AAA Translation - We'll Take You Global

A new blog monthly articles series from AAA Translation’s Susanne Evens, My Neighbor Next Door is from… aims to expand multi-cultural knowledge and break down divides by letting readers get to know immigrants from various countries…one neighbor, friend and/or business colleague at a time.

A monthly blog feature from AAA Translation’s Susanne Evens, My Neighbor Next Door is from… aims to expand multicultural knowledge and break down divides by letting readers get to know immigrants from various countries…one neighbor, friend and/or business colleague at a time.

This month’s featured country is Iraq. The country’s name has been in use since before the 6th century. An Arabic folk etymology for the name is "deeply rooted, well-watered; fertile.” The region of the country between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, often referred to as Mesopotamia, is the world's oldest civilization. It is here that mankind first began to read, write, create laws and live in cities under an organized government. The area has been home to continuous successive civilizations since the 6th millennium BC.

We recently interviewed a man who immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq with his family when he was a child. First, they moved to Syria in 1993; from there, they came to the U.S. in 1997. Currently, he lives in Texas.

Q. What are the cultural differences between Iraq and the U.S.?

A. The United States is a melting pot of cultural diversity. There are many types of races and religions in the U.S., and it is wonderful. In Iraq, everyone was predominantly Muslim and born in Iraq. 

Q. What brought you to the U.S.?

A. We came to the U.S. to seek a better life because Saddam Hussein was killing innocent people.  

Q. What is something most people don't know about your original country?

A. There are regular houses there. Nobody in Iraq lives in stone houses in the middle of the desert. The scenery is beautiful. There are big houses in the city and paved roads. People drive the latest cars and have the latest technology. There are also a lot of McDonald's everywhere, and a vast number of mountains. In many ways, it is just like the U.S. 

Q. What do you miss the most?

A. I miss going to my grandparents' house and seeing my whole family there. I also miss the delicious kabobs and shwarmas. I can’t seem to find kabobs and shwarmas in the U.S. that taste the same as they did back home. The meat was so tender and juicy and had the freshest vegetables.

Q. What is the biggest misconception you encounter when people learn where you are originally from?

A. They seem to think everyone from Iraq is out to get them. They couldn’t be more wrong. Some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life were from Iraq. 

Q. Any other comments to add?

A. Throughout my time in Iraq, I hadn’t seen any crimes committed due to religious beliefs. There are crazy people nowadays that think being a Muslim is about killing people of other religions. That is a horrible thing to do. These self-proclaimed “Muslims” could be white, black or brown. Those are the real terrorists and those are the people who everyone should avoid. 

A new blog feature from AAA Translation’s Susanne Evens, My Neighbor Next Door is from… aims to expand multi-cultural knowledge and break down divides by letting readers get to know immigrants from various countries…one neighbor, friend and/or business colleague at a time.

This month’s featured country is Mexico. The country’s original name, Mēxihco, is the Nahuatl term for the heartland of the Aztec Empire, namely the Valley of Mexico, and its people, the Mexica, and surrounding territories which became the future State of Mexico as a division of New Spain prior to independence. After New Spain won independence from Spain, it was decided that the new country would be named after its capital, Mexico City, which was founded in 1524 on top of the ancient Mexica capital of Mexico-Tenochtitlan.

Mexico now has one of the world's largest economies and by 2050 is expected to become the world's seventh largest economy (according to PricewaterhouseCoopers) or possibly the fifth largest economy (according to Goldman Sachs).

We recently interviewed the multi-talented Zuilma Gonzalez who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 2001. Zuilma is both a professional accountant AND photographer – www.zuilma.com.


Q. What are the cultural differences between Mexico and the USA?

A. The key differences I’ve found are in the areas of traffic laws, food and education (schools). 

Q. What brought you to the U.S.?

A. My husband was offered a job in Fort Worth, Texas.

Q. What is something most people don't know about your original country?

A. Mexico is not a big rural town. There are many cosmopolitan cities with industry, art, modern architecture and technology.

Q. What do you miss the most?

A. Family, friends and food.

Q. What is the biggest misconception you encounter when people learn where you are originally from?

A. I have been very fortunate to have met smart people who don’t see stereotypes. The only exception to this is a woman I met once at the gym (our kids played together at the kids’ club). She thought she could hire me to teach her daughter Spanish while babysitting for her and pay less than the minimum wage rate. I politely declined :)

Q. Where do you live now?

A. Aledo, Texas (a suburb of Fort Worth).

Q. Any other comments to add?

A. I am grateful to the United States for all the opportunities and benefits it offers to anybody who really wants to learn and grow.