Parveneh
You can read more about my $2 Portrait Project here.
I met Parveneh today while I was walking up Mission Street just past 21st. I was walking one way and she was walking the other. As she approached me and our eyes met she held out her hand. It was a simple non verbal gesture asking me for money. I wasn't sure if she spoke English or not but I started telling her about my $2 portrait project anyways.
As I was explaining it to her she quickly said, "yes, yes," and I began talking photographs of her. I had a hard time figuring out her name and she repeated it several times. Finally she spelled it for me telling me that it was an Iranian name.
I asked Parveneh if she was originally from Iran and she said that she was. She said that she came to the U.S. in the 1970s as a student and ended up seeking asylum here as a student. She said that while in school that she began to have mental problems and so she had to drop out, but that before she did she became an American Citizen.
Parveneh told me that because of her mental problems that she can't work today and that she is on Govt. assistance. She told me that most days though she comes up from Daly City where she lives to the Mission District in San Francisco. She told me that everybody in the Mission knew her and that they call her mama and grandma.
I asked Parveneh about her family. She said that she had a son who lived in San Jose but that most of her family, including her mother, are still back in Iran. She said that she's wanted to go visit them but that she can't or that they will not let her out of the country to come back to the U.S. She said that she was hopeful that freedom will come to Iran and that she watches the news about Iran every night.
After our conversation I paid Parveneh her $2 and we each went our own way on Mission.
Parveneh
You can read more about my $2 Portrait Project here.
I met Parveneh today while I was walking up Mission Street just past 21st. I was walking one way and she was walking the other. As she approached me and our eyes met she held out her hand. It was a simple non verbal gesture asking me for money. I wasn't sure if she spoke English or not but I started telling her about my $2 portrait project anyways.
As I was explaining it to her she quickly said, "yes, yes," and I began talking photographs of her. I had a hard time figuring out her name and she repeated it several times. Finally she spelled it for me telling me that it was an Iranian name.
I asked Parveneh if she was originally from Iran and she said that she was. She said that she came to the U.S. in the 1970s as a student and ended up seeking asylum here as a student. She said that while in school that she began to have mental problems and so she had to drop out, but that before she did she became an American Citizen.
Parveneh told me that because of her mental problems that she can't work today and that she is on Govt. assistance. She told me that most days though she comes up from Daly City where she lives to the Mission District in San Francisco. She told me that everybody in the Mission knew her and that they call her mama and grandma.
I asked Parveneh about her family. She said that she had a son who lived in San Jose but that most of her family, including her mother, are still back in Iran. She said that she's wanted to go visit them but that she can't or that they will not let her out of the country to come back to the U.S. She said that she was hopeful that freedom will come to Iran and that she watches the news about Iran every night.
After our conversation I paid Parveneh her $2 and we each went our own way on Mission.