CROSSING THE VALLEY
I met Deng Dao on a trip to visit my family in Boston, Massachusetts. Deng was walking to his car that was parked right next to mine at a local grocery store. We exchanged greetings and I asked him if he was from Sudan. He stated that he was. I asked him if I could talk to him about his journey to America and his new life here. He agreed. We met later that day at a coffee shop just down the road from the store. I spent quite some time with Deng, explaining to him why I wanted to do the interview and listening to his story.
Deng amazed me. He was about 6 feet tall, lanky, and has amazingly big brown eyes that concentrate deeply on whatever their focus. Throughout the interview, Deng would wonder off with his thoughts. He would occasionally stop talking and remain silent for a time. I knew reliving the experience he endured was not easy. Each time, after thirty seconds or so of wondering off in his mind, he would rejoin me at the coffee shop and continue his story.Background on
Sudan
(About the war in Sudan)
Interview
(Deng's own words)
Tying it All Together
(My thoughts about the interview and tying it to the class)
Things to Think About
(I suggest pondering these ideas both before and after you read the
interview)