Interview with Elsie Nasief, April 7, 2008

Partial Transcript: Um, so you can start by telling me when, when your grandmother--when your family came over.

Segment Synopsis: Elsie Nasief explains that her family is from Lebanon and discusses how they came to America, along with other family background information. She talks about the church she currently attends as well as a chapel her father built in Lebanon. She explains why her parents came to America, and how her father opened up a meat market in Louisville, Kentucky. She talks about her parents' deaths and what life was like before they died.

Keywords: Alfresco; Arabic; Chapels; Heart attacks; Lebanese; Meat markets; Miscarriages; Orthodox; Priests; Speed schools; St. Michael's Church; World War I; World War II

Subjects: Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Lebanese Americans; Lebanon.; Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: And that's my youngest brother. My other brother, my oldest brother. He was in the, he was in the Army, and he was in the Air Force.

Segment Synopsis: Nasief explains how her brother went missing for a brief period of time. She describes how life was while her dad owned a meat market. She talks about her brothers being in the Army and Air Force. She talks about her brothers' children and how important her nieces and nephews are to her because she never had children of her own.

Keywords: Air Force; Army; Aunts; Brothers; Lebanese; Meat markets; Nephews; Nieces; Telegrams

Subjects: Families.; Lebanese Americans; Lebanese Americans--History.; Lebanon

Partial Transcript: Did your mother cook Lebanese food?

Segment Synopsis: Nasief talks about the Lebanese food her mother used to cook. She talks briefly about the University of Kentucky and basketball. She describes the community she grew up in.

Keywords: Communities; Cooking; Italians; Jews; Mothers; Traditional food

Subjects: Cooking, Lebanese.; Lebanese Americans--Kentucky--Lexington.; University of Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Maronite prie--Maronites are Catholic priests in Lebanon. But they, their service is just like ours, in Lebanon. And the only difference is that our priests don't marry.

Segment Synopsis: Nasief talks about how her uncle was an orthodox priest and how orthodox priests differed from other priests. She talks about how it is important to her to attend church every Sunday. She talks about celebrating Easter.

Keywords: Arabic; Catholic; Civil War; Easter; Holidays; Jewish Passover; Orthodox; Presidents; Priests

Subjects: Lebanese Americans; Priests.; Religion.

Partial Transcript: So when did your parents buy all of this?

Segment Synopsis: Nasief explains that when her dad first bought some land, certain races were not allowed to live there. As time went on, a more diverse group of people moved into her neighborhood.

Keywords: Diversity; Land ownership; Lebanese; Property; WWII:; World War II

Subjects: Race Relations--Kentucky; Race discrimination--Kentucky; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Where did you--what was school like for you? You had a Lebanese family at home and at school, were you--?

Segment Synopsis: Nasief describes her school experiences and the diversity she encountered there. She discusses why she did not have an arranged marriage. She talks about how she met one of her closest friends and how they often travel together. She also talks more about her nieces and nephews, and discusses marriage trends in younger generations. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Airplane crashes; Community; Cruises; Diverse; Embassy; Identity; Italians; Jews; Marriage; Passports; Synagogues

Subjects: Lebanese Americans--Kentucky--Lexington.; Schools