Interview with Despina Titsis, History 150 Spring 2024, Conducted by Despina Kappas, March 22, 2024

Overview: 

In 1981, Despina Titsis along with her husband and three children decided to make a life-changing move, quite literally.  With dreams of a better future for her family,  Despina Titsis embarked on a journey to the United States, leaving behind her homeland, language, and culture. Though it wasn’t an easy decision, she was committed to giving her children the opportunities she never had. In today’s world, immigrating from Greece to the United States is very challenging, especially with three children under the age of 14 and no English language skills, but my grandmother took this journey gracefully and has no regrets looking back. Throughout my interview, we discuss social change within immigration, entrepreneurship, and the naturalization process. In this interview, we discuss Despina’s journey of becoming a successful entrepreneur as a seamstress along with understanding what becoming American truly means. Although she sacrificed her life in Greece to move 5,031 miles away to Virginia Beach, Despina,  my grandmother, took a massive leap of faith moving away from everyone and everything she’s ever known for her family and eventually understood that this was the best decision she had ever made.

It is difficult to be an immigrant and to launch a business. Every step is a challenge, due to language barriers and unfamiliar policies. Striving for success becomes harder because of the lack of community support and insufficient resources. Nevertheless, immigrants such as my grandmother were motivated solely by their aspirations and determination. Against all odds, she transformed adversity into an opportunity by exemplifying the drive to succeed. The naturalization process comes with its own challenges. As described in my research, there is a step-by-step process an immigrant has to undergo before being declared an American citizen. This could take weeks, months, or even years, in this interview, my grandmother goes into detail about what her process was like and how it felt once she had passed the test and received her legal documents. Despina is extremely grateful to be a part of such a beautiful country and is so glad she was able to bring her children with her.

Biography:

My grandmother, Despina Titsis, 71 years old, immigrated from Greece in 1981, hoping to give her children better lives. She has been married to my grandfather for 52 years and has three children, Harris (51), George (49), and Vivi (46). She also has six grandchildren who are her pride and joy. My grandmother is the eldest of five sisters: three still live in Greece and the other two came to the United States a few years before my grandparents.

In this interview, she discusses her journey from immigrant to well-known entrepreneur in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Some relevant dates that are included in the interview are when she got to the United States, and when she received her immigration papers and became a legal citizen. Also, some themes we discuss are immigration, her U.S. Citizenship process, the discrimination she encountered especially because of the language barrier, her business as a seamstress, and why she decided to come to America. In the interview, you will hear my grandmother’s inspiring journey of sacrificing her life in a country she loved to come to America for her children. This interview represents how even though her life changed dramatically she learned to adapt and eventually realized that she made one of the best decisions of her life.

Research:

Entrepreneur as an Immigrant: The Success Factors of Necessity Immigrant Entrepreneurs: In Search of a Model, is an article that focuses on the success factors of many immigrants who become entrepreneurs. It explains the characteristics of Opportunity Immigrant Entrepreneurship: immigrants who freely decide to start a business to take advantage of a business opportunity. Some characteristics include accomplishing a dream and enjoying their independence. These resonate with my grandmother because she took over a sewing business to accomplish her dream of being a seamstress. It went into detail about the different existing theories and the five categories of survival factors: Ethno-cultural factors, financial factors, managerial factors, psycho-behavioral factors, and institutional factors. This source is very reliable since it is peer-reviewed and gives many different characteristics of an immigrant who is also an entrepreneur that resonated with my interview. 

According to this article’s abstract section: “This study focuses on the success factors of necessity immigrant entrepreneurs. It proposes a profile for the necessity immigrant entrepreneur as well as for the opportunity immigrant entrepreneur. It clarifies the concept of success for immigrant entrepreneurs and suggests that the concept of survival is more appropriate for the necessity of immigrant entrepreneurs and should mainly be measured by the age of the business, while the traditional concept of success is relevant for the opportunity immigrant entrepreneur and can be measured by the usual quantitative performance indicators. Based on different existing theories, the study suggests a theoretical explanation of the survival factors of necessary immigrant entrepreneurs. This contributed to proposing a theoretical model of survival factors of necessity for immigrant entrepreneurs. This model, which represents the major contribution of this study, suggests five categories of survival factors: Ethno-cultural factors, financial factors, managerial factors, psycho-behavioral factors, and institutional factors.”

Language Barriers: This article written by the National Library of Medicine, called Language Barriers, provides an understanding of how difficult language barriers are for immigrants, especially when it comes to healthcare. Although this article isn’t a broad overview of how difficult language barriers are in everyday life, it gives a clear representation of how challenging they are especially in need of health. For example, my grandmother deals with this each time she goes to the doctor. My mom always has to go with her because otherwise, my grandmother wouldn’t understand the issues stated by the doctor. This article also goes into depth about each issue these health departments see when an individual with a language barrier comes to their facility. Another way this article relates to my grandmother is because it shows that even the simplest tasks that most Americans do every day can be some of the most challenging tasks for people who have a language barrier. This source is very reliable and gives clear explanations as to why this can affect so many people and why these language barriers need to gain more attention. 

Misinterpretation of patient complaints or presentations is a growing problem in the United States when English is not the native language of patients. Physicians, nurses, and admitting and laboratory personnel, and many others are involved with patient care throughout the patient’s stay. Potentially, language or communication barriers may negatively impact medical care as well as any ongoing relationship between patients, providers, and facilities. Ongoing relationships include but are not limited to ethical and legal implications that may occur over time. Historically, three different types of medical interpretation have been utilized by providers to overcome language barriers, each with advantages and disadvantages. Despite the proven advantages and increasing ease of video interpretation services, medical personnel are reluctant to regularly utilize this solution to improve the language barrier. Although the cost is high, further research and implementation of positive practices could improve the issues created by language barriers in the medical field.

Naturalization Process:  This book was written by Sofya Aptekar, titled The Road to Citizenship: What Naturalization Means for Immigrants and the United States, and provides a story of someone who went through the process and the difficulties of it. It went through the step-by-step process that one must go through before getting their American Citizenship. It started by stating that they had to stand and sit as they recited the Oath of Allegiance and sang the national anthem. Also, they got a letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) that specified business clothing which stood out to me since my grandmother was homeless at the time, and it was difficult for her to get proper business attire. After all of this, they finally received their naturalization certificates, better known as their proof of American Citizenship which allowed them to vote in upcoming elections, start a business, and overall have the legal rights of any American Citizen.  This relates strongly to my grandmother as she is someone who had to go through this exact journey. Although in our interview she didn’t clarify each step well, this book gave a better understanding of the process she endured. This source is very reliable since it is a book, it is peer-reviewed, and it gives real-life stories of what an immigrant went through when attempting to become an American Citizen.

Examining the evolution of the discursive role of immigrants in American society from potential traitors to morally superior “super citizens,” Aptekar’s in-depth research uncovers considerable contradictions with the way naturalization works today. Census data reveal that citizenship is distributed in ways that increasingly exacerbate existing class and racial inequalities, at the same time that immigrants’ own understandings of naturalization defy accepted stories we tell about assimilation, citizenship, and becoming American. Aptekar contends that debates about immigration must be broadened beyond the current focus on borders and documentation to include larger questions about the definition of citizenship.

Between 2000 and 2011, eight million immigrants became American citizens. In naturalization ceremonies large and small, these new Americans pledged an oath of allegiance to the United States, gaining the right to vote, serve on juries, and hold political office; access to certain jobs; and the legal rights of full citizens.

Bibliography:

Aptekar, Sofya. “The Road to Citizenship: What Naturalization Means for Immigrants and the United States.” Wikipedia, 15 March 2018, https://books.google.com/books?id=zenBCQAAQBAJ&dq=naturalization+process+united+states&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s. Accessed 9 April 2024.

Chrysostome, Elie. Wiley Online Library, March/April 2010, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tie.20320. Accessed 9 April 2024.

Velarde, Rivas. “Language Barrier – StatPearls.” NCBI, 10, April 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507819/. Accessed 6 March 2024.

Transcription:

DK 0:01
Hello everyone, my name is Despina Kappas and I’m here with my grandmother, Despina Titsis. She will be talking about her journey when coming to America, her immigration process, and her sewing business. Are you ready?

DT 0:15
Yes.

DK 0:17
Okay. Before we dive into the immigration process, can you tell me your favorite memory in Greece that you will always remember?

DT 0:25
Sure. I have great memories. First of all, we are big family. And this is we are five sisters. [She has 5 sisters] So I remember we playing with friends come to our house, we go to the house. So many things. And later I met my lovely husband. I was 19 by the time I met him. So we married we have three little kids. So all these great memories. Okay. Yeah.

DK 1:00
Now let’s begin. What year did you decide that you wanted to move to America?

DT 1:05
We moved to America in 1981.

DK 1:09
Okay, and why did you decide to come here?

DT 1:13
Because I visit my mom and my father. I visit my parents and my sisters. They used to live here. And I visit them and I really liked so much. So I see better future for my kids. I see the schools I see the system, the beautiful green and everything, everything I like so much. So I decided to move.

DK 1:41
Did you bring your kids with you?

DT 1:44
I take my three little kids with me of course.

DK 1:48
Okay. Can you describe any challenges you have encountered with your language barrier? [ translated the question in Greek]

DT 2:05
Yeah, I found I have hard time in the beginning. And still, I have a hard time because all the ways it’s a second language for me. And don’t forget the Despina. I never go to school. [ She never had the opportunity to study in the U.S. because she was raising three kids.] Anything I know, is English street [street English]. I can say, you know, I never did school. I don’t have time to go to school. I started to work to survive. Me and my family. I used to work 12 hours, so no time for school. So I learned for my kids, from the TV. You know, it’s a little bit difficult for me. [Almost all the English she learned was from neighbors and the TV] But thank god I’m okay. I know the basics.

DK 2:50
What is one place that you would say gives you the hardest time? [translate in Greek again]

DT 2:59
for them, I have a difficult time if I go to the doctors or to the to the lawyers. So all the ways I have somebody to transfer for me because really, I have a hard time for this.[She always has someone with her who is translating what is said.] But yeah, yeah.

DK 3:19
Is there anything you regret about coming here?

DT 3:24
No, no. Okay. I miss my family in Greece. And like my mom is there. Like yiayia [yiayia means grandmother], she’s 92, and all the ways you know, I miss her a lot. And family, family I miss my family actually. Yeah.

DK 3:45
Okay. How difficult was it to leave your mom and everything you know to give your children a better life?

DT 3:59
Well, if you take a decision to move from one country to the other, you prepare yourself. So you don’t have any problem about this. Yeah.

DK 4:13
Can you describe the process of getting your American citizenship?

DT 4:19
Yeah. I thought it’s so hard because like I said with my language, but they give me a book, I read, I do all my homework. Wonderful. I learn and be there and I passed the test. Yes!!! And I am American citizen, it was July and after that, we have picnic with American flags. And friends come to visit and we have great time.

DK 4:47
Okay, well, I was gonna ask you how it made you feel but I can tell you had to a lot of fun. So as someone who succeeded, [I was interrupted but asked this question below]

DT 4:47
Excuse me is the best time you know because if I take American American Citizenship I was so happy you know. Yeah, yeah.

DK 5:09
So now we’re going to move into your sewing business. I someone who successfully owned and operated a sewing business, you must have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. Could you walk us through the journey of how you started and the growth over time?

DT 5:26
Well, before I came to the United States, like I say, I come from a poor family with five kids, I finish sewing school. So I don’t have too much opportunity to work because I married and I have three kids. And then after I moved to the United States, it is time for me to start to work what I learned. [ As in she took all of her skills from Greece and brought them over to America which helped get her started] And that because I know very much, I know I know how to sew very good. I have successful business. I used to work for somebody for four years, and then I opened my own business and I do great successful business. [ Her business was located in Virginia Beach at the Oceanfront, it was called Gem Tailors] Yes,[ inaudable], they love my job love me. And they don’t mind if I speak a broken English they love my accent they give me so much love. And my job is excellent they love my job actually so much. [As in she was good at her job.] And they don’t mind at all if I have the accent. In the beginning, I’m worried I say oh my god I don’t speak English what I can do [ what am I going to do] but they hugged me and they love me, and thank God.

DK 6:40
so with that being said, What’s your favorite memory from owning your own business?

DT 6:47
My customers I love my customers so much like my family I love them if you see after I stopped work what sweet wrote for me [Notes her customers wrote for her when she retired] and some people cried some people they they like I stay [ They wanted her to stay] I mean they gave me so much love. So really I have good good memories?

DK 7:15
Yes. Did you win any awards?

DT 7:19
Yeah

DK 7:20
Which ones were they

DT 7:25
wait a minute, repeat that one second

DK 7:29
What awards have you won?

DT 7:35
I can’t understand that now, I confused.

DK 7:42
[ Translated the question in Greek in order for her to comprehend it]

DT 7:37
You know something? I forgot about that. Yes. Let me let me see. What I used to do. After I finished my job, I have leftover material, many leftover material. So because I used to sleep one week, me and my kids on the floor, in the beginning, I moved to United States. [ They were homeless] I like I help people homeless. So I do the material take the material, I sew. Actually me and your mother, Despina she stayed with me and she helped me. We sew the material we and then we take to the place 24th street homeless, you know, they used to live the homeless people. [ My grandmother and my mom would sew homeless people blankets and give them to homeless shelters.] And, and then I somebody’s come to my store and see me and wrote in the newspaper. So it was really nice, you know, I do the best I can for the people and also I do for volunteers ambulance, I do the patches. And the reason is EVMC you know that? [She meant EVMS] Yes. Yeah. And then they, they come to my store, they give me like plaques every day. [ Plaques: awards] And you know, yeah, I have a good experience for my business and for my customers and everything.

DK 8:42
So was the EVMS your biggest supporters? Did you get any awards from them?

DT 8:49
Yes, I have a lot of Yes, yes. They come to the store and bring me awards, you know, every year. I have all the years because I do for them free. [ She has a plaque for every year she worked] And there isn’t a do-free you know something Despina? One time your mother was very sick from her own medicine. [ My mother would have seizures] And she happened, she happened, she happened, she become very sick. So I call 911. And before I know it, they came they take care and they help her, we go to the hospital and she come good after that. I promise to myself, I help them like they helped me.

DK 10:11
That is awesome. Yeah. How was your identity as a Greek immigrant influenced your sense of belonging in America? [Translated in Greek]

DT 10:26
I am here we are. Despina, I’m here forty years. So that’s my country now, you know? I like I like, that’s my kids, that’s my grandkids, my own house. No, I like here, I stay here until I die. I stay here. That’s my home now. Yes.

DK 10:48
Can you share any stories about your life in the United States, States that stand out in your memory? [Translate in Greek]

DT 10:57
Oh, first of all, three weddings for my kids. Six baptisms for my for my grandkids. That’s the most happiness, graduation for my kids. Now I go to graduation for my granddaughter’s. I mean, that’s the most happiness. Each grandkids come to this world that give us long life of happiness. Yes.

DK 11:31
So this is our last question.

DT 11:33
Yes, Despina

DK 11:38
Looking back on your journey, what’s some advice you would give to other people coming to America who are considering a similar path?

DT 11:48
Give to I say, is great country have a lot of opportunities for the kids, for the future. This is the country, this is the country you can if you like to work you make money if you don’t like to work, no, no good money. And the free I like the freedom here, you know, I like the freedom here. Yeah. It’s nice. The parades, the people, the parties, everything. I really like United States.

DK 12:28
I’m happy to hear that. This concludes our interview. Thank you so much for doing this with me.

DT 12:37
Okay, thank you so much. I hope help you.

DK 12:43
You did thank you.

DT 12:44
I love you, Despina

DK 12:45
I love you too

DT 12:47
Okay, take care of yourself.

Interview Technology and Process: This interview was held through Zoom and it was recorded on March 22, 2024. I was located in Harrisonburg, Virginia while my interviewee was located in Virginia Beach, Virginia at the time of the interview. The recorded audio file was converted to an mp3 format and downloaded onto my computer. Otter.ai was also used to transcribe the interview, and I went through it and manually edited the transcript provided above.