Paulo Costa Trio Entrevista - Fátima Silva
Paulo Costa Trio Entrevista
Paulo Costa Trio presents a new series of interviews with Brazilians, Latinos, and people connected with the Brazilian culture who live in Cleveland, Ohio. Our mission is to build a stronger community among Brazilians living in the city, telling their histories, promoting their work, and helping new members to feel welcome in Cleveland. We will post one new interview every week! Every guest will have an opportunity to sing a song with us. We hope you all enjoy it. - Paulo Costa, Felipe Brito, Davi Lira
Interview with Fátima Silva
January 18, 2018 | Cleveland, Ohio
Fátima Silva is from Minas Gerais, lived in Belo Horizonte and São Paulo. She came to Cleveland, OH to have her Ph.D. and ended up staying. She brought her entire family and now lives in the United States for more than 17 years.
Tell us a little bit of your story
I did my masters in Brazil, but at the time the best lab for me to continue doing my research was here at Case Western University, in Cleveland, OH. I moved to the United States in January of 1999.
Did you come with your family to the United States?
When I came to the United States, I brought my entire family with me, my husband, and two kids. We had never left the country and this was the first time we came straight to Cleveland. All of them as dependents on my visa. When we first arrived in January, it was very cold and snowy. But since it was right after Christmas with all the lights and ornaments I thought everything was so pretty.
How long have you been married?
I've been married for more than 30 years and I had never been apart from my husband and kids. After my Ph.D., I had to move back to Brazil and leave my family behind. It was very hard because I was there for two and a half years. In the beginning, I cried a lot, but then I started getting used to it. I used to come to the US every 3 months to see them and it was as if my husband and I were dating again. Sometimes being far is good for the relationship! During that time in Brazil, I did my part, wrote my project but it couldn’t be funded and I couldn’t stay there. Then a job opportunity appeared in the US, I applied for a green card and it worked out. So I came back. I have a son, a daughter, and two grandkids: Samuel and Júlia, that were born here in the US.
That is beautiful! I also heard you have a very interesting story about your mom.
Yes, she is a very strong woman. She left the countryside of Minas Gerais and moved to São Paulo. She always told me that she read my letters, saw the pictures, and dreamt of one day move to the United States. She never went to school or anything. One of the times she came to visit me here, she went out one afternoon to buy a plant. In the street, an older man helped her carry the plant, an Italian named Jácome. They started talking and next thing you know, they got married- her with 72 years and he with 74. She now is my neighbor. She doesn’t know English very well but she still got her driver's license and American citizenship. She believed she could so she did. She’s now 84.
What do you love the most in Cleveland?
I have a lot of love for Cleveland. It was the city that took me in, gave me new chances, and welcomed my family. I’m very grateful for Cleveland.
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Paulo Costa Trio
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