- This interview was conducted over the phone with both parties seated indoors. An android app recorded the conversation.
- Abdul Aziz grew up in Morocco being the middle child of 11 children. He came to America in the 80’s as a student knowing the little English he learned as a third language in high school (Behind Arabic, his native language, and French). When he came over, he first lived with two brothers that immigrated before him but spent little time in the apartment due to his extreme commitment to going to class during the day and working all night and during the weekends in order to get himself on his feet in his new homeland. Within just a few short years, he assimilated in the culture, learned English so well he began to think in English, and began studying aviation so that he may become a pilot.
- Morocco and the United States have always had a close relationship. Morocco was one of the first countries to recognize the United States in 1786. Then when Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent a letter to congratulate King Mohammed V. This sentiment has been reaffirmed numerous times in numerous ways over the years such as Morocco remaining non-aligned during the Cold War but displaying pro-western sympathies. This is even seen in today’s post 9/11 society in the form of Morocco, a majority Islamic state, being left off of President Trump’s Muslim immigration ban.
Q: Can you Describe what it was like growing up in Morocco?
A: I grew up in Casablanca, Morocco in a family of 13- 9 boys, 2 girls, and my parents. We lived a short 15-minute bike ride to the beach. School in Morocco is structured to be far more difficult than in America. They show less mercy in Morocco. If you fail a class over there, you fail the entire year and must repeat it. Students aren’t able to work and go to school at the same time because students take 9 or 10 courses each year. Classes can be taught in either French or Arabic depending on the subject.
Q: Can you talk about what the colleges in Morocco are like?
A: There are only about 4 or 5 colleges in Morocco and since it is free for students, it is very competitive. They’re meant to weed out the students. Only a small fraction of students make it onto the next year meaning not many people end up graduating. You can have 1200 students in the first year and then only 300 students make it to the next year. After that, 150-200 students make it to the third year and from there, only the geniuses get their degree. In America, college is a piece of cake, it’s very easy.
Q: What was the process of you coming to and settling in America?
A: Well, since I’m the middle child, I had a couple brothers already established and going to school in America. My first brother to go to America, Mohammed, went to a University in Seattle where a friend he knew convinced him to go. With the help of the friend and the Muslim Student Association over there, he was able to get on his feet there. My brother Ed joined him there and hated the weather so when my other brother, Wadi asked him if he wanted to move to the Washington, DC area with him to share a one bedroom, he went for it. That was about the time I graduated high school. I was trying to decide what to do and I was receiving a lot of encouragement to migrate to America from my three brothers who had already done it and told me English wasn’t hard to learn and I could both go to school and work at the same time to pay tuition and for bills. My mom encouraged me from home and helped me take care of the paperwork to get my student visa. I was nervous. Mainly because of the language barrier. That’s what deterred so many Moroccan students from going to school in America and why it was so easy for me to get a student visa. I joined my brothers Wadi and Ed in that one bedroom right outside DC. I flew in on a Saturday, took and English placement test on a Monday, and then started my classes on Tuesday. My first job was a busboy at a pizza place. I had class Monday thru Friday and worked as a busboy Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 6pm. I eventually learned how to ride the metro and later bought myself a moped to drive to school and work.
Q: How was the process of learning English?
A: I went to those English classes for the first two semesters but didn’t learn the majority of the language in those classes. I learned more from actually practicing my English skills in conversation with other employees. I worked at that pizza place for almost two years. My English skills got good enough to work at a better restaurant in the airport as a waiter and a bartender. That worked perfectly because UDC has a campus in the airport so I didn’t need to travel all the way into the city to go to work anymore and instead just walked directly from class to work under the same roof.
Q: What first got you into being an aviation major?
A: My dad used to work at the airport and sometimes used to take me with him. And when I loved seeing the planes take off and landing. Then I would dream about one day flying these planes myself. I eventually was able to fly planes.
Q: What was it like raising kids in America and how was it different from the childhood you had in Morocco?
A: Difficult. Very difficult. For one, my wife had to go back to work two months after giving birth to our first son. Childcare was far too expensive for an infant that young. But thanks to the help of my mom who watched him for us. She enjoyed spoiling her grandkids so it was no chore or work to her. It helped a lot because my wife and I worked countless hours every week and we traveled pretty often for our jobs. Especially me, at that time, I was travelling like crazy. I couldn’t imagine having 9 kids in America. It doesn’t seem possible. It was only possible in Morocco because my mom was a stay at home mom who ran her own business from her house. She saved money to buy machines to sew sweaters wholesale to retail stores. Eventually she started making ball gowns with handmade designs. Also, Morocco isn’t as strict like America is. There aren’t as many rules and laws when it comes to raising your kids. When your kid starts school there, you can let them walk to school by themselves without worrying about somebody kidnapping them or getting into an accident. We were raised to be more self-sufficient at a younger age in Morocco. We were given the freedom to be responsible of taking care of ourselves. In the summer, when there is no school, we all (the kids) work to buy our own new clothes to wear during school.
Q: Do you think the way you were raised played a role in you deciding to immigrate to America?
A: Absolutely. After going to a Moroccan college for a year, I dropped out to start working to save for my plane ticket and extra cash. I knew all the basics in taking care of myself. I knew the only way to do it was by working. And I did. I worked to bring my parents over to join the rest of their living 10 kids in America. And now I have a family of my own with one kid in college while working part-time and another going to college next year.