Interview with Ibrahim Bakoush, May 14, 2017

Interview Summary

Ibrahim Bakoush was born in Benghazi, Libya in 1957 where he completed his secondary school education. After the Gaddafi government nationalized his father's furniture business in 1979 his father said "Go to the U.S." which Ibrahim had long wished to do. Following brief stays in Mississippi and New Orleans to learn English, he obtained an associate degree in business from Brevard Community College in Florida. He visited a cousin in Lexington, Kentucky in 1983 and decided to stay. He attended Eastern Kentucky University until the Libyan government canceled his government scholarship because of his anti Gaddafi activities. Over 33 years in Lexington he has driven a taxi, owned a restaurant, a cleaning business, a used car lot, and he currently owns a body shop and ships cars overseas. He has four children and is active with a local mosque.

Interview Keyword

Libya Libyans Benghazi (Libya) Muammar Gaddafi Children Marriage

Interview LC Subject

Families. Acculturation. Education Emigration and immigration. Employment--Kentucky Immigrants--Kentucky Identity (Psychology) Lexington (Ky.).

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.