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interview with a liberian
YSA: Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you moved to the United States from Liberia?
Marie: I work at a group home here in Bloomington and I have lived in the United States for five years now. I moved here because times were very hard in Liberia. I lived in Monrovia, the capital city of my country, and work was very hard to find and there was always fighting. Many of my friends, and some of my family started moving away, some to other countries in Africa, but most to Europe or America. I moved to America. I first moved to Atlanta, but then I moved to Minneapolis because I had friends here and there a lot of people from West African countries who live here.
YSA: What is your opinion about the current civil war in Liberia?
Marie: It is a very bad thing that has been going on for way too long. There has been fighting and fighting for almost as long as I have been alive. None of the groups are any good. They claim to all be for the people, they try to raise money in Europe and other places to “liberate” the people of Liberia, but all they all are is warlords. They fight for power, they fight for diamonds and they fight to rape and steal. There are no good guys in my country’s civil war.
YSA: The United States is talking about militarily intervening in Liberia. What do you think about this?
Marie: Things are very bad in Liberia right now, and I really feel like something must be done. But I have little hope in Bush. I worry that more soldiers and more guns will not make things better. Who will the Americans support, who will they fight for? They will take sides and they will help one warlord win over the others. I am very worried about America might do in my country.
YSA: In your experience, how do many Liberians view the United States and the possibility of U.S. intervention?
Marie: Many people I talk to, both friends here and back in Liberia want Americans [to come in]. They are tired of the fighting and they think this will stop it. There are some who do not want Americans to come, but some who do. In general we are taught that Americans and everything from America is good. Some people in my country are descendants of American slaves that were brought here. But these people who use to be slaves ruled Liberia like they were good, and native people were no good. What America has done for Liberia has not all been good. Many people in my country thought it was wrong to go to war with Iraq. Most people are opposed to Israel and are for the Palestinians. They don’t like all the things that America does. Liberians views on America, and our history, our experience with you, has been a mixed bag, a mixed bag to say the least!
