Iran Eleven - Text
The subject, is a 40-year woman, who has lived in the US for the past 18 years. Interviewed by David Lelliot, April 2007; edited by Paul Meier July 21, 2007. Running time 00:07:41
TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH
Okay. I born and raised in Iran, okay, and then in age of twenty I left in Iran, I went for to Germany, for two years, and after that I came to United State. First eighteen months I live in San Francisco and Redwood City and after that I just moved to Los Angeles. And I just stay over here it's almost it's twenty years I'm living in United States now. First language is Persia, it's Farsi. You talk Farsi and going school it's a Farsi, but because we are Armenian at home it was talking Armenian. And before the revolution in Iran the second language it's over there it was English. But after the revolution in Iran they change it and they make it Arabic. That's why we have to learn Arabic, Farsi, and sometimes Armenian. Three language. And when I was like, you know, until eighth grade I learned English, and after eighth grade I have to learn, because it's revolution it's happened I had to start to learning the Arabic language. It is very complicated. When you saying Armenia, the people they just looking okay Armenian, but it's not like that, you know, and some people just a small percentage of the people they know it but that and they're just asking you, "Armenian from where?" Because all of us very different, you know. And then you are explained that, "Okay, I born and raised in Iran", you know. Or some people they say, "I'm Armenian from Armenia. I came from Armenia." Or, "I'm Armenian from Russia! You know, I just like born and raised in Russia and I just, I came from Russia." And it's, it's really difficult that sometimes people they don't understand that and then they're asking, "Oh my God, Armenia, but there's so many different countries?" Yeah. Armenia is very small country and Armenian people there are not so many, and because of that war and all that genocide, which is it's happened most of the Armenian people start to moving around to neighbor's country. And then suddenly all of us we gather over here to United State, being all Armenian, but it's hard to living together understand each other because all of us like from different culture we came, and it's, it's completely difficult. That's why if you look, most of Armenian, Armenian from Iran, they stay together; Armenian from Armenia, they are together; Armenian from Baghdad, or Syria, Beiruit, they are just like separate, and are like it's hard for us to be together and it's, it's not easy. Okay, "Dear Jeremy, Happy birthday to you and I wishing you gonna have great and wonderful day." Okay?
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UNSCRIPTED SPEECH TRANSCRIBED BY ELIZABETH TERREL, ASSOCIATE EDITOR FOR TRANSCRIPTIONS, July 12, 2008.