Interview with Sheela Iyer

     Sheela Iyer, an immigrant from Mumbai, India. Sheela lived 26 years in Mumbai before moving across seas to the U.S. Sheela is a co-worker of my mom and a long time family friend. She works in Tinton Falls, New Jersey as a Physical therapist.

Stephen: What was your experience like coming to the United States?

Sheela: I had a good experience coming to the U.S. I moved to Kansas and people were nice to me. I was given a furnished apartment to live in for two months. When I moved to my own apartment, I was given an apartment shower. People were kind and provided me with a lot of things for my apartment. My co-workers were amused with the context in which I used certain words. I once asked for gum (which is what we call glue in India) instead I was given a piece of chewing gum.

Stephen: What were your resons behind coming to the U.S?


Sheela: I came to the U.S. as a challenge or bet. I had friends who were in the U.S. already. I was challenging a false advertisement by a recruiter in one of our physical therapy journals.


Stephen: What problems did you face in the U.S.?


Sheela: My transition was really made easy thanks to the people at work. I really did not have many problems but slight inconveniences due to inadequate public transport that made me depend on others for rides to the stores. Few annoyances which I got used to quickly are the way the light switches are operated in the U.S. In India you flicked the switch down to turn the light on and also the way the key is put into the key hole.

Stephen: How did you deal with the clashing of cultures in the U.S.?

Sheela: It was hard to get used to people talking so openly about taboo topics like sex. Always amazed me how openly people spoke ill about their in-laws in the U.S. Divorce at the time in India was scarce. So it was very confusing when people said "my mother's husband." I still have difficulty adjusting to the way the elderly are treated in this country. The elderly are revered in India.


Stephen: Which traditions were you able to keep and which did you have to compromise in the U.S.?

Sheela: I do not think I had to compromise any traditions. I just assimilated the new traditions of this country into my life. We never celebrated Thanksgiving or Christmas in India. But having lived here now, the holidays for me are a lot of fun and the best time of the year.