Clemens Work and Asmaa Albukaie

00:00 Okay, my name is Clem work. I'm 75. This is Saturday, June 27th, 2020 and I am in Missoula Montana. I am speaking to ozma albukaie and I have known her for a couple of years since she was gracious enough to come to Missoula and speak to our group.

00:31 Go ahead asthma.

00:33 My name is ozma albukaie. And today is June 26th, 2020. I am 37 years old and I clench last year when he invited me to one of the Islamic Festival like celebrating Islam and he wanted to separate Islam with me and also see that Kentucky state in Montana and. He invited me to his house. And yeah, I enjoyed that very very much.

01:18 As my just stayed where you are now.

01:25 I am in Boise Idaho right now.

01:29 Okay.

01:32 Let's go ahead and start.

01:36 Asthma, you know that I have a soft spot in my heart for Damascus where you were born.

01:44 Maybe we can just start out with some of your memories of Damascus growing up.

01:54 Yeah, I remember you told me one time about you or your dad and making you an ice cream machine. Tell me tell me about tell me about that.

02:05 Yes, I actually grew up in Syria Damascus particularly. I'm from Damascus and a child who dats my country my home and I grew up with a lot of difference memory and one of the memory as to just said claim that my dad actually making machines and he did for us to have an ice cream machine and and that day I remember. My sisters and I just eat ice cream because we were very happy and it was we are not paying for it. It was for free. So we ate the whole day ice cream. I remember a lot of different things. I had my neighbor's in Damascus where Christian and they wear the wedding Christmas.

02:52 I was always looking to the windows to see the light at Christmas lights iOS. It was like fascinated by the Christmas tree the light I wanted the Christmas always ask my mom if we are not Christian, so what if they're really really nice memory? I remember. I cut the tree that was not nice to cut the tree, but I wanted to make a Christmas tree in my family home and I did the tree with some cotton as for my imagination. It's going to snow and some like a red ribbon and just to make it to Christmas and my next morning.

03:43 That I am I I make my own Christmas tree, which is she said you cannot celebrate Christmas because we are not Christian and a maybe we will obsess secret and if we celebrate Christmas as so as soon as I came to United States the first things I did I came in November 2014 and I bought my Christmas tree in December and I kept it until End of Watch because I was really happy that you do. Christian will be upset because we you are Muslim in your step rate in Christmas.

04:27 Well, you know, we still have our Christmas trees are our outdoor Christmas trees while they're not actually Christmas trees their fruit tree with Christmas tree lights, but we're keeping we're keeping so I love I love Christmas lights also.

04:43 Am.

04:48 Yeah, go ahead.

04:51 No, no, I was going to say your your dad. I think he made restaurant equipment things like that. So he do all that equipment for the restaurants and one of them that ice cream and he copied the machine from Italy and he got older catalog how to make it and he was able to copy it and then City and vision, which is was really great to have an interior when I grow up I was I remember I was 7 years old.

05:30 Well, you know, I was thinking we ate him some wonderful restaurants in Damascus. They were in Courtyards of old houses with fountains. Send such good food. And you know, we may have eaten food prepared on one of your father's machines. It's possible.

05:54 Stop so possible in the old house is actually you visit at the restaurant. I grow up when I was little my grandmother house was the same house because right now they they they are doing those old houses as a restaurant just because it's a it's a it's a really nice place where you can eat and feel warm and cozy and but imagine old houses in a lot of tree big backyard and old old Hobbs still was just an amazing memory for me to go see my mom my grandmother cooking my sister and brother playing around me.

06:38 Yeah, so it didn't just said just memories. Well having seen it myself a little bit. I can I can imagine it and you are also talking about, you know, Christians and Damascus. And of course one thing I was impressed by was the you know, the religions existing side-by-side in Damascus and it's a you probably know this history book one of one of Christ most important disciples Paul.

07:12 Lived in Damascus on what the Bible says a street called straight

07:20 Wright Wright Street, probably

07:26 Yeah, probably I had that today love because I grew up with the you know, any country with this such a huge history and I I did not study the whole history, but I know I studied for me enough to be fascinated and in love with the country itself in love with everyone everyone in the country from different groups from different religion because everybody had to history in Damascus.

07:55 Yeah, and you grew up in a pretty large family, right?

08:06 You have how many how many siblings did you have?

08:10 Have a sick sibling and I and one browser.

08:17 Oh, okay.

08:21 So you had a pretty nice childhood almost. It seems to be a kind of idyllic existence.

08:30 But unfortunately, I kind of came to a crashing it's all right. Yeah, and I got started in 2011 when the war started in Syria in the beginning I never expect one day I would be out of Syria. Any reason I always said that I'm like a fish. I cannot live without water and water is my country. There is no way I can live out of outside of Syria. But when you are not safe, there is no way for me. I left urien 2012 and they went to Egypt seeking safety or me and for my kids.

09:20 It must have been hard to do that.

09:23 Extreme

09:26 Yes specialty as a single mom with the you-know-what two kids and breaking probably the the culture of our culture and specifically my family culture. Women. They cannot travel alone and I made this decision by itself and traveled with my kids by myself as a single mom because I wanted I wanted my kids to be happy and due to go to have a normal childhood in Syria. There is no way they will they will not witness the war or they were not witness the bomb being the the noise of the war. They were Nazi buddies and that that was really really hard for me for my kids. Yhip that's decision and I travel to Egypt

10:17 What is a great experience of being in Egypt but I always made it like a cheese. I cannot see bodies. I I I am not saying it as a single mom or single women, but still it's less like a terrifying than seeing the war face to face.

10:39 For sure.

10:41 Did you ever dream about coming to the United States?

10:47 Yes, but that before the war actually I dream to come to United State when I started learning my English from movies. I watch it a lot of American movies when I was when I get married in the age of 14 Ops wife without school and made me love. You just watching something different than what I usually see on TV like a typical Life episode. I want to see something different. So interior, we have to Channel at Arabic channels in English Boost Mobile check-in apps like a Syrian Channel, but the second channel is only English. So they show every night they show American movie and they show the news in English every night waiting.

11:40 Do you remember any specific movie that really made an impression on you?

11:47 Yes, I remember the Janik made a huge impression because then not only because it's romantic know and I was fascinated about the girl who made the decision to change that, you know that the family culture of being specific girl being or doing that specific attitude because it's a shame on the family to change it and she changed the whole things in the end of the movie that why I was really impressed. I was also watching Oprah and I I was like Oprah was showing every Tuesday afternoon in Syrian time and I I I just loved loved her personality and show love the big left everything in her show.

12:47 With the country and not why I learned my English from movies. I I was really it's not okay in my family to to learn the language and be open and watch American movies so I watch it whenever you're nobody can see me I watch American movies and letter my sister gift me laptop the CDs and watching the American movies by myself without anybody knows what I'm doing it. I just fell in love with the country and with with the culture with everything fascinate me a Thanksgiving on the movie fascinates me Halloween in the movie fascinates me the woman feeding woman can work women can be safe women strong inspired by the American Woman.

13:44 So. Why I I dream to be in United States, but I never expect the United States speaking with you. So that was way Beyond. But yeah, I dreamed I love the country.

14:03 So how did you get the opportunity to come to the United States?

14:09 Yes, so when it was in Egypt, I work in a church helping Refugee. It's cool that sent Andrews Church in this church. I work as a psychosocial. I help Refugee to get to Peter Vistas in Egypt in able to survive in the same time to be able to stay legal to eat if they have to register in you and Str as a refugee in Egypt.

14:36 Do you know that unhcr and every day all Refugee who rejected in unhcr review the file and they see if that person is eligible items to different country was to America but they did not tell me that I reset into America until last minute only about one month before my travel. They told me congratulation United States accept you as a refugee and you will be you will be traveling soon, but they did not told me when exactly with only those words that made me super happy and I always remember myself. Like I felt I'm like a butterfly and just flying it was super super happy that were in my bedroom behind me of sea butterfly because I want to always always remember that moment when you when I got that coat the phone call from iom.

15:36 Telling me. Congratulations. It's such a great great moment.

15:46 Did they tell you where you were going or just United States?

15:53 They told me United States first and then before I travel through that and they told me well your your destination will be to Boise, Idaho. So it mediately I rent in my computer to see where I need to go. Go Boise, Idaho and I so that you know, the beautiful man. I was working with the two friends one of them from America the second one from England both of them Melinda and Mark Mike. I remember their name and they told me there is nothing in Boise Idaho accept us know so we do not enjoy it and yeah, and I know but in the meantime, I wanted to make that moment just positive as much as I can and I said inside me like well, I love what I do so I can eat what they do every

16:53 It's not a problem and I love snow and so I can learn how to ski and enjoy making, you know as a Snowman and I just made it positive even though it was like, oh my gosh, you get receptive to the worst place in United States and I just think in in that moment. I want to think positively so I said, well, it's okay. I love you day. Do I can eat fries everyday, and I loved and I and even I don't care how hot I will be. So I keep eating rice and enjoy this phone.

17:28 Door when I arrive. Yeah, but when I arrive to a birthday, it's at a snow and potato. It was way more than what is the typical people amazing Community very very welcoming Community beautiful beautiful nature. So I I just filled in love with Boise and also, Montana

18:02 It's just an amazing place.

18:05 Yeah, I love living in the west your story about the snow just reminds me of a little story of mine working with refugees here in Missoula about three years ago. We had a dreadful winter.

18:20 It just was snowing all the time and a new family came from Eritrea father and mother and for boys.

18:32 And they were stuck in the motel for a long time because we couldn't find housing for them. But yet, you know, we had to do things with them and make sure that they got to their appointments and all but one day we decided to take a break and go.

18:52 And actually play in the snow because it's

18:57 The boys especially we thought would would appreciate that. So I went to a nearby area that had a kind of a sledding sledding area.

19:11 And we took a few slabs and we were sort of waiting through knee-deep snow to get there. And we finally get up to the top mom and her little baby you're up. There are the boys and the dad.

19:26 In the dad, he's kind of a sober severe man or seem like but you know what he did the first thing he did. He he he hopped on the sled which was this sort of a disk.

19:40 And he didn't said he stood he was like surfing on the

19:47 Kids never seen snow

19:50 And he was going down the slope with this huge huge grin on his face.

20:03 That's amazing.

20:06 So so you when you after you got settled here a little bit you.

20:13 You started working with refugees yourself, right? I mean, why did you why did you do that?

20:21 Yeah, well, would you with it if you she is such a rewarding job for me as a refugee. I can see the pain of other occasion when they arrived United States without how to get that lights in the dark when someone come and help them and help doesn't mean money help me knowledge. It's a different culture. It's a different country is a different food is a different language. Is it different every day? So it's not easy for someone comes in with a lot of trauma overseas because of the world coming to another state and stand up on their feet and learn the language without all the help they get from the community. So I appreciated the help. I got so much because the incredible people that help me to send up on my feet and I want it so bad to be that person.

21:15 To join those people with their hard journey only the first three years in United State. It's the hardest because they are focusing two brains. And then and then you know the food for them to the new language is not easy even for me when I arrived United States speaking English from the movies. A lot of time people did not understood me and it's like, oh my gosh, I speak English. I am not speaking Chinese, but they did not just do we might even they don't have English with an accent. They don't have any English at all. So how

22:03 Yes.

22:07 . Port for me maybe because I loved it. So I felt it's super easy, but it's not I can ask myself with a well English. It was easy for me. So it's easy for everybody. It's not easy for everybody. So. Why I wanted to be part of those people Journey vital part of refugees Journey because I'm Refugee myself, and I understand the pain and I want to be the art of healing process with the refugee community.

22:37 What countries do the refugees you work with come from?

22:45 They are.

22:47 Genia right now Somalia Somalia Somalia and Ethiopia

23:02 Nepal

23:05 When I was young, I hope I covered most of what I know. Yeah.

23:12 We have variety variety of last year when I was working with the agency for new Americans. They arrived from Congo.

23:24 A democracy as a settlement to Boise Idaho is from Democratic Republic of Congo. And then from Eritrean. We also have as you know some families from Iraq and a couple of families from Syria.

23:44 Yes in the beginning of my journey when I write you next date. We like there is a huge population came from Syria. But right now unfortunately, they are just there the whole process has stopped and ate they are speaking apparatus another state even though if they arrived they cannot do them lasting tourists to the resettlement process to be in United States that they are probably they are holding their documents and they are just waiting.

24:18 So what do you what does sticks out in your mind about helping Refugee families? What what kind of experiences have you had with them?

24:31 Yeah, well, I have an incredible experience working which each family I always learn from them something but one of the Family Guy from Pungo they just stick in my brain before they are huge family their family of eight six kids and Mom and Dad and they came to United States with very very like little age from 3 years old until 12 12 years old a Hellcat. They are like a young age. So after we move them into their apartment my job as a case manager to do that home orientation and teach them how to use the you know, they're still have to use the bathroom if it's such an important for them to know.

25:22 How to keep their do, you know, they're home safe and also in a good shape. I usually for the microwave specifically always likes to put the corn to make it for the kids. So in a way they are learning in the in the other way, they are enjoying the popcorn because I loved before so I thought I would touch a corn in the microwave and in one minute. You know popcorn turn to that you don't return to the popcorn and they open the bag and the kids just like they were super happy and thing and they were saying it's a it's a magic magic United States America's magic and in a way I said, yes, I'm going to get the magic is Magic to me and I think America is a magic to everyone those family this family's they had older kids in a can.

26:22 They never seen a microwave or even maybe stove. They they cook in a beetle in the world. They had a difficult life and sound really they are in United States. They have a beautiful home. I think it's not be home. They have to pay the rent and they have to be independent and for me seeing those kids jumping and happy tsang. America's magic if it's made me cry, I actually because it was magic to me in the way. They are absolutely true not about the microwave being a magic magic the whole idea. America's magic is it and I I just remember those kids how happy they are and they always whenever I come to like for them to do home visit they will tell me like did you bring popcorn to do the magic?

27:22 Usually I bring it's only one time to teach, you know the family about using microwave as if they are they born in console if I lived for a long time or short time, whatever I will always keep that in my mind.

27:54 Well now they probably use microwave all the time and they don't even think about about how magic it is. I don't know. Maybe this used to be a magic box because I always remember the first time I experienced something. It's never for me. Okay, I get to use it right now. So it's okay anytime I start driving. I remember that I learned driving here in United States anytime. I stop my bike. I remember. I learned biking here in United States. How do you think I am I doing like I anything I do different than I used to do. I keep remembering that. I learned it in United States how to make for example Burger. I love pizza and I love all those kind of stuff.

28:54 Always remember that I learned it here in United State.

28:59 Do you still cook Syrian food?

29:03 Yes. Yes. I still Cooks Indian food at because my kids like it I like it. But also as I said, I I just love to learn new stuff about United States and love to learn how to make the turkey in a Thanksgiving. It's always hard for me to deal with the turkey mostly like for me because I saw it when I was watching American movie in Terraria when I saw the turkey I always thought it's a big chicken. It's just such a big baked chicken. I did not expect this at your key and I learned about the turkey head and United States and I love the mix between the two culture. I love to have my own culture and keep it as it is and also add to my culture. Why United States is unique because it's not only one culture is mixto culture mix of color mix of everything. Why

30:03 Opinion is unique great. Absolutely unique and great.

30:12 Well speaking of food and culture. I have a story actually. It's kind of opposite of the microwave but

30:23 I have been talking with some Congolese guys who were actually they were studying driving driver's ed, you know the rules of the road and saw it and was kind of boring for them at that moment. So they started talking about food and here we are in Montana and we have all this beef isn't like the beef. They work in a pork processing plant it in like a pork is it? Okay. What do you like?

30:50 They said goat we really miss goat.

30:53 So I had a friend whose parents had a little goat farm.

31:02 I asked him. Can you can you get a code for us to slaughter?

31:09 And it is so foggy. You brought the gold over and it was New Year's Day and it was really cold.

31:19 And the Congolese guys arrived and quickly dispatched the goat. You could tell they knew what they were doing.

31:29 Hand me downs filters fire.

31:35 And they were busy slaughtering the goat and they were Five Guys in different kind of divided into 5 for their families, but there were some little Choice bits. I think especially the meat around the spine.

31:48 So they said okay. Let's

31:51 Let's share that so they cooked a little pieces of gold over the over the fire me time. I brought some champagne cuz you know, it was New Year's Day. That's how we told we all sit around the fire eating goat meat and drinking champagne.

32:11 And was just

32:14 You know a wonderful warm feeling we were sharing this culture is different cultures here and there in their new country and I just I just always you know, I just remember that story.

32:30 Right, it's just

32:35 I need a you can get all those memory behind of the smell of the food. It's it's just an amazing. I always every time I cook and Syrian food. I remember either my grandmother cooking in the kitchen. My mom cooking in the kitchen or any time. I visit someone and they had the food on the stove and I smell all those you know and spices. I just immediately goes back to those nice and safe days when we were like chatting and eating it off.

33:22 Well, I want to ask you about a very important thing that happened in your life just a couple of weeks ago, I think.

33:32 You know what I'm talking about?

33:35 Your citizen

33:42 Yes, yes.

33:46 You know United States of America it is an unlikely, but I really dreaming about it being a citizen for me. It's not being not having the passport and being an American.

34:05 Being a citizen it's more responsibility than I ever ever even expect.

34:12 Search for someone from Syria holding the Syrian passport and just being suspect only because they are Syrian or they don't treat it well in the airport just because they are. Or they cannot move or travel anywhere. They just because they are Syrian. It's not fair to me and being an American citizen was not only opening the door for me not to be in this position anymore. But also

34:41 Like I don't know how to say that it's just just an incredible feeling at being part of this country as an as an American. It is such a responsibility how to be a great American. Only good American and responsibilities, and I don't know how to say thank you for for you know for United State and for whom I I just think about it everyday like oh my gosh, how how can I say thank you for this country, but not as a ward as like will not thank you. So should I join the military and being a military Define this country? I don't know. I just always think about thank you for the Medicare and I don't like to give as a thank you for America because I'm safe with my kids and my kids are safe. I have a home. I have a friend. I will say my friend.

35:41 As a family member to be I had American mom and dad. I have I have you I have all the incredible other three United States did not give me only whole United States give me everything after I came up with in with, you know, a broken heart United States young me United States where very very generous to give me everything. So I really need to say thank you in a very deep way. Not only just bored and I don't feel as my eye. Thank you.

36:22 I was coming to the cemetery and being such a good citizen.

36:31 Thank you. You make me cry right now.

36:37 I don't know. Text me.

36:46 Thank you, the most important things when I was sharing my happiness to you know, when I got my citizenship and I was feeling my happiness with my American friends, you know that I did respond was just incredible to me. A lot of people told me you you are an American since you arrived to America. You don't want to wait to get that document to be. Happy. A lot of people was just congratulating me and cheering me and not. I remember when I met at the White House.

37:26 She shared from her story about your dad when when he was working as a he was a diplomat I think and he was in English. People was staying. Well a you are welcome. But when you are when you will be back your country and when he arrived United States people was saying, well, you are welcome to United States and when you will get your citizenship, so he would her dad was saying that that's what make America always different and great in his opinion. I felt this way exactly the same of a Madman on tight the Secretary of the State Story City of the United States because of the welcoming and the happiness and for you to be a part of me part of their country. They are not selfish to say well why you are here?

38:26 Some people they would say well go back to your country because they didn't think different way about you but combating to the welcoming to that lot up to the happiness. It's there's no comparison between one person telling you some bad word, but a lot of people would cheer you and say it made great word for you. So it's it's it's it's just an incredible to think about it and think about the responsibility. I hold every day being an American citizen right now.

39:03 Well, you know I think about it too and it's a it's a huge privilege. We talked a lot about privilege and I'm aware that I have a lot of privileges at one of the greatest is an American citizen, you know be able to live and be free in this country and to at least until recently to travel freely and just to be a part of this country's I think is a huge privilege.

39:37 Right. It is a huge privilege. You are absolutely right and I'm so proud to be part of this country as an American citizen and I'm very very proud.

39:50 So, what's what's what's next you think what how do you say where do what are you going to be doing five years from now?

40:00 5 years from now I want to continue working with the refugees because that's my passion and everything. That's why I'm here in United States. I think.

40:14 It's not important things to me. But also I want to serve in the United States and in a way, I want to find my way to church United States and seriously say thank you. I will speak to you and say well I say thank you because I did this and this and this so yeah, I'm driving to to to find my way to say thank you and I always say for my kids because I got my citizenship before my kids. They are in the process right now. I always say to them I try as much as I can in the last state to be very good citizen. Why they give me the citizenship first because I want them to focus or not do any trouble. So they were saying about you get a ticket driving history not that much but they just as much as I can to push.

41:14 As much as they can. They are young they can be in trouble more than I am because I'm 37, but I I really want them to focus to be a really good people no matter if they got their citizenship for not getting the citizenship. They just need to be kitted and because they are representing their country.

41:34 So also years from now and I want them to be more and a good to the country more helpful to the country. They just giving her as a help for others. And I also I want to travel and I want to see different place where I never imagined. I will be my five years dream. Hopefully, I I will achieve it.

42:06 I am pretty sure you will and I'm grateful for the example that you're setting.

42:13 Thank you. Thank you so much that I have to stop you all there. We're at Taco k