Toward the end of the interview, Irina shares a series of photographs and memorabilia from the Soviet Union. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2019oh0147_irw0078 Subject The topic of the resource Families. Childhood Occupations Employment Education Emigration and immigration. Immigrants Communism Moscow (Russia) Dentists New York (N.Y.) Philadelphia (Pa.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Relation A related resource <a href="http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/exhibits/show/irina-melekhina/young-pioneer">Explore an exhibit about Irina's life.</a> https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/3fcc1e72cee748fab2089e07983302d7.png 86643c9722b251fc73604eaba121e7d9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Nicole Strunk Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Marco Jara OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0145_irw0076_ohm.xml Interview Keyword Closeted gays. Gay youth Sexual minority students. Sexual minority youth Mexico City (Mexico) Naucalpa (Mexico) Childhood OHMS Object Text 5.2 2019oh0145_irw0076 Interview with Marco Jara, March 7, 2019 2019oh0145_irw0076 irw I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Immigrants Emigration and immigration. Philadelphia (Pa.) Employment Occupations Volunteers Coming out (Sexual orientation) Gay men. Homosexuality--Social aspects. Sexual minorities. Sexual orientation. Cancun (Mexico) Gay couples. Families. Gay men--Family relationships Sexual minorities' families. Closeted gays. Gay youth Sexual minority students. Sexual minority youth Mexico City (Mexico) Naucalpa (Mexico) Childhood Marco Jara Nicole Strunk 2019oh0145_irw0076_jara_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2019oh0145_irw0076_jara_acc001.mp3 Other NULL audio 4 Introduction Okay, so my name is Nicole Strunk and this an oral history interview, um, on March 7, 2019. Nicole Strunk is a West Chester University Student. She is Interviewing Marco Jara who is an immigrant from Mexico. Jara is sharing some of his life story and his experience as an immigrant in the United States. This interview is occurring at the Independence Branch Library in Philadelphia. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/c5c3521dd76097d12a73446585c90147.jpg Nicole Strunk, “Marco Antonio Romeo Jara,” 28 Childhood and family Um, can you tell me a little bit about your childhood? Jara says that as a child he lived in Mexico City with his grandparents, his three brothers, his sister, and his two aunts. He also remembers that he loved dancing to disco music and playing with his neighbors. Jara explains that there were not video games and internet at the time, so to have fun he and his friends would have to go out to the park and play. When asked about his family, Jara explains that his parents did not always have a good relationship, so they decided to get a divorce. Then, when he turned ten years old, he moved with his mother and the rest of his family, except for his father. Big family ; Divorce ; Grandparents ; Internet ; Mexico City, Mexico ; Video games Childhood ; Families. ; Mexico City (Mexico) ; Recreation 9 Mexico City 180 Jara's first house and second house Can you tell me about your first house? Do you remember where-- Jara describes his first house as a small third floor apartment with two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a small patio where his mother used to wash dishes. Jara and his family lived in the apartment until he was eight years old. He explains that his second house was bigger than the apartment. In the second house, each person had their own room, the house had two floors, and it was very nicely decorated. At his second house, they were able to have chickens, cats and dogs. Jara explains that although the second house was not exactly in Mexico City, it was only an hour drive away. Animals ; Apartments ; Education ; Elementary schools ; House-building ; Metropolitan ; Middle schools Childhood ; Families. ; Mexico City (Mexico) 17 415 Family members' occupations What did your parents do? Jara shares that his mother did not regularly work outside the home. His grandparents ran a grocery store from their home, and his aunts who also lived with the family worked at a factory making underwear. Jara's father worked for four years as a politician in the Industrial Revolutionary Party (PRI), which was the most popular political party in Mexico at the time, working in a tax collecting agency for the municipality of Naucalpa. Although Jara was not in favor of his father's career, since he did not have a good relationship with his father, it did not affect him as much. Enrique Pena Nieto ; Fabric ; Grocery stores ; Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) ; Naucalpa, Mexico ; Politicians ; Unemployed Childhood ; Employment ; Families. ; Mexico City (Mexico) ; Naucalpa (Mexico) ; Occupations ; Politics and government 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/faaaa5ef8f8c19fde9484e876fcba5e5.jpg “Formal President Of Mexico,” Philly Immigration, accessed April 10, 2019. 592 Relationship with his father / His father's death Does he still do that? Jara explains that he had a closer relationship with his grandfather, who he lived with, than he did with his father. He recalls when his mother called him while he was living in Cancun to tell him that his father passed away ; Jara had seen him one year prior and had a good conversation, but he felt very strange upon hearing about his death. Jara also explains that it was difficult not having his father nearby while growing up. He explains that he lived with his grandfather, and he loved him, but there was still a father figure missing. Deaths ; Family ; Fathers ; Grandfathers ; Grief ; Mourning ; Psychologists ; Relationships Childhood ; Families. 17 842 Relationship with his grandfather You've talked a lot about your grandfather. Jara describes his grandfather as a hero. His grandfather had no formal education, but was a hard worker, having jobs in construction, factories, making water ice, and selling balloons in the park. He recalls that he was a good cook and always had a smile, and was a good host to visitors. Jara adopted these traits in his own work in customer service. He remembers a particular Christmas at age 28 at which his grandfather played music on the guitar, and then gave him a huge hug, acknowledging Jara's homosexuality. Construction ; Cooking ; Customer service ; Dropping out ; Education ; Factory workers ; Hardworking ; Heroes ; Homosexuality ; Hosts ; Smiles Childhood ; Coming out (Sexual orientation) ; Employment ; Families. ; Gay men--Family relationships ; Gay men. ; Homosexuality--Social aspects. ; Occupations ; Sexual minorities' families. ; Sexual minorities. ; Sexual orientation. 17 1068 Family's perception of his sexuality / Coming out story Were you always able to, um--I guess, was the rest of your family as welcoming as your grandfather about who you are? Jara explains that his family was respectful about his privacy, and did not ask him about girlfriends or dating. When Jara met his future husband in Cancun, Jara reported that he thought that his family knew about his homosexuality, but that they never asked. He told his boyfriend that he would tell his family once he knew it was a serious relationship. His boyfriend insisted after a year that he fully come out and introduce him to his family. Jara made plans to visit his family in Mexico City and tell them about his sexuality and his relationship, but logistics made it difficult at first. Towards the end of his visit, Jara finally found the right moment and the courage to tell his sister. She acknowledged that she knew for a long time that he was gay. Acceptance ; Boyfriends ; Cancun, Mexico ; Catholicism ; Coming out ; Facebook ; Homosexuality ; Honesty ; Marriage ; Mexico City ; Privacy ; Respect ; Spa managers ; Traditional family Cancun (Mexico) ; Coming out (Sexual orientation) ; Families. ; Gay men--Family relationships ; Gay men. ; Homosexuality--Social aspects. ; Mexico City (Mexico) ; Sexual minorities' families. ; Sexual minorities. ; Sexual orientation. 17 1435 Family members' reactions to his coming out And then I was, uh, leaving the next week, um, Tuesday I guess, and my sister said... After acknowledging that she knew that Jara was gay, his sister explained that she is very surprised at the news of him moving to the United States. She was very thankful that Jara trusted her and told her about his sexuality. Jara then asked his sister for advice on how to tell the rest of this family. Later on that night, Jara came out to the rest of his family. Jara explains that his older brother had some trouble understanding it at first, so stood up and left the room. However, his younger brother, mom and grandmother were fine with the news. Jara's mother expressed that no matter what she will always love him because he is her son. She does not care if he is gay or not, her love for him will never change. At the end of the conversation, Jara told his family that he will introduce his boyfriend the year after. Family ; Reactions ; Unconditional love Coming out (Sexual orientation) ; Families. ; Gay men--Family relationships ; Gay men. ; Homosexuality--Social aspects. ; Sexual minorities' families. ; Sexual minorities. ; Sexual orientation. 17 2022 Meeting his future husband How did you meet him? Jara explains that he met his husband through a gay meeting app while he was working as a manager of a hotel spa in Cancun. His future husband worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines and regularly flew in to Cancun. He also explains that at the time he did not give his husband too much interest, but later on, he fell in love. American Airlines ; Cancun, Mexico ; Dating apps ; Flight attendants ; Florida ; Hotel spas ; Playa del Carmen (Mexico) ; Playa del Carmen, Mexico ; Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) ; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ; Tulum (Mexico) ; Tulum, Mexico Cancun (Mexico) ; Gay couples. ; Gay men. ; Homosexuality--Social aspects. ; Sexual minorities. ; Sexual orientation. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/0036b5b6a4515c4259d748225c64f609.jpg “Playa Del Carmen,” Philly Immigration, accessed April 10, 2019, http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/admin/items/show/946. 2227 Experiences as a gay child Was growing up gay, um, difficult, like, um, I guess socially or at school? Due to his sexuality, Jara had to deal with bullying in school when he was young. He explains that it was hard to deal with, but later on in life he started to feel comfortable with who he was so he stopped caring about people's comments. He remembers middle school as the most challenging time period. Bullying ; Character ; Closeted ; Harassment ; Homosexuality ; Hurtful comments ; Middle schools Closeted gays. ; Gay men. ; Gay youth ; Homosexuality--Social aspects. ; Sexual minorities. ; Sexual minority students. ; Sexual minority youth ; Sexual orientation. 17 2348 Comparing reactions about sexuality in Mexico vs USA Do you think you would have gotten a different reaction, um, here in the States than in Mexico? Jara explains that in Latin America, they think that the United States is more open minded. However, he explains that that is not the case. America was not as open minded as he thought it would be. Everyone in Latin America associates the &quot ; American Dream&quot ; with perfection. &quot ; American Dream&quot ; ; Civil rights ; Entertainment influence ; Gay rights ; Latin American perception ; Open-minded Coming out (Sexual orientation) ; Gay men. ; Homosexuality--Social aspects. ; Sexual minorities. ; Sexual orientation. 17 2751 Decision to live in the United States How did you and your husband decided to live here instead of Mexico? Jara explains how he and his husband evaluated Jara's chances of getting hired for a job in the United States, compared to his husband getting a job in Cancun. Each of them had a house to pay for in their respective countries. They decided it would be harder for his husband, an English speaker, to find a good job in Cancun. Reflecting back, Jara is glad they made that decision because of the political changes in Mexico. Bilingual ; Employment ; Job searching Cancun (Mexico) ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Gay couples. ; Gay men. ; Immigrants ; Occupations 17 2917 Expectations of and reactions to Philadelphia Can you tell me what it was like to come here for the first time? Jara says that he did not have any expectations before arriving to the United States. Then he explained that he got lost the first time he walked around Philadelphia. Jara communicated with other people to be able to get around Philadelphia. He loved the city's diversity, including hearing Spanish spoken on the street. He also likes that he can walk or bike everywhere. Jara says that he has not had any bad experiences in Philadelphia, so there is not a thing that he does not like. 16th and Bainbridge St. (Philadelphia, Pa) ; Dallas (Tex.) ; Dallas, Texas ; Diversity ; First days in America ; Lost ; Retirement centers ; Senior citizens Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3258 Searching for work in Philadelphia / Volunteering Can you tell me about like what you do here now? Jara speaks about the difficulty of finding a job in Philadelphia and stresses the need to be patient. He says that the process of finding a job in Mexico is faster. Right now he is unemployed, and volunteering at different organizations including the William Way Center. He met some new friends through a Spanish meet-up app, and he received advice about looking for jobs online. Jara also applied to be a flight attendant at United Airlines, Delta Airlines, and American Airlines. American Airlines ; Broad Street Ministry ; Flight attendants ; Job searching ; Service industry ; Spanish meet up apps ; Unemployed ; United Airlines ; Volunteerism ; William Way Center Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Volunteers 17 4014 How Philadelphia makes him feel Why do you say that Philadelphia really opened it's arms to you? Jara ends his interview by sharing how much he likes Philadelphia. He says that he feels like he receives love everywhere he goes. He has not had a bad experience, and everyone has been very welcoming and respectful with him. City of Brotherly Love ; Friendly ; Love ; Welcoming Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 interview Jara begins by reflecting on his early childhood memories and family in Mexico City ; he remembers his first home and the family and pets that lived there with him as well as the bigger home his family moved to outside of the city. He continues to speak about his relationships with different family members and how he met his current husband and subsequently coming out as gay to his family. Jara concludes the interview speaking about Philadelphia and his new life in the city ; he frequently volunteers with homeless shelters and LGBT organizations within the city while attending ESL classes and applying for permanent jobs. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0145_irw0076_jara_ohm.xml 2019oh0145_irw0076_jara_ohm.xml https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7m901zgq96 Indexed By Laura Gomez Sort Priority 0023 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Marco Jara Description An account of the resource Jara begins by reflecting on his early childhood memories and family in Mexico City; he remembers his first home and the family and pets that lived there with him as well as the bigger home his family moved to outside of the city. He continues to speak about his relationships with different family members and how he met his current husband and subsequently coming out as gay to his family. Jara concludes the interview speaking about Philadelphia and his new life in the city; he frequently volunteers with homeless shelters and LGBT organizations within the city while attending ESL classes and applying for permanent jobs. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2019oh0145_irw0076 Subject The topic of the resource Immigrants Emigration and immigration. Philadelphia (Pa.) Employment Occupations Volunteers Coming out (Sexual orientation) Gay men. Homosexuality--Social aspects. Sexual minorities. Sexual orientation. Cancun (Mexico) Gay couples. Families. Gay men--Family relationships Sexual minorities' families. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available WCU, HIS 399/HON 451 Oral History of Philadelphia Immigration, Spring 2019 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 7, 2019 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/c81f88dbcb2a20c09a8670e0ff4f90f5.jpg f09c4652ca17ae9b2a491b022f6e0d65 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Kate MacDonald Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Yan Tai Lau OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0144_irw0075_ohm.xml Interview Keyword Assimilation Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood) Language barriers Children Childhood United States citizenship OHMS Object Text 5.2 2019oh0144_irw0075 Interview with Yan Tai Lau, March 6, 2019 2019oh0144_irw0075 irw I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Occupations Families. Immigrants Philadelphia (Pa.) Emigration and immigration. Hong Kong (China) Religion Assimilation Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood) Language barriers Children Childhood United States citizenship Yan Tai Lau Kate MacDonald 2019oh0144_irw0075_lau_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2019oh0144_irw0075_lau_acc001.mp3 Other NULL audio 2 Introduction Hi, my name's Kate MacDonald. Lau introduces herself in this interview on March 6, 2019 at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library. Big city ; Childhood ; Family ; Hong Kong ; Villages 17 27 Early life in Hong Kong Why don't you tell me a little bit about where and when you were born? Lau shares that she was born in 1958 in Hong Kong. When she was a child, she lived in a village on the outskirts of the city with her parents, two sisters, and four brothers. She says it was common for families to have many children, and she lived near extended family until she got married and moved. Big city ; Childhood ; Hong Kong, China Childhood ; Families. ; Hong Kong (China) 17 207 Siblings and education in Hong Kong And when you were a child, what did your education look like? Lau talks about her education and how she graduated from secondary school but did not go to college. [Note: this segment has a brief interruption due to background noise] Colleges ; Education ; Elementary schools ; High schools ; Secondary schools Childhood ; Families. ; Hong Kong (China) 17 354 Early working life in Hong Kong After you graduated school, what did you do? Lau worked at a transportation center as a secretary. She got the job with help from her husband, who knew the company's boss. She married in 1982 and she started working at the transportation company in 1986, where she worked for about two years. [Note: The interview moves to a break room to mitigate background noise] Employment ; Marriage ; Secretary ; Transportation centers Hong Kong (China) ; Occupations 17 515 Marriage and family How did you and your husband meet? Lau describes how she met her husband at a Christian church in Hong Kong. Together they have two sons, Yun and Heng, both of whom were born in a village near where her parents live outside of Hong Kong. Lau returned to work after her children started kindergarten. Although she comes from a big family with four brothers and two sisters, she and her husband had two children because &quot ; two kids is enough, you know?&quot ; She alludes to the &quot ; social situation&quot ; regarding children, but says that China's One Child Policy did not apply to people in Hong Kong because Hong Kong was a former British colony with different rules. Assembly of God Church ; British colony ; Childcare ; Chinese One Child Policy ; Christianity ; Churches ; Family ; Fanling District ; Hong Kong ; New Territory ; North District Children ; Families. ; Hong Kong (China) ; Religion 22.492291, 114.138344 14 Mtr Fanling Station, Fanling, Hong Kong 879 Returning to work after having children And what was it like going to work after having children? After her children started school, Lau started working again, and she calls herself &quot ; lucky&quot ; because a friend of hers helped her get a job as a secretary for a district counselor, which was a &quot ; good job&quot ; that she liked better than working for the transportation company. However, when asked for the friend's name, she says it is a secret. District counselors ; Employment ; Secretary Hong Kong (China) ; Occupations 17 1142 Visiting and later immigrating to Philadelphia When did you come to the United States? Lau visited Philadelphia in 2008 for a short period. She returned to Hong Kong for work, and then returned to the United States in 2016 to care for her mother- and father-in law. She and her husband originally moved to Kensington but moved to Chinatown in 2017 to be closer to her mother-in-law. The interviewer and Lau also talk about how learning numbers in foreign languages is difficult. Assimilation ; Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Healthcare ; In-laws ; Kensington (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Language learning Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 39.953744, -75.156231 19 The Friendship Arch in Philadelphia's Chinatown. 1408 Working in Philadelphia as a home health care aide And, do you prefer Kensington or Chinatown? Lau talks about how she started working as a home health care assistant when she moved to Philadelphia. This was to care for her mother-in-law. Unfortunately, her mother-in-law passed away in 2018. Lau says she still enjoys her work, taking care of other elderly women. She got the job through an agency that provides services for elderly people with low income. She notes that her husband worked at the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC), having first started as a volunteer. At the time of the interview he works at the Independence Library. Ambulances ; Employment ; Free Library of Philadelphia ; Healthcare ; Home health care aides ; Independence Library ; Medicare ; Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC) ; Sirens Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 1722 Immediate family members Do you--who do you live with in Philadelphia? Lau's mother-in-law passed away on October 24, 2017, and her father-in-law lives in assisted living, so Lau and her husband live in an apartment. In 2009, Lau and her family came to the United States for a brief period, but her older son stayed in Hong Kong to finish college where he studied acupuncture, and since then, he has gotten married and has children. Her younger son lives in South Carolina with Lau's brother-in-law, where he attended some college after finishing high school there. Acupuncture ; Assisted living ; Children ; Colleges ; Education ; Grandchildren ; Home life ; Hong Kong (China) ; In-laws ; Nursing homes ; South Carolina Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 2146 Coming to America So when you first visited the United States, it was 2008? Lau describes how she visited the United States for a few months in 2008, and the experience was disorienting because it was so foreign. &quot ; It was very hard&quot ; and she wanted to go back home, especially because her own family was back in Hong Kong. Now, though, she does not want to move back to Hong Kong because she has grown to love it here. In addition, in Hong Kong it is harder for someone her age, 60, to find work. Age ; Employment ; Hong Kong (China) ; In-laws ; Language barriers ; Strangeness Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 2316 First experiences in Philadelphia after moving in 2016 When you moved from Hong Kong, was it difficult to find a place to live here? Lau explains how she was able to immigrate to Philadelphia through family re-unification laws. The application and approval process took about 5 years, and Lau says that is because the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (which she calls 9-1-1) made the immigration process more difficult. Then, after getting approved, she moved to Philadelphia and her first impression was that it was an old city. One of the things that surprised her the most was that there were &quot ; many black people,&quot ; which was a culture shock since she grew up in a mostly homogeneous area. After the paperwork and the culture shock, the most difficult part of moving to Philadelphia was finding work and saving money, but now she is more settled and has job security. Diversity ; Employment ; Job hunting ; Jobs ; Public transportation ; September 11, 2001 ; Visas Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 2605 Weather in Philadelphia versus Hong Kong What do you like most about Philadelphia? Lau reflects on her new life in Philadelphia, including her favorite and least favorite aspects. Her favorite aspect is the weather ; in Hong Kong, summers can be much more hot and humid. Hong Kong (China) ; Weather Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 2704 Learning a new language When you moved here, did you speak English? Lau’s first language is Cantonese, and when she moved here her church and social circles were all in Cantonese. She first started learning English through work, and she has also been taking English classes at the Center for Literacy on Market Street for about one year. Her husband speaks English, but she laughs when she says she is not sure how he learned. People in Hong Kong sometimes learn Mandarin, but she says only lawyers learn English. Cantonese ; Center for Literacy ; English ; Language-learning ; Mandarin Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 39.951351, -75.146833 18 Center for Literacy at 399 Market Street in Philadelphia where Lau has been taking English classes for about a year. https://centerforliteracy.org/ The Center For Literacy Website 2927 Path to citizenship So you had--did you have a lot of time to prepare for the move? Lau is a permanent resident with a green card, but she wants her United States citizenship so she can vote. When asked who she would want to vote for, she laughs because right now there isn't anyone she would want to vote for. Green cards ; Permanent residents ; United States citizenship ; Voting ; Voting rights Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3008 Things she brought with her from Hong Kong When you first moved here, what kinds of things did you bring with you? When Lau moved to Philadelphia, she brought some clothes, some books, her cellphone, laptop, and some cash. When asked about what she left behind, there is a bit of a language barrier, but she later says she left behind photos because she has photos on her cellphone. Her brother sends her photos from home, which makes her miss her parents. Cash ; Cellphones ; Family ; Hong Kong (China) ; Laptops ; Parents ; Photos Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3202 Family back home Do you visit your family back in Hong Kong? About one year ago, Lau went back to Hong Kong to visit her grandson after he was born. She stayed for about 10 days, but while she was in Hong Kong, her mother-in-law passed away, so she came back to Philadelphia, which was &quot ; very hard&quot ; for her. She reflects on her mother-in-law's passing and how her mother-in-law talked about how she didn't want to suffer. Perhaps God answered her prayers, Lau muses. Death ; Family ; God ; Grandchildren ; Hong Kong (China) ; Hospitals ; In-laws ; Prayers Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3362 Friends from church in Philadelphia Do you, do you have any friends in Philadelphia? Cause you've talked a bit about your family. Have you made friends here? Lau talks about how she has made friends through her church, CCCNC, but she cannot remember what all the initials stand for. She calls it the Chinese Christian and Center. They speak Cantonese at the church, and in her neighborhood there are also a lot of people who speak Cantonese. All her friends who have lived here for a long time speak Cantonese and English. Cantonese ; Chinese Christian Church + Center (CCCNC) ; Friends Churches ; Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 39.957729, -75.157267 20 Lau's church, the Chinese Christian Center + Church in Chinatown at 1101 Vine Street https://cccnc.org/ Chinese Christian Center + Church Website 3492 Family in the United States and family immigration policy When you're not at work, what do you like to do? When asked about what she does in her free time, Lau replies, &quot ; Learning English, and learning English.&quot ; Lau also helps take care of her brother-in-law, who lives at a place she calls 801, which most likely refers to Community Behavioral Health at 801 Market Street. Her husband has three brothers in Philadelphia, and a fourth brother in South Carolina. Her brothers-in-law have lived in the United States for over 20 years. Lau's husband did not move with them because the two of them were married, and immigration policy prioritizes unmarried relatives over married ones. Now, her brothers-in-law are all married to Chinese women they met in the United States. One of the brothers moved back to China for a while, but they are back in the United States. 801 Market Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Chain migration ; Community Behavioral Health ; Family-based immigrant visas ; Language acquisition Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3791 Least favorite aspects of Philadelphia What, so far, is your least favorite thing about the city? Lau doesn't like how Chinatown and the surrounding area are dirty and she doesn't like the roads, which she describes as &quot ; broken,&quot ; referring to the potholes. She does not drive and does not want to learn because she is afraid ; she laughs at the thought of learning how to drive. Since she can walk to work and take public transportation, driving is not necessary. Her husband drives. Broken ; Cars ; Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Driving ; Potholes ; Public transportation ; Roads ; Transportation Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3936 Becoming an informed citizen So no driver's license, um, but you mentioned that you were interested in citizenship. Do you know when you would want to do that? Lau would like to try to obtain her citizenship within the next 2 to 5 years. There is an organization in Chinatown that can help her learn the material on the citizenship exam, although it is expensive for her. Filling out the application costs $100. Her husband would also like to be a citizen within the next two years. They would like to get their citizenship together. Her son in South Carolina is not a citizen, and she is not sure if he wants to. She suspects her son does not care about the difference between a green card and citizenship, but she herself is excited because voting is her right. She tries to keep in touch with politics, but her English is not yet good enough. She reads Chinese newspapers to stay updated on government policies, and she also watches the news. However, she notes how ABC 6 News has no news, just traffic and the weather. She doesn't understand the president when he talks, but she laughs when she's told that English speakers don't understand him either. Citizenship ; Donald J. Trump ; Green cards ; Language barriers ; Naturalization ; News ; Newspapers ; Permanent residents ; Translations ; United States citizenship tests ; Voting Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Politics and government 17 4294 Things she would change about the United States So if you could change one thing about America, what would you change? Lau isn't sure what she would change about American life, but she thinks that marijuana should be illegal because it is bad for your health. Marijuana is also illegal in Hong Kong. In addition, after watching the news and seeing gun crime, she thinks that guns should be more difficult to obtain. In Hong Kong, no one is allowed to have guns. Gun control ; Marijuana Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 4608 Philadelphia versus other American cities Was that--were you ever s, scared to move to this country? After the topic of drugs and guns, Lau shares that she felt unsafe and a little scared when she moved here, but compared to other cities, Philadelphia feels safer. She also says she does not want to move anywhere else in the United States, but she has thought about South Carolina because the houses are cheaper and the environment is better. This section ends with Lau's phone ringing. Crimes ; Environment ; Housing ; Safety ; South Carolina Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 4730 Keeping in touch with family She's just answering a phone call from her sister real quick. Lau talks to one of her older sisters, Mary, about once a week. Her sister visited the United States recently, about a year ago. They have a friend who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Lau's brothers have never visited the United States. Brooklyn (N.Y.) ; Cellphones ; Communication ; Family ; Hong Kong (China) ; Sisters Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 4888 Describing Philadelphia to family in Hong Kong When you talk about Philadelphia to people in Hong Kong, how do you describe it to them? Lau says that she emphasizes the beautiful rivers of Philadelphia and her wonderful church when she talks to her sister and her brothers. In addition, she talks about how Philadelphia has fewer people than Hong Kong, and Philadelphians are nice, &quot ; except Chinese.&quot ; She explains that when she says Chinese, she means the people from the mainland, who have a different culture than people from Hong Kong. Churches ; Delaware River ; Mainland Chinese ; Manners ; Population density ; Schuylkill River Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 5039 Closing remarks--How Philadelphia changed Lau And then I think it's about 7:30 now the library closes at 8. Lau thinks that moving to Philadelphia has helped her change, specifically in that she has become less shy and introverted. Learning English has helped her express herself confidently and gain confidence. Changes ; Community ; Confidence ; Language acquisition Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 interview In this interview, West Chester student Kate MacDonald interviews Yan Tai Lau, a woman who emigrated from Hong Kong to Philadelphia in 2016. The interview discusses Lau's migration from China and the challenges she faced in trying to assimilate to American culture, as well as her long-term goals for the future. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0144_irw0075_lau_ohm.xml 2019oh0144_irw0075_lau_ohm.xml https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7m901zgq96 Indexed By Kate MacDonald Sort Priority 0026 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Yan Tai Lau Description An account of the resource Yan Tai Lau emigrated from Hong Kong to Philadelphia in 2016. The interview discusses Lau's migration from China and the challenges she faced in trying to assimilate to American culture, as well as her long-term goals for the future. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2019oh0144_irw0075 Subject The topic of the resource Occupations Families. Immigrants Philadelphia (Pa.) Emigration and immigration. Hong Kong (China) Religion Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available WCU, HIS 399/HON 451 Oral History of Philadelphia Immigration, Spring 2019 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 6, 2019 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Image by Flickr user Kailtin, licensed <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C.C. BY ND 2.0</a> https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/d4e93d5f0bcbd182f3686bfc5d0963fc.jpeg fc6d3821c6023dbd8b1bd3cd2a68a073 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Courtney Richards Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Bangde "Annie" Fu OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0143_irw0074_ohm.xml Interview Keyword Guangxi (China) Temple University Food habits Holidays OHMS Object Text 5.2 2019oh0143_irw0074 Interview with Bangde &quot ; Annie&quot ; Fu, March 6, 2019 2019oh0143_irw0074 irw I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Childhood Emigration and immigration. Immigrants Philadelphia (Pa.) Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) Employment Occupations Education College students--Social conditions Families. Guangxi (China) Temple University Food habits Holidays Bangde &quot ; Annie&quot ; Fu Courtney Richards 2019oh0143_irw0074_fu_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2019oh0143_irw0074_fu_acc001.mp3 Other NULL audio 5 Introduction This is Courtney Richards. I am at the Independence Library on March 6th, 2019 with Annie Fu, and today we are conducting an oral history project... Richards, the interviewer, opens the interview by telling listeners when, where, and who is taking part in the interview. Independence Library ; Oral history projects 39.950454, -75.152350 18 The Independence Library, Free Library of Philadelphia http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/acfbda867ceaa465988acb88946927b1.jpg &quot ; Independence Library, Free Library of Philadelphia,&quot ; c. July 17th, 2010, Wikimedia Commons, csbarrett. 22 Life growing up in Guangxi, China So Annie, um, tell me a little bit about your childhood. Fu shares that she is from Guangxi, China. She returned for a visit and found it had changed significantly from when she was a child. She has fond memories of going out to restaurants, and playing with friends and cousins at parks. She describes that a playground was almost like a gym. She took art classes and enjoyed drawing and painting in her spare time. Childhood ; Family ; Friends ; Guangxi (China) Childhood ; Families. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) 6 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/3a27ef6909877f27baff59d7de556bdd.png Guangxi, China, Fu's birth place 280 Describing family life and traditional celebrations So what did your parents do for a living, if you don’t mind me asking? Fu recalls that her father was living in the United States when she was a child and only returned for around a month at a time. She says that the most influential person in her life is her grandmother because she was such a hard working lady, she took care of everyone, and if she set a goal she reached it. She fondly remembers celebrating Chinese New Year, when her family cleaned the house, cooked special foods, and received red envelopes with money. It is challenging to keep in touch with family in China due to the time change ; texting is easier for her than phoning. Chinese New Year ; Guangxi (China) ; Influential people ; Making a living ; Traditions Childhood ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Holidays ; Immigrants 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/f63cd8a330cdc9ba5dcc72f6493437b9.jpg C1815, &quot ; A Look at Chinese New Year&quot ; , Wikipedia, 2015 480 Education in Guangxi versus the United States Um, so what kind of education, um, did you have back in China? Fu says that the schools in China were very big, and you could get lost very easily. There weren't a lot of people to help you in the school, which made things scary for her. Fu describes how she had to be pushed back to first grade when she got to the United States because she she didn't know the amount of information needed for the second grade. She was scared at first because she didn't know English, but she was able to make her way through the day by looking at signs and making friends through the class's buddy system. Despite these difficulties, she made the most out of her transition from Chinese education to American education. Education ; English language ; First day of school ; Friendships ; Guangxi (China) ; Language acquisition ; Mathematics ; Primary schools ; Teachers Childhood ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/193d85b577826cfeecc298760b14b93c.png This image is the National Emblem of the People's Republic of China. This group is an agency of the State Council of the People's Republic of China that regulates all aspects of the educational system in mainland China. This institution would have overseen Annie's education while she was in China. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. 649 Finding friendship And did you make any close friends when you started going to school here? Fu shares that she was shy when she started school in the United States and describes the story of how she made her first friend, even though she did not understand what she was saying. She helped her new friend with math, while her friend helped her learn English. Fu explains her belief that friendships are much more genuine here in the United States compared to her homeland. Friendships ; Guangxi (China) ; High schools ; Language acquisition ; Language barriers ; Mathematics Childhood ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants 17 808 Background behind Fu's immigration to the United States China to America, that sounds like an incredible story. Fu recalls the reasons why she and her mother immigrated to the United States. She explains how her relationship with her father was one of the main reasons why they came, but how the relationship between them was a lot different than what she had anticipated. Fu says that her mother was also another big reason as to why they moved to Philadelphia (due to the fact that she thought the jobs would be better here). Guangxi (China) ; Immigration journey ; Job hunting ; Opportunities ; Transitioning ; Transitions Childhood ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 934 Journey to the United States Um, and was that an easy transition for you? Although she was young, Fu recalls her parents having to go through a lot of work (paperwork and checks) in order for them to come to America. She notes that her father was constantly pushed back if the paperwork was not correct or if they needed more paperwork from him, which set the whole family back. Once in America, Fu tells of how she lived in South Philadelphia up until high school, and how she was able to travel to some places outside of Philadelphia such as China, Canada, and California. Documentation ; Guangxi (China) ; Immigration journey ; Immigration process ; Obstacles ; South Philadelphia ; Traveling Childhood ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 39.925414, -75.169490 14 South Philadelphia, the area where Annie Fu first lived upon arriving in Philadelphia, before moving to Northeast Philadelphia. 1119 Attending Central High School in Philadelphia What high school did you go to? Fu describes her high school, Central High School, as a college prep school. She notes that school here was hard for her at first due to the language barrier, but she got used to it and did just fine. Fu says that back home she failed miserably, but after coming to the United States, she started to excel in her classes. She says that there was a lot of homework here, and she had to teach herself sometimes. She says that school wasn't really that hard here if she tried ; back home even if she did try, she says she wouldn't have succeeded. Central High School (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Education ; Guangxi (China) ; Learning difficulties ; YouTube Childhood ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 40.037410, -75.150318 17 This is the location of Central High School where Annie Fu attended school. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/d0cbb1a81b4cb09a6a8ada5075d739a4.jpg Annie Fu's high school, &quot ; Central High School, Philadelphia, PA&quot ; , Wikipedia. 1222 First day in the United States So back to the immigration, um, so do you remember what your first day in the country looked like or what you had done that first day? Fu recalls her first day in Philadelphia. She describes how she arrived late at night, and she was welcomed by family with a lot of food. She talks about the odd things she encountered, such as American food (which included pizza). She notes the preconceived ideas she had about American people before arriving here, such as politeness (and impoliteness) of people, the manners of people here, and how genuine people were in the United States. American food ; First day ; Perceptions ; Preconceived ideas Childhood ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Food habits ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 1359 Visiting China As I got older, I went back to China to visit for like two months. Fu shares the two experiences she had when going back to China (the first on a class trip, the second to her hometown). She explains that she isn't used to the culture anymore in China, which is why she would stay in the United States if given the opportunity to go back. Fu goes on to say that she took a plane with her mother while traveling to the United States. Family ; Going home ; Guangxi (China) ; High schools ; Homeland ; The Great Wall of China ; Transportation Childhood ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants 40.432095, 116.570386 15 Great Wall of China. Fu visited China with a group of students from her school. She talks about how people from China treated her peers like celebrities. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/da08ab4055a6ad657c11ae7be7f0fbaf.jpg Great Wall of China. In this interview, Fu recalls when she and her classmates in high school went on a trip to China. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. 1525 New experiences and tastes in the United States Was it kind of weird, like the housing situation? Fu reminisces on all the oddities she experienced her first night in America, such as the new toilets she had to use, and cereal, which grew to be her favorite food when she got here. She explains that food here was always frozen, and back home that wasn't the case. She was used to eating fresh food and once she got here it was quite an odd experience for her. Food ; Guangxi (China) ; Living arrangements ; New experiences Childhood ; Emigration and immigration. ; Food habits ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants 17 1638 Preparations for the move / Making it work So how did you prepare to come to the U.S.? Fu describes what most treasured items she brought with her to the United States from Guangxi, including a small Ferris wheel with animals, to which she had sentimental attachment. She also goes on to explain who was in Philadelphia at the time to help them with their preparations. She describes how she and her mother relied on family rather than government or church help to get settled. When asked if she would leave, Fu recounts all the positive experiences she has had in Philadelphia and how that would influence her decision. Assistance ; Churches ; Government ; Guangxi (China) ; Personal belongings ; Preparation Childhood ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 1874 Life now in Philadelphia What had you heard about Philly in advance to coming here? Fu shares that she knew Philadelphia was historically significant before she arrived and was eager to see monuments and historical sites. In South Philadelphia she felt very comfortable, and she liked that neighbors were out on the street and everyone was friendly. She found living in the Northeast much quieter and finds that the neighborhood is not as friendly or bustling. She likes to go to Reading Terminal Market for fresh foods and because it is far away from her parents. She used to work in Chinatown, but wishes it was larger. She enjoys the food, even though it is not as authentic as in China. She particularly likes a cake available in Chinatown and seeks it out for her birthday. Overall, she feels like Philadelphia has met her expectations. Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Northeast Philadelphia ; Pessimism ; Prior expectations ; Prior knowledge of the area ; Reading Terminal Market ; South Philadelphia Community ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Food habits ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 39.955532, -75.153022 17 Chinatown, Philadelphia 2162 Facing challenges head on What challenges did you personally face, um, when coming here, in like the first six months coming to Philadelphia? Fu recalls the many challenges she and her mother experienced when transitioning from life in Guangxi to life in the United States, including transportation and language barriers. Back in China, she recalls being able to go out by herself without feeling uncomfortable. She even remembers that she didn't have to use transportation in China like she does here to get around. Language was another issue she feels as though she dealt with. She says that she had to learn not only English (which was completely new for her), but also the language her father's side of the family used. Challenges ; Guangxi (China) ; Language barriers ; Transportation ; Unfamiliar places Childhood ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 2315 Life as a college student Um, so tell me about your community here. Fu describes college life at Temple University as very welcoming and diverse. She explains that she toured and applied to many colleges (University of the Sciences, Penn State Main, Drexel) before she found her new home, which ended up being Temple. She also talks about how she has changed as a person since going to college. She says that she has fallen away from her family tradition of Chinese New Year due to the craziness of college life, and she decided that she did not want to follow her family's religion. College students ; Diversity ; Drexel University ; Hobbies ; Lasalle University ; Penn State University ; Religious practices ; Temple University ; Traditions ; University of the Sciences College choice ; College environment ; College students--Social conditions ; Education ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Universities and colleges. 39.981171, -75.155355 17 Temple University (Main Campus) where Annie Fu attends school. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/d351baae801ae85fae468b12880e3c4a.jpg Alumni Circle on Temple University's main campus, where Annie Fu attends school. The Owl (mascot) and the Bell Tower can be seen in the image. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. 2615 Life in Philadelphia today So how would you describe America today, um, to people back home in your country? Fu describes how she would explain her life to people back home. She explains that she currently works at the Independence Library in Philadelphia as well as the Magee Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia (where she helps to manage patient records, and transfers them from paper to computer). She also shares that waking up early and making sure she doesn't miss the SEPTA bus are some of the difficulties she faces while being a commuter student in Philadelphia. Free Library of Philadelphia ; Health information management ; Independence Library ; Magee Rehabilitation Center ; SEPTA ; Temple University College environment ; College students--Social conditions ; Education ; Employment ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 39.956847, -75.165425 18 Magee Rehabilitation Center, where Fu works part time. 2970 Benefits of living in the United States What are the, uh, greatest differences between, you know, your culture back home, do you feel, and Americans? Fu describes how she sees herself as an American citizen and all the great things that come from it. She says that she has more opportunities here, compared to back home where she felt that there were more people who were more qualified than her. She also feels as though the government is a big help here. She describes how she utilizes every tool she can get, such as Linkedin, to making the most of her time here in the United States. &quot ; American Dream&quot ; ; China ; Equality ; Friendships ; Government assistance ; Government help ; Guangxi (China) ; Immigration status ; Linkedin ; Opportunities Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3198 Philadelphia: A comfortable place to live So do you intend--I think we might have touched on this a little bit--um, you know, you said you might want to go to Florida or L.A. Fu says that she plans on staying in Philadelphia for quite some time. She says that she does plan on traveling to a few places around the country. Comfort ; Traveling Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 3285 Final reflections on her immigration experience Um, so just a couple more questions. Fu describes that the thing she dislikes the most is that people just move to different places and leave everything behind. If given the opportunity to change her migration story, Fu says she really wouldn't change a lot, maybe just alter some things. She does say that she wishes she could have come to the United States at an older age, and maybe taken a few different stops to see new things before arriving here. She says that she is hopeful for her future, and the future of America as well. &quot ; American Dream&quot ; ; &quot ; American Spirit&quot ; ; Dislikes ; Exploring the world ; Immigrants ; Immigration journey ; Looking into the future ; Social media Childhood ; Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/f11ac445a1389c6c93be2586d4c3912f.jpeg Portrait of interviewee, Annie Fu, Independence Library, Free Library of Philadelphia interview In a riveting interview about life in China, coming to America, and now life in Philadelphia, Annie Fu tells her life story. Life wasn’t always easy for Fu, but when given the opportunity to come to America for a better way of life, Fu and her mother courageously traveled to Philadelphia in hopes of the “American Dream”. With many ups and downs, she paints a picture of the experiences she had while coming to Philadelphia, the challenges she has faced both in China and in Philadelphia, and tells about her favorite parts of the place she now calls home. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0143_irw0074_fu_ohm.xml 2019oh0143_irw0074_fu_ohm.xml https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7m901zgq96 Indexed By Courtney Richards Sort Priority 0019 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Bangde "Annie" Fu Description An account of the resource Bangde "Annie" Fu (b. 1998) grew up in a small town in Guangxi, China. In search of a better life, Fu moved with her mother to the United States to join her father. Once in Philadelphia, Annie was immersed in a whole new world, which she welcomed with open arms. In this interview Fu discusses how she overcame many obstacles, including language barriers, new forms of education, life amongst people who were very different from people back home, and the everyday struggles of growing up. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2019oh0143_irw0074 Subject The topic of the resource Childhood Emigration and immigration. Immigrants Philadelphia (Pa.) Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China) Employment Occupations Education College students--Social conditions Families. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available WCU, HIS 399/HON 451 Oral History of Philadelphia Immigration, Spring 2019 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 6, 2019 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/3618ab07e236230377085178d9c5f168.jpeg 81b6e208f1cce6ce9e074492c78235a5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Nicole Strunk Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Isatu Kallon OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0142_irw0073_ohm.xml Interview Keyword Childhood trauma Civil wars Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Rebel War, Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, West Africa Trauma War crimes OHMS Object Text 5.2 2019oh0142_irw0073 Interview with Isatu Kallon, February 25, 2019 2019oh0142_irw0073 irw I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Education Immigrants Philadelphia (Pa.) Emigration and immigration. Sierra Leone. Childhood Families. College students--Social conditions Employment Occupations Civil war Politics and government Guinea. Childhood trauma Civil wars Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Rebel War, Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, West Africa Trauma War crimes Isatu Kallon Nicole Strunk 2019oh0142_irw0073_kallon_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2019oh0142_irw0073_kallon_acc001.mp3 Other NULL audio 2 Introduction Okay, this is Nicole Strunk, um, on February 25, 2019. Kallon briefly explains where she where she was born, and where she was before coming to West Chester University to pursue a degree in social work. Childhood ; Citizenship ; Delaware County Community College ; Delaware County, Pennsylvania ; Sierra Leone, West Africa ; Social work ; West Chester University of Pennsylvania ; West Chester, Pennsylvania College students--Social conditions ; Delaware County (Pa.) ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Sierra Leone. ; Universities and colleges. ; West Chester (Pa.) 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/06ec1a5fd6f5ef2b6c27d9939e702cb0.jpg Isatu Kallon after receiving United States citizenship on February 28, 2019. 86 Growing up in Sierra Leone Can you describe where you grew up? Kallon talks about the beautiful natural features and fresh food available in her native Sierra Leone. She then gives an overview of her childhood ; she lost her father when she was an infant which left her mother to support her and her siblings. Kallon spent most of her childhood being raised by her grandmother so that her mother could travel for work to be able to pay for her children's education. Businesswoman ; Childhood ; Civil war ; Death of a parent ; Education ; Family ; Grandmothers ; Grandparents ; Rebel War, Sierra Leone ; Secondary schools ; Sierra Leone, West Africa ; Trade ; Travel for work ; Wars Childhood ; Education ; Families. ; Sierra Leone. 8.582456, -11.925142 7 Sierra Leone, West Africa 205 Kallon's relationship with her grandmother Could you tell me more about your grandma? Kallon, named after her grandmother, describes her relationship with her and how it changed as she grew up, especially after moving to the United States. Bonga Fish (Ethmalosa fimbriata) ; Childhood memories ; Cooking ; Death of a family member ; Family ; Family relationships ; Family tensions ; Folk medicine ; Food ; Grandchildren ; Granddaughters ; Grandmothers ; Grandparents ; Home remedies ; Illnesses ; Traditional food ; Traditional medicine ; Traditions Childhood ; Families. ; Sierra Leone. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/f0a8f25519ee81037957ae2015b87435.jpg &quot ; Traditional Sierra Leone Pepper Soup recipe&quot ; c. 2018. Isatu Kallon. 360 Kallon's extended family What about the other grandkids? Who else is in your family? Kallon describes her extended family, including her father’s side, which she never learned to know as well as her mother’s side. Her mother's father married three wives and had twenty one children. Kallon speaks to how large her family is and how they all do their best to stay in touch with their &quot ; Grandkids of Pa Bari&quot ; cousins club ; Kallon was instrumental in keeping in touch with her cousins while she still lived in Sierra Leone. She has a close cousin who lives in Boston, and has over 70 cousins overall. Boston (Mass.) ; Boston, Massachusetts ; Cousins ; Death of a parent ; Extended family ; Family ; Family events ; Family relationships ; Family structures ; Family tensions ; Grandkids of Pa Bari ; Large family ; Matriarchal family structures ; Siblings ; Sierra Leone, West Africa ; Sisters Childhood ; Families. ; Sierra Leone. 17 554 Kallon's mother Can you tell me about the work that your mom did? Kallon describes her mother and some of the jobs that she held back in Sierra Leone. She worked as a traveling businesswoman during the country's civil war and as a certified nursing assistant after moving to Philadelphia in the late 1990s. Kallon is also a caregiver, working full-time at Royer Greaves Home for the Blind while attending school. Businesswoman ; Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) ; Civil wars ; Education ; Family structures ; Guinea, West Africa ; Matriarchal family structures ; Mothers ; Rebel War, Sierra Leone ; Royer Greaves Home for the Blind, Paoli (Pa.) ; Small business owners ; Travel ; Visas Childhood ; College students--Social conditions ; Education ; Employment ; Families. ; Guinea. ; Immigrants ; Occupations ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Sierra Leone. 39.940435, -75.233514 17 58th Street, where Kallon settled in Philadelphia with her mother. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/157c032d1564c8ea99dac9f859b20513.jpg Isatu Kallon with her sister and mother in traditional clothing from Sierra Leone. c. 2019. Isatu Kallon. 779 Growing up during the civil war in Sierra Leone So you've mentioned the civil war a couple times. Kallon gives a brief description of what she remembers from growing up during the civil war in Sierra Leone. She remembers not being able to consistently attend school, hearing people being burned to death in the streets, and living in a constant state of vigilance. She speaks to the trauma and panic that people in the community experienced, including her own mother, who she explained almost left Kallon behind trying to escape one of the rebel groups. Amputations ; Childhood ; Childhood trauma ; Civil wars ; Education ; Guns ; Kamajors militia ; Murders ; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) ; Privileges ; Rebel War, Sierra Leone ; Sierra Leone, West Africa ; Street violence ; Trauma ; War crimes Childhood ; Civil war ; Education ; Families. ; Sierra Leone. 17 1059 Education during the war / Transition to democracy And you managed to go to school during that? Kallon explains the lack of consistent education within Sierra Leone during the time of the war, as well as the transition to democracy in the early 2000s. She talks about the involvement of the United Nations in the transition, following peacekeeping efforts, and the election of the new president Kabbah. Abidjan Peace Accord ; Crimes against humanity ; Democracy ; Democratic ; Education ; Human rights ; Human rights violations ; Lomé Peace Agreement ; Peace ; Peace and Reconciliation Council ; President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah ; Rape ; Sexual assault ; Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) ; Transition to civilian ; Truth and Reconciliation Commission ; United Nations ; United Nations Mission to Sierra Leone ; United Nations Peacekeepers ; War crimes Childhood ; Civil war ; Education ; Families. ; Politics and government ; Sierra Leone. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/6e8e246d7b72565b708387e89a5f4e86.jpg &quot ; School destroyed in Sierra Leone during the civil war&quot ; c. 2001-05. Laura Lartigue. 1340 Fleeing to Guinea What was that like for you as a child? Kallon describes fleeing at less than 10 years old by boat for three days to Guinea from Sierra Leone with her aunt and cousins where they spent a year waiting for the war to end. Her mother and siblings had already arrived in Guinea with help from a cousin who acquired them visas. She talks about how none of her family members on the boat with her were able to swim and feared ending up in the water. Kallon had very little to do in Guinea and did not attend school there. Bo Town, Sierra Leone ; Boats ; Childhood ; Cousins ; Drowning ; Education ; Family ; Free education ; Freetown, Sierra Leone ; French language ; Guinea, West Africa ; Kenema, Sierra Leone ; Liberia, West Africa ; Primary schools ; Refugees ; Swimming ; Visas Bo Town (Sierra Leone) ; Childhood ; Civil war ; Education ; Families. ; Freetown (Sierra Leone) ; Guinea. ; Kenema (Sierra Leone) ; Liberia. ; Politics and government ; Sierra Leone. 7.862728, -11.191977 10 Kenema, Sierra Leone where Kallon was with her aunt and cousins when they decided to escape the violence of the war and seek refuge in Guinea. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/24/world/guinea-in-crisis-as-area-s-refugees-pour-in.html &quot ; Guinea in Crisis as Area's Refugees Pour In&quot ; New York Times. April 24, 2001. 1697 Typical day in Sierra Leone / Immigrating to the United States Can you tell me about a typical day in Sierra Leone? Kallon describes some of the activities that she participated in and a regular routine she held as a child in Sierra Leone during more peaceful times. She remembers running and competing in track events and always going straight home after school to get her homework done. She also mentions enjoying cooking when she was younger. She talks about why she left Sierra Leone and discusses why she has immigrated but her siblings have not yet gotten their papers. Cooking ; Education ; Homework ; Immigration journey ; Immigration law ; Lifestyle changes ; Running ; Track and field ; Traditional cooking ; Visas Childhood ; Education ; Families. ; Recreation ; Sierra Leone. 17 1907 Coming to the United States for the first time / Differences between Sierra Leone and the United States So you came by yourself? Kallon recalls coming to the United States with her mother for the first time and landing in New York City in April, after her first ever airplane flight. She remembers how cold it was and the several aspects of North American culture that she found to be different and sometimes overwhelming to her. She specifically mentions the large highways and the fact that there was always electricity when you needed it. She remembers being confused in Philadelphia because all of the rowhouses looked alike, and she worried she would not remember which house was hers. Her mother taught her how to ride the bus, which was foreign to her. She found her new life boring, with less interaction with her community members. She also missed her siblings and wanted to return to Sierra Leone. After arriving in the United States, she spent months waiting for her paperwork to be approved, meaning that she was not yet able to work or go to school, which Kallon remembers being a very lonely time for her. 69th Street Transportation Center ; Airports ; American culture ; Americanization ; Boston (Mass.) ; Boston, Massachusetts ; Buses ; Changes in weather ; Culture shock ; Electricity ; Free time ; Freetown (Sierra Leone) ; Freetown, Sierra Leone ; Hobbies ; Homesick ; Immigration law ; Immigration papers ; Move to the United States ; New York City (N.Y.) ; New York City, New York ; North Carolina ; Public transportation ; Visas ; West Philadelphia ; Western movies Childhood ; Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Recreation ; Sierra Leone. 39.962340, -75.259489 15 69th Street Transportation Center in Philadelphia, where Kallon learned to use the city's public transportation system. interview In this interview, Isatu Kallon, born in 1991, speaks about her experiences growing up in Kenema, Sierra Leone, her family, and what it was like growing up during the Rebel War. She begins by introducing her relationship to her grandmother, the woman who raised her most of the time as her mother worked to send Kallon and her two sisters to school. She moves on to speak about her large family ; Kallon says she has more than seventy cousins. Kallon speaks about the horrors she witnessed growing up during the Rebel War in Sierra Leone and her eventual boat trip to Guinea to take refuge from the violence in Sierra Leone when she was about nine years old. She remembers coming to the United States for the first time, to New York City in April of 2013. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0142_irw0073_kallon_ohm.xml 2019oh0142_irw0073_kallon_ohm.xml https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7m901zgq96 Indexed By Nicole Strunk Sort Priority 0024 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Isatu Kallon Description An account of the resource In this interview, Isatu Kallon, born in 1991, speaks about her experiences growing up in Kenema, Sierra Leone, her family, and what it was like growing up during the Rebel War. She begins by introducing her relationship to her grandmother, the woman who raised her most of the time as her mother worked to send Kallon and her two sisters to school. She moves on to speak about her large family; Kallon says she has more than seventy cousins. Kallon speaks about the horrors she witnessed growing up during the Rebel War in Sierra Leone and her eventual boat trip to Guinea to take refuge from the violence in Sierra Leone when she was about nine years old. She remembers coming to the United States for the first time, to New York City in April of 2013. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2019oh0142_irw0073 Subject The topic of the resource Education Immigrants Philadelphia (Pa.) Emigration and immigration. Sierra Leone. Childhood Families. College students--Social conditions Employment Occupations Civil war Politics and government Guinea. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available WCU, HIS 399/HON 451 Oral History of Philadelphia Immigration, Spring 2019 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 25, 2019 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Relation A related resource <a href="/exhibits/show/isatu-kallon/civil-war-to-social-work" title="Isatu exhibit">Explore an exhibit about Isatu's life.</a> https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/8000ea66b51088f2c5b3a0b7dd2dfa6c.jpg 0770af36cdd17abfafeb2d229da6d7b8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Charles Hardy Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sam Spritz Interview Keyword Russia Garment industry Jewish Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919. Hygiene. Medical care Technological innovations OHMS Object Text 5.1 2017oh275_irw043 Interview with Sam Spritz, April 5, 1982 2017oh275_irw043 irw001 I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. Immigrants Emigration and immigration. Families. Education Employment Labor unions Russia Garment industry Jewish Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919. Hygiene. Medical care Technological innovations Sam Spritz Charles Hardy 2017oh275_irw043_spritz_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2017oh275_irw043_spritz_acc001.mp3 Other audio 3 Living conditions and technology in early 1900s Philadelphia Huh. Yeah, those are--I--we love her, and encourage her as much as possible. When Spritz first came to Philadelphia, he lived with his aunt in a row house on 5th and Wharton Street, without a bathroom in the house. He used a privy in the yard and a summer kitchen--a wooden shed with a tin sink that produced freezing cold water in the winter. To take a bath, Spritz heated water in a tub with a coal/wood stove or went to a public bath house. Spritz's first public bath was at 3rd and Queens, which cost 15 cents. He also recalls feeding quarters to metered gas lights during in 1918 Influenza Epidemic. 1918 Influenza Epidemic ; 3rd Street and Queen Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; 5th Street and Wharton Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Coal stoves ; Gas lights ; Outdoor privies ; Public bathhouses ; Row houses ; Wood stoves Baths. ; Hygiene. ; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919. ; Neighborhoods. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 39.932, -75.152 18 5th Street and Wharton Street (Philadelphia, Pa.), location of Sam Spritz's first home in Philadelphia. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/b3ba880a5ecf5cae3a20067817e880bd.jpg &quot ; 5th and Wharton&quot ; c. 1959. City of Philadelphia, Department of Records Collections. 236 Gas lighting and stoves So did your first house have electricity? Spritz's first house did not have electricity and instead had gas for lighting and a stove in the kitchen for cooking, which also kept people warm. A mantle made of a fine cloth contained the light of the gas jet and produced and spread light. Spritz had used kerosene lamps in the small town in Russia where he first lived. Spritz recalls having a doctor perform surgery on him by the light of a kerosene lamp when he was 8 years old and had an abscess from Scarlet Fever. His uncle held the lamp while the doctor cut him up without anesthesia as Spritz lied on a table in the living room, and the doctor joked that he was making gefilte fish. Amenities ; Gas heat ; Gefilte fish ; Illness ; In-home surgery ; Kerosene lamps ; Mantle lamp cloth ; Scarlet Fever Hygiene. ; Medical care ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 17 358 Trip to America When did, um--you were sixteen when you came over to this country? Spritz came to the United States when he was almost age 16, arriving on August 2, 1913. He started by train from his small town going to Warsaw, Poland. When they got from Warsaw to Berlin, the police put them on a train to an encampment, because the police wanted them to buy their ship tickets from the North German Lloyd (government controlled German shipping company). After purchasing the tickets, the Spritz family went to Bremen (the port of deportation), where they stayed for 3 weeks in barracks and were fed poor food. Once a boat was available--a reconstructed cattle boat--the trip took 12 days for them to get to Halifax, Canada. Then they passed through New York and eventually arrived in Philadelphia, at Vine street and Delaware Avenue. Berlin (Germany) ; Bremen (Germany) ; Encampments ; North German Lloyd ; Port of deportation ; Reconstructed cattle boats ; Trains ; Warsaw (Poland) Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 39.953, -75.126 18 Vine Street and Delaware Ave, where Spritz arrived in Philadelphia. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/321bd7540e6b016e1ac363da64b76ba3.jpg “North German Lloyd Ad,” c. 1900. Courtesy of Norway Heritage Collection. 582 Motivations for immigration Hmm. Why, why did you come over? Why did your family come over? Spritz's father was a professional and highly regarded man in Russia within an illiterate population. His father wanted Spritz to become a doctor and hired a tutor for him until he was ten. Then he was allowed to test into a school, but could only be admitted after ten Christian individuals. Their immigration to America happened because Spritz's father could no longer support his children's educations after his pharmacist business went bad. After reading up on America, the Spritz family liked how democracy and access to education was encouraged. Upon arriving in America, Spritz attended a night school called Baron Hirsch School, located at 10th and Carpenter, which was mainly for Jewish immigrants. Spritz was able to acclimate to the new environment, while his father was not and returned to Russia in 1914, soon before the start of World War I. During the Russian Revolution, Spritz's mother, aunt, and grandmother died from starvation, with the rest of his family killed during the Nazi invasion. Baron Hirsch night schools ; Franz Ferdinand ; Nazi invasions ; Povolzhye famine ; Russian famine of 1922 Education ; Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants 39.938, -75.159 17 10th and Carpenter Streets, location of the Baron Hirsch night school Spritz attended. 922 Reason the Spritz family came to Philadelphia Why did, why did, um, you all come to Philadelphia? Spritz's father immigrated to Philadelphia because he had two sisters living there. According to Spritz, you went where you had somebody to turn to when you didn't know your way around. Spritz said &quot ; the worst plight is when you cannot express yourself.&quot ; The sisters provided a way for the Spritz family to have a connection to America. Chain migration ; Family Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 17 987 Impressions of Philadelphia--Comparison to Russia Do you remember your first impressions of the city? Spritz was surprisingly disappointed when he initially came to Philadelphia. Spritz was raised in a country, Czarist Russia, he thought to be behind western civilization by 100 years in terms of technology, and was born and raised in Sudilkov, Russia (now Sudilkov is part of Ukraine). In his small town there were no street lights, no paved streets, and no underwater drainage. To get water to his house, they paid to have water hauled on a man's shoulders, where it was stored in a tank. When Spritz was ten, he moved to Zhytomyr to go to school. He was catapulted into the modern world, where he was impressed with the technology that was being used, and by plays and movies. The movie theaters in America were like stables in comparison. He notes that in 1913, there were still wooden horse-drawn carriages in the Kensington area. While there was no caste system in America, he notes a big gap between the rich and poor. Horse-drawn carriages ; Kensington (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; La Traviata (play) ; Movie theatres ; Sudilkov (Russia) ; Sudilkov, Russia ; Zhytomyr (Russia) ; Zhytomyr (Ukraine) ; Zhytomyr, Russia ; Zhytomyr, Ukraine Emigration and immigration. ; Families. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Technological innovations 50.171, 27.133 13 The small town, Sudilkov (Sudylkiv), where Spritz was born and raised. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/c8dacf0cfa3a3b5a734bac2b6462713a.jpg Philadelphia street scene with horse-drawn carriages, Detroit Publishing Company, 1908. 1277 Impressions of Philadelphia--The people What other initial impressions--what, what things do you remember striking your, your fancy or imagination when you first arrived in the city? Initially, due to the language barrier, Spritz felt separated from the rest of society. After acclimating, he gravitated to people he thought were interesting. He'd go to Fairmount Park at 52nd and Parkside, where many different people of varying ideologies gave soapbox talks. Spritz became interested in vegetarianism, eating at a vegetarian restaurant at 9th and Market St. He was also an avid reader, recalling how he read &quot ; War and Peace&quot ; even though he didn't understand it. &quot ; Hunger for the dollar&quot ; ; 52nd and Parkside St. (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; 9th and Market St. (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Fairmount Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Money-centric society ; Vegetarian restaurants Emigration and immigration. ; Immigrants ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. 39.982, -75.224 17 Spritz frequented 52nd and Parkside St. at Fairmount Park to watch interesting people. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/b9b8ae53427606c471bbfb1e378c390f.jpg Market Street, East from 10th, 1907, near where Spritz went to a vegetarian restaurant. Used by permission of PhillyHistory.org, a project of the Philadelphia Department of Records. 1497 First job, at Tuttleman and Alexander Shirt Factory When you first came to the city then, did you start work immediately, or? Spritz got a job at a shipping room as a spreader at the Tuttleman and Alexander Shirt Factory, getting $5 a week for 60 hours worth of work. After a few months, he moved higher up the chain of command. He asked Mr. Tuttleman for a raise, and Mr. Tuttleman said Spritz wouldn't know what do with more money (he was making $7 a week), so Spritz cursed him and quit. He went to another factory and started off making $16 a week and after a year was making $30 a week. American and Jefferson St. (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Shipping rooms ; Spreaders ; Tuttleman and Alexander Shirt Factory Employment ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 39.973, -75.139 17 Tuttleman and Alexander Shirt Factory. American and Jefferson Street, where Spritz had his first job in 1913. 1686 Non-union working conditions Can you describe what that shop was like, that first shop you worked in? What the conditions were like? Do you remember that? Spritz describes the factory where he worked. In terms of working conditions, Spritz was treated &quot ; next to a slave.&quot ; He worked 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. He says that to go to school he could not stop home to eat so he walked from 2nd and American to 10th and Carpenter. He asked the foreman to give him time to eat. One time a Polish sweeper couldn't come in, so Spritz and others had to take brooms and sweep. When the end-of-the-workday whistle blew, Spritz dropped the broom and ran home. After that incident, Spritz's boss told him he could no longer go to school. Then Spritz recounts how Alexander and Tuttleman docked workers a penny a minute for tardiness. So one time Spritz came in 15 minutes late, and thought he would have to work 2 hours for nothing. If he was an hour late, he would only get docked for the hour (8 cents), so he decided to wait for the hour to pass. Cutting machines ; Lunch breaks ; Non-union ; Shirt factories ; Shirt factory ; Working conditions Education ; Employment ; Labor unions ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 17 2004 Owning a factory at 8th and Arch For many many years, I had my own factory. Spritz recounts that he eventually started his own factory producing women's foundation garments at 121 N. 8th Street. Spritz said that he feels for the underdog, and that he asks his anti-union friends if they would rather be a boss than a working man. Pullman Company union ; Women's foundation garments Employment ; Labor unions ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 39.953, -75.152 17 The location of Spritz's garment factory at 121 N. 8th Street at 8th and Arch St. 2133 Conclusion Hello dear. Our friend, my wife. Mrs. Spritz ends the interview because she and Mr. Spritz have an appointment for dinner. Spritz tells story about how he promised to do the work of two men and how he used to talk like a salesman. Ginger ale ; Salesman ; Salesmen Employment 17 interview Sam Spritz was born (circa 1898) into a Jewish family in pre-revolution Russia.  In 1913, he moved with his father and brother to Philadelphia, attracted by the promise of freedom, democracy, and easy access to education.  In the early 1920s, Spritz's mother and grandmother died of starvation in Russia during the Povolzhye famine. The rest of his family died after the Nazis invaded Russia during World War II. In Philadelphia, Spritz worked in a shirt factory while studying in night school, married and raised a family, and ran his own female undergarment factory. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/oh/render.php?cachefile=2017oh275_irw043_spritz_ohm.xml 2017oh275_irw043_spritz_ohm.xml https://oralhistory.uky.edu/catalog/xt7m901zgq96 Indexed By Sequoyah Walters Sort Priority 0031 OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2017oh275_irw043_ohm.xml Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Sam Spritz (1st interview) Description An account of the resource Sam Spritz was born (circa 1898) into a Jewish family in pre-revolution Russia.  In 1913, he moved with his father and brother to Philadelphia, attracted by the promise of freedom, democracy, and easy access to education.  In the early 1920s, Spritz's mother and grandmother died of starvation in Russia during the Povolzhye famine. The rest of his family died after the Nazis invaded Russia during World War II. In Philadelphia, Spritz worked in a shirt factory while studying in night school, married and raised a family, and ran his own female undergarment factory. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2017oh275_irw043 Subject The topic of the resource Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. Immigrants Emigration and immigration. Families. Education Employment Labor unions Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Relation A related resource <a href="/exhibits/show/sam-spritz/russia-phila" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Explore an exhibit on Spritz's life</a> https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/ab741618b2c8ec895ee19d50312924e2.jpg 31b7537854318c3ca4ffedb9c849fc34 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Charles Hardy Debora Kodish Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Dennis Clark Interview Keyword Childhood Recreation Motion pictures. Holidays. Christmas. Stores Religion Poor Race relations OHMS Object Text 5.1 2017oh244_irw012 Interview with Dennis Clark, August 25, 1982 2017oh244_irw012 irw001 I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. Childhood Neighborhoods. Poverty Recreation Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. Racism Discrimination. Crime. Child labor. Employment Shopping Education Small business--Ownership Childhood Recreation Motion pictures. Holidays. Christmas. Stores Religion Poor Race relations Dennis Clark Charles Hardy Debora Kodish 2017oh244_irw012_clark_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2017oh244_irw012_clark_acc001.mp3 Other audio 7 Introduction So, Dennis, we wanted to talk to you about some of your memories of Kensington, growing up in Kensington. Kodish explains the purpose of the interview and asks Clark to speak about his childhood memories of Kensington, Cavanaugh's stable, and his friends. Charles Hardy ; Debora Kodish ; Interviewers 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/a7c140c6c9acff4a9efd2561e4527b08.jpg &quot ; Dennis Clark as a Child,&quot ; c. 1930. Courtesy of Clark Family Archive. 30 Recollections of Kensington Sure, yes, well, I'm not sure that childhood memories of the mill districts of Philadelphia in the 1930s are exactly romantic reflection. Clark explains that his childhood neighborhood in the mill districts of Philadelphia in the 1930s was poor. He states that he has timeless memories of his Irish community and the workers. Irish community ; Kensington (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Poverty ; Slums ; Working class Childhood ; Neighborhoods. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Poverty 39.981, -75.128 13 Kensington, Philadelphia http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/9c765431bdeec89a72f6328ea01c9ca8.jpg Lewis Hine, &quot ; Row houses in Kensington,&quot ; 1937, Still Philadelphia: A Photographic History, 1890-1940. Courtesy of Temple University Libraries. These row houses on Rosehill Street and Indiana Avenue are near the Rose Mills in Kensington, so they are the type of homes Dennis Clark lived in. 91 Childhood disease and death Therefore, the children, uh, even though they were bathed in affection for the most part, uh, were very deprived. Clark says that poverty affected many families' health and that he knew many children in his school who died from rickets or tuberculosis. He also remembers going to church to mourn the deaths of those who died from tuberculosis. B Street and East Lehigh Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Childhood morality ; Deprivation ; Rickets ; Sickness ; Tuberculosis ; Visitation B.V.M. School (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church ; White masses ; White Plague Childhood ; Diseases. ; Education ; Health. 39.990, -75.126 18 Clark talks about the location of Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church School where he went to elementary school, and remembers boys in his class dying of tuberculosis. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/97d30b3a4a7cd968a7c51205b9ecfec5.jpg &quot ; Visitation School after the Third Story was Added,&quot ; c. 1914, Golden Burrs. 163 Homemade toys from the mills But the childhood was relieved, surely, by, uh, the amusements, uh, that children engage in. Clark shares that children creatively played with homemade toys, including cardboard spools from the local textile mills in Kensington which they decorated with faces, used as horns, or constructed villages with. Bromley Mills ; East Lehigh Avenue ; Orinoka Mills ; Play ; Ruth Street ; Somerset Street Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 39.990, -75.122 18 Orinoka Mills at the corner of Somerset and Ruth Streets http://www.workshopoftheworld.com/kensington/kensington.html Carmen A. Weber, Irving Kosmin, and Muriel Kirkpatrick, &quot ; Kensington,&quot ; Workshop of the World- Philadelphia, 1990. 267 Dye houses They had a dye house, uh, and, uh, the men who worked there wore clogs because the floor was constantly awash with, uh, liquids from dyes. Clark remembers how the men who worked in the dye house that he passed on his way to school were covered in dyes, and how he and his friends made jokes about the color of their skin because every day they came home covered in a different dye. He also comments on how the dye had to be bad for the environment. Dye houses ; Racial slurs ; Racist slurs Discrimination. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Racism 17 309 Playing with clothing pins and marbles Of course, uh, the households tried to be clean. Clark remembers that most households in his neighborhood hung up their laundry with clothes pins, so he and other children used the pins for toys. The boys made horses and riders or cowboys and Indians, and the girls made clothes pin dolls. He also recalls boys playing extensive marble games, shooting marbles until their thumbs were bloody. The girls played with jacks with rubber balls or marbles. Childhood games ; Clothespins ; Homemade toys ; Marbles ; Potter Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/35987c84981fba6df0df2bb0c8904a15.jpg &quot ; Rear of Front Street houses,&quot ; 1916. Housing Association of Delaware Valley Records, Temple University Libraries. 513 Stores that sold marbles Where would you get them from? Clark says that he bought marbles at the McCartney family corner store, at the corner of Somerset Street and Kensington Avenue. He recalls that when he was sick in the hospital, the McCartney family brought him a pop gun and a headdress of Indian feathers. Kensington Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Local stores ; Somerset Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Toys Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 39.991, -75.122 17 Location of candy store where Clark bought marbles on the corner of Somerset and Kensington Avenue. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/3caaecf6d3a297e4abcea0101f103fe8.png Gimbels Department Store newspaper advertisement for children's toys. Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]), 10 Dec. 1919. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 567 Kids stealing coal But some of the amusements were less innocent. Uh, coal stealing was one. Clark shares how children went to the railroad tracks to collect coal that spilled from trains or mount the trains and steal the coal into burlap bags for their families, and how railroad detective Puggy Lee chased the kids and shot them with a shot gun filled with rock salt. Coal stealing ; Puggy Lee ; Railroad detectives Childhood ; Crime. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/4b0e3816ffa9f879de275f997a8e4455.jpg William A. Gee, &quot ; 2nd Street Bridge-Over Connecting Railroad of Philadelphia,&quot ; 1926. Courtesy of PhillyHistory.org, a project of the Philadelphia Department of Records. 625 Rat hunts Railroads were also a wonderful resort for rat hunts. Clark shares how he and other boys also went to the railroad tracks to catch rats that lived in piles of cross ties, and how they lit fires to drive the rats to run out, and then hit them with bricks. He also recalls how his friend Peter McLinden tied a dead rat to a string and swung it around on the streets to scare mothers and girls. Railroads ; Rats Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/4787bd52cd75706747483fc5434166f6.jpg &quot ; Two boys play with dead rat,&quot ; c. 1920-1940. Housing Association of Delaware Valley Records, Temple University Libraries. 675 Christmas toys At Christmas, if your father was working, uh, you would get some kind of present or a few bits of clothes and so forth. Clark explains that most families did not get a real Christmas because they did not have enough money for gifts. He remembers sometimes getting a present or clothes and reminisces about iron toys and trucks that never broke. Christmas ; Iron trucks Childhood ; Christmas. ; Holidays. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/02ae022b3d5f528c823c32a343bab05c.jpg &quot ; Now for the Toy Store,&quot ; November 7, 1921, The Philadelphia Inquirer. 729 Wagon and the newspaper And I can remember desperately wanting a wagon. To get a four-wheeled express wagon with metal rims around the wheels, Clark applied to be a newspaper carrier for the Evening Bulletin, which gave boys a free wagon to deliver their paper. He did not get the job or the wagon, but did get a job selling extras. Clark remembers selling extras during the Hindenburg zeppelin crash. Instead, he got a wagon by winning a writing contest at a toy store when he was in 4th grade, which he used to bring metal to the junkyard to get money for movie tickets. Hindenburg Disaster (1937) ; Junkyards ; Newsies ; Newspaper extras ; Toy wagons Child labor. ; Childhood ; Employment ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/67c50430d0a174e76a030a8ac6ac207e.jpg Philadelphia Record, Hindenburg Explosion News Clipping, May 6, 1937, Special Collections Center, Temple University Libraries. 978 The movies And, uh, I did indeed earn movie money. Clark says he used the money that he earned from selling metal to buy movie tickets. He took his sister Geraldine and his friend Peter McLinden to see a Warner Baxter movie called &quot ; The Life of Christ.&quot ; He remembers everything being pink in the movie. When Mary Magdalene came on the screen, Peter whistled, so the usher kicked the boys out. Child labor. ; Employment ; Films ; Movie theaters ; Warner Baxter (Actor) Childhood ; Motion pictures. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 39.989, -75.125 17 Location of the movie theater on the corner of Kensington Avenue and E. Lehigh Avenue. 1046 Local stores in Kensington Wait a minute, I got a lot of questions about those-- Clark describes McCartney's novelty store on Kensington Avenue. He says a lot of stores were chains with Irish employees. He remembers generous workers giving his mom extra goods because they knew times were tough. He explains how his family bought items on the &quot ; eye,&quot ; which meant the store owner would give them credit based on trust alone. [A small tape skip occurs during this segment.] &quot ; Buying on the eye&quot ; ; &quot ; Honest eye&quot ; ; Kensington (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Poor ; Toy stores Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty ; Shopping 17 1181 Hungry and ill-dressed parents My mother, uh, was extremely thin, 98 pounds. Clark remembers his mother being very skinny. He also remembers his dad avoiding women when he was in his work clothes because he was embarrassed. Decency ; Hunger ; Poor Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty 17 1215 Drunk men at work One of the businesses in the area was Bunt McKenna's roofing business. Clark remembers Bunt McKenna being a very kind guy who hired heavy drinkers or unqualified workers. Clark and his pals enjoyed watching these guys shake and stumble at work. Clark and his friends would sit on the sidewalk laughing at the guys shake up the ladder. Alcoholism ; Roofing business Alcohol ; Childhood ; Employment ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. 17 1287 Bobby Burns' saloon and the Cambria Athletic Club Bobby Burns, like my grandfather, uh, had a saloon. Clark remembers Bobby Burns' saloon as a &quot ; rough and ready&quot ; place, and shares that his mother would not talk to women who went to the saloon. He says it was down the street from the Cambria Athletic Club, where Clark went often to see the fights. Men would go to the saloon to bet on the fights. Bananas ; Billy Mayer ; Bobby Burns' saloon ; Boxers ; Cambria Athletic Club ; Eddie Cool ; Jimmy Burns ; Kensington Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Sports betting Boxing matches. ; Boxing. ; Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. 39.990, -75.122 17 The location of the Cambria Athletic Club at the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Somerset Street where Clark watched boxing matches. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/05790feb97b28ea365d7559def64960d.jpg &quot ; Eddie Cool- the 'Pride of Tacony,'&quot ; c. 1930. Courtesy of Cyber Boxing Zone. 1461 Thanksgiving and Easter There was always plenty of action, um, around the neighborhood. It was full of characters. Clark remembers that one year for Thanksgiving, his family did not have money for turkey so they ate lunch meat. Clark's mom cried on the butcher paper when she had to tell the kids they were not having turkey. For Easter, family friend Denny Flanagan helped the family steal a lamb from the Episcopal Hospital field. Denny Flanagan ; Easter ; Episcopal Hospital ; Hunger ; Thanksgiving Childhood ; Crime. ; Holidays. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty ; Recreation 39.990, -75.130 18 The location of the Episcopal Hospital on Lehigh Avenue in Kensington. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/0a92d452d19f73231d268b122fec8f32.jpg Margaret Sturgeon Bennett, &quot ; View from the back of Episcopal Hospital,&quot ; 1971. Courtesy of Peggy Hartzel. 1567 Scarcity of books Um, there were very few books in the parish. Clark explains that books were hard to get. He says the church had few books. The Inquirer had coupons that he clipped to get Mark Twain books, dictionaries, and other classics. Clark says his parents were not educated, but his parents encouraged him to get books and learn. Clark would go to the local library in McPherson Square, but the librarian would turn him away because he was dirty from play. Books ; Education ; McPherson Square (Philadelphia park) Childhood ; Education ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty ; Recreation 39.995, -75.118 17 The McPherson Square Library on Kensington Avenue http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/1a7b88d7d5e3dc4fa752a4cdca1f1d08.jpg &quot ; McPherson Square Branch of Public Library,&quot ; 1917. George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Collection, Temple University Libraries. 1718 Parents and siblings Let me just ask, you know, when were you born? Clark says he was born June 30, 1927 at Saint Mary's Hospital. Clark had a sister Geraldine, and a brother Thomas who was born with an intellectual disability because his mother had pneumonia while pregnant. His parents were born in America, but grew up Irish. Clark's dad, John, did many jobs including ship building, ditch digging, painting, plumbing, and fixing cars. [A small tape skip occurs during this segment.] Birth defects ; Boilermakers ; Ditch diggers ; Drug addiction ; Geraldine Mary Hanson Clark ; Glazier ; Healthcare ; Intellectual disabilities ; John Aloysius Clark ; Mechanics ; Plumbers ; Saint Mary's Hospital ; Ship fitters Childhood ; Employment ; Families. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. 39.975, -75.132 19 Saint Mary's Hospital at 1601 East Palmer Street, Philadelphia, PA. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/2207f5d340e1a41a3130124481d9dfd0.jpg &quot ; Saint Mary's Hospital,&quot ; 1916, Jane Campbell Scrapbook Collection. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Philadelphia 1874 Torpe's flower shop and Cavanaugh's stable They had lots of friends, uh, in the area. Clark says that when somebody died, members of his community put flowers on the porch of the family's house, usually from Torpe's flower shop. Clark describes Torpe as a strong guy who could fight. Clark remembers Judge James Cavanaugh's stable on Somerset Avenue that had trucks, horses, and goats. Many people believed goat milk was a home remedy for tuberculosis. Clark and other boys would mess with a goat at the stable and run into it with a homemade helmet. Cavanaugh's stable ; Community ; Death ; Florists ; Flowers ; Goat milk ; James R Cavanaugh (Judge, Pennsylvania Superior Court, Philadelphia Common Pleas Court) ; Somerset Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Stores ; Tuberculosis Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation ; Shopping 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/53b85c18c1564f3a880ece9e1f4d9397.jpg &quot ; Male Help Wanted,&quot ; November 7, 1921, The Philadelphia Inquirer. 2067 Nuns The, uh--one of the nuns at the school was a big raw boned woman... Clark describes the nun Sister Theresa Eileen at the Visitation B.V.M. parish school, as very old-school. Clark remembers her being passionate about children and feeding breakfast to the very poor kids. Clark and other boys would go to the convent on Huntingdon Street and yell up at the nuns. Huntingdon Street ; Nuns ; Schools ; Sister Theresa Eileen ; Visitation B.V.M. School (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty ; Recreation ; Religion 17 2153 Children's rhymes You mentioned, uh, a rhyme about, um, a man at Cavanaugh's Stable, I think. Clark sings some rhymes he used to sing as a kid. Clark's father had a friend, Joe Egan, who went to Shanghai as an American sailor and would recount stories to Clark's family. Cavanaugh's stable ; Rhymes ; Songs Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 17 2268 Bonus Army marchers and Kenny's Hall Um, the families would have christenings or weddings, uh, or some great celebrations such as when the veteran of World War One got the bonus. Kensington had a big celebration when the Bonus Army marchers got their money. Clark remembers Kenny's Hall on 5th and Clearfield hosted a big party. Clark thinks children did not know they were &quot ; too bad off.&quot ; He enjoyed having carob molasses and bread, when his parents could not afford anything else. Bonus Army Conflict ; Bonus March ; Children's innocence ; Sherrington Grocery Store Childhood ; Military service ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty ; Recreation 39.998, -75.138 18 The corner of 5th and Clearfield streets, the site where Kenny's Hall was located. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/78b98d5997d50dc8781a7015f7772781.jpg John McWhorter, &quot ; 5th and Clearfield Streets,&quot ; 1959. Courtesy of PhillyHistory.org, a project of the Philadelphia Department of Records. 2448 On Irish ditties, rhymes, and songs Uh, the speech of the people, uh, was full of little, uh, Irish, uh, folk, um, statements and, uh, uh, sayings. Clark remembers households being filled with Irish ditties, rhymes, songs, stale jokes, and hymns. Clark located people by their parish. Therefore, he says his community had its own geography and speech. Clark reminisces about songs he sang with his dad. Gaelic ; Holy Name Parish (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Irish Americans--Philadelphia ; Irish Community (Philadelphia) ; Irish folklore ; Jokes ; Saint Anne's Parish (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Schuylkill River ; Singing ; Songs ; St John the Baptist RC Church (Philadelphia, Pa.) Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation ; Religion 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/de4a687ca1e0509e6dc55b87fc361057.jpg Josie and Dennis in Dublin, circa 1990. Courtesy of Brendan Clark. 2689 Anti-Roosevelt And harangues, and the great harangue about politics, and America, and Ireland, and leadership and so forth. Clark remembers that his father disliked FDR. Clark's father once got very angry because Roosevelt said, &quot ; There is no shame to being an honest artisan.&quot ; This infuriated Clark's father, because Roosevelt's sons went to Harvard. Arthur Schlesinger ; Father Charles Coughlin ; Franklin D. Roosevelt Politicians ; Politics and government ; Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 17 2778 Lighthouse settlement house There was a settlement house in our area called the Lighthouse on Lehigh Avenue. Catholics instructed Clark to not go to the Lighthouse because it was run by a protestant woman, Ms. Lewis. Clark's mother would say she would rather starve than go to the Lighthouse for free food. Catholicism ; Lehigh Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Lighthouse (Philadelphia social service agency) ; Protestantism ; Settlement houses in Philadelphia Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty ; Religion 39.991, -75.132 18 The Lighthouse settlement house at 140 W. Lehigh Ave, which Clark's mother did not like. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/32083466e908c30abc33b115ec0c4f17.jpg &quot ; The Lighthouse Lantern cover,&quot ; 1930, Lighthouse Records Collection. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. 2823 Peddlers You mentioned in the, um, the other tapes some of the, the cries of, of, uh, peddlers or-- Clark remembers being a huckster because he would obtain and use transit transfer tickets to go buy fresh produce and then sell it. He would wake up while it was still dark and then sell the fruits and vegetables very early in the morning on the corner of streets. He remembers selling and crying out “watermelons” and “Jersey tomatoes.” There would be other peddlers calling out as they sold keys, pretzels, pepperpot, umbrellas, and other goods. Beggars ; Dock Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Fishtown (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Hucksters ; Produce markets ; Transit transfer passes ; “Shoot a pass” (ride free on public transportation) Child labor. ; Childhood ; Employment ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty 39.945, -75.142 17 Dock Street and Delaware Avenue where Clark bought produce at Dock Street Old Market. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/f249b8e02ad442824dc41eeb3d8655b9.jpg A photograph of the Dock Street Market from 1914 that Clark would buy produce at to sell on corners. 3059 Parish minstrel shows We did have wonderful singers and they had parish minstrel shows. Clark remembers blind singer Happy Thompson and the talented singers who performed at parish minstrel shows, which were competitive, funny, and often racist. He says that he did not know any black people. He describes the racist comedy acts as a &quot ; self-contained psychology of ethnic self-assurance.&quot ; Ethnic comedy shows ; Ethnic tensions ; Happy Thompson ; Minstrel shows ; Racism ; Segregation in Philadelphia African Americans--Social conditions. ; Childhood ; Discrimination. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Race discrimination. ; Racism ; Recreation 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/4adeb6de664f31354ff2c42ebdcc41ea.jpg &quot ; A Blind Man Singing,&quot ; 1938. George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Collection, Temple University Libraries. The photograph is of a blind man singing on the streets of Philadelphia in 1938 for money. 3137 Moving to avoid the rent collector Your community was Irish, I mean every name you've mentioned is Irish. Clark explains that his Irish neighborhood had an English woman and Polish man. Clark lived in ten different locations before he was twelve years old. The Clark family would move quickly before the rent collector came. He describes that moving as a child did not bother him. He says, &quot ; We'd move from one pathetic row house to the next.&quot ; Heart Lane (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Irish Americans--Philadelphia ; Irish Community (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Jasper Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Lee Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Lehigh Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Poor ; Rand Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Swanson Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Water Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Poverty 39.992, -75.129 17 Intersection of Swanson Street and Somerset Street where Clark lived for a while. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/c5c9d555f5a67a7ff16674014ed35bd2.jpg &quot ; Exteriors of Three Dilapidated houses on Water Street 19147,&quot ; 1927-1935. Housing Association of Delaware Valley Records, Temple University Libraries. 3316 Beggars and street shows You, you were talking about the people coming through and selling things. Clark remembers some street performers, including Spike Howard who performed physical stunts, and shares that his Uncle Eddie McLean in the 1930s gave political speeches sponsored by the communist party at McPherson Square to unemployed workers. He also remembers that Dr. Joe Daly, who had an office on Lehigh Avenue, treated nuns for free. Communism ; Eugene V. Debs ; Kensington Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Lehigh Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; McPherson Square (Philadelphia park) ; Street beggars ; Street performers ; Swanson Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) Employment ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Politicians ; Politics and government ; Poverty ; Recreation 39.995, -75.117 17 The intersection at McPherson Square Library. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/923d5291744853473e5c181e609a0e61.jpg Anthony Bernato, &quot ; Run Down Condition of McPherson Square Library,&quot ; 1974. George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Collection, Temple University Libraries. 3422 Kensington's small businesses I was wondering, particularly, how they fit into the neighborhood. Clark gives a general overview of family businesses, remembering corner store businesses and bigger businesses on commercial Front Street and Kensington Avenue, and that businesses were ethnically identified, like German bakeries. [A small tape skip occurs during this segment.] Bakeries ; Catholic mass ; Corner shops ; Front Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Kensington Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Stores Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Shopping ; Small business--Ownership 39.986, -75.131 17 Where Kensington Avenue turns into N Front Street. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/0131e17300c54c0c55120a13489acdc7.jpg &quot ; Frankford Elevated Bent 232 - Southeast Corner of Front Street and York Street - Kensington Avenue Junction,&quot ; March 17, 1916, Phillyhistory.org, a project of the Philadelphia Department of Records. 3666 Dry goods stores So, uh, aside from those businesses, you just had a general, um, commercial strip that had dry goods stores. Clark describes Bobman's sporting goods store where he got his clothing, and Shemp's hardware store. He recounts his dad stressing about Geraldine's first Holy Communion dress and shoes. Clark's dad bought her shoes on Trenton Avenue from a kind Jewish market. Communion ; Fathers ; Hardware stores ; Jewish markets ; Shoe stores ; Sisters ; Sporting goods ; Trenton Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty ; Shopping ; Small business--Ownership 39.981, -75.127 17 The corner where Clark's dad bought Geraldine's shoes from the Jewish shop. 3809 Romanticizing of robbery, murder, and death And we went to an Italian Barber named Adolf. Clark describes a local criminal, Joe Curry, who robbed a bank and then murdered a milk man in order to steal his truck. Locals would tell stories about Curry and his electric chair death. Clark remembers enjoying gang movies and playing pretend by acting out electrocution. Clark says, &quot ; Children loved the grotesque.&quot ; Criminals ; Death penalty ; Electric chair ; Italian business ; Joe Curry ; Lionel trains ; Olney Bank Robbery Childhood ; Crime. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/327307826cdf442e6a712a9f85f80893.jpg &quot ; Electric Chair Claims Life of Four Men: Olney Bank Bandits Electrocuted Today at Rockview Prison,&quot ; March 7, 1927, Mount Carmel News. 3969 Education But, um--so the businesses were generally, um, not prosperous at all. Clark shares that saloons were one of the few businesses that made good money, so saloon owners had automobiles and sent their daughters to private schools. The Jewish kids went to public schools and the Italians, Irish, and Catholics went to the parish schools. Clark states, &quot ; We were coached constantly by the nuns about respect for other people.&quot ; He believes ethnic groups got along well in Kensington. Automobiles ; Catholic schools ; Cramp’s Shipyard ; Gimbel's (Gimbel Brothers Department Store) ; Interracial peace ; Midvale Steel ; Parochial education ; Social justice ; Socio-economic classes ; Socioeconomic classes ; Wanamaker's Department Store Childhood ; Education ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Race relations ; Recreation ; Religion ; Small business--Ownership 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/61c738de71a6d0a3c5bfdc49ab46bbdb.jpg Northeast High School in Kensington. Clark went to a Parish high school, but this is a picture from 1937 of public high school in Kensington. 4153 Honest businessmen and their shops Some of the stores were not well-kept. Clark remembers buying chicken feet with his grandfather because they could not always afford a whole chicken. He remembers that businessmen were very honest. He says there were some hundred shops on Front Street and a thousand on Kensington Avenue. Clark says his mom grew up with money and his dad had some money growing up, so the 1930s was not what they knew. Front Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Great Depression ; Kensington (Philadelphia neighborhood) ; Kensington Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Philadelphia Elevated Line (EL) ; Shopping ; Tom Hanson ; Veronica Flanagan Depressions--1929 ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty ; Shopping ; Small business--Ownership 17 4425 Family businesses Uh, the, uh, business people were almost entirely, uh, family people who ran family businesses. Clark remembers that businesses would be run and worked by the whole family. He states you could only get a job if a business owner did not have kids. There were also business owners who also rented out property, so the neighborhood did not like these &quot ; rent men.&quot ; Clark's family avoided a paint store that sold wood alcohol. Saloon keepers were generous and had a good reputation. Family businesses ; Irish Community (Philadelphia) ; Lee Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Saloons ; Somerset Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) Family-owned business enterprises. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Shopping ; Small business--Ownership 39.992, -75.130 18 The corner of Lee Street and Somerset Street where Mrs. Smith's candy shop was located. 4735 The family move to northeast Philadelphia What happened when you all left Kensington? Clark's family moved out of Kensington and went to Northeast Philadelphia where his father's mother left them a house. They were part of Saint Martin's Parish where he and his sister went to high school. Clark was one of two males to go to college from the fifty people in his first grade class. Clark's father got a job at a shipyard during World War II, so Clark had a much better life in Northeast, Philadelphia. Economic inequality ; G.I. Bill ; High schools ; Kensington Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Kensington High School ; Korean War ; Penn Treaty Junior High School ; Saint Martin's Parish ; World War II ; World War II casualties Education ; Employment ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty ; World War, 1939-1945 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/fe30489977d8bc7f59d16aea0e7bd9bb.jpg St. Martin's Parish High School, c. 1920, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. 4949 Irish ditties and adults' advice Well there you are my dears. What more could conceivably be said? Hardy asks Clark about World War II and Irish ditties, because Hardy knows these are passed on between generations. Clark says, &quot ; The world was full of these cuckoo adult instructions to children.&quot ; He remembers that he did not hear a dirty joke until he was in the Army. Clark recounts about the way men, fathers, and brothers taught teen boys to respect young women. Catholicism ; Parish dances ; Singing ; Songs Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Recreation ; World War, 1939-1945 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/bd7f3753cdb5a5ad55bf68b672a07340.jpg Josie and Dennis, 1952. Courtesy of Brendan Clark. A photograph of Dennis and his wife, the former Josepha &quot ; Josie&quot ; O'Callaghan. 5151 Pieing the police Uh, but, uh, I often think that the policemen now--used to talk--I used to, uh, talk to the young guys at the police academy about race relations. Clark explains that cops used to beat up people rather than use a gun. Clark says he knew Popeye Doyle who was a wild cop. He also remembers that men, including his father, in Kensington would throw pies at cops. &quot ; Pieing&quot ; cops ; Eddie Egan ; Mike Slavin ; Police ; Police brutality Crime. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Police. ; Recreation 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/thumbnails/db770ef5a7c03af9f06f574dccd4414a.jpg &quot ; Police Officer,&quot ; February 8, 1924, Temple University Libraries, Special Collections Research Center. 5316 Frugality in the home There, there's another, uh, sort of funny angle I've been getting interested in lately... Clark remembers picking up buttons to bring home to his mom. He also reused clothes and rubber soles of shoes. Clark describes that men had two outfits: one for work and one for Sunday. Clark remembers his mom was an awful seamstress, but she would sew and darn his clothes. &quot ; Sunday best&quot ; ; Buttons ; Darning ; Hand-me-downs ; Seamstresses ; Sewing Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/e0e3419e4d15d33d259032843996f519.jpg &quot ; Dennis Clark as a young man,&quot ; c. 1940. Courtesy of the Clark Family Archive. 5489 Pool halls and gambling Did they play numbers in Kensington? Clark recalls that he often went to a pool room run by a Chinese man to shoot pool and play numbers. He notes that a man with a disability who was gassed in France in World War I, &quot ; Crazy Pat,&quot ; ran the numbers game in his neighborhood. Betting ; Chinese ; Gambling ; Lottery ; Numbers racket (gambling) ; Pool halls ; World War I veterans ; WWI Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; World War, 1914-1918--Veterans 17 5551 Street cries I didn't know either of you then but I-- The interview has relocated outside to the streets of Kensington, where Hardy asks Clark to yell his best huckster cries that he recalls hearing when merchants came to sell produce and other goods. [A small tape skip occurs during this segment.] Dock Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Hucksters ; Street cries Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Shopping ; Small business--Ownership 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/2fd55d47c4d792fab104f168aac95758.jpg Patricia Negron, &quot ; Dennis Clark Headshot,&quot ; c. 1970. Courtesy of Clark Family Archive. 5711 Frugality, reuse, and recycling Okay. P--some people saved string, some people saved yarn, some people saved silver paper... Clark lists items that people scavenged or saved and recycled into other household and decorative objects. Clark explains that women had sewing skills and men had skills with wood and stone. He says he knew many craftsmen and women, including people with skills he associates with Europe, like embroidery and lace-making. Carpentry ; Crafts ; Craftsmanship ; Embroidery ; Home sewing ; Recycling ; Textile industry Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. ; Poverty 17 interview Dennis Clark (1927-1993) grew up in the Kensington neighborhood of north Philadelphia during the Great Depression. A glazer by profession, Clark's father could rarely find employment during the 1930s, so the family struggled to afford rent or food and moved from one row house to the next to avoid the rent collector. Clark went on to get his doctorate in history at Temple University and to write histories of the Irish in Philadelphia. In his two 1982 interviews, Clark shared memories of his childhood in an Irish community and a history of Kensington's shops and mills. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/oh/render.php?cachefile=2017oh244_irw012_clark_ohm.xml 2017oh244_irw012_clark_ohm.xml https://oralhistory.uky.edu/catalog/xt7m901zgq96 Indexed By Nicolette Boyd Sort Priority 0011 OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2017oh244_irw012_clark_ohm.xml Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Dennis Clark (1st interview) Description An account of the resource Dennis Clark (1927-1993) grew up in the Kensington neighborhood of north Philadelphia during the Great Depression. A glazer by profession, Clark's father could rarely find employment during the 1930s, so the family struggled to afford rent or food and moved from one row house to the next to avoid the rent collector. Clark went on to get his doctorate in history at Temple University and to write histories of the Irish in Philadelphia. In his two 1982 interviews, Clark shared memories of his childhood in an Irish community and a history of Kensington's shops and mills. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2017oh244_irw012 Subject The topic of the resource Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. Childhood Neighborhoods. Poverty Recreation Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. Racism Discrimination. Crime. Child labor. Employment Shopping Education Small business--Ownership Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Relation A related resource <a href="/exhibits/show/dennis-clark/childhood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Explore an exhibit on Dennis Clark's life</a> https://www.phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/9cc6b098685c774f334d73c98fc6c8bd.jpg 790f533a967b1cc3d77b9d5dda0d3352 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia Immigration Project Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Charles Hardy Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Antony Catalano Interview Keyword Stylepark Hat Company Family Stylepark Hats Inc. Stetson Hat Company Hat manufacturing World War, 1939-1945 Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 OHMS Object Text 5.1 2017oh241_irw009 Interview with Antony Catalano, June 25, 1982 2017oh241_irw009 irw001 I Remember When: Times Gone But Not Forgotten Oral History Project Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. Employment Fashion. Clothing and dress. Families. John B. Stetson Hat Company Immigrants Emigration and immigration. Labor unions Depressions--1929 Politics and government Politicians Stylepark Hat Company Family Stylepark Hats Inc. Stetson Hat Company Hat manufacturing World War, 1939-1945 Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 Antony Catalano Charles Hardy 2017oh241_irw009_catalano_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2017oh241_irw009_catalano_acc001.mp3 Other audio 0 Back to work at the Navy Yard We'll be alright. We're gonna get busy. Antony Catalano states the moment he left the hat business due to lack of employment. He then found work on the Navy Yard as a metalworker. G.I. (military) ; GI (military) ; Korean War ; Military service ; Veterans ; Vets ; Vietnam War Korean War, 1950-1953 ; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 39.893, -75.174 17 The Philadelphia Navy Yard 47 His father's work at the Stetson Hat Company You say your father worked for Stetson? Catalano notes that his father, Angelo Catalano, worked in the sizing department at the Stetson Hat Company and Stylepark Hats, Inc. Catalano himself learned the hat making business at Stylepark. Explaining Stetson's unique and effective managerial structure, Catalano brings to life how much Stetson meant to the community, providing homes, holiday bonuses, and health care for his employees. Catalano describes what he believes was responsible for the inevitable decline of the hat industry: prominent men, such as politicians including Kennedy and Nixon, no longer wore hats and the fashion for no hats trickled down to the masses. He explains how the Stetson Hat Company eventually sold its name, with Stetson hats now in production by other manufacturers. He notes that there were families who worked together at Stetson and at Stylepark, recruiting other family members to the industry. Catalano recalls that it took him three months to learn the trade, doing piecework, before earning $12 a week. Angelo Catalano ; Family ; John B. Stetson ; John F. Kennedy ; John Katz ; Kensington (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Labor unions ; Lyndon B. Johnson ; Nancy Reagan ; Piecework ; Punch and Judy ; Richard Nixon ; Ronald Reagan ; Sizing department ; Stetson ; Stetson Hospital ; Stylepark Hat Company ; Stylepark Hats Inc. Clothing and dress. ; Employment ; Families. ; Fashion. ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 39.977, -75.143 17 Location of the John B. Stetson Hat Company. http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/0403cc9a7b9773a18b334489abf131cf.jpg Architectural rendering of the Stetson Hat Company factory, 1940. Courtesy of Temple University Libraries. 331 How his father started working at Stetson's Did your father then know--was he a hatter before he came over to this country? Catalano explains how his father ended up working for Stetson. Catalano’s maternal aunt lived in Philadelphia and was married to a barber, and his father had two siblings who had already immigrated to New Jersey. After emigrating from Catania, Sicily, Angelo settled in Philadelphia. His brother-in-law, the barber, cut the hair of the president of Stetson hats, and he asked him to get the recent immigrant a job at Stetson’s. Angelo was too old to be an apprentice, so he lied about his age, but was able to work for $4 a week. In the sizing department (the “backshop”), he worked with other Italians, Polish, and Germans. Apprenticeships ; Bloomfield (N.J.) ; Bloomfield, New Jersey ; Catania (Sicily) ; Catania, Sicily ; Chain migration ; Hod Carrier ; Newark (N.J.) ; Newark, New Jersey ; Orange (N.J.) ; Orange, New Jersey ; Sizing department ; Stetson Hat Company ; Sweatshops Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/1d48c5660dd037abb5a91bfa5d590a3d.jpg &quot ; Sizing Stetson Hat Bodies,&quot ; 1913, courtesy of Hagley Museum &amp ; Library. 435 Mechanization of the hat business In the old days, everything was hand work, hand work. Then as time went by, they got a lot of machines. Catalano explains that the mechanization of the hat industry resulted in unemployment. A hat went through several departments during its manufacture: sizing department, finishing department, and trimming department. Due to the high quality required for every Stetson Hat, Catalano notes that hats deemed imperfect by an examiner would not be shipped for sale. As a result of the unionization of the hat industry, Catalano notes that it became quality over quantity, which caused increased prices. Catalano explains that the difference in the quantity of hat stores during his employment at the Stetson Hat Company and La Salle Hats. La Salle Hats, which relocated to Sun Berry, Pennsylvania, were the creators of the Champ hat. Lastly, Catalano notes that after the complete commercialization of the hat industry, one supervisor was all that was needed to oversee that machines were working correctly. Champ hats ; Employee pensions ; Examiners ; Finishing department ; Hot room ; La Salle Hat Company ; Machines ; Philadelphia (Pa.) ; Seasonal work ; Sizing department ; Stetson Hat Company Clothing and dress. ; Employment ; Fashion. ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Technological innovations 17 870 Seasonal work and the death of men's hats And then it became seasonal work. Catalano explains the gradual decline of employment in the hat business. Initially, he recalls being employed year-round. Then, as time went by, hat making became seasonal work, starting in September and ending by Christmas. From Catalano’s view, presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon and their tendency to not wear hats aided in the inevitable fall of the hat fad. Christmas ; Hat fads ; John F. Kennedy ; Lyndon B. Johnson ; Richard Nixon ; Seasonal work ; Stetson Hat Company ; Trends Clothing and dress. ; Employment ; Fashion. ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 17 1012 Father’s switch from work at Stetson to Stylepark Hat Company How long did your father work at Stetson? Angelo Catalano worked at Stetson for 15 years before a friend convinced him to go and work as a hat finisher at Stylepark Hat Company. A hat finisher shaped the raw body of a hat, simultaneously applying different dyes to give it color. Finally, Catalano explains that Stetson, unlike other hat manufacturers, gave his employees a pension and paid them in gold and silver. Employees ; Gold ; Hat finishers ; Payment ; Silver ; Stetson Hat Company ; Stylepark Hat Company ; Stylepark Hats Inc. ; Union Employment ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Labor unions ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/91003fd6b95f932ced341c3c8deb12d9.png Finishing Stetson soft hats, John B. Stetson Company, 1913. Courtesy of Hagley Museum &amp ; Library. 1165 Stetson after the death of its founder Did the company's reputation stay that high after he died? Catalano explains the downfall of the Stetson Hat Company after the death of John B. Stetson [February 18, 1906]. Catalano notes that ultimately, the gambling issues of one of Stetson's sons led to the bank purchase of the John B. Stetson Company. Banks ; Fires ; Sales ; Stetson Hat Company ; Strikes Employment ; Families. ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Labor unions ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/7328cd832c4ca714b1d783afbec3021d.jpg &quot ; John B. Stetson dies suddenly at his Florida home,&quot ; The Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 19, 1906. 1277 Industrial paternalism at Stetson Do you remember any of the, um, any of the cowboy shows or circuses or fairs they had? Catalano explains the different services that John B. Stetson provided to his employees. As a child, he remembers seeing Tom Mix at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Catalano remembers attending Stetson’s annual Christmas parties held in the hall of the factory. Tours of the Stetson Hat Factory were given to the public. Finally, Catalano tells of the Americanization classes offered at Stetson and how his father gained citizenship after attending the night sessions. Americanization classes ; Annual Christmas party ; Citizenship ; Corporate paternalism ; Fairmount Park, Philadelphia (Pa.) ; John B. Stetson School ; Stetson Hall ; Stetson Hat Factory ; Tom Mix ; Tours Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/6e6369580cc25d87a7d27983f8098ae7.jpg &quot ; Teaching Aliens Good Citizenship,&quot ; Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov 18, 1921. 1454 Life in South Philadelphia / Apprenticing in the hat industry What part of, um, the city did you all live in? Catalano talks about the different parts of South Philadelphia that he called home. Never living north of Morris St., he belonged to the St. Nicholas Parish at 9th St. and Pierce St. before moving to 11th St. where he joined the Epiphany Parish and remained for the rest of his life. As a child, Catalano’s mother wanted him to learn a trade. After serving as an apprentice in a local barbershop, Catalano coaxed his father into getting him a job at Stylepark Hat Company, where he began an apprenticeship at age 16. All of Catalano's siblings worked in the hat industry at some point in their lives. Catalano worked for Stetson from 1947 to 1949 before leaving due to its increased reliance on seasonal work. 2323 11th St. (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; 9th and Pierce St. (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Apprenticeship ; Barbershops ; Churches ; Hat manufacturing ; Larry Catalano ; Real estate ; Seasonal work ; South Philadelphia ; St. Nicholas Church ; Stylepark Hat Company ; Stylepark Hats Inc. Childhood ; Employment ; Families. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Religion 39.927, -75.161 17 St. Nicholas Church in South Philadelphia. 1670 Stetson and its competitors Was there much competition between Stetson and the other hat manufacturers in the city? Catalano explains the competition, or lack thereof, among Stetson and other hat manufacturers. Stetson hats were made from higher quality materials than their competitors. As a result, its product went unmatched. Having factories in Canada and Europe, Catalano recalls that Stetson purchased Mallory and Anderson Hats in an attempt to strengthen their position as the premier hat manufacturer. Anderson Hats ; High quality ; Mallory Hat Company ; Stetson Hat Company Clothing and dress. ; Employment ; Fashion. ; John B. Stetson Hat Company 17 1755 Stylepark Hats Inc. Um, you worked for Stylepark? Catalano explains the various times that the Stylepark Hat Company relocated. After a few decades at several Philadelphia locations, Stylepark then operated in New Jersey for ten years. Finally, it found a permanent home in Chester, Pennsylvania. The frequent moving, according to Catalano, was due to its attempts at benefiting from tax laws. Catalano mentions that, unlike Stetson who had a world-renowned sizing department, Stylepark purchased finished hat bodies from the Peix-McLachlan Company in Danbury, Connecticut. 15th and Wallace (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; 25th and Locust (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; 26th and Reed (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Chester (Pa.) ; Danbury (Conn.) ; Finishing department ; Hat finishers ; New Jersey ; Stetson Hat Company ; Stylepark Hat Company ; Stylepark Hats Inc. ; The Peix-McLachlan Company Clothing and dress. ; Employment ; Fashion. ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 39.947, -75.153 17 The original Philadelphia location for the Stylepark Hat Company. 1893 Life of a hat maker What was the reputation of a hat maker? That whole trade when you were a young man. Catalano describes the reputation and lifestyle of a hat maker. Being a hat maker at Stetson meant stability (before The Great Depression) and regularly occurring incentives which were provided by Stetson. When Catalano was a child, he recalls the closeness that once embodied his community. He remembers sharing a single bed with his two brothers for most of his childhood. Catalano describes how he had to go to the bathroom in the backyard while living at his first house, which consisted of only two rooms. He and his siblings knew that, despite their lower-class status, their parents provided the best possible life for them. Catalano states that both his brothers were drafted into the military during World War II. Finally, he expresses the enormous gratitude he had for his parents and their decision to emigrate to the United States. Button hole makers ; Closeness ; Community ; Cramped living conditions ; Hat makers ; Home cooked meals ; Larry Catalano ; Military drafts ; Mothers ; Patriotism ; Reputation ; Stetson Hat Factory ; World War II Childhood ; Emigration and immigration. ; Employment ; Families. ; Immigrants ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; World War, 1939-1945 17 2318 Politics and the economy during the Great Depression Let me ask you a little bit of politics. Catalano describes his disinterest in politics. Hinting at Senator William Scott Vare and his 1926 Senate scandal, which involved thousands of illegal paper ballots, Catalano states that he never looked to politicians for help. During The Great Depression, Catalano recalls almost losing his house. Lucky to have worked for three months a year, he remembers when his brother, Larry, paid off their parents' mortgage with the bonus check he received after leaving the military. Angelo Catalano passed away in 1943. Angelo Catalano ; Bonuses ; Congressman William Scott Vare ; Illegal paper ballots ; Larry Catalano ; Senate scandal, 1926 ; The Great Depression Depressions--1929 ; Employment ; Families. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Politicians ; Politics and government ; World War, 1939-1945--Veterans. 17 http://phillyimmigration.nunncenter.net/files/original/44516dd155fabf627fc6964a79bb2ce8.jpg William Scott Vare voting, Philadelphia Record, September 25, 1925. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. 2450 Impact of the Great Depression Do you remember when the, uh, market crashed? When The Depression-- In 1928, Catalano left Stylepark Hat Company after his supervisor refused to give him a raise. Along with a few friends from Stylepark, he started working at the La Salle Hat Company, known for its famous Champ Hats. From 1928-1929 he &quot ; lived large&quot ; making $60 a week, triple his pay while at Stylepark. After the stock market crashed in 1929, Catalano struggled to find employment and his wife lost $100 that she kept in the bank, only to get about $30 dollars a few years later. Catalano recalls the upward trend of the economy once President Franklin Roosevelt implemented the Works Progress Administration and the Public Works Administration. Champ hats ; Franklin D. Roosevelt ; Franklin Delano Roosevelt ; Great Depression ; La Salle Hat Company ; Public Works Administration (PWA) ; Stylepark Hat Company ; Stylepark Hats Inc. ; The New Deal ; Unemployment ; Works Progress Administration (WPA) Depressions--1929 ; Employment ; Families. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 17 2585 Keeping the union at bay Did you, uh, at that point, prefer piecework to-- Catalano explains the dominance of piecework in the hat business. Employees had quotas on how many pieces they were allowed to make each day. Once a quota was met, employees were often sent home, as employers attempted to keep as many people employed as possible. Unless you had a special job at Stetson, such as a timekeeper, hourly wages were non-existent. Hourly wages came as a result of unionization, which, as Catalano explains, was deterred by employee incentives such as offering company shares. When employees had a stake in the company, they would be more reluctant to go against managerial motives. The Katz family, which owned Stylepark, ran a strict shop. Lastly, Catalano talks about the company's desire to employ entire families, or groups, so that they would be more hesitant to question their employment. 15th and Wallace (Philadelphia, Pa.) ; Hat business ; Hat making ; Hourly rates ; John Katz ; La Salle Hat Company ; Piecework ; Quotas ; Securities ; Shares ; Stylepark Hat Company ; Stylepark Hats Inc. ; Unionization Employment ; Families. ; John B. Stetson Hat Company ; Labor unions ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. 17 3098 Career changes during and after the Depression Did the Depression hit the, uh--I, you know, had heard that men stopped--started to stop wearing hats during the Depression. Catalano remembers the hat industry declining between 1930 and 1932. As he recalls, things got so bad that instead of taking the trolley car to work, he walked so that he could save about 8 cents. If there were orders, they’d work, if not, they’d be sent home. Once World War II started, Catalano left the hat business and became a barber, working for nickels and dimes. In 1939, he started working as a general helper at the Navy Yard. After some time, he went to school on the yard and became a sheet metal worker. After a heart attack in 1973, Catalano retired. Great Depression ; Metalworkers ; Philadelphia Navy Yard Depressions--1929 ; Employment ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; World War, 1939-1945 17 3298 Remembering political events Do you remember the Al Smith-- Catalano remembers the 1928 presidential election between Al Smith and Herbert Hoover. He also recalls Smedley Butler, Philadelphia's director of public safety during Prohibition. Catalano has respect for law enforcement, and notes that his son was a police officer and also was drafted into the Air Force. He recalls how he and his wife raised their grandson when his son and his wife could not do so, noting some of the challenges the family has faced. 1928 Presidential election ; Al Smith ; Catholicism ; John Dewey ; Military service ; Smedley Butler ; United States Air Force Employment ; Families. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Politicians ; Politics and government 17 3657 Memories of Antony's childhood One final question for you. Can you remember any stories, jokes, um, anecdotes when you were a kid that, that really caught your fancy? Catalano recalls going to the movies as a child, hanging around on street corners, and going to dances. He views his childhood as safer than at the time of the interview. He notes that he learned lots of dirty jokes as a kid, but is unwilling to say them. He remembers when Charles Lindbergh returned from his transatlantic flight. He recalls his first automobile, a 1934 Chevy, and then a 1935 Ford V8. He concludes the interview by stating what his grandchildren are doing. 1934 Chevy ; Charles Lindbergh ; Discrimination ; General Electric (GE) ; Glassborough State College ; Granddaughters ; Lindbergh kidnapping ; Pennsylvania State University ; Safety Childhood ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. ; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs. 17 interview Anthony Catalano (b. 1910), the son of a hat maker, grew up in South Philadelphia. Like his father, Catalano worked at John B. Stetson Company and Stylepark Hats. In his 1982 interview, Catalano talked about his life in Philadelphia, his time at The John B. Stetson Company and hardships of hat makers in the 20th century. No transcript. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/oh/render.php?cachefile=2017oh241_irw009_catalano_ohm.xml 2017oh241_irw009_catalano_ohm.xml https://oralhistory.uky.edu/catalog/xt7m901zgq96 Indexed By Matt Ruiz Sort Priority 0009 OHMS Object https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2017oh241_irw009_ohm.xml Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview: Antony Catalano Description An account of the resource Anthony Catalano (b. 1910), the son of a hat maker, grew up in South Philadelphia. Like his father, Catalano worked at John B. Stetson Company and Stylepark Hats. In his 1982 interview, Catalano talked about his life in Philadelphia, his time at The John B. Stetson Company and hardships of hat makers in the 20th century. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2017oh241_irw009 Subject The topic of the resource Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions. Employment Fashion. Clothing and dress. Families. John B. Stetson Hat Company Immigrants Emigration and immigration. Labor unions Depressions--1929 Politics and government Politicians Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Relation A related resource <a href="/exhibits/show/antony-catalano/life-as-a-hat-maker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Explore an exhibit on Antony Catalano's life</a>