Pamela Bidear is a truly impressive woman. Born and raised in the cities of Kumba and Boyer in Cameroon, she is the eldest of three siblings. She is highly educated, having studied at a primary and secondary school level, continuing on to obtaining a diploma in business management from the University of Boyer. Pamela brought these skills to her highly sought-after government job, where she operated as an accountant in the state treasury. In addition to this more stable and lucrative position, she also worked as a teacher for a Catholic mission school, paying back the debt she felt she owed to the place of her early education.
Unfortunately, political instability, largely arising from tensions between Cameroonian English and French speakers, uprooted her life and home. Her husband was an activist for the English-speaking contingent, and due to his protests against the marginalization of his people, his life was taken. Fearing for her safety, Pamela was forced to flee the country and leave behind two of her three children with her mother, where they still reside. After a stint in Nigeria, and another in Ecuador, she eventually found her way to the United States in 2018.
Understandably, it hasn’t been easy since arriving at the “Land of the Free.” Pamela contends with the overlying (and for her novel) issues of American racism and xenophobia, but also with other problems such as obtaining residence, and having her overseas education accepted in US contexts. Despite these roadblocks, Pamela has persevered, starting her own businesses, and continuing her education and training in a manner that leaves the listener awestruck. Her plans for the future are countless, yet at present her heart remains at home—her “biggest accomplishment” would be bringing her remaining two children here to the US.
Pamela’s Interview
Why did you leave Cameroon?
Did you come directly from Cameroon to the US?
How does it feel to be Cameroonian in this country in terms of a race context?
Coming to the United States, did you feel like the jobs and companies, they respected your experience that you had from Cameroon?
Were you able to meet other Cameroonians or find a Cameroonian or African community here when you came to this country?
You talked about your first two jobs: being a computer literacy teacher in a Catholic mission school and a government accountant. Which did you prefer?
What is your current job?
Compared to how you will support your child’s path in the future, how different is it than your experience growing up?
What is something you would like to accomplish this year?
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