Mirian

Interview Podcast
media type="custom" key="8205710"

**Biographical/Geographical Note**

Mirian is from Northeastern Brazil. She moved here sometime in 2002 or 2003 to meet Mark for the first time in person after corresponding over the Internet. Soon there after they got married. Where she lived and other areas in Brazil during that time period, there were many drug cartels that would battle for domination of that area. There was also a lot of other crime, for example, you wouldn't want to wear jewelry in public because of the thievery.

**Creative Writing Piece** **Mirian Kendall**

Mirian is a nice lady who came from Brazil in 2002. Her reasons for coming here where not like many people for coming here. Many people who came here from Brazil came here to have a better life for example they would want more money or to get away from violence. Although Mirian came here for love. She fell in love with Mark on the Internet. **Mark** **by Tyme Suda**

Mark, We met, Over, The Internet.

Mark, I have decided, To come, To America.

Mark, I will, Be there, I promise.

Mark, I am boarding the plane, The plane, That will take me to America.

Mark, I am flying, Through the air, Coming to you.

Mark, I an in America, Coming, To get to you.

**Interview Transcript** Tyme: How long have you lived here? Mirian: Lets see. Probably going to be around 8 years already. Tyme: Why did you come? Mirian: The only reason I came here was because I find… Mark (Laughs) So I came here to meet him for the first time so and we got married so I stayed here. Like some other different people come here to try a better life and get better jobs and this and that but that wasn’t my case. I just came here to meat him and because we met each other by the Internet you know thous sites that you make friendship around the world. So this is what happened. So I come here and met him for the first time. And I stayed here and didn’t go back to Brazil and we decided to get married. So here I am. Tyme: Have you ever been back to visit? Mirian: Yes about 3, 2 times and we are going back for the third time next year. Tyme: What town or city or place in Brazil are you from? Mirian: In Brazil northeast (slurs words together). Tyme: Norteast [What I herd] How do you spell it? Mirian: North (extra pronounces it) east and do you want it in Portuguese? OK northeast. It is by the coast. Do you have a map here? Tyme: I don’t think so. Mirian: Because I could give you a little idea. It’s right by the coast By the Atlantic that covers all of Brazil. So where I live is on one of… Its between the north and the east because its not really north because north would be like the Amazon but its very far away from there. Tyme: how did you expect it would be here? Mirian: More easy to fined jobs and yes this is really what Brazilians expect to fined in America. People always dream that you can have better life better money… Because in Brazil it is very difficult for many people to fined jobs so people want to flee there and go to other countries. Most Brazilians used to think more of coming to the U.S. But that wasn't my case. I just came her because I got married and had to stay. Tyme: Did you fined everything you expected or were there any big surprises. Mirian: What really surprised me was the jobs aren't as easy as we think. When you come here you have to do a harder job that nobody wants like a cleaning job but only if you have a license to work. If you don't you can only get the hardest jobs so the police wont fined out. Tyme: What language did you original speak? Mirian: Portuguese. We have Brazilian Portuguese and normal Portuguese but what we speak is Brazilian Portuguese. Tyme: Can you say anything in it? Mirian: Ya, like a bom dia. Tyme: How do you spell that? Mirian: B-O-M and Dia is a second word – D-I-A. Would be Good Morning. How are you would be: como vai which is spelled C-O-M-O then the second word vai V-A-I. You means Voce. Tyme: Is there anything interesting about the US that was different? Mirian: The weather could be, like snow, because we don't have it there. But when you live here, you know its not that exciting. Tyme: What is your favorite thing about the US? Mirian: Like what do you mean food? Or whatever? Tyme: Whatever I guess. Mirian: Lets see, favorite thing about the US. Well, they have different things like the weather. And one more, I guess speaking English. Tyme: What is your favorite food here? Miran: Favorite American Food? Its not really American food, Mexican. But American is probably Pizza but I guess that more Italian but OK. Tyme: What is your favorite Brazilian food? Mirian: Beans and Rice. Its what I used to have every day and I guess I enjoy it. Tyme: If you had the opportunity to go back, would you? Mirian: Yes because what I like is the weather is the whole year long is warm but if you are talking about jobs I would it would be hard to find one now. Tyme: Why are the jobs so hard to find? Mirian: Because they don't have too many opportunities for people and the politicians so there is more corruption. So the poor people are usually more oppressed and don't have many options so it is very hard. Tyme: What is your least favorite thing about the US? Miran: I don't like the long cold weather and really like the ocean there so it makes me miss it. It also makes me more happy in tropical weather and it has more ocean and when you go to the beach. Tyme: Do you want to tell me anything more about Brazil that you think I don't know? Mirian: The people have more hospitality and make more friendship there. Tyme: So they are more open? Mirian: Yes. They also invented there own gas out of cane sugar but only some use it. What more. Well the food, there is also a big variety of foods there. In between Northeast and Southeast for example are very different. They have there own customs. There are lots of people who came from other countries. Like if you go to the south side of Brazil people are more white and have straight hair. But if you come from where I'm from you will more commonly be a little more darker skinned with curlier hair. Another thing is that natural medicines are bigger in Brazil than here. Like here you have a lot of pharmaceutical medicines but we have more natural medicine. I don't know if you know anything about the history of Brazil. We where discovered by Portugal and the first population here was Indians. They more concentrated in the Amazon but the Amazon is being destroyed and the tribes are getting pushed farther and farther away from where they were from. What else... Another big thing we have in Brazil is carnival which is when the people go out in the streets dance, have fun and eat. Another thing about it is very local so it is very different in different places. Like one of the most famous feasts is in June or July and we have a big big harvest of corn and we name the days after the saints like saint peters day and we have all types of foods made with corn. Tyme:What types of food would it be that are made with corn? Mirian:They will have to be a Portuguese name because they don't make them here. So one is pamonha, P-A-M-O-N-H-A and another one is munguza, M-U-N-G-U-Z-A. Most of these foods came from the Indians who planted and grew there one foods to make them. And like I said In some places there are concentrations of one group of people who have there own types of foods and cultures. Tyme:So like china towns here? Mirian: Ya and they live there and it's very interesting because we have many different groups of people and they have their one life stiles and their own language they can speak there. So it is very interesting. In Rio de Janeiro is the big one of the big things that is known around the world is the big statue they have called Cristo Redentor is a big big statue made in open arms like this (opens her arms) and it is very famous it is spelled C-R-I-T-O and another word R-E-D-E-N-T-O-R ya its a very famous statue in Brazil. Lets see what else... well I guess the Language is a bit like here because from the northeast to the southeast the accents will be very different and even some words will be different. I think that is everywhere though. Also in Brazil there is a lot of violence as well as the corruption that I told you about. Its a very very violent place because of the big number of poor people who don't have jobs so they become drugged or robbers. Today is not like years ago where you didn't need to worry about not carrying any jewelry. Like Rio de Janeiro has many drug cartels and slums so it is a very dangerous city. We have lots of slums that fight against each other all the time because they want control. They care more for there health by natural things like gluten free things. Also in Brazil there are many fruits that we don't see here. They are very religious people there are a big number of catholics and a big number of Protestants. Another big thing about Brazil is football which is like soccer here like when the boys start to grow they learn soccer. It is very very big over there. I think that is it. Bye. Tyme: OK. Bye.

**Analysis**

The Interviewer learned that many of the immigrants that come here, come to have a better life. Mirian's experiences prove this wrong since she came to the US because she fell in love with Mark. This proves that not all immigrants come to the US because they need to persecution or they want to have a better life in America. Even though she talked a lot about how bad it was and why most Brazilians wanted to come over for that reason she always ended it with, “but that is not my case.” like when she said, “Because in Brazil it is very difficult for many people to fined jobs so people want to flee there and go to other countries. Most Brazilians used to think more of coming to the U.S. But that wasn't my case.”