Hill

=Gillian Hill=

Podcast
media type="custom" key="12081413"

BIOGRAPHICAL/GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE

 * Gillian Hill was born in a county in England called Surrey. She first moved to England in 1962 when she was almost 21. When she left in 1981 she was 40. She came back in 1991 when her daughter had her first child. She left because her husband didn’t get **** tenure and her daughter had just finished high school and son had just finished middle school so she figured why not go back know. **


 * England is part of the Europe. It has a temperate climate and it is between Ireland, France and the north atlantic ocean.**

=Creative Writing=

By: Doug McKinley
I was in England, Then I was in America, Next I was in England once again, Finally I was back in America to stay, When I went back to England my daughter stayed, My first grandchild, Going back and forth like this, Its like running up and down a soccer field
 * Travel + Family **

I like the food My favorite is Indian curry But I probably would have liked it anywhere I like the people They are nice to be around Even when they’re not acting nice I don’t like the war I find it a waste of life and energy It also scares me sometimes I don’t like the politics It was much easier in England Not so much debate I love America the land of the free
 * America **

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
McKinley: What is your name and where are you from?

Hill: My name is Gillian Hill and was Gillian Marshal when I was born. I was born in England in the county of Surrey.

McKinley: Why did you come to U.S.?

Hill: Men. My first husband was an American.

McKinley: I was told that you came then went back. Why did you go back?

Hill: I have always wanted to go back and my second husband and I had been married just a short while. He had been working at Wright State and he didn’t get tenure and my daughter had just finished high school and was going to go to college. My son had just finished middle school and I had just graduated from Wright State with my MA and I thought if I didn’t go now we’d all come to a point where we could start something new that I’d never get a good opportunity like this. Fortunately my husband liked to travel and he was very happy to do that.

McKinley: When did you go back?

Hill: I first came over in 1962 and lived here until 1981 and went back in 1981 as well. Then I came back to U.S. in 1991 when my daughter who had stayed here was having her first child.

McKinley: When you first came here how old were you?

Hill: I was 20 almost 21. I was 21 a month after I came here.

McKinley: Did you come by yourself?

Hill: Yes.

McKinley: Did you fly on a plane?

Hill: Yes.

McKinley: In England what was your favorite food?

Hill: India curry

McKinley: In America what is your favorite food?

Hill: I like everything.

McKinley: Did you know anything about the U.S. before you came here?

Hill: Only from movies. The fact that it was easier because it was the same language. There were a lot of American TV shows on in England. Lots of films were American as well.

McKinley: As you said earlier you came through New York?

Hill: Yes.

McKinley: Why their?

Hill: It was the easiest place to fly to. I could have connected somewhere else to fly on in to Indiana but my new in-laws wanted to meet me and they took me Niagara. In fact we went over into Canada the day after I arrived and then I had problems getting back again because my visa had not come through. I remember that was kind of a problem. We were just going to look at the falls.

McKinley: What was your impression of the U.S. before you came?

Hill: I thought everything was going to look like Disney World where things are clean and sparkly and it wasn’t quite the way I had imagined it. My first view of the highway, the cars being so huge and long with all the weight it was like being on the moon. Now American cars look just like English cars.

McKinley: Was it hard to adjust to American life?

Hill: Very hard I was very lonely. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to be away from my family and my friends. My in-laws were very sweet people but I really was homesick.

McKinley: Have you ever had thoughts of going back and staying back?

Hill: Yes, I still think of retiring there. The trouble is now that I’ve got family and friends on both sides. When we did live back there we came here as often as I go there.

McKinley: Do you have a U.S. citizenship?

Hill: No, I have a British citizenship, I didn’t ever change because I don’t have any dis-satisfaction with my own country. It was just because I married an American.

McKinley: That’s all for now and thank you for your time if I have any more questions I can email them to you.

ANALYSIS
In class we learned that immigrants normally face hardships such as not having money, not having a place to live, or not being able to speak English. My immigrant didn’t face these problems. She came from England so she could already speak English. She came because she married an American so she had a place to live and money; however, she was lonely. Her story contrasts instead of compares to what I learned in class.