My Lincolnwood Story- Maureen Gawo
Item
Title
My Lincolnwood Story- Maureen Gawo
Subject
“I like the security [in Lincolnwood]. I’ve had nothing but good experience, whether from the school system, from the library. I feel like I am treated well, so I never moved.”
Maureen Gawo has lived in Lincolnwood since the late 1980s. She tells her story of coming to the United States from Iraq in the early 1980s.
The views and opinions expressed in interviews do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Lincolnwood Public Library, including its Board of Trustees and staff.
TRANSCRIPT:
Lev Kalmens 0:00
My name is Lev Kalmens. I'm an Information Services Librarian at the Lincolnwood Public Library. Today is July 19th, 2019. And I am interviewing Maureen Gawo for My Lincolnwood Story. Maureen, thank you for being here. And what is your Lincolnwood story?
Maureen Gawo 0:17
Thank you for having me. Well, I was born and raised up to age of 18 back in Iraq. My ancestor, however, came from Iran. We are Assyrians, Christians. So they migrated from Iran when Iraq was at it's prime of its technology and history, for better jobs, opportunities. And so my mom was born and raised all her life in Iraq, but my dad was born in Kiev, believe it or not. His parents moved from Iran to Kiev when he was just a baby, not even a year old, because they seeked freedom, opportunity. But when communism started, they did not like it, you know, so they moved back in Iran. And so my father lived there until age of 16. That's when he wanted to migrate to Iraq because, as I mentioned earlier, Iraq was the cradle of everything. So he moved and he got a job. He worked as a busboy, worked his way into being a cook. My dad never went to school, but he could speak several languages. And he was very smart in that he could pick up languages. So fast forward, when he was ready to settle down, marry, he asked around, and they said, "Well, have you seen so and so?" And, of course, when he saw my mom, he liked it, and she came from good family. And so I was born. I was born. And then I have two other brothers younger than me. And we lived in Iraq. But as Iranians, they never accepted us as Iraqis. Although my mom was born, I was born, my siblings were, but they go by ancestry. If your ancestry is from a different part of the world, you automatically become a citizen of that country. So growing up, it was very hard, you know, school acceptancy because they would rather 'em him to Iraqis rather than foreigners, let alone Iranians because I was labeled as Iranian. And once a year, my mom would go to the residency department back then we called it, just like in immigration of what we know it now. And she would reapply for another year of giving us a temporary visa just to be able to be living in the country where we were born. That's how things were done. And so school was very hard. And you always waited to see if you will be accepted or not. And so we managed. I managed to finish high school, and I wanted so very much all my life I wanted to attend college. I had a good average like of an 82, which even allowed me if I chose to be accepted in medical school. Anyway, but my mom took me high and low, everywhere, just to be accepted in the universities. And no, no chance of that. Finally, someone took a pity on us. We went to this office that was like a Iranian attache that would take care of their Iranian subjects. And he looked at me and he knew how much I wasn't that college, that university. And he looked at my mom and I remember it as if it was yesterday. He told her, "You know what, ma'am? I generally want to be very frank with you. Go home. Don't make your daughter suffer and you suffer. I'm gonna tell you this: We are allowed--that means Iranians--we are allowed 12 seats, 12 chairs in the entire country of Iraq. And for your daughter to be given that it's impossible because those are for diplomats, for you know men in that aspect of ..."
Lev Kalmens 5:40
People with connections?
Maureen Gawo 5:41
Well poeple with connection, people that worked in embassies. Back then we didnt' have any Iranian embassy by the way. I don't remember what embassy used to do the work for Iranian because we hated them. Iraqis hated the Iranian. Hence, which gets me back into 1980. So then I went ahead and I got me a job through word of mouth, some connection. I worked for an American company, believe it or not. And my language, I was blessed. You see, I can remember my dad, I told you, he never went to school, but he was very good picking up languages. And English was one of them besides French, Turkish, Kurdish. So then my English was pretty good at 18 as I graduated. Actually, I graduated younger than that. Maybe by 17. So then I nailed a job as an interpreter for the Department of Defense. Americans subcontracted through Germany to build a Naval Hospital in Iraq. Now we see, growing up, I was always told in schools to hate Americans, to hate Jews or Israelites, because these are imperialists and these are Zionists. That's how you are taught in schools. But coming from a Christian home, my mom always told me, "Don't listen to that. We love America. We love the Jews." So I grew up with that. You know, of course, it didn't affect me. So then, when I got to be working for them, here I am fresh out of high school with no training whatsoever in legal and ministry, secretary-level things for me to translate. I can't tell you, Lev, how many hours of sleepless nights I used to cry because I would be not only not being able to do the job, but also what if I make a mistake? It'll be the end of me. What if I do this? What if I do that? So I worked two years. I worked two years, and I stuck it out and I got better and better. And then I realized that I don't have to translate word for word everything. And then trouble started happening between Iraq and Iran. I don't know if you remember. You're probably young. But do you remember the war that took 10 years between Iraq and Iran in the '80s? Started in '80, went all the way to the '90s. Before the war started, well, back then, it wasn't Saddam. Saddam was the vice president at UCB. A man named Becker. Becker stepped down and Saddam took over. Saddam wanted to show how he can run this country with fear, with a fist of fear. And the first thing that he did, besides hanging so many cabinet members, okay. But then again, guess what? He deported massive amount of Iraqis: 99.9 Shiites because Iraq was a Sunnite. Saddam was Sunni. And I remember the most that were hate were from the south, like south of Baghdad, which is Niger, Karbala, Basra. These are more closer to where Iran is, so you see the history of Iranian moving or migrating from Iran into those cities. Well, my family including me, my mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, that they came and got us from home. They loaded us in a pickup truck. And they got us to--what you call--like a police station, and that was the last day I saw Baghdad. And we were baffled. Like we're saying, "We're Christian! I mean, we're not this. And, you know, why? I mean, we stayed out of trouble, you know, we minded our business and, you know, this and that." And then later on, we were told that "Oh, well you know, Saddam had to prove that it wasn't just for the Muslim Shiite. Well he did Armenian. He deported Christian and this and that." We ended up in one of the camps. I understand there were three of them. There was one by the Conor Keane, which is [inaudible] we called it. One was in [inaudible] where I ended up. And there was another one I forgot where that was. But then as far as your eye can see, it had thousands and thousands of tents. And I still remember my tent was number 93. Still remember. So they just loaded us and threw us right on the border, and they mounted us from the trucks and they said, "Well, there you go. That's your Iran." And I remember my mom was always vocal. She was never never afraid of anything. But I went further ahead, like I had two brothers younger than me by two years and three years. They arrested them with us, like when they came and got us from homes, they got him. But while we were in the police department or police station. It was huge. It wasn't just a police station. It was like massive, it was huge. Felt like a warehouse. And they lined us all up against the wall, like when they go grab people and they just line them up. And then they will go--some officers and some police people--they will come and they will single out all men from arm-bearing age--like let's say 14, 15--and up until they are like in their '60s, like when you are old enough to know that they will say, "Okay, well he's not gonna do anything harm." Why was that? Because they were afraid that when they deport men, that once were in Iran, then out of revenge or out of hurt, Iranian will say, "Well, you have to join the army because then we will fight." Back then, we had no idea that there was going to be war coming. We just thought out of hatred they did this for us. I lived seven and a half months in Iran with my grandparents and grandma. So when they took my brothers from us, I still remember my mom was running after them like to see where they will put them and they say, "Ma'am, go back! Go back and stand in line." And she just would not listen. She would just follow my brothers. And I as a 19, 20-year-old and I am going with her because my world would be lost if something happened to my mom and I can't see her. So my mom is running and I'm running after her. I'm running after her. And then we get to a point where they put them in cells. And they board the cell. And then they asked my brothers to move further. Now, well, you could not see what was further because it was so dark. I would say maybe about 10, 12 feet you could see there was like light. I don't even remember if that was during the day or it was at night. Must have been at night because we were there for hours. So then I remember as my brothers were walking away, you could just see them slowly, slowly fade out. Slowly. That was the last time I saw my brothers until 10 years later, when my mom became citizen of the country and went back home, and she managed to finish the documents or the papers. One good thing about this whole thing was when we were at the immigration office, and we were showing them our documents, as I will show you, when they knew that that was a case for political asylum. No doubt about it. It wasn't one of those stories that people make up or say things that didn't happen. My mom was constantly crying, and I was doing the translation. And the immigration officer asked, "Why are you crying?" And I'm translating it's because she misses her sons. And so she said, "I don't know when I'll be able to see them." And so the one thing that that immigration officer said to us, which my mom until today every time if she says, "If you're alive, may God bless you and prosper you this and that." She told us, "Well today, you're going to start your paper for your case for your sons because we don't know when you will see your sons because if your sons are married or they are of age, it will be very difficult for you to get them here. It will take years. But if you started from today, it will be in effect. When you become citizen, it will take matter of months." So that's what happened. My mom got 'em 10 years later. So then when we ended up on the borders, then we started walking. I don't know how long we walked. Lev, there were hundreds and hundreds of elderly men. There were some men even like barely could walk. I could not understand why would they even deport them. I remember one man, a neighbor of ours, my dad was carrying him on his back because he was so frail, so thin, so old. And I remember his daughter was Iraqi by her documents, but her mom and dad were not. I mean, her dad wasn't but her mom was, so she got the citizenship through her mom. I remember we were right there in that police station. She went into the office. She could not speak very well. No, what am I saying? She would not speak--that was a different story. She went in and I remember I went with her. And she was pleading for them to let her dad. "How is he going to harm you?" She wanted to claim because when they picked her up, she went with her dad. Later on, they found out she was Iraqi and they were trying to tell her to leave. She goes, "No, I won't leave without my dad." And they said, "No." And she goes, "Well then, I don't want to be Iraqi anymore." And wow, what do you say? She goes, "Yeah, look at him. Look at him. It's like it's one foot to the grave. What harm can this man do to you?" He said, "Well, we have to let you know what once you leave this passport of yours or your papers to say that you are disowning your Iraqi citizen, you may never come back to the country." She says, "I will never come back to this country the way that you will be treating my family." So yeah, she was an Iraqi who just did not care. She came with her dad. So that was the dad that my dad was carrying on his back. So we must have walked hours. I don't know, maybe a full day before we were met by some Peshmerga. They call them Peshmergas because they are the Kurds of Iran. They're not the Kurds of Iraq. They're the Turkman or the Kurds of Iran. They say they're cutthroats. I mean they will just steal. They will probably rape. I don't know. There was like horror stories that we've heard about them. And then they came. I mean we were probably in the middle of the territory where they could. Nothing from both sides. And I remember my dad was so afraid for me because I was young and I was pretty, you know. And he kept telling my mom to hide her. "Hide her behind you. I don't want them to see because you don't know what is going to happen." They have been known to kidnap women, take gold, like you know. In certain small towns, if they find someone pretty and beautiful, they will take her. So I remember they went through our stuff and of course there was no luggage. There were just like a sheet that my mom threw some changing, some clothes in them, and they robbed them but left one thing that my mom did that was so smart. That's so smart. When they came and they got us, she did not care if she had money. She did not care if she had anything. All she cared was to have every single document that proves who she is, what she is, what nationality, what birth, marriage certificate. Everything you can imagine she managed to stuff them in her socks, my dad's some. I mean, she managed to get those paper because she said this will tell the world who we are. Or even let's say they deported us to Iran, we will want to prove to Iranian that we are legit Iranians. We're not one of those people that are spies pretending to be this and we are because Saddam did that a lot. He did deport a lot of Iraqis with the presumption that they were entering to spy. So living in Tehran, we ended up in Tehran. No. After we were done with Peshmerga. They went through our stuff. They they saw that there's nothing whatever. And so they let us go. And then I don't know how much we walked, and then we were met by army trucks. And it was the Iranian who came, and they just told us to move behind their trucks just because they were leading us to where we need to go. There were a huge amount: thousands upon hundreds of thousands. So they got us to an area. They had tents for us--huge tents--and they would just divide like every 30, 40 in one tent, and they had food ready for us, Lev. They were like loads of big, huge trays all set on the ground. And you just go and after hours of being fed from the night before even. So we were all sitting and eating, and before you know it, then they lined us and there was another tent. People were taking the documents. Like, who are you? What family? What does your family consist of? How many members? Who is with you? Who is not? Who do you have? Do you have any ... because we had properties. We had homes. Everything was sealed. Everything was padlocked and sealed, and I remember they turned to our neighbors. Our neighbors were all standing there looking at us like we were like animals in a zoo. And I remember one officer turned to them. He goes, "Do you see the seal that we are sealing this door? No one dares breaking that seal because if that seal is broken it's like a direct assault to Saddam, the President himself." So see how they instill that fear? Okay, so there we are, but later on, Lev. My brother tells me when he got here, he goes, "Oh sure, I will go through the neighbors, go inside, and get whatever I want to. I could not get everything." He said, but they had an auction our stuff that people coming from everywhere's buying. And my brother wanted our photos--family photos. They were like beautiful like black and white and family and my mom and she was so beautiful and she's young. He said, "People were auctioning our stuff and I told the guy, 'Hey, those are my family. I won't my family.' He goes, 'Well stand in line. You better auction too to buy it.'" He goes, "What? I'm telling you these are my family. This is my sister. Those are my parents. Those are whatever." But no. He goes, "I said, 'Who would pay for that?'" You won't believe some people were so sick that they thought it was like interesting to have like a photo of someone else in there. Some Arabs and some neighboring whatever. They will come. Or maybe for their frames. We never knew. But they did. Because one of them was like really decent guy. When he got, he goes, "I really only wanted it for that." And he had to be so careful because it was done very professionally. He had to rip it to get the paper photo. One guy took the time to do that for my brother, but everybody else walked in with our photos.
Lev Kalmens 23:09
So you mean to preserve the photos but just take the frames?
Maureen Gawo 23:14
Take the frames, take the photo with it. Yes. Yeah, it was too much for them to do. Just one man, my brother told me, he was like a decent guy. I mean, he said, "You know what, I wanted it just for the frame." So he went ahead and he ripped the back of it, and then gave my brother the photo of the family. He walked away with the rest, with the glass and with the frame. Yeah. So now we are in Tehran. We lived in Tehran seven months. While we were there, after four months of living in Teheran, Iran, war broke out between Iraq and Iran.
Lev Kalmens 26:02
So this is 1980?
Maureen Gawo 26:04
1980. April, we were deported. And the war started by September, October.
Lev Kalmens 26:14
Of 1980.
Maureen Gawo 26:16
September, yes, 1980.
Lev Kalmens 26:17
[overlapping] September of 1980. Okay.
Maureen Gawo 26:18
Just a few months after we were there. So when we got there, Shah had already left. When Saddam deported us, Shah was already out of the country, out of Iran. And they were awaiting Khomeini's arrival. And we were in Iran when Khomeini arrived. And we were in Iran when Shah died. I cannot tell you how happy they were. They were like dancing in the streets and saying "Allahu Akbar" and whatever because Shah died. But we were in Iran during that time. And you know what's another thing that we were? We were in Iran during the time ... remember the 50 hostages, the American hostages? The hostages were there when we were in Iran because we've heard it on the news. I was in the late '70s, '79. We were still watching the news, and my mom would hate it and my brother and my dad because we loved Americans. It wasn't like, yay. I mean we were heartbroken. So when I was in Iran, when I was living in Tehran, I was dying to go to see by the embassy just to see where are the Americans? Where are they? So of course it had guards. Nobody was supposed to even stand and look for more than a minute. Like you could be just walking by, fine. But you cannot just stand and look and see. And besides, there was a huge camp. It was a huge, huge, it was a massive--like I don't know how many yards before you get to the actual building. But it was huge. So we were there at that time. And it was the time when Reagan was running for president. Oh, they used to make fun of Reagan as a jackass or as a cowboy riding a jackass because coming from his cowboy movies--
Lev Kalmens 26:38
[overlapping] Right.
Maureen Gawo 26:51
--that were at the time. So they used to make fun of him and in the Iranian stations. And here we go again, we getting offended. And my mom, as far as I remember being a young girl, she would always say, "We're gonna end up going to United States. We're going to live in United States." It was her dream to come to the United States. It was her dream. And so when I got to be age of 16, 17, she had a pep talk with me. She goes, "Listen, Maureen, I know you're getting older. You're probably going to be interested in boys. And you know, I cannot hold how you feel about this now. But if you wish to stay by yourself here, you want to marry someone and stay for the rest of your life by yourself here, be my guest. But if you want to be with your family and be with us to United States, America ..." Of course, what do you think? She's talking to a 16, 17-year-old. So I was always so afraid to fall in love. I was so afraid because I didn't want my heart to be broken. I didn't want to be without my family because my mom was going to America. My mom was going to America. And every time my mom would see an airplane fly by from our home where our residence was--our house--and she would say, "Ah, one day. One day and I'm gonna ride you. I'm going to be in you going to America."
Lev Kalmens 30:07
So what was the journey like?
Maureen Gawo 30:09
So the journey life was after seven months living in Iran, we and the countries that were all flying, everything, airports shut down. Nobody can leave. Nobody can come in. We're stuck. We're stuck. I did not leave. I did not speak the language because Farsi is completely different. It's like you speak English and Spanish from Arabic. It's completely different. Did not speak the language. And then oh, once when Khomeini came, when the first few months were like at war, they did not pay attention so much on to what a woman should be dressed like, what is she should be behave, what she should not. Iran was very, very--kind of like back in Shah's era--very free people with none of that nonsense. But then I could not leave the house. I had to wear a hijab. Like, I could not stomach that. I could not see myself doing that. And so we wanted to leave the country, but we could not. So we were told that we need to go and apply for visa to get out of the country. So we went to Ministry of Interior. And we went and we stood in line to be sitting with this officer. I think he was what you call Brigadier maybe. I don't remember. It was like two or three stars. That by itself was like because we were in fear of our life. You don't want to mess with people from the government--people from, you know, high authority. So we're sitting there, but that man was so pleasant. And my uncle came with us and he could speak Farsi. And he says, "Can they speak?" "No, they don't." "But other language they speak?" I said, "I speak English." He goes, "Well, then we're going to talk English." He could speak English. He asked me, "Why do you guys want to leave?" I said, "Because, you know, I don't speak the language. I don't whatever. And I just want to go and see my uncle. You know, I'm not comfortable here. I grew up in a different country, and this and that." When he looked at our paper--and here you go the paper come in handy--he looks all is legit. All is whatever. He goes, "When did you get in here?" All the documents showed when we got here. He goes, "It's been seven months now." He goes, "Anytime after six months, you become just like any other Iranian living in this country. No going, no coming anywhere. Had you have been here before mark of a six month, yeah, I could have given you an exit visa. You'd be free to go wherever you go. But now, --"
Lev Kalmens 33:18
After six months, you become a normal resident of Iran.
Maureen Gawo 33:21
Yes. And I remember I started sobbing and crying, and he must have felt so sorry for me. And he just looked at me like that. And I said, "I can't do it. I can't work. I don't know the language. You know, I have responsibility of my mom and dad." And here I'm like you're talking on like a 20-year-old. A 19, 20-year-old girl was responsible for her mom and dad and grandma, grandpa. "I can't and whatever. No man and this and that." And then anyway, he must have felt really sorry for me. He said, "Okay." And he gave us the exit visa. But he said, "You have a window of so and so." I think it was a month--30 days--that he gave us that we have to leave. "This is the best I can do for you." Well then, Lev, from there we leaving and where should we go? Where should we go? We cannot fly. No airport. And then my uncle who was another victim of deportation some 10 years ago, who was living in Tehran back then. He told us, "Okay, why don't you go to Greece?" Because there are buses--like Greyhound buses--that will take you through Greece, through Turkey and Greece, because there were gazillions of people from all walks of Earth who are through Red Cross organization, through charitable organization, that will just go and put their name, register whatever their name, and just as long as they get out of where where that is. So we went. We figured, you know, United States. My mom wanted United States. And a cousin of hers, (my mom's name is Nano, by the way) he goes, "Nano, I wouldn't recommend. You know, United States is so desirable. I doubt very much that you will even be granted into one of those organization as a refugee into United States." Then he said, "Pick another country." She says, "Okay, then I'll pick Canada" Because she had her side of the family like cousins from her dad's side of family that lived in Canada. She says, "Okay, then we'll pick Canada." We picked Canada as the destination. Okay. So and then to get out of the country, my uncle took us to the Grecian embassy because we had to have a permit to go in Greece. Oh, my God, Lev, when he took us to the Grecian embassy in Tehran, there were thousands of people--literally thousands wanting to leave. We were like an ant in a football field. That's how it felt to me. It's like forget about it. Two days we were coming and we could not even reach whatever. And my uncle said, "You know what?" The third night, he says, "I'm gonna bunk the whole night." He slept in front of the embassy where the bars are, whatever, the gate. And he got all of our passports. Remember, we had the passports. He got mine, my dad and mom, and his mom and dad--my grandma, grandpa. He got the passport. Well, I guess the guy would come out. This is how we did with the first two days when we went. Lev, he would stand right there. They will have like, I don't know, three, four of them. They will be scattered. However, that gate was big. And they will just go like that, and you will just grab this, grab that. I don't know.
Lev Kalmens 37:27
So no line, no organization?
Maureen Gawo 37:29
No line. It's like a barricaded--a huge massive gate. Okay, so they will just take their hands like that and whatever they can grab.
Lev Kalmens 37:41
So pure luck if they grab your stuff?
Maureen Gawo 37:43
Yes.
Lev Kalmens 37:44
You lucked out.
Maureen Gawo 37:45
So my uncle, he lucked out the third day after he bunked. He slept the whole night. He lucked out. And the guy grabbed all five of our passports. And they tell you like come back in, I don't know, three, four days. I don't remember how long. So you wait and sit and pray and pray and pray that they at least gave you that because chances are, they might refuse you. Okay, well, then we went. And again, he bunked out because he wanted to be close to the gate when they shout your name. How else you'll know if you're standing like yards and yards away?
Lev Kalmens 38:28
Right.
Maureen Gawo 38:30
Well, he was given our passports, and our passport had this stamp of the entry and degrees. So then the next thing was arranging because we had only a short time. We had I don't know how long. By now a week was gone. We had like three weeks to rush everything, to do this and that. And we got our things all in order. And now my uncle, God bless him, (He's living in California now) he's been investigating, asking people. He says, "I hear if you have your flight money at hand, if you can afford your air flight tickets, if you have them, if you have the money for that, chances of your acceptance will be much greater." I will get to Greece now. We understand that if you have that, your chances of your documents or your paperwork is going to be facilitated much faster than someone who does not have a penny. And my uncle, he went and he got us five airline tickets flying from Athens to where? Canada. Remember?
Lev Kalmens 40:01
Right.
Maureen Gawo 40:02
We decided. But my mom said, "I'm not staying in Canada. I'll use it as I'm going to America." Anyway, so he got us those airline tickets--five for five people: me, my parents, my grandparents, which is his mom and dad. So he got us those flying from Alitalia Airline. I still remember. It was Alitalia Airline flying from Athens, destination to Canada. Ontario, I believe. So then we got goodbye. It was a bittersweet. We're crying and we're leaving my uncle because, you know, I felt protected that I had at least my uncle who was a man taking care of me. So we don't know. We're going to unknown and a country. I've never been outside Baghdad in my life. Now I'm going somewhere that I did not speak the language. Entirely different. Now, we drive in a Greyhound-kind-of-like bus. And we're going. It took us four days, like probably close to three nights, to get to Athens. And I had a little book that I had all the addresses of people like connection. Who is there? Who lives there? We're connected. We Assyrians, I'm sure just like any other nation, you ask around. You know, they tell you. So we had names of people who are in Greece that we should contact. Where are they, their phone numbers. My uncle who was living in here in United States. My uncle who was in Tehran that we left. So we had a lot of things. And while we are driving, we're going to freedom like to somewhere finally we're out of there, my mom kept saying to me, "Maureen, you're going to remember these days and you would wish you have all the details. Why don't you jot down everything that you're passing, every city, everything because it's going to be history." That's my mom. So I would reach for that notebook and I would write, I would write, and I would write. And then so we get to the borders of Turkey and Greece. Now they asked us to change. That bus could not continue on in Greece. We had to change to a different bus that was Grecian bus that will continue from then. So we did. Well, Lev, guess who forgot all our life connection? Yours truly. In that bus
Lev Kalmens 42:47
The notebook with all their--?
Maureen Gawo 42:49
Yes.
Lev Kalmens 42:50
Oh, no.
Maureen Gawo 42:51
So we are like two or three hours in the road. And it was pitch black. And my mom, I don't know. "Well, I haven't seen you write anything. Why aren't you writing where are we?" I said, "Okay." And I'm looking through my stuff. My thing is gone. And I am crying. I am inconsolable. And they get me to the driver, and my driver all he speaks yes and no. And I figured out like I was saying something. He goes, "Yes." It's like, "Can you take me back?" "Yes." "Can we go ..." "Yes." And the guy said, "No, no, no, no." I said, "Back. My paper." "No, no, no, no, no." So they dropped us. It was 10 in the morning--10 AM--when he dropped us in the center in the middle of Athens, at the square. It was the most famous like how our Downtown Chicago is so famous. Athens center was like they dropped us right there and you're on your own. And I said, "No, I refuse to come out of the bus." I said, "I don't know anyone. No." And I'm pleading with them. They said, "Well, you go to the office. You have to tell them." And so I was hanging on to that bus like it was my life. I did not want to go, and my mom and dad they're just looking at me because I was just so ... like what am I going to do? What am I going to do? And then we're there and we leave. Okay, we'll contact them. And we're staying in the middle of nowhere in the actual almost like a traffic circle but a huge one. I was like a square that all Europe is famous for. We're standing right there for hours, and I'm waiting for them to answer me, but every time I go ask, nothing. Are you kidding me? It's like she crazy. What's she asking? Know what I mean? And then, Lev, while we were there hours, sitting we don't know what to do. We don't know what to do. We had our luggage and we're sitting on the luggage that my uncle got us. And then all of a sudden, we're talking among ourselves. We have no idea, and all of a sudden, someone says, "Nano, is that you?" Isn't that fate?
Lev Kalmens 45:27
Who was it?
Maureen Gawo 45:27
If it's not from God. It was my brother's friend that his parents, because they did not want him to go through military, they just sent him to Greece. Gave their blessings and just to get him out. They didn't want him to fight. So out of millions, maybe hundreds of thousands of people, he refers to my mom, "Nano, is that you? Maureen's mom, Nano?" And we turn and it's Sacco. That's his name. It's like I should've seen me. I'm like, "Thank you, God." Because I believe every step of my life God was watching for me. When I'm praying, he's sending someone for me. Honestly, I felt it. I felt His presence. Well, Sacco said whatever. I said, "We lost. We don't know. Well, do you know so and so?" He's young; he was like 17. He wouldn't know men and woman age of my mom because my mom is asking him, "Do you know this? Do you know ... ?" He goes, "No, no, no. Right now you need to rest. Let's go find you a hotel or hostel or motel. Okay, I'll come and get you tomorrow." And I said, "No, no, no. Can we go right now?" Because I'm afraid that Sacco is going to forget about us. He's going to just get us here and no one wants the responsibility. He goes, "No, no. I promise I'll come first thing in the morning. I'll get you and we're going to take you to a tea house." Like how you have Starbucks nowadays, and we had tea houses everywhere. "I'm going to take you to a tea house that all Assyrians from this area ..." We knew that Assyrians hang out in a Galio. And he goes, "Everybody who knows everybody is going to be at that tea hous.e We'll take you there. And they will probably know who are the people that you want to reach." Yeah, so that was my journey there. And then, but there's so many other things happen in between. I don't want to bore you. So then fast forward, fast forward. A month of us staying in Greece, we went through all the documents and whatever. All of us Assyrians, we used to get together like someone will come and visit us. We ask them, "How long have you been here?" One will say, "Oh, it's been seven years." One will say, "10 years." One will say, "Well, my case was approved three years ago, and I'm still waiting for it to make the money or them. Because that I rely on the government, someone has to be generous to donate or whatever, when the funds are available for them to send me the airfare."
Lev Kalmens 48:20
So how long were you in Athens for?
Maureen Gawo 48:24
In Athens, we are a month, and I'm hearing horror stories every day. And I am getting depressed, and I am on my knees. When I'm getting depressed, I have nothing, I'm on my knees and praying and praying, "Lord?" It felt like sometimes, you know, we had a saying: We say when a door is shut, the Lord always will open a window for you for somehow. I felt so far until that moment that God not only he will not shut the door, open a window for me, but he was shutting the window for me and opening a door. That's how I felt. But at that moment, I was so desperate because I know there was no way around that. You're just sitting duck. You are at the mercy of someone. One day, my mom took me to visit some people like probably five, six blocks away from us, and we were sitting there. We're just visiting and sitting and talking. Everybody was much older than me, and I felt like aw. And I'm sitting there, and then a knock. Whatever the door. Whatever the knock was, the host she said, "Ah, there comes the Assyrian BBC." She recognizes the knock of this woman who comes with news. Whatever is happening, she has the news. She walks in and she goes, "Did you hear what the American Embassy is doing?" And everybody, "What is the American Embassy doing?" Now, we're in Greece, right? She goes, "The American Embassy is giving visit visa for all the Iranian and not us." Who is us? That means Iraqis. Every single woman was an Assyrian from Iraq. We knew only Assyrians from Iraq. We didn't mingle with Assyrians from Iran to know. So we were mingling with Assyrians from Iraq. She goes, "But not us." And then while we're sitting here, and my mom is like, "What did you say?" She goes, "Yeah, yeah. The American embassy, I hear, they're giving visa visitor for only Iranians. Christians from Iran." My mom says, "Well, I am Iranian." She goes, "Yeah, you are. Yeah, you're right. You are like not by birth, but ..." Well, Lev, we hear this. Next day, we are going to the American consulate, embassy, to see if this is rumor or it's true. Now, while I was in Greece for a month, I was working at a factory doing sewing. What do you call those luggages in the old day; they used to have the belt that you will pull? They will have the luggage, and they will have a belt hooked?
Lev Kalmens 51:34
Sure. Just a belt that you pull?
Maureen Gawo 51:35
[overlapping] Just be a pull it?
Lev Kalmens 51:36
Yeah.
Maureen Gawo 51:37
I was doing those. Yeah, just for three weeks, going on three weeks. That was the job I got. So I called in. I said, "I can't. I'm not coming." And someone was so graceful that he took also time. The same guy who got me the job because he knew his way; he's been living there for six years. He also called in, whatever, he could not come in. He took me, my mom, and dad just to try our luck. We left my grandma, grandpa at home. Well, we just said we'll go check it out. Is it true or not? Well, well, Lev. When we get there, there were thousands of people like picnicking, literally like on a blanket and sleeping. It's like de ja vu. There we go. Hello, we get there, and we are sitting hours and hours and hours and hours until they give you a number and you just sit and wait. And you'll be lucky if they called you within the same business hour. Well, they called our number. We go. We approach: me and my mom and dad. My dad worked all his life in Iraq for different companies. He had all his "to whom it may concern" like all work references for my dad. Remember, I told you I worked for Americans? I had my documents and my tag--my work tag--with me. So we are all in United States. Talk about like something from the movies.
Lev Kalmens 53:12
Right.
Maureen Gawo 53:15
Because of the massive amount of people that was there, there was no office for you to go see the chancellor, the counselor, or the whatever. He was sitting right there at the front desk, the reception. And I was studying him. I was studying that man, like his way he's looking at you, the way whatever. And I noticed, Lev, that when he had his hands like that, he was sitting on there, and he's just looking at you, he's asking you questions and whatever. When he was doing this, that means he wanted your passport, your documents, whatever it was. Okay.
Lev Kalmens 53:52
Like, "Give it to me."
Maureen Gawo 53:53
"Give it to me."
Lev Kalmens 53:53
Yeah.
Maureen Gawo 53:54
So I was asking God, "I want to see those fingers. Go be like that." Now, we go: me and my mom and dad only. And he started asking all sorts of questions for us and this and that. "And so what are you doing in Greece?" Of course, we lied. We said, "We're visiting." "Okay, so I see ... What do you do back home in Iraq?" I said, "Well, I work for an American company. The name is Louis Tyson Breck Volantis." Okay. And my dad is showing him this whatever, and he was saying to my mom, "And what about you?" And she said, "Well, I'm at this, I'm at that." He goes, "Where are your sons? Are they with you?" Because in the passport, because they're of the less age, they were in--even their photos were in my mom's. She goes, "No, we were just visiting here, and my sons there. I didn't want to bring them, just my daughter. And whatever." So he bought it. Okay. And he's this and that, and he goes, "So why do you want to go to United States?" And I told him, "Well, I have an uncle that lives in Chicago." This was in December of 1980. When I heard this thing about visa, I said, "Well, wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if we go to visit my uncle in United States for Christmas? So here we go, here we are." And he goes to me, "I like you." He said, "I like you. I like you. You're a smart girl. I like you. So tell me what do you do? What kind of a work do you do?" So he was asking me all this. He liked talking to me. And then finally he said, "I got everything that I need. On to passports." He takes the passport. Of course there is the embassy approval coming to Greece, but, Lev, talk about when God--I'm gonna make me cry now--talk when God takes over or control. Did he for once check the exit visa from Iraq to Iran?
Lev Kalmens 56:33
He did not.
Maureen Gawo 56:37
That was the one thing that was like the kryptonite in, like, if we are found, that's it. Did he? No. Obviously, he just went through my passport like that, checking the pages. And he saw, but did he saw where was it from? What the heck is Iran doing anything? What is this Iran and this? And later on, we found out you know why they did that because it was during the hostage situation when Americans were encouraging, but nobody will want to call it like, "We'll give you the visa. Come to our country. We will live happily ever after." No. They labeled it as visitor visa. They did not make it. But they were trying to watch out for the Christian Iranian. And I remember his last word for me as we were getting ready, whatever. He goes, "Are you coming back?" "Oh, yes, we are." I said, "Lord, forgive me. Forgive me. I lied. Forgive me." And that was it.
Lev Kalmens 57:55
So when did you arrive in the United States?
Maureen Gawo 57:58
So I arrived United States 12, 1980. Talk about medical, right? People for years waiting either in Lebanon or Greece or Italy to get to United States. With us, it took just 33 days from the time we got into Athens. But here now, everything was ready, right? Now we got the passport for America. Remember? I have those airline tickets that my uncle got us. That's the only means of money that we have. So we go to want to exchange. We go to Alitalia Airline at the center of Athens, and we want to change the airfare--the tickets--the destination instead of being from Athens to ...
Lev Kalmens 57:59
Ontario?
Maureen Gawo 57:59
... Ontario. To be from Athens to wherever, Chicago. Well, I go in there. That was the second day after we were approved. No, not the second day. Remember I told you it was just me, my mom, and dad. Well, there is my grandma, grandpa. There is no way in the world we can leave grandma and grandpa on their own. So there was a big thing that if we will even manage to get grandpa tickets--I mean an approval. Because as I said, we were lucked out. But how lucky can you get twice in a row, on two days get for your grandma, grandpa? But we were, so my grandma, grandpa--the second day we took them and we got them. And then the third day, I skipped work again. I'm going to the Alitalia Airlines to switch from this to that. They told me, "I'm sorry, it cannot be done." She said, "What do you mean it cannot be done? Can you just change it?" "No." "What do you mean, no?" "I'm sorry. Do you see?" He point out to me a last page of the ticket which says, "Nonrefundable. Exchangeable only from the country of issue." You want me to go back in Iran and exchange it? And I am crying again. Here you go, started crying when I get emotional. And I'm sitting here. "I'm sorry, ma'am." He goes inside. And I'm sitting and crying, and this guy told me--the one who was taking us this place--he goes, "Maureen, I've never known you as a quitter. Go ask and see if you can speak to the manager. Go demand. Go whatever." I say, "Okay" And I'm coming. "Excuse me." And I'm knockin,g and he comes out. And I said to him, "You know what? You don't understand. There is no way. Please, please, can I talk to your manager?" He goes to me, "I am the manager." Okay. I said, "You don't understand. I cannot go back to Iran. It's not my country. I was deported from Iraq. There is no way. My uncle bought me these tickets. There is no way for me I can go. Please help me. Please, whatever. And we have no money." So when he saw me that I was so desperate, he told me, "Okay." That was a Friday. I still remember the day. I'll tell you why. He told me, "Okay. You said you have an uncle back then. All I can ask of you. This is what I'll do. Give me your tickets." He took my tickets. He took our passports. He copied our passports. He copied all our tickets and got all the documents and numbers and whatever on them. He goes to me, "The only thing I can do for you is telex." Back then used to be a telex, nothing with the technology now. He goes, "I can telex the country of issue, Teheran, to get their permission if I can do something about it here today because I have to have their permission. But you told me you have an uncle there. I highly, highly recommend if you can get in touch with your uncle, call him and have him press from his end, to go plead, beg, and press from his end." Well, that was Friday. He told me, "Today is Friday. And as you know, in the Islamic Arab world, Friday is a weekend. And then Saturday, Sunday, it is our weekend. So you have to check with us by Monday. And hopefully by Monday, I can have an answer for you." Well, I come home, and I go and manage whatever we can get some money to go to Ministry of Transportation, whatever, to dial my uncle. And just I'm crying. I'm sobbing, "They cannot do it. Please, please, [inaudible]. Can you do this"? He goes, "Consider it done. I won't leave them alone. I'll go tomorrow because it was closed". Well, my uncle is doing his thing on his best from here. And meanwhile, we're waiting and praying, we're waiting and praying. Well, Saturday evening, my uncle calls me from the people where we rented, where we're staying at, they came and got us. Goes, "You have a call from whatever." I come in and it's my uncle. He goes to me, "Maureen, the people did it. They said consider it done. You should have no problem." And I was beside myself. I was so happy. I came in. Well, guess what?Monday comes, and I'm walking and I'm smiling in that office of the airline. The manager saw me. He goes, "You're smiling. What is that all about?" I said, "I don't know. Tell me some good news." He goes, "It is good news. They were able to approve it. Look at you. No one will believe that you're the same person was crying all the time yesterday." I said, "Yeah, my uncle told me last night to say everything was okay from their end." So that was it. He changed. "He goes, "The only thing you have to do, you have to change airlines." I said, "No. What do you mean?" He goes, "Don't worry. Don't worry about it. You're still gonna fly Alitalia, but you're gonna go to Boston because Alitalia doesn't go all the way to Chicago." I didn't know. "You're going to go to Boston, and from Boston, you're gonna grab another and it's going to be--I believe--United, and it's gonna get you here." So that was my journey. Yes. And in Boston, my grandma fell because we wanted to be adventurous. I got on the escalator--first time I see in my life escalator. I got on an escalator. My grandma came following me. She fell and she broke her arm while waiting to make transit flight. So there is no way I could miss this flight. There's no way! And I was like, "There's no way." "Don't worry about it. You go. We'll make sure we'll take care of her. We'll bring her right then and there." And my grandpa was panicking inside. We're waiting. My grandma still not there, still not there. He was getting panic. Like, his wife is not with us. And then finally they bring my grandma in a wheelchair and they place her. And yeah, that was my journey to the United States of America.
Lev Kalmens 1:05:29
And then finally, how did you end up in Lincolnwood?
Maureen Gawo 1:05:32
Lincolnwood? Well, I married and I lived the first year of our marriage in Chicago, but it was close by Mozart area and Devon area.
Lev Kalmens 1:05:45
Sure. West Rogers Park?
Maureen Gawo 1:05:47
Yes. And I wanted to be close to my parents. Back then, it was just my mom and dad, okay, because my brothers still were back home. And so I wanted to be close by them, but yet I wanted to live in suburb, and I liked Lincolnwood. And it was so close to the city but still separated from the city. I don't know. I liked it. And close to my work. I ended up working for Swedish Covenant Hospital, so it was close. And I've lived in Lincolnwood ever since. I've been married for 32 years, and I've lived in Lincolnwood for 31 years of my life.
Lev Kalmens 1:06:24
What has been your favorite thing about living in Lincolnwood?
Maureen Gawo 1:06:30
I like the security. I like to feel secure. That what our police department does a good job of that. Like you don't mess with our city. That's the attitude. And I like the fact that it's small. I like it versus being on a big .... And I like that it's being very close to the city. Everywhere is situated in a location that is everywhere. And I've had nothing but good experience whether from school system, from library, from like I feel like I am treated well. So I never moved.
Lev Kalmens 1:07:13
Well, I want to thank you very much for coming down and sharing not just your Lincolnwood story but your journey to the United States and to Lincolnwood. Thank you so much.
Maureen Gawo 1:07:23
You're welcome.
Maureen Gawo has lived in Lincolnwood since the late 1980s. She tells her story of coming to the United States from Iraq in the early 1980s.
The views and opinions expressed in interviews do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Lincolnwood Public Library, including its Board of Trustees and staff.
TRANSCRIPT:
Lev Kalmens 0:00
My name is Lev Kalmens. I'm an Information Services Librarian at the Lincolnwood Public Library. Today is July 19th, 2019. And I am interviewing Maureen Gawo for My Lincolnwood Story. Maureen, thank you for being here. And what is your Lincolnwood story?
Maureen Gawo 0:17
Thank you for having me. Well, I was born and raised up to age of 18 back in Iraq. My ancestor, however, came from Iran. We are Assyrians, Christians. So they migrated from Iran when Iraq was at it's prime of its technology and history, for better jobs, opportunities. And so my mom was born and raised all her life in Iraq, but my dad was born in Kiev, believe it or not. His parents moved from Iran to Kiev when he was just a baby, not even a year old, because they seeked freedom, opportunity. But when communism started, they did not like it, you know, so they moved back in Iran. And so my father lived there until age of 16. That's when he wanted to migrate to Iraq because, as I mentioned earlier, Iraq was the cradle of everything. So he moved and he got a job. He worked as a busboy, worked his way into being a cook. My dad never went to school, but he could speak several languages. And he was very smart in that he could pick up languages. So fast forward, when he was ready to settle down, marry, he asked around, and they said, "Well, have you seen so and so?" And, of course, when he saw my mom, he liked it, and she came from good family. And so I was born. I was born. And then I have two other brothers younger than me. And we lived in Iraq. But as Iranians, they never accepted us as Iraqis. Although my mom was born, I was born, my siblings were, but they go by ancestry. If your ancestry is from a different part of the world, you automatically become a citizen of that country. So growing up, it was very hard, you know, school acceptancy because they would rather 'em him to Iraqis rather than foreigners, let alone Iranians because I was labeled as Iranian. And once a year, my mom would go to the residency department back then we called it, just like in immigration of what we know it now. And she would reapply for another year of giving us a temporary visa just to be able to be living in the country where we were born. That's how things were done. And so school was very hard. And you always waited to see if you will be accepted or not. And so we managed. I managed to finish high school, and I wanted so very much all my life I wanted to attend college. I had a good average like of an 82, which even allowed me if I chose to be accepted in medical school. Anyway, but my mom took me high and low, everywhere, just to be accepted in the universities. And no, no chance of that. Finally, someone took a pity on us. We went to this office that was like a Iranian attache that would take care of their Iranian subjects. And he looked at me and he knew how much I wasn't that college, that university. And he looked at my mom and I remember it as if it was yesterday. He told her, "You know what, ma'am? I generally want to be very frank with you. Go home. Don't make your daughter suffer and you suffer. I'm gonna tell you this: We are allowed--that means Iranians--we are allowed 12 seats, 12 chairs in the entire country of Iraq. And for your daughter to be given that it's impossible because those are for diplomats, for you know men in that aspect of ..."
Lev Kalmens 5:40
People with connections?
Maureen Gawo 5:41
Well poeple with connection, people that worked in embassies. Back then we didnt' have any Iranian embassy by the way. I don't remember what embassy used to do the work for Iranian because we hated them. Iraqis hated the Iranian. Hence, which gets me back into 1980. So then I went ahead and I got me a job through word of mouth, some connection. I worked for an American company, believe it or not. And my language, I was blessed. You see, I can remember my dad, I told you, he never went to school, but he was very good picking up languages. And English was one of them besides French, Turkish, Kurdish. So then my English was pretty good at 18 as I graduated. Actually, I graduated younger than that. Maybe by 17. So then I nailed a job as an interpreter for the Department of Defense. Americans subcontracted through Germany to build a Naval Hospital in Iraq. Now we see, growing up, I was always told in schools to hate Americans, to hate Jews or Israelites, because these are imperialists and these are Zionists. That's how you are taught in schools. But coming from a Christian home, my mom always told me, "Don't listen to that. We love America. We love the Jews." So I grew up with that. You know, of course, it didn't affect me. So then, when I got to be working for them, here I am fresh out of high school with no training whatsoever in legal and ministry, secretary-level things for me to translate. I can't tell you, Lev, how many hours of sleepless nights I used to cry because I would be not only not being able to do the job, but also what if I make a mistake? It'll be the end of me. What if I do this? What if I do that? So I worked two years. I worked two years, and I stuck it out and I got better and better. And then I realized that I don't have to translate word for word everything. And then trouble started happening between Iraq and Iran. I don't know if you remember. You're probably young. But do you remember the war that took 10 years between Iraq and Iran in the '80s? Started in '80, went all the way to the '90s. Before the war started, well, back then, it wasn't Saddam. Saddam was the vice president at UCB. A man named Becker. Becker stepped down and Saddam took over. Saddam wanted to show how he can run this country with fear, with a fist of fear. And the first thing that he did, besides hanging so many cabinet members, okay. But then again, guess what? He deported massive amount of Iraqis: 99.9 Shiites because Iraq was a Sunnite. Saddam was Sunni. And I remember the most that were hate were from the south, like south of Baghdad, which is Niger, Karbala, Basra. These are more closer to where Iran is, so you see the history of Iranian moving or migrating from Iran into those cities. Well, my family including me, my mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, that they came and got us from home. They loaded us in a pickup truck. And they got us to--what you call--like a police station, and that was the last day I saw Baghdad. And we were baffled. Like we're saying, "We're Christian! I mean, we're not this. And, you know, why? I mean, we stayed out of trouble, you know, we minded our business and, you know, this and that." And then later on, we were told that "Oh, well you know, Saddam had to prove that it wasn't just for the Muslim Shiite. Well he did Armenian. He deported Christian and this and that." We ended up in one of the camps. I understand there were three of them. There was one by the Conor Keane, which is [inaudible] we called it. One was in [inaudible] where I ended up. And there was another one I forgot where that was. But then as far as your eye can see, it had thousands and thousands of tents. And I still remember my tent was number 93. Still remember. So they just loaded us and threw us right on the border, and they mounted us from the trucks and they said, "Well, there you go. That's your Iran." And I remember my mom was always vocal. She was never never afraid of anything. But I went further ahead, like I had two brothers younger than me by two years and three years. They arrested them with us, like when they came and got us from homes, they got him. But while we were in the police department or police station. It was huge. It wasn't just a police station. It was like massive, it was huge. Felt like a warehouse. And they lined us all up against the wall, like when they go grab people and they just line them up. And then they will go--some officers and some police people--they will come and they will single out all men from arm-bearing age--like let's say 14, 15--and up until they are like in their '60s, like when you are old enough to know that they will say, "Okay, well he's not gonna do anything harm." Why was that? Because they were afraid that when they deport men, that once were in Iran, then out of revenge or out of hurt, Iranian will say, "Well, you have to join the army because then we will fight." Back then, we had no idea that there was going to be war coming. We just thought out of hatred they did this for us. I lived seven and a half months in Iran with my grandparents and grandma. So when they took my brothers from us, I still remember my mom was running after them like to see where they will put them and they say, "Ma'am, go back! Go back and stand in line." And she just would not listen. She would just follow my brothers. And I as a 19, 20-year-old and I am going with her because my world would be lost if something happened to my mom and I can't see her. So my mom is running and I'm running after her. I'm running after her. And then we get to a point where they put them in cells. And they board the cell. And then they asked my brothers to move further. Now, well, you could not see what was further because it was so dark. I would say maybe about 10, 12 feet you could see there was like light. I don't even remember if that was during the day or it was at night. Must have been at night because we were there for hours. So then I remember as my brothers were walking away, you could just see them slowly, slowly fade out. Slowly. That was the last time I saw my brothers until 10 years later, when my mom became citizen of the country and went back home, and she managed to finish the documents or the papers. One good thing about this whole thing was when we were at the immigration office, and we were showing them our documents, as I will show you, when they knew that that was a case for political asylum. No doubt about it. It wasn't one of those stories that people make up or say things that didn't happen. My mom was constantly crying, and I was doing the translation. And the immigration officer asked, "Why are you crying?" And I'm translating it's because she misses her sons. And so she said, "I don't know when I'll be able to see them." And so the one thing that that immigration officer said to us, which my mom until today every time if she says, "If you're alive, may God bless you and prosper you this and that." She told us, "Well today, you're going to start your paper for your case for your sons because we don't know when you will see your sons because if your sons are married or they are of age, it will be very difficult for you to get them here. It will take years. But if you started from today, it will be in effect. When you become citizen, it will take matter of months." So that's what happened. My mom got 'em 10 years later. So then when we ended up on the borders, then we started walking. I don't know how long we walked. Lev, there were hundreds and hundreds of elderly men. There were some men even like barely could walk. I could not understand why would they even deport them. I remember one man, a neighbor of ours, my dad was carrying him on his back because he was so frail, so thin, so old. And I remember his daughter was Iraqi by her documents, but her mom and dad were not. I mean, her dad wasn't but her mom was, so she got the citizenship through her mom. I remember we were right there in that police station. She went into the office. She could not speak very well. No, what am I saying? She would not speak--that was a different story. She went in and I remember I went with her. And she was pleading for them to let her dad. "How is he going to harm you?" She wanted to claim because when they picked her up, she went with her dad. Later on, they found out she was Iraqi and they were trying to tell her to leave. She goes, "No, I won't leave without my dad." And they said, "No." And she goes, "Well then, I don't want to be Iraqi anymore." And wow, what do you say? She goes, "Yeah, look at him. Look at him. It's like it's one foot to the grave. What harm can this man do to you?" He said, "Well, we have to let you know what once you leave this passport of yours or your papers to say that you are disowning your Iraqi citizen, you may never come back to the country." She says, "I will never come back to this country the way that you will be treating my family." So yeah, she was an Iraqi who just did not care. She came with her dad. So that was the dad that my dad was carrying on his back. So we must have walked hours. I don't know, maybe a full day before we were met by some Peshmerga. They call them Peshmergas because they are the Kurds of Iran. They're not the Kurds of Iraq. They're the Turkman or the Kurds of Iran. They say they're cutthroats. I mean they will just steal. They will probably rape. I don't know. There was like horror stories that we've heard about them. And then they came. I mean we were probably in the middle of the territory where they could. Nothing from both sides. And I remember my dad was so afraid for me because I was young and I was pretty, you know. And he kept telling my mom to hide her. "Hide her behind you. I don't want them to see because you don't know what is going to happen." They have been known to kidnap women, take gold, like you know. In certain small towns, if they find someone pretty and beautiful, they will take her. So I remember they went through our stuff and of course there was no luggage. There were just like a sheet that my mom threw some changing, some clothes in them, and they robbed them but left one thing that my mom did that was so smart. That's so smart. When they came and they got us, she did not care if she had money. She did not care if she had anything. All she cared was to have every single document that proves who she is, what she is, what nationality, what birth, marriage certificate. Everything you can imagine she managed to stuff them in her socks, my dad's some. I mean, she managed to get those paper because she said this will tell the world who we are. Or even let's say they deported us to Iran, we will want to prove to Iranian that we are legit Iranians. We're not one of those people that are spies pretending to be this and we are because Saddam did that a lot. He did deport a lot of Iraqis with the presumption that they were entering to spy. So living in Tehran, we ended up in Tehran. No. After we were done with Peshmerga. They went through our stuff. They they saw that there's nothing whatever. And so they let us go. And then I don't know how much we walked, and then we were met by army trucks. And it was the Iranian who came, and they just told us to move behind their trucks just because they were leading us to where we need to go. There were a huge amount: thousands upon hundreds of thousands. So they got us to an area. They had tents for us--huge tents--and they would just divide like every 30, 40 in one tent, and they had food ready for us, Lev. They were like loads of big, huge trays all set on the ground. And you just go and after hours of being fed from the night before even. So we were all sitting and eating, and before you know it, then they lined us and there was another tent. People were taking the documents. Like, who are you? What family? What does your family consist of? How many members? Who is with you? Who is not? Who do you have? Do you have any ... because we had properties. We had homes. Everything was sealed. Everything was padlocked and sealed, and I remember they turned to our neighbors. Our neighbors were all standing there looking at us like we were like animals in a zoo. And I remember one officer turned to them. He goes, "Do you see the seal that we are sealing this door? No one dares breaking that seal because if that seal is broken it's like a direct assault to Saddam, the President himself." So see how they instill that fear? Okay, so there we are, but later on, Lev. My brother tells me when he got here, he goes, "Oh sure, I will go through the neighbors, go inside, and get whatever I want to. I could not get everything." He said, but they had an auction our stuff that people coming from everywhere's buying. And my brother wanted our photos--family photos. They were like beautiful like black and white and family and my mom and she was so beautiful and she's young. He said, "People were auctioning our stuff and I told the guy, 'Hey, those are my family. I won't my family.' He goes, 'Well stand in line. You better auction too to buy it.'" He goes, "What? I'm telling you these are my family. This is my sister. Those are my parents. Those are whatever." But no. He goes, "I said, 'Who would pay for that?'" You won't believe some people were so sick that they thought it was like interesting to have like a photo of someone else in there. Some Arabs and some neighboring whatever. They will come. Or maybe for their frames. We never knew. But they did. Because one of them was like really decent guy. When he got, he goes, "I really only wanted it for that." And he had to be so careful because it was done very professionally. He had to rip it to get the paper photo. One guy took the time to do that for my brother, but everybody else walked in with our photos.
Lev Kalmens 23:09
So you mean to preserve the photos but just take the frames?
Maureen Gawo 23:14
Take the frames, take the photo with it. Yes. Yeah, it was too much for them to do. Just one man, my brother told me, he was like a decent guy. I mean, he said, "You know what, I wanted it just for the frame." So he went ahead and he ripped the back of it, and then gave my brother the photo of the family. He walked away with the rest, with the glass and with the frame. Yeah. So now we are in Tehran. We lived in Tehran seven months. While we were there, after four months of living in Teheran, Iran, war broke out between Iraq and Iran.
Lev Kalmens 26:02
So this is 1980?
Maureen Gawo 26:04
1980. April, we were deported. And the war started by September, October.
Lev Kalmens 26:14
Of 1980.
Maureen Gawo 26:16
September, yes, 1980.
Lev Kalmens 26:17
[overlapping] September of 1980. Okay.
Maureen Gawo 26:18
Just a few months after we were there. So when we got there, Shah had already left. When Saddam deported us, Shah was already out of the country, out of Iran. And they were awaiting Khomeini's arrival. And we were in Iran when Khomeini arrived. And we were in Iran when Shah died. I cannot tell you how happy they were. They were like dancing in the streets and saying "Allahu Akbar" and whatever because Shah died. But we were in Iran during that time. And you know what's another thing that we were? We were in Iran during the time ... remember the 50 hostages, the American hostages? The hostages were there when we were in Iran because we've heard it on the news. I was in the late '70s, '79. We were still watching the news, and my mom would hate it and my brother and my dad because we loved Americans. It wasn't like, yay. I mean we were heartbroken. So when I was in Iran, when I was living in Tehran, I was dying to go to see by the embassy just to see where are the Americans? Where are they? So of course it had guards. Nobody was supposed to even stand and look for more than a minute. Like you could be just walking by, fine. But you cannot just stand and look and see. And besides, there was a huge camp. It was a huge, huge, it was a massive--like I don't know how many yards before you get to the actual building. But it was huge. So we were there at that time. And it was the time when Reagan was running for president. Oh, they used to make fun of Reagan as a jackass or as a cowboy riding a jackass because coming from his cowboy movies--
Lev Kalmens 26:38
[overlapping] Right.
Maureen Gawo 26:51
--that were at the time. So they used to make fun of him and in the Iranian stations. And here we go again, we getting offended. And my mom, as far as I remember being a young girl, she would always say, "We're gonna end up going to United States. We're going to live in United States." It was her dream to come to the United States. It was her dream. And so when I got to be age of 16, 17, she had a pep talk with me. She goes, "Listen, Maureen, I know you're getting older. You're probably going to be interested in boys. And you know, I cannot hold how you feel about this now. But if you wish to stay by yourself here, you want to marry someone and stay for the rest of your life by yourself here, be my guest. But if you want to be with your family and be with us to United States, America ..." Of course, what do you think? She's talking to a 16, 17-year-old. So I was always so afraid to fall in love. I was so afraid because I didn't want my heart to be broken. I didn't want to be without my family because my mom was going to America. My mom was going to America. And every time my mom would see an airplane fly by from our home where our residence was--our house--and she would say, "Ah, one day. One day and I'm gonna ride you. I'm going to be in you going to America."
Lev Kalmens 30:07
So what was the journey like?
Maureen Gawo 30:09
So the journey life was after seven months living in Iran, we and the countries that were all flying, everything, airports shut down. Nobody can leave. Nobody can come in. We're stuck. We're stuck. I did not leave. I did not speak the language because Farsi is completely different. It's like you speak English and Spanish from Arabic. It's completely different. Did not speak the language. And then oh, once when Khomeini came, when the first few months were like at war, they did not pay attention so much on to what a woman should be dressed like, what is she should be behave, what she should not. Iran was very, very--kind of like back in Shah's era--very free people with none of that nonsense. But then I could not leave the house. I had to wear a hijab. Like, I could not stomach that. I could not see myself doing that. And so we wanted to leave the country, but we could not. So we were told that we need to go and apply for visa to get out of the country. So we went to Ministry of Interior. And we went and we stood in line to be sitting with this officer. I think he was what you call Brigadier maybe. I don't remember. It was like two or three stars. That by itself was like because we were in fear of our life. You don't want to mess with people from the government--people from, you know, high authority. So we're sitting there, but that man was so pleasant. And my uncle came with us and he could speak Farsi. And he says, "Can they speak?" "No, they don't." "But other language they speak?" I said, "I speak English." He goes, "Well, then we're going to talk English." He could speak English. He asked me, "Why do you guys want to leave?" I said, "Because, you know, I don't speak the language. I don't whatever. And I just want to go and see my uncle. You know, I'm not comfortable here. I grew up in a different country, and this and that." When he looked at our paper--and here you go the paper come in handy--he looks all is legit. All is whatever. He goes, "When did you get in here?" All the documents showed when we got here. He goes, "It's been seven months now." He goes, "Anytime after six months, you become just like any other Iranian living in this country. No going, no coming anywhere. Had you have been here before mark of a six month, yeah, I could have given you an exit visa. You'd be free to go wherever you go. But now, --"
Lev Kalmens 33:18
After six months, you become a normal resident of Iran.
Maureen Gawo 33:21
Yes. And I remember I started sobbing and crying, and he must have felt so sorry for me. And he just looked at me like that. And I said, "I can't do it. I can't work. I don't know the language. You know, I have responsibility of my mom and dad." And here I'm like you're talking on like a 20-year-old. A 19, 20-year-old girl was responsible for her mom and dad and grandma, grandpa. "I can't and whatever. No man and this and that." And then anyway, he must have felt really sorry for me. He said, "Okay." And he gave us the exit visa. But he said, "You have a window of so and so." I think it was a month--30 days--that he gave us that we have to leave. "This is the best I can do for you." Well then, Lev, from there we leaving and where should we go? Where should we go? We cannot fly. No airport. And then my uncle who was another victim of deportation some 10 years ago, who was living in Tehran back then. He told us, "Okay, why don't you go to Greece?" Because there are buses--like Greyhound buses--that will take you through Greece, through Turkey and Greece, because there were gazillions of people from all walks of Earth who are through Red Cross organization, through charitable organization, that will just go and put their name, register whatever their name, and just as long as they get out of where where that is. So we went. We figured, you know, United States. My mom wanted United States. And a cousin of hers, (my mom's name is Nano, by the way) he goes, "Nano, I wouldn't recommend. You know, United States is so desirable. I doubt very much that you will even be granted into one of those organization as a refugee into United States." Then he said, "Pick another country." She says, "Okay, then I'll pick Canada" Because she had her side of the family like cousins from her dad's side of family that lived in Canada. She says, "Okay, then we'll pick Canada." We picked Canada as the destination. Okay. So and then to get out of the country, my uncle took us to the Grecian embassy because we had to have a permit to go in Greece. Oh, my God, Lev, when he took us to the Grecian embassy in Tehran, there were thousands of people--literally thousands wanting to leave. We were like an ant in a football field. That's how it felt to me. It's like forget about it. Two days we were coming and we could not even reach whatever. And my uncle said, "You know what?" The third night, he says, "I'm gonna bunk the whole night." He slept in front of the embassy where the bars are, whatever, the gate. And he got all of our passports. Remember, we had the passports. He got mine, my dad and mom, and his mom and dad--my grandma, grandpa. He got the passport. Well, I guess the guy would come out. This is how we did with the first two days when we went. Lev, he would stand right there. They will have like, I don't know, three, four of them. They will be scattered. However, that gate was big. And they will just go like that, and you will just grab this, grab that. I don't know.
Lev Kalmens 37:27
So no line, no organization?
Maureen Gawo 37:29
No line. It's like a barricaded--a huge massive gate. Okay, so they will just take their hands like that and whatever they can grab.
Lev Kalmens 37:41
So pure luck if they grab your stuff?
Maureen Gawo 37:43
Yes.
Lev Kalmens 37:44
You lucked out.
Maureen Gawo 37:45
So my uncle, he lucked out the third day after he bunked. He slept the whole night. He lucked out. And the guy grabbed all five of our passports. And they tell you like come back in, I don't know, three, four days. I don't remember how long. So you wait and sit and pray and pray and pray that they at least gave you that because chances are, they might refuse you. Okay, well, then we went. And again, he bunked out because he wanted to be close to the gate when they shout your name. How else you'll know if you're standing like yards and yards away?
Lev Kalmens 38:28
Right.
Maureen Gawo 38:30
Well, he was given our passports, and our passport had this stamp of the entry and degrees. So then the next thing was arranging because we had only a short time. We had I don't know how long. By now a week was gone. We had like three weeks to rush everything, to do this and that. And we got our things all in order. And now my uncle, God bless him, (He's living in California now) he's been investigating, asking people. He says, "I hear if you have your flight money at hand, if you can afford your air flight tickets, if you have them, if you have the money for that, chances of your acceptance will be much greater." I will get to Greece now. We understand that if you have that, your chances of your documents or your paperwork is going to be facilitated much faster than someone who does not have a penny. And my uncle, he went and he got us five airline tickets flying from Athens to where? Canada. Remember?
Lev Kalmens 40:01
Right.
Maureen Gawo 40:02
We decided. But my mom said, "I'm not staying in Canada. I'll use it as I'm going to America." Anyway, so he got us those airline tickets--five for five people: me, my parents, my grandparents, which is his mom and dad. So he got us those flying from Alitalia Airline. I still remember. It was Alitalia Airline flying from Athens, destination to Canada. Ontario, I believe. So then we got goodbye. It was a bittersweet. We're crying and we're leaving my uncle because, you know, I felt protected that I had at least my uncle who was a man taking care of me. So we don't know. We're going to unknown and a country. I've never been outside Baghdad in my life. Now I'm going somewhere that I did not speak the language. Entirely different. Now, we drive in a Greyhound-kind-of-like bus. And we're going. It took us four days, like probably close to three nights, to get to Athens. And I had a little book that I had all the addresses of people like connection. Who is there? Who lives there? We're connected. We Assyrians, I'm sure just like any other nation, you ask around. You know, they tell you. So we had names of people who are in Greece that we should contact. Where are they, their phone numbers. My uncle who was living in here in United States. My uncle who was in Tehran that we left. So we had a lot of things. And while we are driving, we're going to freedom like to somewhere finally we're out of there, my mom kept saying to me, "Maureen, you're going to remember these days and you would wish you have all the details. Why don't you jot down everything that you're passing, every city, everything because it's going to be history." That's my mom. So I would reach for that notebook and I would write, I would write, and I would write. And then so we get to the borders of Turkey and Greece. Now they asked us to change. That bus could not continue on in Greece. We had to change to a different bus that was Grecian bus that will continue from then. So we did. Well, Lev, guess who forgot all our life connection? Yours truly. In that bus
Lev Kalmens 42:47
The notebook with all their--?
Maureen Gawo 42:49
Yes.
Lev Kalmens 42:50
Oh, no.
Maureen Gawo 42:51
So we are like two or three hours in the road. And it was pitch black. And my mom, I don't know. "Well, I haven't seen you write anything. Why aren't you writing where are we?" I said, "Okay." And I'm looking through my stuff. My thing is gone. And I am crying. I am inconsolable. And they get me to the driver, and my driver all he speaks yes and no. And I figured out like I was saying something. He goes, "Yes." It's like, "Can you take me back?" "Yes." "Can we go ..." "Yes." And the guy said, "No, no, no, no." I said, "Back. My paper." "No, no, no, no, no." So they dropped us. It was 10 in the morning--10 AM--when he dropped us in the center in the middle of Athens, at the square. It was the most famous like how our Downtown Chicago is so famous. Athens center was like they dropped us right there and you're on your own. And I said, "No, I refuse to come out of the bus." I said, "I don't know anyone. No." And I'm pleading with them. They said, "Well, you go to the office. You have to tell them." And so I was hanging on to that bus like it was my life. I did not want to go, and my mom and dad they're just looking at me because I was just so ... like what am I going to do? What am I going to do? And then we're there and we leave. Okay, we'll contact them. And we're staying in the middle of nowhere in the actual almost like a traffic circle but a huge one. I was like a square that all Europe is famous for. We're standing right there for hours, and I'm waiting for them to answer me, but every time I go ask, nothing. Are you kidding me? It's like she crazy. What's she asking? Know what I mean? And then, Lev, while we were there hours, sitting we don't know what to do. We don't know what to do. We had our luggage and we're sitting on the luggage that my uncle got us. And then all of a sudden, we're talking among ourselves. We have no idea, and all of a sudden, someone says, "Nano, is that you?" Isn't that fate?
Lev Kalmens 45:27
Who was it?
Maureen Gawo 45:27
If it's not from God. It was my brother's friend that his parents, because they did not want him to go through military, they just sent him to Greece. Gave their blessings and just to get him out. They didn't want him to fight. So out of millions, maybe hundreds of thousands of people, he refers to my mom, "Nano, is that you? Maureen's mom, Nano?" And we turn and it's Sacco. That's his name. It's like I should've seen me. I'm like, "Thank you, God." Because I believe every step of my life God was watching for me. When I'm praying, he's sending someone for me. Honestly, I felt it. I felt His presence. Well, Sacco said whatever. I said, "We lost. We don't know. Well, do you know so and so?" He's young; he was like 17. He wouldn't know men and woman age of my mom because my mom is asking him, "Do you know this? Do you know ... ?" He goes, "No, no, no. Right now you need to rest. Let's go find you a hotel or hostel or motel. Okay, I'll come and get you tomorrow." And I said, "No, no, no. Can we go right now?" Because I'm afraid that Sacco is going to forget about us. He's going to just get us here and no one wants the responsibility. He goes, "No, no. I promise I'll come first thing in the morning. I'll get you and we're going to take you to a tea house." Like how you have Starbucks nowadays, and we had tea houses everywhere. "I'm going to take you to a tea house that all Assyrians from this area ..." We knew that Assyrians hang out in a Galio. And he goes, "Everybody who knows everybody is going to be at that tea hous.e We'll take you there. And they will probably know who are the people that you want to reach." Yeah, so that was my journey there. And then, but there's so many other things happen in between. I don't want to bore you. So then fast forward, fast forward. A month of us staying in Greece, we went through all the documents and whatever. All of us Assyrians, we used to get together like someone will come and visit us. We ask them, "How long have you been here?" One will say, "Oh, it's been seven years." One will say, "10 years." One will say, "Well, my case was approved three years ago, and I'm still waiting for it to make the money or them. Because that I rely on the government, someone has to be generous to donate or whatever, when the funds are available for them to send me the airfare."
Lev Kalmens 48:20
So how long were you in Athens for?
Maureen Gawo 48:24
In Athens, we are a month, and I'm hearing horror stories every day. And I am getting depressed, and I am on my knees. When I'm getting depressed, I have nothing, I'm on my knees and praying and praying, "Lord?" It felt like sometimes, you know, we had a saying: We say when a door is shut, the Lord always will open a window for you for somehow. I felt so far until that moment that God not only he will not shut the door, open a window for me, but he was shutting the window for me and opening a door. That's how I felt. But at that moment, I was so desperate because I know there was no way around that. You're just sitting duck. You are at the mercy of someone. One day, my mom took me to visit some people like probably five, six blocks away from us, and we were sitting there. We're just visiting and sitting and talking. Everybody was much older than me, and I felt like aw. And I'm sitting there, and then a knock. Whatever the door. Whatever the knock was, the host she said, "Ah, there comes the Assyrian BBC." She recognizes the knock of this woman who comes with news. Whatever is happening, she has the news. She walks in and she goes, "Did you hear what the American Embassy is doing?" And everybody, "What is the American Embassy doing?" Now, we're in Greece, right? She goes, "The American Embassy is giving visit visa for all the Iranian and not us." Who is us? That means Iraqis. Every single woman was an Assyrian from Iraq. We knew only Assyrians from Iraq. We didn't mingle with Assyrians from Iran to know. So we were mingling with Assyrians from Iraq. She goes, "But not us." And then while we're sitting here, and my mom is like, "What did you say?" She goes, "Yeah, yeah. The American embassy, I hear, they're giving visa visitor for only Iranians. Christians from Iran." My mom says, "Well, I am Iranian." She goes, "Yeah, you are. Yeah, you're right. You are like not by birth, but ..." Well, Lev, we hear this. Next day, we are going to the American consulate, embassy, to see if this is rumor or it's true. Now, while I was in Greece for a month, I was working at a factory doing sewing. What do you call those luggages in the old day; they used to have the belt that you will pull? They will have the luggage, and they will have a belt hooked?
Lev Kalmens 51:34
Sure. Just a belt that you pull?
Maureen Gawo 51:35
[overlapping] Just be a pull it?
Lev Kalmens 51:36
Yeah.
Maureen Gawo 51:37
I was doing those. Yeah, just for three weeks, going on three weeks. That was the job I got. So I called in. I said, "I can't. I'm not coming." And someone was so graceful that he took also time. The same guy who got me the job because he knew his way; he's been living there for six years. He also called in, whatever, he could not come in. He took me, my mom, and dad just to try our luck. We left my grandma, grandpa at home. Well, we just said we'll go check it out. Is it true or not? Well, well, Lev. When we get there, there were thousands of people like picnicking, literally like on a blanket and sleeping. It's like de ja vu. There we go. Hello, we get there, and we are sitting hours and hours and hours and hours until they give you a number and you just sit and wait. And you'll be lucky if they called you within the same business hour. Well, they called our number. We go. We approach: me and my mom and dad. My dad worked all his life in Iraq for different companies. He had all his "to whom it may concern" like all work references for my dad. Remember, I told you I worked for Americans? I had my documents and my tag--my work tag--with me. So we are all in United States. Talk about like something from the movies.
Lev Kalmens 53:12
Right.
Maureen Gawo 53:15
Because of the massive amount of people that was there, there was no office for you to go see the chancellor, the counselor, or the whatever. He was sitting right there at the front desk, the reception. And I was studying him. I was studying that man, like his way he's looking at you, the way whatever. And I noticed, Lev, that when he had his hands like that, he was sitting on there, and he's just looking at you, he's asking you questions and whatever. When he was doing this, that means he wanted your passport, your documents, whatever it was. Okay.
Lev Kalmens 53:52
Like, "Give it to me."
Maureen Gawo 53:53
"Give it to me."
Lev Kalmens 53:53
Yeah.
Maureen Gawo 53:54
So I was asking God, "I want to see those fingers. Go be like that." Now, we go: me and my mom and dad only. And he started asking all sorts of questions for us and this and that. "And so what are you doing in Greece?" Of course, we lied. We said, "We're visiting." "Okay, so I see ... What do you do back home in Iraq?" I said, "Well, I work for an American company. The name is Louis Tyson Breck Volantis." Okay. And my dad is showing him this whatever, and he was saying to my mom, "And what about you?" And she said, "Well, I'm at this, I'm at that." He goes, "Where are your sons? Are they with you?" Because in the passport, because they're of the less age, they were in--even their photos were in my mom's. She goes, "No, we were just visiting here, and my sons there. I didn't want to bring them, just my daughter. And whatever." So he bought it. Okay. And he's this and that, and he goes, "So why do you want to go to United States?" And I told him, "Well, I have an uncle that lives in Chicago." This was in December of 1980. When I heard this thing about visa, I said, "Well, wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if we go to visit my uncle in United States for Christmas? So here we go, here we are." And he goes to me, "I like you." He said, "I like you. I like you. You're a smart girl. I like you. So tell me what do you do? What kind of a work do you do?" So he was asking me all this. He liked talking to me. And then finally he said, "I got everything that I need. On to passports." He takes the passport. Of course there is the embassy approval coming to Greece, but, Lev, talk about when God--I'm gonna make me cry now--talk when God takes over or control. Did he for once check the exit visa from Iraq to Iran?
Lev Kalmens 56:33
He did not.
Maureen Gawo 56:37
That was the one thing that was like the kryptonite in, like, if we are found, that's it. Did he? No. Obviously, he just went through my passport like that, checking the pages. And he saw, but did he saw where was it from? What the heck is Iran doing anything? What is this Iran and this? And later on, we found out you know why they did that because it was during the hostage situation when Americans were encouraging, but nobody will want to call it like, "We'll give you the visa. Come to our country. We will live happily ever after." No. They labeled it as visitor visa. They did not make it. But they were trying to watch out for the Christian Iranian. And I remember his last word for me as we were getting ready, whatever. He goes, "Are you coming back?" "Oh, yes, we are." I said, "Lord, forgive me. Forgive me. I lied. Forgive me." And that was it.
Lev Kalmens 57:55
So when did you arrive in the United States?
Maureen Gawo 57:58
So I arrived United States 12, 1980. Talk about medical, right? People for years waiting either in Lebanon or Greece or Italy to get to United States. With us, it took just 33 days from the time we got into Athens. But here now, everything was ready, right? Now we got the passport for America. Remember? I have those airline tickets that my uncle got us. That's the only means of money that we have. So we go to want to exchange. We go to Alitalia Airline at the center of Athens, and we want to change the airfare--the tickets--the destination instead of being from Athens to ...
Lev Kalmens 57:59
Ontario?
Maureen Gawo 57:59
... Ontario. To be from Athens to wherever, Chicago. Well, I go in there. That was the second day after we were approved. No, not the second day. Remember I told you it was just me, my mom, and dad. Well, there is my grandma, grandpa. There is no way in the world we can leave grandma and grandpa on their own. So there was a big thing that if we will even manage to get grandpa tickets--I mean an approval. Because as I said, we were lucked out. But how lucky can you get twice in a row, on two days get for your grandma, grandpa? But we were, so my grandma, grandpa--the second day we took them and we got them. And then the third day, I skipped work again. I'm going to the Alitalia Airlines to switch from this to that. They told me, "I'm sorry, it cannot be done." She said, "What do you mean it cannot be done? Can you just change it?" "No." "What do you mean, no?" "I'm sorry. Do you see?" He point out to me a last page of the ticket which says, "Nonrefundable. Exchangeable only from the country of issue." You want me to go back in Iran and exchange it? And I am crying again. Here you go, started crying when I get emotional. And I'm sitting here. "I'm sorry, ma'am." He goes inside. And I'm sitting and crying, and this guy told me--the one who was taking us this place--he goes, "Maureen, I've never known you as a quitter. Go ask and see if you can speak to the manager. Go demand. Go whatever." I say, "Okay" And I'm coming. "Excuse me." And I'm knockin,g and he comes out. And I said to him, "You know what? You don't understand. There is no way. Please, please, can I talk to your manager?" He goes to me, "I am the manager." Okay. I said, "You don't understand. I cannot go back to Iran. It's not my country. I was deported from Iraq. There is no way. My uncle bought me these tickets. There is no way for me I can go. Please help me. Please, whatever. And we have no money." So when he saw me that I was so desperate, he told me, "Okay." That was a Friday. I still remember the day. I'll tell you why. He told me, "Okay. You said you have an uncle back then. All I can ask of you. This is what I'll do. Give me your tickets." He took my tickets. He took our passports. He copied our passports. He copied all our tickets and got all the documents and numbers and whatever on them. He goes to me, "The only thing I can do for you is telex." Back then used to be a telex, nothing with the technology now. He goes, "I can telex the country of issue, Teheran, to get their permission if I can do something about it here today because I have to have their permission. But you told me you have an uncle there. I highly, highly recommend if you can get in touch with your uncle, call him and have him press from his end, to go plead, beg, and press from his end." Well, that was Friday. He told me, "Today is Friday. And as you know, in the Islamic Arab world, Friday is a weekend. And then Saturday, Sunday, it is our weekend. So you have to check with us by Monday. And hopefully by Monday, I can have an answer for you." Well, I come home, and I go and manage whatever we can get some money to go to Ministry of Transportation, whatever, to dial my uncle. And just I'm crying. I'm sobbing, "They cannot do it. Please, please, [inaudible]. Can you do this"? He goes, "Consider it done. I won't leave them alone. I'll go tomorrow because it was closed". Well, my uncle is doing his thing on his best from here. And meanwhile, we're waiting and praying, we're waiting and praying. Well, Saturday evening, my uncle calls me from the people where we rented, where we're staying at, they came and got us. Goes, "You have a call from whatever." I come in and it's my uncle. He goes to me, "Maureen, the people did it. They said consider it done. You should have no problem." And I was beside myself. I was so happy. I came in. Well, guess what?Monday comes, and I'm walking and I'm smiling in that office of the airline. The manager saw me. He goes, "You're smiling. What is that all about?" I said, "I don't know. Tell me some good news." He goes, "It is good news. They were able to approve it. Look at you. No one will believe that you're the same person was crying all the time yesterday." I said, "Yeah, my uncle told me last night to say everything was okay from their end." So that was it. He changed. "He goes, "The only thing you have to do, you have to change airlines." I said, "No. What do you mean?" He goes, "Don't worry. Don't worry about it. You're still gonna fly Alitalia, but you're gonna go to Boston because Alitalia doesn't go all the way to Chicago." I didn't know. "You're going to go to Boston, and from Boston, you're gonna grab another and it's going to be--I believe--United, and it's gonna get you here." So that was my journey. Yes. And in Boston, my grandma fell because we wanted to be adventurous. I got on the escalator--first time I see in my life escalator. I got on an escalator. My grandma came following me. She fell and she broke her arm while waiting to make transit flight. So there is no way I could miss this flight. There's no way! And I was like, "There's no way." "Don't worry about it. You go. We'll make sure we'll take care of her. We'll bring her right then and there." And my grandpa was panicking inside. We're waiting. My grandma still not there, still not there. He was getting panic. Like, his wife is not with us. And then finally they bring my grandma in a wheelchair and they place her. And yeah, that was my journey to the United States of America.
Lev Kalmens 1:05:29
And then finally, how did you end up in Lincolnwood?
Maureen Gawo 1:05:32
Lincolnwood? Well, I married and I lived the first year of our marriage in Chicago, but it was close by Mozart area and Devon area.
Lev Kalmens 1:05:45
Sure. West Rogers Park?
Maureen Gawo 1:05:47
Yes. And I wanted to be close to my parents. Back then, it was just my mom and dad, okay, because my brothers still were back home. And so I wanted to be close by them, but yet I wanted to live in suburb, and I liked Lincolnwood. And it was so close to the city but still separated from the city. I don't know. I liked it. And close to my work. I ended up working for Swedish Covenant Hospital, so it was close. And I've lived in Lincolnwood ever since. I've been married for 32 years, and I've lived in Lincolnwood for 31 years of my life.
Lev Kalmens 1:06:24
What has been your favorite thing about living in Lincolnwood?
Maureen Gawo 1:06:30
I like the security. I like to feel secure. That what our police department does a good job of that. Like you don't mess with our city. That's the attitude. And I like the fact that it's small. I like it versus being on a big .... And I like that it's being very close to the city. Everywhere is situated in a location that is everywhere. And I've had nothing but good experience whether from school system, from library, from like I feel like I am treated well. So I never moved.
Lev Kalmens 1:07:13
Well, I want to thank you very much for coming down and sharing not just your Lincolnwood story but your journey to the United States and to Lincolnwood. Thank you so much.
Maureen Gawo 1:07:23
You're welcome.
Collection
Citation
“My Lincolnwood Story- Maureen Gawo,” Lincolnwood Historical Collection, accessed June 9, 2026, https://lpld.omeka.net/items/show/45.
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