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Oral history interview with Milen Gebreamlak

 Collection
Identifier: SR 12304

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Milen Gebreamlak was conducted by Caitlyn Malik and Sankar Raman on March 4, 2019. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States.

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

Dates

  • Creation: 2019 March 4

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and The Immigrant Story. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

Biographical note

Milen Gebreamlak was born in Asmara, Eritrea, in 2001. When she was eight years old, her family fled during war with Ethiopia. The family spent a year in refugee camps in Ethiopia, then settled in Addis Ababa. In 2014, the family received refugee status in the United States, and they soon settled in Portland, Oregon. Gebreamlak co-founded the Women’s Empowerment Club at Reynolds High School and was involved with Africa House and the Multnomah County Youth Commission.

Extent

1.06 Gigabytes (1 audio file (WAV, 1 hr., 38 min., 52 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Oral history interview with Milen Gebreamlak conducted by Caitlyn Malik and Sankar Raman on March 4, 2019, for The Immigrant Story. Gebreamlak discusses her experiences in Ethiopia and in Portland, Oregon, as a refugee from Eritrea.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of The Immigrant Story, June 2021 (RL2021-057).

Publication note

An article about Milen Gebreamlak, "Learning How to Change the World" by Caitlyn Malik, was based on this interview and published on The Immigrant Story website at https://theimmigrantstory.org/learning/.
Title
Guide to the oral history interview with Milen Gebreamlak
Status
Completed
Author
Sarah Stroman
Date
2022
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository

Contact:
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240