Noeleen

=Noeleen=

Geography Podcast
media type="custom" key="8171208"

BIOGRAPHICAL/GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Noeleen Immigrated to the United states in the year 1990. Being born in Ireland, she was around 22 when she came here with her family to Canada. Ireland was doing fine at the time, but they decided that they wanted to try something new. She visited America a few times before deciding to move here. It was not an easy process she says, but there was a green Card Lottery. Out of thousands of Immigrants, she was lucky to be picked. Another thing I can compared is that its a difficult process to become an American citizen if you are an immigrant. You must go through a lot of tests and exams to pass inspection. For example, questions like "Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket" and "Have you ever committed any crimes such as drug use or driving under the influence". My interviewee also mentioned about how some people marry to become a citizen. My class and I discussed marrying for citizenship with Mr. Lydy. In the interview we also talked about the use of Green cards in class, which she needed to be a citizen. Also during the interview she talked about how Irish immigrants were discriminated at a time in the United States. During most of the 1800s Irish immigrants were thought to be "Lazy, uncreative people" comics were drawn of Irish immigrants, portraying them as Ape-faced filthy people, and were also shown to be bossy and stubborn. Reasons why were not well liked was because they were Catholic, and there was mass numbers of them coming in to New York city, and people thought they were trying to take over the U.S. They are no longer viewed that way today. My Interviewee mentioned Irish immigrants being discriminated at one time, but she never mentioned much more about it.

Noeleen McIlvenna Noeleen McIlvenna was born in Ireland, and came to the United States in 1990. At first she moved to Canada, and occasionally would visit the United States. After awhile, she grew to like the visiting and staying in America. In the 1990’s, she moved down from Canada to the United States.

//“We thought about trying something new, yah know” Noeleen Mcilvenna//

Considering the move

By Corbin Miller

“Canada? Why Canada? What is so wrong with our life here in Ireland?” I said. “Noeleen, don’t you think how wonderful it would be with all the advantages of moving to America? Ireland is the same thing over and over, very little variety in everything,” Mother said. I look over at my father sitting in his chair “Dad, do you want to move to Canada?” I asked. He looks over at me and says, “Noeleen, it would be best for us all, and besides, you can get a better job in Canada, and the United States is right below it.” I think about it for awhile, our life here is just fine, but doing something new does sound interesting, and fun, but I honestly don’t feel the need to move to a new country.. My youngest sister is watching my brother wrestle outside, while my mother prepares dinner with my Aunt. We are having a traditional Irish dish of cabbage rolls, baked potatoes, and corned beef. The sky begins to blanket with light gray clouds.

I think about Ireland, the way it rains every day, and the bright sun afterwards, Canada, is not like that. As I walk to my Aunt, I ask “What do you think about moving to Canada?” without looking up, she says “Well, we decided it was a good idea to do so. Who knows, your 22 years old Noeleen, you can stay here if you want.” I think to myself about staying, but I most certainly don’t want to be an ocean away from my relatives. One of my youngest brothers come up to me and ask “Where is Canada?” I lean over and tell him “Canada is across the Atlantic Ocean, right above the United States.” He looks at me puzzled, and he turns and walks back to his room. My youngest sister wants to move to Australia, but my father laughs, and pats her on the head, “Australia, ha! What’s to see in Australia my lace? Nothing but desert and dry air.” He goes back to reading his paper, while my sister walks away, down of spirits.

It’s funny how father always laughs at our dreams, it’s like the funniest joke in the world to him. Mother has always been supportive of us all, she encouraged us to do what we’ve always wanted to do, but my dad, no, just laughter. However, his dream of moving is coming true it seems. I look over at him, doing his usual thing, reading the paper, all day. He goes to work on the potato and cabbage fields sometimes, but usually works at his job, he’s been working overtime to get the money in order to leave.. In the kitchen I hear my Mother and Aunt discussing how much flower needed to make the bread. Dinner will be ready soon, and my brother’s walk into the kitchen asking is it ready yet, and my mother says the same thing again “Give it a few minutes my lads, bread takes a long time to prepare and bake, have patience.” They mumble to themselves and go back outside; it’ll rain again very soon. Dark gray clouds roll over the horizon, the already light gray sky turns to a grayish blue, and rain drops start to pelt the roof top. My brothers stand there looking at the sky, a small rumble of thunder is heard in the distance. Does it rain like this in Canada?

“My lads, come, get into the house, yah know what I said about playing out in a lightning storm” Calls my Father. I walk into the house, now the rain is falling harder, my brothers walk in from the rain, already soaking wet “Get dried off and change into some clean clothes, supper is ready” says my father, as they rush to their rooms. At dinner, I think about Ireland, the hilly plains, the cool rainy days, the bright sun after each rain shower, If there’s anything I want to do, its stay here. After dinner, my dad watches the rain fall from the sky, but he seems different, as if he’s thinking about something, rain runs down the window panes slowly, it falls not as hard as before. “How different would it feel, to not have these afternoon rain showers, and cloudy cool days” he says without turning around to look at me “But the main thing that’s going to worry me most is finding a job over there.” I worry too, about moving to Canada.

Transcript
1. Q: When you came to America, what was your first job? A: an Archaeologist 2. Q: What is your favorite thing to do in America? A: Watch Television 3. Q: Do you like the food here in America? A: Yes. ( on additional note she said there was little diversity of restaurants in Ireland) 4. Q: Did you have any siblings when you left? Did they come with you? A: She has 11 siblings, but they only went with her to Canada. Her youngest sister moved to Australia. 5. Q: Was Ohio the first state you lived in here? A: No, she lived in Tennessee, and then moved to North Carolina 6. Q: Do you like the climate in America? A: She loves the southern Climate. She also said Ohio’s is similar to Northern Ireland. But yes, she likes the climate. 7. Q: What’s your favorite American sport, and your favorite Irish sport? A: She loves to watch college Football, Basketball, and Tennis. She also enjoys Rugby. 8. Q: How was the trip here? A: The trip was different. She flew to Canada, then drove here to America. (On additional note she said that “ Many Americans think that Immigration to this country is simple, its not, its very scary, and your life, your life is pretty much in balance yah know) 9. Q: Do you want to stay here in America? A: Yes, Die in America actually. 10. Q: Why did you come here? A: She was happy in Ireland, but her family and herself wanted to try something new, so they moved here to Canada and then she enjoyed visiting America, and decided to move here to live. ( She also said she entered a green card lottery and was picked, and got her card)

Analysis
In the interview, I was told that Immigrants come to the United States for a variety of different reasons, Such as opportunity, Money and Persecution. In Social Studies class, we talked about the reasons why so people immigrate to some country, And the reason why they choose America, because it is a country for opportunity.