Archives West Finding Aid

This oral history interview with Fowzia Ibrahim was conducted by Don Schwartz on April 4, 2017. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States. In this interview, Ibrahim discusses her early life in Boise, Idaho, as a Somalian refugee, including the different ways that she and her parents adjusted to American life. She describes her desire to help people and her plans for her future career. She also talks about being bullied in elementary school. She talks about coming to Portland, Oregon, in 2014 and how her experience there differed from her experience in Idaho. She discusses being the oldest of twelve children, her ethnic and cultural identity, and making friends in high school in Portland. She closes the interview by discussing her preparations for college and plans for the future.