My American Experience as An Immigrant
Like many people in the third world, my aspiration from an early age was to come to America for better opportunities in life. It is customary for someone to start having a particular perception of the United States before ever setting foot here. I was not exempt to that. Everything about America, in my opinion, was better, bigger, more special. I perceived America as a country where everything was in perfect order; verry much like they present the country on television. The buildings were all in glass skyscrapers. The streets were well designed and beautifully paved. The snow fall was more ornaments along the roads and the roof tops. Work was fun and well paid for. That picture perfect perception would soon change, once I stepped out of the immigration corner of the Kennedy Airport in New York City. As soon as I stepped out, the reality was very much one to remember as sounds I could hear, but not feel familiar with. I was hearing people talking but did not understand the conversation. I got swept by the fast pace of taxi cabs, Uber, and other means of transportation seeking desperately to scoop me for the ride. A dose of reality right outside the airport was a wakeup call. Coming a slow-pace, smaller country, and system, one must be prepared to face unfamiliar things, to learn to adjust quickly, deal with many challenges at once you set foot in America. Yet, if one manages to put all those pieces together, life for an immigrant in America can be inspirational at last.
When I was a teenager in Haiti, watching TV, I used to see nothing but beautiful places in America. I never saw old looking houses, broken roads, old cars, dirty streets. I could never imagine getting in a very used car and be shaken in the seat due to potholes. However, the moment I touched at Kennedy airport, I had to make to some adjustment in my based on my journey from the airport to Port Authority, NY all the way to my destination in South Carolina. New York City, everything moves faster there than any other place I am aware of. After I went through US Custom, finding my way out to the pickup area of the airport was not easy. But I made it out and was picked up by my brother-in-law. We made across the bridge to Manhattan were I boarded a bus to South Carolina to my final destination. That bus ride was not an express one. Therefore, we had multiple stops at which people got off and came on board. At some point, the bus was stopped by the Policy. All passengers were orders off while they searched everywhere. Needless to say, that scene to me felt like I was watching a movie. Finally, they placed the suspect under arrest, and we were on our way.
How did make the needed adjustments from Haiti to South Carolina, US?
I came to the United States from Haiti in January 2017. I resided in South Carolina for seven months. It is a very nice and quiet place, but too far from everyone I know or everything I could get involved in a more familiar community. You can imagine the complexity of life in a place where you don’t speak the language or know anyone. In South Carolina, the houses are very nice and spacious. People are very nice and generous. I remember being offered rides by total strangers when they saw my son and me walking the streets. The distance did not matter to them; they just wanted help us get to our destination quicker than it would take to get there by walking. The cost of living is relatively low. But after a few months, all my savings I traveled with were running out. However, there were challenges. I could not find anybody who spoke my language, and I did not speak English. Consequently, son and I did not have a social life. Furthermore, there was not too much work opportunity for me. With no chance for schooling or employment, I had a very isolated life in South Carolina. I decided to make a move in pursuit of more conducive environment for a non-English newcomer to start a life.
A New Beginning
I arrived in Massachusetts in the fall of the same year. My then 6-year son quickly got integrated in a school where special help was provided to new students to accelerate English learning. I got enrolled in an adult learning center to study English. I soon had a social life as I got to meet fellow country women and men along other foreigners on the same mission of getting familiarized with the American culture and learning the language as soon as possible. When you are on a journey, it feels good to have company. We were all united in the same goal, learning English as quickly as possible. For that purpose, we forced ourselves to joke, socialize in our newly adopted language. I met several people, including my instructors, with whom I exchanged ideas about my personal ambition and goal. I also met several people who were from country. A few months later after, I was lucky to find employment and became financially more independent.
My migration to America was a much-needed way of giving my son and myself the true new beginning in life. My son, who is nine years old now, is fully mainstreamed in the school system. From the adult learning center, I moved on to a college preparation program with scholarship to take remedial courses before enrolling at BCC. I cannot imagine making so much progress in such a short time in my country. While my perception of America was far from the reality, my willingness to adjust and take advantage of available opportunities certainly put me on track for a better way of life. I am sometime nostalgic of my country and miss some of our traditions. But coming to America shows me another aspect of life. One where you must be willing to face challenges and make adjustments in your plan to achieve your goals. South Carolina’s slow-paced life with very nice housing and quiet neighborhoods was more fitting for my old perception of America. However, I would not trade away what I have accomplished in Massachusetts. It fits more with what I dreamed to accomplish personally than what I perceived as a picture perfect of America.