Brenda Reiss - June 23, 1983
Life in the United States
...she said to me, "You have nobody." I said--and then I start to cry, and said, "I have nobody, then I don't need to live?" They said, "Don't cry, maybe you can write to Detroit, maybe they'll take you the next trip." Detroit took me, yeah and I come to Detroit.
How did you feel about the United States when you first came here?
They were very good to me. Why I didn't went to Akron, Ohio because I hear there's not too many Jews, and I said, No." And they said in Detroit it's a bigger city. I took it and I, I want to come with more Jews. They said we're going try--going to write to Detroit and they, they, they did a very good thing. I cannot say nothing. The whole--just everything. When my baby was born, yeah, they helped me a lot, oh yes. I cannot say nothing. The only thing that I miss my family. I miss my family. That's what. I wish I had a sister, a brother, something. No good ???. No good. ??? when you have it, you appreciate it. We ??? knew them very bad, very bad.
Did you find any anti-Semitism in this country when you came here?
I was always in the Jewish neighborhood. Sure it's here, but I don't let them do it no more. No, no. I give right back. I don't let them do it no more what they did to me there. No, I don't care. I have my rights and I won't let them do it. I yell a lot or I fight back. I will not going to be so dumb as I was before. No, no, never, never. ??? Auschwitz when you fight back ??? maybe you were more afraid. They took us like, like animals to crematorium. Why? Because this is me, no more, I not going to let them do it no more, no more. I don't care. I don't care no more. I won't let them do.
© Board of Regents University of Michigan-Dearborn