A. Overview of interview process: This was conducted over the phone and I had to edit a lot because my mom has an accent and a lot of grammatical errors. There were not many other obstacles. I did use a quiet space, I used the study room in my room to conduct the interview.
B. Biography of interviewee: Homeira Hamidi was born in Tehran, Iran on May 12, 1964. She was born into a religious, Muslim family whose values included God, education and obedience. Her father, Reza Raouf, worked for the Shah as a journalist and brought in good and steady income for the family. Though Homey was born into a wealthy family, her life flipped upside down in 1979 when the Iranian revolution and Iran-Iraq war begun.
C. Research: In my previous years, I have had assignments where I had to research the background of my ethnic country. Thus, I have a some reliable background knowledge on Iran. In addition, my parents have both discussed bits and pieces of their experiences in Iran and during the war, which has given me first hand evidence on the country and it’s well being. To get greater detail on the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war, I will search the web and JMU’s library sources to find more reliable information on this topic. Below I have listed three sources I found to be helpful in my research to this topic and help me question and guide my interview.
Editors, History.edu. “Iran-Iraq War.” History.edu, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/middle-east/iran-iraq-war.
This website was easy to follow and helped me distinguish the difference between the Iran-Iraq war from the Iranian Revolution better. The article was straight to the point which helped me stay interested and not get famished from reading. It told me about the demonstrations people participated in which helped me easier understand what my mom meant when she described the horrific scenes she saw.
Katouzian, Homa. “The Iranian Revolution of February 1979.” Middle East Institute, 29 Jan. 2009, www.mei.edu/publications/iranian-revolution-february-1979
This website gave me pictures and detailed descriptions to help me better grasp the concept of the Revolution. This helped build images in my head when my my described the scenery during the war and revolution since I had never been to Iran
Maloney, Suzanne, and Keian Razipour. “The Iranian Revolution-A Timeline of Events.” Brookings.edu, The Brookings Institution, 7 Feb. 2019, www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/01/24/the-iranian-revolution-a-timeline-of-events/.
This website gave me detailed, yet easy to understand details about the revolution. I enjoyed how it was a timeline because it made it easier to comprehend and the descriptions were brief which kept me engaged. This website helped keep me on track when my mom was describing her journey to me when she
E. Interview
Hassti: [00:00:00] This call is now being recorded. Hi Mom. [00:00:03][3.7]
Homeira: [00:00:04] Hi Mommy. [00:00:05][0.2]
Hassti: [00:00:05] How are you. [00:00:05][0.3]
Homeira: [00:00:06] Good. How are you. [00:00:07][0.5]
Hassti: [00:00:08] Good. Good. Okay so I’m going to interview you about the revolution and war in Iran. [00:00:14][6.0]
Homeira: [00:00:15] OK. [00:00:15][0.0]
Hassti: [00:00:16] OK. So first question how did you know Iran was going downhill and when it was time to leave. [00:00:22][5.6]
Homeira: [00:00:24] The time that I leave or how did I know that revolution is going to happen? [00:00:27][3.1]
Hassti: [00:00:29] How did you know it was going downhill and when it’s time for you to leave. [00:00:32][3.1]
Homeira: [00:00:34] It was the time that people were that unhappy with their regime and they start to do the revolution to change it and the majority of people doing this. And the more time passed by the more people get involved to revolution. [00:00:50][15.9]
Hassti: [00:00:52] OK. And can you describe some of the changes between the pre revolution war and the post revolution and war of Iran. [00:00:58][6.6]
Homeira: [00:01:00] Can you give me more details. [00:01:01][0.7]
Hassti: [00:01:02] So can what are some of the changes of Iran from before the revolution to after. what was the difference of Iran.
[00:01:09][6.8]
Homeira: [00:01:10] So basically Iran used to be the the king was ruling Iran. And then a few changes to the kind of religious regime like the Islamic Republic. [00:01:31][21.5]
Hassti: [00:01:32] Right. [00:01:32][0.0]
Homeira: [00:01:33] That is the big changes. Before that it was kind of monarchy system. But after that it was more more democracy and basically presidential. So before people just did you want me to to tell you how people lived before or after. [00:01:58][25.1]
Hassti: [00:01:59] Yeah. [00:01:59][0.0]
Homeira: [00:02:00] Is that what you want to know? So the life was basically in during the Shah there’s more freedom and people had more chance. That’s my idea. But people who had that revolution started that evolution. They had a different idea but basically the new regime kind of pushing people to change the regime because they they’re more religious and the past regime give more freedom as far as religion to people but the Islamic Republic it was kind of which is run on the grand ayatollah Khomeini. As it’s focusing more on ruling the country based on religion not based on the basically there has to be a rule by the book of Quran not the rule of the amendments. [00:03:12][71.8]
Hassti: [00:03:14] And then how did it feel when your country went to war? [00:03:18][4.0]
Homeira: [00:03:20] As a teenager I feel so devastated because since I started my teenage hood it was we had three years of straight revolution that is getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And basically 1978-79 was the worst time of that revolution and after the Shah left everything has been changed dramatically. That from everything has to which the school was closed most of the offices are closed. Most of the business was shut down and it was a big big adjustment. During my teenage hood that affected me a lot especially the after the war it just hitting me so much more. And basically take away every privilege that every teenager deserve to have. [00:04:17][56.7]
Hassti: [00:04:18] Like what. [00:04:19][0.2]
Homeira: [00:04:20] Like the privilege to go to the school privilege to choose my dignity, to choose my Hijab or my religion its just pushing me and narrow me down on what they want me to do not what I wanted to be. [00:04:36][16.7]
Hassti: [00:04:38] OK. And then what was the most significant event from the revolution that you can recall or an event that had the biggest impact on you. [00:04:46][8.8]
Homeira: [00:04:47] The close of the universities and colleges. [00:04:51][3.0]
Hassti: [00:04:51] how come [00:04:51][0.0]
Homeira: [00:04:53] So basically after 1979 which the Shah left. So they had what the new regime done. They close out college and university because they wanted to change the mostly to the subject that they’re teaching people before and transferring to the Islamic basically subject that that is that they need time in this transition. They need couple years time that in couple years time any teenager who finished up finished high school they. They had no choice to go to their colleges and they were waiting in line until the. It took probably four years that that transition took four years and for four years any teenager who graduated during that time had no choice to have degrees or better education. [00:05:54][60.8]
Hassti: [00:05:56] OK. [00:05:56][0.0]
Homeira: [00:06:01] No no. You just keep asking the question. [00:06:04][2.3]
Hassti: [00:06:04] Oh how did your family decide to deal with the revolution and staying or leaving Iran. [00:06:09][4.5]
Homeira: [00:06:10] So basically my dad’s job was one of the advisers offshore and running one of the basically not direct advisors who were running one of the basically corporation of the Shah. That is kind of was head of that corporation and it was a one off the name in a list of people that has to be appear in court based on people that who work for the Shah and they have the testimony. [00:06:43][33.2]
Hassti: [00:06:45] Yeah. [00:06:45][0.0]
Homeira: [00:06:45] So. And that makes My dad thinks that if his life gets involved to this regime. So we going to get involved indirectly. So that’s why we make a decision to move to leave Iran one at the time. [00:07:00][14.7]
Hassti: [00:07:02] OK. And then when you arrive in Europe what was it like. [00:07:06][3.7]
Homeira: [00:07:08] So first the step was in Turkey Istanbul Turkey that it was like I didn’t know their language. I didn’t know that the culture she was kind of a little bit closer to our culture. But anyways it was a different country a Different languages different cultures isn’t a big thing. It was thinking that I was feeling kind of release based on having more freedom. But the fact that I left Iran by Rush is kind of basically it’s another emotionally compact on my during my time. It was just kind of making decision to leave it alone and with nothing. It just be to leave it on As soon as he could. One at the time. So that kind of caused me Just as I said it gave me more freedom and not thinking about that I have to have a hijob, I have to have to follow something. But the other hand I was away from my hometown. That is just the whole family were there. It just it was completely different. [00:08:19][71.9]
Hassti: [00:08:21] Right. And what was it like going to the United States for the first time. [00:08:25][4.1]
Homeira: [00:08:28] Coming to United states is to me was little by little getting close to heaven because as as what has happened to me is just I had to move because of having finding the status to stay in the foreign country. So for me it was very hard to get in there. We had to pay so much money to the lawyers we had to find some the status in Germany after Germany I had to move to Toronto Canada. I had to leave there and I thought my my immigration status there was paying so much money and as far as immigration rule. And then when I got married and it came to US and I saw the difference between US and the other country European and North America and kind of Middle Eastern. So I been coming to America in USA was one of the best thing happened to me. [00:09:26][58.1]
Hassti: [00:09:27] What is your favorite part of the U.S. [00:09:29][1.2]
Homeira: [00:09:31] Basically I love people. I love the way people live. They see they such a spiritual personality. And I’ve been feeling so much comfortable. I don’t know maybe not happening with so many so many immigrant doesn’t they don’t. Maybe they don’t have the feelings that I have but for me when a warm and inviting. [00:09:55][23.8]
Hassti: [00:09:58] And then how did they feel leaving your family in your home country. [00:10:01][3.0]
Homeira: [00:10:03] As I said because the situation was very bad in Iran for a group of people like us so and we left graduatally we basically just one at a time and there was nobody basically but when I left this just nobody beside my parents. I was the last child who left Iran . It was hard. It’s just. But the thing is you get adopted to this new situation. But it’s been probably almost 30 years ago and then now I don’t know how to go deep in that much emotion. But leaving the friend family and second family is hard for everybody. At the beginning and because they see so many so many different stuff you get kind of busy with them. So then it’s getting much easier. After a couple years of . [00:11:04][60.5]
Hassti: [00:11:04] right, And then what was your favorite thing about Iran before you left. [00:11:08][3.8]
Homeira: [00:11:12] Basically being together as a family. Seeing your aunt uncle parents sisters brother everybody we’re all together and we were happy. It just didn’t know anything better than that and we very happy with what we have. It was a very happy moment for me. Very good memories I look back at my childhood. No I never would’ve been back. [00:11:41][29.7]
Hassti: [00:11:43] Would you go back in the future. [00:11:44][0.9]
Homeira: [00:11:44] No. I think that I just I don’t want to go back because things has been changed a lot. Meanwhile in 30 years that I left. So the reason I don’t want to go back I want to keep my memory just the way it is. I don’t want to change anything about it. [00:12:00][15.7]
Hassti: [00:12:02] And my last question is what’s the most important thing you learned from emigrating from country to country. [00:12:08][6.8]
Homeira: [00:12:10] Learning so much is hard. But the way you looking at the life is going to be totally different with the person just who lives in just one country. Plus your perspective is very much different than normal people that they were born in one country. They were raised in one country they were stay in a country. So basically i learned how to be survivor. I learned how to gain from all these experiences and basically what I am and what I’m feeling now. I leave for five people and not just one person. It’s just I had five life and I’m proud of it. I mean just before it was very hard. If somebody was telling me at age 16 that you’re going to change four countries and this is going to be your story of your future I might have heart attacks for that time but now it didn’t happen. I’m very happy about the things I think I’m enjoying my life more than people who doesn’t have this experience at. [00:13:23][72.6]
Hassti: [00:13:24] Yeah that makes sense. [00:13:24][0.0]
Homeira: [00:13:26] And I appreciate life more. You know what I’m saying. [00:13:28][2.3]
Hassti: [00:13:30] Right there any last thing you want to say before we end the interview. [00:13:32][2.6]
Homeira: [00:13:35] The last things I hope none of the teenager on any kids or adults experiences war is the worst things that could happen to anybody. [00:13:45][10.3]
Hassti: [00:13:47] Yes what was the worst thing you saw. [00:13:49][1.9]
Homeira: [00:13:51] I saw so many stuff happening in Iran as the revolution and war. I saw dead people. I saw people who were affected by chemical bomb. I saw miscles. I saw the actual bomb. The actual bomb hit our house. I saw the darkness. The sirens went off getting everything getting crazy and I saw no life during the war and terrifying you know going to sleep, It was the worst thing having this seven years of war. I just it was no sleep, there was kind of like being alert all the time and ready to get hidden somewhere. [00:14:33][42.8]
Hassti: [00:14:35] Yeah. Okay well thank you so much for mama. [00:14:38][3.6]
Homeira: [00:14:39] your welcome hun. If you have any more questions just let me know. [00:14:41][2.3]
Hassti: [00:14:41] . Okay thanks mommy. [00:14:44][2.2]
Homeira: [00:14:45] good luck. [00:14:45][0.0]
Hassti: [00:14:46] I love you . [00:14:47][1.6]
Homeira: [00:14:47] i love you more bye bye. [00:14:47][0.0]
[801.1]
D. Conclusion:
It flowed well, but if I could do it differently I would do it more in advance since I had to correct a lot of grammatical errors. It did not feel off script, everything she said sounded authentic and from the heart.