After interviewing Gabby, I decided I would wait a few days to call up my sister, Joyce. I wanted to prepare interesting questions for her and also try to build them off of the questions I asked Gabby. I know Fridays are Joyce's least busiest days,so after leaving English class on a sunny Friday, I gave her a call.
She picked up the phone and said " so are you going to finally interview me or what?"
Earlier that week, I told Joyce I would be calling her any day now. Therefore, when I finally called, she was was happy to know the interviewing was about to begin (she loves to talk). I started off by explaining a little more about my project and told her she would need to respond with truthful answers. The first question I asked her was, " how do you feel about growing up in Great Neck?" She eagerly responded and said, " I loved growing up in Great Neck. Well, I only say that because I love the family and friends I was surrounded by." Even though Joyce does have Iranian friends, she has much less of them than I do. Her core group of friends come from families who are first generation Americans, however, she still does have a lot of Iranian friends.
She continued on and said, " At times, it can be overwhelming to live outside of this Persian community that is everywhere I go, but it does not really change how I feel about my town. I am fortunate to grow up in Great Neck because it is not only beautiful, but is also a safe and comfortable environment. Wherever I go in this town, I feel safe and that is a really good and important feeling to have."
"Yes," I thought to myself. I very much agreed with her on that part. I went on to ask her if she ever wishes she grew up in Brooklyn with the Syrian community. She responded saying, " Of course! I have wished that so many times. That way, it would have been so much easier to keep in close contact with our cousins, grandparents, and family friends. It also would have been nice to be surrounded by a community that I could call my own. Sometimes it is hard to look around and watch another community function that you are not apart of, but then I think to myself that I am lucky to get to experience a little taste of two distinct communities. The good part is that both communities share much of the same values. That is why it is easy for me to adapt myself into Great Neck culture and appreciate it."
I stopped for a minute to take in everything my sister was telling me. I began to think about it, and realized that I have never really asked her about how she felt living in Great Neck. I always knew how I felt, but she and I have no spoken about our opinions in depth.
I preceded to ask her, "if there is one thing you can change about living in Great Neck, what would it be?" There was a slight pause over the phone as I knew she was trying to find the right answer. Then she said, " look, of course there will be times when I get aggravated or wish I could change something about this town, but I really am thankful for where I have grown up.Most people in the world do not get to grow up in a beautiful town like this and feel secure with their surroundings, but I do get the opportunity to feel that way. It can be a little tough knowing there are small communities around you that you know you are not really apart of; however, at the end of the day, Great is one big loving community in itself and I am proud to be apart of it.
With that, I knew I got all the information I needed. I thanked Joyce for taking her time to talk to me and reassured her that she would definitely get to see my project once I fully completed it. When I think about it, I very much do agree with my sister and her take on the whole situation. I am so lucky to be part of such a wonderful town even though it does have its pros and cons. As I grow up and mature, I am only more thankful for the environment i was raised in and the people I was surrounded by.
She picked up the phone and said " so are you going to finally interview me or what?"
Earlier that week, I told Joyce I would be calling her any day now. Therefore, when I finally called, she was was happy to know the interviewing was about to begin (she loves to talk). I started off by explaining a little more about my project and told her she would need to respond with truthful answers. The first question I asked her was, " how do you feel about growing up in Great Neck?" She eagerly responded and said, " I loved growing up in Great Neck. Well, I only say that because I love the family and friends I was surrounded by." Even though Joyce does have Iranian friends, she has much less of them than I do. Her core group of friends come from families who are first generation Americans, however, she still does have a lot of Iranian friends.
She continued on and said, " At times, it can be overwhelming to live outside of this Persian community that is everywhere I go, but it does not really change how I feel about my town. I am fortunate to grow up in Great Neck because it is not only beautiful, but is also a safe and comfortable environment. Wherever I go in this town, I feel safe and that is a really good and important feeling to have."
"Yes," I thought to myself. I very much agreed with her on that part. I went on to ask her if she ever wishes she grew up in Brooklyn with the Syrian community. She responded saying, " Of course! I have wished that so many times. That way, it would have been so much easier to keep in close contact with our cousins, grandparents, and family friends. It also would have been nice to be surrounded by a community that I could call my own. Sometimes it is hard to look around and watch another community function that you are not apart of, but then I think to myself that I am lucky to get to experience a little taste of two distinct communities. The good part is that both communities share much of the same values. That is why it is easy for me to adapt myself into Great Neck culture and appreciate it."
I stopped for a minute to take in everything my sister was telling me. I began to think about it, and realized that I have never really asked her about how she felt living in Great Neck. I always knew how I felt, but she and I have no spoken about our opinions in depth.
I preceded to ask her, "if there is one thing you can change about living in Great Neck, what would it be?" There was a slight pause over the phone as I knew she was trying to find the right answer. Then she said, " look, of course there will be times when I get aggravated or wish I could change something about this town, but I really am thankful for where I have grown up.Most people in the world do not get to grow up in a beautiful town like this and feel secure with their surroundings, but I do get the opportunity to feel that way. It can be a little tough knowing there are small communities around you that you know you are not really apart of; however, at the end of the day, Great is one big loving community in itself and I am proud to be apart of it.
With that, I knew I got all the information I needed. I thanked Joyce for taking her time to talk to me and reassured her that she would definitely get to see my project once I fully completed it. When I think about it, I very much do agree with my sister and her take on the whole situation. I am so lucky to be part of such a wonderful town even though it does have its pros and cons. As I grow up and mature, I am only more thankful for the environment i was raised in and the people I was surrounded by.