Oral history interview with Irakoze Diane, 2018 December 14

This oral history interview with Irakoze Diane was conducted by Sankar Raman on December 14, 2018. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States. Julianna Robidoux was also present.

In this interview, Irakoze Diane discusses her family background in Burundi, and the reasons her parents came to the Democratic Republic of Congo, then the reasons her family fled to Tanzania shortly after her birth. She speaks about her early life in a refugee camp in Kigoma, Tanzania, including living conditions, her education, and daily life. She describes the process of applying for refugee status in the United States. She also talks about the death of her sister in 2010, and how that experience influenced her choice of college major. She discusses traveling to the United States in 2007 and settling in Milwaukie, Oregon. She talks about adjusting to life in the U.S., including learning English and trying to fit in. She speaks about her education in public schools and her involvement in various extracurricular activities. She discusses her decision to attend Portland State University and talks about her college experience. She closes the interview by talking about her family and her plans for the future, and shares advice for other immigrants.