The Arab Spring

The objectives of the Tunisian Transition Oral History Project are twofold: (1) To document and interpret the events of revolutionary and transitional Tunisia (late 2010 to late 2015) from the perspective of prominent transition leaders in the technical government and in civil society, and (2) To understand the technical government as “answer” to outstanding revolutionary demands; and how it was implemented and functioned. Note: transcripts and other files have not been digitized; they are housed at Columbia University Libraries in New York City.

In this interview, Ibrahim discusses her early life in Somalia and in Egypt and speaks about her family's reasons for relocating to Egypt. She talks about life in Cairo, Egypt, and discusses her education, including learning Arabic, bullying she experienced, and transferring to a madrassa. She also talks about experiencing street harassment in Cairo. She shares her memories of the Arab Spring, talks about the process of applying for refugee status in the United States, and describes her living conditions in Egypt. She then discusses adjusting to life in the U.S., her experiences at an American high school, and learning English.