Gitti's interview transcript | Stories Across Borde

Interviewer: Alright, so just to get us started. What's your name?

Gitti: My name is Gitti. Do you want full name? Gitti Asadyari Lupo

Interviewer: Alright, so where are you from and what was it like growing up there?

Gitti: I'm from Iran. I was born in Iran and my early childhood was good. I enjoyed my early childhood until the revolution happened and before that it was normal, just like anywhere else in the world, I guess. Yeah, it was a happy childhood. Until the revolution.

Interviewer: Did you have a lot of siblings?

Gitti: Yes, I did, but they were all much older than me. So, there were six of us, but the first five were born, kind of one after the other and I was the last one born 10 years later. So, there was a big age gap between me and other siblings.

Interviewer: So what were the circumstances that brought you to New Zealand?

Gitti: OK so I'm Bahai. My family is Bahai. My parents became Bahai when they were young themselves, my dad was a Muslim, and my mum grew up in Russia and didn't believe in God or any religion. But they became Bahai when they were both quite young. Even think my dad was about 20 and my mum was around 17 or 18 when they became Bahai. After the revolution. Bahais were persecuted and executed and so we were not allowed to work in any of the government departments. So, a lot of the Bahai were fired from their workplaces. And a lot of Bahai also got taken to prison. My father was also in prison for 18 months. And he was executed because he was a member of the Bahai faith. Does that answer the question?

Interviewer: Yeah

Gitti: When I was in high school. Bahais weren’t allowed to go to university. So, I wanted to leave Iran because I wanted to have higher education like my, you know other siblings. But I couldn't do that in Iran, so I had to leave Iran, and by that, I mean I had to escape Iran because I wasn't even allowed to leave the country.

Interviewer: How long have you been in New Zealand and what's your profession?

Gitti: I've been in New Zealand since 1984 and I my profession is in IT, and I am a software test manager.

Interviewer: What brought you to that profession?

Gitti: I guess, interest. My first profession was, I trained as a Physiology technician, and I used to work at Green Lane Hospital where the cardiac unit used to be before it was moved to Auckland Hospital, and I guess somewhere along the way, I wanted to try something different, so I got into IT, and I did study. Microsoft Network engineering and did that and then few years later I worked as a network engineer for, about three years. Then I moved to software, and I have stayed there ever since.

Interviewer: What was the most difficult part about assimilating to New Zealand?

Gitti: Not knowing English and not being able to communicate with people and also some of the cultural things, I guess. For example, I remember that I used to hold my sister's hand or put my arm around her arm, and she was kind of like, you know, shake my arm off. And then I didn't notice it, but eventually she said look, people don't walk hand in hand here because especially people of the same sex because then you know it, it seems like they would think that we are lesbian, and I had no idea what that was at that time. But when she explained it to me it's kind of like a really depressed me because I was so upset for a whole week because I felt like, oh, you know what? What is this place? This is so sick I can't even hold my sister's hand and so. And then people deprive themselves of being close to their, you know, best friends and sisters and you know, even brothers just because and there's some you know, that, kind of thinking is going on and also not being able to speak English was the most difficult part because I couldn't communicate with anyone which, obviously was lonely because the only people I could communicate with was my sister and very few Persian friends at that time. There weren't that many Iranians here. So yeah, that was the hardest part.

Interviewer: What made it easier for you to adapt to New Zealand?

Gitti: I guess after a couple of years being here and I had really good friends at school. They helped me learn English and also, they were doing English classes as well, so once I could communicate with people and I had friends and I got into studying and got, you know busy like a normal teenager then I was OK. But it took a good couple of years.

Interviewer: That’s good, so looking back. What made it easier for you to adapt to New Zealand life like language or support systems etc?

Gitti: What made what sorry?

Interviewer: Looking back, what made it easier for you to adapt? Looking back like you're from your current perspective?

Gitti: Being in New Zealand.

Interviewer: Yeah, for like your current perspective.

Gitti: I guess you know I need that I couldn't go back to Iran because I remember dreaming about going back and getting stuck and not being able to leave again. So I was, I guess I was in the middle, you know I neither was happy being here and nor wanted to go back to Iran. But I think once I made some friends and went to school and learned English. Slowly I adapted to the culture and you know, having friends and being able to communicate and understand what people were saying, I think that probably was, that made it easier so and gradually. I guess I've made New Zealand home which made it more permanent.

Interviewer: That's good, so if you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself before immigrating?

Gitti: OK, I think if I go back I would do it all over again and I would tell myself not to worry. Everything will be OK, and it will all work out, but I guess at the time I was just in too much of a hurry. I remember going to the library and I was kind of thinking. I would love to read when I learn English. I'm going to read all these books, every single one of them. Not that I did.

Interviewer: So what is your favorite and least favorite things about living in New Zealand now?

Gitti: my favorite I can't think of anything not favorite. I think I do love living in New Zealand because I know that every time I go on holidays out of New Zealand, I'm really happy when I'm coming back to. I do miss New Zealand. I love the fact that it is so far away from all the crazy things that are happening in the world.

Interviewer: Global problems, yeah

Gitti: It's just too far away, but still, and it's not a place which is. What do you call it? It's not an extravagant place, its people live simply. You're not so worried about like your image as much as you would be. I guess I'm talking about the Iranian, like, community, so every time I go to tell US or even Australia. They're just completely different. Life is completely in so many ways, different. I do love the fact that life is comfortable, simple and comfortable in New Zealand and we don't have as much crime or crazy things that are happening in the rest of the world here. Despite the fact that we've had so many shootings lately.

Interviewer: What do you think life would be like if you didn't immigrate to New Zealand?

Gitti: Interesting, I often actually think about that and every time very often, almost every day I am just so grateful for my parents to have. Actually, becoming Bahais because our life is completely changed and was took a different course because my father was from a very staunch fanatical Muslim family. I guess education, especially for girls, wasn't that important. We grew up in a Bahai family where education was very important, especially for girls. I often think that if my parents hadn't become Bahais I probably I don't know, would have grown up and married some staunch fanatical Muslim person with lots of children.

Interviewer: What do you miss about your home country?

Gitti: I miss the old Iran. I don't miss anything that was like after the revolution. But when you say miss you can't go back and live your childhood again. I know that I cannot go back and live there because I'm just completely different now. I've lived a different life, I'm more of a Kiwi then. I don't think about going and living in any other Western country, let alone going back to Iran to live there. That kind of life wouldn't be sufficient for me or desirable. Besides, I don't have any close members of the family, they're anymore, so I've got nothing there to go back to. But of course, it's my home country and I wish one day that, people will have freedom, but Bahai will have the freedom to practice their religion and all the other religions the same, but unfortunately there are too many restrictions. At that moment you wouldn't want to go back now.

Interviewer: Improved state then, would you want to go?

Gitti: Be there, I'd like to go visit, but I don't think I would want to go live there anymore.

Interview: That’s my interview