Interview with my Grandmother
by Sanura Simire* February 2025 Sanura Simire: Thank you for talking with me today. Grandma, can you tell us about your life in Africa before you came to the United States? Salome Baralengelwa: Sure I was born and grew up in a small village in Congo called Bukavu. Life there was simple and easy. We grew our own food and helped each other in the village. Family was really important to us, and we had lots of traditions. But it wasn't always easy. Sometimes, we had droughts, and money was tight. It was also hard to find good schools and doctors. Sanura: That sounds tough. Why did you decide to move to the United States? Salome: Well, my children wanted to have better lives and more chances to go to school and find good jobs. They thought moving to America would help them do that. After talking about it a lot, I decided to go with them, leaving my home and everything I grew up with behind. Sanura: I can imagine that was hard. What was it like when you first got to the United States? Sa...