Interview with Simon Nuakoh
Introduction
Growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, I was exposed to a lot of immigration being brought up in an extremely diverse area. Many people I knew and were friends with were either first or second-generation immigrants, which I am extremely grateful for the experience of growing up next to. For my Immigrant Interview Project, I asked my friend from 3rd grade, Simon Nuakoh, who immigrated to the United States from Accra, Ghana. He joined my third-grade class in the middle of the school year and was an extremely welcome addition to our third-grade circle of friends. Immigration is a complicated process in the act itself of doing not only so but also sociologically; Immigration contains social aspects like reasons for immigration, processes and forms of immigration, reception of immigrants, and policy. In this class, we’ve covered and learned about these aspects.
In Ghana
Simon Nuakoh immigrated to the United States of America from Accra, Ghana where he lived his entire life prior to immigrating at the age of eight. An aspect that we talked about during our lectures is that the younger a person moves the easier time they have adjusting to the environment due to more years of school, a younger brain picking up the language faster, and being able to integrate with the culture and society. Simon talked about Accra being similar to Alexandria, Virginia where he moved to and where I am from in the sense that it is city-like and urban. I imagine that being from another densely populated, urban, city-like area made the transition slightly easier. Simon when talking about how he was from a more urban area said “it wasn’t too, like, in the woods or anything like that. We were close by a city as well” which is slang for saying he wasn’t really in a rural area and also goes to show how well he has assimilated with the culture and language, some of it being easier due to his moving from such a young age. After talking a little bit about where he was from, what kind of area it was, and how old he was, we talked about what kinds of things he did when he was still living there. Simon talked about school at some length and then about being a kid. Simon said that while there are similarities between schools in the United States and in Ghana, it’s still pretty different. He talked about there not being any buses so he would have to walk to school and if he was lucky the parents of children would walk with them. This reminded me of in our lectures when we talked about World Systems theory where migration is a natural outgrowth and international migration follows the expanding markets and for reasons like transportation and climate change, for example in this scenario, buses to school. Additionally, he talked about what school was like as a child in Ghana and stated that he would just go outside and play “in terms of kids living, it wasn;t much different from here”. This is something I would agree with wholeheartedly because most of my memories as a child at and before the age of eight is outside, running around, and playing. When I asked about more details about what school life was like in Ghana, he said everyone spoke English which came as a surprise to me because I knew some places in Europe teach English in schools, I wasn’t aware that countries like Ghana did as well and that they did not really spend time learning about their native language which surprised me again because in the United States we have English class but also learn other languages as well. He also spoke about discipline in school and how if you answer incorrectly or come to class late “the teacher basically has the right to kind of whoop you or smack you, you know, give you a whooping” which he says “was the only major difference between here and there”. This is an example of things like cultural norms and societal expectations which I wanted to expand on when I asked him if he was suprised to not see kids getting physically disciplined as punishment or if it was something that he knew did not really occur in the United States. Simon’s response as that he knew it did not happen because in Ghana, the people call the United States, Abroche, which he says means a new place, and “people would think that if you come here life would be so much easier…they believe that once you come here, you automatically…get a job, you get more money, your living conditions would be technically better than there”. I found this super interesting because I’ve always thought about what the people of other country’s perception of our country is because you never really know what something or someplace is like before you’ve been there or tried it and the United States is a very large nation so many places are extremely different than the others. Simon said that this expectation made him excited to immigrate. He also had heard that a lot about how the United States has snow but just like I was talking about, the United States is very large and some places get very heavy snow and some places get practically no snow and he said that the cold was a very big adjustment which was something I had not really ever thought about someone immigrating would have to adjust to. My next question for Simon was what his parents did for work in Ghana and he said that to the best of his memory, his dad worked selling groceries and that his mother was a street vendor who sold buckets or food and he said that this was more of a dangerous job due to the lack of “developed roads” and street and car related infrastructure.
The Move
Simon was eight years old when he immigrated to the United States. I remember when he joined our class halfway through the year in the third grade, stating that he remembered me and his half-cousin Jethro. I asked him “why did you and your family decide to immigrate to the US”? Simon said “first idea was better living conditions and so my grandfather, um, my mom’s father and grandmother was here, as well as her, my uncles was also here. So majority of the family members was here. So they kind of like helped us”. This aspect of immigration Simon was talking about was an aspect we learned about during class, which was a large amount of immigration is because there is already a family member in the United States to who they can get immigration access due to having a family member who is a legal, green-card holding resident. We specifically talked about Harrisonburg for example about the rise in the immigrant population and how a large amount has to do with an already established family member here, aiding in and making it possible for another family member to move here as well, relating to this Simon said: “So since everyone is in America, why not? We just bring you here as well”. Also related to our lecture material from this course and semester, having a family member in the United States also makes the Cosots and benefits of immigration more friendly because you can stay with a family member and have a support system if it takes some time for you and your family to get on your feet. For example, if an immigrant can’t find housing right away, or find a job right away, or get transportation right away, a family member who is already more established can help. Simon also talks about this when I asked what kind of support he received from his family who was already here, “I would say housing, like, when we first came in, we didn’t have any place to stay”. He also talked about needing monetary support because his mom was not able to find a job right away but eventually, when she was able to they were able to move out and find a place on their own. When I asked Simon about what his family and friends’ reaction was to him leaving to the United States he said that he didn’t remember exactly but they were excited for him but sad that he was leaving but for the most part excited because of the preconceived notion they have of the United States. I was curious about this because we have talked about reception in lectures and I was wondering what the other end would look like when you are not just entering a community but also leaving one behind. On the topic of how he immigrated to the United States, he said that he flew but did not remember if they had come on a visa or green card but said he thinks that they were accepted for green cards.
Arrival and Reception
I was curious about whether or not Simon had retained any connections with family or people he knew from Ghana and he said it was how many cars there were, different forms of housing like apartment complexes, and generally how developed the US is and the amount of infrastructure. Something we have talked at length about when it comes to immigration is reception. We have talked about how in Harrisonburg for example, the town is for the most part very immigrant-friendly and has been moving even further in that direction. However, this is not the case everywhere, and due to either political or personal beliefs, a town can either be immigrant-friendly or unfriendly. This is why I wanted to ask Simon, to see how he was received and if it was a positive or negative experience for him. Simon said, “I wouldn’t say I’m treated poorly. No I think I was, you see pretty good…I was welcomed, especially in school…so I’ll say my experience with that was really good”. This is an answer I was expecting for the most part because Alexandria, Virginia, has a very high immigrant population with around a quarter of its population made up of foreign-born citizens and Alexandria is continuously becoming more immigrant-friendly. I wanted more details from Simon on what he was expecting before immigrating to the US and he said that he expected everything to be new which it was but that he thought that the houses would be bigger and that they would do more and have more than they did. Based on that answer and his talking about big houses and doing and having a lot I was curious as to what influenced that train of thought and if maybe he had gotten some skewed expectation from an American media. However, he responded, “I remember watching cartoons back then like American cartoons when I was in Ghana. But I don’t, I don’t remember anything other than that”. To me this means that the majority of his expectations came from the talk of people around him like the two of us had talked about earlier. A lot of immigrants often return to where they were home due to the connections they have with the land and family and people from their home country. This was the reason for my next question of whether Simon had been back to Ghana since. He said he had not but was planning a trip to return soon to attend his grandmother’s funeral, who was in the United States but moved back to Ghana when she fell ill which is similar to what I was talking about when people return to their country of origin due to the connection with people and land. Connections with people still in their country of origin was my next question for Simon where he said that his father was the only one he kept in touch with because he did not have a phone at the young age of eight in Ghana so he could not maintain contact with other relationships like the friends he had. Simon had said earlier that his and his family’s reason for immigrating was for better living conditions so I wanted to know how Simon was doing for education and work and he goes to Nova Univeristy and is studying Cybersecurity. He also talked about his job experience and how he has been building his resume like working at retail stores, to working at a service desk at Navy Federal, to currently working at Inova Hospital as a desktop admin. More on the topic of reception, I asked Simon what the best and worst thing about living here which he answered the best thing was a “brand new, whole different life” and the worst thing was “I just didn’t like the weather here. I don’t like the cold. I hate it”. For my last question for Simon, I asked a question on a topic that we have talked about in class before, tradition and the continuance of cultural practices from an immigrant’s country of origin in the United States. When Simon was asked about this he stated that “Um, we do everything. I’ll be honest with you, it’s not, it’s not really a tradition. It’s more like how we usually live down there”. When asked about his family’s most important tradition he said New Years, where his family goes to church and prays until the New Year, and is a holiday and tradition that him and his family practiced in Ghana.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Simon’s story is about the determination and adaptability of immigrants and how immigration is more than just geographically relocating but about the journey itself, the new culture and society and the old, and preserving tradition and cultural identities. Immigration is a multi-layered endeavor and Simon navigated that challenge and is doing and will go on to do great things in his life.
Jack: All right. Hello. Thank you very much for agreeing to do this interview and doing me a favor.
Simon: No problem.
Jack: All right. Let’s start. Let’s start off with the simple stuff. What’s your name?
Simon: My name is Simon Nuakoh.
Jack: And where did you immigrate from?
Simon: I immigrated from Ghana, if I’m being honest.
Jack: You think where?
Simon: I think Ghana and Accra, but.
Jack: And that’s, that’s like the part of Ghana?
Simon: Yeah, that’s the part of Ghana, I believe so.
Jack: Uh, what was that like? Was it countryside, like rural, or was it kind of urban and city-like?
Simon: I would say it’s more like city. It’s like, uh, Alexandria.
Jack: Mm-hmm.
Simon: Yeah, where I lived, it was more like Alexandria. It wasn’t too, like, in the woods or anything like that. We were close by a city as well. So I’m pretty sure it was, yeah. From the best that I remember.
Jack: Yeah. Yeah, right. I know it’s been yeah, it’s been a while, right?
Simon: Yep.
Jack: Uh, and what was life like there and what kind of, what, what sorts of things, like, what was it like and what sorts of things did you, did you do there?
Simon: So it wasn’t. It’s completely different from here or say it has its own, there’s similarities in there. And in Ghana, you go to school, but in some parts, you don’t have buses. So that’s where it’s like you have to walk to school. That’s different. You know what I’m saying? So depending on how far your school is, you’re going to have to walk all the way there. Sometimes you have to do it by yourself. If you’re lucky, your parents will walk with you, you know what I’m saying? But majority of the time I remember walking to school throughout my childhood. And then that’s one thing that’s different. The school system is also slightly different from here as well. And other than that, It’s not, I wouldn’t say it’s different different. It’s not really different. Like you just go outside, you know, play, you know what I’m saying? Like have fun. As a kid, I didn’t really do much because I would just come outside and play. So it’s like, in terms of like kids living, it wasn’t much different from here.
Jack: Yeah. Kids are kids. They go outside, they play.
Simon: Exactly. So other than just a few undeveloped areas, that’s, that’s about it.
Jack: Awesome. And, uh, you, you were talking a little bit about your school and that was my next question, which is, uh, what was your school life like?
Simon: Um, I would say it’s completely different from here. That’s one thing I would say. There, I believe, if I remember correctly, you, everyone spoke English. So they didn’t really, we, we weren’t really taught our native language, if that makes sense. It’s more like, oh, we’re teaching how to speak English, whatever. So, and then also, it’s kind of like, they have a system where you’re disciplined if you don’t get the answer right. Or, it’s like, it’s like, they kind of, hmm, I don’t know the term to put it. But like, if, let’s say, you’re late or you cause trouble in class or anything like that, the teacher basically has the right to kind of whoop you or smack you, you know, give you a whooping. And so it’s like that was the only major difference between here and there.
Jack: Yeah, when you, when you, um, started coming to school here, did you think that maybe, like, like, were you surprised to not see kids getting, like, whooped occasionally? Was that something that you were aware of, that that didn’t really happen?
Simon: Yeah, I kind of knew it didn’t happen here, like, I was in between, but I didn’t know, like, what was going to be like here, you know what I’m saying? So, I didn’t really put that, I was, so in Ghana, we call, it’s like, I don’t know, we call this place, America, we call it Abroche. It just means like, a new place or something like that, you know what I’m saying? That’s the name we gave it. So it’s like, there, people would think that if you come here, life would be so much easier, you know what I’m saying? They believe that once you come here, you automatically, you know, get a job, you get more money, your living conditions would be technically better than there. That’s what they believe. Right. But they don’t really know like what was going on here. You know what I’m saying?
Jack: Yeah, they don’t know all the finer details.
Simon: Exactly. So it’s like when I was coming here, that’s what I believe too. I was like, Oh shit, I’m going there. I’m excited. You know, I don’t want to be here no more. You know what I’m saying?
Jack: Yeah, I imagine that was pretty like exciting and stuff, right?
Simon: Yeah, literally. So it’s, it was shocking. So as a kid, I wanted to like see, I’ve heard a lot about like the snow weather. So it’s like, I wanted to come, I came around when it was like, I believe near December, you know, like when I was coming in, I came, I didn’t expect it to be that cold. That’s one thing. Like I came in around the times where it’s, it’s super cold, right? So I needed a jacket. One thing that completely threw me off. And then also when I came, I would say I got disappointed a little bit with snow. You know what I’m saying? Like, I expected it to be heavily snowing, like, on the winter if it’s cold. I wanted to go out and play, but, you know, I can’t really do that because of family, you know. They were like, no, don’t go out and all that. But it’s, it’s just something when you, when you’re there, it’s something that everyone kind of thinks. So they all want to come over here, you know what I’m saying, without knowing anything. So it’s just, it’s just this idea that we have of this place when you’re over there.
Jack: Uh, so in Ghana, what were your parents doing for work?
Simon: Yeah, so in Ghana, I’m not sure what my dad did. I believe he worked in this selling company, like selling groceries and all that. I believe it was a grocery shop. I’m not sure, it’s from what I know, his friend created that business and he was just working with his friend. That was that. And my mom, she didn’t really work work per se, I would say she mostly would buy like, I would say like buckets, brand new buckets or so. And so it, the way I’m going to explain, it’s going to sound really bad, but like she would like get a big bucket, right? And then buy a lot of smaller ones, containers and all that, right? And then we’ll literally like lift it and put it on top of her head. And then she’ll go out on the street, like far into the city, right? And then sell it to people. Or she’ll make food, put it inside a bucket, put it on her head and then walk around selling it. It would be like, it would be like one of those, like, you know how when you’re driving you occasionally see like people coming up to your door telling you, Hey, I have flowers, do you want to buy?
Jack: Yeah, like a street vendor?
Simon: Yeah, but it’ll be more, a little bit more dangerous because there’s no really any developed roads. Cars are just driving. So it’s a little bit more dangerous, but I didn’t really go with her since I was a kid, but that’s what, if I remember, that’s what she did. She didn’t do that for that long. I believe she did that for a while.
Jack: And how old were you when you immigrated to the U. S.?
Simon: I think I was eight years old, eight, when I came here. Was it third grade? Yeah. Like, I came half of third grade, right? If I remember.
Jack: Yeah, I remember. Yeah. Halfway through the school year.
Simon: It was you, I remember. Jethro was there, too.
Jack: And is Jethro, like, your cousin?
Simon: Yeah, like, he’s my half cousin. I know him through his, I think his dad. His dad knows our family, or we’re connected to his dad. Yeah. But yeah, well, sort of like half cousins, if I say so.
Jack: And, uh, why did you and your family decide to immigrate to the US?
Simon: Um, well, first idea was better living conditions. And so my grandfather, um, my mom’s father and grandmother was here, as well as her, my uncles was also here. So majority of the family members was here. So they kind of like helped us, you know, come over here as well. So that was basically the idea. So since everyone is in America, why not? We just bring you here as well. Since you have kids, it’d be better for them here.
Jack: And did you get a lot of support from your family that was already here?
Simon: Yeah, yeah, a lot.
Jack: What kind of support like?
Simon: I would say like housing, like, when we first came in, we didn’t have any place to stay.
Jack: So you stayed with family?
Simon: Yeah, we had to stay with our family for a while, for a while. And then afterwards, we got our own place and then lived there. So we needed that support because my mom didn’t have a job coming in. So it’s like, once we got here and she finally got something going on, that’s when we could move out and find a different place.
Jack: Awesome. And, uh, what, what did your neighbors and friends and family who, um, all stayed in Ghana think about your family’s decision to move to the U. S.? Do you remember any of that?
Simon: I don’t really remember, but they were all excited. I remember my friends being sad that I was leaving. But other than that, it’s mostly excitement because everyone, like I said before, everyone’s idea of America is, you know, better everything.
Jack: So they were happy for you and excited for you and stuff?
Simon: They were happy for me and all that. The only person that didn’t come along with us would be my dad. He’s still in Ghana. So, it’s only, give me one second.
Jack: Absolutely.
Simon: What’s up?
Jack: You’re all good, I just paused everything.
Simon: Yeah, sorry about that.
Jack: No problem. Yeah, so, so they were, uh, excited for you and happy for you. Yep. And, uh, aside from being sad that her friends, that you were leaving.
Simon: Yeah.
Jack: And uh, what means did you take to get here? Did you guys fly in a plane or take a, take a boat?
Simon: Yeah, we flew a plane, I believe. I think we flew and then we did like a stop, one stop, and then came directly here. I think we stopped at New York and then we came over here afterwards.
Jack: Awesome. And do you remember what the legal process was like? Um, was it like, um, like a working visa or did you guys get full, like regular immigration permission? And did you guys run into any problems with that process or was there any trouble in that process?
Simon: Um, I don’t think we did from the best of my knowledge. My thinking, I think we have a green card. So I believe when we came over here, we had green cards. And so I don’t think we had any like work visa cards or anything like that.
Jack: Yeah, I know it was a long time ago.
Simon: Yeah.
Jack: And what were you already talked about this a little bit, but what were your feelings about moving to the US?
Simon: Um, like I said, mixed feelings. Like in between, it was more like excitement, but at the same time sad. So it’s, you know, as a kid, you know, I don’t really remember much of how I felt, but I was in between whether to be sad or happy.
Simon: But once I got here, all those feelings went away. You know what I’m saying? I was like, Oh, okay. I’m here now. Might as well just live my life here.
Jack: Yeah, and, uh, on that note, what do you remember initially being surprisingly different than home?
Simon: Um Like, what do I remember America being like when I first got here?
Jack: Yeah, like what, what really, when you first got here, what were you like, oh my gosh, this is, what was like one of the big things, or you could talk about a few things that you remember that were just like, oh my gosh, this is so different than Ghana?
Simon: I would say like, what was majorly different was, I would say like, the cars. I’ll say a lot of cars that I’ve never seen. Um, I’ve seen cars, but like, in America, it’s a little different, you know what I’m saying? That, and then, I would say the houses, as well, um, because I had never seen an apartment complex, if I’m not wrong. Um, think that was it.
Jack: Really? The, the big, the really big things were like cars, a lot of cars, cars that you haven’t seen and, um, like big, big houses and apartment complexes and stuff like that?
Simon: I would say, yeah and then I would say how developed this place was compared to Ghana.
Jack: Like, on the, like infrastructure related?
Simon: Yeah. That type of thing, but yeah.
Jack: And how do you remember being received? Like, were people always really kind to you and happy to like have you or were you ever treated poorly at any point?
Simon: I wouldn’t say I’m treated poorly. No, I think I was, you see pretty good. It wasn’t too bad. I was welcomed, especially in school. So I didn’t feel like any type of negativity or anything like that. So I’ll say my experience with that was really good. Yeah.
Jack: I remember personally, we were really excited and happy to have a have a new friend and kind of a got you in our, um, big friend of big circle of friends and stuff that we had at an elementary school and, um, during recess, playing sports and soccer and running around and stuff, being kids, you know?
Simon: Yeah, I remember that too. Oh, it’s been a while.
Jack: Yeah. And, uh, what, um, you already talked a little bit about this, but if you have anything more, um, about the expectations that you had before moving here about like how it would change your life and what your life would be like and stuff like that?
Simon: Um, I would say, yeah, the expectation would be, we come here completely brand new, which it was, but I was expecting a little bit more. See that? As a kid I was expecting, you know, big houses, like, everything changed. Ooh, we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna have this, this, and this and that. But no, you know what I’m saying, which was reasonable, but, you know, as a young kid I just, you know, those are kind of what I had in mind. And so, that, I would say that a lot was the biggest, you know, disappointment a little bit. But that was about it.
Jack: Yeah, it’s like as a kid and like your imagination can like run away from you and I’m sure you like you didn’t know exactly what to expect either. Yeah, do you remember on that note? Do you remember like American media and stuff from home?
Simon: Oh, I remember watching cartoons back then like American cartoons when I was in Ghana. But I don’t, I don’t remember anything other than that.
Jack: So do you think that was the biggest part of American culture that you were exposed to before coming was American cartoons?
Simon: Yeah, American cartoons. And then as well as learning the language, English.
Jack: Yeah, the language.
Simon: That was about it. So it’s like everything else I didn’t know. So I came in with just what I know from, you know.
Jack: From people talking in cartoons. What, what was your, uh, what cartoons?
Simon: I don’t remember if I’m being honest.
Jack: You don’t remember?
Simon: Yeah. . I don’t remember.
Jack: Um, and we already did talk a little bit about this as well but, uh, how was school different? If you can add anything on to that?
Simon: It’s just like what I said before, the exams are different. The levels of school is also different as well, like from here to elementary school and then there’s like completely different, I would say like the education level’s also a little bit higher in Ghana ’cause there’s a lot more expectations there. So it’s like, especially when it comes to like tests and all that, it’s much more, it’s much more stricter and difficulter. Maybe that, it’s much more difficult there. A lot more difficult. They’re not really lenient there as much as they are here. So that, when it comes to the schools, is completely different.
Jack: That’s really interesting. Um, have you been back to Ghana since?
Simon: So far, no, I haven’t. I plan to take a trip soon, but so far my family members are going around January, so they’re going there just to, uh, bury my grandmother who passed away, so.
Jack: I’m sorry to hear that.
Simon: Yeah, it’s, it’s been a while now, so it’s okay though. That’s, my mom is also going there, so it’s just going to be me and my siblings here for a while.
Jack: And do you, like, do you still maintain connections with people in Ghana, like I think you said your father?
Simon: Yeah.
Jack: And like, I’m sure you have more family there. Do you kind of still maintain a connection with them and talk to them periodically and check in with them and stuff?
Simon: I would say I, the only one I keep connections with would be my father. But as for like, I didn’t have a phone when I was young, so I couldn’t keep in touch with any of them at all. So it’s kind of, uh, as well as like the memory of them, their names and everything kind of like also kind of disappeared with it. So I didn’t really, you know what I’m saying? I didn’t really have.
Jack: Yeah, a way, a way to, uh, keep in touch and stuff?
Simon: Yeah.
Jack: And does your dad kind of, um, like connect the news to see, like, kind of connect, like, uh, family news there to you and stuff like, like, did you hear that your grandmother passed through your father?
Simon: Yeah. My grandmother was here actually.
Jack: Oh, really?
Simon: Yeah, she was here and then she got super sick and then we took her back to Ghana. She passed over there, but my uncle and my mom told me I kind of knew before. I don’t think he even said it. So kind of knew.
Jack: And, um, uh, when did you find a job and begin to work here and where and how is that?
Simon: Um, I found a job here at the, I think senior year, after graduation. I found my first job was old Navy. So that one went pretty well. I stayed there for, if I’m not wrong, three months. And then I found a different job, which is, um, Home Depot and then I’ve been working there ever since. And then I also found different jobs, jobs to also kickstart my career. I found, I started my internship last year, um, at Navy Federal as a service desk. And now I work as a, um, I’m a contractor for Inova as a desktop admin.
Jack: The hospital?
Simon: Yeah. Inova. Yeah. So I’ve been trying to really build up my career.
Jack: That’s awesome. And it’s been, you’d say it’s been really, really good?
Simon: Yeah. It’s been really good.
Jack: Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. I’m proud of you, man. Uh, what was the hardest thing about moving here?
Simon: Um, Hmm the hardest thing I guess adjusting to the life here. I’ll say the language, learning how to like speak right and all that. That was a big adjustment for me, but that’s about it.
Jack: But on the other end. Yeah, no, sorry go on.
Simon: Okay. It’s just I might have to go soon?
Jack: Oh yeah, sure. I got two more questions for you.
Simon: Yeah.
Jack: What was the best thing about living here?
Simon: Best thing would be, like I said, brand new, whole different life. Like, completely separate from how I was living there. So everything was, it was good here, I just didn’t like the weather here. I don’t like the cold. I hate it.
Jack: Yeah. Not what you’re used to?
Simon: Not at all. I hate it, man. The cold. But other than that, the people I met was great. I met people like you, so you, Jethro, and all that. So, I like that. I think that was my best moments here when I first got here.
Jack: And, uh, last question for you. Um, what traditions did you have from home that you and your family still try to, like, practice here?
Simon: Um, we do everything. I’ll be honest with you, it’s not, it’s not really a tradition. It’s more like how we usually live down there.
Jack: Way of life?
Simon: Yeah, it’s like, the food is still the same. Um, we still speak the language. Not as much, but we still do. Um, we still call family still, you know, it’s mostly the same. There’s not really much of a difference.
Jack: What would you say that your family’s most important one is?
Simon: My family’s most important what?
Jack: Tradition.
Simon: Tradition? Um, I would say either, I would say New Year’s. New Year’s. That one is when we go to church and then it’s when my mom takes all of us to church.
Jack: That’s like your guys’s biggest holiday and tradition?
Simon: Yeah. So we go there and then we’ll be there for like a straight, almost 12 o’clock. It has to hit 12 o’clock for anyone.
Jack: Wow.
Simon: Yeah. So you go there around like six, maybe seven, and then we just stay there. Pray, pray, pray. And so it’s time to go.
Jack: Awesome. And that, and was that something that you remember doing back in Ghana?
Simon: Yeah, we, we used to do that.
Simon: Yeah. All right. Simon, that’s all I have for you.
Simon: Thank you.
Jack: Thank you so much for doing this, man.
Simon: No problem.
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