Jessica (pseudonym)

Jessica (pseudonym)

Oral history from Ghana

Interview Summary
Jessica’s mother is from Benin and her father is from Ghana. Her parents came to the United States to give Jessica a better opportunity and worked various small jobs to supplement their income. Jessica says that her family is mostly assimilated but still maintains a connection through food, such as fufu, and language, French and Yoruba. Jessica says that she was raised with African values but with an American social life. She says that “it was like growing up in two different worlds.”

2000s

Itzel Nava (I)
Jessica–pseudonym (J)

J: So my mom is from Benin, B-E-N-I-N, and then my dad is from Ghana, so they both. So my mom like immigrated when she was like 23, I think, and she just like left [unknown] and then she came to America for like opportunity and so did my dad.

J: But they met here in America. So they–and my dad, he was like in his 30s I think, and–

J: So she started off, she went to New York first to like kind of start off because I guess she knew someone there. And then she moved to Chicago when she was in her late '20s. And then she started a business. And the business is like braiding [hair]. So she has like a braiding stuff–

I: Okay.

J: –In Chicago. And my dad, he started off working like small jobs like like manufacturing jobs, factory jobs. And now he's like a CTA bus driver for like the Chicago Transit.

J: And they're still working those jobs today because like without like [college] degrees and stuff, like, they didn't get to go to college here, so they don't have, like, jobs that, like, require degrees and stuff.

J: So and then they had my sister. Like me and my sister, yeah.

I: Okay. So then–so you said you your parents like met here in the United States?

J: Yeah.

I: Okay. And then and, sorry, you said your dad is from Ghana?

J: Ghana.

I: And your mom, she's from Benin?

J: Yeah.

I: Okay. And so so did they have other family members that were already living here in the United States or were they kind of just like the first ones who came?

J: The first ones who came, They both didn't have anyone here, but my mom knew like a person that she could stay with here because she didn't really know them. It was just like someone that could help her get on her feet, you know.

I: Okay. Okay. So they like they both just came here by themselves and have they ever shared, like just like their experiences with like when they first like, moved here, like what was the most difficult thing for them or like yeah, something that just like kind of complicated towards the beginning?

J: Okay. So my mom, her local situation was pretty like messed up. She she like staying with people that she didn't really know too well. So she like kind of moved around a lot and she had to like find friends that she could kind of crash with. Like the hardest part for her was just like knowing where to start because she didn't know English like at all. Her country is not an English speaking country–it’s a French-speaking country. She had to just learn from like hearing other people talk and stuff like that. So a big barrier was like the language and then them not having college degrees to like, find jobs. Yeah.

I: So then–so your mom, she speaks French?

J: Yes, She speaks French.

I: Okay. And then do you speak French?

J: Yes.

I: Okay. That's really cool. That's really cool. Okay. So then the biggest like, barrier was like the language and just like finding like, a place to like, lived for her towards the beginning, right?

J: Yes.

I: Okay. And like, has your dad like, shared any, like, experiences that he thought was like difficult for him, like towards the beginning or It was the same thing for him since he didn't know Yeah. So the situation for him was just the same thing, like the language?

J: So he went to Rida for a year and then he didn't have the money to like keep going to school so he had to like drop out.

I: Okay. So like the biggest, like, barrier was definitely like, the language? Like coming to the United States, so. Does your family primarily speak French?

J: Yeah. So my dad does French. She speaks another language called Yoruba.

I: Okay. But my mom does. Your mom speaks French? Is are there any do you have a certain favorite like celebration or tradition that like your family does or just something that's like your Yeah, just like culture wise. Culture wise?

J: Unfortunately, they like assimilated into America. They left a lot behind. But the stuff that we do have left is like the language and the food. Food is really good. We just have a lot of whenever we have like birthday parties, they would just cook home meals and stuff. My grandmother makes like clothes and stuff from Africa. She would like send it to us.

J: Basically just like clothes, food, and then the language but all that other stuff they just left behind.

I: Okay–

J: –Oh, sorry.

I: No, you're good because what are we going to say?

J: Because there's, there was no place for the stuff that they used to know in America, you know? Yeah. So they kind of just left that all behind once they came to the United States.

I: And what's your favorite food?

J: My favorite dish from there is definitely fufu.

I: Okay, and what is that like? Like, what is it?

J: So it's like this doughy, it's like dough and like flour kind of mixed together to make a very thick, like bready kind of thing. It's like bread, it's like floury. You mix it with like soup or okra or jambalaya, stuff like that. Like soups and stuff and it–

I: Okay. And does your mom like make that often or is it just like?

J: Yeah, she makes it pretty often. And like our go-to like dinner meal is like rice.

I: Okay. Okay.

I: Yeah, that sounds really good. Sounds like a really good dish. And you said that like for parties and stuff, like, you guys do a lot of like cooking?

J: Yeah. Yeah, we cook a lot.

I: That's awesome. Okay. So that's kind of like your favorite dish. And you said like, no, there's really not that much of like tradition-wise, but you said that your grandma used to make like clothing, right? And send it to you guys?

J: Yeah, she makes clothes and she sends it to us.

[short pause]

I: Okay. All right. Sorry. Yeah, like cut out. Okay. And then I guess like we already touched a little bit on your parents, like moving here like when they were younger and have they ever talked about like what the main motive for moving here was?

J: America was advertised as a place of opportunity and money, and they both kind of came from impoverished regions in their country so they just kind of wanted more they did that to start the next generation of their family, but in a better place and a more secure, a more financially stable way.

I: Okay…so it's, I guess like back then it was more of like the American dream, right? Like moving here for better opportunities. That was what they were hoping for, like, in their new life. And we already covered their journey well. I guess like their journey moving to the United States. Your mom first moved to New York, right?

J: Right.

I: And then she moved to Chicago?

J: Yes.

I: And then did your dad like always, just like live in–like did he move to Chicago? And he remained in Chicago?

J: So he lived in New Jersey first–

I:--He lived okay.

J: They met and then they moved to Chicago together. New Jersey and New York are pretty close. Yeah. Okay. And they

I: However they like moved at different times, right? Who came to the United States first? Was it your dad?

J: Yes. So it was my dad.

I: [confirming] Your dad and then your mom.

I: And so like how do you think that like I guess like migration has changed you, like shaped you? I know like you weren't the one who migrated, but like your parents, they obviously have like their migration story and you're like living like in the United States, but you still have the culture and like all of that like with you. So how do you think like it has like shaped you, changed you like in a way?


J: Okay. They have that background. So I know where they came from and they taught me like how little they had there. Them being here and us being born here is a privilege and we shouldn't take it for granted. I look at things like as I am because they could've just stayed over there [in Africa] and I would've been born I guess there or something like that.

J: But I have, I look at things like education. I look at that as like a privilege and something that's very valuable because that's what they taught me.

I: Yeah. The super cool that you are to take all of that and put it in the perspective, it's more like the sacrifice that was done and you're given all these opportunities here from that regarding how it has shaped you or changed you.

I: Is there anything else like you would want to share? Yeah…just anything?

J: Yeah. Just yeah, I went–we go back sometimes. The last time it goes back was when I was like nine or ten and we stayed in the village that my mom grew up in. It was just a very big difference, the culture and the language, and then their values and morals.

J: They're so much different than the American values and morals. I would just say that I was raised in an environment where I was raised in an environment where the African morals and traditions stuck to me.

J: And then it's kind of being raised like I was in Africa, but I have like a social life in America.

J: So there's a bunch of differences and yeah…

I: So you think that the morals and the values are just very contrast from like I guess like the way it is in the United States?

J: Right. and it was, it was like growing up in two different worlds. Like I would–my parents like taught me everything they know about everything they know, but from like Africa. But then I grew up here, school here, I made friends here. So like I would, it was like like living in both worlds, right?

I: Yeah. You got to see like a perspective in both.

I: So is there anything specific like within the values and the morals that you think like that you've noticed that's different specifically?

J: Definitely, education and money.

J: Like in Africa, it was like a privilege to have an education. Like not everyone went to school because they couldn't afford it. Here, like public schools make it–you have to go to school up until age 18; back there, like you didn't have to. It was like if you had the money to, you know.

J: So here like here, education is taken as like a burden.

J: Sometimes all of the time over there it would be like you struck gold or something like it was like a privilege.

I: So it's more like, I guess in a way like taken for granted here whereas there [Africa] it's seen as like you're given that opportunity, it's like a privilege that you can go to school. Okay.

J: Yeah.

I: I totally understand that. The whole values and morals thing too, because my parents are both Mexican and just like being like raised in the United States, obviously, you see all the differences of like I was basically raised like as if I was like, you know, Mexican or like living like you're in Mexico but then you're like surrounded by like, you know, all your friends. Like they do certain things maybe your parents like wouldn't let you do and things like that.

I: Like sometimes they would get kind of like, I'd be like, oh gosh, I can they be like, “Why not? I'm like, because I just can't. Um, yeah.

J: No, I totally get that.

I: So yeah, it's like literally like living in two worlds, two completely different things.

J: Yeah. Okay.

I: Thank you so much for sharing all of that.

J: No problem.

I: Yeah, thank you so much.

Itzel Nava

Jessica (pseudonym)