This oral history interview with Abood Aldabea was conducted by Sankar Raman on May 18, 2018. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States. Aldabea’s family was present, and they occasionally contributed in Arabic. An unidentified neighbor was also present.

In this interview, Aldabea discusses his early life in Damascus, Syria, including his education, family, and neighborhood. He also describes some of his favorite Syrian foods. He shares his memories of the civil war in Syria, including being gassed by the Syrian military while heading home from his mosque and bombings in his neighborhood. He talks about fleeing to Jordan, and about life in Jordan as a Syrian refugee. He describes the process of being resettled in the United States in 2014. The unidentified neighbor talks about helping Aldabea’s family get established in Portland, Oregon. Aldabea talks about adjusting to life in Portland, his education, and his involvement in sports. He closes the interview by discussing learning English as a second language, his friends, and his plans for the future.