Interview with Fiston Boyita Bo Malenga , May 13, 2017

Partial Transcript: I'm Jack Wilson, uh, interviewing Boyita Bo Malinga--Fiston Boyita Bo Malenga.

Segment Synopsis: Fiston was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then called Zaire) in 1981. He lived first in Mbandaka, capital of Equator Province, and then moved to Kinshasa, the national capital for about five years, and then Kisangani for five years and then back to Kinshasa where he graduated from secondary school. He started kindergarten early because his grandmother's sister was a teacher. He describes the education system. His grandparents had custody of him. His grandfather worked for the government and so moved around for his job. His family was big with many cousins and uncles.

Keywords: Congo; Democratic Republic of Congo; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Family; Kinshasa (Congo); Kisangani (Congo); Mbandaka (Congo); Zaire

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Families.

Partial Transcript: Now was the--French the language of instruction or you had a local language?

Segment Synopsis: Malenga explains the national languages of Congo and about 300 dialects/languages. French is the language of instruction, newspapers and television, and books. He can speak Lingala, French, and a little Swahili.

Keywords: Democratic Republic of Congo; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Kikongo; Lingala; Swahili; Tshiluba

Subjects: Congo (Democratic Republic); Languages

Partial Transcript: So, uh, you, you graduated then from secondary school. Uh, when?

Segment Synopsis: Malenga graduated from secondary school in 2000. He didn't go directly to college because of finances. His father who was a Peace Corps Volunteer living in the United States looked for a university he could attend. One of his father's friends in Burkina Faso suggested he go to University of Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou. So he attended that university for two years, 2006 to 2008.

Keywords: Kinshasa (Congo); Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso); Peace Corps volunteers; University education in Burkina Faso; University of Burkina Faso

Subjects: Education; Peace Corps (U.S.)

Partial Transcript: Okay. Uh, so tell me something about how, how you got to the United States.

Segment Synopsis: Malenga's father was trying to get him a visa to come to the United States, but since his dad had not claimed him before he was 18, it was difficult. His father played the diversity lottery for Fiston and Fiston then filled out forms at the embassy which asked for criminal background check, health records, school records, a medical examination, and after that was all done he was interviewed by the U.S. Ambassador who asked where he was studying and what.

Keywords: Burkina Faso; Diversity Lottery Visa process; Diversity Lottery Visas; Visas

Subjects: Emigration and immigration.; Immigrants

Partial Transcript: So when did you come to the United States?

Segment Synopsis: Malenga came to the United States in October 2008 when he was 27. He flew into Houston, Texas and had to go through immigration there but missed his flight to Louisville. He met a Finnish man who spoke French because he had studied there and lived in the U.S. who helped him. He met his father in Burkina Faso several times before he came to the U.S.

Keywords: Arrival in U.S.; English; Finnish; Good Samaritans; Houston (Tex.); Language

Subjects: Emigration and immigration.; Immigrants

Partial Transcript: Okay, so then you came to Louisville in 2008.

Segment Synopsis: Malenga went to basic ESL classes that refugees attended for several months and then took more advanced classes at the community college. He noticed that the language on the streets was different, there were different accents. The U.S. was what he was expecting but "it is like starting everything from the beginning. You have to start from zero to get somewhere." The community college would not consider his Burkina Faso university credit. In the French system, a student studies one subject -- he was studying law. In the U.S., one has to take math, English, and get a general education. He took some classes but then stopped because of his work schedule, finances, and his courses wouldn't transfer to do electrical engineering.

Keywords: "Starting from zero"; Dealing with American university education; English as a second language (ESL); Jefferson Community College (JCC); Jefferson Community and Technical College

Subjects: Education; Emigration and immigration.; Immigrants--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So when, when did you go to work and what, what, uh, what was your work?

Segment Synopsis: Malenga started work in 2009. He began by working at UPS and was there for four years and taking a couple classes every semester. Doing both work and classes were difficult. He lived with his dad at first and then lived with a friend. He is positive about more opportunities in work and school but the culture is different because in the U.S. people are more individualistic and independent, whereas in Africa the community and family are most important. He is now working as an electrician for a company and enjoys that because he likes being a handyman in different environments. He travels a lot in his job and is looking for online classes. He would like to go back to school but his job now involves travel. He needs online courses.

Keywords: Careers; Cultural differences; Electricians; Jefferson Community College (JCC); Jobs; Occupations; Online courses; United Parcel Service (UPS); Work

Subjects: Education; Employment--Kentucky; Immigrants--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And you don't have any other family other than your father here?

Segment Synopsis: Everyone has social media. Malenga calls and texts people back in the Congo. He still has his own culture but he has adjusted fairly quickly here partly because his father is American.

Keywords: Adaptation; Adjusting; Adjustment; Communication; Contact; Democratic Republic of Congo; Family; Fathers; Internet; Keeping in touch

Subjects: Acculturation; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Immigrants--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: What, what kinds of questions do people here ask you about your birth country or about Africa?

Segment Synopsis: People have a different view of Africa, based on what's on television. They think you are living around animals. People are interested. "There you have to have money to have access to clean water, electricity. Sometimes I tell them they need to travel, see." When people ask Malenga where he is from he says Africa because people don't know where Congo is.

Keywords: Access; American perceptions of Africa; Animals; Differences; Internet; Media; Misconceptions; Misinformation; Money; Television; Villages; Wealth

Subjects: Emigration and immigration.; Immigrants--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Do you ever feel you've experienced discrimination?

Segment Synopsis: Malenga says he has encountered discrimination but he considers racial discrimination part of the world culture. "It doesn't really get to me like that," because everywhere you go you are going to experience it.

Keywords: Differences; World culture

Subjects: Discrimination.; Race discrimination

Partial Transcript: As I said to you earlier, I think, uh, there're more than 20,000 individuals--

Segment Synopsis: Malenga says that people who came here chose this country and are proud to be part of the U.S. and are ready to help improve the economy. You see more opportunities here. Anything can happen here. He says, "I'm a citizen. I'm doing okay." He says that Africans help Americans understand the outside world. Africans bring value too, by being in the workforce and paying taxes. Malenga wants to get a college degree and do a project that would improve lives in Africa. He talks about working with immigrants from South and Central America.

Keywords: America; Appreciation; Awareness; Better life; College education; Diversity; Future; Hopes; Interest; Jobs; Languages; Learning; Opportunities; Value; Work

Subjects: Education; Emigration and immigration.; Immigrants--Kentucky