Interview with: Marcia Viney
Checking The Other Box
Introduction:
The American dream. These three words hold a great deal of significance for many immigrants who travel to the U.S. in search for a better life. But is the American dream something that everyone is searching for? Marcia Viney’s story speaks from a different narrative. Marcia, a self-proclaimed British-Jamaican-American comes from a long line of family immigrants. This paper will act as an analysis of her experience which includes: the methodology, her migration, integration, and membership in American society, with connections to the Sociology of Immigration course content.
Methodology:
I arranged a time to meet with Marcia over zoom to conduct the interview. Due to scheduling conflicts, she and I had to postpone. She was fully aware of the project and was willing to offer a substitute in her place if the schedule change affected my grade. It was my decision to continue to use Marcia as my interviewee. She is my aunt on my dad’s side of the family, and I wanted to know more about our history. Due to her diverse experiences and raw expressions, I was eager to have her participate. We ran into a few technical issues with the volume/sound, but luckily, those issues resolved before the interview. I informed my aunt that the interview would be recorded on two platforms (zoom and my cellphone) as a means to ensure that I would have a backup in case we ran into any more technical conflicts. She gave her informed consent to be recorded and have her story shared through: a consent form, via zoom, and on the cell phone audio clip. During the interview, some minor lagging occurred on Marcia’s end, but for the most part, all her answers were clear and elaborate. Before the interview, I created a list of questions to guide me along the way. I started by asking my aunt Marcia about her place of birth and her childhood experiences living in England. Although I had a list of guiding questions, the interview became conversational and the list became a backup tool in moments of silence. The interview lasted about 57 minutes and the time flew by. I enjoyed conducting this interview of thisnot so typicalimmigrant story.
Migration:
Marcia Viney was born in Birmingham England in May of 1962. She was 1 of 6 children who varied vastly in age. Marcia was the first of her siblings to be born in England after her parents migrated there from Jamaica.
While her parents lived in Jamaica, her father worked as a U.S. contract farmer in the 1950’s to provide for himself and his family. This secondary sector job was poorly paid, seasonal, and back breaking. This is a prominent illustration of the Segmented or “Dual” Labor Theory discussed in lecture which argues that there are two labor markets: primary and secondary. Individuals who are a part of the primary sector tend to have well-paid stable jobs, with high prestige, and various opportunities for mobility. On the other hand, individuals like Marcia’s father, who are workers in the secondary sector tend to do the “dirty” work. Marcia argues that her father developed an aversion to oranges after engaging in this kind of strenuous work, she states, “that’s why he didn’t like to eat a lot of oranges because he was in the orange groves”.Later on, the “push” factor for better opportunities caused her parents to migrate to the United Kingdom in the 60’s.
When her parents moved to England, they decided to leave their three older children behind to be cared for by their grandparents while they established a secure foundation. Marcia mentions that her parent’s had established networks in the U.K before they arrived. This helped to cushion the barriers of moving to a foreign country. Marcia states that, “Two of my uncle’s were already there. On my mother’s side of the family. Plus they had other relatives that were in England. I had two uncles that lived around the corner from my house. And my school was at the bottom of my street. So after school, we’d go to one of my uncle’s houses because my aunt Louise was a stay at home mom. So after school we’d go to her but life was just really different in England than it was here.”In lecture, we discussed the impact of having migrant networks as a means to create and maintain a sense of community and security. These social ties help newcomers, like Marcia’s parents, to get accustomed to the lifestyle of a new country.
When she described living in England, her recount was filled with positive stories. When I asked her about her childhood experiences in the U.K, she recounts by saying, “I loved it in England. I think, for me, when we lived there, it was a better life. My parents did not have to work two jobs, and we had our own home. My mom was basically the one that wanted a change and wanted to come to the U.S. But in England, we had everything we need. We didn’t struggle.” Being that Marcia describes her childhood in England as “ a better life” I wondered what caused them to immigrate to the U.S. She noted two reasons for their migration. The first reason stems from her mother’s drive to explore. The second reason is because her mother was “pulled” to the U.S. after she was commissioned to work as a nurse for a Jewish family. Marcia also notes that when her mother arrived in the U.S she was forced to start over. She states, “she found out that she had to go back to nursing school because at that time, even if you came from another country, even though England speaks the same language, school at that time was not the same. So she had to go back to school because she was an RN in England, she’d already went to school there. And then when she came here, she had to be a nursing assistant… she started going back to school. So she came in 72′. And we didn’t come until 1975.” Considering that England is also a first-world country, I was shocked at Marcia’s account. She states that during that time, simply being from another country removed any leverage you once had.
Before her transition to the U.S., Marcia lived in England with her father and her two younger siblings. In 1975, her mother sentfor them to join her in the States. The Massey reading, titled “Why Immigration Occurs”,helps to explain Marcia and her family’s departure. Her mother “sending” for them, is what ultimately brought her to the U.S. She argues that if it was up to her, she wouldn’t have left the U.K., because she knew she was leaving her established community behind. However, her age did not give her the option to make those life changing decisions.
When I asked her about the immigration process, she mentioned that back in the 70’s simply completing your paperwork in a timely manner was sufficient enough for entry; along with getting a physical and the necessary shots. She notes that, “back then if you did all your paperwork ahead of time, do everything you were supposed to do…they gave you a date to come. When we landed at BWI airport, in Washington… they had everything there. Whereas today when you come you have to wait and they mail everything to you.” Although the immigration process was fairly easy, Marcia maintains her stance on her desire to remain in the U.K.
Integration:
Marcia and her family came to the U.S. on December 21, 1975. As mentioned before, she was not eager to leave her childhood home in the U.K. In Fact, when I asked her to reflect on her attitude about leaving England, she emphasized, “I did not want to leave.”Unlike in the U.K, Marcia’s mother was the only source of an established network she had in the States. Although she mentioned having family in other places like New York and Florida, she did not have any family in Virginia where she resided.
The lack of network support in the Virginia caused the transition to be hard on Marcia and her family. As mentioned before, established migrant networks can help to cushion the transition of moving to a foreign country. Without these firm social ties, the entire family had to start from scratch. She recounts, “in England, my dad used to work in the factories… once we got here, …it was basically starting from scratch. Starting from having nothing. Plus the house hadn’t sold in England yet… even after the house was sold, they were still working two jobs. Because like I said, My mom was trying to go to school. My dad.. worked at the scrapyard, and at night, he worked at Jack In The Box, from 10 to 2 in the morning…. and then the scrap yard he worked from 6am to 5 o’clock.” Her mother and father who worked in primary sector jobs in England were both forced to downgrade in the States. Working two jobs to keep their heads above water, is a primary indicator of the shift in her family’s socioeconomic status.
Marcia was 15 years old when she arrived in the states. The drastic difference in the school system emphasized Marcia’s original attitude towards migrating. She notes that the U.K. school system allowed room for more mobility, because students could test into certain grade levels. In fact, if she remained in the U.K. she would have had the opportunity to graduate at the age of 16 and attend college, which was always a dream of hers. Nonetheless, when she arrived, she was placed in the 8th grade.
When asked about her receptive experience, she notes that, “back in the 70s, they really didn’t like foreigners.”She uses her experience at school to add leverage to this argument. While recounting her interactions, she states, “going through school, it was rough, because I had an accent. And we had to switch that up really quick. It was really hard cause kids were really cruel.” This ultimately resulted in the breaking of Marcia’s British accent. She and her siblings felt forced to do so out of the fear of being constantly judged and ridiculed by others. Marcia also explained that her peers were reluctant in believing that black people could come from the U.K. She would often try to explain to her peers that they were misinformed. She would say, “Well, my parents are Jamaican, and they left Jamaica and… They went to England. They had me, my sister, and my brother… they didn’t like Jamaicans. So you couldn’t win either way.” Initially, I thought that this misguided judgment stemmed from those who were not people of color. Marcia quickly debunked that thought. In fact, when I asked her about her African American peers, she recounts that,“They were the worst ones… I say that because I think they were ignorant to the fact. They weren’t cultured. I guess nobody taught them that there are black people all over the world.” This ultimately added to Marcia’s sense of homesickness.
Immediately following high school, Marcia joined the army. I asked her to explain her reasoning for making that decision. One of the reasons she provided is that she yearned to go back to the U.K. In order to do so, she joined the U.S army, seeking to be placed overseas closer to her childhood home. She states, I joined the army. So that I could be stationed in England or Germany, or France, because I knew that was close and I could go home on the weekend.” Unfortunately, this was not the case for Marcia. She was disappointed to find out that she would be placed stateside instead. She also gravitated towards the army because she felt that it created a sense of equality. She states, “I went in the military, right after high school.. cuz when you join the military, everybody’s the same… nothing different…going through basic training and all of that everybody’s the same. It didn’t matter what color you were, how tall, or how short. Everybody got treated the same.” Joining the forces not only helped with Marcia’s integration process, it also helped her to meet her husband who she went on to create her family with.
Marcia also notes that as the years progressed, integration for her family became easier due to joining a Jamaican club. Although her family did not know anyone when they originally moved to Virginia, the Jamaican club helped them to build a sense of community. She notes that “there’s a network of Jamaicans here, they used to have a Jamaican club that really helped each other. So we rallied around…the people in the Jamaican club, so for me, I really wasn’t missing anything.” This ultimately helped Marcia’s parents to establish social capital, enabling them to send for their other three children to join them in the States.
Membership:
Marcia became a U.S citizen on May 18, 2019. Based on her account of her American experience, I was curious about her decision to nationalize, so I asked her to provide her reasoning. She explained that naturalizing provided her more opportunities and gave her a sense of security. In terms of opportunities, being a citizen can open many doors in the workforce. Marcia states that,“some jobs you just can’t get without having a citizenship.” Marcia also states that she feared her legal status would change under the Trump administration.
When Trump went into office, he acted quickly to change the immigration policy. As stated in lecture, “In his first State of the Union address on January 30, 2018, Trump outlined his administration’s four pillars for immigration reform: (1) a path to citizenship for DREAMers; (2) increased border security funding; (3) ending the diversity visa lottery; and (4) restrictions on family-based immigration”. Trump went back on his original claim to create a path of citizenship for DREAMers. Instead, he ramped up border security and unleashed ICE as a means to deport EVERY undocumented immigrant, regardless of their criminal status. This left Marcia in a stage of uncertainty. Marcia states, “Once he got in office, he shut everything down… So as soon as he took office and all the stuff he was saying and shutting down the DREAMers, I said, if he’s gonna do that to kids that’ve been here all their life, What is he gonna do to people who don’t have their citizenship?” This ultimately pushed Marcia to act quickly in her efforts to naturalize. She continues on by saying, “Basically once he got into office, it was like, just let me go on and do this. Because my family, my immediate family, my husband, and children are here. But I’m like, if he decides to send me back to England, I’m cool. But I would miss my family.” Luckily for Marcia, her decision to naturalize, gave her dual citizenship in both England and America.
Referring to herself as British-Jamaican-American, Marcia still finds it difficult to figure out where she stands in terms of her identity. Due to her diverse background and experiences, she often checks the “other” box when she is asked to identify her race/ethnicity. She notes that it wasn’t until she came to the U.S. that she had to place herself into a category. According to Marcia,I always checked other…I’m not an African American. I’m not white. So the only other thing that fits was ‘other’.’’
Conclusion:
Overall, Marcia Viney has a not so typical immigrant story. Usually, when people are told stories about immigration, the narrative 
tends to be centered around individuals who come to the U.S in search of the American Dream and attaining a better life.Marcia’s story is centered around another narrative. In fact, coming to the U.S. was a setback for her and her family. Nevertheless, Marcia’s resiliency allowed her to overcome the countless acts of bullying and discrimination she endured. Her powerful mind allowed her to create networking opportunities and break generational barriers. Recently, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree on May 6, 2018. This was a dream that got pushed back due to her migration. Nonetheless, my aunt Marcia is a living testament that although immigration may have its hardships, “ it didn’t break me.”
Tashana Jackson 0:02
Okay, and now I am recording this audio on zoom. Um My name is Tashana Jackson, I’ll be conducting this interview at 6:16pm on the date is December 11th. Um, do you mind just repeating your first and last name and acknowledging that you are aware that I will be recording and conducting this interview?
Marcia Viney 0:35
My name is Marcia Viney. And I acknowledged that Tashana Jackson is recording this interview.
Tashana Jackson 0:45 Okay. Well, hi, how are you?
Marcia Viney 0:48 I am good
Tashana Jackson 0:50
so, um, as you’re, you’re aware already, this is a immigrant in interview um for my immigrant project. And we’re just going to start with like, some basic questions. So like, Where were you born? um things like that, like your so we’ll start with you already mentioned, your first name is Marcia Viney. So yeah, where were you born?
Marcia Viney 1:14
I was born in England.
Tashana Jackson 1:16 Hmm. ok
Marcia Viney 1:17
Birmingham, Birmingham, in England, in the West Midlands. Okay. Sudly, Road Hospital, get technical. Brothers and sisters were born there. Well, the younger ones.
Tashana Jackson 1:33
Ok. um so like, how would you describe your family dynamic now that you’re saying that your younger siblings were born there?
Marcia Viney 1:41
Well, three of us were born in Jamaica and three of us were born in England.
Tashana Jackson 1:47 Okay.
Marcia Viney 1:48 So
Tashana Jackson 1:49
can you explain why that is?
Marcia Viney 1:52
Um,my parents migrated to… Well, first, my dad used to travel on the contract farm into the US back in the 50s. for work. Okay. So he would go back and forth from Jamaica to the US and do contract farming. So that’s why he didn’t like to eat a lot of oranges because he was in the orange groves. And then later on, he decided my parents decided to leave Jamaica and go to England.
Tashana Jackson 2:29 Okay
Marcia Viney 2:30
go to the United Kingdom. And that was in the early 60s like 1960 and two of my uncle’s were already there.
Tashana Jackson 2:41 Oh, okay.
Marcia Viney 2:42
On my mother’s side of the family.
Tashana Jackson 2:45
Okay. So, basically, they had already established networks in England, basically.
Marcia Viney 2:50 Yes.
Tashana Jackson 2:51 Okay.
Marcia Viney 2:51
Because they already had, um, my mother’s brothers were there. Plus they had other relatives
that were in England.
Tashana Jackson 3:00 Oh, okay.
Marcia Viney 3:02 Yeah.
Tashana Jackson 3:02
So like, what would you describe your life like? Like, what was your life like in England? How would you describe your childhood?
Marcia Viney 3:10
childhood was very nice. I loved it in England. Um, I had two uncles that lived around the corner from my house. And my school was at the bottom of my street. So after school, we’d go to one of my uncle’s house because my aunt Louise was a stay at home mom. So after school we’d go to her but, um, life was just really different in England than it was here.
Tashana Jackson 3:44
Okay. Um, so like, how would you describe like your socio economic status there, like when you live there and stuff like that?
Marcia Viney 3:54
I think. For me, when we lived there, it was a better life. My parents did not have to work two jobs. And we had our own home. Um, my mom was basically the one that wanted a change and wanted to come to the US. But in England, we had everything we need. We didn’t struggle. Um, my mom came here, the US in 1972. She was sponsored by an attorney who needed a nurse to take care of his wife cause my mother was a nurse in England. And so she came to take care of his wife. They were the Freeds on the Jewish family. And but once my mom got here, she found out that she had to go back to nursing school because at that time, even if you came from another country, even though England speaks the same language, school and I guess at that time was not the same. So she had to go back to school because she was an RN, in England. she’d already went to school there. And then when she came here, she had to be a nursing assistant.
Tashana Jackson 5:21
So she had to start all over?
Marcia Viney 5:23 Yes.
Tashana Jackson 5:25
Okay, that’s actually crazy, considering that England is, like, a first world country like, like, on the same spectrum as America. And so
Marcia Viney 5:36
it is it is. Now you don’t have to go all the way. Now you can kind of test out on nursing. But back then in the 70s, it was different.
Tashana Jackson 5:49 Okay.
Marcia Viney 5:50
So after she got finished working for the Freeds, because she stayed working for them. And then she started going back to school. So she came in 72′. And we didn’t come until 1975.
Tashana Jackson 6:09
So who did you stay in England with while she was here in the States?
Marcia Viney 6:14
we still had our home in England. And so I was still there with my dad.
Tashana Jackson 6:21 Okay,
Marcia Viney 6:22
yeah. So, um, we lived with our dad until we came over, um, cause the way that you’re supposed to do it, which was the way my parents did it, when you migrate, you have to put the paperwork in, you have to go to the consulate, you have to go to the embassy, you have to do physicals, get shots, and then they will give you the date for your visa to come. The US. Once we got here, they gave us our social security card and our green card.
Tashana Jackson 7:05 Okay,
Marcia Viney 7:06
as soon as we got here.
Tashana Jackson 7:08
So would you say that immigration was a lot more like easier back in the day?
Marcia Viney 7:13
It was, It was different because if you do all your paperwork, back then if you did all your paperwork ahead of time, do everything you were supposed to do. And then they gave you a date to come when we landed at BWI airport, in Washington. On they had everything there. So once we came through customs, went to another immigration Part, and they had everything here for us.
Tashana Jackson 7:40 Okay,
Marcia Viney 7:41
whereas today when you come you have to wait and they mail everything to you.
Tashana Jackson 7:46
Yeah. Okay. Um, so were you excited about leaving England was there?
Marcia Viney 7:55
I did not want to leave.
Tashana Jackson 7:59 Okay,
Marcia Viney 7:59
I was I was 15. I did not want to leave. I was in my last year of school. And I would have been going to college.
Tashana Jackson 8:11 Oh, okay.
Marcia Viney 8:12
One more year, excuse me one more year to go because the way school was then they called it forms like you’re in first form, second form, third form, fourth form. And you can either do another year of school or you can go to college. So it was a little different than you take your um. I can’t remember what the, I guess A-levels and Cfc. Over there. I think they call them a levels there. But once I got here, and I found out that I was in the eighth grade. So we got here December 21 1975. So school was from September until Christmas. And then we started in January. So and got out in June. So come June. Well, September came around again. And then I was in ninth grade. So to know that you only had a year left to school, and then to find out that you have four years. It’s really upsetting,
Tashana Jackson 8:42 mhm
Marcia Viney 9:29
Yeah, well, I got through it.
Tashana Jackson 9:30
What about your siblings? How did they feel about that transition?
Marcia Viney 9:34
They were Okay, it was different. But they were okay. Um, my youngest brother. They had him three grades ahead of his self in school, so they put him three grades up. When we lived in Arlington. When we moved to Alexandria, they said he wasn’t allowed to be three grades ahead so they only they put him to grades ahead once we move to the city of Alexandria,
Tashana Jackson 10:04
okay, um, so building up to that on it seems like you have like a history a family history of immigration. Um, what why do you think that you’re describing your life in England? It was a lot better like, like, things were a lot easier. Do you feel like something pulled your mom to America or something?
Marcia Viney 10:26
My mom just liked to explore things she likes, she liked change, where my dad was more of how would you say? Um, he would get comfortable.
Tashana Jackson 10:41 Okay,
Marcia Viney 10:41
and he liked the way, you know, things were but if, if my mom was going wherever she went,
he was always going to be. Yes.
Tashana Jackson 10:53
So when you guys came over um? Did your dad come with you kind of thing?
Marcia Viney 11:01
Yes. Yes. My mom. She was here by herself from 72′ until 75′ when we came.
Tashana Jackson 11:10 Okay.
Marcia Viney 11:11 Yeah.
Tashana Jackson 11:13
Um, okay. Um, so leading up to like, America, I know you didn’t want to come. So like, Did you
have any expectations that America just didn’t fulfill for you? Like, it was like,
Marcia Viney 11:29
I really didn’t have any expectations. For me, because I was the oldest of the last three. It was I’m leaving all my family and all my friends behind. And for me, I think it was more or less that. I didn’t know anybody.
Tashana Jackson 11:49 Yeah.
Marcia Viney 11:51
So that, I guess, because I was the eldest at that time. It was like, I’m going to this strange country. I don’t know anybody. I don’t have any family. Because our family dynamics. I’m in England. We were very close. And every Sunday, we ate at a different relative’s house. So it was like a circle. We go to their house to come to ours So between my uncle Winston, my uncle Wally, and then my aunt Chris, and my dad’s sister. Aunt Elsa, we’d be going every Sunday. You know, the families got together and we had a meal together on Sundays.
Tashana Jackson 12:40
Oh, so you guys have like a whole system basically established?
Marcia Viney 12:44 Yes. Yeah.
Tashana Jackson 12:45
And you didn’t have any network here other than your mom?
Marcia Viney 12:49
That was the only network at the time. Um, but we had other family here. But they were like in New York and Florida. They weren’t here in they weren’t in the in Virginia. Okay. Once we got here, then one of my mom’s cousins came down from New York to visit with us.
Tashana Jackson 13:14
Well, I know you mentioned that your mom was like a nurse and everything. What did your dad do when he came over? Because you said they ended up starting to work two jobs versus what they did before?
Marcia Viney 13:25
Yeah, cuz in England, my dad used to work in the factories. Um, once we got here, um,it was basically starting from scratch. Starting from having nothing plus the house hadn’t sold in England yet. So, even after the house was sold, they were still working two jobs. Because like I said, My mom was trying to go to school. Um, my dad, he worked at the scrapyard. And at night. He worked at Jack In The Box, from 10 to two in the morning. And from from 10 to two in the morning, he worked at Jack In The Box. And then the scrap yard he worked from 6am to five o’clock.
Tashana Jackson 14:20 Wow,
Marcia Viney 14:20
And this was an everyday thing. My mom worked as a nursing assistant because she wants to nursing assistant school. And then she worked as a nursing assistant at night, went to school during the day, she got her LPN. And then after that she would work two shifts of LPN when she got her LPN.
Tashana Jackson 14:41
Oh, okay. I’m actually really interesting
Marcia Viney 14:45
and she finished at the age of 55.
Tashana Jackson 14:49
Yeah, that’s what I was gonna say as well because you said you already had in life established in England so clearly like, she had to come here and I basically start over, it seems like it would take a lot of time,
Marcia Viney 15:03
right And they weren’t making as much money as they were when they were in England.
Tashana Jackson 15:11
So what? Did you describe yourself as American? Like, did you ever feel American?
Marcia Viney 15:18
Um, not until I was probably I would say after I went into the military, but going through school, and you know, um going through school, it was rough, because I had an accent. And we had to switch that up really quick. It was really hard cause kids really cruel.
Tashana Jackson 15:49
I know as well, like, how were kids? When did you feel welcomed in America?
Marcia Viney 15:54
No, at that time, back in the 70s, they really didn’t like foreigners. So, um, what I would say, now in the DC area, it’s a melting pot. And I would when I was still living in Virginia, there was this young lady that worked at the health department with me. And she was from Peru. And I was telling her I said, Doctor Booey and I, paved the way for you. Doctor Booey, he was from Vietnam. And he was a dentist, he became a dentist. And I said, we’ve paved the way for you. I said, because now you don’t get teased people don’t talk to you crazy, like I can’t understand what you’re saying. That type of stuff. Because it was just real easy for them and everything now. Um, at least in the US. And DC area, it comes in different languages. Yeah, back in the 70s, there was only one language that was English. And that’s why that’s what I was telling her. And she’s like, Oh, that’s not true. I said, going in, ask Doctor Booey, how it was when he came, he’ll tell you the same exact story. I just told you. What it was, it wasn’t easy. And the other thing was I wanted to go to college. But all I know is we couldn’t afford it. And by my parents just working two jobs to, you know, keep afloat. Um, they never really took the time to come to the school and find out how we could do that.
Tashana Jackson 17:52
Okay. Okay. Yeah, cuz I was like, like with the schools and you’re saying like, kids are a lot more cruel. And they didn’t like foreigners? Like, what? Like forcing yourself to change your accent. How long did that take you? Like, was that like, where you’re like, I’m going to break this like you and your siblings sat down and you’re like, how are we going to talk more American? Like, was that natural?
Marcia Viney 18:20
We just, you know how kids mock, mock each other. That’s what we started doing.
Tashana Jackson 18:27 Okay,
Marcia Viney 18:28
you know, we would get home and we would just practice.
Tashana Jackson 18:32
Wow. That’s how bad the bullying was like, you actually felt like you had to practice breaking…
Marcia Viney 18:38
You had to because at school, you just got bullied all the time. Because for me, it was in the 70s. When we came they’re like, there’s no black people in England.
Tashana Jackson 18:52
That’s what I was wondering. As well yeah.
Marcia Viney 18:53
Yeah, their like No, there’s no, I said, Well, my parents are Jamaican, and they left Jamaica and they came. They went to England. They had me, my sister, and my brother. No, I would tell them and they’re like, it didn’t like Jamaican See this? So you couldn’t win either way. But now, the culture is so that everybody it’s a Bob Marley world. Yeah. Oh, it’s amazing how times change
Tashana Jackson 19:22
Yeah, you really endured all that?
Marcia Viney 19:25
Yeah. But it didn’t break me.
Tashana Jackson 19:30
So, um, did you end up having to get your own job to like, basically help your parents out or anything?
Marcia Viney 19:38
I did, and so did my sister. And we worked. We worked a Jack In The Box after school. And then once what we really didn’t have to help my parents. We just bought more or less stuff that we needed.
Tashana Jackson 19:56 Okay.
Marcia Viney 19:57
We didn’t have to, like help them. Pay bills, I knew that we just took care of ourselves.
Tashana Jackson 20:03
So when you went worked out Jack In The Box, did you gravitate towards there because your father worked there, or,
Marcia Viney 20:10
you know, I don’t, I don’t remember. I just know I worked there. Um in the evenings, and in the summer, and they wanted to send me to California to go through their management school. But my parents wasn’t gonna let that happen. one, I was still a teenager. So they trained me there. But that following fall, when I went back to school, I took the nursing assistant program.
Tashana Jackson 20:41 Mm hmm.
Marcia Viney 20:42
And then I was also in fbla.
Tashana Jackson 20:47 What’s that?
Marcia Viney 20:48 Um clerical.
Tashana Jackson 20:50 Okay.
Marcia Viney 20:51
And Um didn’t like the nursing program, but I finished that with and my certificate of work on weekends doing that. And then I went into doing Dental Assisting, loved it.
Tashana Jackson 21:06 Okay.
Marcia Viney 21:08
So, but if things were different, I probably be a dentist today. But I didn’t have the means to know how. So instead, I went in the military, right after high school.
Tashana Jackson 21:23
So I did the military make you feel like I belong here, because I’m fighting for you guys. Or like, cuz you’re saying that you felt more American once you joined the military. So why?
Marcia Viney 21:37
You know why? cuz when you join the military, everybody’s the same. Okay, treat everybody the same, nothing different. So that, you know, going through basic training and all of that
everybody’s the same. It didn’t matter what color you were, how tall? Or how short. Everybody got treated the same. So? Yeah.
Tashana Jackson 22:02
Yeah, no, that’s really, really cool. So, um, you would say that you’re like, that’s referring back to like maybe your socio economic status, you would say the year socio economic status definitely lowered.
Marcia Viney 22:19
It was when we when we came here, um, because we had everything we need. Both my parents worked one job, we weren’t struggling, we had our own home. So we weren’t struggling. And I think the dynamics is also different, there because they have socialized medicine. Whereas here, you have to have a job to have insurance. And that’s if your job carries insurance, and then you have to pay for that insurance from your job. Whereas in England, yes, it’s socialized medicine, but it comes out in your taxes. So it’s always been that way. So you don’t miss that money. Mm hmm. So, yeah. Okay. Yes, well paying for it, but they take it out in the taxes, if that makes sense.
Tashana Jackson 23:11
Okay. Um, so I have another question. This is like more towards your identity on Did you struggle with your identity at all? Um,
Marcia Viney 23:24
I kind of did a little bit. Um, I will call myself a British Jamaican. Right. But now I have my citizenship. British Jamaican American, but for me, if they asked what my nationality or race was, I would always check “other” because one, I’m not African American. Right. And I’ve never had to do that until I came to the US. So I always checked other. I’m not, I’m not an African American. I’m not white. So the only other thing that fits was other,
Tashana Jackson 24:06
right? Yeah, cuz I even like, um, when it comes to like, your identity and stuff, and your parents being Jamaican, you’d be born in England and then moving to America, like, do you feel like did your family or anyone ever make you feel like, at the end of the day, you’re Jamaican, so you need to connect more to this culture? Or at the end of the day, you’re British or English. So you need to connect more to this culture. Like, did you ever feel tugged in any direction?
Marcia Viney 24:36
No, because the thing was when you come here and you don’t know anyone, but um, they, um, there’s a network of Jamaicans here, they used to have a Jamaican club that really helped each other. So we rallied around, um, the people in the Jamaican club so For me, I really wasn’t missing anything I wasn’t made to feel. So I gravitated more to that side. And then once I made friends in England, I mean, here in Jamaica, it was cool.
Tashana Jackson 25:14
Yeah. Um, you said like, okay, so another thing you said was, a lot of people didn’t like foreigners. And it’s weird to me. Because in this day and age, everyone loves like that British accent like, you know what I mean? Because I know like, that’s like, that’s
Marcia Viney 25:31
Thats what I’m saying. Its amazing how it has changed from the 70s. But if you were able to talk to anyone else that went to school here, in the early 70s, you’d get kind of a mix of the same story. Because they didn’t like foreigners, they were mean. So most, like when I went to school, when I first started, it was like, all the Mexican kids, all the Spanish kids. They kind of stayed in their own little click, and then if, you know, you met somebody that was Jamaican, then you kind of hung with them. You know, but, you know, the nationalities of different nationalities. They stayed together. Because I guess because we got bullied and teased.
Tashana Jackson 26:23 Yeah.
Marcia Viney 26:25
So basically, we stayed, you know, with our own.
Tashana Jackson 26:29
But even with African American students, you didn’t feel like you fit in there either?
Marcia Viney 26:33
They were the worst ones.
Tashana Jackson 26:35 Oh,
Marcia Viney 26:37 I’m sorry.
Tashana Jackson 26:38
No, no, I’m serious. Like, I want to know more why you say that?
Marcia Viney 26:43
I say that because I think they were ignorant to the fact. They weren’t cultured. I guess nobody taught them that there are black people all over the world. Yeah, so if you don’t know that, and all you talk about is Black History Month, but which is in February, but you don’t go outside of the US, then you’re just ignorant to the fact. So.
Tashana Jackson 27:21
um, what about homesickness? Like, was there ever a period where you were like?
Marcia Viney 27:25
it was always a homesickness. I’ll tell you a little story. That’s the main reason I joined the army. So that I could be stationed in England or Germany, or France, because I knew that was close and I could go home on the weekend. But I think because I was from overseas, my whole tour was stateside. But they send my husband to Germany. Yeah.
Tashana Jackson 27:59
Yeah. Cause I’m curious about that. Like, um, were you like, ever? Like, I, I’m upset with you guys. Like why did you bring us here? Like, as far as I to your parents? Have you ever? Did you ever have that conversation with your mom or anything? Like, no,
Marcia Viney 28:16
You know what, I really didn’t. Because, you know, once you get to be a teenager, and you start doing your own thing, um, you get out of that feeling because now you’re not just stuck in the house. And I, I learned to drive the same time my dad was learning to drive. We both got our license around the same time.
Tashana Jackson 28:41 Oh, okay.
Marcia Viney 28:42
So now, I could drop my mom off at work to take the car and go. So it was it was just different. It was for me at that time. It was more of an exciting time because I was getting a driver’s license. Because the whole time we lived in England. The only person that drove was my mom. My dad did not drive.
Tashana Jackson 29:05 Okay,
Marcia Viney 29:06
until he came here to the US.
Tashana Jackson 29:09
Okay. Yeah. Um, so what about moving into your life as like, you mentioned your husband, like, how did you guys meet? Did you feel accepted by him? Anything like that?
Marcia Viney 29:23
Um, we met at Fort Riley. Mm hmm. in Fort Riley, Kansas. He was medac and I was dentac. So I was in dental. And he was in medical he worked in the hospital as an LPN. Um No, we were fine. His grandmother, his family accepted me. Yeah, so we were fine.
Tashana Jackson 29:56
Yeah, cuz I’m just curious about like, as far as like, calm Back in the day, you know, foreigners weren’t really accepted. But did he find that like, cool about you? Like, yeah,
Marcia Viney 30:07
he thought it was cool. He said I was a little too proper at the time.
Tashana Jackson 30:14
Um, I’m also curious, I know you joined the military but was there, any other clubs, sports activities that you joined to, like, feel like you fit in or anything like that?
Marcia Viney 30:26
um, today they call it Skills USA. I don’t know if you know anything about that. Back then they called it Vica. So if you was in, say if he was in fbla they had their own club where it was a competition against the different schools and then it went to county and state competitions, and worldwide competitions. Well Vica was like I was an opening and closing team. And Vica you can probably look up Skills USA. Because I was an ICT it was, I can’t remember what it stands for. It was some type of training program because that’s what I did my dental assistant through, but um, we would do opening and closing they would interview you that type of stuff. And I like that did it for my 11th and 12th grade year. 11th grade we are not awkward. Um, we got second place state championship.
Tashana Jackson 31:36 Okay.
Marcia Viney 31:38
We because we went down to Norfolk, Virginia, to the Coliseum to compete. Basically, it’s Robert’s Rules of Order. My son, my youngest son. He was in Skills USA. And he was telling me, Mom, we’re doing opening and closing. I’m like, that’s a Vica that’s not Skills USA. Yeah. So I brought my trophy out and showed it to him.
Tashana Jackson 32:14 Okay.
Marcia Viney 32:15
I told him to take that to school and let them now, this is Vica.
Tashana Jackson 32:22
okay, so I have a, I know that you. You came here when you came here. How frequently Did you travel back to England.
Marcia Viney 32:33
We never traveled back.
Tashana Jackson 32:35 Really?
Marcia Viney 32:37
When we came here, in 1977 was the first time I went to Jamaica. And that’s because my grandfather passed away. At the age of 95. My father’s father passed away. That was the first time we ever went. At least I ever went to Jamaica. Um, my youngest brother. He went to Jamaica in 72. So he had been there before.
Tashana Jackson 33:09 Okay.
Marcia Viney 33:10 Yeah.
Tashana Jackson 33:12
Yeah, cuz I was um you, even in this age. Like, you haven’t been back since?
Marcia Viney 33:20
Oh, yeah. I’ve been back several times.
Tashana Jackson 33:23
Okay. So how are you still like, Man, I wish I stayed here. Or you’re kind of
Marcia Viney 33:31
I am still like, Man, I wish I stayed. But then I have a family now. So I can’t do that. But the first time that I went back, um, it was it was fun, because I’m, like, everybody I grew up with, um, showed up at my aunt and uncle’s house, the one that we used to stay after school with. At some point in time, they always watched the children of the relatives. So all of us, I guess, because I was there, they asked. I told everybody else to come over. And we just had so much, it was like, were all kids again. But we will grow. Right? It was like, we were all kids. And then the second time I went, um, it was my aunts and uncles anniversary. So everybody showed up for that too. So it was just a nice big get together.
Tashana Jackson 34:37
Right? Yeah. Um, another thing you also mentioned was that your siblings were kind of split up. So can you explain that and like why you think the reason for that is?
Marcia Viney 34:48
when my parents left Jamaica, um, my three oldest brother and sister they left in Jamaica. Um with my grandparents. Okay. So my older brother and sister was with my grandmother, on my mom’s side, my younger sister, which is seven years older than I she was left with my grandparents on my father’s side. And she eventually came to England when I was, I believe I was around 11 years old. When she came, maybe younger than that, somewhere between nine and 11 she finally got to come to England. Right? Um, once we moved here, because my older brothers and sisters, they’re 20 years older than I am.
Tashana Jackson 35:49
Okay,
Marcia Viney 35:50 so it’s a big age gap.
Tashana Jackson 35:52 Yeah, yeah.
Marcia Viney 35:53
So my older brother and sister 20 years older than I am, my sister next to me that still lives in England is seven years older than I am. So, um, I guess, because my sister got married and all that she didn’t want to come to England. Um, by the time we move to the US, then my older brother and sister, my mom sent for them to come. And it was a long drawn out process, because the process had changed.
Tashana Jackson 36:27
Oh, okay. So like, getting into the US was a lot harder for them?
Marcia Viney 36:33
Right, because now you have to, back then when they were coming and you put the paperwork in, You also have to show proof that you could take care of them until they got jobs.
Tashana Jackson 36:46
Okay. Yeah. I was curious about that, like, um their networking and everything like that. At this point, you’re already here. So you have some type of established thing. So like, what did your parents do to um Like, did they feel comfortable? Like were they excited? Like you remember anything like that? Or?
Marcia Viney 37:09
They were because once we, think I was 16 when they bought the house on Usher Avenue. So they were happy. They got really happy when they bought the house. So and, and it was not long after that. After I graduated from high school, that’s when my brother and sister came to live at the house.
Tashana Jackson 37:39 Okay,
Marcia Viney 37:40
yeah. They came from Jamaica.
Tashana Jackson 37:43
Um, did you um, how would you describe your household? Would you describe it as something like a place where on your parents helped other people get on their feet, like or anything like that?
Marcia Viney 37:58
Yeah, they did that, they did that a lot.
Tashana Jackson 38:01 Right,
Marcia Viney 38:02
even, actually, even in England, they get that
Tashana Jackson 38:07
for other Jamaicans or other family or other Jamaicans
Marcia Viney 38:10
Other Jamaicans and other family. Because I remember them. We had a room upstairs that they rented out, and then a room downstairs, that they rent it out, too. So they always we always had people staying with us.
Tashana Jackson 38:27
And, um, why do you think that is?
Marcia Viney 38:31
Um just basically just to help other people get on their feet.
Tashana Jackson 38:36 Right
Marcia Viney 38:37
Because, um, if you think about it, I think its the way they were raised. Because, um, I remember my parents talking about, they used when they came to England, they were living with somebody until they’ve got their own. Okay. So I guess, you know, they just passing it forward.
Tashana Jackson 39:08
Yeah, cuz I, um, did that affect you in any way? Or were you just used to it? You were just like, this is what they do. They just help people, like, get on their feet?
Marcia Viney 39:17
Yeah. Yeah. At one point, I was upset because she was helping this lady. And the lady had a daughter and she had to share my bedroom. I was a little bit when this was here in the US. So I was a little bit upset about that.
Tashana Jackson 39:32
Yeah. Um, so um, so you said that you’re a citizen now?
Marcia Viney 39:44 Yes.
Tashana Jackson 39:44
Why did you decide to naturalize
Marcia Viney 39:49
because some jobs you just can’t get without having a citizenship.
Tashana Jackson
Okay,
Marcia Viney
if it’s the job that you want
Tashana Jackson
So, What do you mean by that? So you have been here for a very long time. At this point, You’re a permanent resident. Everybody, you know what I’m saying, You have broken that accent and everything… but jobs still won’t accept… did you feel like Oh my gosh, I’m still not accepted?
Marcia Viney
No, um what it was. After 9/11 was when things changed for me. I worked for the state of Virginia, so I was already grandfathered in. So I didn’t worry about citizenship. But once I moved to Ohio, trying to get a state or federal job you had to be a citizen. If I was already working in the field, then I would have been grandfathered in, in Ohio.
Tashana Jackson
Right,
Marcia Viney
But because I didn’t have that, I had to get it. And then get a job.
Tashana Jackson
Is there any reason in particular that you moved to Ohio?
Marcia Viney
Um, we moved to Ohio when my husband’s mom was terminally ill. And he just wanted to spend her last, whatever time she had. So we moved back here because he is from Ohio.
Tashana Jackson
Oh ok, that makes sense
Marcia Viney
And we also lived in Virginia for 26 years, so.
Tashana Jackson
So, I would also like to know… cause you have children and they’re all born in America, thats correct right?
Marcia Viney
Yes
Tashana Jackson
Um, how do you feel about like, uh, you being an immigrant, do you feel like they need to know more about this side of the family, that side of the family, would you describe them as American would you describe them as british?
Marcia Viney
My children are American. Now that they all grown up, now they want to know about the family, but as children they were just American, they didn’t care about anything else. They were just like the average American child. Now that they have been to Jamaica, they wanna know more about it.
Tashana Jackson
And how does that make you feel? Like um, them wanting to know more about where your parents came from and everything?
Marcia Viney
It makes me feel good cause you need to know your history. Cause I remember when I went and I went to the funeral for my dad’s side of the family, and I’m like… Who are all these people? Because the church was full, the church yard was full, and the streets were full. And they said, those are your relatives, so I don’t know them but they know me. Because I came out there, they know what I look like, there’s too many of them to really know. And it was the same when my grandmother died, Um my mom’s side of the family, when her mother passed away, it was the same thing. Yeah.
Tashana Jackson
I’m also curious to know, you said you didn’t feel welcomed as a foreigner in America, what about when you went to Jamaica to visit, were you welcomed? Were you shunned? How was that kind of thing for you?
Marcia Viney
Nope, I was welcomed, everybody was nice. You know, and it’s always like that. Everybody was friendly, you know just nice. They make you feel very welcomed.
Tashana Jackson
Did you feel like you having that American accent made a difference?
Marcia Viney
Um, I think now you recognize it when you’re a alot older. When I went as a teenager, it was just fun to go to the beach, and run around, and all that type of stuff. Now, it makes a difference with the accent.
Tashana Jackson
Do you feel like once you open your mouth and they hear that accent it’s like, more welcoming or? Or its just the same level, it’s just nice?
Marcia Viney
It’s just nice. Same level. Same level. yeah.
Tashana Jackson
Um, I just have a few more questions and then we can wrap up the interview. Um, one I would like to know, now we are under the Trump administration and you just became a citizen, do you mind saying which date you became a citizen real quick?
Marcia Viney
Um, May of, um, 2019.
Tashana Jackson
Ok, so as you just said, becoming a citizen under the Trump administration, how do you feel as an immigrant ? like a former immigrant, now U.S citizen under the Trump administration?
Marcia Viney
Um, sigh. I just felt like the process, even a veteran, when you’re a veteran or a military person, they kinda, string line things. And it just felt like because of the Dreamers. I think they’re called the Dreamers. Um Mr. Trump shut everything down. So that’s why it took me so long to. Once he got in office, he shut everything down. But um, so the process just took three times as long.
Tashana Jackson
Did you feel like, I have to get this done now before he gets in office or when he was in office, you were like, I have to get this done?because …
Marcia Viney
Yes!
Tashana Jackson
Ok
Marcia Viney
Yes, I did feel that way. So as soon as he took office and all the stuff he was saying and shutting down the dreamers, I said, if he’s gonna do that to kids that’ve been here all their life, What is he gonna do to people who don’t have their citizenship?
Tashana Jackson
Right,
Marcia Viney
You know even though you came here legally, you did everything the right way. If he can do that to the kids thats been here all their lives and don’t know anything else, what can he do next?
Tashana Jackson
Yeah,
Marcia Viney
Because when we first came here in 75’ every year by the first of the year, you have to go to the post office and they had a card that you had to fill out with your name, address, social security number. Um and give it back to them cause that’s how they would track you back then.
Tashana Jackson
Right,
Marcia Viney,
And then after a while they stopped doing that.
Tashana Jackson
Right, so you just kinda lived mainly on a, either, was it uncertainty, fear just under his administration?
Marcia Viney,
So, basically once he got into office, it was like, just let me go on and do this. Because my family, my immediate family, my husband, and children are here. But I’m like, if he decides to send me back to England, I’m cool. But I would miss my family.
Tashana Jackson
Yeah, cause you came at a young age, so, if that was something that happened to you, you also spent your entire life here, so that would be, even though it might not be the biggest transition, its still a transition you know?
Marcia Viney
Mhm yeah, but for me I have family that I can go to over there. For the DACA kids, they don’t know anything about their country. They don’t know anybody there and their grandparents are gone.
Tashana Jackson
Yeah,
Marcia Viney
You know. Or some may still be there, But the point is, they don’t know the country. And 9 times out of 10 alot of them don’t even speak the language.
Tashana Jackson
Yeah,
Marcia Viney
So that would be hard for them, whereas for me, I still have family there, I still have a sister there and I have cousins there. Cause all my aunts and uncles, they’re gone, they are no longer here.
Tashana Jackson
Ok, um I have about two more questions and uh. One more question that I have, do you believe your parents made the right decision bringing you to the States?
Marcia Viney
I would say for them, they felt it was right. But if I was one more year older, I would have been able to make my own choice and I would have stayed there. But then you know, I look at it sometimes and I’m like, I really could have went back once I turned 18 if I really wanted to.
Tashana Jackson
Right,
Marcia Viney
So, I didn’t.
Tashana Jackson
And do you have dual citizenship or you don’t have dual citizenship?
Marcia Viney
I have Dual
Tashana Jackson
Ok,
Marcia Viney
And then I’m the only child in the family if I wanted to that could have had a Jamaican passport and a british passport.
Tashana Jackson How come?
Marcia Viney
Because I was born right there at independence
Tashana Jackson
Oh ok,
Marcia Viney
You had to be born during a certain time frame in order to have that Jamaican and British at the same time, even though I wasn’t born in Jamaica, the independence was August of 62’. I was born May of 62’. So I could have both. Whereas my younger brother and sister were born before, I mean, excuse me, after independence. So they could only have one. My older siblings, they were born before independence. I was born right at independence, so I could have dual there if I wanted to.
Tashana Jackson
Ok, so write now you have dual with America and England?
Marcia Viney
Yes!
Tashana Jackson
And how do you feel about that, do you feel like, well if anything, If things go bad, Ill see yall later kind of thing?
Marcia Viney
It just, it just makes it easier to travel. When you go to England you just flash the passport. When you’re going through. At least it used to be like that, I don’t know what it’s like now. Whereas here when you come through you gotta get the fingerprint all of that, that was before I was a citizen. You had to do the fingerprints when you come through the airport and it would be long lines. Where England when you’re a citizen, you just walk through, you know, showing your passport.
Tashana Jackson
Right, well my last question is, um. What is your definition of being American? And do you feel like you fit that definition now?
Marcia Viney
Um. I guess I would say, I fit in as American. Because I sound American. I do things that American’s do. Um, my definition of American of American? I don’t really have a definition, um, I can say the difference between the two countries which is, and you’ll find this all over the world and they would say we’re rude. Rude Americans. Whereas England, they’re more poised, more polite, and they carry themselves different verses here in the U.S. Now some states you go to, the people are really nice, you know they speak, they are not rude. And then others you know…
Tashana Jackson
Yeah, so what is your home? What is home to you? Is home America, Is home England, Jamaica?
Marcia Viney
Well I call England home, but you know I live here.
Tashana Jackson
Yeah, that what I’m curious about even after spending all these years here, like what is your home?
Marcia Viney
My home, home for me is England, but I live in America. So I guess England will always be home to be because that’s where I was born and raised.
Tashana Jackson
Right,
Marcia Viney
Its just like, you know, I live in Ohio, but Virginia is home.
Tashana Jackson
Mhm, ok I see what you mean.
Marcia Viney
If I can compare like that.
Tashana Jackson
Right,
Marcia Viney
Yeah,
Tashana Jackson
Well um, you hit all the questions that I had for you today. Is there anything you would like to add? Either about your experiences, that you feel like I didn’t ask? Or anything you would like to share? Like any last minute things?
Marcia Viney
No, I think we covered most things. I think um, I think just, knowing the difference between different cultures, um how we eat, you know how we just get together as families because with my husband’s family they get together on the holidays whereas, when I grew up it was every
sunday you’d just go to a different house. And have your get together on Sundays verse just waiting for a holiday.
Tashana Jackson
Yeah. And that’s something that is different, you know what I mean?
Marcia Viney
It is,
Tashana
Even like I know, even Christmas celebration is different in Jamaica
Marcia Viney
Yes
Tashana Jackson and like you know …
Marcia Viney
You know it’s actually the same in England. England’s christmas is different. Cause not only do they celebrate Christmas they have boxing day, the day after. And businesses shut down. Nothing’s open at christmas. So, it’s just different here.
Tashana Jackson
Do you like it more, don’t like it more? like…
Marcia Viney
I think I just like more or less became used to it. Now, after all these years, I just became, just used to it.
Tashana Jackson
Yeah,
Marcia Viney
Yeah,
Tashana Jackson
Well, um, if you like I said I’m going to ask you again, if you have anything else to add. If you feel like I missed anything. Other than like you know the celebrations which I’m sure you covered. Um, I don’t know if you have anything else to add real quick before I end the recording.
Marcia Viney
I think you’ve covered everything.
Tashana Jackson
Aw, Ok.
Marcia Viney
I think you’ve covered everything.
Tashana Jackson
Well, um, I would really like to thank you for your time. Um doing this interview answering these questions. Um, You gave really thorough answers which is really good, for me. And um, I really do appreciate it. I really do Appreciate it. I am about to end the recording… about now…
Marcia Viney
Ok,
Tashana Jackson
I would like to say thank you again.
Marcia Viney
You’re welcome, and if you have any more questions for me, just let me know.
Tashana Jackson
Ok.
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