CHRISTINA ELANGWEInterviewee: Christina Elangwe
Interviewer: Peggy Callahan
Interviewee: Status: Free
Interview date: 2/24/05
Interview location: Silver Springs, Maryland  |  |
Christina Elangwe is a former slave. She grew up in Cameroon, Africa with her family and was enslaved in the United States. She dreamed of a better life and jumped at the promise of an education in the United States in return for some babysitting work. The promise of education soon turned into a nightmare. She was tricked; forced to be a domestic slave. For five years she worked without pay, seven days a week, up to 20 hours a day. Her captors lied, telling her they were sending money home to her parents. She never had a day off or contact with her family back home. When she realized that her traffickers weren’t going to help her better her life she knew she had to make a change. Two months after her only friend Rosaline (who was in a similar situation) escaped her enslavement, Christina decided to escape as well. With the help of a brave man named Louis Etongwe, she found a safe place to go as well as the support she needed to get her life back. Her traffickers were prosecuted, and plead guilty and received five years in prison. Christina is now working toward her dreams and living her own life. “Right now what I dream is you know to be a registered nurse, yeah. That’s my dream. I love helping people you know.” She is also sending money back home to her family. You can see Christina’s complete story and the story of three other modern slaves in the United States in the film ‘Dreams Die Hard’. Q: Let’s go back and talk about when you were a little girl where did you live and what big dreams did you have?
A: Okay um I grew up in a um actually it’s in the village. I was born in a village um called in Africa in Cameroon, south west province, that’s where I was born um, I grew up I went to elementary school I finished elementary school. My dream was to go to high school and right away my parents not have enough money to send me to high school right away so when I didn’t want to wait for the whole year. I mean for the whole semester and an opportunity came and one um old lady from another town I said another city you know came to the village was looking for somebody to um to come live with her, help what helping um she gonna put a place in a school so that’s why you know I accepted to go to a city to live, to live with the lady. So I was living with her I mean I was you know doing something I was helping and I was going I was going to school, but I didn’t go right away to school though I was there for maybe a year then the next year you know started school then um it came about um while I was with the old lady um she told me about she have she already an American United States and um sometimes when I was there while I was there they came in like one or twice to visit and one day she told me uh she told me that there were like for me to go to United States to um to take care of the kids while continuing schooling I say okay so they send me back, I went back to the village to um inform my parents. At first my Dad you know my Dad refused he said it was too far you know far away from the country you know but we you know convinced him I say oh this is my dream I say America you know I always dream of you know some to watch movies back home and watching the TV with (unintelligible) and we’re like so America is like heaven and say you know I would love to go you know I said um it’s not like I’m gonna stay home doing nothing you know I will continue my education say okay if that’s you know what I want (interrupted)… Q: Your dream … can you talk to us about that?
A: Well uh when I was back home we used to um watch movies you know a TV I bought American you know and you know sometimes I will sit you know talk to myself I would like to go to America because you know back home it was like America is like gold and silver it’s like heaven look at America like heaven you know, yes I would like to go there one you know one day like to (further ?) my education so when the opportunity came I’m like okay this is you know this is it you know yeah’.
Q: So what was the deal? Was the deal you were gonna come ? You were gonna get paid? You were gonna send money home and you were gonna go to school? What deal did they make you do?
A: Um yeah agreement was as soon as I come here actually I came I left school half way back there you know what I was you know doing so I came here around I came around February the month of February so what they told me was um that semester you know the semester will be over and the next semester I’m gonna start school. The agreement was okay I’m gonna baby sit and while I’m baby sitting continue my education and go to school, so when that whole year passed I didn’t you know they didn’t send me to school the following year came and asked him they were like oh they’re still thinking about it you know they’re gonna send me I should wait I just came you know, yet I takes it why?
Q: When did you start realizing … that this is not my dream this is not the deal I signed up for … how did it dawn on you what happened in your head?
A: Well as you know day goes by years goes by just you know start figuring you know start thinking that I think you know I guess these people not going to do anything or even if the one that does something maybe their kids will grow up go to college before they even start you know you know thinking about it or maybe you know there will there will never even do any they will not even think of doing anything and that’s what you know the lady told me when I asked her like this one time she said um just bringing me in America is more than it’s good enough they don’t have to do anything to me just bringing me here is good enough they don’t have the uh (noise in back ground). Just to come here I have to feel lucky. Yeah just to come here. Cause say there are older people dying to come here they can’t come there’s no way for them you know to get here. I should be happy that I’m here. Q: How much did you work?
A: No, 7 days a week, actually I live there I do everything from like 5 in the morning I have to get up you know get the kids ready give them showers make their breakfast go to school, half the day in school they’re you know keep on doing house hold job like cleaning cooking doing laundry ironing, and when the kids come back from school I give them lunch. Q: Tell us your work schedule again.
A: Um from 5 sometimes you know from 5 in the morning to when I’m going to be like maybe midnight, 1 am or sometimes like when there when like you know on occasion when it’s coming up I will stay to like 4 am 5 am to go to yeah because I’ll I will you know braid their kids the kids’ hair, I will stay up until I braid the you know braid their kids’ hair yeah. Q: Walk us through your day, day in and day out you had to do what?
A: Just the normal thing like you know getting them up, washing them up, giving them breakfast get them you know get them for school you know while they’re in school, continue my duties and uh clean, cook, I cook everyday, laundry iron you know yeah both the kids the husband and the wife every body’s laundry yeah (pause) iron them too. Q: Did you feel hopeless?
A: Yeah sometimes I feel you know sorry for myself you know sad you know yeah just hoping for you know one day you know every thing is gonna be okay or one day it’s gonna be over. Q: And was there any body for you to talk to?
A: No, no, no body was allowed to call me I wasn’t allowed to call any body. Q: Were you allowed to talk to or communicate with your parents?
A: All the years I was I never talked to them. The 5 years I was with them for 5 years I never talked to my parents. Q: Can you try it one more time and then tell me did you write letters or get letters from them?
A: I was for 5 years with them and never talked to my parents, I never receive any letter. I wrote letters I don’t know whether they received them or not. Q: I can’t imagine what you went through … I would have been crying you know sad and horrible… what did you use to do?
A: Sit down think write about you know my parents back home yeah. Q: Did they get upset if they saw that?
A: Uh I never like do it when they’re around you know most of the time like when and the kids are in school like when I’m home you know cleaning and yeah things will be going through my mind you know. Q: How much money did they pay you?
A: They never paid me anything while I was there um, when I asked them, the one that told me was um, they don’t have to I’m well actually when I asked them when I was there about uh when I was about um like 3 to 4 years I asked them for something doing you know so I can you know have something in me like some money in me, um they told me that um, that um they are not paying me but they are paying my parents. They’re not paying me the money but they are paying my parents.
Q: Were they?
A: No.
Q: Did you believe that they were paying them then or did you think they were lying to you?
A: Of course I know they were lying to me of course I never talked to them while I was there. I think they were just telling me so that I can you know like feel better and stuff like that yeah. Q: Did you think you were ever gonna get out of this?
A: Well really I mean I was thinking about it but there was no way out because I didn’t know any I didn’t know any body, you know but I was just praying for one day you know, for one day to come and you know so that I can be free but I I never I mean I never knew when you know when will be the day (slight pause) I was just you know hoping praying and hoping yeah. Q: Did all your dreams and hopes for an education did that just start to go away in your brain?
A: That’s right like I said you know after a while it just you know talked to my self I don’t think these people you know will do anything to me even if the one to do it I guess maybe you know when the and the kids are all grown and they are all in colleges and you know even before then they kinda start you know to think to do something. Q: Were you mad?
A: Yeah. Q: Tell me about that.
A: Um, some you know I was mad and you know I was like if I knew I should of you know just stay back home I should have listened to my Dad you know and stayed back home, should have continued my education back home, yeah but that was the main reason I wanted to especially American to me you know, to do something for myself and my family, yeah. Q: You were hoping that you would become free one day, how did that happen? How did you get free?
A: Um it happens when a Rosaline ran away, when she ran away so her and Mr. Louis Etongwe contacted me and you know what Rosaline told me is that I have to get out of there their you know there’s some body who is gonna help us who gonna help us to be free. At first I mean I at first I didn’t know um it took me a while to trust Mr. Louis Etongwe and after a while I just talked to him I say I have to do it I have to you know do something for myself and my family. It took me a while though, yeah. Q: How long is a while ago a month 2 months?
A: Yeah, about a month or 2 for me to make a decision to leave yeah. And I’m sure around that time they knew when Rosaline and went they knew they um they knew I have I know something I know something about it because they were asking me asking me where is she would she have contacted me or not I say no I won’t hear from her. So their eyes went wide open then you know they were thinking maybe I’ll be the next person you know so they have all this like you know temper with the phones like record yeah pull um tape recorders and stuff like that yeah around the house, so that just in case any body call you know they will know what’s going on, and they will be telling me oh even if I wanted to even if I wanted to run away I shouldn’t do it the way Rosaline did, I should you know tell them let her know okay I’m about to leave so that maybe hopefully tomorrow they can’t you know be visiting me and stuff like that. Q: Did you get fed did you have a place to sleep.. did they hit you?
A: Um for that they would not they never you know they I wasn’t um physically abuse yeah I wasn’t physically abuse, for that. Q: Did you hear about what was happening to your friend Rosaline?
A: Yeah I know she always tell me everything yeah. Q: And what did you think about that must have scared you for your friend?
A: I know but can do just talk on the phone and you know cry and you know just said you know I mean just trying to figure out what to do but there was no you know um there was no means because we tried I mean we talk about it leaving but if we leave where are we going to go we don’t know anybody, so just have to you know just stay there until one day she couldn’t take it in there any more she has to yeah run away. Q: And so on that day you finally said I’ve had it, what made you think that and what did you do?
A: Um like I said I finally realized there is no hope you know if I continue living with this family there’s no hope. So I better you know do something it’s about time, I mean I’ve already given them a 5 years of my life already, so now it’s my turn you know I have to do something for myself. So I told Mr. Louis that okay I’m ready because I’m that I’m ready now you know, so um when the when the employer went and drop me off where I used to take the GED classes and you know they dropped me off and left so uh just ask around you know few people around ask them for a change you know to you know catch the bus and they gave it to me I ask for information how to get to um Silver Springs Metro Station so that they told me so I took the bus and went there and Mr. Louis Etongwe came and picked me up yeah. Q: Now what do you think about…when you study slavery in the United States… talk to me about the importance of people like Louis.
A: Mr. Louis Etongwe he’s the one he’s a very nice you know very nice man he’s the one who help us um get us out of this um out of this situation I mean he really really help us after we left, I myself wouldn’t have left I actually live in his place in his house until I was you know able to like you know take care of myself before I left I mean he really you know he really really helped us you know I’m you know I’m very grateful for that too. Yeah. Q: Was it hard to trust him though?
A: It was it was because I didn’t know him like I said, the only people that I knew you know with like immediate family of you know my employers and their sisters and friends are the yeah those were the only people I knew. And they were like you know they’ll be treating you like um you ruined your stock to anybody. America is a bad place you can go out there and get killed you can’t make it in America even though people are saying you can make it you cannot make it. Yeah. Q: What happened to you afterwards… do you consider yourself a slave were you a slave?
A: In a way. And because I wasn’t you know I wasn’t paid uh you know I wasn’t you know sent to school, I was yeah I consider myself yeah. I consider myself as a slave because I work for so many hours with out getting paid with out you know going to school. Without getting what I wanted what they promised me. Q: And you couldn’t leave?
A: And I couldn’t leave. Q: Once you were free, were there after affects? Was it difficult for you was it difficult for you to make decisions did you have bad dreams, nightmares anything? What was your after affects?
A: Um after affects I used to especially the kids I used to you know like think a lot about you know about the kids, and then again you know I said well I mean they have their parents you know I’m here by myself. So after um um like big strong and you know do something good for my I have to think for now I have to think for myself, you know I’ve already you know I helped them enough already so I have to think for myself now, yeah but before you know I used to think especially the kids you know because I was really especially the last one I was really really close and she was yeah close, close with me I was really close with her too. Q: What happened to the people who enslaved you?
A: Um they were found guilty they pleaded guilty and they give the um 5 years of um provision and they served some community work community services. Yeah. And they were asked to um pay me you know some money for the years that you know even though not all but you know they um they calculated when I came during I mean how much the minimum wage, how much they paying then they asked them to you know pay me some amount of money for the job that I was doing. Q: Did you ever get paid enough money for the job that you did?
A: Um they are paying bit by bit but not that much you know, like I said they consider you know how much like babysitting was 10 how much do we paying. And then you know since he said that he have enough money so they have to like you know drop the monthly payment. Yeah. Q: Do you think you’ll ever get all the money they owe you?
A: I don’t know, I don’t know.
Q: What do your parents think about all that happened because your parents thought they were sending their daughter off to her dream?
A: That’s right. When they heard about it because um Mr. Louis Etongwe the tape that you know you talked about he took it he had actually to you know when back home and took it over there put it on for them to watch it, so there were no happy you know happy. so they were really really sad and my parent was like I mean they should send my child back home I mean you know, I’m not I’m not he’s not I mean I’m not modern you know I mean uh he can take care of me they should send me back home I should come back home. Yeah. Q: Have any of the Vivian or Louis’s family back home given your family any grief?
A: That’s right. Yeah. Um I know it is because they have all connections back there and that was the only thing that I’m praying for because already we are attacking Rosaline’s families already. Yeah . That is the only fear right now because you know Africa is a country that you can do any I mean every body have their rights you can do anything nobody will you know you will not pay for it. Q: If you could tell people one thing about what you’ve experience, what would you say?
A: Um at first, the first thing I you know like anybody that I’m going to say anybody in my situation the same situation, like me they shouldn’t I mean shouldn’t take them that long for them to get help, there’s help out there you know they shouldn’t uh believe what their employers or employers telling them that oh it’s scary out there America is a bad you know bad place it’s a bad country people get people can get killed there’s help out of there now good people good people out there they should reach for help immediately maybe for the first you know few months or the first year if you know what they promise them they’re not getting what they promised then they should look for help cause there’s help out there. Q: And what would you say to families back home because it’s sometimes common…
A: (Interrupting Interviewer) That’s right it is it is it is never send I mean no matter what you have you have a you know you have to eat you and your kid can eat you know or um you should you shouldn’t send your child out there especially with you know with strange strangers even yeah with strangers you shouldn’t I mean you shouldn’t send your child like that should keep your child. Q: Did you think… were the land of the free… did you just think that this was the biggest horrible joke in life… did that ever cross your mind?
A: For what they were telling me yeah (pause) for what they were telling me I that America is a bad country you know I cannot make it even if I tried to leave I cannot make it that I can get killed. Yeah. Q: So your dreams were nearly snuffed out... but what about now you’re free?
A: That’s right yeah on 20 now when Rosaline you know run away she opened the door for all of us yeah. She took a big step. Q: What do you dream of now?
A: Um right now what I dream is you know to be a registered nurse, yeah. That’s my dream I love helping people you know. Q: Do you believe that dreams are even possible now?
A: Sure, everything is possible. Sure. Q: That’s a big change from the way you were when you were 18.
A: That’s right oh yeah that’s right one day and I never thought you know I mean sometimes I will go back I’m like you know I can’t believe you know I can’t believe I’m the one now I you know I have job of my own you know I can do things on my own do whatever I want to do drive a car you know yeah I never thought of that.
Q: You must be proud of yourself?
A: I’m proud of myself now because now I have a job. I have a roof over my head and I have a car I can do whatever I want right now you know.
Q: If you saw the people today who did this to you what would you say to them?
A: Um right now I’m just trying to you know like just trying to like you know keep away from them I just want to you know live my life now I don’t want like you know I don’t want to even, I to even see them even you know I just want to yeah but if it happens you know I’m like I would just like you know look at me now here look at me now yeah. Yeah. I did it that’s right, you thought I wasn’t gonna make it but I did it yeah. Q: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
A: Uh we are all 8 together, so I have um 5 no okay um with out including myself I have 4 older sisters and 3 brothers. Yeah. Q: I saw on the tape you saying I can’t go home empty handed, talk to me about that.
A: Yeah I can say right now um I’m building a house for my parents and to my siblings I you know like paid their tuitions in school yeah I put them on yeah all in school. Yeah. Q: Do you feel proud of yourself?
A: Sure of course, sure. Yeah. Uh being my you know my mom is always sick so I pay her medical you know like medical fees and stuff like that yeah, like you know send her to a bigger hospital so she can get more tests, yeah. Q: How did you get into the country did you have papers?
A: No actually um I used one of the assistants’ passport. Yeah. Q: When you escaped…they would deport them… what happened in your case?
A: Um so good that when Roseline you know when Roseline um run away with the help of Uncle Luis, they contacted um one of the agent in Maryland here you know to help out the case. Yeah. Q: And then Casa Maryland helped you guys too right?
A: That’s right okay Casa of Maryland is one um way I used to live in Gettysburg There’s this um there’s a guy he’s from Kenya he’s also living with um one couple also he he was in the same you know similar situation too, so he’s living with this you know white couple so he was the one who told me about Casa that they’re gonna help me get out. But like I said then I didn’t know I didn’t trust any one and I was scared to to leave you know. Yeah. Q: What did Casa do for you?
A: Um Casa help us um you know like right helping us they help us to get our immigration status, yeah with the help of the agent too. Yeah. Q: And what do you do for a job now?
A: Um I work as an agent’s assistant. Yeah. Q: Do you like it?
A: Yeah sure. I like what I’m doing I like my job. Q: And what is it going to take for your big dream to come true to be a registered nurse?
A: Um right now I’m trying to you know trying to work hard save some money, to go to school. Yeah. Yeah I’m gonna do it I have to do it, yeah. Q: Looking ahead, what do you hope and dream and pray for?
A: Um I’m just you know hoping you know my dream will come true as you know because since I said I wanted to be a registered nurse and with the help of God I’m gonna you know I will do it and I’ll be the registered nurse yeah. Q: Are you still in contact with Luis?
A: Yes. Q: How do you communicate with your parents?
A: Over the phone Q: Really? Yeah. I got them a phone. (They all laugh) Q: Do you have any pictures of your family here now?
A: Um where did I put that thing? Q: Anything else I didn’t ask you that’s really important I don’t want to miss something important.
A: I don’t I can’t think right now. Q: You worked for them 7 days a week 16 hours a day 5 years, did you tell your parents you were being worked to death how much did you get to talk to your parents about all this?
A: Um I want to start you know come in the kitchen like you know basically I’m I told them everything on the tape that um Uncle Louis took back there and like you know on the phone too I tell them too. Like you know what I went through and stuff like that what they promise me to send to school it that never happened and you know all they send me like 2 days a week for the GED class and it was free too. Q: Do you feel like they’ve stolen your life from you?
A: Sure yeah they did. Q: Can you say that in a full sentence for me?
A: Yes they did. I feel like you know I feel like they stole my life from me. My child was life for me yes. Q: And the whole time you lived in their house were you able to talk to your parents?
A: No. I never talked to my parents for the 5 years that I was with them. All they would tell me is um, one time like you know few times they would tell me that um they’re trying to get you know hold of my parents but they’re lying, the line would not go through but they always talked to their own parents but when it’s time for me to talk with my parent the line doesn’t go through. Yeah. You can see Christina’s complete story and the story of 3 other modern slaves in the United States in the film ‘Dreams Die Hard’.
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