Global Cleveland

Maureen Dee

Where are you from?

I am from Montevideo, Uruguay. I actually moved to the United States as an undergraduate student. Upon graduation, I received a training visa to practice bilingual social work in New York City. I worked at Catholic Guardian Society as a foster care case manager, working with children who were placed in foster care. My caseload was with children and parents who were Spanish-speaking. I worked with their parents to help them improve their situation so that they could once again care for their child. I also helped arrange visits between the children and their parents.

What was it like growing up?

I grew up in Montevideo, Uruguay. My father was an exporter of raw sheep’s wool. He worked as a broker between the farmers and the wool buyers overseas. He arranged for the shipment of the wool they purchased in large bales. He would classify the wool according to quality and send samples out before the buyer would decide on purchasing a specific large quantity. My mother was a stay-at-home mother. She did some work with local artists on the side. I am the oldest of three. I was fortunate to have a stable upbringing.

What brought you to Cleveland?

I actually moved to Cleveland when I decided to attend graduate school in social work. I was hoping to stay in New York City, but Case Western Reserve University made an offer I could not refuse, so I relocated to Cleveland, Ohio.

What were your first thoughts about coming to America? Did those change?

When I first moved to the United States as an 18 year old I was very nervous, as I came here on my own. I was really homesick at first and communication was a lot more challenging. We did not have the conveniences of today’s electronic and digital systems. I had to write letters. I could not afford to call my family by telephone. It was terribly expensive. I felt like an outsider as the fashions for clothing were different, meal planning was different, and my accent always caused people to ask where I was from. My parents would try to find people in Uruguay who might be travelling to the United States and would send me small packages or letters through them. I would try to travel back to my country for the winter holidays – because it would be summer time there. I also had difficulty at first sorting out the educational system. I was used to essay tests and did not have experience with multiple choice tests. I was also apprehensive about the sexual and social freedom of young people in the United States. The norms for behavior in my home country were specific and defined and the power of gossip and family honor was more controlling. As with many new experiences, the initial fears are often overcome by the building of relationships. It took time for me to understand that in many ways, the fears, worries and anxiety related to change and new environments or people is shared. The power of connection is what helps us overcome these changes.

What challenges did you face as an International Newcomer transitioning here?

Because I came as a college student from another country, I was only able to come with a suitcase of belongings. However, I soon learned that the other students were also leaving their families for the first time. The main challenge was getting used to the educational system, the culture and the differences in habits and idioms. I had to get “adopted” by local families in between the academic sessions. I did work on the college campus and this, too, was a connection to other working students.

What is your occupation?

I am a social worker by training. I started out providing direct services in mental health and substance abuse treatment as a bilingual social worker. Then I became a supervisor and eventually I became a director.

How have other Clevelanders made you feel welcomed?

When I first moved to Cleveland I was a student at Case Western Reserve’s School of Applied Social Sciences. My first encounter was with the students and professors in that venue. I was really fortunate in that I had a really good experience. I met some wonderful people and I received a lot of educational and moral support. I had to always find work on the side. At first I had a difficult time getting around the city on public transportation, especially after work hours. However, with time, I learned my way around and became more familiar with the city and the different neighborhoods. Through waitressing, working at the school library and working out at the gym, I got to know people from several interesting walks of life. The best part for me was exposure to so many different people with different backgrounds. I really enjoyed finding fellow South Americans or Central Americans as well as people from so many other cultures, races and ethnicities. It did not take long before I realized that Cleveland was where I was going to become established. Through an involved process I became a registered alien and began my career. I also did get married, had children, and finally became a citizen of the United States in Cleveland’s Federal building, in 2008.

What traditions or customs do you continue to practice?

My culture shares several aspects of Cleveland’s culture; in particular the similarities in the holiday traditions. I have also enjoyed my active and ongoing connection with the Hispanic community. The common language and heritage feels very familiar to me and I have joined various boards and committees with the purpose of reaching out and serving the Hispanic community in our area. I am energized through collaborating with leaders of the Hispanic community to bring light to the heritage that we share in common. Each Spanish-speaking country, however, has its own food and traditions and sharing these with my Hispanic colleagues and friends is also enriching. The difference is the weather is the opposite from my home country’s seasons. The winter here is summer in Uruguay and vice versa. We are on the ocean in Uruguay; we are on the lake in Cleveland. The winters in Cleveland are a lot colder! We don’t get snow in Uruguay… The biggest adaptation that I still have a hard time with is how early people have their dinner. In Uruguay we eat after 9 p.m. at night. The social gatherings start after 11 p.m. at night and go well into dawn. I am still a night owl.

What do you love about Cleveland?

I have now raised my own two children in Cleveland and I am thankful that we have a rich circle of friends who have an international perspective and flair. Whereas I used to miss that in Cleveland after living in New York, I now feel Cleveland is on the map. In New York I enjoyed staying in contact with friends from my homeland who would travel through and I would wish that they would also come through Cleveland. Now I see that my homeland visitors, family and friends, actually schedule Cleveland as a stop on their trip – and come back because they enjoy it so. I love the arts in Cleveland, the excellent music venues and the diversity of artistic talent within the various races and cultures. I also love the food choices, the great restaurants and so many food-related events! Of course I love the cultural festivals and the great activities, outdoors and indoors that occur in Cleveland. I am glad we have weekly lists of everything going on so that we can pick and choose things to do with friends and family. I love that we can interact with our elected officials and feel heard. I also love that we can be active with the community in so many ways. And I love the excellent healthcare that we have in Cleveland and the good work being done to improve public and population health and behavioral health for all. We have a long way to go, but I am thrilled to see how people care and how many people work really, really hard because they want to make life better for everyone who lives in the greater Cleveland area.

Why is it so important to welcome International Newcomers and Displaced Personss?

I believe that each person’s life experience is extremely valuable in helping another with appreciating and valuing human qualities and the purpose of life. I also believe that learning and understanding what is important to different people make for a better experience for everyone. Understanding is connecting and through connecting we build self confidence, acceptance and a spirit of contribution to a greater good. I am a strong believer of the value of contribution. I believe that we have more to gain from giving than receiving. I am not focusing on material wealth, but on spiritual wealth. I believe that our International Newcomers and Displaced Personss have so many challenges that are different from ours. Their perspectives and appreciations are also for things that may be different from ours. Whereas I gravitate to, and feel comforted by that which is familiar, I also enjoy the exchange of ideas and perspectives that make me think and grow. I believe that the interaction with different cultures and practices help us both appreciate our own, as well as develop a new sense of purpose through growth and understanding. We have an opportunity to build economic synergy through expanding our community with new residents. New ideas, innovation and new consumer markets are what our city is built on. Hope and opportunity seeking are a common human thread.

What suggestions do you have to make Cleveland a more welcoming community?

I think we should continue our course to open up the water front. Water is a unifying force for all. I also think we should continue to make our arts and cultural opportunities relevant for our different racial, ethnic and cultural groups. We should seek to build representation of our racial and ethnic groups in our administration, governance and decision-making forums. We should invite diverse thought and incorporate such thought as we evolve our traditions and practices as a community. We should make an effort to attend each other’s cultural events and get to know more about these rituals and practices.

by Global Cleveland

Yury

I was born and raised in city call Leningrad in old days. Now it has a different name St Petersburg. We decided to change location and move to country name America. We (me, my wife and two kids) first arrived to Youngstown where the Jewish community welcomed us and provide us with a lot of help. The biggest challenge for me was english. While I was working as truck driver my wife was finishing at Youngstown State University to become a chemist. After she found job we changed location and moved to Cleveland. Cleveland is a very unique city. It has pretty much everything that a big city has, theaters, museums, restaurants and at the same time not to crowded, very affordable and friendly to people from other countries. Every person that comes to America needs help to adapt and learn language, culture and it take so much time and effort.

by Global Cleveland

Monica Olivera

Where are you from?

I was born in Lima, Peru.

What was it like growing up?

I lived with my parents, my brothers and my maternal grandmother. My parents are teachers, and both of them are now retired. I grew up seeing them teach and tutor students after school. Now they tutor the children of the students they had years ago. Even though their income was really low and we didn’t have the latest things others had I never felt like I was missing something. My parents always told us to never stop or give up. At home birthday parties, special occasions and Christmas turned into great celebrations with food and lots of dancing. My family was really close, and still is. This is one of the things I miss the most.

What brought you to Cleveland?

When I was studying Psychology a professor told me about an international program that brought professionals to the United States to work/practice for a period of time in their field. CIP, Cleveland International Program accepted me in this program for 1 year. I was placed to work in the former Cuyahoga County Nursing Home.

What were your first thoughts about coming to America? Did those change?

At first I didn’t think I would be accepted into the program, and I didn’t have it in my mind to ever moving from Peru. I liked the idea of one day coming and touring the country, but I became more interested in the idea of learning about my profession here and working with the elderly population. My idea was to learn as much as possible and be able to bring all that experience back to Peru. Yes, my plans changed. I met my now husband a month after I arrived here and we became instantly great friends, our friendship grew stronger and we got married a week before I was to go back to Peru.

What challenges did you face as an International Newcomer transitioning here?

One of the biggest challenges is still being away from my family. My parents and brothers are in Peru. Most of my family is there and whenever there is a reunion, a celebration, a life event, a birth, a death, it is really painful to not be there physically. I feel like I am missing so much by not being around them all the time. It’s been almost 20 years and the feeling has not changed. Don’t get me wrong, there are amazing things in Cleveland that can make up for some of it, it’s just not the same.

What is your occupation?

I am a Psychologist and completed all my studies in Peru. I have always worked with the elderly population. Right now I am the Hispanic Services Specialist and Care Consultant for the Alzheimer’s Association. It will be 5 years with them this September. I am also part of the ensemble for Teatro Público de Cleveland, under the wings of Cleveland Public Theater. I am a ZUMBA instructor and the dance instructor for Mi Pueblo Culture Camp.

How have other Clevelanders made you feel welcomed?

I have felt welcomed since the beginning. From the family I spent my first months with here in Cleveland to new friends and community. I will never forget getting a big hug and kiss on the cheek from my host family the very first day I arrived at their house. It felt good. There were also rules. I was to let them know at all times where I would be and I was supposed to give them a call If I ever needed them for anything. At first I thought it was a bit too much, but at the same time I felt protected. Even though they had just met me, they already cared for me. They are one of the most beautiful people I have met here. Now my Detroit Shoreway neighbors and community are amazing.

What traditions or customs do you continue to practice?

My children speak Spanish, I regularly prepare Peruvian food and we listen to Peruvian music at home and in the car. My husband and I have been honored to dance the Marinera Norteña at the Señor de los Milagros (Lord of the Miracles) procession every October for over 10 years. The Marinera Norteña is consider that national dance of Peru. We attend Sagrada Familia Church on Sundays. Even though we have slowed down with the Peruvian parties at home, whenever there is a get together, there is food, music and lots of dancing. My Peruvian flag is also displayed proudly on my front porch.

What do you love about Cleveland?

Its diversity, culture and pride. I feel that the arts and culture program bring so much diversity to the city. The residents can be impacted by amazing experiences through music concerts, theater, festivals, visits to museums like the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Zoo, and the libraries that offer so many programs for children and adults all year long. There are also educational opportunities for young adults. You can find so many ethnicities in Cleveland, foods and festivals. You experience so many traditions and cultures in just one city. This is a wonderful city to have your family grow up in.

Why is it so important to welcome International Newcomers and Displaced Personss?

I believe in universal equality and the importance of respect for each other, no matter where you come from. We are all different and unique, and we are learning from each other all the time. Acceptance of diversity and respect for each other can only can make you a better person, a stronger community, a greater city. You can always help someone in need, someone that wants to overcome obstacles, someone that is looking for a brighter future. What could be wrong with that? International Newcomers want the opportunity to come out of a difficult situation, they want respect, they want to work, they want to provide to their families, they want to contribute to the community and be part of it.

What suggestions do you have to make Cleveland a more welcoming community?

Block parties where minorities and people that have just moved to Cleveland can feel comfortable and can get to know their neighbors.

For International Newcomers, to encourage them and help them share their cultural traditions.

Coordinate more events where the community works together to assist a neighbor in need.

by Global Cleveland