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for Interview with Rafi Issa
Interview with Rafi Issa
Date22 October 2025
Mediumborn digital audio file
DimensionsDuration: 34 Minutes, 8 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineCommunity History Project Collection
DescriptionAudio file of interview with Rafi Issa. He was interviewed by Zeynep Su Oguzer on Ocotber 22, 2025 in Hartford, Connecticut.
Rafi Issa was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History's Community History Project discussing moments of change in his life.
During this interview, Rafi discusses his journey from Syria to Türkiye and then to the United States.
Rafi was born in Syria and left at age eight because of the war. His family lived in Gaziantep, Istanbul, and Bursa before immigrating to the United States for safety and better opportunities. He now lives in Connecticut with his parents and two siblings, working and studying as an auto mechanic.
Rafi describes “change” as a difficult experience that brings loss and separation from loved ones but he recognizes that moving to the U.S. was an important step for his future. He recalls traumatic memories of war, including bombings and losing two cousins.
In Türkiye, he says he sometimes faced teasing for being Syrian but overall felt supported. In the U.S., he finds people kind and welcoming. However, learning English remains challenging. His family studies together at home, often mixing Arabic, Turkish, and English.
Rafi dreams of building a home in Trabzon one day because of its nature and sense of community. He values loyalty, honesty, and perseverance, saying he’s learned not to trust too easily but to always keep trying.
His story reflects resilience, adaptation, and hope.
Rafi Issa was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History's Community History Project discussing moments of change in his life.
During this interview, Rafi discusses his journey from Syria to Türkiye and then to the United States.
Rafi was born in Syria and left at age eight because of the war. His family lived in Gaziantep, Istanbul, and Bursa before immigrating to the United States for safety and better opportunities. He now lives in Connecticut with his parents and two siblings, working and studying as an auto mechanic.
Rafi describes “change” as a difficult experience that brings loss and separation from loved ones but he recognizes that moving to the U.S. was an important step for his future. He recalls traumatic memories of war, including bombings and losing two cousins.
In Türkiye, he says he sometimes faced teasing for being Syrian but overall felt supported. In the U.S., he finds people kind and welcoming. However, learning English remains challenging. His family studies together at home, often mixing Arabic, Turkish, and English.
Rafi dreams of building a home in Trabzon one day because of its nature and sense of community. He values loyalty, honesty, and perseverance, saying he’s learned not to trust too easily but to always keep trying.
His story reflects resilience, adaptation, and hope.
Object number2024.79.101
NotesSubject Note: The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History’s Community History Project (CHP) is a public-facing initiative, focused on contemporary collecting, gathering items of the recent past as well as from events happening today. This program developed community historians to identify, document, and preserve their experiences as residents of Connecticut, and to share these experiences during a series of community presentations. The project focused on the theme "Redefining Moments of Change." Conneticans share stories of people or events who have changed their lives or how they have sparked change in the lives of others.Cataloging Note: Digitization and access to this collection is supported by a Congressionally Directed grant through the U.S. Department of Education.
Subject Terms
CTDA Handle: Watch/Listen on the Connecticut Digital Archive
https://hdl.handle.net/11134/4085717
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