Sheerin, Kurdistan (Iraq)

 

Sheerin was born in Zaxo, Kurdistan. Her dad, Sharif, part of the Kurdistani Peshmerga militia, which opposed Saddam Hussein and supported US troops, left Kurdistan  in 1995 as a political refugee under “Operation Pacific Haven.” In fact, after the 1988 genocide,  during which the Iraqi Air Force brought forth one of the most devastating gas attacks since WWI killing and injuring a very large number of innocent civilians, the American government facilitated the resettlement of allied Kurds to refugee camps in Guam. Even though Sharif wrote down the names of his wife and children, somehow that list was misplaced and Sheerin, mom and siblings were left behind. After leaving the refugee camp in Guam, Sharif lived in Kansas City, Missouri and Pasco, WA, where he did farm work, and finally in Federal Way. There, he was working 3 jobs to make enough money to send home and to bring his wife and kids (5 boys and 2 girls - Sheerin being the 6th) to the US. It took him five years to make enough money to make this happen, and by then his youngest daughter barely recognized him. 

In Kurdistan, Sheerin, her siblings and mom, were living in a barn with a leaking roof. While her dad was sending some money, they had barely enough to survive. When Sharif applied for a family visa in 2000, a visa interview was set up in Jordan. He had to pay the transportation expenses for them all to be driven to Jordan and for a month stay in a Jordan basement. Sheerin's oldest brother Salim was 15, and to help his family, he had to learn Arabic to help with groceries and other necessities in Jordan, where Arabic is spoken. The first interview was cancelled, and a second interview was scheduled for the following month. After that step was taken, the family had to wait for the visas. Sharif  purchased airline tickets with a friend's help, but somehow, the family only made it to Washington DC instead of the state of Washington. At the airport all seemed dangerous, and with the fact that no one in the family spoke English, communication was a huge hurdle. Sheerin recalls that even in the airplane it was nearly impossible for them to communicate. She believes that as hungry as they were, and unable to understand what they were offered, they might have accidentally eaten pork, which is forbidden for Muslims. Also, they did not know the word for water, so when the beverage cart came by, all they could ask for was Pepsi, since they knew what it was called from Kurdistan.

At the DC airport Sheerin’s mom, Amina, ever the rock of the family getting the kids through hardships, decided not to step out, perhaps sensing she was not in the right place. Instead she headed to a desk with a piece of paper with her husband's number and asked, gesticulating and pointing, to be allowed to call him. He was at the SeaTac International Airport waiting and was shocked to realize his family was not there after all. Fortunately, he had a friend in DC, who picked up the whole family and hosted them for the month that took Sharif to make up enough money for the six children and his wife’s new airplane tickets to WA. The family spent one month there, while Sharif, working 3 jobs and sleeping no more than three hours a night, scraped together enough money for the tickets. Sheerin remembers a month of Teletubbies every morning and the delicious food her mom cooked for them and their grateful host. 

In October 2000 the family was finally reunited in WA. They qualified to receive a unit in an apartment complex and received some help to get situated. The kids at this point were between the ages of 5 and 16.

The kids were enrolled in school, their mom walked all of them to their respective elementary, middle and high schools - where they were in ESL (English as a Second Language) classes - and went to pick them up at the end of the school day. Sheerin, who had started elementary school in Kurdistan, remembers having always loved school and that she had always been a good student. She recalls that in Kurdistan she wore a uniform with white collar, closed toe shoes, and kept her hair tied back. She remembers learning about numbers and letters, how the teachers there were extremely strict and hit pupils with a ruler, and that learning happened with kids having to sit extremely still, and the teacher was always right.. She remembers how the main teaching was to live life through religion. 

Just the year after their arrival in the US, in 2001, one of the largest recorded earthquakes hit Washington. Sheerin and her siblings, who were in school at the time and had never experienced such a natural disaster, were frightened and surprised, but a part for the fact that one of their first prized possessions, a china cabinet for which they had painstakingly saved some money,  mercilessly broke shattering all its content, the family moved forward in their life in the US, their English gradually improving. In 2002, a church helped them get into public housing, and they moved to White Center, a public housing complex in Seattle. Sheerin recalls that many immigrants from Ukraine, Vietnam, Nepal, and South and Central America lived there. She recalls that living among immigrants, who were experiencing similar struggles as her family, was a positive experience, and that they bonded with their neighbors. Within a few years Sheerin’s brothers were helping Sharif  save money and pay bills. School was harder for them, who were older when they arrived in the US, and whose English was naturally not as smooth as that of their younger siblings. In 2007 the family moved to Covington, WA, where they bought a house. Sheerin finished High school there. 

At 16, almost by chance, Sheerin became a Kurdish interpreter. During a visit to a health point community clinic in Kent, where she was helping translate for her family, it was suggested to her that she should consider becoming an interpreter. Although most Kurds who come to the US live in warm places like Texas and Tennessee, there were still a fair amount of people from Kurdistan who needed a translator and there wasn’t one. Even though she was not 18 yet, she was able to formally become an interpreter, working less hours to accommodate her young age and her schooling. Through her translating at the clinic, Sheerin realized that she was interested in the medical field. She started at Everest college and within 9 months she received her first medical assistant certificate, while still working at the community clinic as an interpreter. Later she received an AS from Green River College, working full time as a medical assistant and going to school full time (at this time she had quit her job as an interpreter for lack of time), then she transferred to UWT, where she got her Bachelor in Environmental Science with an emphasis on biology. She later started a job  as a medical assistant, which she holds to this day, and recently started college again.

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Occupation: Urgent Care medical assistant for Multicare and pre-med student

Family in the US (from Kurdistan): all immediate family (mom, dad and siblings) are in the US. Some cousins live in Europe, while all the older relatives still live in Kurdistan.

Languages: Kurdish and English

Favorite pastimes: hiking, reading, traveling, playing soccer 

Favorite music: Kurdish pop (like singer Abdulkahar) and RNB and American pop music.

Language challenges: none now. Sheerin speaks flawless English without an accent. Learning at a fast rate was initially a challenge, which she overcame at a young age: she wanted to quit ESL classes in order to be able to take interesting classes and participate in various activities, and that was a strong motivator to improve fast. 

Could do without: after September 11th, Sheerin’s mom, who wears a headscarf, received distrustful gazes from parents in her school and other people.

When Sheerin was in elementary school, she was suspended because, while talking, she said “beach” and the teacher thought she had instead said the word “bitch.” She was not believed when she tried to explain that it was just a mispronunciation, and she was used to the Iraqi way of “the teacher is always right” which, in this case, turned out to be the same also in the US.

Favorite expressions: English “If it was easy, everyone would do it”

                                   Kurdish: “Kurdish: Aqil taca zerin e; li sere her kesi nine”.  (which means:“Wisdom is like a crown; it doesn't cap everyone's head.)

                                   Arabic: “Inshallah” (from the Quran, means “God Willing”)

 

Objects:

• Keras Red Dress: typical elegant Kurdish dress, often made of silk and typically worn with a vest. It comes in every color, and is worn on many different occasions. More intricate versions of this dress have beads. The long leaves are either left flowing or are tied in the back for a more practical look.

• Beaded vest called “qutik”: it is hand sewn, and often used daily, more ornate ones are heavily beaded 

• Bangles: use very often by Kurdish women, they are gold or in gold color

• Earings with “lira”: the “lira” looks like a coin and is used to decorate gold jewelry

• “Qumeck” cap: depending on the style it shows what region of Kurdistan you are from. When Sheerin’s sister in law purchased it for her, the store had run out of the ones from her region, so she purchased one from another region.

• Tea and teacup: In Kurdistan people drink hot black tea in glass teacups all day long…After each meal or with a meal, and typically with sugar. The teas used are Hama and Saadaf.

 

Sheerin, Kurdistan (Iraq)

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شرين ل زاخو كوردستاني ژ دايك بويه. بابي وئ شه ريف ئيك ژ پئشمه رگين كوردستاني بي كو دژايه تي يا (صدام حسين)ي دكر و پيشگيرييا سه ربازا ئه مريكي دكرن. ل سالا ١٩٩٥ دبن نافي ئوبراسوني دا بو وه ك به نا به ره ك سياسي ژ كوردستاني جوو. بشتي سالا ١٩٩٨ كو تيدا هيزين هه وابي يين عيراقي ئيك  ژ وئران كه رترين هئيرشين گازئ يين د شه رئ جيهاني دا كوشتن و بريندار كرن و هژماره كا بيرو بئ گونه ها برن. حكمه تا ئه مريكا جيبه جيبكرنا كوردين هه فال به ند ل كه مبا به نابه ري ل گوام به سه ندتر كر. هه تا كو شه ريفي نافئ ژن و بجيكيت خوه نفيسان و ب مخابني فه ليستا ناف لسه ر به رزه بوو  و شرين دگه ل دايكا خوه و خويشك و براييت خوه ل باش مان. بشتي كو ل كه مبا به نا به ري گوام ده ركه تي. شه ريف ل باژيرئ كه نساس مزوري باسكو واشنطون كو وي ل وئرئ كاري بيستانا و مه زره عي دكر. و ل دوماهيي ژي ل فيدراوه ي ژييا. ل وئرئ ئه وي ٣ كار دكرن دا كو بشيت بو خوه و ( بينج كور و دوو كجيت) خوه و هه فزينا خوه بارا كوم بكت و بوان فريكه ت داكو بشين خوه خودان بكه ن و بينيته ده ف خوه ل ئه مريكا. بشتي بورينا بينج سالا ئه و شيا ئه وي پاره ي جيكه ت و شيا زاروكيت خوه بينت و كجا وي يا بجيك بابي خوه ب زوري ناسكر. 

  

شرين و ده يكا خوه و خويشك و براييت خوه ل خانيه كي فه دژيان بانئ وي دلوب دكرن. كه له ك جاران بابئ وئ دا پارا  بوان فريكه ت به لي هه ر تيرا وان نه دكرن كو كيماسي ييت خوه جيبه جي بكه ن. ل سالا ٢٠٠٠ شه ريفي دا خازا ڤيزا خبراني كر. و ينترفيو بو ده ينات ل ئوردني. ئه و مه جبوربي پارئ خوه هه ميي ته رخان بكه ت بو فه كوهاستنا وان داببن ئوردن و بو هه يفه كي ئه و مان ل مه خزه ني . برايي وئ يي مه زن سه ليم ژيي وي ١٥ سال بين ژبو هاريكاريييا خيزانا خوه بكه ت فيا خوه فيري زماني عه ره بي بكه ت دا هاريكارييا مالا خوه بكه ت ل ئوردني. مقابلا وان يا ده سبيكي هاته باش ئيخستن به لي جارا دووي مقابلا وان هاته ده يناتن بشتي بورينا هه مي تشتا فييا خيزانا وي بمينت هيفيا فيزا خوه. و باشي فيزا وان هات شه ريفي بليت بوان برين ب هاريكارييا هه فاله كي خوه به لي ب ليبورين فه شينا بليتا ببرن بو واشنطون سته يت وان بليت برين بو واشنطون دي سي. ل فروكخاني بوان كه له ك زه حمه ت بي جنكي كه سي ژ وان نه زاني ب ئينگليزي باخفين و بنفيسن و دانوستاندي بكه ن. شريني هه ولدا كادي جاوا دانوستاندني دكه ل  وان كه ت. ل جهي باوه ريي ئه و كه له ك برسي بين ج دا با وان وان دخار و نه زاني دي جاوا برسيار كن ئه فه جيه و ب خه له تي فه وان به راز خار و قه ده خه يه بسرمان بخون. و ئه وان نه دزاني نافي ئاڤي جيه تني نافي بيبسي دزاني جنكي ئه و ژي دبيژني بيبسي. 

  

ل فروكخانا واشنطون دي سي. ده يكا شريني هه رده م به ربرسا مالا خوه بويه و ژ هه مي ته نگافيا مالا خوه رزگار دكه ت و ئه وئ برياردا ژ فروكخاني ده رنه كه ڤيت جنكي نه بشت راست بي كو ئه و يال جهه ك درست. په ره ك دده ستئ وئ دا بي جو برسيارا په رستاره كي كر و ئيشاره تا تبلا خوه گوتئ ره قه مي زه لامئ منه ل يه ر في لابه ري تو شئ تله فونا وي بكي و زه لامئ وئ ل فروكخانا سيته ك ل هيفيا وئ بي و ئه و سه رسورمان ما ده مئ زاني كو خيزانا وي نه ل فروكخانا واشنطون سته يتن. جهي دلخوشي بي كو ئه وي هه فاله ك ل واشنطون دي سي هه بي و خيزانا وي ل وئري مان هه تا كو وي شيا پارئيت پليتيت وان كار بكه ت. خيزانا وي هه يفه كي مان ل وئرئ و ئه وي ٣ كار دكر دكرن و هه روژ بس ٣ سعه تا دنفست بس دا بشيت خيزانا خوه بينت ده ف خوه. هيشتا ل بيرا وئ يه ئه وئ هه روژ سبيده هيبا به رئ خوه دا فلم كارتوني تلاتابي و ده يكا وئ بوان و ئه وئيت ل مالاوان خارنبت كه له ك خوه ش جيدكرن.  

ل هه يفا ١٠ سالا ٢٠٠٠ مال باتا وان كه هشتن ئيك ل واشنطون و وان بوخوه داخازا هاريكاريي كر ژ جهين به ربرس بو دابينكرنا شقه كي يان خانيه كي. ل وي وه ختي زاروكيت وي دژيي پينج سالي يي هه تا ١٦ ساليي دابين. 

  

زاروكيت وي جوون قوتابخاني و ده يكاوان ب پيان دبرن مه دره سيت وان و دجون پوليت فيركرنا زماني و ده يكا وان دجوو ئه و رادكرن ده مي قوتابخانه ب دوماهيك هاتبا. شرين ل كوردستاني ژي دجوو قوتابخاني و ل پولا دووئ بنه ره تي دخاند و قوتابيه ك كه له ك زيره ك بي. بتني ل بيراوئ يه جلكيت وئ ييت قوتابخاني بلوزه ك سبي بي و ياخه پيفه بي و پيلافه ك گرتي هه بي و برچا وئ راكري بي. و لبيرا وئ يه ماموستا وئ ژماره و  پيت نيشا وان دكرن و ماموستاييت و كه له ك حكومدار بين و فيا با هه رده م ماموستا درست با نه قوتابي. و هه روه سا ل بيراوئ يه ماموستا وئ ده رسا ديني نيشا وان دكر. 

  

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تني ساله ك بشتي كه هشتنا وان ل ده وله تا ئه مريكا ل سالا(٢٠٠١) ئيك ژ مه زنترين ئاماريت عه رد هه ژيني ل واشنطون رويدان. شرين و برايت خوه وي ده مي ل مه دره سئ بوون ئه وان ججاران ئه و ديمه ن نه ديتبو،و دترسان و شاش بوون. و بي دلوفاني هه مي نافه روكا وئ شكاند. خيزانا وي ژيانا خوه ل امريكا بوراند و زماني وان باشتر بي. 

ل سالا٢٠٠٢ ئه وان داخاز ژ ديره كي كر كو هاريكاريا وان بكه ت بو دابينكرنا شقه كي يان جهه كي كو ئه ولئ ب ژين. وايت سه نتر ئه و باژيره كه ژ سياتل (شرين) و دكه ل جه ند كوجبه رئن ئوكراني و فيتنامي و نيبال و امريكا باشور ل وئرئ دژيان. ل بيراوئ بي كو ده مئ ل كه ل وان كوجبه ران دژيا پاريزگاري ل خو دكر هه ر وه كو خيزانا وئ و هاته گريدان بيفه بو جه ندين سالان. برايي شريني هاريكارييا بابي خوه دكر و پاره دانئ. و قوتابخانه بوان كه له ك زه حمه ت بي جنكي ده مي هاتين امريكا ژيي وان مه زن بو به لي زماني وان باش بو هه ر وه كي يي خويشكا وان يا بجيك. 

ل سالا( ٢٠٠٧) ئه وان خانيه ك ل كه فنتون كري و شريني قوتابخانا خوه ب دوماهيك ينات . 

  

د ژيي ١٦ ساليي دا ژنيشكه كي فه شرين بي ترجومانا كوردي. د سه ره دانه كي دا ل كلينيكا ته ندروستي ل كينت. هاريكارييا خيزانا دكر ب زماني كوردي و برسيار ژي هاته كرن كو تو بيه تورجومان سه ر وئ جه ندي را كه له ك كورد هاتينه امريكا به لئ ل جهين كه رم دژيان وه ك ته كسس و تينسي. هه ر جنه بيت كيم كورد ل فيري دژيان به كه س نه بو تورجوماني يي بو ب زماني كوردي بكه ت و كه له ك كه س بيتفي ب هاريكاريي بون. هه روه سا هيشتا ئه و نه بيه ١٨ سال شيا ب شيوه كي فه رمي ببيت ترجومان و كيم ده مژميرا ل وئ كلينكئ كار دكرن. و باشي شرين جوو زانكويا ئه فرست بو ٩ هه يفا و باوه رناما خوه ينات ده ر و كار ژي دكر ل وئ كلينكي دا. دده كه كي دي دا باوه رناما خوه يا برين بيجي يي ينات ده ر و جوو كرين ريفه ر دخاند. و شول دكر ل سه ر ده واما خوه وه ك هاريكاري دختوري و جوو مه دره سا خوه هه مي ده ما و دوي وه ختي دا شولي ترجومانيي هيلات. و باشي شيا باوه رناما خوه يا بكالوريس يا زانستي و ژينگه هئ و لسه ر زينده وه رئ. و ده ست ب كاري كر وه ك برين بيج و هه تا نوكه يا به رده وامه و دوان ده مان دا ده ست ب خاندنا خوه يا زانكويي كرفه . 

  

تشتين خبره:ب ئينگليزي: ب ساناهيه همي كه س شيت بكه ت . 

كوردي:عاقل تان جا زيري يه به لي سه ري هه مي كه سي دا نينه. 

عه ره بي:انشالله: ژ بو قورئاني ئانكو ژ خودي بخازه. 

تشت :-فيستان و كراسي سور جلوبه رگين كورده واري نه هه رده م ژ هه فرميستي دهينه جيكرن و دكه نه به رخوه وه ك عه ده ت. 

قوتك: كاري ده ستي هاتيه دروستكرن و دهيته ب كارينان بو كه له ك جهان. 

بازنك: ژنا كوردي كه له ك جاران ب كاردينت بو داوه تا و حه فلا دكه نه به رخوه. 

گوهاركيت ليره: ليره وه كي پارئ ئاسني يه وه ك زير و به رخوه دكن. 

كومك: ئيك ژ عه ده تيت كورده واري يه . 

جا و كوپين جايي:خه لكي كوردستاني جايا ره ش فه دخون و يا كه رم د هه مي روژئ دا بشتي هه ردانه ك خارني. 

 

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My deepest appreciation to Sheerin for recording her story and to Shilan for translating Sheerin's story in Kurdish with the Kurdish alphabet. 

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Also many thanks to Tressa Lacy and the organization Undaunted Women for connecting me with Sheerin.