Interviewing with Mukta Arora, History 150 Spring 2020, Conducted by Priyanka Arora, March 27, 2020. 

My mom grew up in India in a city called Kanpur. She has one brother who now lives in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up her dad was a physics professor at a university, and so her family was very school oriented. As a teenager she gave drawing lessons to the younger kids in her neighborhood, and was very involved with the community. She went to college in India where she earned her bachelor’s degree in physics. Soon after, her family thought she was ready for marriage. At the time, arranged marriage was very common and so my grandparents began looking for a potential husband for my mom. Through family friends and distant relatives they found my dad, who at the time was at Purdue University in Indiana. They began talking and agreed with their parents that they were a good fit. Three years later, my mom moved to the United States and left everything and everyone she knew behind. She moved across the world with a stranger, and started her new life. They initially lived in Sacramento, California. My dad traveled a lot for work, so my mom had to adjust to her new life on her own. Fortunately, she found an Indian family who lived in the same apartment complex. They treated her as their own daughter and helped her with the major culture shock. Twenty some years later she is now living in Midlothian, VA with her two kids and husband. 

I also interviewed my dad about his immigration story from India to the United States, but his story is entirely different. He moved to the United States because his parents wanted to give him and his sister a better life. His interview is titled, “Immigrating from India to the United States in the Early 1990s”. 

 

Research: 

My mom came to the United States only because she was about to marry my dad. In order to immigrate, my grandfather filled out the paperwork for her to obtain a fiance visa. To gain approval for this, the spouse must have a salary more than 125% over the poverty rate. The initial Green Card only lasts for two years, and then she applied for the Permanent Resident Card. My mom had to wait two years to become a permanent resident because the US Government wants to make sure that the marriage did not happen only for immigration purposes. 

“Questions about Applying for Permanent Residence Based on Marriage.” Office of International Services, Indiana University, 2020, ois.iu.edu/visas/faculty-visas/permanent/marriage/common-questions.html. 

Immigrating to the United States is not an easy process, and involves many documents. One such document is a Green Card that allows an individual to become a permanent resident. In order to obtain a Green Card, someone who is already residing in the U.S. has to file an immigrant petition, but there are some cases where an individual may file one for themselves. After the USCIS approves the petition, the person can file a Green Card application with the USCIS. Then there will be a biometrics appointment where they must provide fingerprints, photos, and a signature. Only after the final interview will an individual receive their application’s decision. 

“Green Card.” USCIS, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, 11 May 2010, www.uscis.gov/greencard. 

My mom eventually became a United States citizen, but this could only happen after she was a Green Card holder for at least five years (she waited nearly 19 years). Additionally, if your card has expired, or will expire within six months of completing the application, you must renew the card prior to applying for citizenship. To start the process she had to submit a N-400 form. Then had to attend an interview where she took an oral test. To prepare she was given one hundred questions that they could possibly ask; they were mainly civics questions, but only ten of them were asked during the test. Another requirement to become a citizen is to be able to read, write, and understand basic English. After the application, interview, and oral test, my mom took the citizenship oath in 2018.

“How to Apply for U.S. Citizenship.” USAGov, United States Government, 10 Mar. 2020, www.usa.gov/become-us-citizen.

 

Transcription:

PA: Hi, this is Priyanka Arora interviewing my mom, Mukta Arora, about her move from India to the United States. I know in the past you’ve mentioned that you initially came to the United States on a fiance visa, can you describe that process in detail?

MA: My process started after I got engaged with your father in ’95, December ’95. After the engagement in India, he came back with all the pictures, videos, and everything. And then my father-in-law started the process. At that time, other processes, other visas were taking longer than this process, so they applied for a fiance visa. They came across this visa with their family friend, because the family friend brought their sister-in-law on the fiance visa. It took almost one and a half to two years, because we got married in ’98 February and before that, I had to show them when I went to the visa office, the embassy in India. They questioned me about “why I am going after marriage”, “when I am going”, “when I am getting married”? I have to show them again the same things; they tallied what information they had from here, and what information I gave to them when they questioned me. I showed them pictures, I showed them where I come from, what my father is doing in India, what kind of property they own, what kind of background I have. When I landed here ’98 in the first week of February, I think it was February 6 when I landed here. The first question the officer asked me, “when are you getting married”? I showed the invitation card because here they don’t believe in the customs we have, you have to have a court marriage. I was not sure about the court marriage at that time, which day we are getting the date. But I knew when we were getting the traditional marriage, the wedding ceremony was done. So I told him that and he gave me his number. He said, If you don’t get married on this date, if you have any problem or you want to go back to India; you call this office number, talk to anyone in the office and they will arrange if you don’t have the money to go back, they will even arrange for that. So that’s how it was done.

PA: So it’s kind of like a pillow for comfort in case something went wrong?

MA: Yeah, and they even asked if I have enough cash to survive for a week, where I am going right now, and who’s picking me up? Like if I know some people around, and I told them that  the family I’m getting married to, those are the only people I know. It was an arranged marriage, and my parents knew the family for a longer time, from two generations. It was much more comfortable than coming to a country and not knowing anyone. Still it was harder, because my immediate family was not here. That’s why they made sure at the airport that I know where I am going. He even asked me if I have any contact information. My father-in-law gave me every information I needed. I had the exchange money, a little bit of the phone numbers, my dad’s account number in India, and money order for any money I needed immediately.That’s about it, yeah.

PA: Can you describe your first day? Because I know, even though you knew people, and it’s kind of a nice fresh start in a way, can you describe your first day?

MA: First day actually, the main thing I did was sleep, because there was a whole time difference. I had jet lag, like I maybe stayed for an hour. I didn’t eat that much on the plane. It was my first flight ever. It was a very long flight, at that time there was no direct flight. So I came with a stop at Zurich, for I think three to four hours. And my experience was very different than being an Indian at Zurich airport also, because when you totally fly out of the country, everything is new for you. So I wanted to know everything, but there was less time. And the first time I made a collect call to inform where I’m landing, what time the plane is coming. At that time everything was very different than now. The phone calls were harder. They were expensive, very expensive. These days everything we do half the time is free, but I slept all day long, most of the time. They came in between to ask me if I needed anything, but that was my first day, sleeping.

PA: So after you got married, and it was just you and Papa, how was it adjusting to that new aspect of life? Where you guys moved to Sacramento and didn’t really know anybody. 

MA: Yeah, it was hard. It was hard because I was very outgoing in India. You move to any country, it’s harder. I knew it’s going to be harder, but it was harder because my husband had a traveling job. And he used to travel from Monday to Wednesday and Monday to Thursday. So I was stuck inside. There was only one car and he used to take that car. I didn’t know anyone closer to me, like no apartment complex friends or anything like that. I started making friends step by step because you hesitate also. How will people react to you when you go and knock on the door and start making friends. My husband’s co workers, their families helped; they invited us for small get-togethers. It was very helpful knowing people, different kinds of people. But yeah, it took time, but it was harder because you don’t know anyone. And when you go out there and just say hello, it was weird. I used to walk just to make friends, in the evening. I was scared also because in India you have to be very vigilant about people just bumping into you and stuff like that. Here everything was very quieter in one way but it’s different. That’s how it started, like it took time, it took me almost the first five years to make America my home. Like it was there, and everything was going on. But it took me five years mentally to prepare myself that this is my home.

PA: Are you still in contact with any of the people back home or have any of them moved here? Did you help any of them adjust to this lifestyle?

MA: My cousins came and my brother came to America on a student visa after three years of me settling down here; he stayed with me for a while. Then he graduated and then he started a job here and then he moved on with his life, he got married. My cousin’s got married here, first cousins, that was helpful. They didn’t need my help, but yeah we talked and it was nice to have just in the back of your mind that there are people here that you know, that you grew up with. Parents being so far away was very tough, but it was okay. Like now it’s definitely okay, knowing that they are okay, we are okay, and everything is fine.

PA: So you talked about different challenges you had when first adjusting to life here, like making friends, and just finding your way around. Do you still face any of those challenges today?

MA: No, not at all, yeah no. I love talking, so wherever I go I just start talking, and people are friendly here. I lived in Chicago for 15 years. I have plenty of friends over there, I still keep in touch. I have plenty of friends now in Virginia, living here from the last five, six years, and it’s been a good journey.

PA: I know recently, me and Gauri helped you through the process of becoming an American citizen, like finally. Um, was it hard for you to give up your Indian nationality? 

MA: Uhh, it was in one way but it was not in another, because it’s been a while; like I applied for being a citizen once or twice, I filled out the paperwork but never reached the end of it. Anyway, if this is my home, this is my country, so I have to get citizenship. It’s good to, like leaving India’s citizenship was not easy, but I’m not living there anymore and I have no plans of going back because I’m raising a family here. So it’s good for all the paperwork for my kids, and for me that I got the citizenship. It was hard, but not that hard after 20 years of being a Green Card holder and permanent resident to transform into new paperwork. It’s the same thing, right? Anyway, I’m living here not in India [Mukta Arora laughs].

PA: So I know with the immigration or the citizenship process here, they asked you a hundred questions to memorize and everything. But those questions aren’t necessarily ones that normal people who are just born and raised here would know. Was it hard to learn that information? Or was it just straight memorization?

MA: They were very simple questions. Yeah if you don’t pay attention, definitely, like if you listen to the news, or go with what’s going around. It was just mainly history questions, and some of the very specific questions, like who is the President of the United States and Vice President and Speaker of the House, those kinds of questions. 

PA: Then overall, like in the past twenty years you’ve been here, do you think that as more and more people from India immigrate to the United States, has it become easier for them? Or harder in a way like with people’s racial views or just the process in general?

MA: I think it’s harder now, it was easier back then. There were so many options, like so many kinds of visas. There were different time frames of those visas, but it was much easier back then, now it’s getting difficult and difficult.

PA: Well, that’s it. Thank you for letting me interview you. 

MA: Thank you.

 

Overview: 

This interview was conducted in person. I did not have to edit it a lot because my mom grew up speaking both English and Hindi. However there were a few spots where I had to fix the flow of sentences. Also, sometimes the transcription program would not pick up words, or would pick up the wrong words. I used an app called “Voice Record Pro” on my phone to record the interview. I did the interviews when no one else was in the house to avoid interruptions during the interview. There weren’t any obstacles during the interview except for the app glitching a few times and having to start the interview over. 

I think the interview went smoothly. I felt like my mom and I were comfortable talking about this topic together. She had a lot to share, and I learned stuff about her experience that I did not know of before. I think it was easier when I went “off script” because the conversation felt more natural, and not forced. Going slightly “off script” also helped my mom answer the questions the way she wanted to, instead of feeling like she had to follow a specific guideline. I gave my mom the questions a week in advance so she could look them over, which I also think helped the interview go smoothly. The divergences were positive ones and I felt like I was able to connect with my mom more. After I stopped the recording, my mom and I continued the conversation about her experience immigrating, and I am really grateful for the opportunity to hear from her about it. I have interviewed her before about her journey because it is so different than anyone else’s, but I feel like I learn something new every time we talk about it.