Immigrant Voices Podcast Project
Immigrant Voices Podcast Project
George from Lebanon
George dreamed of coming to the U.S. to further his education as a young man, but Lebanese politics got in the way of a student visa. When he was married with children, a family health crisis brought him to the U.S. for 5 months in 2018. The catastrophic explosion in Beirut in the summer of 2020 caused him to leave his life in Lebanon behind and resettle his family permanently in Boston. They arrived in at the height of the pandemic. Their first apartment was one-quarter the size of their Beirut house. Starting with no furnishings save a mattress on the floor, George slowly made a new home and a new life for himself and his family.
Guest Introduction/00:39
George dreamed of coming to the U.S. to further his education as a young man, but Lebanese politics got in the way of a student visa. When he was married with children, a family health crisis brought him to the U.S. for 5 months in 2018. The catastrophic explosion in Beirut in the summer of 2020 caused him to leave his life in Lebanon behind and resettle his family permanently in Boston. They arrived at the height of the pandemic. Their first apartment was one-quarter the size of their Beirut house. Starting with no furnishings save a mattress on the floor, George slowly made a new home and a new life for himself and his family.
An Early Desire to Visit the U.S./01:38
Deborah: My guest tonight is George from Lebanon. Hi George. Welcome.
George: Hi. How are you?
Deborah: Why don’t you tell me how you happened to come to the United States?
George: So when I was younger you know I was dream to come to United States before for study but it was a war in Lebanon. We are talking about 1989, 1990. I didn’t take a student visa. First I applied for a student visa, but some reasons I cannot get this visa and later I was married in 2000. They give me the immigrant visa because my brother was here from 1988. He was here before me and he was coming also first time to study here. When he finished his studying he was married and he is a citizen and he was applied for me to immigrant paper and I get first time 2000. I was married in 1999. I have one son. I told them I cannot come now because I didn’t need it now. I was married. I started my life, you know, my own life and my own business in Lebanon because I’m Lebanese first. And finally in 2018 something happened. It was with my family. Some medical reason. I have a medical reason and I take the decision to come and to get the immigrant paper, and I apply and I get my green card in 2018 and was coming here first time. And I will stay here around six months first time to take the treatment and to finish the treatment. And later I was come back to Lebanon. And every six months I come to United States just for the immigrant papers, just for the immigration. And later in 2020 there was explosion in Lebanon and in Beirut, and it was the third explosion in the world. And I take the decision this time with my family to move to U.S., to the United States and we are moving on October 2nd, 2020 in the pandemic time, in the bad time, you know, but we are taking this decision to come here and to live here.
Beirut’s Explosion Sparks the Decision to Emigrate/03:54
Deborah: That was right after the explosion that was in August, right?
George: In August four 2020.
Deborah: Did you hear it?
George: I hear it because I live in Beirut.
Deborah: Can you talk a little bit about what that was like?
George: It was crazy. We are so afraid first and the glasses all my house was broken and comes down and I have lost a lot of my friends was died because it’s a glass come and some it was crazy. And you cannot imagine what it was this explosion and what you see before and after how it was Beirut before and how it’ll be later. And about the people, you know, around 220 persons was died. And around five persons not done, but it’s not in good health. Still until now, and I have two, three people from my family was died. They have like a gas station. One of them also he was in coma around two three weeks and later he died. And so many people, you know, it was a crazy, crazy explosion in this time when I see this happens to Lebanon and you don’t have nothing to do with later, you know, and just bad situations, months after months. I told my wife should be come and live here and this is this mistake when I do it should be come here before maybe in 2000 first time it was the best time, but I forget this occasionally. And I was coming even later, but it’s good not to coming. But I was coming in 2020 and I am like an old man now. I am a younger but I bring my family because it is to safe and you can find work. And you have also some medications, and medications what disappeared in Lebanon. You don’t have anything. Sometimes you don’t have gas, sometimes you don’t have food, sometimes you don’t have electricity. Lots of problems. And we have immigration for here, and a hundred or thousand of Lebanese people dreams to come to the United States, and we have it and we don’t come for what? First of all my family all, and my son was started as University of Beirut, American University of Beirut. They don’t agree with me to come all. I don’t know. I want to come, if you want to come with me. Okay. If you don’t want stay in Lebanon, me, I want to go to the United States. That’s why it takes with us around two months to take decision to finish everything in Lebanon from August to October second or third.
Deborah: That’s still pretty fast. That explosion was a big catalyst for you and all the previous trips, the work, the immigration work that you had already done probably helped you. Did it help you?
George: Yeah, for sure. It helped me if I didn’t have it how I want to come? I’m illegal. But when I have it, and I can get a lot of benefit here. You know why? Because it was a pandemic and here’s the government the president give money to the people and me. I stay in Lebanon I lost all this benefit. So when I come back and apply to the IRS and everything and apply for my taxes because I am legal I have the permanent. That’s why I can get everything. And thanks God for everything and thanks God, thanks to United States, and about these rules and we start in this time. About find work and about my daughter’s school, my son’s university, but my wife also search for a job. And we are a French-educated, not English-educated and it was so hard for us to go from the French to the English, you know. We speak lots of English, not too much.
Deborah: How many languages do you speak?
George: Three languages now— French, Arabic, and English.
Coming to Boston and Finding Work/07:56
Deborah: Wow. And what brought you to Boston? Was it the educational institutions where your children were enrolled?
George: Yeah, especially in Boston and our immigration. It was here in Boston because I make a treatment before when I let you know. Not here in Memphis, Tennessee, but our immigration here and my brother lives here. That’s why we choose Boston and especially in Boston my first son applied to UMass Boston. He was accepted, and my second son also he has a high school. He finish it here. And my daughter in Gardner Pilot Academy, she was applied first to Winship school and grade five. And now she’s in grade seven, but second year in Gardner Pilot Academy and that our school. Language school for me and my wife because we takes a courses, English courses.
Deborah: That’s great. So how old are your children now?
George: My older son, he was graduated last year, 21, and my second son 18, and my daughter is now 12 years old.
Deborah: What kind of work were you able to find, George, when you got here?
George: My friend has a restaurant here in Commonwealth. I start with him to work in this restaurant, and I have some ideas from Lebanon, and this is Lebanese food. I was here on third October. I start my work on ten. After one week I start, it was always, thanks God about everything. And also I bring my sons to work with me, not a full-time, part-time when they have time. I was still working in that restaurant around seven months and later we are going into vacations in Lebanon in summer especially. And when I come back last year, I was starting running shift manager in a restaurant, another one Mediterranean restaurant, but American owner people. But they are so nice as I am so happy with them and they desire me too much. From October, 2021 and until now, I’m still in this job.
Deborah: That’s my favorite kind of food Mediterranean. You started to say something about your wife.
George: She is finding a French school in Cambridge. And like assistant teacher. And she still work from last year and this year. And she takes like a certificate from a year and now she’s a teacher in Cambridge in French school, and she speak English and she learn English with me in the same school in Gardner Pilot Academy.
Deborah: When you were in Lebanon, what kind of work did you do?
George: In Lebanon I have my own work. My dad have a truck, a big truck between Lebanon to the Arab countries. And I make a business accounting and I take all this business and transportation and later also I was working in a company like a manager in construction around 13 years still in this company.
Deborah: In Lebanon construction?
George: Yeah. In Lebanon. Yeah. Construction with our business, we have also transportations and materials for construction. Construction and everything. I was boss in two works. And later I move here to 2018. I still in this company, but not too much, because I still here six months or seven months. And the first time in the United States, when I come back, I come back to my work, but not too much. And the bad situation in Lebanon everything, especially in construction, stopped and in 2020 we are moved here.
Lifestyle Changes/12:02
Deborah: What’s been the hardest thing, George, about coming to this country for you?
George: You know, it was too much hard because I start from A. I have everything in Lebanon and I prepare everything for the future. I have everything. And I was coming here. I don’t have not home. I don’t have anything. I don’t have furniture. I don’t have nothing, not car, nothing at all. I want to start from zero and okay, my brother help me. But you want lots of things and you do need lots of money and I take an apartment. And I was surprised because my house in Lebanon was four times that apartment. This apartment was like my salon in Lebanon. But here what can I do? And I live in Allston. And in Allston it’s so expensive and the rent so expensive. But I like this place and we start first week we didn’t have anything. I bring the mattress, just sets it and later we start to put the furniture or something, something after something. And it was too much hard because about the weather here too much cold. In Lebanon, where I live no snowing, nothing. I live in Beirut, you know like California , whether over there or sometimes like Florida, we don’t have snow. The snow at the mountains. But here, and especially I don’t have a car first of all. I want to go walking or take Uber. After six, seven months, I buy first car and I want to take the driver license. I didn’t have it. And later, once, one month, after one month, everything will be good. And okay. And now I have the special reason when I find it about the rent, I need to buy a home or a house. I don’t know. But because they increased my rent from 2020 until now, it’s three times. I started in $1700. Now $2400 and the smaller apartment, not a big two bedrooms, one rest room. That’s it. Not nothing special.
Deborah: And what was your house like in Lebanon in comparison?
George: I have yeah, in comparison. Crazy. I can’t compare.
Deborah: You said it was three times the size.
George: Yeah. I can’t compare. That’s why I have my own building. I live alone. I don’t have any neighbors like here from the top boom, boom, boom all the time from down. You smell sometimes not a good smell. You have a lot of neighbors around you. But thanks God, it’s okay. What we can do, you know, for now. Maybe next year if I can I want to try to apply to buy I don’t know a home, an apartment. I want to see how much can I spend from the withdrawal from the bank about the mortgage and everything.
Deborah: They have programs for first time home buyers.
George: I applied it for the, but it was expiring. I can get $50,000 here from Allston, but it was for November, end of November. But there’s maybe later it’ll be another program, I want to apply and I take online also this course around 10 times for this program. And now I take the certificate also and now I’m still waiting because here my rent to end of September 2023. So I don’t want now to see or to buy something at the interest. I am not lucky. It was three percent last year. Now six point five, around seven.
Deborah: Yes, it’s gone up. So do you have furniture and are you all set up in your apartment now?
George: Yeah, now, yeah. I have, thanks, God, everything . But it was not easy, first of all for me and especially first week. I didn’t have anything I need to have just a mattress to sleep and only bed I didn’t have, you know, just the mattress.
Making Lebanese Food/16:29
Deborah: You got the mattress off the floor, finally. So do you love to cook. Do you cook in that restaurant?
George: Yeah. I make everything. Yeah.
Deborah: What do you make?
George: I make falafel, we make hummus, we make babaganoosh, about the chicken, about the mushrooms, about steak, about what we have euro also shawarma here. Yeah. Rice everything. And the pita. We make special pita every day. Fresh pita, we do it. We have the oven and we have there’s a mixer and everything.
Deborah: Where is the restaurant located?
George: In Watertown, Bond Street near Marshalls. In good place. Not too far from here.
Deborah: Did you cook when you were in Lebanon?
George: No. In Lebanon, I have two girls, one from Ethiopia and the other one from Sri Lanka, and one time from Bangladesh. One for make the food from Ethiopia and the other one to just clean the house and take care of everything on the house.
Deborah: That was when you were in Lebanon.
George: Yeah, when I am in Lebanon here. That’s why it was too hard for us here. In Lebanon you cannot work in Lebanon. You work sometimes six hours and five days per week. That’s it. Especially on the weekends. Everything closed on Friday at eleven/noon. Everything done and closed. You cannot something to do it, you have all your weekend for you, for your family. You can make activity. You can go everywhere and you can do what you want to do. Here you all the days is the same. Sunday like Monday just working.
Making Time for Family/18:19
Deborah: Do you not have enough time with your family now?
George: Here I have time because I told them from the beginning, I don’t want to work especially on Sunday because I’m Christian Catholic. I go to the church every Sunday with my family and later we go to the lunch. Some restaurant every Sunday, and I have this time I have the Sunday all the time they offer me and I work six days per week.
Deborah: Are they long days?
George: Not long days. 40 hours per week—42, 43 is the maximum. And especially now after Thanksgiving the maximum and not too much. Not 40 or now 30, 33, 35. Because now it’s too slow. The business too slow.
Riding Out the Pandemic/19:06
Deborah: So you came here right in the height of the pandemic.
George: Yeah, I take this decision; it was dangerous.
Deborah: What was that like?
George: First of all, I was surprised because here everything pandemic you just at the house. But when I was working in that restaurant, I don’t know, maybe not too much restaurant was opened. That’s why I spent my time here by working. I don’t have a lot place to do it or lot of place to go and I need to put the furniture in my house and I need money. That’s why I spend my time, first of all, working, working, working. And later I’m happy now because I have everything here. I don’t need anything. Thanks God.
Citizenship/19:54
Deborah: Do you have plans to become a citizen?
George: Yeah, for sure. Maybe next year I will a citizen, because my green card from 2018 and I need five years after to stay here in the United States to get the passport citizen. I want to apply maybe next year.
Learning English/20:12
Deborah: Is that true of your children as well?
George: Yeah, for all my family. Because we have the green card all in the same time, same date, and you are moving here first time all together. And when I stay here for this medical reason, my other children come back to continue her school in Lebanon. But we are still here. Just he was coming for his immigration. And we have it all at the same time. And same day especially. And same year.
Deborah: Talk to me a little bit about your English. Did you know some English when you got here?
George: I know a little English, not too much English, but I start, first of all, last year. I didn’t know before where I want to take English and how I want to take English, but later when my daughter was in the school, I know there is some programs, English classes. And I know Miss Michelle and we are talking with her for me and to my wife and we have meeting her like a Zoom meeting the same, not in person. And we started take English classes last year and this year and we increase our language too much, you know, now I’m not so perfect, but I can speak. You understand me I think.
Deborah: You’re doing great. Do you speak Arabic at home or French?
George: At home, honestly, Arabic and French. And when we are going to shopping, some shopping and here, because not all the people know French. That’s why you speak French with my wife, but my daughter doesn’t speak any word in French. She doesn’t speak French. She speaks just English and Arabic because in Lebanon I put all my childrens in English school. That’s why I know before I want to come one day to live here. That’s why I put all my childrens from the KG one, KG two, and they start at school in Lebanon. We have a English school. I put them in the English school.
Deborah: That was the American school in Beirut is it?
George: Yes, there is not too much. There is around three. And we have two university when we start my son in Beirut, American University of Beirut. And we are moving here. All he was thinking in Lebanon. It was here the same, he makes first year in Lebanon. He continue here the second year, and especially UMass Boston, all the semesters before he has taken around three semesters. It was here the same, and they continue here about the four and the fifth, sixth to finish.
Deborah: So you wanted to come to the States a long time ago if you put your children into English school.
George: Yes. That’s why I put an English school. I know before I want to come one day here to live here. That’s why I put it from the first beginning in English school. It was a reason, and if I not coming, maybe my children wants to come.
Power of Politics/23:24
Deborah: What was it about coming to America that was so compelling for you that you wanted to do that? What made you know that you want to come one day?
George: Because, you know, I applied before and later when I needed first of all when I was children, I needed to come here to complete my education. I cannot because it was war as I told you before in Lebanon and it was not easy to get the visa.
Deborah: And that was before you were married?
George: Yeah, before I was married. I have—we are talking in 1998 from long time. I have around 17 years. But it is a problem is not from U.S. you know. We don’t have an embassy in Beirut. I was going to Cyprus and to apply from Cyprus to the American Embassy in Cyprus, in Nicosia. But the problem it was from the Lebanese government. It was some political reasons. That’s why they don’t need the Christian people like to immigrate to other country. They needed to stay in Lebanon. It was from the patriarch of Lebanon. That is the and especially as a Christian, because all the time like now all the Christians Lebanese people around the world, and especially every one bad situation has come. I take the visa first of all when I apply. I just remember at the morning and I went to get my passport at two afternoon. And when I was going to bring my posters, the council over there, he told me, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” three times, “Mr. George, we cannot give you a visa. This is a decision from your country, not from us. We are so sorry.”
Deborah: And are you saying it was because you were Christian?
George: Yeah, it was some political reason. Because it was a war and all the Christians, especially the younger when you can get some immigration, they are leaving, that was the reason. Yeah. And from this time I’m still thinking about the United States because my brother was here and I want to come here and we are just two, me and my brother. I don’t have other brothers and him, and he doesn’t also have, and we dream to open a business here from the last time before if we are coming. But the bad ways it was to coming not early. I was coming too much late in 2020. But it’s better to come. Not to come, maybe not to come for later, but I was coming. Yeah. And that’s it.
Balancing Work and Family Now and in the Future/26:12
Deborah: Is running your own business with your brother in the future, is that part of a plan for the future, do you think?
George: Yeah, but not now. First of all, I want to buy a home. This is first my first planning. But maybe later. But if we can find something, until now, if I can find like some convenience store, a small business, I can start it. Not a big business and especially not a restaurant, because the restaurant. I find that last week, one for rent, not for buy, but you need lots of people to work with you and you have a lots of money to pay for the food for something like this. I am not ready now for this.
Deborah: That’s a lot of work. Restaurant business, seven days a week business.
George: Yeah. That’s why I used to spend all your time in your business and it’s not easy, really. It’s a harder job.
Deborah: So, looking to the future, I know you want to buy your own home, that’s top of the list. Are there any other things that you’re hoping to do in the future?
George: Yeah, I dream if I can, like I told you now, when I finish my home, if I can open like small business. For me, I am the owner. You can take all the decision in your own, but we are dreaming now because like I told you before, everything is so expensive now. And if I can buy something in Lebanon, oh, you need too much money here. That’s why maybe, but this is second plan, plan B, not plan A.
Missing Lebanon/27:53
Deborah: What do you miss the most about Lebanon?
George: I miss about my family. My dad, my mom, they have also green card, but they don’t like to live here. Because the living in Lebanon difference, than here, like I told you, can do everything. And especially because now my dad and my mom are old people, not younger, and also they not speak English. This is the reason. They are coming here, but all the time stay at home and they don’t have nothing to do with and not working. They prefer to stay in Lebanon. And that why I miss especially, and this is a reason to go every summer on vacation to Lebanon to see him. And I have also one sister in Lebanon. And some friends in Lebanon stay that’s why maybe like nostalgia.
Current English Classes/28:49
Deborah: So you go to school now the classes are in person. Yeah. And you and your wife go, you go together. Are you in the same class?
George: In the same class and every week, two times per week, two hours 30 minutes, every session.
Deborah: Do you like it better in person or online?
George: You know, sometimes like online better, but now no. I like better in person and we have a good teacher and he like me and I like him. I can ask him everything. I can do it everything. If I have some problems, something to ask him and, you know, especially there is lots of culture different, our culture and sometimes about the pronunciation also I need to help me. But if I have an online, and you have a lot of student with all online, you cannot take your time to ask you like these questions, especially these questions.
Cultural Clashes/29:48
Deborah: What, are the biggest differences culturally between here and there?
George: About also the families. Here when your childrens be 18, he can go and live alone. In Lebanon you don’t have this culture and you cannot like some reason like about girlfriend and boyfriend and if you can get baby without marriage, it’s not legal in our country. You don’t have that, should be married from him or from her. This is a special culture, about the families we are talking. And this is the most important. That’s it. And here what is also like when the children still working he or she has money. They don’t need the parent, I can spend my own money. But in Lebanon, no. All the time they need the parents to take money from him. That’s why it is a reason to stay with them.
Deborah: So they’re more independent here.
George: Yeah, more independent here, but too much!
Deborah: Do you try to get them to be more the way it would be in Beirut?
George: Yeah, I try as I can, you know.
Deborah: What do they, what do they say to you?
George: They don’t say anything. Like my second son he has a girlfriend or something. He goes around two three days per week. But now he wants to still live with us not too much because we don’t like me and my wife we speak with him. We don’t like this way. We still one family and we makes all this family together not about the American way. You can do everything, but especially at night should come back and sleep with us in the same house. That’s why I want to buy a house. Not for me because I want to everyone of my children be relaxing. He has their own room. Like in Lebanon, he can do everything I buy for him a car and he has his own car about like the Lebanese way, not just one car for all the family. He can do everything as we can. Me and my wife, we try to stay about the Lebanese culture and we don’t know how long but until now.
Deborah: That’s a challenge.
George: Yeah.
Deborah: To hold onto the family values, but take advantage of the good things in our culture. Anything else that you’d like to share about your experience?
George: I want to tell maybe somebody immigrant from here, here you have the safe, especially in this state. You know, I was in other state, like I told you before, in Memphis, it’s not safe.
Deborah: What was it like?
George: It’s not safe.
Deborah: In Memphis, Tennessee.
George: Especially in Memphis, not in Tennessee, all Tennessee, like you have Nashville, it’s a good place. But when we are in Memphis.
Deborah: What happens?
George: All the times, the police around the security, around the building. At three, four afternoon you can’t do walking you want to still at the building or at the hotel. And if you want to go somewhere you want to take the Uber you cannot go walking and all the time the gun and everything. Every man he can buy it over there and they can put a gun. I still remember like in Black Friday some boy was with her girlfriend and some other boy look about her girlfriend. How he was looking about her girlfriend he’s take the gun and shoot him. I still remember this crime.
Deborah: Did you see it happen?
George: No. I was on the other street, but I see on the news later at night and I was surprised. And I was afraid. And in that time we don’t go anywhere. Just during the day and with Uber nothing walking because I was walking every day like just to walk or to make some exercise. But later I still every day, every day at like a hotel, we are leaving over there. And when want to go is to make shopping or to make something, we take like a shuttle. He takes us, he waits us and he bring us to the hotel when we finish. But here you have all the time safe. And especially like here when I live in Allston, you five a.m., five p.m., three a.m., three p.m. is the same. The police around you nothing and no problem. You can do everything, especially walking, and why when I was working before I sometimes I still at 1:00 AM in my work and I go walking here from my house to my job around eight minutes walking. I didn’t see anything special or something dangerous or some situation. Good or bad situation. No, everything is good. And I recommend every person he want to come here to come to Massachusetts, especially to Boston and to live here because I think third state in the United States, Massachusetts or second about everything, about the education, about the safety, about everything.
Deborah: Have you experienced any kind of discrimination because you’re an immigrant since you’ve been here?
George: No. Nothing. No.
Deborah: And what about when you were in Memphis, did you experience anything?
George: No. No. All was the same, like here.
Advice/35:42
Deborah: That’s great. That’s good to hear. What advice would you give beyond telling an immigrant that they should move to Massachusetts? Somebody coming from your country or another country, what have you learned that you would give as advice?
George: It’s not easy, first of all to come. Should be count 200% before it should be take this decision. But if he wants to come, I recommend him to come here especially to Boston and Massachusetts. And you have here everything you may plan to get it, you can get it here. Especially if about some families you have the number one university in worldwide here. Like you have Harvard, Northeastern, BU. All the universities are good. And about medications, about the hospitality also you have the first number one Boston Children Hospital here. Number one also and the Mass General also for the adult. And they can get everything about like the insurance, the MassHealth insurance they have with me. And like when I told him because me I just start from the zero. Maybe if somebody comes like me some people you can help him some if they don’t know about English, like our school now, they can give him English lessons and every helps they can help him. And especially here Harvard also, they can help him too much and I advise him to come here and to see and everything is good and excellent. And I think maybe if they come early not like my age, if they can come before is better. This is me. I was bad from these things should be come later.
Deborah: You tried when you were younger, that’s for sure.
George: I tried, but I was especially if I was in 2018, should be stay here not coming back to Lebanon, but my son was start as university over there. That’s why is the problem. But also before one month is better than next month, you know what I mean? This is a good reason to come.
Deborah: I’m delighted that you’re having such a positive experience.
George: Yeah, I have a positive experience and that great because I have experience about me, about the job, about the work, about the insurance, about the social life, about the university, the school for my children, my daughter, about everything, the driver license, how I can get it now. How to search to buy a home, to make a business about the people. I find good people here. I am lucky maybe because I see these people when I was working with him. Three owners, two brothers and sister, and one third owners all from here and was born here. And so good people. They respect you. They have like all the time when she wants to take they take your decisions and everything. You know, you feel like you are like a family.
Deborah: They ask your opinion.
George: Yeah. Ask about opinion not like a manager or some owner or like, look about you. Who are you in this way? No. Anytime if they want to go to the restaurant they ask me, “We can go, you know?” So, so special people. That’s why I think I didn’t invite any people here not good until now. But that’s why I recommend him to come here and to live here. This is a good place.
Deborah: Thank you so much for chatting with me.
George: Before I was afraid about this sharing, but now it’s okay.
Deborah: You did great. You did great.
Wrapping Up/39:52
Even though George holds on to Lebanese family values, he is able to go with the flow as his children take on more and more of the American lifestyle. Currently pursuing citizenship, and working hard, he keeps a healthy balance between work and family and between both cultures by visiting his parents in Lebanon whenever he can. George’s optimism and appreciation for his new country and new friends radiate in his enthusiasm and ability to navigate both worlds.