StoryCorps: Juliet Jegasothy

From: StoryCorps
Series: StoryCorps
Length: 01:38

Juliet Jegasothy [Jeg - ah - so - thee], who is originally from Sri Lanka, tells her friend Sheena Jacob about adjusting to life in the United States. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: StoryCorps: Juliet Jegasothy
From: StoryCorps

Jegasothy_small When Juliet Jegasothy [Jeg - ah - so - thee] came to the United States from Sri Lanka, she had already heard many stories about what life was like in America. "We came to America in 1969, we were just newly married, and we came to Brooklyn, New York." Jegasothy recently told her friend Sheena Jacob. "I was so terrified to even open the door, because I had heard all these horror stories about crooks, and gangsters, and guns, in New York." Jegasothy soon encountered an American tradition that she was not prepared for.

Also in the StoryCorps series

StoryCorps: Herman and Sidney Blake (02:20)
From: StoryCorps

Herman Blake and his brother Sidney remember their childhood during the 1940s

StoryCorps: Jack and Reagan Richmond (02:54)
From: StoryCorps

Jack Richmond tells his daughter, Reagan, about being an amputee.

StoryCorps MVI: Daniel and Evelyn Hodd (02:20)
From: StoryCorps

Staff Sergeant Daniel Hodd and his mother, Evelyn, talk about Daniel's decision to put aside a promising career as a pianist in order to join the Marine Corps.

Caption: Ruben Aguilar (R) and Bill Luna (L)

StoryCorps Historias: Ruben Aguilar and Bill Luna (02:01)
From: StoryCorps

Ruben Aguilar tells his friend Bill Luna about his family's deportation as part of the Mexican Repatriation Program in 1933.

StoryCorps: Dawn Maestas (04:00)
From: StoryCorps

Dawn Maestas, who removes tattoos for survivors of domestic violence, talks to a client about her work.

StoryCorps: Lucinda Marker and John Tull (02:17)
From: StoryCorps

Lucinda Marker and her husband, John Tull, talk about being diagnosed with bubonic plague in 2002.

StoryCorps: John Cruitt and Cecile Doyle (02:41)
From: StoryCorps

John Cruitt speaks with his former third grade teacher, Cecile Doyle, about how she helped him through his mother's death.

StoryCorps: Reginald Mason (01:57)
From: StoryCorps

Reginald Mason remembers growing up in Harlem with his mother during the 1970s.

StoryCorps MVI: Randy and Judy Pilgrim (02:53)
From: StoryCorps

Judy and Randy Pilgrim remember their son and Iraq war veteran, Army Specialist Lance Pilgrim.

StoryCorps: Louis and Harriet Caplan (02:19)
From: StoryCorps

Harriet Caplan talks to her husband, Louis, about how their relationship began.

Piece Description

When Juliet Jegasothy [Jeg - ah - so - thee] came to the United States from Sri Lanka, she had already heard many stories about what life was like in America. "We came to America in 1969, we were just newly married, and we came to Brooklyn, New York." Jegasothy recently told her friend Sheena Jacob. "I was so terrified to even open the door, because I had heard all these horror stories about crooks, and gangsters, and guns, in New York." Jegasothy soon encountered an American tradition that she was not prepared for.

Broadcast History

NPR's Morning Edition 10/27/2006

Transcript

JJ: We came to America in 1969, we were just newly married and we came to Brooklyn, New York and I was so terrified to even open the door because I had heard all these horror stories about crooks and gangsters and guns in New York. So there was this one evening that Brian was working in the night and I was alone with the baby and the doorbell started ringing and then I go and look through the peephole and it was like a really scary person standing outside so I didn't open the door, I told my baby to be quiet and then again the doorbell rings and again I look through the peephole and I'm like really scared and the third time it rang there were more than one person and they were all looking really scary and screaming at me through the door. So, I called Brian on the phone and I said there is something happening there are some crooks or somebody trying to frighten me at the door. He sa...
Read the full transcript

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

Each Friday you hear pieces of oral history as captured by StoryCorps. Today, a story about coming to America. Juliet Jegasothy [Jeg - ah - so - thee] immigrated to the United States from Sri Lanka. She tells her friend, Sheena Jacob, about one American tradition she was not quite prepared for.

[Tape]

OUTRO:

Juliet Jegasothy with her friend Sheena Jacobs at StoryCorps booth in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. StoryCorps interviews are archived at the Library of Congress. To find out how to record your story, go to npr.org.