US Immigration and Ethnicity

¶ … America": A Semi-Structured Interview with Mohammed "Mo" Hadi

Semi-Structured Interview Questions and Summary of Responses (impromptu follow-up questions are italicized):

Question No.

When and why did you come to the United States?

I arrived in America in early 2008 to attend engineering school.

Question No.

Where are you from originally?

Lahore, Pakistan

Question No.

Do you have a large family in Pakistan?

[laughs] Yes, we have a very large family, especially compared to most

Americans I have met. Both of my parents are alive and I have four living brothers and five sisters. I had two other brothers, but one is dead now and we haven't heard anything from another brother in almost a year.

Question No.

What happened to your brothers?

Answer:

Well, one brother died when he was only 2 years old and we don't know anything about what happened to my other missing brother, as I say.

Question No.

What made you decide to come to the United States in 2008?

Answer:

I had just finished high school and I placed in the top of my class. My father told me that I should become a professional so I could earn a decent living and help the family. Some friends of mine had gone to the United

States previously, and their letters to me said I could get a good education here. I had been taking English in school for years and could speak and write it okay. Things were not that good at home, either, and a trip to America sounded like a great adventure. Now I just have one more year before I graduate with my engineering degree.

Question No. 6:

Why do you go by "Mo" instead of "Mohammed."

Answer:

[laughs] After 9/11, wouldn't you? I'm just trying to fit in and not stand out by drawing unneeded attention to myself.

Question No. 7:

Have you had any problems with discrimination because you are Pakistani

or Muslim?

I was accepted at school before I left, and I moved in with a couple of friends who are also attending the same school. I was also hired right away at the pizza place I work for, so I can't say I've been discriminated against in any way.

Question No. 8:

Do you have a job?

Answer:

Sure, I deliver pizzas part time at nights to make some extra money. The tips are okay and I can study a little between deliveries.

Question No. 9:

Do you still practice your religion in America?

Answer:

Yes, certainly. There are many Muslims here and I have made several new friends and located a couple of my old friends from Pakistan as well.

We go to the same mosque near where we live.

Question No. 10:

Have you completed the hajj?

Answer:

Not yet, but like all of my friends, I plan to some day.

Question No. 11:

Are you waiting to graduate from school before you complete the hajj?

Answer:

Well, kind of. My friends and I still like to drink a little beer once in awhile and I'll need to be clean in my heart and body before I go to Mecca for the hajj.

Question No. 12:

Do you like Americans?

Answer:

Just the ones that tip me good! [laughs] I'm just kidding, but that's a good question. My friends and I talk about this all of the time. Let me be honest here. We don't like all Americans but like Pakistan, there are hundreds of millions of people in the United States. But I know what you mean. Yes,

we like Americans and most things American, but some things bother us and a few things anger us.

Question No. 13:

Can you provide me with some examples?

Answer:

Well, there are some of the obvious ones like people staring at you or insulting you because of the way you look. No one likes that, of course, but I'm not here to blow anything up, I'm just here to go to school and try to live my life as best as I can.

Question No. 14:

Can you provide me with some examples of the less obvious ones?

Answer:

It's hard to put into words. Well, one example is the amount that people tip me compared to our American drivers. On a good night, I can make

about $75 in tips but some of the other drivers tell me they make twice that. I don't know if they're just kidding me or not, but I work just as hard as they do. Also, it's the look that some people give me -- it's like they hate me already and they don't even know me. That's weird and it bothers

me. My friends tell me the same type of thing happens to them all of the time too.

Question No. 15:

Do you intend to return to Pakistan after you graduate?

Answer:

That depends. I've been wanting to go back to visit my parents because my father is ill but I haven't been able to afford it. I don't think I'll go back to Pakistan to live after I graduate though.