Maryam
Introduction
Maryam is a 17 year old girl who goes to Winooski High School. She is originally from Iraq, but also lived in both Jordan and Syria.
Geography of Iraq
Iraq is located in the central part of the Middle East. Iraq is bordered by Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria and Jordan to the west, and Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the south. The capital of Iraq is Baghdad. (this is where Maryam was born). Baghdad became the capital of Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century. The modern country of Iraq was created following World War I (1914-18). Iraq gained formal independence in 1932 but remained under British imperial influence. During WWII, they were occupied by Great Britain. In 1979, Saddam Hussein became the dictator of Iraq. In 1991, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and the United States became involved to help Kuwait continue to be an independent country. In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq because they thought that the government was creating weapons. They overthrew the current government in Iraq, and executed Saddam Hussein. Then the United States helped Iraq create a new government, that still exists today.
Moving
In the year 2000, Maryam was born in the capital of Iraq called Baghdad, Al Ghader. She lived there with her mother, father, sister and brother. Other family members lived in Iraq as well. She lived close enough to them to have a relationship. In 2006, Mayram and her close family moved to Syria. Her father was a translator and was threatened and it was unsafe for him and his family to stay in Iraq. This was a bitter sweet experience for Maryam, she had to leave her friends and non immediate family behind. After two years in Syria, Maryam moved back to Iraq again for a brief period of time. In 2013, she moved to Jordan. This was also a hard time to leave behind an old home again, but this move was also exciting because she and her family would be one step closer to getting to a safe home.
Feeling Unsafe
Maryam's family are Sunni, and Iraq was controlled by the Shia. This made it very difficult for them to live safely. She was always worried about something bad happening to her family, especially her dad. When Maryam was 12, she was told by someone that there was a big van coming to take all the Sunni people away. Maryam was so scared that she couldn't eat. This resulted in her getting very sick. It turns out the story about the van was a lie, but it could have been true. There was always danger in Iraq.
Life in Jordan
Maryam moved to Jordan when she was 13 years old and lived there until she was 16. Jordan was still a bit unsafe and Maryam often felt like this was not the place she belonged. She had a lot of fun with friends in Jordan, but she didn't focus much on her school work. Maryam's dad did not have permission to work in Jordan, so it was difficult for them to maintain financial stability. She and her family were waiting every day to see if they had been accepted to come to America.
"It was the best thing in my life. My dad, we heard the phone ring, and my dad saw the number and it said UNHCR. He answered and someone told him, "Do you want to come to America on December 22nd? On Thursday?" And my dad was jumping! He said, "December 22nd we are going to be in America." We were all jumping. I was crying so much. When I get very happy I cry so much. We called everyone who was here in Vermont and told everyone we were coming!
-Maryam on getting the call that her family could move to the United States
Family
Maryam has a mother, Noor; a sister, Rahmah; a father, Omar; and a brother, Ali. Maryam also has other relatives that live in the area as well. She loves her family and if she needs anything she gets support and help from them.
School
When Maryam was in elementary school she would study so hard that her grandmother would tell her to stop, and that she would make herself sick. Once she moved to Jordan she kind of lost interest in school and spent more time hanging out with her friends. Once she moved to the US, she became more interested in school again. She is now a student at Winooski High School and she has applied to the Essex Tech Dental Assisting program. She is planning to go there for her senior year. When she was little she always wanted to become a doctor. This is still her plan but she would like to take a break between college and medical school and not study for eight years straight.
Maryam's Favorites
Her favorite holiday is Eid which marks the end of Ramadan.
Her favorite food is Chicken Biryani which is a spicy chicken and rice dish. She also loves fries. She said she could eat them every day for a year!
Her favorite place to hang out with friends is Applebee's.
Her favorite thing to do on the weekend is hang out with her friends.
Maryam Now
Maryam now lives safely and happily in Vermont with her family. She is 17 years old. She enjoys many things, including hanging out with her friends at the mall, and doing homework and studying. She has many cousins here and they spend most weekends at Applebees at the mall. She now speaks English and Arabic. Earlier in her life Maryam felt that wherever she went she was not safe, but now she feels at home and safe. Even though she feels at home there is still a homesick feeling to missing her friends and family. One friend in particular was in an unsafe situation when Maryam left, and she does not know if her friend is alive or not.
"Just be patient. Everything is going to be alright someday. Just don't give up."
- Maryam's advice to people in difficult situations like she was
Interview and web page by Sylvia C.