Interview with Jason Edmunds
Introduction
The shape of an immigrant’s experience is formed by the challenges of leaving one’s native land, navigating a foreign society, and ultimately building a new home. For Jason, an immigrant from an orphanage in Ghana, the journey to becoming a part of the Edmunds family in America was not an easy process. His story points out several themes of migration, including the significance of family and belonging, the process of acculturation, and the factors that shape assimilation. Through Jason’s journey, we gain insight into the broader mechanisms of immigration and the sociocultural forces that frame these personal journeys.
Migration
Jason’s migration experience began before he was 12 years old. He was separated from his biological mother and placed in an orphanage, a practice that affects many children globally, often due to social or political forces beyond their control. Despite being in an orphanage, Jason and his brother, Joseph, were not alone in their struggle. Jason found out he was getting adopted at 12 years old with his brother Joseph, but the adoption process wasn’t expeditious. By the time Jason was 14, 2 years later, he and Joseph had finally arrived in the United States, marking the beginning of their new chapter in life.
Jason and his brother Joseph
As Jason recalled in our interview, the sense of security and belonging he found within the Edmunds family was undeniable. “My sister Emma is the reason why I am here,” Jason stated to me. This statement revealed the deep connection he felt toward the family that had welcomed him with open arms. Emma, his newfound sister, played a pivotal role in solidifying Jason’s place in the Edmunds family. When Emma and her mother saw a photograph of Jason and his brother, they knew instantly that they were meant to be a part of the family. Emma’s words, “Because they look like us.” This moment encapsulated the emotional and symbolic foundation of their new family bond. A sense of connection can serve as a marker of identity and belonging.
Assimilation
Jason’s experience can be connected to Milton Gordon’s seven stages of assimilation, which outline the process immigrants go through as they integrate into a new society. The first stage, acculturation, involves adopting the new culture’s language, dress, and customs. While Jason did not have to learn English, his overall story reflects the broader process of adapting to a new cultural environment. The transition from an orphanage to becoming part of the Edmunds family exemplifies the structural stage of assimilation, where immigrants enter larger social networks such as family units, institutions, and communities.
However, acculturation is just one part of the broader assimilation process. Jason’s move from an orphanage to a family setting and eventually to a new country corresponds to Gordon’s second stage of assimilation: structural integration. As Jason and his brother joined the Edmunds family, they entered a larger community and began to engage with the new social networks that are important to migration. Their adoption and the family’s open arms provided not only the emotional support necessary for integration but also access to new opportunities and networks that facilitated their settlement in the U.S.
The concept of assimilation goes beyond the simple adoption of language and customs. It involves a deeper, often generational, process through which immigrants and their descendants adapt to their new society while negotiating their ethnic identities. As Jason says, cultural identity is a significant factor in his experience. Jason did not lose his ethnic identity but rather formed a new one. This duality of identity reflects the broader immigrant experience of balancing one’s heritage with the expectations of America’s society.
One of the most important aspects of Jason’s story is the role of family in facilitating his assimilation. According to the theory of cumulative causation, each act of migration creates new conditions that make further migration more likely. Jason’s adoption into the Edmunds family reflects this concept. The Edmunds family’s emotional and material support helped Jason and his brother overcome the challenges of migration and acculturation. The relationship they formed with the Edmunds family became a critical part of their network, which provided not only security and support but also a sense of belonging.
Life in America
Jason’s experiences extended beyond family to include his church community, which also played a significant role in his adaptation to life in America. As he explained, “The pastor from Hope Church definitely helped a lot … because they helped me like adjust and helped me settle into a culture that I was not familiar with at all.” The church provided Jason with both emotional support and a sense of community, acting as a bridge to his new environment. This connection illustrates the importance of religion in facilitating immigrant integration.
Cultural encounters had a memorable impact on Jason’s story, as he navigated the differences between his Ghanaian upbringing and American life. He described how food and consumer culture stood out: “Probably chocolate because Ghana, we are known for our cocoa … And it’s like a lot of them. Like, and all of them cheap.” This reflection highlights the striking cultural contrasts immigrants often experience when transitioning to life in a new country.
Jason and his brother Joseph
Despite the challenges, Jason’s resilience and optimistic outlook shaped his aspirations for the future. He expressed his hope to make a difference in the world: “I hope that someday I can make a difference in the world. I don’t know how, but I know I probably will.” This determination underscores the transformative potential of the immigrant experience, as individuals draw from their past struggles to inspire change. This strive to have an impact and have a lack of fear seems to be a common theme among immigrants because the journey they’ve been through molds them to be that way.
Jason concluded the interview with advice that was manufactured from his own journey: “Don’t be afraid to fail. The only thing you should be afraid of is the failure of not trying.” This statement encapsulates the resilience and courage that define his life story and the immigrant experience as a whole. If he was afraid and scared to take risks, then he most likely wouldn’t have this experience that he can share.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Jason’s experience reminds us that immigration and assimilation are not only shaped by policies and social structures but also by the bonds and connections individuals form with their families, faith communities, and society. From Ghana to the United States, from an orphanage to a supportive family and community, is a testament to the importance of human connections in navigating the challenges of migration. Jason’s story exemplifies the interchange of cultural adaptation and preservation, underscoring that the immigrant experience is as much about finding one’s place in a new society as it is about holding onto the essence of one’s identity.
[00:00:00] Landon: All right, today is December 3rd at 7, about 7 30, and I’m here with Jason, who has graciously agreed to share his story over Zoom. Thank you for talking and taking the time to speak with me. So first, I just want to start off with where were you born?
[00:00:23] Jason: Yeah, I was born in Ghana, but I was born in Offinso, which is like a certain part of Ghana.
So Ghana is kind of divided into certain sections, you know, how like in the U. S. you have states. So I was born in the Ashanti region Offinso.
[00:00:46] Landon: And can you tell me a little bit about your early life in Ghana, like what your childhood was like?
[00:00:52] Jason: Yeah, I mean, yeah, it was definitely like, uh, it was hard growing up, you know, um, because I grew up, I grew up without a father.
So growing up, it was just me and my mom, majority of the time, but my mom was also going through certain things, , mentally and I think emotionally and physically. So that kind of like caused her. Um, that reduced the ability to take care of me. Um, and at that point, bearing in mind, I didn’t even know I had siblings.
Um, I didn’t know I had siblings at that point. It was hard. So majority time I’ll probably have to go, you know, um, look for certain things when I was my mom, when I was my mom, when I was with my mom, I’ll go look for, you know, food or like just, just certain things. I like, I think we need the necessities, but, um, at some point.
I was taken away from my mom and then put into an orphanage and that wasn’t easy either. I mean, it was a very difficult life because, um, Ghana is a third world country and growing up in, in, in a very poor environment where, , where like your lifestyle and the ability to even like get certain things such as pens, books, um, even shoes, clothes was, was pretty hard.
But overall it was hard, but You know, you always kind of have to look at, you know, the bigger picture of where do I see myself, a couple of years from now, so just having like, uh, like an idea in my head and, and, and, and just always just, just, just praying on it always helped me a lot to just know that there’s no matter what, you know, there’s, there’s still hope out there.
Um, and hopefully one of them worked out and one of them did work out. That’s why I got adopted, adopted into the U.S. so.
[00:02:53] Landon: You the, you said you had siblings, were you, youngest, oldest?,
[00:02:57] Jason: Yeah I, was the youngest, um, I was the youngest out of my siblings and I didn’t even know I had siblings until like several years. ,
[00:03:04] Landon: why was that that you didn’t know you had siblings because they were taken away or?
[00:03:09] Jason: No, I mean, I, well, as, as long as I could remember, um, it was, it’s, uh, it was always me and my mom. So I didn’t really, I didn’t really bother to ask. Also, I was kind of young, so I didn’t really, you know, as long as I had my mom, that’s really all I cared about. So I wasn’t really into. You know, who do I have siblings or do I not until like several years, several years of me growing up, then I, then, uh, the lady who owns the orphanage I was living at called me and, um, there were like three, three group of people.
And the lady was like, this is your siblings. And I was like, all right, well, uh, yeah, and yeah, that’s, that’s how I knew. That’s how I found out I had siblings.
[00:03:58] Landon: So do you know now the reason why they, was it, they took you away from your mom or did she have to let you go because of what she was going through?
[00:04:10] Jason: Um, no, my, my, my, my grandparent, my grandma and, and her, uh, sons and daughters actually came and take, uh, came, um, to take me away from my, my mom. And I remember, I remember that day because it was like a very, uh, I was like, one of those days that you, you know, you will never forget because it’s, it’s going to definitely have a, a long term effects on, on you, but on me as an individual, I definitely had a long term effects on me, but yeah, they took me away from my mom.
It wasn’t like I wanted to leave or it wasn’t like, uh, you know, I was, they just knew my mom wasn’t capable of taking care of me, at least the situation that she was in.
[00:04:57] Landon: And so at what age did you end up actually coming to the U. S.? Did you come with anyone?
[00:05:05] Jason: Yeah. So I, well, my adoption process started when I was 12 years old.
Um, probably like maybe a little bit younger than that, but I don’t remember, but I know I was pretty young. I started when I was 12, but, um. During the process, the Ghanian, I think, adoption agency, I think they found out about something of people sending people abusing the kids, um, abroad. So they brought, uh, they block what is called the adoption process.
So it took two years for me to get here. So when I got here, I was technically 14. Um, and I came here with my second to youngest, uh, second to uh, what’s it called? I came in with my brother Joseph. So it’s, it’s Lovis who’s the oldest one, then Vasti, um, then there’s Joseph and then there’s me. So I came in with my brother Joseph.
[00:06:01] Landon: Nice. And so was that because you two, just because of You’re adopted your mom, your mother who adopted you was only able to take two or?
[00:06:12] Jason: I’m not, I couldn’t really give you a reason. I think it was because of a, what is the call? Um, I don’t, I don’t know, but, but, but I know. I’m not sure why they picked us, um, but also my oldest siblings were a little bit older.
So if you put it, put that into perspective, it makes it a little bit harder, but I am grateful and, and, um, I am really grateful that I actually had the opportunity to be in the U. S. because I’ve been able to do things I never thought I would have been able to do. Um, throughout my lifetime, or at least when I was growing up through the hardship and the struggles in Ghana.
Um, but you know, got a high school diploma, got a college degree. Um, that’s something I never really thought I was going to be ever, I was going to be, uh, I was going to get done. Uh, it was going to get done, but you know, over time it just Just kind of have to, uh, just trust the process and just let things work out the way that they’re supposed to be and yeah.
[00:07:21] Landon: I So you said your older siblings, they’re older, um, do you think, are they, do you know if they’re still in Ghana and they stayed there? Or did they actually get the opportunity to be adopted as well?
[00:07:34] Jason: No, they’re still, they’re still in Ghana. You know, I try to catch up with them once in a while.
Uh, you know, you can’t really talk to them constantly, but I always try to catch up with them, you know, as much as I can. Um, I actually just got off the phone with my sister today. Um, so once in a while I try to like check in to see how they’re doing and you know, and if they need anything I can assist with. I try to do that because I know what that lifestyle is like. And I would hate for my siblings to go through the same thing.
[00:08:03] Landon: And so for talking about your adoption, what factors or things actually helped you be able to get adopted and make the trip over here?
[00:08:14] Jason: I couldn’t tell you the factors, but I remember when I was in the orphanage, there was this one lady that came down to the orphanage and, um, she was adopting kids from herself, from the orphanage that I was living at. And my brother and I were really close to her, especially my brother, so my brother had a conversation with her about, you know, us needing the family. And, um, so we just kind of, my brother just kind of talked to her and we just didn’t really see anything back. Um, but I guess, you know, things happen in a very miraculous way because, um, of, uh, after we talked to her, after we talked to her, like, it took a while, and then that’s when we found out that the Edmunds family wanted to adopt at us. And, um, yeah, so as a result of that, like, my parents came to Ghana. Well, my mom and my little brother Evan, um, came to Ghana. Um, that’s, that’s when I met them for the first time. And it’s been history since then.
[00:09:19] Landon: Awesome. And, um, did you have any preconceived feelings or expectations about moving to a new country, like specifically United States?
[00:09:32] Jason: Oh yeah, I had, gosh, that’s hard because I had so many. You know, because growing up I watched all these American movies, and I had like, I had this idea in my head of, you know, how high school is, how college is going to be. You know, see like how like American high schools, in movies are.
You know, so I had like this high school idea. Um, and I don’t know, just, just the culture, the people, I had so many ideas of, of, you know, of things that I wanted to, I was like, oh, when I get here, you know, high school is going to be amazing because, you know, they got all these soccer fields. I can be able to play soccer for the rest of them.
And I just had all these preconceived notions and ideas. But I think, some of them were real, but you know, some others were very disappointing. But at the same time too, I think, I think one of the things that definitely caught, caught my attention, cause I remember, and I always tell this story to people is because when I first got here, I remember my mom took me to Chick fil A for the first time. Um, and, and I remember like, cause I’ve never had Chick fil a in my life, you know, and I remember like just opening, opening the chicken sandwich and I was like, all right, what is this? I smelled it, bro, I came home threw this, threw the, uh, the food underneath my bed. But now Chick fil a is like my favorite places to go, you know, it’s like the food, the culture, the people had all these, you know.
It’s, it’s a, it’s hard for me to think about something right now, but that’s like the basic I can like think of, you know, and, and one thing I thought was also crazy was the fact that like, when I got here and I remember like my parents, taking me to different schools so I can like, um, I can basically, um, decide which school I was going to go to. And I remember walking into Freeman high school, which is the high school I went to. And every single kid in that place had a phone and a laptop. That was new to me, you know? Because Ghana, we just have one, you know, one little, at least the school that I went to, I don’t want to generalize it. The school that I went to, we just had one little lab of computers, and I’m not even talking about like laptops, I’m talking about, you know, one of those triangle TVs.
Triangle, like, computers, you know what I’m talking about? It’s like, it’s like a box, you know. So I had, we had a couple of those, and we just shared with like, classes, so it’s like, we have, you know, grade 1 through 13 or something and then, you know, you just share, you just share with them. There are certain days throughout the week, you only get like one chance, I think, to go every single week, so, then I think it’s like an hour, so you just go out there and you just make it count.
[00:12:21] Landon: So, moving with your brother, did you guys rely on each other a lot for support? Or in, especially, you know, now living in a house with, at the time, strangers, for the most part?
[00:12:36] Jason: You’re talking about when I got to the U. S.?
[00:12:38] Landon: Yeah, just like on the journey there, and, you know, now living in the United States, in a house with people that you’re not necessarily comfortable yet, at least what I believe, but.
[00:12:50] Jason: I mean, my brother’s always been like, he’s definitely been like a, like a foundation that holds me down, for sure. Um, and he’s always been, my brother’s like my biggest, like, inspiration. and also kind of like inspiration and aspiration because there are certain parts of my life where he inspires me to become a better version of myself. But I also look at him in a way of where I want to be or where I see myself, uh, being, , he’s, he’s always been, he’s always been an amazing person. And, and a good support system for me because even when I was in college, um, he was definitely taking care of things that I probably should have been taking care of, I probably should have been taking care of. But, um, moving to the U. S., um, moving to the U. S. and, and, and, and being around a different family, I think at first it’s definitely, like, hard to adjust because it’s like you’re put in a, An environment where you have to, it’s like, you’re put in a complete different culture and, you know, putting a completely different environment and it’s like, you, you have to learn to fit into that system. And, and I think sometime, I think that made that definitely made it hard a little bit. And, you know, considering the fact that, I have to kind of play two parts in a way. You know, I, I, I am, I, I don’t want this thing to have anything to do with race, but I am black, adopted by a white family, um, but at the same time too, I go to school and I see like the other like black kids in my school. And, you know, majority of the time, you know, I get people calling, saying certain words to me or calling me names because I don’t act like your average, typical person, which I don’t know why they got this stereotype. But it was definitely hard trying to adjust to this culture, um, but at the same time too, I think knowing that you have a certain group of people around you that always have your back no matter what, um, my friend Mike is one of them, Mike Woodard is one of them and he’s, he’s, he’s, you know, having those people in my life, I’ve always like, it’s, it’s. Have always influenced me to the point that I am the person I am today because of those amazing people I had around me, you know, growing up and, and, and the people that have influenced me to become the person I am today. So, you know, I don’t know if that answers the question, but, you know.
[00:15:31] Landon: And so would you say you learned a lot of lessons and skills from , I guess, hardship growing up? Especially where in Ghana and then, you know, even though you were given opportunities here still struggles with, you know, other people or even your own thoughts, worries about stuff.
[00:15:52] Jason: Yeah, I definitely think those hardship’s that I experienced in Ghana definitely made me a much better person. And also the my ability to adjust to adversity is better. Um, because there are certain things where even when I got here there were like a few of my friends and a few of my friends that were on prescription for certain things, I think ADHD, and I told them, I said, you know, you know what’s crazy? I think it’s crazy that back in my country, I have kids that act way worse than you. You know, we’re worse than y’all, but we are not on medication, we’re not on anything. I’m trying to figure out what I’m trying to say. It’s like, just, just, just the people. You know, and, and, okay, what I’m trying to say is back there, we’re not on medication because I’m trying to say in a way that doesn’t sound like, you know, I’m, I’m being offensive or anything, but I think, I think there are certain things that I’ve experienced in, in just being in the U S in general that have definitely made me think twice, but are certain things that I’ve also experienced that I just take it like, whatever. I mean, I’ve dealt with something, I’ve dealt with bigger problems, so what difference does that make? So, in a way, my hardship, my hardship is the reason why I am the person I am today. And I don’t want to sit out here saying I regret anything. Um, I don’t regret anything I’ve been through. Um, so, I don’t regret anything I’ve been through.
Um, I think I just look at it as a, like a phase of your life where you just got to just bounce or like you just got to grow from there. And, you know, and sometimes with a little bit of prayers and faith and just trusting that, you know, that God will guide you to your destination, so it’s just something I’ve always believed in.
So no matter what, how hard the struggles is, I always believe that, , there are people and there are families and there are not just, there are people like families, friends and all these acquaintances around you that are put in your life for specific reasons. And sometimes you might think, Oh, you know, sometimes I used to think, uh, since I’ve dealt with this issue before, I don’t need no, I didn’t need, I don’t need any type of support. But I think some of the best things that ever happened to me was just having friends and people around me that have been a root in my life, that have always held me down. And, and because of that, I think I’m, family and friends because of them, I don’t think there’s anything I haven’t been able to get through so far.
[00:18:41] Landon: And so you mentioned you were talking to your sister actually earlier today. So I wanted to ask you, you’ve maintained connection with family, whether they’re here, your brother, or back in Ghana. And do you do that just through phone? Do you email? Do you, you know, and who do you talk to? Who do you not? You know, do you still talk to your mom?
[00:19:04] Jason: I talk to my sibling. I talk to my siblings through WhatsApp. My older brother, I don’t talk to him that often, but my sister, I do. Um, but, you know, with, with someone, once in a while we chat through WhatsApp. Um, my mom, I, I, I don’t know. I don’t really talk to her at all. You know, cause I, I, God knows, you know, so it’s like, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t know, I didn’t really, I couldn’t tell you anything about her, but I, I just, I think I just talk to my brother and my siblings more than than anybody else.
And there are some people that I used to talk to, but I don’t talk to them anymore. Um, not because I don’t want to, it’s just because, America, definitely, being in the USA, people always have this stereotype about you where they feel like you in the US, you are like basically rich, so they expect certain things from you. And, you know, just being myself and not being able to like constantly go back and forth with these individuals. As a result, you know, I had to cut certain people out of my life, but the important ones are there, so. You know, that’s all that matters to me, in a way.
[00:20:26] Landon: So when you arrived here, how did, you know, people, I know you talked about kids in school, but how did, like, people like the family that adopted you or even the people around you, like the family’s friends, how did they accept or how did they react to you coming here?
[00:20:46] Jason: I think, you know, my, my family, my dad and my, my parents and my family in general have been, I don’t know, you know, they are the world to me. You know, so they’ve always supported me. You know, I don’t think I ever really had an issue because I have a, I have like a certain personality about me and I’m able to really talk to people. Um, I’m able to like connect and talk to people in different ways. So I didn’t really struggle much, but there were some times that I struggled. Um, and as a result of that, you know, that, that, that definitely changed my mentality, in a way, but there were some struggles, um, but my family was always there to support me.
[00:21:38] Landon: And so, um, do you think that you were given fair opportunities, in America? Do you think there are certain things that didn’t seem fair, whether it was from school or even friends?
[00:21:53] Jason: America is a great country and I think it’s full of opportunities for anybody who is willing to look for it and work for exactly what you’re looking for. So I’ve definitely had a lot of opportunities, probably like more than I probably should have, compared to some people. But I’ve been able to have a lot more opportunities just being in the U.S. and, and, and just the type of connections I have around me. and it’s just the type of people I have around me. I’ve had a lot more opportunities just being in the U. S. than I probably would have ever had if, if I still lived in Ghana. And I love my country. I love, you know, Ghana, but it’s, it just, there’s a difference between a first world country and a third world country. So there’s a lot more opportunities here. And I think anybody who is willing to to prove to themselves that they’re capable of it will have. There’s a lot more opportunities if you are willing to prove to yourself that you deserve it, basically.
[00:22:57] Landon: And so you said you’re, um, I guess you would say prideful of being from Ghana. You take pride in that. But I do ask you, are you prideful of being American? Like, and how do you feel about being a U. S. citizen? Is that something you’re prideful about or just whatever?
[00:23:16] Jason: No, no, I love the U. S., come on. The U. S. is the reason why I am the person I am today. You can’t, you can’t, like, ignore that. You can’t, like, no matter what, like, that is the country that made me. The U. S. is what made me the person I am today, and I’m talking about, like, the ability to even, like, have my own room, you know, to even, like, have a TV. To have a phone that’s an iPhone, or to have a, to have an iPhone, a laptop. And you know, it’s, it’s given me a lot more things than I needed. But at the same time too, I love Ghana because that’s where I was born, it’s, it’s, it’s a, it’s a two different, completely different cultures, you know and, and one of them gave me, one of them raised me, the other one gave me opportunities, to be the person I am today. So I love the U S more than any other country, but at the same time too, I take pride in the place that I was born.
[00:24:15] Landon: So do you feel, do you feel "American" or do you see yourself very connected to Ghana or a little bit of both? You know, you wear both badges on each shoulder kind of thing.
[00:24:26] Jason: I think I wear both badges. But I feel, I feel, I feel very American. I think I wear both badges and I feel very "Amerian", but at the same time too, it just. This country makes you feel proud, even if you’re not trying to, you know, it just makes you feel proud just being here, you know, just, just, just because of like the people, the culture, the environment, you know, I’m not saying you’re always going to meet people who are like good, you know, you’re, you know, you’re going to, or bad or anything. You just, just kind of have to pick and choose your battles and, and, and as to who you surround yourself with. And I think that determines if it’s going to be good or bad. And so far, I’ve surrounded myself with some amazing people, they’ve always accepted me. And I’ve always, like, fit in, so I’ve never really had an issue with not fitting in anywhere or anything like that. But I feel very "American".
[00:25:24] Landon: You’re in contact with siblings from time to time. Is there any other ways you try to stay connected to Ghana?
[00:25:33] Jason: Uh, no, I used to have social media. , I used to have like Facebook. But I used to have it, I used to try to, but I haven’t had social media for a while. So I haven’t, I don’t, I don’t have any social media anymore. So it makes it hard to connect with people if not through WhatsApp.
[00:25:53] Landon: And have you had the chance to actually go back and visit?
[00:25:56] Jason: No, I want to though. 10 years, never had a chance to.
[00:26:03] Landon: Hopefully soon. Maybe, right?
[00:26:05] Jason: Yeah, I hope so. Maybe next year. Who knows?
[00:26:09] Landon: Is there anything you do that maybe is like Ghana, like culture of Ghana? Like there, do you, is there anything you celebrate?
[00:26:19] Jason: I definitely celebrate, like, Independence Day, March 6th, that I definitely do celebrate, um, I also pay attention to, um, I try to still, like, make sure that I am not leaving my culture behind, or I’m not leaving my culture, my traditions behind. So, you know, I, I try to pay attention. I watch like videos from Ghana and like, I will, I have a culture attire, I will also wear it sometimes. I have friends from Ghana that we try to link up all the time, just because we want to keep that roots, we want to keep our roots, but at the same time too, recognizing that we’re in a different environment, and being proud of where we are, but at the same time keeping, keeping our roots together.
[00:27:08] Landon: So you try to have friends or you have friends and you try to connect all the time. Do you feel like that’s important? Like, is that important to you to keep those connections?
[00:27:21] Jason: Like the connection from back at home?
[00:27:24] Landon: Not just back at home, but you said you like the you said here you try to have friends and hang out with people who are from Ghana or shared, you know parents from there. Do you think it’s important to keep Keep them close and be friends with them?
[00:27:38] Jason: Yeah.
[00:27:39] Landon: Does it help you bring like a sense of belonging at all?
[00:27:42] Jason: Yeah. I mean, it definitely bring a, I think it’s always important to keep, you know, to, to, to keep up with the people who are, who, who are from your country and especially have similar, um, cultural characteristics as somebody who might, you know, who might be from Africa, for example.
And I think just having those people in my life, I’ve always given me a sense of like, belonging and knowing that, um, if I was to forget something, I can always look at them for like, if, if I was to make a mistake or do something that I’m not supposed to do, I can also look at them for like reassurance that knowing that, you know, I have these people in my life, that’s like, In a way, some of them trees, some of them are the roots and some of them are the branches, some of them are the leaves, but being able to differentiate between all of them is something that’s important to me. So I pick and choose, you know, who I want to, cause who I want to like trust and really be around and tell something things to, but at the same time, too, um, I keep certain people around just because, uh, you know, I want to keep my culture and I want to keep the roots and my traditions going.
[00:29:01] Landon: So I just want to get some, you know, last part, just some reflection on your journey. So when you look back, is there a part of your journey that stands out the most to you at all?
[00:29:16] Jason: Honestly, it’s like everything, everything. But, but I think the part of my journey, the journey in that really stood up to, stood out for me was more, uh, I think meeting my dad for the first time, meeting my dad for the first time, I think meeting my, meeting my mom for the first time, definitely made an impact. Meeting my siblings made an impact, definitely stood out for me. I remember like landing in New York, JFK airport, and getting out of the plane and feeling like I just hopped into a freezer. That was like a new beginning for me. You know, I would be like, cause I got out of the plane and I was like, whoo, what is this?
[00:30:02] Landon: Did your mom not give you proper clothing?
[00:30:04] Jason: Oh, absolutely. I had, I mean, whoo, I probably could wear like 10 of them things on top of each other. It’s just, it’s just like a different, I mean, I remember like even like walking to a grocery store and, and, and just standing around and looking at the place like, what is this? You know, not because we don’t have some in Ghana, we do have them, but it’s a place, the place that I grew up, I just didn’t have access to those things. I remember going to a grocery store and being like, Oh my God, there’s so many options. You know, it’s like, and it’s not, it’s just, I mean, that’s a lot, I don’t know, just, just even like being in the soccer team was like, was like new to me, you know, just everything was just everything, the coach, everything was just so new to me.
And I think some of the things I really stood out just, you know, meeting friends, you know, my family, um, probably landing and getting out of the plane. And it was, I was like, Ooh, it’s cold. Um, actually being in the soccer team. Um, just meeting like people, friends and, and, and there were, there are definitely a few people in high school that I don’t remember that definitely, uh, stood out to me.
Um, for example, cause I had, I had people, I had friends cause when I first got here, I didn’t really, uh, understand the culture. So there are people, there were some people that definitely took me underneath your wings and definitely helped me adjust. Which, which, which I’ll be forever grateful for and the people, I used to go to Hope Church. I mean, I still go once in a while. So the, the, the, the pastor from Hope Church definitely helped a lot. Um, Drew, I mean, just, just the whole church, you know, they, they definitely were some of the people that helped me, um, stood out for me a lot too, because it helped me like adjust and, and helped me settle into a culture that I was not familiar with at all. Um, but the food also stood out to me. So everything was.
[00:32:20] Landon: Was there besides, um, I don’t know if the Chick fil A story was the first thing. Was there a food that you ate that you were like, maybe it was a candy and you were like, just shocked, it sticks out at all or is this all of it was just different?
[00:32:37] Jason: Probably chocolate because ghana we are known for our cocoa, which is like what you use to make chocolate.
Like, growing up, I mean, I would have some, but it wasn’t like, it wasn’t like anything like, you know what I’m saying? And then you get to the U. S. and go to like the grocery store and the candy section. And it’s like a lot of them. Like, and all of them cheap. You know, all of them cheap. So like, that, that was uh, Cause I, I mean, I remember like having cocoa and all these things.
And I had like a few, I had chocolates when I was growing up. But, you know, eating like, candy wasn’t like something that was a consistent. And I remember like coming here and, you know, like the chocolate was definitely was something. Yeah. I’ll probably say chocolate, yeah.
[00:33:23] Landon: And so was your, was your flight to America, your, or I guess your way towards America, was that your first flight ever? And if it was, what’d you think about flying?
[00:33:33] Jason: Oh, so when I was in Ghana, my family, well, my mom, my parents actually, um, so my dad and my mom, um, so we had to go from Kumasi, which is Kumasi to Accra and Accra is like the capital. So my parents were like, well, we’re just going to make, we’re just gonna, uh, we’re just going to let y’all fly over there.
Um, because, um, so y’all can at least get an experience of what it feels like to be on a plane. But, it was a smaller plane, compared to the one I took to the U. S. That one was, uh, yeah. I did not like the feeling. I did not like that feeling of taking off, or like, landing. I didn’t like any of that.
But I don’t know. It was, it was, I think it was Delta or something. I don’t know, but it was nice. So that made me a little bit comfortable, you know?
[00:34:28] Landon: So what are some, uh, hopes for you in your future for yourself? Yeah, just like, what, what in the future do you have hopes? Obviously you want to go back, but is there anything else?
[00:34:43] Jason: I don’t know. I hope that I can, I hope, I hope I can make a difference in the world someday. Because honestly, um, just growing up and seeing what it feels like to struggle, I always say, it’s like, one of the things I always say, it’s like, the place that people here calls, uh, calls ghetto was my heaven growing up.
Maybe you, you take the gun violence out and whatever, but I mean, it’s, yeah, so, you know, hopefully I can take all that struggles and I’m going to keep saying it. I don’t regret anything I’ve been through. I just learned from it. , and you can never really grow unless, you know, you accept the things that happen to you in your life and just accept them for what it is and, and, um, I hope that someday I can make a difference in the world.
I don’t know how, but I know I probably will make a difference in the world. Maybe I don’t understand it now, but I definitely have a feeling I’m going to make a difference in the world. you know, but By providing for the people that needs it the most,
[00:36:08] Landon: And so that’s that’s all I have for you on questions, is there anything you want to ask or say anything else?
[00:36:16] Jason: Uh, no, I just probably just, I don’t really have any questions, but I’ll probably say,
Don’t be afraid to fail. The only thing you should be afraid of is the failure of not trying. Yeah, that’s probably what I would say. Yeah, that’s it.
[00:36:41] Landon: Awesome. Well, thank you for letting me interview you.
[00:36:43] Jason: All right. Thank you so much.
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