Zeitoun Interview

Picking the Mind of Zeitoun

By: Quinton Garvis

Abdulraham Zeitoun is a man who was born in Syria, and came to the U.S. in 1988 and began working for a contractor in Baton Rouge. There he met a friend that introduced him to Kathy, who would later become his wife. He and Kathy have 4 children total, but not all of them together. He eventually owned his own business, Zeitoun Painting Contractors, LLC. He is a Hurricane Katrina survivor.

Garvis: Zeitoun, you grew up in a household of many strong male role models. Did these family members impact the choices you have made in life? If so, how?

Zeitoun: Yes, my male family members have influenced my life choices a lot. My role models have had a big part of shaping me into the man that I am today. My father Mahmoud had a large influence on how I raised my children. He forbid me from raising my children on the sea (23). So I took a job as a contractor, so now I'm always on land.

Garvis: Yeah, you seem to be very devoted to your job as a contractor. That is the reason that you stayed behind while your family evacuated. Is your job more important to you than your safety?

Zeitoun: No, it isn't, but I do try to be a selfless person. I wanted to stay and help others. Also, I had to secure all of my job sites, because any damage that was done to a property that I was working on I would be accountable for(50). But on top of that I have lived in New Orleans for many years, I have been warned to evacuate many times before when nothing really happened. Just a few downed trees and a day without power, nothing major. So I didn't think much of Katrina.

Garvis: Many people would not have been as brave as you to go out and rescue people and animals. How did it feel to do so much good?

Zeitoun: It felt great to serve a purpose and to help those in need! Being out there paddling around in that canoe reminded me of my father, and of my brother. I wanted to be remembered as a hero.

Garvis: You seemed so calm when the storm hit, while others were panicking. Why were you so calm?

Zeitoun: After the storm hit, it was like nothing I had ever seen before. It was like pure tranquility, everything was still. I felt like an adventurer canoeing through the streets. It was a day with nothing to do (78).

Garvis: What were your biggest concerns on your "adventure" canoeing through the flooded streets of New Orleans?

Zeitoun: Well, one of my concerns was looting when I found a random person on one of my rental properties, but my biggest concern was helping those people in need, like the elderly woman who was trapped in the house on Nashville (100).

Garvis: So, in closing, do you feel that it was the right decision to stay back?

Zeitoun: Looking back, absolutely. It gave me a chance to serve a purpose and help people. It also brought back memories of my days in Syria. There is nothing I would change about what I did and how I did it during and after the storm. Plus I became famous!

(Garvis and Zeitoun laugh)

Garvis: Thank you very much for your time Mr. Zeitoun.