Sammye Bates, Marvin Bates, and Wendi Bates
Recorded
February 17, 2023
Archived
February 17, 2023
40:42 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
mby022465
Description
Wendi Bates (45) asks her parents, Sammye “Vicki” Bates (76) and Marvin "Marv" Bates (79), about the story of her adoption from Guatemala in the late 1970s. They share memories of growing their family through adoption, the intricacies of naturalizing an international adoptee as a citizen at that time, and their love for each other.Subject Log / Time Code
Vicki Bates (VB) tells the story of Wendi Bates's (WB) adoption in the late 1970s.
VB talks about the logistics of coordinating the adoption with a Guatemalan agency.
Marvin Bates (MB) remembers the flight to Guatemala and meeting WB in the airport.
MB remembers having to swear to the immigration agent that WB, at four months old, was not and never had been an agent of the Soviet Communist Party.
WB asks VB and MB about their interest in adopting a second child. MB remembers the family thinking intentionally about wanting to make sure that WB wasn't the only non-white person in their family.
VB tells the story of WB's grandparents meeting her baby brother for the first time.
VB remembers WB's naturalization ceremony when she was four years old, marking the end of the family having to get WB a new green card every year.
Participants
- Sammye Bates
- Marvin Bates
- Wendi Bates