Carrie Van Der Watt 10-8-13 For my Life History Interview I chose to find out about someone from

South Africa. The man I interviewed goes to my church and I had heard him comment before about his childhood and country which made me curious as to his upbringing and culture. For instance, chasing monkeys out of his car, pushing shopping carts for people while under ten years old to earn money, and being forced to serve in the military for 2 years where he believes he was exposed to chemical warfare that gave him an autoimmune disease. For the sake of this paper I will call him Henry and no, he is not black, but white. When I asked him about doing an interview he was very happy to accommodate me and we scheduled a night after he got home from work. He was more than willing to answer every question I asked even if it did make it a little awkward for both of us at one point. (Evidently the word fanny means persons behind here but is a very derogatory term for a womans genitals in South Africa!) When I asked Henry about his culture he mentioned that the people in his country are much more physical in a touchy and affectionate way. They embrace and kiss family and friends in as casual a manner as what we shake hands. They are also much more social and use any excuse to come together and party! In fact from about December 8 through the first week of January the whole country pretty much shuts down, or runs on skeletal staff, for their summer holiday. I asked what it was like to have Christmas in hot weather as compared to Utah and he felt that there was no comparison to the wonder of it here with snow. New Years is a much bigger celebration there. When asked if he has been able to maintain his culture here he felt that he had in some respects, especially in that he has other friends and family here who are from

South Africa and speak his native language with him frequently. In other ways he felt that the entire culture of his country during his youth has forever changed and will never be returned because of the fall of apartheid. (I didnt get into a big political discussion with him.) Another big part of his culture is the briie or barbeque. Almost every weekend friends and families would get together and just cook tons of meat (five to seven different kinds) and enjoy each others company. (If you are younger, booze is also a must bring along as well). He made it sound as though the whole country is a bunch of major party animals, which I am not sure is the case. Because they eat so much meat and fatty fried foods like koeksuster, which is a fried dessert and sounds like cooksisters, Henry says they have the highest heart attack rate in the world. When I asked him about family life and the differences between here and there he said that in South Africa when he was growing up (he is 44 years old) children were seen and not heard. There was also an incredible amount of importance put on respecting your elders. Children all wore uniforms and went to segregated schools. Henry was quick to inform me that they still had corporal punishment and that he got canned almost daily. Must have been one naughty boy! In fact, in his day, blacks and whites were still completely separate: restrooms(or rather toilets), schools, neighborhoods, restaurants , and even beaches. It didnt seem odd to him because that was all he knew and grew up with. It was also important for families to sit and eat together instead of the crazy, buffet style meals that Im used to with whoever happens to home at the time. I thought it was very interesting to know that young men were still expected to get to know and ask permission from the father just to ask his daughter out on a date! There is no question that you ask before you get married as well, its already understood that you would do that in his culture. Also at 18 years of age you can legally vote, drink, drive, and make loans in

South Africa. When someone turns 21, it is considered a huge celebration or coming of age and that you are finally an adult. Because South Africa was colonized hundreds of years ago by the British (who ruled) and the Dutch (who were servants to the British), two main languages are spoken. Almost everyone speaks English and a great many of the South Africans also speak Africaans which is the kitchen dutch language of the servants. Henry said everyone there is distinguished from being an Englishman(descendant of British) or Africaans(Dutch descendant, a.k.a. Boers) if you are white. I do not think that there is a huge social or cultural difference between the two groups any longer. Obviously with the British influence Henry feels that South Africans speak better and have more proper English that Americans do. For instance, Henry frequently replies with a my pleasure rather than a thank you or pardon me? NEVER what?. I thought it was funny when he said that when he first came here he heard someone say caca to their baby which means s_ _ t in his country and he was horrified. He also mentioned having more refined table manners than we do, except when it comes to meat which is acceptable for them to eat with their hands no matter where they are. When asked specifically about South African dance and music, Henry said that they love to dance and often do so in couples and groups at their briies on the weekends. Dancing is also a big part of weddings. Henry made it very clear that the wedding receptions here are nothing like the huge celebration a wedding is over there with tons of food and dancing. Their traditional music is somewhat similar to country but very different as well. It has the accordion, violin, some drum, and some string guitar in it.

When asked about his immigration to the United States Henry said that when he was coming through customs in 1993 he was profiled by a black immigration officer and taken to a room to be questioned. The apartheid had fallen apart and 1994 would be the first year of open elections for all races to vote. They kept him in a room and grilled him for 10 hours because they assumed that he was a racist just because he was white and from South Africa. It was only after going through all his belongings and finding a scrapbook that showed him laughing and helping a black family fix something on their house that he was immediately released. The pictures also showed the many different black people that he served while on an LDS mission to their area. When asked about any constraints from living here he said felt that a lot of people cannot understand him when he speaks on the phone and it makes him frustrated. He feels that people have reservations about him because of his accent until they can meet him in person and feel he is sincere. I asked Henry what his experience has been here in relation to privileged groups and he answered that they do not appreciate what they have and take it for granted. He feels that they are willingly giving up their freedoms and lost many of the traits that made this country so great and powerful. However, he made it very clear that this is his country now too and he loves it wholeheartedly. He is only sorry at some of the changes he has seen in his twenty years here. What I learned about another persons experience in the United States is that a white person can be racially discriminated against by a black person in a position of power and others allow it. I also learned that you dont have to be born and raised here to be immensely patriotic. One thing that changed my view of the world was when Henry told me about the crime and

violence in his country. Instead of open yards they have huge brick walls with sharp glass mortared into the top or barbed wire. Behind the fence for the driveway are several huge guard dogs. You cant see out of your yard or into the neighbors; it is completely separate. Rape rates are at least 50% of the women in the country (even in Henrys family). One day Henrys brother was giving some black children a ride home from a church activity and encountered a riot in the road that overtook his car and nearly beat him to death, breaking almost all major bones in his body. What I really learned, and didnt realize before, is that it is horrible to have to live in the constant fear that Henry experienced before he left. I am so grateful for the safety and comfort that I had growing up and that my children arent exposed to danger in such a forceful and constant manner as Henry was.