Oral history interview with Milen Gebreamlak, 2019 March 4

This oral history interview with Milen Gebreamlak was conducted by Caitlyn Malik and Sankar Raman on March 4, 2019. 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, Gebreamlak discusses the reasons that her family fled Eritrea and talks about her early life in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, including her education and social life. She then speaks about the process of receiving refugee status in the United States and about moving to Portland, Oregon, in 2014. She discusses adjusting to life in the U.S., including joining a Bible study group and making friends. She talks about her experience in high school, including being bullied, learning English, and playing soccer. She talks about her family, speaks about her involvement with extracurricular activities, and discusses her educational priorities. She talks about the Women's Empowerment Club at Reynolds High School, which she co-founded, and her involvement with Africa House and the Multnomah County Youth Commission. She talks about learning to say no, about her political ambitions, and about her plans for the future. She closes the interview by sharing advice for people who experience bullying and by talking about her personal philosophy.