DEPARTED FROM
Karachi, Pakistan

ARRIVED IN
Chicago, Illinois

YEAR
2004

AGE
6

NOW LIVES IN
Chicago, Illinois

COLLECTED BY

All right. Well, thank you for this opportunity to get to know you and speak to you on behalf of your experience. Do you want to share your name?

All right, my name is Aimen Salam. And I wanna say it was— I remember my first day of kindergarten. And I remember, I was that new kid. Cause, my parents, we didn't immigrate in August, so I couldn't start school in September. And I clearly remember it was like, February when my first day of school in America started, in a sense.

The worst part for me— This is the first part I clearly remember. My teacher was like, “What’s your name? And I was like, “My name’s Aimen.” And she was like, “What?” And I was like, “My name’s Aimen.” And she's like, “What?”

Oh my God.

She didn't even know how to pronounce it or how to— I was like, “It’s spelled E-M-E-N.” And she's like, “What? Isn't that supposed to be Eman?” And then I just remember throughout my whole year, she just pronounced my name wrong the whole time. And I was just like ”…Okay.”

It's actually like she didn’t even bother trying to correct herself.

Yeah, and I want to say she called me I-min, I don’t even remember. Iman, Iman, Iman, the whole year. Yeah, she called me Iman the whole year long. And I was just like “Alright.” That’s my first. I remember that cause they were like, “What’s your name?” You know, the whole basic—cause I was new kid in February.

Yeah!

So it’s like “Oh, new kid. Introduce yourself.” “Oh yeah, my name is Aimen.” And no one was able to pronounce it. And I was like “Alright… whatever.” But then— Cause I went to Chicago Public School.

Okay.

Yeah.

CPS, yes.

I went to CPS. And, it was actually pretty diverse. It was a lot of Hispanic kids, it was a lot of black kids, it was a lot of South— it wasn’t that many South Asian kids. But, there was like two other South Asian kids in my class.

Okay.

It wasn’t that bad. I— you know, like the FOB— Do you know what “FOB” means?

I never heard of “FOB”.

“FOB” is an Asian-American term we use called “fresh off the boat.”

Okay.

When you first immigrate, you are a “FOB”. Cause you haven’t assimilated to—

You don’t know! Yeah!

You haven’t assimilated to American culture. So you’re a “FOB”. So, “fresh off the boat”, yeah! It’s a term one. I was like, “Alright, whatever”. And then… another thing. The name thing was a big— I was like, “…Wow.”

Okay, you can’t remember, nor, will you make the effort to remember my name, even though I corrected you more than once.

And it is like you’re a little kid. What am I supposed to say? And then, ever since that moment I still— usually, when people say, “What’s your name?” I don’t say Aimen. Even though that’s how you actually say it, it just so etched in me that I just say, “Oh yeah. My name is Eh-man.”

Oh man!

To help with—

Aimen, Aimen. Okay, I will never butcher your name again. Cause I’m like—

Even my close friends, they say “Eman.” Just cause, for the fact that, I introduce myself as—

Sure.

As that name. Yeah, even if I go to Starbucks, they’ll be like, “What’s your name?” I’ll be like, “Emma. That’s my name. Yeah, okay.” Do you have any other questions about my first question?

I do because the first day that I’m going to focus on, will be your first day arriving in the country.

Okay.

I want to know, cause like, I can image how it was for you to be such a young confused—cause you told me you were six years old, when you came back. I would love for you to delve into the experience of the fact that you mentioned prior, that when you were six months old. You pretty much came here, and then at a certain age your parents decided to return. You had reentry at a point of age you were able to recall what that was like. I really do want to hone in on what that was like for you. What was your first day like? What you can recollect?

Oh, and there was another thing I remembered. Basically, this was kindergarten. I was forced to repeat kindergarten.

No!

Even though, I was smart enough. Yeah! In Pakistan everyone is a year ahead. I already did Kindergarten in Pakistan. But when I came to America because of the ages…difference. I guess, I don’t know. We go through— in Pakistan, we do a British system, where you’re a year ahead, in a sense. I don’t know how to describe it.

Interesting!

So, I had to repeat kindergarten. Which, I guess wasn’t that bad of a thing, cause I knew how to count to 100 before everyone else. So…

It gave you an advantage and it held you back at the same time.

Yeah, I guess, cause of that, I’m good at math now. Cause, I knew math, I don’t know. That was a key thing. My brother was forced to repeat second grade, and I was forced to repeat kindergarten.

They held him back, smack them in the face.

Yeah! Because of that.

I will kind of take you back to that first day.

Yeah, that was so off topic!

This is gold though. I think that to have a genuine experience, you speaking freely from your heart. I think that surpasses me sticking to a curriculum. You get what I’m saying. And it’s more valuable. I do thank you for just being open, sharing your heart, and your sincere experience, and your perspective, you know. And that’s really is what this is about too, you being able to share your voice. If you do have a recollection. I believe you were six, right.

Yeah.

I’m gonna just ask you the question. What is one memory of your first day in this country. Or not one memory. What are your memories rather?

The first one was obviously the name thing.

That was your first day in the country?

I think, no, it was second day, actually.

Oh, wow!

Yeah.

Wow, okay, so getting off the plane.

Oh, and I remember my mom was already in America, at this time. And it was just me—and my mom was in a different state, at that time. So, it was me, my dad, and my brother. And my dad, he doesn’t know how to cook, he doesn’t know how to do mommy-mom things, you know. I’s just me, my dad. And I remember, we didn’t have a pillow. I remember this, yeah!

Oh, wow!

We did not own. We went to this apartment. Whatever like, I think, yeah. We went to an apartment, and it was an empty apartment. It was unfurnished, and it was just, literally, just on the spot. And, we went and I remember we didn’t have pillows, and we were sleeping on the floor. And my dad just took a lot of different clothing from the suitcase and he just put it in a sack or something. And he was like, “Alright, this is your pillow for today.”

Wow, wow, so he made it happen for you!

Yeah, and he was like “Alright, this is your pillow for the day.”

Okay, that’s incredible.

And, We slept on the floor for probably a solid week. Oh, and I remember one day, this was a month later, my mom came back. My mom picked me and my brother up from school. And she was like, “Ooh, I have a surprise for you guys.” And it was two twin size beds. And we finally had furniture and everything.

Awww! Yeah, so mom was also able to make it happen, and you were able to transition from roughing it, to okay we have it.

Yeah, we have it now!

Seriously, like you know, the little things that somebody can take for granted. The little luxuries, but when you’re starting from scratch. All of your belongings, things you own are elsewhere. It’s like you couldn’t take those stuff with you. So, what do you do? Well, we can keep having this conversation, we don’t have to continue recording.

Okay.

But, I thank you for your time. You know, just sharing your heart and your experience because you opened my eyes to some things, you know. It’s one thing to have surface-level perspective and general knowledge, versus one’s lived experience, and I think that you being so open is valuable. I thank you for this.

Okay, yeah, no problem.