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'From Being Alone To A Whole Family,' An Iraqi Interpreter's Dream Fulfilled

Philip, 43, (right) and his nephew Andy, 28, at StoryCorps in Minneapolis in December. Philip got his nickname from the American soldiers he was assigned to in Iraq because he loved Philip Morris cigarettes. Andy is also a nickname.
StoryCorps
Philip, 43, (right) and his nephew Andy, 28, at StoryCorps in Minneapolis in December. Philip got his nickname from the American soldiers he was assigned to in Iraq because he loved Philip Morris cigarettes. Andy is also a nickname.

When we last heard from Philip, an Iraqi interpreter living in Minnesota, he was trying to bring his family to the U.S.

Philip came to the United States in 2013 and was living with Paul Braun, the sergeant of the company he was assigned to in Iraq. Braun and Philip spoke to StoryCorps in 2014.

"You scared me, dude," Philip says. "Your attitude in the beginning and with your Mohawk — "

"I scared everybody with that Mohawk," Braun says.

"You told me, 'If you try to mess with my soldiers, I will shoot you,' " Philip remembers.

"You smiled at me and said, 'Someday, we will be able to laugh about this conversation while we're drinking tea,' " Braun replies. "And that's when I knew, 'I think this guy will be OK.' And my Iraqi interpreter became my American brother."

"And my American soldier became my Iraqi brother," Philip says.

In that interview, Philip tells Paul he is going to go back to Iraq to get his wife and four children, and because of the dangers there, he puts his chances of making it back safe at 50-50.

Paul Braun and Philip with their families at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport the day Philip's family arrived.
/ Courtesy of Paul Braun
/
Courtesy of Paul Braun
Paul Braun and Philip with their families at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport the day Philip's family arrived.

Philip's family's visas were finally approved last year, and his family arrived in Minnesota in October, along with his nephew, Andy, who also served as a U.S. Army interpreter. In December, Philip and Andy spoke at StoryCorps in Minneapolis.

"I still remember the date and the time when the embassy emailed me saying, 'Congratulations, your family can come any minute now. We have the visa,' " Philip says. "I was like, shocked."

"What were you feeling when you first saw me in the airport?" Andy asks him.

"Oh my God, I was like, all of a sudden I start clapping and jumping, saying 'ahlan wa sahlan,' 'Welcome, I'm so happy to see you,' " he says.

Andy asks Philip what has been hardest to adjust to these past three years in America.

"As immigrant who come from completely different culture, you'll see the people here, like, most of them are nicely, friendly and they respect your religion, your background, but, you know, I work as a caregiver in a senior home. So one day, one of my residents he start calling me racist names," he says. "But we start talking and one year later he said, 'I'm sorry. Philip, you changed my mind.' "

Philip with his wife, Ghania, in October when she arrived in Minneapolis.
/ Sameer Saadi
/
Sameer Saadi
Philip with his wife, Ghania, in October when she arrived in Minneapolis.

Philip says coming home from work and being alone has been hard. "So from being alone to a whole family with my best friend and nephew with me, what do I need more?" he says.

"Yeah," Andy says.

"That's it," Philip says.

Audio produced for Morning Edition by Liyna Anwar with Andrés Caballero.

StoryCorps is a national nonprofit that gives people the chance to interview friends and loved ones about their lives. These conversations are archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, allowing participants to leave a legacy for future generations. Learn more, including how to interview someone in your life, at StoryCorps.org.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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