Bonna Mai, Cambodia
Interviewed by Candice A. Jones

Bonna (Sam) Mai is originally from Cambodia and has been living in Lowell, Massachusetts for over twenty-four years now. She immigrated to the United States after escaping from Cambodia in 1979. Bonna Mai has not only earned a Masters Degree in human resources, but she is also happily married to a Vietnamese immigrant and is the proud mother of five beautiful children. Besides working a full time job and caring for a large family, Bonna also volunteers her time helping young children learn their native Cambodian language at the Mogan Cultural Center in Lowell.

Alda Rocha, Portugal
Interviewed by Scott Gould

Alda (DeOliveira) Rocha moved with her family to the United States from the Azores in 1968. Since then she has lived and worked in Lowell, currently working at the Massachusetts Alliance for Portuguese Speakers. Her connection to and work with the Portuguese community is abundant and invaluable: she teaches English to Portuguese immigrants for citizenship papers, and volunteers with all of the Portuguese organizations in and around Lowell, most notably the Holy Ghost Society.

Gordon Halm, Ghana
Interviewed by Crystal Caron

Gordon Halm lived in Liberia and then in Ghana before immigrating to Lowell. He now lives here with his beautiful wife and three energetic children. He works with the handicapped and is an undergraduate at Middlesex Community College. Gordon is a founder of the African Festival that takes place each summer here in Lowell and works to integrate African culture into the Greater Lowell area.

Beatrice Cornell, Ireland
Interviewed by Lauren Rockvam

Beatrice (Deveny) Cornell was born in 1910 in Galway, Ireland, on a small family farm. When she was eight-years old, her mother died and a few years later her only sibling, Mary, immigrated to England. In 1927, Cornell left Galway and her beloved father for the United States. Once here, Cornell quickly found employment as a domestic servant in New York. In the midst of the Depression, 1935, Beatrice Deveny married Thomas Cornell. She had two children: one became a priest and the other a teacher. She currently resides in St. Patrick's Rectory, in Lowell, MA with her son.

Stanislav Nekrash, Russia
Interviewed by Eric Bernhardt

Stanislav Nekrash is a devoted father, traveling a considerable distance and leaving a rewarding career in Russia to immigrate to the United States to be with his sons. He currently works a few different jobs, including security for the Wannalancit building, but has dreams of returning to the high tech industry one day. Stanislav has been improving his English by translating great American novels.

Rita Coderre, Canada
Interviewed by Michael Dubois

Rita (Laurin) Coderre was born on March 9th, 1929 in Joliette, Canada. She lived there with her parents and five siblings for the first seven years of her life. She would often travel between Canada and the U.S., where she eventually met her future husband. The two soon married and resided in Lowell, Massachusetts, where they planned to raise a family. Now widowed, Rita Coderre lives in a two-story home within the Highlands of Lowell, enjoying life with her five children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Ioana Albu, Romania
Interviewed by Liza LaRose

Ioana (Bratoi) Albu is a thirty-five year old Romanian immigrant, who moved to the United States six years ago. She currently lives in Lowell with her husband, who is also an immigrant from Romania. She works as a medical billing agent for St. Joseph's Hospital in Lowell. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering for a local group, helping illiterate adults learn how to read.

Mauricio Mendes, Brazil
Interviewed by Kelly Jillett

Mauricio Mendes was born in Brazil in 1981. He has three older sisters and a younger brother. Mauricio has a full-time job working as a mechanic. He enjoys going to the gym and playing music with his band.

Cecilia Okafor, Nigeria
Interviewed by Julius Harvey

Cecilia Okafor currently works as the Executive Director of the African Assistance Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. Born in Nigeria, Cecilia first immigrated to Texas, but later moved to Lowell, where she is raising her four children. An alumni of UMass Lowell (Health Education), she is now studying for a Masters degree in the Women in Politics and Policy program at UMass Boston. Cecilia generously gives many hours of service to the community.

Basil Karanastasis, Greece
Interviewed by Shannon Martin

Basil Karanastasis emigrated from Greece to Lowell over thirty years ago. After many months of hard work and persistent effort to learn English, Basil succeeded in opening Haircare Salon in Lowell, which he operated with his wife Ana's help. Basil and his wife have two children, Nadia and George, and enjoy participating in community events.

Chanthip Antonaccio, Laos
Interviewed by Jillian Kenyon

Chanthip (Chantharak) Antonaccio was born in Laos. She trained as a middle school teacher before escaping to Thailand in 1980. She arrived in Lowell in 1982. She is married and has a son and a daughter. With her husband, she owns and runs the Southeast Asian Restaurant on Market Street in Lowell. Her recipes feature traditional cuisines of Laos, Tailand, Cambodia, Burma, and Vietnam. In her spare time Chanthip enjoys gardening and reading.

Beatriz Sierra, Colombia
Interviewed by Brandis Kelly

Beatriz (Rojas) Sierra was born in Medellin, Colombia, and came to the U.S. with her family in 1979. She lives in Lowell with her husband and young daughter. Beatriz is a Spanish teacher and a parent liaison for Gear-Up Lowell, and she volunteers as a dance instructor for senior citizens and youth. Dancing is one of her favorite hobbies.

Saroj Madan, India
Interviewed by Elys Rodriguez

Saroj (Bhatia) Madan is an Indian immigrant and a proud resident of Lowell. Currently, she owns and operates Madan Travel, an agency specializing in trips for families, and she also works with children with learning disabilities. Saroj is the mother of two sons in their twenties and enjoys knitting and being involved in the Indian community.

Sophie Zolud, Poland
Interviewed by Michael Brothers

Sophie Zolud was born in Poland and lived there until the age of 16 when she was abducted by Nazi soldiers. She then spent the next 3 years of her life in a German labor camp in Hanover/Linden, Germany. After W.W.II ended, she stayed in Germany where she met her future husband. She then had a chance to move to the US with the help of the church, with her fiancé soon following her. They were married here in the States and settled in the city of Lowell.

Marco Torres, Puerto Rico
Interviewed by Ryan Donahue

Marco Torres resides in Lowell with his wife, Danneza, and two children, Marco Jr. and Diego. Born in Puerto Rico, Marco moved to New England in early 1991. Marco is proud to be a U.S. Veteran and has spent many hours volunteering in the community: tutoring school children, helping immigrants to learn English, and serving on a local Charter School Board. Marco is currently attending the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover and hopes to become an attorney specializing in representing Latino immigrants. In his spare time, Marco enjoys reading, writing, and music.

Audy Ramirez, Dominican Republic
Interviewed by Ryan Buchanan

Audy Ramirez was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He moved to Lowell on March 3, 1993, when he was fourteen years old. Currently, he attends school at Middlesex Community College but plans on moving to Florida where he will continue his education at Florida International College, just outside of Miami. He is a hard-working young man with a bright future ahead of him.