Oral History Interview - Vivian Ojo: Namibia

Abstract

The interview I conducted was of Vivian Ojo. Vivian is a senior at Georgetown University. She is from Windhoek, Namibia which is the capital of the country. Vivian came to the U.S. to attend college making her immigration story unique in that she is an example of someone who can possibly transition into the complete immigrant experience. I see Vivian’s story as one of the new, modern immigrant that we see evolving in the United States. Themes that ran throughout our interview were development, transnationalism, religion, and education. Vivian’s opportunities and why she has ended up in the United States is based largely on her parent’s education which has influenced her desire to pursue higher education. Education has also provided Vivian with much of the mobility and agency needed to achieve a lot of the things she has in terms of migration. Development is reflective of Vivian’s desire to help her home country. Similarly, where I met Vivian plays a role in explaining her passion for development. I met Vivian this semester as a fellow intern of the ONE Campaign, a non-profit founded by Bono in 2004 that advocates to alleviate poverty and hunger in Africa. This mission of ONE is reflective of Vivian and what she hopes to accomplish through her career one day. Vivian’s ability to travel and experience new cultures are representative of transnationalism another theme in the interview. Vivian is a global citizen and has made choices in her education and life in general to assure she maintains as much of a global view as possible. Religion is another aspect of Vivian’s life that she embraces in the United States as well as her home country. Throughout the interview she credits God for providing her with the opportunities she’s had. Therefore, religion plays a role in her everyday life in shaping her values as well as a practice she’s maintained through her immigrant experience.