Zee Alkhater interviewed by Corinne Martin

Creator:

Alkhater, Zeinab, Martin, Corinne, Carrington, Balser, and Liske, Kelsey

Extent:

519 Megabytes 1 digital file, 29 Megabytes 1 digital file, and 0:31:28 Duration (HH:MM:SS.mmm)

Scope and content:

Records the reminiscences of Zee Alkhater, an immigrant from Iraq who fled to Syria, emigrating nine years later, on July 29, 2012, from Syria to Modesto, California. Alkhater relocated to Woodbridge, Virginia, and eventually settled with her two children in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Discusses her experience living in Harrisonburg, xenophobia, Bachelor's degree, and foreign education evaluation in the United States. Describes support for immigrants in Harrisonburg, resilience, culture, intimate community relations in Syrian culture, and hopes for better cultural representation in Harrisonburg. Alkhater also comments on plans to visit Syria with her children. Topics discussed include cultural adaptation, maintenance of home culture, and the challenge of sustaining one's native language and culture with children. Alkhater discloses her experience with violence in Syria and the birth of her two children amid the Syrian civil war. Alkhater also discusses her work as an animation writer in Syria and her aspirations to become a novelist. Finally, Alkhater reflects on what has helped her through hardship and the lessons her experience has taught her.

Language:

English

Physical facet:

(.wav)

(.mp3)

Subjects:

Immigrants -- Cultural assimilation -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg
Xenophobia -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg
Group identity

Names:

Alkhater, Zeinab
Martin, Corinne
Carrington, Balser
Liske, Kelsey

Places:

Syria -- Emigration and immigration

Access and use