Maurice, Rachel, and their son Jackson have been in Durham for around a month. They came from Rwanda to join their son and daughter, Lenny and Alice, who have been in Durham for several months. Their family is from the Democratic Republic of Congo by origin. They speak Kinyarwanda, with Lenny acting as an interpreter. Maurice and Rachel are currently attending ESL classes, and Jackson is enrolled at a local high school.
(The flag of Rwanda.)
(A map of Rwanda. DRC, the family’s country of origin, is also shown.)
(The Kinyarwanda alphabet.)
What do you remember about your arrival in Durham?
R: We were very tired. Before coming to Durham, we had given everything to other people. We didn’t think that we could bring everything we had back home with us here.
Was Durham what you imagined it to be?
M: What I imagined about Durham before coming to the US was the security and development of American cities. It’s what I have always wanted to see, and I have had the chance to see it here. It really is a good country.
(The city of Durham.)
What have you liked the most about your life here?
R: The people I’ve met here have been so nice. Back in the other country, we could never leave the house without locking the door. But when we did that here the other day, we came back to find everything here! People don’t steal here in Durham.
What are some of your future plans?
M: I think I would like to find a job in the future. I want to do that and to establish myself in Durham, like everyone else.
R: I would really like to learn English well. If I can express myself clearly, it will be much easier to find a job. I would like to work as a babysitter.
J: I would like to study medicine, and then become a doctor. I would really want to become a cardiologist. (Jackson has been reading his chemistry textbook throughout the interview.)
(Jackson’s dream.)
