Steel Valley Voices

Hennie was born in Sukorejo, Indonesia where both of her parents were school principals and owned a small farm. She came to America in 2002, and as she states, it was love that brought her here.  Hennie married an American in an official American ceremony and then they traveled to Indonesia for a 7 day wedding celebration of food, music, and dance. Raised as a Muslim, Hennie made a conscious decision while in Indonesia to convert to Christianity.

Hennie speaks Javanesse, Indonesian, and English. Having Indonesian and Malaysian friends in this country provides opportunities for Hennie to speak her native language. Unable to use the college degree she received in Indonesia to find a job in America, Hennie has returned to college.

Describing her life in Indonesia, Hennie mostly talks about friends, family, and nature. She misses the freedom of visiting friends without calling or “making an appointment.”  Although she talks to her parents every day, she misses them, and she misses the easy access she had to the mountains she would climb with friends. And she misses the food.  Hennie remembers her first Christmas dinner in America and the abundance of food, yet when leaving the home of her in-laws, she asked her husband to take her to a Chinese restaurant for rice.

Hennie became a naturalized citizen in October, 2009.  The ceremony was a very powerful experience for her.  Crying while saying the Pledge of Allegiance, she realized that she is free, she could vote, she could work hard to pursue her goals and express herself and be like everyone else in this country. And she is doing just that.  She is working at a job she likes and where she has formed friendships, she is pursuing a second college degree, and she is free to be a faithful member of a Christian church she has joined.

It is important for Hennie that her family in Indonesia is aware that she is happy in America. This is her message to them:  “Mom and Dad, you do not have to worry about me any more.  Do you remember when I was a kid and I told you I want to have a degree from the United States and you thought it was impossible …Well, I am working toward a second degree.  I still keep principles you taught me as a kid.  I am happy and I really miss you and I want you to be proud of your daughter.”