An Interview with Sylvie Bauerova

Interview conducted by: Clark Frost

Sylvie Bauerova was born in Czechoslovakia in 1978 and grew up during the Communist regime. Before going to college, 19 year old Sylvie took a vacation to New York that changed her future. Sylvie shares with us the major changes and challenges she experienced after immigrating to the United States in 1989.

Interview

This interview was made in collaboration with Department of History in University of Houston and Czech Center Museum Houston. The following text is the verbatim transcription of the oral history project.

October 11, 2019

UH Interviewer: Hello, this is Clark with Sylvie conducting an interview of her experience as an immigrant from Czechoslovakia.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yes. Now Czech Republic, born in Czechoslovakia.

UH Interviewer: Okay. And your full name was...

Sylvie Bauerova: Sylvie Bauerova. In English, Sylvie Bauerova.

UH Interviewer: Okay. And then when were you born?

Sylvie Bauerova: I was born in June 1978.

UH Interviewer: Okay. And then Czechoslovakia is where you're from?

Sylvie Bauerova: At that time was Czechoslovakia, now it's Czech Republic.

UH Interviewer: Okay. What was your life like there?

Sylvie Bauerova: Well, I lived there for my first 19 years and now obviously I'm living in the states since I was 19. It was different because obviously it's not anything like United States of America. And as a kid, I was growing up during communism and in 1989 there was a revolution. Then I was going through the changes of from being socialists to a kind of capitalism. And then I left. So, I've seen all the changes and I remember everything.

Sylvie Bauerova: I don't remember stuff and I was maybe three years old. But I do remember things since I was getting older and definitely during 1989 and up because so much, it was very traumatic changes. So, I remember a lot of them from there.

UH Interviewer: What were some of the most dramatic changes that you witnessed during that time?

Sylvie Bauerova: Well, even though I did not live in Prague and definitely during the November revolution, but you guys call it Velvet Revolution, it definitely was, everybody was very collegial. Everybody was like, everybody became neighbors. Everybody kind of became equal. And everybody hated Congress. And now they could speak loudly about it. Like you could not say anything bad about Congress before, and now you can say things.

UH Interviewer: So was it like the first time that you guys-

Sylvie Bauerova: The first-time feeling freedom.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: So, it was very traumatic.

UH Interviewer: So, coming from that system and then coming to America after the revolution, years later I guess, was there any difference compared to immediately after that revolution in Czechoslovakia to being in America? What were some of the differences that you noticed?

Sylvie Bauerova: There was obviously a difference between communism and not being communism. Though we did not have a full blown, because up in a non-communism for seven years. But you could see slowly the progression and export, import. You could see things like we could not wear jeans. There were no jeans. And now everybody had jeans on.

Sylvie Bauerova: Coming here, it was like that on steroids coming to America. It was definitely something that I would never even imagine when I was like 11 that I will live in America.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: So, I guess...

UH Interviewer: When did you immigrate here again?

Sylvie Bauerova: So, I came for vacation in 1989. And I liked it here a lot. So now I'm here talking to you. So basically, when I came in, I came on the travel visa, visitor's visa, which is a B1 B2. And at that time, before 9-11, you could just go into an embassy.

And because we have only like 10 million people, nobody wants to immigrate. Life is pretty good. You know, there's no danger, nobody's killing anyone. So basically, you could just go, drop off your passport, 20 bucks for visa and fill out the form. And then you go, and you pick up your visa. That's it.

So, I did that when I was 19 and my father was like, "Hey, you know, travel now before you get married and have kids and then you can't travel. And it's not the same anyway. Even if you do travel with children, it's not the same. So, do it now." And I'm like, "Well I want to go somewhere like travel Europe." You can do it on the weekend. Like I live 12 kilometers away from German border. I don't need to travel far to be in Europe. So, I can bike to Germany.

So, go over the ocean. And I always like America, I love hip hop and McDonald's.

UH Interviewer: So, it's like the culture that drew you here?

Sylvie Bauerova: It's the culture. I really, really enjoy the culture. And I was hypnotized with hip hop. And I was part of that group. But like I was with a Czech hip hop group. And in Prague, when I've lived for two years before I came here, I was like, I have to see like real hip hop, where it came from, which came from New York City.

So, I decided to go to New York City. So, I got the visa, came here as a tourist, and the first week that I was in the United States, I met my ex-boyfriend and then they said I could stay. Now when I was in Czech Republic, you can go to college and you can go to college for free, but you have to get into college. So, every year, and you can only get into college once a year. It's fall semester. You cannot start in spring.

So, every year you have to go reapply and retake the course, retake the exams. So, I was like, "Okay, I'll do the traveling while I'm waiting so I can come back and do it again." And once I was there, I met someone and I'm like, "I'll just do it here." You can just pay, and you go to school. You don't have to do an exam, you just show them, I went to high school, this is the money and you can start going to school which was very easy.

UH Interviewer: Money or test scores, one of the two.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yes. I didn't have the test scores; I had the money.

UH Interviewer: The money.

Sylvie Bauerova: So, my father was like, "Oh this is actually really good idea and you don't have to wait, and you don't have to do that." So, while I was on the student visa, I applied for extension. Before I was not 100% sure, but I wanted to get like more research done.

Sylvie Bauerova: So, I got my visa extended for another half a year. And then the second half year I worked on changing the student visa. At the time before September 11, you could do it in the United States. So, I filled out a form. I wrote an essay. And I was able to change my visitor’s visa into student visa and I started working on just English as a second language.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: Because either you have to do the TOEFL test, which I didn't want to do, and you can take classes and then once you complete the course, you can start taking college courses. So that's what I did. So that's how I in February, 2000... February 1999 I got my student visa. In February 2000 I started my undergrad at Hunter College and that's-

UH Interviewer: Where is that located?

Sylvie Bauerova: New York City.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: That's where I started studying. So basically, it started to, you know, like romance into, if I want to live here, I better get education and it will be easier to get education in United States than in Czech Republic.

UH Interviewer: Okay. So, I guess going back to the getting the student visa after your travel one, you said that it was very easy back then to do it? Well what were some of the steps you had to go through?

Sylvie Bauerova: So, at that time, now it's completely different system. And I went through that system after September 11, that's another story. So, at that time, you just really need to fill out a form, supply obviously fees, and based on the essay that you explain why you want to change your visa status, they'll decide if it makes sense.

So basically, if you are young and you are in the college age, I think it will be allowed to do it at that time. And prove that you don't have to work because if you have an F1, you cannot work. And you have to basically, my father had to prove that he has enough money to pay my out of state tuition and for my expenses. But like you know, either a dorm or an apartment and food and books.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: So basically, had to provide bank statements for I know a certain amount of time as a backup for the fact that I can afford to tell me to be there. So, my father was able to supply that. And I got the visa.

UH Interviewer: Okay, so I guess if you don't mind me asking, how much was the total cost of your education back then?

Sylvie Bauerova: There's out of state tuition. It was double the regular. And I think it was $3,500 or $3,600 per semester, so double it up.

UH Interviewer: Oh, $6,000.

Sylvie Bauerova: $6,000, almost $7,000 a semester, so about $14,000, $15,000 a year. And this was the English as a second language was way cheaper. And once I started the undergrad in 2000, it was close to $15,000. Let's just say I did work.

UH Interviewer: You did work?

Sylvie Bauerova: Because my father would not pay for anything but the tuition.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I guess then wait, what'd you do while you were working during that period?

Sylvie Bauerova: I was working retail.

UH Interviewer: Retail? Okay. Everyone's first job.

Sylvie Bauerova: It was the only thing that makes, changes your schedule.

UH Interviewer: Easy to work around.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I guess, since you came here for education then, or you stayed here for education, originally for vacation, you came alone then, you didn't come with anyone else?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yes. I was 19 years old. I came into New York City and I did not know where I'm going to sleep that night.

UH Interviewer: I guess where was-

Sylvie Bauerova: There was no internet.

UH Interviewer: Yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: It's not like you can go on... I didn't have phone; I'd never had a cell phone before I came to United States. So only rich people would have cell phones at 1998 in Czech Republic. So, when I came here, I just kind of knew that I flew into Newark, I got through the... Actually, when I went through immigration, I was just like practicing. I only had English couple of years in high school and a little bit before high school. And my parents always thought that the communism will fall. So, they had us study English before the communists went away. So, I spoke better than my teacher when-

UH Interviewer: When you went to class.

Sylvie Bauerova: When I went to class.

Sylvie Bauerova: So, I was able to communicate. But I was like so nervous. Like what am I going to say? I walked in and the guy who took me to the immigration office was Czech. And he spoke to me in Czech. And I'm like, why did I stress out?

Sylvie Bauerova: And he gave me, he offered you to stay, like no big deal.

UH Interviewer: Very nice.

Sylvie Bauerova: You go ahead. So, when I got out, I asked like where should I go? Because I read somewhere on one of those books, like you go to Staten Island, it's cheaper. So, they told me take the bus from Newark airport to downtown, World Trade Center. So, my first stop in New York was the World Trade Center. I came from Prague where everything was low buildings into-

UH Interviewer: Massive.

Sylvie Bauerova: Massive huge twin towers. They no longer exist obviously, but it was like the first thing. So, I got on the Staten Island Ferry and start looking for a hotel. And you always know Google, you can't find, you just have to walk.

And I just stopped at some guy, I'm like, "Hey, there's the hotel, I want to go and sleep there." And he's like, "I'm not letting you sleep in that hotel, you know, there's prostitutes and drugs. I'm not, no. You're going to my sister's house." So, we walked to the sister's house and she had a party. And she was like, "If you stay here, you have to be up until three o'clock in the morning." And I was already up like 48 hours.

So, I was like, no way. So, she's like, "No, don't worry about my brother. You can stay with him." And he actually helped me. He did have internet at home. And he helped me to find... So, I slept in his house that night. And then he finds me a room at the hostel on upper West side. And then told me how to get there in the subway. And I just kind of started, like I stayed in the hostel for about a week until I found a room for rent. And I basically took all my money and gave it to the lady for room for rent because she was like, "I want to make sure that you pay me." So, I kind of prepaid a couple of months. And I thought, I will stay there for like a couple of months. And then I'll go back. But that didn't happen.

UH Interviewer: Then you ended up staying.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah.

UH Interviewer: I guess besides trying to find somewhere to live or stay for the first night, what were some of the early challenges about being in America at first?

Sylvie Bauerova: I'd say language because everybody spoke so fast. And my vocabulary was very, well I won't say bad, but it's definitely, I learned British English. So, I was saying works-

UH Interviewer: Slightly different.

Sylvie Bauerova: Like lift or pardon me or something like. So, a lot of people didn't understand me, or I didn't understand them. Like subway, I had no idea what they are talking about. That goes underground. And so, it was a little different. And obviously I was slow in speaking. I'll say language. The calculations like the food wise was pretty simple. You just go to supermarket and you pick whatever looks decent. Well I mostly ate bananas because it was the cheapest thing. And let's just go to a supermarket and then just stop talking to people.

And the second most difficult thing was everybody spoke Spanish. And I'm like, why did you let me learn English? It was such a wrong move because the neighborhood that I stayed; it was a Puerto Rican neighborhood. And I would say 90% of the people didn't speak English. So, I had to learn aside from learning English, I had to also start learning Spanish so I can like order a sandwich. Because nobody knew what I was talking about. So that totally shocked me because when you look at like 90210 or something like that, there's no Hispanics. There's one Hispanic lady I think in 90210. You don't think that there are any Hispanic people. In Czech, when they were playing in Czech Republic at the time, you wouldn't know. You would not know.

UH Interviewer: Yeah. It was like a very, a white centric view that you had of America beforehand.

Sylvie Bauerova: There were some black people. But there were mostly white people. So, coming to New York and everybody spoke Spanish, I was shocked.

UH Interviewer: Okay. So, I guess touching on that then, did you find like the multiculturalism of America to be a shocker then?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yes, because just walking on the street, I lived in a neighborhood that was mostly Puerto Rican. There were some Cubans and lots of Guyanese. And then you walk further down and there's only Dominicans. And then like I did not know that there was so many people living there. So, but I liked it because I was able to blend in. You walk through a neighborhood and I could be anyone.

UH Interviewer: Yeah, you're just another person.

Sylvie Bauerova: In the Puerto Rican neighborhood, I'm Puerto Rican. You know? In the white neighborhood, I'm a white person or whatever. So, it’s kind of, I was able to blend in. So it was, it was nice.

UH Interviewer: So, I guess any other, besides the very beginning of when you first came here, what are some other standout moments from your first like couple years.

Sylvie Bauerova: I don't know if it's just New York or if it was America at the time, I felt like people only care about themselves.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: For example, in Czech Republic, in the subway and somebody's doing something stupid, you know, spitting on the floor or something. People just get up and they gang up on that person and throw them out the subway or talk to them like, "Hey, you can't do it no more. Shut it off. We'll make you leave."

Sylvie Bauerova: Here, if somebody's bothering someone and people just turn around and look away like, that's not my problem. I don't want to have to deal with that. So, I feel like there's... and I think maybe it's just New York because it's so many people. And that was kind of sad to me. So like learning how to be like them so I kind of blend in as well.

UH Interviewer: So, it didn't bring you down?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah, don't bring me down because like that's not my nature, but I have to do it.

Otherwise I would get beat up or stabbed or whatever. I don't know. So that took me while. And then the homeless people were pretty big for me. Because in Czech Republic, at that time, we did not have any homeless people. So, seeing homeless people, it kind of got me. But I did not know they were on drugs.

So, I used to give them, I didn't have much money and I used to give that money until my ex-boyfriend was like, do not give them money. You know they're using it for drugs.

So that was another shocker. Like stop giving money to people. Like I thought they need it so bad. I'm finding out they're just on drugs.

UH Interviewer: Always a sad thing.

Sylvie Bauerova: In Czech, no homeless people. And I mean like I know people take drugs, but that's not like their life. They just do it because they want to have fun on a weekend or something, but not like just to be completely taken over by drugs. I never saw that.

UH Interviewer: So, I guess was the reason for no homelessness in Czechoslovakia or Czech Republic then because of the former communist system and they still had like the social safety net in place for it?

Sylvie Bauerova: There's still social, a very good one. You know, if you don't have a job, you will not starve.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: If anybody's homeless in Czech Republic, it's absolute choice. They just don't want to work, or they don't want to, you know, maybe they have mental illness. I don't know. But it's a definitely choice.

UH Interviewer: So, I guess was that a big shock coming to America? Like seeing the lack of a social safety net then.

Sylvie Bauerova: There's no social safety. When you think of it, you're on your own.

UH Interviewer: Yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: In Czech Republic, my sister got laid off. She didn't have to move. She didn't have to stop eating something. She continued her life as it was. No big deal. She just got money from someone else. If you're unemployed, they pay for your health insurance. So, you always have health insurance, like you will not ever be without health insurance.

So being uninsured, that was a whole new thing for me as well. Like what do you mean people don't have health insurance? Like you have to have to have it. How do you go to the doctor? So that was a shocker because after a while my insurance expired. So, I was thinking I'm just going to get a new one. And they're like, no, you have to work or like-

UH Interviewer: Go through all the hoops.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah. So, I did not have any insurance. I find a different way of course. But like the base social services, you know? It totally threw me off.

UH Interviewer: I guess moving up a little bit closer to now on the experiences in America, what do you do now? And what are your experiences now and the progress you've made in America? Big question.

Sylvie Bauerova: Reflection. So, when I came here, I obviously did not know full English. I chose to work in retail also because I get to talk to people because I find that women who do babysitting or nanny stuff or cleaning, they don't speak any English. And I'm like I want to live in this country. I know some people say this is, make things great again. This is great, absolutely great whatever is happening here, even though it's not perfect.

Sylvie Bauerova: But it's great compared to where I'm from or what things I have seen before. So just being able to grow like from a retail person to a buyer. And you know I started working in billing, the healthcare billing.

I had gotten married while I was in school. So, I did become a green card holder and I was able to work in any company, not just retail. So, like I was almost done with my school. I find a new job and I worked myself up from, you know, making $4.50 an hour to now let's say $55 an hour.

It took me 20 something years. But it's definitely possible. And I don't understand like people complaining, I can't do this. I can't do that. I was like, what do you mean? I came here without anything. I literally had $900. And look at me. Like, it's possible.

I couldn't apply for financial aid. I'm not a citizen. And I was able to do it. And I don't understand. What's other people's problems?

You have a citizenship. What do you mean? How can you not be in my position? So, I would say over the 20 years coming from going to school and working 70 hours a week and going to school full time to sleeping four hours a day to having a pretty decent job at the university. And I worked at Columbia university and all over Manhattan.

I do have to say that my life got a little bit better moving to Texas because probably the rat race in New York. It's just shows up when you're over the years. So, I was 17 years in the rat race and it's very demanding. It's on all the time, high energy. So, I really wanted to do, be able to buy a house, be able to be normal and just kind of relax a little bit. Coming from New York to Muesli, it's like taking a little vacation. People don't understand. They would not survive in New York for a week.

UH Interviewer: Yeah. I spent some time in New York last summer for a couple of months. Much different culture than compared to here.

Sylvie Bauerova: Here, I work from eight to five. And that's it. Nobody wants anything from me. In New York, you are on 24/7. You have to be on call all the time. I worked from home because I couldn't do everything in the office. I worked easily than 12 hours a day. And it was different. That was everybody's.

So, I have to say that's definitely different. So, I would say compared to my colleagues either in New York or Americans coming to New York or my friends in Czech Republic, I think most of them doing it alone. I would say, I don't know, this is the dream. I was able to do that.

UH Interviewer: Okay. So, you would say overall coming to America has helped you be successful?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yes, definitely.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I guess going back to your time in school. I'm trying to think of how to word this question. Okay, so going back to your time in school and you saying you don't understand how some people aren't able to, or some people don't do as well as what you did with how little you did when you came here. Why do you think that is? Do you think it's a cultural difference in Americans compared to you who came here and struggled for a bit to overcome them?

Sylvie Bauerova: I don't know. Maybe it's just me because I have a high motivation. But I felt like if everybody has the resources, I'm not saying that it's perfect. The social services are not great here, but you can do it. Like the whole point of America, you can do whatever you dream of. And nobody's really can stop you. There are no limits what you can do.

So, knowing that somebody has been to school here, speaks full English, has papers, how come these people cannot accomplish something? And then they also, if they didn't complain, I would say whatever, if they're content with whatever they have. But they are complaining how bad they have it.

I don't understand. Like my brain got confused. Like what do you mean? You have everything. So, I think maybe the culture? I'm not sure. But knowing from the outside, this is like the land of the dream. Like if you can't make it here, you can't make it anywhere. So, I still don't understand it.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I guess, so then touching on that again, would you agree with the statement that America is the land of opportunity then?

Sylvie Bauerova: Definitely.

UH Interviewer: Okay. And if you would've stayed in, I guess, what's now the Czech Republic, do you think you would have been as successful?

Sylvie Bauerova: I think maybe on a different level. I would definitely do the same work that I'm doing now. My father's auditor accountant. I'm an accountant as well. I don't do that much accounting, but I think I will be in the same line of work, probably an auditor by now and maybe have my own company, I'm not sure.

But that's where I was heading like when I worked in Prague. When I was 18 and two days, I left my home city and I went to Prague to live. And I was in accountant there. So, I would definitely stay there and probably live in Prague. And probably an auditor by now. But again, how-

UH Interviewer: How would you know?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah. How would I know? But that was my trajectory. That's what I wanted to do.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I guess are there any cultural differences and similarities between the two different cultures, American and Czech that you've noticed?

Sylvie Bauerova: It's definitely different. I can say a lot of similarities. So, a huge difference is when I came to New York, I felt like this is my state. These are my people. I feel at home because everybody's like, "Let's do this stuff. Let's go!" You know? Chop Chop. In Czech Republic, we can do it tomorrow.

And there's no, like feel of like, I want to make money. It's still kind of communist feel. The people that I was dealing with, like everything is. You have to go, wait months to do something. Even like buying jewelry, it's like a whole big thing. We don't have your size. And I'm like, "Okay, can you get it from a different store?" They don't even like think to that. It's just what we have, and you don't like it, you leave. So, I felt like the slowness, everything was like mañana, like whatever. No big deal.

Everything was like mañana, like whatever, no big deal, it's going to be here. I did not feel that I'm in that level energy. Like I had to get these. I would probably go crazy and I would be like, "No, we need to get this done now." What I see similar is definitely the love of beer and watching some kind of a ball thing, well here's a sphere, you have a ball. So, I see the opposition sports, it's definitely. And the beer is similar, but the beer here is worse than our beer.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: That's different. We would call this water. Like whenever I'm like, "I'm thirsty, I need some water, maybe a bud light or something like that." So yeah, this is not a beer, but they call it that way. That's similar. But I feel that Americans are much babied for a long time. Like in Czech Republic, once you 18 you are adult. You're about to find someone, you're going to have babies really soon, even out of the house by 25, and you grow up I think much faster. Here are like guys are 35 and they're acting like 18-year old’s back in Europe. And even now when I have friends in Germany and Sweden, and they are like, normal. For me, my normal, and here everybody's kind of babied, I feel like they're... I don't know if it's just the millennials, or what's the problem? But the millennial's in Europe are just continuing my regular.

UH Interviewer: Yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: The norm here is a little different. So that's another difference in generational ideals. Similar, I'm going to have to find some similar. Usually it's just differences.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: I don't know, maybe like the Gap. Another, some other difference. Guys like cars in Czech Republic, but here all these truck shows and things like that. I don't understand that part, it's just beyond me. Why would anybody just burn gas for no reason. In Czech the gas is so expensive. You would not try to do that. But other things are like biking, like sports. A lot of sports are very competitive, like in Czech Republic is similar. We're into sports like hockey or, not soccer but hockey is definitely something that is similar to Czech. It's on a very, I would say similar level, that’s.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I guess what are some of the things that you miss from the Czech, from Czechoslovakia?

Sylvie Bauerova: I miss nature. Just to be able to go like, it's normal to go for a hike. It's not weird. Just, you go, and you go for hike. It's weekend, then you pack up your stuff and you go for hike. So, I wish it would be more accessible and more accepted here if you... Like, I went to a hike with my daughter, and she's like, "Oh my god, white people." My daughter's half black. Like, "Oh God, okay we're going to do your white." I'm like, "So what, it's a good thing?" It doesn't hurt anyone going into the woods, collecting mushrooms and stuff like that, and going camping. I see it's like kind of weird thing. People look at it weird, when you do those kinds of things.

People don't take vacation a lot. Like in Europe in general, you take your vacation, you have a lot of vacation and you have to take your vacations and everybody's, complete five years of working, working, working. I miss the kind of relaxed leisure time that... And it's a priority. It's your priority, your family's your priority, your time's priority and here you're just doing this so you can feed yourself. It's not your whole life, so I miss that part.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I guess then going back, do you think the reason why people don't take vacations as often here in America, or use their vacation time as often, is because they're afraid that or they know that they can probably lose their job because...

Sylvie Bauerova: I mean, you are replaceable here very easily, so yes, I think maybe that's behind it, but legally-

UH Interviewer: Legally you can't lose your job.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah, if women are laid off or get rid of me because you took a legal vacation. I think you have a problem, and you should go check for a lawyer, but in general yeah, maybe that will be like, unless you don't have vacation. That's different. If you work, if you're a laborer or something like that, I get the point that you would not take a vacation, but here people have vacation and they letting it expire. I don't understand that part.

UH Interviewer: You think that's because they feel like they have to work harder to maintain their job or to keep their job?

Sylvie Bauerova: I think they want to look like they irreplaceable, but you always replaceable, no matter what you do. I have seen it on multiple levels, many different jobs where people would stay over time and work on the weekends and they still going to get laid off. It doesn't matter. Bottom line is bottom line, so it doesn't really matter if you work extra or not.

UH Interviewer: Okay. Do you think that's a negative thing about America, about that work culture that's here? About the replaceability?

Sylvie Bauerova: I would say the worst is Japan but I think it's, yeah, it's definitely a culture is like, you have to work hard to show your value, which I don't think... Personally, I don't think that's right. But yeah, that's what it is.

UH Interviewer: Okay. We did what are some of the things you miss. I guess besides being able to go out in nature, what are some other things that you miss?

Sylvie Bauerova: Food, I miss Czech food a lot.

UH Interviewer: What's the cuisine like there?

Sylvie Bauerova: It's important. Because we were in Austrian, Hungarian Austrian empire. You've got everything. So, you have Hungarian food like to German where you have dumplings, and potatoes, and sausages, and sauerkraut. We have cabbage and dumplings, like filled dumplings with your food or... I do miss real kolache because this is not-

UH Interviewer: Oh yeah, these aren't real.

Sylvie Bauerova: I don't know what that is, but it's not kolache. And everybody says kolaches, which drives me up the wall because it's already, kolache is already plural. So, it's like you saying horseses or fisheses.

UH Interviewer: You don't need the extra 's'.

Sylvie Bauerova: What are you getting? Kolaches? Yeah, sure. Yeah. My first kolache, I got so excited. It was one of the covered ones, which you don't see what's…what's inside and I bit into it and I immediately spit it out, and I'm like, "Why there's a hot dog in my...?" It's disgusting. They're like, "Oh, this is the best." I'm like, "We would never put anything salty." There's nothing savory about kolache. It's always sweet.

UH Interviewer: It's usually fruit, isn't it?

Sylvie Bauerova: It's a fruit or poppy seeds, or cream cheese, or you put cream cheese with a rum, cream cheese with rum and raisins or something like that. But you don't have, you don't put apples. We don't put the sausages and cheese and egg. No way. It means real Czech food.

UH Interviewer: Since we're on the subject of food, then what's your favorite food here in America?

Sylvie Bauerova: Gosh. Japanese food

UH Interviewer: Japanese food.

Sylvie Bauerova: American food is like, okay.

UH Interviewer: It's bland to be honest.

Sylvie Bauerova: It's bland. Okay, in Czech, we eat lots of schnitzels like

UH Interviewer: Sausages, right, that's a schnitzel?

Sylvie Bauerova: No, a schnitzel is a cutlet.

UH Interviewer: Cutlet.

Sylvie Bauerova: You guys call it cutlet, chicken cutlet.

UH Interviewer: Oh, okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: Over here you call it fried steak, and then you put stuff on it, what's it called? language. You put the gravy on a cutlet, it's more... I think that's German. But in general, I miss good Czech food. American food is okay. Yeah, I love a burger and you would normally not eat it. Nowadays a burger's in Czech Republic, but then it's like a sandwich. It's not a real food.

UH Interviewer: Not a real food.

Sylvie Bauerova: It's like, okay, you need a little snack. Okay, you can have bread with meat in it. That's a snack. That's not-

UH Interviewer: Not an actual meal.

Sylvie Bauerova: No, not an actual meal. I do miss hot dogs. Because hot dogs here suck. It doesn't have a really good taste.

UH Interviewer: Not real meat.

Sylvie Bauerova: Czech Republic. Yeah, I don't know what it is. Even though in Czech there is still, the EU does allow certain amount of not meat in it, but the percentage is so low. You can still feel meat when I go to Czech Republic, I do eat a lot just to make up for it.

UH Interviewer: So since you said Japanese food is your favorite food here in America, do you think because of how multi cultured America is, you're able to have those types of opportunities and try new things more often than you would be able to in?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah, definitely. I would not from... Yeah. I don't know how is it now? Because I know when I go to Czech Republic, I eat Czech food. I'm not going to eat Japanese food in Czech Republic. No, I'm not that adventurous. So yeah, I definitely appreciate the fact that everyone's here. Even though New York is not as diverse as Houston. I like Houston food, although I don't like Houston sushi because it's not fresh, the meat is not as fresh-

UH Interviewer: It's not as fresh.

Sylvie Bauerova: As LA or New York. So, I still like it. It's okay. Maybe I'm just spoiled from New York, but I really like it. So, I can be like, I think I'm going to have Vietnamese food today, or I can, I want South American food today. So, I definitely like that part. I enjoy that.

UH Interviewer: So what are some things that you notice here that you think should be more like in Czechoslovakia, or what was Czechoslovakia, and what are some things in reverse that you wish were present there that are here?

Sylvie Bauerova: Well now we almost the same, because we have both crazy presidents. So, I used to... I used to be so proud being here and I became American citizen, 2014, yeah, 2015. I forgot it was genuine definitely. And it was definitely Obama, and I was so proud, like, I'm in America. You guys have a crazy president, psycho's, he's an alcoholic, he talks crap, he falls off of podiums and stuff like that. So, I always was so, so proud that there's a real system and everybody follows it. And I'm like, politicians are always corrupt in some place. But in general, it works, is checks and balances and it works. That's gone. So now it's about the same as in Czech Republic. So, I wish both of the places had a normal system, a normal president, and just in general, the democracy works right. How it's supposed to be.

Sylvie Bauerova: What else I would want? I wish their people had better work, not as crazy as here, but better work ethics than here. I think Czech Republic, will go back to being one of the top ten countries in the world in 20's. So, I feel like we could have that, but we were so messed up forty years of, you could work or not work, you still get the same money. And I think it completely ruined generations of people where they don't feel like they need to work, because they're still going to get their pay. So, I think with that work ethic, we would definitely go up in the world. What up to bring here? Definitely healthcare for everyone. And it's not that difficult. If Czech Republic can do it, America can do it. Believe me. There is too much... When you look at how much CEO of insurance companies make, that's where the money is. If it was just real reform, not maybe just a little bit. Just a little reform, it doesn't do anything. It has to just be complete.

UH Interviewer: Total system change.

Sylvie Bauerova: Total system change. And again, Czech Republic can do it, anybody can do it anyway.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: America.

UH Interviewer: So, then I guess going back to an earlier point you had said about the cultural difference of everyone caring more so about the community and stuff there. Do you wish that would come here or do you think having the-

Sylvie Bauerova: Here only it works when there is a tragedy. Like buildings have to fall down or hurricane or floods millions of people for people to be that way. So, I know it's possible, but what it costs, how horrible thing has to happen for people to be that way, and they are obviously capable of being that way, they just choose not to be. So that would be nice if those people just be that way. The other day I was reading somewhere, you look like you're weak if you're kind. I just don't understand why that's a weakness.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I never really thought of it that way, I guess. I guess it's always a matter of perspective. I personally don't think being kind is a weakness.

Sylvie Bauerova: But in general, if you want to help someone, like oh my God, what a sucker. You know?

UH Interviewer: What are some of your memories from living there that stand out most to you and some memories living here that stand out most to you?

Sylvie Bauerova: Well obviously the revolution was something that... And I move into Prague. Living in Prague, that was the best. Like I used to party, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I did not sleep for two nights and... Well, I was younger, I wasn't on teams, so I could do that. The times where you could drink at 18, because I moved here when I was 19 and I had to rethink my brain because I was already legal to drink in Czech Republic.

UH Interviewer: But not here.

Sylvie Bauerova: Like I order a beer and everybody looked at me like, "How old are you?" I'm like, "19, I'm legal." "No, no, no, you're not." So that's part... I wish if you can... I think you should be legal if you can legally go to war and get killed. If you can vote, if you can get married and have children and raise new citizens. I think you should be able to drink, just like...

UH Interviewer: Makes sense.

Sylvie Bauerova: So, I think that could be broader. Healthcare. Some of the legal systems, some of the things don't make sense in America, and then the work I think can come from America to Czech Republic. I think that's it. Like the major things, so, that would kind of.

UH Interviewer: I guess you have brought up the revolution a couple of times now, I guess, can you describe that for me? And what exactly happened and what it was?

Sylvie Bauerova: So I was 11, so I remember not too much before that, but then when you watch TV and what's been happening and my... so when I was little, my parents would like communists, and don't say it at school because if you say it then both of your parents lose the job. So, you were like, okay, I'll be very careful. We pretend to be in a Pioneer, which is like pre communists. Like before you actually become a member, you appeal here. That means you're like a young communist. So, they kind of make you start train, they're training you to the thinking that way my parents would never want us to go. So, when mom had some problems at work, they're like, "Okay, go to Pioneer. But don't listen to anything they say. Don't believe anything they say to you."

Sylvie Bauerova: So that was as a kid, that was on a daily, because if you say something, your parents are out, and you will never go to school, you will never get to college. The censorship was very high. My grandfather actually was in jail because of communists, so he was five years in jail, and we got restitution. So, it was okay. But we knew what would happen, if something bad was to be said. And then once the revolution happened then you could say anything. Whatever you wanted to say. Like you could buy from, let's say you wanted bread, right? So, in the morning, you have to wake up at like four o'clock in the morning on Saturday, because if you don't get to the bakery on time, there's no more bread. They make this many breads, otherwise you're out. There's one kind of butter. I don't know if you've seen, there was a documentary about North Korea and how they have the grocery store.

UH Interviewer: Oh, the fake one?

Sylvie Bauerova: The fake one, even the fake one. When you go inside, and they had the same pickles. That's how it works. You have one kind of pickle, you have one kind of bread, you have one kind of butter, you have one kind of milk, this is it. So, one company makes everything and then they just spread it out around. Except maybe the bakery, but in general one, all the other things, same thing. And if you complain, then you don't have butter for a week. So, people are very self-reliant. You could not just get a tomato in January. Didn't exist. So, once the revolution happened, there was yogurts from Germany, and you could have two different kinds. Now different kinds, you could have regular. My grandfather brought us some from... I have some family who emigrated before the Russians came. So, we did have some outside stuff as well. But in general, you cannot get anything. And now everything was available and everybody always, they wanted a piece of that market.

So, we were watching MTV, MCM or there was a French MTV was playing for free at the time. You didn't have to pay for it to kind of like show us, imagine, you can watch whatever you want. You can listen to any music. It was forbidden to listen to certain music. You could not play The Beatles on and open your windows. You could not watch TV from West. My parents, my father watched, which was illegal, and my mom would be like, "Oh my God, you're going to get arrested." Because he had a big antenna on the house. So that difference between, it was like a night and day. So that was definitely the biggest thing. I can't think of anything bigger than that. Like a memory.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I guess, so would you say early on living in the communist system, do you think that left an impression on you and how you view the world?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah. Well, as a kid, that's what I thought, that was only a reality. So now that reality was completely taken away. Now have a new reality and I didn't do anything. I didn't go anywhere. I just kept on going and it was completely new life, and for my parents too, we start traveling. Traveling, doing communism, it was hell. We were going to East Germany and we had to fill up like two centimeters worth of paperwork just to go to our sister country. So now we can just book tickets and go.

UH Interviewer: Okay. I guess early on after the revolution when you were still young and living there, did you have a... was it a sudden flux of Western influence or was it more gradual?

Sylvie Bauerova: It was very gradual.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: So, I think they felt that people were getting a little fed up, so they were releasing here things like, you start seeing like movies that were not too anti-communism, like, okay, fine. They can watch that. Slowly, so they shut up. Just give them something so they shut up. I remember in 1988 before the revolution, Music for The Masses, Depeche Mode came out and I was able to... Like my... You were able to buy in 1988 Depeche Mode's LP, so I've been Depeche Mode fan since. But it was from England. It didn't make sense to me. Why did they release it? They didn't say anything bad, so it didn't really matter, and we were able to get Duran Duran as well in 1980 before the revolution. But again, no politic music on that one. So slowly you could see it changing and I think they couldn't hold it anymore.

UH Interviewer: Yeah. It was-

Sylvie Bauerova: It's usually the older media, I think it was media mostly, it was TV was a little more relaxed. The music was more relaxed, the reading was more relaxed, and then just kind of.

UH Interviewer: Okay. What was the biggest challenge coming here and living here for you? Was it just the early struggle of being able to get into school or were there other struggles that you had to overcome?

Sylvie Bauerova: I think it was a lot because I was working and going to school at the same time. So, I don't really, I was in such a cycle that I don't remember a lot. It was just a no sleep, and there was no money for food. I would order a chicken fried rice, and I would like to eat half one night and eat the other half another night. It was on like five dollars a day for food. So, I had money for rent and for train and for books. So, because the books were too expensive.

UH Interviewer: They still are.

Sylvie Bauerova: I know, but now they have them online for like a hundred bucks. I'm like, where was that when I went to... It's like four hundred dollars for one book and I would cry because 4.50 an hour, that's like hundred hours. Crazy.

UH Interviewer: I guess since you got your citizenship, I think that you said 2014 or 2015.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah.

UH Interviewer: How did that feel?

Sylvie Bauerova: Well, at that time I was very, very proud. Well, I wanted to become a citizen before, but it was... I always have a bad luck with immigration. I went through immigration crap so much that I just can't, there was a whole other immigration. It felt really good. I feel I belong, and I can... The reason why I became citizen was like, I've been paying taxes for too long, I can't vote, how it I that I'm paying taxes and I can't say what you can do with it or not do with it. So that was one of the biggest things that I chose to. Besides from, this is my home. I've been living here for a long time. I want to be part of the system as well.

UH Interviewer: Okay. Since you said that voting is one of the reasons why you wanted to become a citizen, do you exercise that right to vote? If you don't mind me asking.

Sylvie Bauerova: Oh yeah, Anytime I can.

UH Interviewer: Anytime you can? Okay. Do you think that is something that America does right, by letting anyone who becomes a citizen vote?

Sylvie Bauerova: I think they wanted to make people become citizens so they will, because nobody wants to vote, like, someone will have to do it.

UH Interviewer: Yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: Because people don't go, like I ask Americans, "Did you vote?"

UH Interviewer: Yeah. Very, very rarely people do.

Sylvie Bauerova: They're like, "What do you mean?" Like, "That's your responsibility. You have to do it," and then they look at me like I'm crazy. Imagine my parents would go into a voting booth and they already knew who to vote for, they gave them the slip.

UH Interviewer: Yep. Just like one or two people on there, they knew who to vote for?

Sylvie Bauerova: No, this is it.

UH Interviewer: That's it?

Sylvie Bauerova: This is actually the person you're going to vote for to go. My parents were like, "Why are you even here?" So, imagine if you don't have a choice, who you were going to vote for? And they still make you, so how can you not exercise this, is beyond me.

UH Interviewer: Okay. Do you think because in America you have the choice to vote, that's why people don't do it?

Sylvie Bauerova: I think so, they are spoiled.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: Couple more years maybe they won't be able to, and they'll be like, "Whoa, Whoa." I'm like, "Yeah, I told you." You should have voted.

UH Interviewer: You always do something when it's too late.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah, exactly.

UH Interviewer: I guess, how has emigrating here and becoming a citizen changed you as a person do you think?

Sylvie Bauerova: I don't think it really changed me as a person. I feel more stable, because when you have a green card or you are like in the midst of getting things done, it's always felt like, I can always go home. There's... Maybe they'll take it away from me or I'll don't get it and I'm going to have to go home. Now I feel more relaxed. So, I would say that's the only difference. I'm like, this is my home. I have paid work; nobody can do anything to me.

UH Interviewer: Okay. Let's see. How much time are we at? A little bit more. I guess since you've been here now, since 1999, right?

Sylvie Bauerova: 98.

UH Interviewer: 98. What are some cultural phenomenon’s that you've noticed here? I know 9/11 was probably huge for you since you lived in New York at the time.

Sylvie Bauerova: That was the biggest one, and I don't remember anything else that would affect me that much on so many levels. Aside from obviously living in Manhattan at the time, which was, it was crazy. I mean every anniversary, it's very hard. Even this year, you would think, I moved away from it. I mean, I was home that day and you know when it-

I was home that day and when it happened, I was, it was my day off. I woke up and I had, I went to put my TV on, but I had an antenna always, I couldn't afford cable. So, I'm doing it and I'm like, why is my TV not working? My then boyfriend / now ex-husband, I was like, "He probably messed it up," or something. So, I just thought, and then somebody called me like, "Don't leave," and hang up.

Sylvie Bauerova: What the hell is happening? And it was already, everything already had happened. So, I stopped playing around with the antennae and only channel that worked, because the antennas were on the front of the... It was Tower Two, the antennae were on Tower Two, so they were gone.

So, the only thing I was able to catch from New Jersey was Univision. So, I had everything in Spanish and just keep on seeing that over and they played it over and over and over again.

And you could feel the jets going, they were going like right above our roof. I was on 116 and Park Avenue, so even though I was, I was still on the island, but I was far. When I walked down the street and I looked down, you could see both dust and like everybody was in complete shock for months.

UH Interviewer: Yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: Just months and months. You couldn't go to certain places for a year. There were certain places just closed for years. It took a long time before that... I only made it to the pools once and I had a panic attack and I left. My father used to work, used to, my father wanted to see Tower One, the Freedom Tower, but I'm like, "I'm not going."

UH Interviewer: You couldn't do it.

Sylvie Bauerova: I can't. I can't go there.

UH Interviewer: Yeah, I read that was probably a huge struggle, and thing that was on your mind. Because I know even, I was in third grade at the time and we watched it on television. That was crazy to me. So, I can't imagine living there at the time.

Sylvie Bauerova: And I was already full-blown adult kind of already be able to completely absorb all the stress and trauma and stuff like that.

So even though it keeps regular, I cannot watch, I cannot look at the pictures of the Twin Towers.

UH Interviewer: Okay. Do you think that changed America? Do you think that changed it drastically and if so in what sense?

Sylvie Bauerova: Following with the war and whatever and just everybody became a little bit more agitated and everything. People started hating more other people, especially Muslims. Which I didn't feel that way before. Definitely I felt that tension and it's still here. It never left.

UH Interviewer: Do you think it brought out a bad side of America that was hidden before?

Sylvie Bauerova: It was definitely brought out. Yeah, because I always thought of America like, you come, you come here and you do whatever you got to do, as long as you blend in and you don't make up, do stupid things, you can be here and you can work and pay taxes on everything. And then it’s kind of become bitter, that whole section of religion and I think that some people became even more like, they became more fanatic than they were before because, and then bringing out hate on people. That's sad.

So yeah and then New York there was so many attacks of, especially of the Sikhs, a lot of Sikhs got killed, because of people's ignorance and under education.

UH Interviewer: Yeah. Even though they, it's not Muslims

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah, it's not Muslims. And they just don't like I know that Americans don't have a great education. I remember when I was in college and I told the professor, "I'm from Czech Republic," he was like, "Just come for finals, don't bother coming to geography or math."

UH Interviewer: Yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: I took this in middle school, why am I in college paying for this? I have to because it's requirement, he's like "Where are you from?"

"Czech Republic."

"It's fine. Finals are on this day, just come. You will pass, you will be fine." So, like geographically they did not know where India is, or Russia is. I'm like, "Professor I can't take it, I'm going to flip out over here." Like at least know where the nuclear nukes are, just if you don't know anything else, maybe you'll know where Brazil is, but at least know where the nukes are, please. So, you know where it's coming from.

So, the fact that they're so uneducated, some of them, and they don't know where's what? And it was so easy for because of attend an education, maybe on purpose, to be able to get away with whatever they get away with, in 2003.

It was easy because people knew everything or were full educated, they wouldn't like, "No wait, why are you going over there? What are you doing?"

UH Interviewer: Yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: So, I feel like the fact of America is so big and is such a big mass of people and they are all over the place and each state has its own little thing. Like especially like being in Texas. I see how, what a difference, just a pride, how, "You are in America, it's still American." No, no, no, this is Texas.

It's a whole, I'm learning whole another level of being America being here in Texas. So, I feel like if people were more educated here, it will be a different, it will be a different country.

UH Interviewer: Yeah, I could definitely agree. As someone who is a student of history, I at least know geography, but it always bothers me when people can't point out countries also.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah, I get Africa, like I say, Czech Republic and like, "Isn't it in North, is it in Africa?" I'm like, "Sure. Yeah. It's in Africa. Bye."

UH Interviewer: So, I know a lot of my friends that live in Europe or grew up in Europe, they say the education there is much better. Why do you think the education over there is more important than it is here?

Sylvie Bauerova: I don't think, I think the fact that if you go get a better education or very good education. You would be a better citizen, you would be more, I don't know if it's completely connected to paying taxes or something like, you're just going to be a better asset for the country but not being integrated.

Even if you educated server, it doesn't matter. You're educated and you can make good decisions. And again, sometimes I'm thinking maybe it's on purpose, maybe it's on purpose not educating because then it's easier, it's easier to tell someone who's uneducated what is right and they'll go, "Well, I'm not really educated so I'll just take it as a fact and then I'm going to go with it.

And I think the last presidential election really showed the level of people not being aware. Because like in New York, living in New York, you have to be not doing legal things to be able to survive as a contractor in New York City. You have to.

UH Interviewer: Get around tax and building low codes and stuff like that.

Sylvie Bauerova: You have to, there's no other way. So, you know, my friends worked in construction, so they told me how things work. So, if you have the, you're exposed to it, you know about it, you can be like, "What are you talking about? isn't a crook."

You cannot be a successful without being a crook. So, and maybe somewhere in North Carolina, in the village, you don't know, you're not going to go and Google and educate yourself. You just have to pass 12th grade, they are done with you.

UH Interviewer: I guess touching on that, connecting it then, do you think that the freedom of press that exists in America isn't necessarily as free as it seems then because it's more controlled by corporations now?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah, I feel like, as long as it's not public, it's somebody's point of view and then they promote it. Like in Czech Republic news are for half an hour. This happened here, this happened there, this happened here. That's it. You go home, sleep or whatever. You can do whatever you want.

They don't tell you what you should think and what's the point and there's no analysis and what it means and what it could mean and what it not have to mean and like feed people with ideas based on what your ideology is. It should just be, this happened.

UH Interviewer: Yeah. It's like actual news. It's not an opinionated news.

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah, it's not opinionated. Yeah. And then some people calling in and thinking, well this must mean this, no. News should end with this happened. And then it's your brain and your point of view to make the backup story for it. So, I think that it's, I don't, I never had a, I had a cable, but I would never watch cable TV or anything. I was like, "You don't tell me what I should think. I have my own brain."

You can't tell me that's going to mean that, no like, you don't know. That's just guesses and obviously the commercials and everything that goes with it all paid. So, I don't think that's right.

UH Interviewer: So, you think if we brought over a system from that similar to one that's in Czech now, where or I don't know if it's still like that-

Sylvie Bauerova: I think it's changing. Definitely it's a more Americanized but like something like a BBC, facts, the end.

UH Interviewer: There would be no opinionated piece trying to drive you in a way.

Sylvie Bauerova: Just reporting. Just straight reporting.

UH Interviewer: So, would you think then that the, not necessarily propaganda, but the opinionated pieces are kind of similar to what communists used to do with propaganda?

Sylvie Bauerova: Definitely.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: It's the same thing. They used the same system. They are on a higher level obviously because they are on all the time. But I see it, I've watched TV in Czechoslovakia before the revolution, and everything is scripted. Everything is so this is what you have to say. It's definitely, it's exactly the same.

UH Interviewer: Mm-hm (affirmative). Do you think that's a scary thing to be witnessing America going in that direction?

Sylvie Bauerova: Very scary.

UH Interviewer: Mm-hm (affirmative).

Sylvie Bauerova: And especially, living what I lived through, hearing my parents what they lived through when my parents were in college in 1968. What happened to them, my parents were both, they are both, I'll tell you this because this is what happened. My parents don't believe in and they're like, "This is crazy. This is what we had to go through."

And they were not able to go because they were both born after the second world war and there were no siblings. So, they chose to stay with their parents because they didn't want to leave the country because then the parents will be alone, and they do not know there was going to be a revolution. So, they didn't leave. But it is very scary, and you know, knowing that now some people starting to get punished because they said something? It's scariest thing, because that's like, "Don't say this, don't say that. If you say this, this is what's going to happen."

I feel like that kind of thing is definitely very dangerous. The whole point of this country is that you can say whatever you need to say and nothing's going to happen. It's very scary.

UH Interviewer: So, I guess then touching on your last point there about America is supposed to be the land of being able to say whatever you want or do whatever you want within the realm of reasonability-

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah, of course. Certain things are illegal.

UH Interviewer: Yeah, certain things are illegal, a lot of things are. But do you think that's what draws people like yourself to America then?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yeah. I think that everybody's kind of craving it, especially for people who didn't have it. Even like dress, like some people cannot wear a certain thing when they are in their country, but they can come here and wear whatever they feel like wearing.

And I think it's a huge thing for you to be able to speak what you want and not be punished for it or wear what you want or eat what you want. Because you were never, and I think the Americans don't understand how important this is because they never had that, like generations and generations didn't feel all that, "Wait a minute, wait a minute. I don't want to lose this."

Until they lose it, they will not know what they lost, this is just normal human nature. But me seeing it, I'm like, "What are you guys doing?" And they seem fine with it. If I find out if somebody said something bad about, let's say the president and then they get fired, that's like a huge red flag. Huge red flag. If somebody is going to jail or if somebody is getting punished in any kind of way for speaking their mind, I think that's huge red flag.

UH Interviewer: Let's see. I guess just a couple more questions then. What is one thing that you wish Americans knew about your homeland and vice versa?

Sylvie Bauerova: I wish people would know where it is.

UH Interviewer: I can point it out on a map, I promise you.

Sylvie Bauerova: I would say you are 5%. I've been here over 20 years. I've been from every continent and I usually get; I wish they knew a little bit of history because they always think I'm from Russia. "Oh yeah, Czech Republic, that's from Russia." I'm like, "What are you talking about?"

UH Interviewer: Are they thinking of Chechnya, or something?

Sylvie Bauerova: First, yeah, one of them is Chechnya and one of them is because we were part of the Bloc, thinking we were part of Russia, which is not true. And if you just read like a couple of things online you would know that.

I wish aside from just the location and some basic history, there is a lot of Jewish people, we went through a first world war, second world war, and kind of get an understanding what we went through as a nation. Since we are in central Europe, we went through everything because everybody passed through.

I wish they knew us a little bit more than just by supermodels and sports. It would be good to be like we came up with eye contacts, we came up with a lot of different inventions in the world.

UH Interviewer: Okay.

Sylvie Bauerova: That people have no idea.

UH Interviewer: Why do you think that is?

Sylvie Bauerova: Because we are so small, but we were in top 10 countries in 1920 so, but it's so long ago, it's a hundred years ago.

UH Interviewer: No, I know Czechoslovakia back then had a massive manufacturing base.

Sylvie Bauerova: After Ford we were the second car manufacturers in the world, and we had a great economy until first world war and second world war and then the communism. So, what else.

And then that Czech is a different language, so that would be good that it's not Russian.

But again, we are small so it's kind of hard to request it or wish for it. We're not a superpower to be able to just like, "Learn my language."

And now you want the opposites? So, the Czech people would know about Americans?

UH Interviewer: Yeah. Something that you knew now about America that you wish you would've known, or you wish people there would know now about it.

Sylvie Bauerova: I mean people go only by what's on the TV. So, I wish there was a little bit more exposure for the whole, not just what's picked, and I don't know who's picking what's going to be played in the Czech Republic. I wish there was a little bit more exposure to everything. Not just, I guess, I don't know if they have like the top 30 things and then nothing else can come through. But now it's obviously getting better with YouTube and you can stream, download things and stream online.

And I feel like Czechs are very, they don't like visitors. They are nice to visitors, but they don't like them too much. There's a certain limit because we've been occupied so much and we've been dragged through all kinds of things, and just kind of like, we're not interested anymore. So, I wish we were a little bit more open, because I think in general Americans are very open. They're like, "You here, okay call me, you be fine." I'm like, "Wait a minute. Who are you?" We are, I think there's a whole name for it, not Latin but, like a phobia.

UH Interviewer: Xenophobia?

Sylvie Bauerova: Xenophobia. I think we have a Xenophobia. Over the years we developed over all the occupations and as Russians, before it was Germans, before it was Hungarians, and we are always, so once we are kind of stable, we worry what else is going to happen.

UH Interviewer: Yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: Though I have to say kind of go with the flow, but still kind of worry. So, a little bit more open, less xenophobic. And I feel like there's some type of, I don't know if it's just a little bit more open. People are kind of racist because I think related to xenophobia, they'll see a, I don't know if it's racist or xenophobia or both of them together, where you have a foreigner comes through and you get a negative thing and you don't know if it's xenophobia or racism. So, it could be either or both or whatever, so I think we get a bad rap for that. So, I wish we were a little bit more American in that sense.

UH Interviewer: Okay. So, I guess-

Sylvie Bauerova: Other than the skinheads, you know.

UH Interviewer: Yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: I wish there was no skinheads.

UH Interviewer: Good to know. I think everyone would like for that not to exist. I guess, is there anything else you would like to share with me at all? Anything about your experiences in America, about being an American now, or being a Czech first?

Sylvie Bauerova: I think I'm still very proud Czech and I always will be until the day I die. I do have both of my citizenship. So, I always going to be first Czech, then American. I never plan to go back to Czech Republic. Maybe I'll buy like a summer house and go there for summer or something like that when I'm retired. But in general, I love America, I want to be here. I think it's the greatest country in the world as far as in my travels and where I lived, it is definitely great.

Sylvie Bauerova: I have a daughter and I want her to love America, oh my God, she loves America. She loves Czech Republic too, but, and she's also Czech, I made her a Czech. So, she understands both languages, but I want her to kind of keep this going. She's also a little proud Czech.

Aside from not ever leaving. I don't know, what else about America? I feel home here. Though I miss certain things of Czech Republic, I can kind of find a copy over here or try to make my own little thing here. As an immigrant, like always being active for the Czech Center, I'm always volunteering or going to the Czech Center in here and I always keep in touch with Czech people. So, it will never go away but I will never go back to Czech Republic.

UH Interviewer: Okay. Are there any questions that you feel I should have asked you during this interview at all?

Sylvie Bauerova: And again, I don't know the absolute point of, if you're going to have a research paper or what kind of data you collecting, but definitely just certain, like the fact that we were so sheltered, it made it so romantic in some sense. As a kid without having to deal with the communist party in general, like never have to be cold, to come with fear or something like that.

But being closed up and all the things that I just kind of like written down, the TV was high quality, the films were very high quality. The music, the Czech music is so, so great pre-communism and during communism. There were still a lot of culture that it was great. The series that I watched was super high quality, even though they were produced by communists, they were great.

I love Czech humor, there was like five levels on every joke. So, I wish some of those things kind of didn't go away. And because it was the only expression of artistry, I think that went away because of that once it opened up. Like I think artists are best under stress. So being like hidden and everything. It sounded fine to say it out loud if you knew there was levels of insult to communism. And if the comments were so stupid, they would not catch it or didn't want to catch it. I'm not sure.

So, I think now that everything is open, that romantic way, it went away. So now everything is open. So, I find that, it made artistry, music, and the film series kind of bland. There's nothing, there's no depth. I wish those kinds of things stayed, but I don't think you can have both things. They cannot have a happy... There's no good song from Mary J. Blige after she got happy, because only the good stuff comes out when she was under stress or some kind of a drama, that's when I guess the artist’s work best, and it has more substance.

So, I was, it was great. I'm glad that I'm out of it, but as a kid it was a great memory in some sense.

UH Interviewer: I guess there's, is there anything else in your notes that you want to cover that I didn't ask about?

Sylvie Bauerova: I would say that we kind of covered a lot of stuff. I would say like the fear that communists made you feel like STB, STB is like the KGB at the time. They were always watching you, always listening to what you're saying, they would tap phones and all that stuff. So, I think that fear that they were building up, so people aren't, they just do whatever the government says.

I feel like that is coming as well because we have lots of, they listen to our phones. I'm sure they're recording this right no.

UH Interviewer: Oh yeah.

Sylvie Bauerova: They probably watching us, that kind of stuff it feels very similar to that.

UH Interviewer: Like the NSA and all that stuff and all the spying on American citizens, you would say that's pretty similar to what they were doing then?

Sylvie Bauerova: Yes. I feel that that is very comparable. And I was just watching some stuff about Snowden and it's like, how can you be going through what he is going through right now, even though it's crazy, but you should not be in dishonor situation right now for doing the right thing in my opinion. So that is pretty scary.

So that's, my favorite person is Vaclav Havel, and how the country was basically, after the revolution the first president was Havel, you cannot compare it to our current president in Czech Republic or our current prison in the United States. What a difference.

UH Interviewer: A real man of the people.

Sylvie Bauerova: A real man of the people and pretty voting, we covered voting. We covered travel, so I think we covered everything.

UH Interviewer: Okay, well then, I think we can finish it up with that. So, thank you very much for the interview.

Sylvie Bauerova: No problem.