00:00:00:12
[YOUSEF V.O.] (Arabic) Dear Eptisam, Dear Elias, Dear Sweet Haneen, Dear Alla,  

00:00:07:22
[YOUSEF V.O.] (Arabic) I love you very, very much. I love your from the bottom of my heart.

00:00:13:07
[YOUSEF V.O.] (Arabic) It is true that I did not give you the love and kindness that a father should give you --  to live together ten years.

00:00:21:07
[YOUSEF V.O.] (Arabic) This is a chance for me to provide you a part of the love I want to give you.

00:00:26:14
[YOUSEF V.O.] (Arabic) When you come to America you will find a very good life..."

SCORE

00:00:56:19
[YOUSEF] Ah, Welcome to Church Street Market.

00:01:02:04
[YOUSEF] This is a liquor store and grocery.  I have most types of food, liquor, wine... and lotto - lucky lotto...

00:01:17:08
[YOUSEF]
I wake up at 7, take a shower, or, change clothes, and clean my room.

00:01:26:13
[YOUSEF] I open the store at 7:30 in the morning,

00:01:31:02
[YOUSEF] I work here all day until midnight.

00:01:34:24
[YOUSEF]  Seven days a week, everyday, seven days a week.

00:01:38:01
[YOUSEF] Usually I don't close, always I keep store open. Because my customers they knows I'm always open.

SCORE
00:01:48:12
[BRYAN] They have a key to my house, they pick up my mail from me, they pick up my packages when I'm not home.

00:01:53:20
[KELLY] Right, you forget your wallet, they make a note of it. Oh yeah, get us next time.  That's never gonna happen at 7-11.

00:02:00:07
[YOUSEF] Five, ten and  twenty.

00:02:01:09
[CUSTOMER] Thank you

00:02:02:00
[YOUSEF] Thank you so much

00:02:03:23
[YOUSEF] I have very nice customers. I love him very much.  

00:02:07:09
[YOUSEF] They are so kind to me  I feel like I am with my family in my neighborhood.

00:02:18:10
[DAVID] I know there are apartments up above but I didn't know he lived there.

00:02:22:11
[YOUSEF] Here's where I sleep, my apartment, small apartment.  

00:02:26:21
[YOUSEF] Storage.  Like soda, water, some small, stuff.  

00:02:31:16
[YOUSEF] My office, all my stuff is here, my clothes, I sleep here.

00:02:36:22
[BRYAN] I can't imagine what that would be like. Cause you're letting people into your home, in a weird way.

SCORE

00:02:43:05
[YOUSEF] Usually I eat by myself,  

00:02:47:22
[YOUSEF] Eat a little bit and go to work, eat little it and go to work.  I'm not enjoying my food.  

00:02:59:23
[BRIANA] It's just interesting the more you find out about everybody it's kind of really intriguing, his story is really touching

00:03:07:11
[YOUSEF] This is my future.

(sound of bell chiming)

00:03:11:19
[YOUSEF]  You know, I build it step by step, slowly, slowly for 10 years.

00:03:19:15
[YOUSEF]  Any mistake, maybe I lose everything.

SCORE

00:03:34:15
[YOUSEF] This is my kids...

00:03:39:21
[YOUSEF] And this is my wife, her name is Ebstam.  Mmmhmm.  

00:03:46:16
[YOUSEF] And this is my old son, his name [ELIAS].  He's 18 years old.  Teenagers now.  Mmhmm.  

00:03:56:22
[YOUSEF] And this is small one, my small son, his name Ala.  He's 12 years old.

00:04:02:16
[YOUSEF] Almost 2 years... was a baby.  Now he's a teenager.  And now, too tall and big.  It's so different .

00:04:12:17
[YOUSEF] And this is my daughter, her name [HANEEN]...She's 15.  Mmhmm

00:04:20:19
[YOUSEF] This my family....  

00:04:28:13
[YOUSEF] Oh, it's okay.

00:04:30:07
[YOUSEF] My kids in back home they live in Bethlehem, Palestine.

00:04:34:19
[YOUSEF] It's very hard. It's without dad.

00:04:38:21
[YOUSEF] This my daughter. So, when she was, I think, 4 years?  


00:04:44:03
[YOUSEF] No, it's about, 10 years?  8 to 10 years.  

00:04:50:11
[YOUSEF] Long time... it was, Christmas time over there

00:04:55:06
[YOUSEF] You know she is, I don't know, a big emotion thing between me and her.

00:05:01:18
[YOUSEF] We always talking together.  She always telling me about herself, her friends,  about her school, about everything.  

00:05:09:19
[YOUSEF] Everything single thing she tell me about it.  I love her so much.

00:05:15:03
[YOUSEF] You know, I love my son, and, I always talk to everybody, but she's special.  Big special.

SCORE

00:05:29:17
[YOUSEF] In 2005, my sister she call me and say Yousef, there's good surprise for you.

00:05:34:12
[YOUSEF] I tell her, what, I never hear any good news in my life. Always bad news.

00:05:40:14
[YOUSEF] She's laughing, she told me No, immigration send the paper for you to be legal.

00:05:45:01
[YOUSEF] So she give me the address for this lady Cara.

00:05:49:13
[CARA] I met Joseph about two years ago when he came to our office for help getting his permanent residence, his green card.

00:05:57:14
[CARA] He's obviously so hard working and had made this huge sacrifice to come and be apart physically from his family for all this time.

00:06:06:00
[CARA] And yet, I know he keeps in pretty constant contact with them.

SCORE

00:06:12:05
[YOUSEF] I love kids.  I love them very much.  Very, very much I love the kids.   

00:06:16:09
[YOUSEF] Anyone have a baby or kids, I like to play with them.  I give them something.  Feeling emotional, it's good friendly.  

00:06:27:06
[YOUSEF] So that's why my life is so big different, I don't know.

00:06:43:24
[YOUSEF] You want to talk to them, you want to play with them.

00:06:47:18
[YOUSEF] This is a good time to stay with your kids.

00:06:50:18
[YOUSEF] But… no choices.  I have to do what I do.

00:06:55:13
[CARA] ...people aren't aware that it takes so long.  

00:06:58:15
[CARA] You know, that we've set up a system where people have to wait 5, 10, 15 years to be reunited with their family,

00:07:05:15
[CARA] even though they've entered the country lawfully, even though they are running a business, working 7 days a week, contributing to society, um…

00:07:13:09
[CARA] and just want to be re-unified with their family.  You know, why is that so hard?  And why does it take so long?

SCORE

00:07:21:02
[YOUSEF] ...in that moment, when I make the decision to come here and leave my family.  

00:07:27:06
[YOUSEF] My situation was very, very bad...

00:07:29:07
[YOUSEF] Because over there I had a liquor store like here ....but the business was broke.

00:07:38:08
[YOUSEF] When you don't have money to buy medicine for your son or daughter.  

00:07:42:22
[YOUSEF] When you can't buy milk for your kids, for your babies… see how it feels.

00:07:50:08
[YOUSEF] Many times when you go to sleep you is crying.

(Brother speaking in Arabic)

00:07:57:11
[YOUSEF] When my brother call me to come to America and he want to support me right away I buy a ticket and just two days I be out.

 00:08:07:06
[YOUSEF] And my wife, I told her, she has to  work hard with me until we, if couple years, until we stand up.

SCORE

00:08:26:06
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) [HANEEN], the iPod is expensive.

00:08:30:10
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Believe sweetie, it's expensive.

00:08:34:07
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) I am fed up!

00:08:36:13
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) [HANEEN], don't keep calling me to ask for things.

00:08:40:04
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) All right, I will shop around...

00:08:42:11
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) …and see about getting it.

SCORE

00:08:49:06
[YOUSEF] Always, I thinking about them.

SCORE

00:08:58:13
[YOUSEF] I pay it from my life. My hard life, my situation, my cost.

00:09:06:07
[YOUSEF] Not money, I'm not thinking about money.

00:09:08:23
[YOUSEF] This is my body, my life.

00:09:13:12
 [CARA] I think it's really obviously really difficult for people. I think it's lonely.  

00:09:17:23
[CARA] I think it's, it's a mix of pride in that you've made this sacrifice and are really helping your family in real concrete ways but a real sadness that you're missing years of your children's lives.

00:09:31:14
[YOUSEF] I want to do my best to give him the good life, that's better than my life, cuz all  my life, all my life all tragedy.  

SCORE

00:09:51:16
[YOUSEF]
I never celebrate any occasion with my kids, my family.  

00:09:56:02
[YOUSEF]
They want me to celebrate Easter with them this year.

00:10:02:00
[YOUSEF]
Everybody's here.  My brothers, their wives and their kids.  Everybody's here, except for my wife and my  kids is not here.

00:10:11:07
[YOUSEF] So we are four brothers and one sister.

00:10:14:17
[YOUSEF] Anyones needs help- right away. Not thinking, not asking. If I do this or I do that, he bad he’s good, no.

00:10:23:24
[YOUSEF] So, this is good things we grew up back home. Grew up to love each other.

00:10:31:12
[VICTOR] Back home in the Holy Land, Palestine, Christians celebrate this Easter and they call it the Big Feast.  

00:10:40:20
[VICTOR] It's a time for family, number one, and time for reflection.

00:10:48:07
[VICTOR] Because, for a people who are living behind a wall, in a big prison we can't wait to see the day when Palestinians will have a free homeland to call there own.  

00:11:03:12
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Yala, we have to leave. See you later. Bye.

00:11:05:01
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Thank you so much Auntie. May God protect you and keep you safe.

00:11:08:13
[YOUSEF] Oh, you little one. Happy Easter to you as well.

00:11:11:08
[FAMILY MEMBER] (Arabic) Yousef, my dear. I hope your family will celebrate your next holiday together.

00:11:14:15
[YOUSEF]  (Arabic) I pray to God that it happens. Thanks, Auntie.

00:11:15:24
[FAMILY MEMBER] (Arabic) I really say it from the bottom of my heart.

SCORE

00:11:42:21
[YOUSEF] My sister start making papers, for me and for my brothers, in 1995.

00:11:49:22
[YOUSEF]  Between 1995 until 2005 we don't know anythings about our files, we don't have any way to ask about our files.

00:12:01:01
[YOUSEF] Nobody knows anything.

SCORE

00:12:10:24
[YOUSEF] It take ten years, but they give me the green card.

00:12:13:24
[YOUSEF] When I ask about my wife and my kids, what we can do for them.

00:12:21:05
[CARA] Because he was here and they were there, it's been kind of divided process.  

00:12:24:21
[CARA] And so they had to process his and send all the paperwork abroad and then ask for more things.

00:12:29:24
[CARA] So that has added a little bit of time to the process to bringing his wife and children over.  

00:12:35:02
[CARA] But we're getting close to the end now, we're almost there.


00:12:38:20
[YOUSEF] Very, very hard. Not be easy.

00:12:41:06
[YOUSEF] That's why I try my best to stay here to work hard, to keep busy.

00:12:46:23
[YOUSEF] And my hands and my body working, not my brain working.

[SCORE]

00:12:50:23
[YOUSEF] Because if my brain working, it will be more difficult.

00:13:01:06
[YOUSEF] In the morning, I talked to Dora, the lawyer.  

00:13:05:08
[YOUSEF] She tell me it's approval for the papers.  All the papers now in consulate.  

00:13:11:10
[YOUSEF] Just waiting time to... for my names coming to take a visa.  

00:13:18:01
[YOUSEF] So I'm buying the tickets and be there 25th. So everybody will be waiting

00:13:24:06
[CUSTOMER] Well have a nice trip, how long are you going to be gone for?

00:13:26:12
[YOUSEF] I'll be back on July 5th, a long trip.

00:13:29:17
[CUSTOMER] Well, enjoy yourself.

00:13:30:13
[YOUSEF] I will, thank you so much.

00:13:32:12
[YOUSEF] Tomorrow Saturday the 23rd. We have to fly to Palestine.

00:13:37:07
[YOUSEF] After 10 years I am so happy.

00:13:42:10
[YOUSEF] Working hard for it.

00:13:43:13
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) I still don't have the bags ready and it's almost 10 pm.

00:13:46:22
[YOUSEF] Here's some shoeses.

00:13:49:20
[YOUSEF] Doing, processing papers to move my family here, to live here.

00:13:54:07
[CUSTOMER] That's great.

00:13:55:04
[YOUSEF] Yeah, it be good.

00:13:56:24
[YOUSEF] What they, my sons they ask me for I buy it for them.

00:14:00:12
[YOUSEF] (Arabic)  I need money and cannot afford to take any more.

00:14:02:24
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) I spent a great deal on this trip.

00:14:06:02
[YOUSEF] And the iPod…

00:14:09:12
[YOUSEF] and everything they ask me for I do it for them.

00:14:13:19
[YOUSEF] Everybody happy for me. Because I'm not really bad for anyone, you know.

00:14:19:22
[YOUSEF] I like everybody and everybody like me.

00:14:22:03
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) I'll call you as soon as I get home.

00:14:24:23
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) I took the phone I told you about.

00:14:26:24
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) I will call from there.

00:14:28:00
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) God bless you.

00:14:29:04
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) OK, bye.

00:14:30:15
[YOUSEF] I like everybody to be happy and to enjoying as much they can.

00:14:34:12
[YOUSEF] Together after long time, ten years.

00:14:40:05
[YOUSEF] So this is the time for calm down, relaxing and enjoying in the life.

00:14:47:17
[YOUSEF] Life is good.

ARABIC MUSIC PLAYS

00:15:01:02
[YOUSEF] (subtitled English) All my body shaking, like electricity in my body.

ARABIC MUSIC PLAYS

01:15:54:08
[YOUSEF] You want to live with people, you don't know how they are, how they acting, how they're nerves, they be simple, they be hard, they be easy, they be difficult. Nobody knows.

ARABIC MUSIC PLAYS

00:15:16:11
[YOUSEF] What I'm thinking. It's, I don't know what's going on, but it will be a good surprise. Good surprise.

SCORE

00:17:13:06
[OMAR] (Arabic) [EBTISAM] is thinking "Where is Yousef. Yousef took too long."

[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Yes, tell her this.

00:18:02:24
[OMAR] (Arabic) “Yousef took too long. Yousef took too long."

00:18:12:14
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) We just left Riha (Jericho).

00:18:16:12
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) We are on our way home. We will be home in 30 minutes. I will see you.

00:18:21:18
[OMAR] (Arabic) She is waiting and then she will leave.

00:18:26:00
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Isn't there another road?

00:18:27:11
[OMAR] (Arabic) Yes, but it's forbidden.


00:18:29:04
[OMAR] (Arabic) We are not allowed on it.

00:18:30:09
[OMAR] (Arabic) It looks like they are going up.

00:18:32:01
 OMAR] (Arabic) But let me go see what the story is here.

00:18:47:04
[ALLA] (Arabic) How beautiful.

00:18:48:05
[HANEEN] (Arabic) Is it mine?

00:18:49:18
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) No. It's for the neighbors.

00:18:52:08
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) The camera is for Haneen.

00:18:57:06
[HANEEN] (Arabic) Where is the iPod Dad?

00:18:58:14
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) What iPod? What iPod?

00:19:01:01
[OMAR] (Arabic) Be careful, they might take it from you.

00:19:04:20
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) [HANEEN], don't you like it?

00:19:05:24
[HANEEN] (Arabic) Don't worry Dad.

00:19:10:14
[ALLA] (Arabic) Put George Wassouf on.

00:19:12:19
[OMAR] (Arabic) Forget George Wassouf and all of that nonsense.

00:19:15:04
[OMAR] (Arabic) We'll put Michael -- We'll put Michael Jackson on.


ARABIC MUSIC PLAYS

00:19:20:02
[HANEEN] (Arabic) We are about to arrive.

00:19:21:00
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) Oh, be quiet you two!

00:19:22:07
[OMAR] Elias!

00:19:29:21
[AUNTIE] (Arabic) Welcome, welcome!

00:19:34:12
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) God bless you!

00:19:36:04
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) How are you? How's your health?

00:19:41:21
[ELIAS] (Arabic) It took you two hours to get here from Beit Sahour?

00:19:45:02
[OMAR] (Arabic) That's it. Now pull the rope.

00:19:48:20
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) I'll help you with it, that's heavy.

00:19:59:00
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) Open the door Haneen!

00:20:04:19
[OMAR] (Arabic) Here, take these Yousef!

00:20:17:04
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) Because he works so hard - he looks older.

00:20:22:15
[EBTISAM] He works too much for me and for my kids.

00:20:28:15
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) For a long time we didn't see him, so we see all the changes.

00:20:35:18
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) What can we do with this troublemaker?

00:20:38:24
[HANEEN] (Arabic) No, no, no, Dad!

00:20:40:17
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Where?

00:20:42:07
[HANEEN] (Arabic) No, Dad!

00:20:46:02
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) This one is a troublemaker.

SCORE

00:21:00:09
[HANEEN] Here is the settlement of Jabal Abu Ghneim.

00:21:03:03
[HANEEN] It was for us, for the Palestinian, but after that...now, it's for the Israeli.

00:21:11:00
[HANEEN] Here is our house, my grandfather build it, in 1987, I think.

00:21:21:10
[HANEEN] And, he build three houses.

00:21:24:22
[HANEEN] Here for my father, the older one, and here for Hanna, and the other side for Maurice.

00:21:34:15
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) We are having coffee right now.

00:21:39:07
[HANEEN] Hanna's calling.

00:21:39:13
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Ok, well, come. Come so we can make fun of you.

00:21:41:12
[AUNTIE] Hello, son. Welcome home. How are you? God bless you.

00:21:43:23
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Hold on. Hello. How are you, Auntie?

00:21:46:24
[HANEEN] ...one year ago, in April, they moved to America.

00:21:51:16
[HANEEN] We, we stay alone!

00:21:54:18
[HANEEN] We, we are in the kitchen...oh, it's big, but I don't know.


00:22:01:20
[HANEEN] But, we eat in the living room. My mom stay here, cooking and doing her....I don't know.

00:22:11:20
[HANEEN] Here is my dad and mom's room.

00:22:15:06
[HANEEN] When my father goes to America, I sleep here.

00:22:20:08
[HANEEN] I stay here with my mom. Because my dad is in America and, I don’t know,  I stay here.

00:22:27:19
[HANEEN] My father put plants, vegetables and fruits, but after he went, we didn't know how to take care of them.

00:22:36:22
[HANEEN] So everything dead.

SCORE

00:22:41:20
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Be a man, a strong one.

00:22:45:18
[YOUSEF] Alla, Alla, over there, over there.

00:22:48:10
[YOUSEF] You see that branch over there?

00:22:50:22
[ALLA] (Arabic) This? This is not ready yet.

00:22:51:23
[YOUSEF] Enough, enough. Leave the rest until they are ripened.

00:23:11:14
[HANEEN] Ala is happy because he doesn't live with his father. With my dad.

00:23:19:00
[HANEEN] Because my dad left here since Ala'a was two years.

00:23:26:09
[HANEEN] So he's happy because he will live with his dad.

SOUNDS OF DRUMMING AND SINGING

00:23:26:09
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) That's it! You're giving me a headache! Cut it out!

00:23:26:09
[HANEEN] (Arabic) Can I borrow your cell phone?

00:23:47:08
[FRIEND] (Arabic) What?

00:23:48:18
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) You know, coming here is not for free... She wants to borrow your cell phone

SINGING AND LAUGHING

00:24:36:01
[YOUSEF] Here our house. The old house.

00:24:43:18
[YOUSEF] We live here for almost 20 years. My parents was very poor.

00:24:50:14
[YOUSEF] The old house. Wow, so... Because nobody. We live in here, down.

00:24:58:02
[YOUSEF] Here my house is two room, 7 people:.4 brothers and 1 sister and my mom and my dad.

00:25:08:02
[YOUSEF] We don't have any electricity or water. Because politics, situation. Many times they cut the water. They didn't give us the water every day.

00:25:20:10
[YOUSEF] They give him one time or two times every week or every two weeks. Most of water going to the settlement. Not for the Palestinians.

00:25:31:12
[YOUSEF] That's why now, when you see me I can't say I like this or I don't like this. Whatever I have, I have it.

00:25:39:03
[YOUSEF] Now everything is easy, electronic and the water, the sinks.
You can order food by phone.

00:25:48:00
[YOUSEF] I tell my kids, when you spend the money and you buy everything. That's, you are so lucky.

00:25:54:00
[YOUSEF] Because your life is much better than your life.

00:25:58:21
[YOUSEF] So difficult life, never forget it.

ARABIC MUSIC PLAYS

00:26:03:15
[YOUSEF] When I leave here I feel freedom you know, I see my people, I speak Arabic.

00:26:10:09
[YOUSEF]  Feeling different then how I feel in America.

ARABIC MUSIC PLAYS

00:26:23:05
[YOUSEF] Before I come here I decide to sell the house and take my kids to America, to stay in America.

00:26:30:21
[YOUSEF] But now when I come back I put pictures in my mind to thinking a lot about my future here.

00:26:38:07
 [YOUSEF] I have to talk to my kids, its their life: is not by myself.

00:26:45:09
[YOUSEF] I put everything on the table. Everybody has to say something, you know. I don't like to take a decision by myself.

ALA SINGING ALONG TO A SONG ON HIS HEADPHONES

00:26:54:07
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) I expected to live in Bethlehem.

00:27:00:08
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) If we live together in America its good that we will live together...

00:27:10:10
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) Wherever, Bethlehem or America, its good that we live together.

00:27:14:19
[HANEEN] After 10 years, I can't explain my feeling now.

00:27:22:07
[HANEEN] I mean that it's unbelievable in feeling.

00:27:27:06
[HANEEN] I'm very happy because we are all the family is living together

(MUSIC)

00:27:35:16
[ALLA] (Arabic) I want to go to America because...

00:27:38:05
[ALLA] (Arabic) because here our country's political instability is not good...

00:27:40:23
[ALLA] (Arabic) and with Israel occupying our land and the agony of having war after war...

00:27:44:21
[ALLA] (Arabic) and America is more beautiful and life will be better for us...

00:27:49:00
[ALLA] (Arabic) because my Dad has a business there...

00:27:51:07
[ALLA] (Arabic) A good business. It would be unfair to ask him to leave.

00:27:53:15
[ALLA] (Arabic) And furthermore, life is not that great here with Dad being away...

00:27:57:10
[ALLA] (Arabic) We are here and he is there.

00:27:59:03
[ALLA] (Arabic) So... So...

00:28:06:02
[ALLA] (Arabic) In Bethlehem I'm not very happy.

00:28:10:17
[ALLA] (Arabic) But God willing, when we go to America, I will be happier.

ARABIC MUSIC PLAYS

00:28:17:06
[HANEEN] Elias...he don't like to go to America, because he likes his work and his friends and it's hard, because he don't know English very well.

00:28:29:21
[HANEEN] He don't like America and he don't like to live the life of the American people.

00:28:35:12
[HANEEN] He's living here and he wants continue here.

00:28:41:13
[ELIAS] (Arabic) It's a big responsibility.

00:28:45:05
[ELIAS] (Arabic) For me being self-reliant is a good thing...

00:28:48:15
[ELIAS] (Arabic) ….and being able to rely on my household, but it cannot last forever.

00:28:53:15
[ELIAS] (Arabic) The father needs to be at home.

00:28:57:24
[ELIAS] (Arabic) The first week I was upset.

00:29:02:08
[ELIAS] (Arabic) I mean, I was sad.

00:29:04:15
[ELIAS] (Arabic) Then I relied on myself and became responsible for the household.

00:29:13:08
[ELIAS] (Arabic) The first week we were all sad.

00:29:16:14
[ELIAS] (Arabic) The next week I felt that there were a lot of responsibilities...

00:29:19:16
[ELIAS] (Arabic) …as well as anguish in the household and…

00:29:23:08
[ELIAS] (Arabic) there are needs and needs and needs.

00:29:25:04
[YOUSEF] One time I ask him how did you come to America, what you want to do.

00:29:30:09
[YOUSEF] “Oh Dad, it's so hard to leave those people.”
 
00:29:35:00
[ELIAS] (Arabic) I have a girlfriend here. Her name is Riham.

00:29:39:12
[ELIAS] (Arabic) She told me that it made here very happy to see me to day

00:29:42:03
[ELIAS] (Arabic) and she wishes that we stay together in this beautiful relationship.

00:29:44:14
[YOUSEF] He's a man.

00:29:47:03
[YOUSEF] That's surprising, so it's very exciting. So, I have a man.


00:30:05:11
CHATTER IN ARABIC

00:30:16:04
[YOUSEF] Maybe my future is here.

00:30:18:04
[YOUSEF] My kids they are they are smart, nice, quietly people.

00:30:22:13
[YOUSEF]  If they going there to America. It will be big different life.

CHATTER IN ARABIC

00:30:41:00
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) In America the life is different than the life in Bethlehem.

00:30:44:00
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) Bethlehem is a community.  

00:30:48:04
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) I'm afraid that our kids will become distant from us in America.

00:30:53:24
[EBTISAM] (Arabic)  Raising my daughter by myself is a big responsibility. I am afraid for her.

00:30:57:20
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) The major challenge was raising her.

00:31:01:07
[EBTISAM] (Arabic) I just want to make sure she has a good future and a good life.

(Sounds of girls gossiping outside school)

00:31:07:04
[HANEEN] I'm at  St. Joseph's school, Terra Santa for girls. And Alla in Terra Santa for boys.

00:31:21:08
[HANEEN] Here, as a private school. We are here for study.

00:31:27:00
[HANEEN] This school is the best in Bethlehem for girls and Terra Santa is the best for boys because it's private.

00:31:38:04
[HANEEN] This is Mayan Bundak, this is Amani Denoon.

00:31:44:23
[HANEEN] When they leave school in the 12th grade, they move to the university.

00:31:49:13
[HANEEN] And there's in Bethlehem, some girls go to the other countries like to America, Europe.

00:31:56:04
[HANEEN] They choose what they want to study and to be in the future.

00:32:00:24
[HANEEN] I want be a doctor for the children, take care of them.

SCORE

00:32:08:17
[HANEEN] I'm happy of going to America but I'm sad because I will leave my school, leave my teachers, my friends and leave this town.

00:32:19:01
[HANEEN] Because I love it very much.

00:32:20:22
[HANEEN] I'm so proud that I'm from Bethlehem and I don't like to leave it.

00:32:26:03
[HANEEN] When I remember that I will leave Bethlehem and my friends, my relatives and my school, I begin to, I start to cry.

SCORE

00:32:43:10
[HANEEN] We will start a new life, we will born again in America.  

SCORE

00:32:54:07
[HANEEN] We don't know how to live like the traditions and how people live in America.

00:33:02:16
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) This is what I want her to remember. To remember our culture and to study it.

00:33:07:07
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) First of all, she will help herself and serve her country.

00:33:09:23
[MAHA SACA] (Arabic) If you are leaving for your daughter, I advise you not to go.

00:33:12:15
[MAHA SACA] (Arabic) If she goes there, her situation will change.

00:33:15:13
[MAHA SACA] (Arabic) Even her culture would be impacted...Clothing, environment, behavior.

00:33:20:03
[MAHA SACA] (Arabic) She might marry an American. You might just lose her.

00:33:21:23
[MAHA SACA] (Arabic) Here, she will be yours. Not yours as in....nobody owns their kids.

00:33:26:19
[MAHA SACA] (Arabic) But yours as in...for her family to be proud of her.

00:33:29:05
[MAHA SACA] (Arabic) Over there she will be lost in...in the...American monster!

00:33:33:04
[MAHA SACA] My name is Maha Saca, I am the director of the Palestinian Heritage Center in Bethlehem.

00:33:38:16
[MAHA SACA] I start this center in the first Intifada.

00:33:42:02
[MAHA SACA]  We are under occupation all the time. Nobody teach us to be proud about our culture.

00:33:48:16
[MAHA SACA]  Until now nobody allow the Palestinian to have their independent states.

00:33:53:07
[MAHA SACA] We want to have work for our children, we want to have peace for our children.

00:33:57:19
[MAHA SACA] That's why many Christians, they leave the land because they don't have work.

00:34:03:23
[MAHA SACA] This is the only country we have. If I am not belong to a land, a real land, where my grandfather born, I feel myself like a fish outside the water.

00:34:16:24
[MAHA SACA] I think the new generation, now they know more that this is the only place they can live in with dignity.

00:34:26:00
[MAHA SACA] And the wall who built by hands can destroy also by hands.

ARABIC MUSIC PLAYS

00:34:55:06
[YOUSEF] Wall meaning for the people here, its a jail.  

00:35:01:05
[YOUSEF] Nobody can go out, nobody can come in. It's open jail.
(Score)

00:35:10:08
[ALLA] (Arabic) You know, I don't really like it here...

00:35:12:23
[ALLA] (Arabic) because we are not allowed to enter Israel.

00:35:18:16
[ALLA] (Arabic) The whole country is very beautiful.

00:35:20:14
[ALLA] (Arabic) But they are afraid of us Arabs,

00:35:22:01
[ALLA] (Arabic) The we will, uh, blow up something, cause problems, cause wars...

00:35:33:02
[OMAR]
Here, my, our home.

00:35:34:09
[OMAR] This road, before 2000, before the Intifada. Important road in Bethlehem.

00:35:40:12
[OMAR]But now, because the wall is closed and it have the checkpoint for Jerusalem near my home.

00:35:48:19
[OMAR] You can't live here.  

00:35:56:14
[OMAR] Here, this area, this Earth, for the Palestinian people.

00:36:01:17
[OMAR] This is Bethelehem.

PRAYER SONG

00:36:10:10
[OMAR] Before 10 years ago, they have checkpoint not here after maybe 2 kilometers from here.  

00:36:18:21
[OMAR] Then the Israeli soldiers…

00:36:21:01
[OMAR] …bring the wall and put up puzzles . Puzzle, like this and that.

00:36:26:00
[OMAR] …work in the night, work in the morning.

00:36:29:23
[OMAR] But we saw the big trucks bring the puzzles and put it.  

00:36:35:21
[OMAR]  Now Bethlehem here, ok? Here wall. Here settlement, settlement, settlement, settlement, settlement. We are in the middle.

00:36:44:21
[OMAR]  The life here is change.

00:36:47:09
[OMAR] Yeah, in this road, the Manger road, this road for Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron.

00:36:52:21
[OMAR]  Before it have supermarkets, it have vegetables, it have many restaurants.

00:36:57:16
[OMAR]  All these peoples closed.

00:36:59:14
[OMAR]  Just the peoples going to Jerusalem and come back.

00:37:03:02
[OMAR]  No want something, we want the Israeli people to come here. You understand?

ARABIC MUSIC PLAYS

00:37:15:03
[OMAR] If I want to go to Hebron, it have checkpoint.

00:37:18:05
[OMAR] Maybe sometimes the Israeli close the checkpoint, maybe sometimes open.

00:37:31:10
[YOUSEF] They cut this road for the settlement.

00:37:34:07
[YOUSEF] They make another road for the Palestinians  

00:37:40:11
[YOUSEF]
The settlers, they believe the Hebrew land because it says in the bible - they need it, whatever it cost.

00:37:48:15
[YOUSEF]
Settlers? They offer money. If you take the money and leave, they say thank you very much. If you say no, they start bothering you.

00:37:59:03
[JAMAL]
They came the beginning of the 80's and they occupied these house the beginning of the 80's as well.

00:38:05:06
[JAMAL]
This building on the top of these shops, it's a settlement. Now they call it Abraham Avinu settlement.

00:38:10:21
[JAMAL] It used to be the face of the houses. Now it's the background of the settlement.

00:38:16:08
[JAMAL] Because we used to have another entrance, to go through there, to these houses, they shut it with concrete.

00:38:22:20
[JAMAL] And behind it, the main vegetable and the fruit market and grocery market. They shut it down.

00:38:28:01
[JAMAL] You are not talking about like 100 200 shops, were talking at least 500- 600 to 1000 shops shut down, and it's called military area.

00:38:36:09
[JAMAL] Just for army, settlers, Palestinian, not allowed to walk over there anymore.

00:38:44:11
[YOUSEF] Settlers, they send dogs, they sending snakes, or throwing stones, or, uh, maybe spray chemicals or anythings

00:38:56:10
[JAMAL] Settlers, Jewish settlers, who lives on top of our shops, and they keep throwing garbage on us, stones, bottles, sometimes dirty water, stinky water, sometimes bleach.

00:39:07:18
[JAMAL] Trying hard in a way, to kick us outside here.

00:39:10:24
[JAMAL] And they have got military army to look after them, to protect them 24 hours, day and night on both ceilings.

00:39:17:06
[JAMAL] These soldiers, when they do cause trouble for us, we shout, we scream to them ,

00:39:22:04
[JAMAL] they just ignore us, and say to us, "Go inside your shop, and we are here to protect settlers, not you."

00:39:34:10
[JAMAL] Like 300-400 settlers causing trouble for more than 3-4 hundred thousand Palestinian people who lives here.

00:39:43:03
[JAMAL] And they are trying hard to kick us outside of here, but we are not listening.

00:39:46:22
[JAMAL] We are ignoring them as well; we are staying. Because this is our homeland, they stolen everything from us.

00:40:07:08
[YOUSEF] This situation, nobody can live like this

ARABIC MUSIC

00:40:17:16
[YOUSEF] Now, you are living in America and you come here to visit, but now if I offer for you come live here - can you live here?

00:40:29:03
[YOUSEF] Everyone explain to me, maybe my future is here.

00:40:34:15
[YOUSEF] You don't know if maybe one day it happen the states of Palestine, maybe not.

00:40:43:05
[YOUSEF] The decision it not be clear, not be easy.

00:40:48:13
[YOUSEF] I have wife I have kids, and my kids is now in teenagers, not be babies.

00:40:54:00
[YOUSEF] They can take a decision with me.

00:40:57:14
[ELIAS] (Arabic) I prefer that Dad if he wants to leave and take you all with him, and I stay here by myself, its' not a problem.

00:41:05:09
[HANEEN] It's hard to leave his store after ten years and come back

00:41:09:17
[ELIAS] (Arabic) He likes America but I prefer that he stays here.

00:41:13:02
[HANEEN] The work in America is better...

00:41:14:23
[ELIAS] (Arabic) I prefer that Dad stays here.

00:41:16:14
[ELIAS] (Arabic) American is for those who were born there, those who are used to life there. Not for us.

SCORE

00:41:16:14
[YOUSEF] It cost a lot:

00:41:30:01
[YOUSEF] freedom, life, kids, money, land.

00:41:34:14
[YOUSEF] I have to think a lot before I do it.

SCORE

00:43:12:11
[YOUSEF] This is very, tough time. You know. Just waiting.

00:43:28:03
[YOUSEF] You know how is it when you waiting for something, time go slow, not fast.

SCORE

00:43:37:19
[YOUSEF] Everythings dirty, its like something heavy on your head: you have to throw it away.

00:43:44:04
[YOUSEF] I like be clean, you know, simple and lightly

00:43:50:08
[YOUSEF] All this stuff, here its very old. So I decide to throw it away and

00:43:57:19
[YOUSEF] Eh, I want to clean here, move everything here and to put new stuff.  I'm just waiting for my family to come.

00:44:06:19
[YOUSEF] Maybe we open the deli again. So, too many ideas, too many things, to do.

SCORE

00:44:30:07
[CUSTOMER] How are your kids?

00:44:31:16
[YOUSEF] Oh very exciting. Very, very exciting, yeah.

00:44:34:14
[YOUSEF] Around 12 midnight, the phone ringing.

00:44:39:11
[YOUSEF] Hanna answering...who's that...  “Oh, I am Haneen Where's my dad, I want to tell him something.”

00:44:47:11
[YOUSEF] He ask, “what's going on?”  “It's big surprise, I want to...the embassy sent the passports and the visa.”

00:44:58:10
[YOUSEF] They make the tickets right away in the same hour.

00:45:02:19
[YOUSEF] For one hour, everything is done.

00:45:05:16
[CUSTOMER] Finally, huh.

00:45:06:09
[YOUSEF] Finally, oh my God.

00:45:08:09
[CUSTOMER] It’s been like, how long do I know you? Like four years I believe

00:45:12:00
[YOUSEF] Four years, yeah. Almost four, yeah.

00:45:14:00
[CUSTOMER] But you have been waiting for longer than that.

00:45:16:15
[YOUSEF] 11 years…

00:45:24:19
[YOUSEF] But they ask me for the bedroom, it's king size or queen size. I prefer the king size.

00:45:33:12
[YOUSEF] I'm very exciting now, big, big difference in my life.

00:45:38:03
[YOUSEF] I know I have my kids around me, my wife. I have a house.

SCORE

00:45:46:21
[YOUSEF] Back home, I was broke, and uh, I loose everything.

00:45:54:18
[YOUSEF] Everybody thinking when I come to America, for fun, for girls, for drinking. I will throw my wife my kids in the street.

00:46:02:24
[YOUSEF] Nobody put one percent I will success here.  

00:46:06:23
[YOUSEF] But now, everybody respect me a lot.

00:46:13:22
[YOUSEF] Lot's of people here success, they making money, but not like me:

00:46:18:19
[YOUSEF] I make a money, penny by penny for working hard.

00:46:24:08
[YOUSEF] All the time I do everything for somebody else.

00:46:28:19
[YOUSEF]  Just a machine working all day. Turn it off, go to sleep.

00:46:35:02
[YOUSEF] This is life, my life, for eleven years.

00:46:38:23
[YOUSEF] Now I am not a machine, I am a person.

00:46:43:03
[YOUSEF] I take a, I give myself time for doing something for myself to enjoying in my life.

00:46:53:07
[YOUSEF] Ohhh. This the best. I love it.

SCORE

00:47:03:15
[YOUSEF] Never I think before like this day were coming.

00:47:08:22
[YOUSEF] There is no hope for it, you know.

00:47:11:12
[YOUSEF]  To moving to here to starting a new life here.

00:47:54:07
[YOUSEF] Everybody waiting this moment to come here, to see how's San Francisco a wonderful place.

00:48:47:16
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) I would like to say that in this life...

00:48:54:21
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) …nothing comes easy.

00:49:00:19
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) There a lot of things you have to pay for

00:49:03:24
[YOUSEF] (Arabic)...and the price will be very expensive.

00:49:07:02
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Like: freedom, time, and health.

00:49:15:05
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) But there is a result...

00:49:17:05
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) The result will be...

00:49:19:19
[YOUSEF] (Arabic) Happiness.