In 2013, Alex and Maria were interviewed about their migration from Romania to Belgium a year earlier. They arrived in Antwerp together with their mother. Through the school they were attending, they were asked by the museum to participate in an interview. For Alex and Maria, this is a pleasant memory. And, at the same time, they felt: “Someone is interested in how we got here. So, we spoke honestly about what it was like for us.”
By sharing their story, they want to give courage to other migrants. Alex and Maria came to Belgium as children and had a very difficult time. They thought they could never belong. Everything was different. Even the air. They felt they were being treated differently, that they did not fit in here.
Over time, things got better: studying, working, making new friends, etc. Alex and Maria have found their place.
Both are happy that their story has been given a place in the museum and will be preserved for the future. Some day their children and grandchildren will see it. It will continue to live on, with an important message: “Migration is difficult. There is nothing easy about it, but it does turn out okay.”
Alex and Maria's contribution to the museum
We preserve Alex and Maria's interview as well as two drawings they made about their migration story.
View the interview excerpts.
