Success paths of young immigrants in higher education and the professional world.
Born in Barcelona in a Moroccan family
She is in her third year of Arabic
Hello, my name Samyaa.
My parents are from Morocco and I was born here.
My life begins then...
Well, my life, my parents.
My father came here from Morocco about 39, 40 years ago.
He came to work.
And he was alone here for two or three years, working
and my mother was in Morocco. So when he saved
some money, in quotes, he returned to Morocco
and married my mother. They married and came to Barcelona.
And then I was born. I always say that I was engendered there,
Because it was arriving and giving birth.
I remember the school in a very positive note,
First because I was the only immigrant in the whole school.
I was the first one considered immigrant, even though I wasn't really.
I was Samyaa from Morocco. It wasn't like nowadays that they call you immigrant.
I don't remember this word... at the time.
Well, I passed the EGB [primary education] because they only looked at the mean of my marks.
And I left there. I remember my tutor told me to make a FP [vocational education].
But as I was telling you, we were so few in class
that everyone would do BUP [high school] and well, everyone went to Balmes.
So I couldn't not go there because, of course, I wanted to continue with my schoolmates
They weren't only my schoolmates but also my friends. And I went to Balmes.
And it was a disaster...
At first year BUP...
Now it's called Batxillerat.
I had to stop, for example, to do things I had at school.
First, this closeness with the teachers, because there
you really were just another person. That's it.
You were just a surname, and I remember I was called Bouras,
I hated it, because I thought "I have a name", you know.
I came to BUP and repeated first year. I passed.
I failed math, as always. Math and physics and chemistry and all of these as well.
Repeated second year.
Well, I did second year; Repeated second year, and the same...
I saw that studying there... I wasn't going to get my degree.
Basketball
It has given me stability. Stability also for...
As a person, and responsibility, because you had to go to the training sessions.
When I started at the Escolapis [religious private school], if you showed up at training you played.
If you did a good workout you played even more.
It was this little competitiveness. But more than that... it was personal.
Because you played anyway. But you knew that if you played more
it was because you had done a good training or had gone to the training session
so it completely made it up for you.
I remember having a Saturday morning match and
on Friday at high school they told you "let's hang out, whatever."
And me saying "no, no, I have a match tomorrow."
And besides, my parents wouldn't let me hang out because...
My father wouldn't let me go party.
But well, I also made me think "no, no, I have a match"
so with my basketball girlfriends, we did other things.
We went to the cinema or went for a walk or a movie...
Something different so it wasn't... to be able to play the next day.
Work / Study
I worked as an instructor.
Which was a lot of fun, because I was at the school I had spent my whole life in.
I went there. I worked in summer camps. Walked the children to basketball.
All I had experienced as a child... I was the one in charge now. I loved it.
At that time I didn't know what to do.
I knew I wanted to continue studying or wanted to study, but did not know where.
I went to Ensenyament to get information [ministry of the Generalitat].
And there they told me to go to... They gave me information.
I discovered the entrance examination to the "mòdul de la superior" [course, untranslatable].
And I passed it, which opened the door to
first, I liked studying, but what did I like?
I liked to study what I really liked, and that was it.
And then I did the tourist animation module, and I loved it.
I think it was the year 27-28
I joined the university. 2007-2008.
I went to the University to study Arabic, Arabic philology,
To see if, with the degree, it opened more doors for me. And it's true, it opens more doors.
But the Bologna plan came and the Bologna plan pushed me...
It pushed everything back. It ment a year on the mornings and a year on the afternoons...
Specially the specific classes. I said "I can't spend
a year taking specific and the following year..."
Okay, I can just take the shared classes, but that would feel like forever to me.
And besides, the shared classes were perhaps two afternoons
and I can't leave my morning job.
Following that said "you know what? I will give the 'escola oficial' [public language school] a try."
They teach the language as it is.
I also liked it more than the degree, because the degree had a lot of stuffing.
And now I'm in third year. And besides being Arabic people say
"ah, but you know Arabic" and I say "no, I am Moroccan."
And now it's cool because I'm learning real Arabic, which
allows me to communicate with...
When I was here in the Raval center where I also volunteered
I taught children there and so on
I spoke to Egyptians... To an Egyptian mother
and it was surreal because it was my first... My first exchange of Arabic
and I understood her and she understood me and it's... It's so exciting.
What can you say about your friends?
My friends are 100% Catalan, as I always say.
I have lived in the Eixample all life, so it doesn't...
I have no friends from Morocco.
But they have given me so much.
I remember in school at the time we only spoke Spanish.
So I my language was Spanish.
And when I started playing basketball at the Escola Pia, in BUP [high school]
high school now, and... it was
100% Catalan, and it was "whether I speak Catalan or or I become autistic" because
people I spoke to me in Catalan.
And you had to answer in Catalan. Or at least I wanted to answer in Catalan.
What did you miss?
I would've appreciated at the time that someone, as a child, could have given me some guidance
or could have been a bit at my side.
Today parents can do that, because I also think that if someday I have children
I will help them. But because I have the tools, I have the knowledge and so on.
It's not like my parents have no knowledge but they come from another country
without having the same social structure or the same sort of children education or anything.
What would you say to today's children?
First, you must try. If you really can't do it
there are other solutions, there are other doors. Ask, seek, don't...
Don't say "I can't, I can't" and that's it, and stay home.
Appreciate all you have. See if your parents are
fighting for you. Because all parents fight for their children.
See if you have some tools around.
Because I don't think any teacher will set you aside if you say you can't.
To find a solution. Don't sit on the "I can't" and stay home.
And really, it's for the family. It is very...
very hard, but I think that so it is for you.
Because saying "I can't" is easy. But it's you who stays at home.
So... you must find a way out.
Occupationally, personally... You've got to find yourself.
And if you think that studying, studying ESO, High School
or whatever you are doing, if you can't find it
there's a thousand other options, thankfully now.
If you have a [PQPQui] of those, you have "graus mitjans" [untranslatable],
you have "graus de superior" [untranslatable]...
You have a lot of things. So take advantage of them.
It's never too late.