Immigration Stories

1/15/2020

America is a great big nation comprised of immigrants, and each of our ancestors left their home countries to come to America for a myriad of reasons. I recently had my DNA tested and have discovered that my ancestors mainly descended from Africa. Prior to submitting my DNA for analysis, as far as I knew, my mother’s family came from the Cape Verde Islands and my dad’s family came from Jamaica and the Prince Edward’s Islands. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was 72% African when my actual test results were returned. As we are studying Immigration, I would like to know your family’s unique immigration experience. Ask your parents or another elder in your family where your ancestors came from. Also, ask what the push and pull factors were for leaving their homelands and settling in America. Ask when they arrived to America, and what their early experiences were like. Did they work? What types of work did they do? Once you have all these questions answered, start blogging. I want to know all. Also, make sure to reply to at least one classmates post, and don’t forget the rules and etiquette of our blogosphere. Use your full name (no pseudonyms), and don’t be mean.

57 Comments

David-Allen Sumner JR.

1/15/2020 01:19:15 pm

Wow!! I did not know! But I can relate. My 5x Great-Grandfather is Jobe Alston(a slave!). I'm also part Irish. Jobe wouldn't let my grandmother and her sisters and brothers talk with a slave accent. They had to speak proper. So yeah.

Jaelynn M.

1/15/2020 04:34:09 pm

My ancestors are from Puerto Rico. There was no work there and my grandfather had an opportunity to work in Rhode Island, so my abuela and my abuelo both left Puerto Rico together. My grandparents had never spoken a word of English in their lives so, when they first arrived it was hard for them to speak to other people, because they only spoke Spanish and majority of people spoke English. Luckily, they already had purchased an apartment prior to their arrival. My abuela did not have a job, but my abuelo did, he worked in a factory.

Ari S

1/15/2020 08:30:13 pm

That must have hard coming here without anyone else from your family. Also having to learn English is very difficult. I wonder what year they came to America.

anya a.

1/15/2020 08:50:07 pm

Wow! That's so cool. They were so brave to come to a new place were they didn't know the language.

Ari S.

1/15/2020 06:48:03 pm

In 1921, my great-great grandfather immigrated to America from Southwest Poland. He came so he could support his family and earn more money to bring his wife and five children to America in 1927. Another reason was the aftermath of World War 1. That area was still not the safest place for Jews and they didn't have many opportunities. When my great-great grandfather came here he continued his job of being a tailor. My great grandmother, came when she was in third grade at the age of 9. She continued school and gained a high school diploma.

Ava S.

1/15/2020 07:52:13 pm

Wow. That was brave of your grandmother to come to a foreign country when she was only 9 years old! A lot of my family came from Poland too! Your great great grandfather must have been very brave too, to come to America all alone to earn money for your other family.

Mekhi R.

1/15/2020 08:33:23 pm

Wow Ari, it’s great that your great-great grandfather came to America to support his family!

Ian T.

1/15/2020 09:36:20 pm

Wow, it is very impressive that your great-great grandfather had to support five children while also going through the very difficult process of immigration. I also think it is spectacular that your great grandmother was able to get her diploma as well!

Jarius R.

1/15/2020 10:26:10 pm

Wow Ari! I had no idea your grandfather was Polish. I am glad to know that he came to America to support his family. What a brave man.

Edwin

1/15/2020 10:45:36 pm

Wow that was really brave of your great grandmother to move to a foreign country at the age of 9.

Mia B.

1/15/2020 06:57:04 pm

My mom came to America when she was in college to work as an au pair. During that she year, she met my dad. When the year was over, she went back to Lithuania to finished college. After earning her degree, she came the U.S to start a family and live here permanently. From day one, my mom had a hard time adjusting living so far away from her family. That is why we love to go to Lithuania and spend our summers there.

Lily G.

1/15/2020 07:14:40 pm

That must be hard for your mom to have family that far away! I am glad you get to go back to Lithuania to see your family!

Lily G.

1/15/2020 07:11:45 pm

My great great grandmother and great great grandfather came over from Italy on a boat in 1906. They came to America hoping for a better life and left their relatives behind. He was a chef. They did not speak English, they only spoke Italian. In a short period of time they had 4 little girls. She ended up going back to Italy on a boat to have her relatives help her take care of the 4 little girls. My great great grandfather stayed here to save money and eventually she returned with the girls. They were able to purchase a house. This house is on Barkley Street on Federal Hill. The 4 little girls grew up speaking English and Italian.

Jaelynn M.

1/15/2020 08:34:39 pm

Wow! That’s amazing!! How did he save money? Did he work in a bakery or own his own bakery? It must have been hard to learn a different language ( English) especially at an older age

Keilly Q.

1/15/2020 09:29:44 pm

I thinks it’s very cool how you’re great great grandparents came to America on a boat. I can relate since my ancestors weren’t able to speak English either until they came to America as well. Very interesting family history!!

Ava S.

1/15/2020 07:52:47 pm

Both of my parents' ancestors had very hard journeys in getting to America. My dad, his mom, and two brothers arrived to America in 1983. The main push factor for them was the Khmer Rouge. My Matya, (grandmother) and my dad’s two older brothers were lucky to have survived, unlike the 2 million people who died. My dad was not born when the war started, he was born during it. That’s why my dad doesn’t remember too much about the war. My Matya, uncles, and my dad had to walk from Cambodia to Thailand. There, they stayed at a Refugee camp. Then, they were sent to the Philippines by the Refugee Resettlement. Once in the Philippines, they waited to get a sponsor. My dad had family in France, Canada, and the U.S. My Matya would have gone to whichever family member was willing to sponsor them first. As you may have guessed, my dad’s family members here in the United Statesresponded first, and that’s how my dad and his family ended up here.
Now, my mom’s ancestors got here another way. My mother’s, father's ancestors were originally from the Ukraine and Poland. The main push factor for them were the pogroms. They also didn’t have a lot of money, so they sought more work in America. They then took a boat to the United States. Since the mechanics in boats weren’t as matured as they are now, the boat ride took more than a year. That’s how my great great grandmother ended up being born in England. When they finally arrived in the United States, my great great grandmother worked in sweatshops to earn money. My mother's, mother's ancestors also came here by boat. In the 1900’s, the most common goal for women was to find a man and get married. So when my great great grandmother met an American soldier, that was her pull factor. Before they came to America, they stopped in Ireland and had a child. They then moved to America with him, and became a seamstress.
Like you Mr. Husband, I also got my DNA tested. Prior to being tested, I knew that I was Cambodian, Jewish, and British. When I got my test back, I received some pretty shocking news. I found out I was a small percentage of African American and 6% Finnish! I also discovered that I didn’t only have ancestors from Cambodia, but from all over Southeast Asia and only 12% of me was from the British Isles. Overall, I think my ancestors all came to the United States for different, but important reasons.

Ava S.

1/15/2020 08:04:36 pm

*Theres a typo. It didn't take a year by boat for my great great grandmother to get to America. It DID take a couple of weeks. ^_^

Matthew D.

1/15/2020 08:14:40 pm

Wow that must have been a tough journey for your dad and his mother and brothers to walk all that way but it is really lucky that they all survived and were able to make it to America

Mr. Husband

1/15/2020 09:02:10 pm

Good job, Ava!

Mia B.

1/16/2020 01:19:38 pm

Wow Ava! That's a really incredible story. It must have been very hard for your family to leave their home and escape a war-torn country.

Mekhi R.

1/15/2020 08:29:15 pm

My Nani immigrated from Italy with her family. They left in 1930. My Nani was only about 20 years old. A push factor for my Nani and her family was the bombings from world war 1, her family wanted a better life. So, they embarked on a voyage to America. Her family got sick and had to change their name. I am not sure what My Nani’s name was before but I know that she changed it to Jenny. When My Nani’s family reached America, she started to work in a jewelry factory. She never really learned English so It was hard for her and her family to adapt.

Leila H.

1/15/2020 09:07:45 pm

Moving to a new country at 20 years old must’ve been extremely difficult, especially not knowing the language.

Matthew D.

1/15/2020 08:32:35 pm

My ancestors came from Ecuador. The pull factors were pursuing a career in medicine. My mother thought that there would be more gender equality in the workforce than in Ecuador and that there would be a better standard of living in America. She also had heard that America had a more cutting edge practice of medicine. The push factors were that in Ecuador it is harder to develop a career in medicine if you did not come from a family of physicians, also post-graduate training programs are not very strong in Ecuador. She arrived in America in August 1995 and went to Boston to study for her board exams while her sister went to school there. She felt that she was very privileged to be able to study in Boston because of her father's support. Once she was able to pass her exams she looked for a volunteer position at a hospital to build her resume. After several months she applied for a residency training program and was offered a position at the Brown University Psychiatry Training Program.

Owen N.

1/16/2020 07:34:46 am

That’s really cool how your mom persevered through everything and reached her goal. It must have been extremely difficult to do so whilst moving to a whole new country and way of life.

Leila H.

1/15/2020 08:52:14 pm

My family came from many places. I came from Asia, and my mom’s ancestors came from Europe.
I am Chinese and was adopted by my mom when I was 13 months old from Hunan China (in southern China). I did a DNA test through 23andme to find traces of my biological family. Through that I found that my ancestors most likely came from Chinese provinces called Guangdong and Jiangsu (both provinces on the coast). Another place may be Vietnam, but I’m not completely sure. My maternal side came through the Middle East from Africa to Southeast Asia approximately 43,000 years ago. (This information is based off my DNA, not records or personal knowledge.)
My grandfather’s ancestor was named Stephan Hopkins and he arrived in America in 1620 on the Mayflower. However, he had previously been to the New World, and was an experienced explorer. Unlike many on the ship, he wasn’t there for religious reasons, but rather for the opportunity America promised. Stephan had three children with his wife Mary, but when she unexpectedly passed away, he later married Elizabeth Fisher, who he went on to have 7 kids with. When the learned of the Mayflower and the plan to sail to America, he signed up to go along with his family. The small ship with 102 passengers embarked on its long and difficult journey to America in September of 1620. On this ship, Elizabeth gave birth to a baby they named Oceanus, who later died in 1627. In December of 1620, the Mayflower passengers spotted land, which was Cape Cod’s hook in Plymouth, even though they were originally aiming for the Virginia colony down south. In Plymouth, Stephan opened a tavern, which the court had many problems with because Stephan served alcohol on Sundays (the Lord’s day). Although Stephan got in lots of trouble, he was also the main contract with the local Native American tribes, was the assistant to the governor, and signed the Mayflower compact (the first body of laws in the colony).
My grandmother’s ancestors came from France and settled in the eastern side of Canada, becoming French Canadian (Early 18th century). From there, they moved to New Hampshire by crossing the border (19th century). We don’t know why her family left France to come to America, but can assume it was for opportunity. In New Hampshire they lived off the land by trapping animals for food, and mining granite in quarries. This is how the family lived and possibly how they made money. The original family name was Bienvenu and translated to Welcome in English and this remains today (which is why my middle name is Welcome). They believe that the original name came from a nickname because a welcoming personality.

Leila H.

1/15/2020 09:01:23 pm

Forgot to add that when I was adopted by my mom, who is an American citizen, I also became a citizen and immigrated to America.

Kiwe Husband

1/15/2020 09:02:55 pm

Well done, Leila!

anya a.

1/15/2020 09:03:16 pm

My ancestors are from Puerto Rico. My father is a first generation American. His parents moved to America because they wanted better opportunities for them and their family. In Puerto Rico she wasn’t working and wasn’t on her feet so it was better to follow her mother and husband who also had moved to America. When they moved to America they were experiencing a lot of racism against them. They were one of two hispanic families and had trash thrown at their homes and rocks and stuff. They then moved to a more Urban neighborhood when they got on their feet and they had experienced a lot of gang violence and multiple robberies. When in America they moved around a lot. My father moved from New Jersey to Boston Massachusetts to Providence, Rhode Island. When he was a young adult, he got a job in the Deli at Stop & Shop. While he was working there he found out his girlfriend was pregnant with his son, my brother, When they separated, he got his GED,him and my mom began to date and they had me.

Leila H.

1/15/2020 09:12:06 pm

It’s really brave that your family came to America for better lives and more opportunity because of the difficulties that come with immigrating. Prejudice being one of those things, but it’s a good thing your grandparents were able to get on their feet, considering the racism.

Taylor Delbou

1/15/2020 09:26:25 pm

It’s really sad that many people like your parents and grandparents had to experience a lot of racism and discrimination here, but it’s good they were able to find work and start a family despite the hardships they must have gone through.

Ashley

1/15/2020 11:58:24 pm

It is so brave that your family came to this country in search for better opportunities, and for better life. It’s also so disappointing and sad that so many families like yours as to go through and experience racism firsthand.

Taylor Delbou

1/15/2020 09:23:02 pm

I don’t know much about my father’s side, but recently my mom has been investigating by ancestry websites to find where our side of the family came from. She said our ancestors moved over from England for the promise of religious freedom and a better, new life. We don’t know much, but they had the same reasons to come over as many other immigrants at the time. My family is connected to the Preble family, who had some war generals and captains. My mom says she found out her great-great-great-great uncle was one of the people who changed the Navy by making it less sloppy and more organized. Another Preble was fighting with George Washington in a war. My second cousin’s (my mom's cousin) last name was still Preble but she recently legally changed it due to personal reasons. I remember staying up late a few months ago and having my mom show me all the things she has found out about who our lineage is and what they’ve done. She is still trying to find out more about our ancestors, but a lot of information is hard to find.

Keilly Q.

1/15/2020 09:24:10 pm

My family is from the Dominican Republic. My grandparents were the first to come to America in 1986, leaving my dad and his siblings behind. The reason why my grandparents had to leave my dad and his siblings were because they could only filed visas for themselves and they weren’t allowed to file Visas for children until they were in America. It took a year, in 1987, until my dad and his siblings were able to come. My dad was nine years old by that time. They went to Providence and my grandfather stayed in New York for work since he transferred his job from Dominican Republic to the U.S, but the company wasn’t located in Rhode Island. My dad stayed with my grandmother in Providence with his two other siblings. Since there were so many immigrants coming from Spanish speaking countries, my father had to get put in a class with Chinese immigrants since all of the Spanish speaking classes were full. He was in the Chinese speaking class for a year, not understanding much of the material, until the next year where he was able to join a Spanish speaking class. From there, he learned English and began his new life in America.
My mother doesn’t know as much about her ancestors and how they came to America. On my mom’s side my grandmother was born in Dominican Republic and my grandfather was born in Puerto Rico. They traveled to America and met each other in New York, and then traveled to Providence, after gaining birth to my uncle. My mom was born in Rhode Island and so was my aunt. I have a lot of family from New York and in Rhode Island, but I also have a large amount of family in Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, most of which I haven’t met yet since my family is very big.

Moises M.

1/15/2020 10:24:18 pm

My ancestors could relate to this because of the difficulty of learning a new language. It was difficult for my grandparents to adapt, but they continued to try their hardest when working. In fact, my father had to learn to speak English. Since he was born in Colombia, his native language was Spanish. When he came to America, he was in high school and had to learn English quickly. This didn't stop him from supporting his family in any way he could.

Ian T.

1/15/2020 09:29:36 pm

My ancestors on my mother's side were from Visoke Litovsk, Poland. This was a ghetto suburb of Brest Litovsk, Poland but it is now actually part of Russia. They came to America by boat and arrived at Ellis Island in 1919, shortly after WWl. In fact, some of my ancestors even deserted the Russian army to come to America. They had left to escape the pogroms and persecution and were attracted by the US to gain their rightful religious freedom and in turn get more economic opportunity. Once they were in America, one of the brothers settled in the Bronx, New York, and the other two became builders using skills they had gotten from apprenticeships in Vilna, Lithuania, and their business quickly grew. However, they lost everything during the Great Depression.

Joshua D.

1/15/2020 10:05:46 pm

In the beginning, both my parents were in Ghana. They wanted a better life than the one they had in Ghana so their choices were to go to the U.K, Canada, or America. They decided to go to America where they had some family.
So after the long period of my dad trying his best to get into the country, he was finally able to. The date was 1995. My mom on the other was waiting for my dad to give her the " ok". Subsequently, my dad got into a plane and headed straight for America. He said the plane ride was incredibly bumpy and he thought that he was going to die because he has never been on a plane before.
As soon as he landed he got to the airport and my grandpa ( Grampha's brother) picked up my dad at Boston and they drove off in his car. Uncovenetly my " grandpa " had 3 other kids and a wife there in the house, so my dad had to sleep on the couch. My dad's first thing he tried to do is to get a job. He was very determined to get one. But he didn't know how hard it was to get a job in America, all he saw in the newspaper and on T.V in Ghana was how easy it was to get a job. That wasn't the case though especially if he was an immigrant. Just to explain something my dad knew English before he came to America, he was fluent because the schools he went to taught him.
After a while, he got a basic job as a "Texas Instrument". You probably don't know what that is because you not like 50 years old, but it's really just a moving assembly line. Mostly welding. Soon when he started to first make money he realized that everything in America was very expensive. So he had to work even harder. Overtime when he gave my mom the ok. She the process and eventually came her and started to work. She first started as a caretaker. She would really just take care of old people. More background information, my dad had a child with my sister after when he went to Ghana again to give ok. They had a kid in Ghana and my sister was bornq. She stayed there for 7 years and left to America with my mom. So she left Ghana at the age of 7. After all the hardships my dad and my mom finally moved out of my grandmama's house and they changed jobs and got a new house. That is the story of my family.

Joshua

1/15/2020 10:19:27 pm

****^She started the process and eventually came here and started to work.

Moises M.

1/15/2020 10:10:47 pm

The Cano family is from Colombia in South America, specifically from 2 mainland areas, called Medellin and Manizales. The push factors for both of my Cano grandparents were to look for more economic opportunities to help themselves and their families. A main pull were the amount of jobs in America. There were textile jobs in the area which they knew how to do very well. Another pull was because America was known as the land of opportunities. The final pull was that they were recruited and asked to join a group of other Colombians to immigrate to America. My grandparents and other workers immigrated here in the 1960’s. This was the first time they experienced cold weather, the English language, and different American traditions. It was difficult at first, but once they adjusted and started to create their own community slowly, they began to feel more comfortable. More and more Colombians were also immigrating to America, so they weren't alone. In fact, my father's family arrived here in the 1980’s. Soon after, the blackstone valley (Central Falls and Pawtucket) were filled with immigrants. My grandparents were one of the first Colombians to enter Central Falls. My grandfather was also known as one of the pioneers for the Colombian community in RI. This is the story of my Cano family. You could learn more about my grandfather, Pedro Cano, and his journey with this link: http://www.nuestrasraicesri.org/PedroCanoSr.html

My father was also born in Colombia, 1 of 9 children in his family. His mother and father were attracted by the amount of familiar people known in RI. He was also interested in the amount of job opportunities. This was when my grandparents decided that the move to America would be a good decision. My Morales grandparents had similar push and pull factors, and in the early 1980’s, my dad and his family came to America. Before they got here, they spent 4 years in DR, due to the visa for the US taking too long. Here my grandparents would work with a visa and wait for the US to grant them their permission to enter. Soon after, they arrived in America. In America, they too had to adapt to the language, cold weather, and American traditions. My family soon adapted to the American lifestyle. This is the story of my Morales family.

Helen L. link

1/17/2020 12:04:45 am

Wow, your father came from such a large family and it's pretty cool how your grandfather helped pioneer the Columbian community here in RI!

Imanol A.

1/18/2020 05:04:51 pm

I agree Helen it is cool how Moises's Grandfather helped pioneer the Colombian community here in RI. It is also great that Moises's parents and family adapted because since this is like a foreign land it is found as a place to really adapt to.

Jarius R.

1/15/2020 10:20:58 pm

My grandfather came from the Dominican Republic at the age of 20, in 1973. After working alongside his father for most of his life he determined that coming to America would have been a better opportunity for him. My grandfathers' education level does not surpass fifth grade because he had to drop out to help his dad package and sell Mavi, which is a type of malt beverage. When he decided to make his journey to the United States he came aboard a boat and hid within a barrel until the boat made it to Florida. That’s where he first touched U.S. land. He stayed there for a short while and traveled up north to New York before he made it to his final destination of Rhode Island. Some push factors that assisted in my grandfather’s departure from his homeland was the poverty that was taking over the entire country and the lack of job opportunities. Some of the pull factors were the idea of being financially stable and helping his family. Also, creating a better life for himself and his one-year-old son. Learning the new language, obtaining a job, surrounded by people he wasn’t familiar with, and even adjusting to the weather were all things my grandfather had to adapt to. My grandfather tried to find any and everything he could to start earning a living. No job was too small or too big for him. One skill that he brought with him from the Dominican Republic was the fact that he was handy with tools specifically mechanic. He began to shadow different mechanics and replacing brakes, wheels, and other light-duty jobs until he became He’s very own mechanic shop owner.

William C.

1/15/2020 10:40:43 pm

I find it amazing that your grandfather was able to make the journey to the United States in search of a better life. He lacked education and was coming to a completely foreign country where he did not understand the language and was not accustomed to the new culture. He had to work hard to find a job and provide for his family. That is very similar to how things were for my ancestors. They were all able to do amazingly brave things.

William C.

1/15/2020 10:29:38 pm

As far as my mother knows, everything started in Santiago when the Portuguese landed there. They began to colonize, and with that came slavery and "breeding." My great-great-grandparents were the 2nd or 3rd generation of these mixed races. Time went on and my grandmother was born. From a young age, she was working on farms to provide as much as she could for her family. Cape Verde was and still is, in poverty and times very extremely hard. She was never able to obtain an education, as she spent her time earning money. She met my grandfather and they ended up having eight children together. Soon after, one of my uncles came to America. Life in Cape Verde was extremely difficult and there was nothing there for our family anymore. My uncle came to America to escape the poverty of Cape Verde and begin a new life in the land of opportunity. He began doing odd jobs to make money, then he found a job with a steady income. He then brought my grandparents to America. My grandmother didn't have a job, but my grandfather was able to find work. They then brought over my mother, along with my brother and me. The rest of my aunts and uncles either remained in Cape Verde or left to European countries such as Italy and Portugal - by this time Cape Verde had gained their independence from Portugal, though the country was left in shambles. My mother found work in housekeeping and was able to provide for us all, along with my uncle and grandfather. As for my dad, he did not come with us. He remained in Cape Verde for some years as he awaited his visa. On my dad’s side, my grandfather was Portuguese and Indian, and my grandmother was from somewhere in Africa, though my dad isn’t sure where. My dad had 15 siblings and he was the only one to come to America. My grandparents remained in Cape Verde and my aunts and uncles began new lives in Holland, England, Italy, and Portugal. Years passed and my dad was able to move to America and stay. When he arrived, he found himself working multiple jobs, including work in factories. After a while he found a job working at Rhode Island Hospital, like my mother, as a housekeeper.

Mia A.

1/15/2020 10:31:56 pm

My ancestors are from the Dominican Republic. Twenty-one years ago my dad and his family decided it was time to find a better life for themselves. My dad was living in the Dominican Republic, but he realized that there was really nothing that would help them move forward. His family was living in poverty and he wanted better. So, when he was 25, he moved to the United States alone. He flew from the Dominican Republic to Mexico and then made it to the United States. Manhattan, New York, to be specific. From there, he worked in a factory, then a grocery store, and then worked in a restaurant for many years. My dad really disliked working because he was put to do things he had no experience with and was treated like a foreigner. Like he wasn’t human. My dad's first few months were sad and unpleasant. He had left his family and everything he knew behind, but he also knew he had to keep pushing for better opportunities. He stayed with a friend's family until he could afford to rent his own apartment.

Anaija G, link

1/16/2020 04:20:58 pm

I am sorry your father had to go through this to get to America.

Leslie M. link

1/26/2020 06:03:08 pm

I’m very sorry your dad had to go through this, but look at how much he has accomplished.

Edwin Ortiz Matos

1/15/2020 10:37:53 pm

My great great grand father on my mom's side came from a French Island called Corsica to the Dominican Republic. There he met my great great Grandmother who was Dominican. Eventually, down the line on my mom's side, my grandmother was born. Her sister got married and moved to the United states. My grandmother's sister asked for the rest of the family to come to the United States as well. My grandmother had come to the United states with my mom. A major push factor for my family to leave the Dominican Republic was financial stability. A pull factor to move to the United States was bringing the family together again. They arrived in America in 1994. They couldn't really understand English very well so they had to take English classes. My mom worked at a factory for 2 years before starting college and later on becoming a teacher. My great grandma on my father's side came from Puerto Rico and married my great grandfather. Eventually my mom met my dad and they had me.

Alyssa Y.

1/15/2020 11:21:23 pm

Wow, it's unbelievable how your family got back together again after all that has happened in their individual journeys.

Alyssa Y.

1/15/2020 11:18:33 pm

My ancestors mostly came from Cambodia. My grandparents and parents both left Cambodia because of the Khmer Rouge and war. The Khmer Rouge was a communist party in Cambodia. They took over Cambodia in the 1970’s. Under their rule, people were stripped of their rights. The Khmer Rouge wanted the country to be a classless society. To accomplish this, they got rid of schools, money, traditional Khmer culture, and many other things. If anyone was caught rebelling, they would be arrested or executed. Cambodians were also forced to practice agriculture and expected to harvest tons of rice for them. The Khmer Rouge caused the death of nearly two million people. Then in the late 1970’s, war began between Vietnam and Cambodia. In 1999, the Khmer Rouge ceased to exist because their leaders were arrested or dead.
In the early 1980’s, that is when my grandparents and parents sought for a better life. Cambodia was in ruins, its society and land. America was their choice of where to go because some of their family lived there already and America was seen as a land of opportunity. Opportunities they didn't have in Cambodia like getting an education, a job, etc. So, I know my mom first went to California in 1981 and lived there for close to 10 years. Then she moved to Rhode Island with the rest of her family. In Rhode Island, her parents worked in a manufacturing company. For both of my parents, it was difficult to adjust to where they were. They did not know the English language and many other things were different like the culture. Both of my parents also went to school and graduated college. Then they soon met each other and started their own family here.

Ashley D.

1/15/2020 11:53:17 pm

My mom and I both arrived to the United States in December of 2009. However, my father came in the 90’s to the U.S by Visa from the Dominican Republic. He landed in New York as he started his new life, becoming a U.S citizen as he took the test. He worked as a taxi driver in the Bronx and lived in a apartment. From his point of view, he came to this country for a better opportunity and for a better environment, leaving behind his family. When it came to love, he had a girlfriend who eventually became his wife as they had one baby boy together in 2000 who was born in New York, my half - brother Kyller. Then, they moved their family to Rhode Island, deciding that the chaotic atmosphere of the city just wasn’t for them. Though, they separated as my father continue to live in Rhode Island. He was a truck - driver and a taxi - driver as he would work all day and night. A few years after, my dad meet my mom in the Dominican Republic when he came back to see his family for a few months. They started dating and got married. They had me on September 3 of 2005 as I was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. For the first four years of my life, I lived their with my mom as my dad stayed in the Dominican Republic with us. They both had decided that it would be best if our family moved to the U.S as it would be a better environment with more opportunities and the chance to be free. My mom and I packed our bags, saying goodbye to island that we have known all along and left for the United States for the first time. We landed in Providence, Rhode Island as my parents had all ready bought a house for us to live in. When I came into this country, I was mesmerized but also disappointed by it. You hear and picture so much amazement and uniqueness when someone describe America and the “ America Dream”. However, it wasn’t glamorous like they make it seem in movies and stories. My mom and I didn’t know how to speak English but we both learned through watching American tv shows and programs. Till this day, I sometimes struggle to understand or say some English words since it doesn’t come as naturally for me like speaking Spanish. It was difficult and still is to adapt to this American society. At the time I left my native country, the idea of America sounded great but I knew from a young age that I didn’t want to leave Santo Domingo. Leaving the place that you were born in, gave your first breath, and saw the world through your eyes is something so challenge as my mother, father and I all went through that process of coming to a country that was improving, progressing, and dealing with battle scars as it was going through major historical events like elected the first black president, Barack Obama, for office and other pivotal moments. However, we overcame this obstacle by bring the Dominican culture to America as my parents always made sure I knew were I came from and the Afro - Latina ancestry that I have that makes me who I am. Now, I’m 14 years old, living in America and finding my way through the beauty and hardship del “ Sueño Americano”.

Owen N.

1/16/2020 07:24:46 am

My great great grandparents left Germany before World War I and traveled to Ireland. They struggled with fitting into society there but eventually did. My great grandfather married my great grandmother and had six children, one of them grandfather. They then moved across the pond to England, where the Irish were not always welcome. Once again, they were able to make themselves a living, but it was difficult. My grandfather grew up in Liverpool, and throughout his childhood he was persecuted by some because of his Catholicism. When he was twenty one he decided to move to the US, for, one, a better living, and two, to live with my grandmother, whom he married soon after. From then my family have been living in and around Massachusetts.

Anaija G, link

1/16/2020 09:01:12 pm

My great great grandfather came to the U.S on June 18,1921 from Cape Verdean Islands. He was from Praia, Santiago even though my great grandmother says he came from San Nicholas. His name was Marcelino Gomes Rodrigues and was born on 12/3/1899. The reason he left C.V was because there weren't opportunities there. He worked as a long shore man for many years until he retired. When my great great grandfather came to the U.S and his family visited him, he made them speak English instead of Kriolu which is Cape Verdean creole.

Helen L. link

1/16/2020 11:58:32 pm

My father came from a small province of Cambodia called Battam Bang. The country was in the middle of a civil war called the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge was a communist government led by a dictator named Pol Pot. They killed many of their own people, through starvation, execution, and forced labor. Growing up my father lived with a group of children separated from his family. He worked in a labor camp where he was provided no food or adult support. He was in this camp for three years, eight months, and twenty days.
In January of 1979, the Khmer Rouge Regime was overthrown by the Vietnamese forces. In 1981, my father reunited with his father and stepmother and moved in to live with them. However, this new government forced the people of Cambodia to work in dangerous places that contained land mines, malaria, and other dangerous diseases. My father would cut down trees and clear forests which were infested with land mines and malaria. The Vietnamese were setting up these Cambodians to die.
He and his family couldn’t live in conditions like these. So, he, his sister, father, and step-mother left the country in 1983 to live in one of the many refugee camps near the border of Thailand. They were run by the Khmer Guerilla Force. The Khmer Guerilla Force were the soldiers who were against the Cambodian government at the time. However, in December of 1984, the camp was attacked by the Cambodian government and the Vietnamese forces. So, they moved to another refugee camp located in Thailand for a chance to get into a third-world country, like the United States, where they could start a new life and escape the chaos and horrors happening in Cambodia. There, many refugees gain support by the United Nations who provided food, something that was hard to obtain. By 1988, the United States government gave them permission to live in the US. They settled down in Minnesota and got support/sponsored from a church since they didn’t have any family in the United States.
When they first landed in Minnesota, it was late September and it was already snowing. (a lot) They had never seen anything like it before other than the shaved ice they’d serve on hot summer days in Cambodia. At first, they tried eating it, but the sponsors (the people from the church who was supporting them) told them it wasn’t good for them to eat. They lived in an apartment while in Minnesota and had a hard time getting anywhere. There was snow everywhere that was up to their knees, no transportation, and there was a language barrier. It took them an entire year to understand basic English and the sponsor only came once a week to help them out.
Since the snow, transportation and the language barrier was such a problem, they moved to Fall River, Massachusetts where there was less snow compared to Minnesota and where my father’s parents knew a family friend who was also Cambodian. My father started 10th grade in Durfy Highschool in Fall River Massachusetts. In 1992, he graduated high school and went to the University of Dartmouth for a college prep program for a year. Later on, in 1993, he transferred to the University of Massachusetts Amherst until 1997, when he graduated. The year my father transferred to Amherst was when he started working and going to school at the same time. He worked various jobs such as a busboy, janitor, a worker at McDonald’s, and the list goes on. He was busy around the clock and would only get four to five hours of sleep since he was working part-time and doing school full time. In 1995, my father finally became a citizen and after he graduated my father had been arranged to marry my mother, who was currently living in Phnom Penh Cambodia, finishing high school. They got married there in 1998. He sponsored my mother to come to the United States and that following year she arrived on August 22.
When my mother arrived, she started to work right away, in a soap factory. However, my mother had a hard time adjusting to the new country. It was lonely for her since she knew no one else in the United States and she had trouble speaking English since her accent was heavy. She was the first in her family to come to America and starting a new life without them was hard for her. To add to that, my mother didn’t know who my father was either. Prior to the wedding, she had only seen him for twenty days of her life and that was it. In 2004, her sister, husband, and two kids came but even then, they lived all the way in Minnesota, far from Fall River, so they weren’t much comfort. The worst part of America was the food for her. My mother was used to eating her grandmother’s cooking and, how she describes it, it was the best food she’s had in her entire life. It was hard for her when her grandmother passed away four months prior to the wedding but she says, if it weren’t for the death of her grandmother, she wouldn’t have come to t

Imanol A. My Father's side

1/18/2020 05:43:19 pm

I am Guatemalan so I am an odd mix. My father came here to the U.S at the age of 18 along with his cousin Juan. My father came from a family of a single Mother and he was the oldest of 5 siblings. My Father Luis was born in Zacapa, Guatemala. His Mother and Father decided to move to the City of Guatemala (known at the time as the Capital). They moved there for better opportunities for my Dad who at the time was a baby. So when my Father was about 3 years old his Father passed away due to violence. My Dad grew up Fatherless and his Mother had to teach him and his siblings how to behave and provide for the family. My Dad said that when he was like 5 or 6 he would sleep at his Mother's job like in a box. His Mom got fired for this but stayed strong and opened up a meat market. My Father balanced his time between school and work. He worked hard and long to gain some money and help out his Mom was the least he thought he could do. So he finished and graduated school and had a reputation in his colony as being someone not to mess with because when he was younger he didn't let anyone hurt him or his siblings and he had grown to be tough. He knew how to drive at a very young age and began driving trucks to help out his Mom. My Father then decided along with his cousin Juan to come to the "Estados Unidos" and live a better life so they cross the frontier. My Dad said they crossed deserts and Mexico. It was extremely dangerous at night because well you know there were gangs at night and wild animals. They starved and had a thirst not only for water but to get to the U.S. My Dad crossed along with his cousin and got here. They decided not to live in California or in those other typical places but immigrated to Rhode Island. They moved in with another friend/family member and they worked hard day and night and when my Dad got a paycheck he saved some money and would send it to his Mom who he hadn't forgot about. His job was working at a plastic factory at first but then he worked in refining jewelry in another factory and then worked in a restaurant. He worked and worked and was the first in the family to buy a house and own it here in the U.S. He grew and learned to make some new dishes like Lasagna and mashed Potatoes and learned some English which for him was hard. He went through racism along the way because people treated him differently because he was a Guatemalan immigrant. He didn't let it get to his head. He kept on working and kept sending money to his Mother. My Dad worked hard and sent Money for his Mother whom he loved dearly. He finds out that she is sick and works extra hard and takes on two jobs overtime and sends money to her and brought my older half brother to the U.S legally. Life was hard for him being a Father of a son and divorced. He regretted coming to the U.S to live a treacherous life. So one day my Dad receives a phone call that his brother Hujo was dead and died of a kidney failure my Dad goes to Guatemala and meets a woman named Desideria. He like her and began doing what all love stories say like bought flowers, made phone calls, and even visited her they dated and got married December 13, 2004 by the law and December 14th by the church. So meanwhile this happens my Dad consolidates his Mom. He leaves and brings my Mom's brother to the U.S and then My Mom and her sister-in-law Wendy. Now in the U.S they have a son who was born on their anniversary in December 13, 2005 naming him Imanol.
The push and pull factors for my Dad were his Mom and how she worked hard so he worked hard and risked his life for his Mom.

Imanol A.

1/18/2020 05:45:15 pm

My she rest in peace. Her name was Elsa. My grandfather's name was Luis.

Imanol A.

1/18/2020 06:02:00 pm

Instead of Kidney Failure I mean Liver Damage

Leslie M. link

1/26/2020 05:58:34 pm

My mother and father are from Guatemala. They both came to the United States as teenagers. There were no jobs in Guatemala and no opportunity for success. My father came in 1989 with both parents and siblings. My grandfather was here before, so it wasn’t hard for him to find a job. Eventually my father started working at fourteen years old at Dunkin’ Donuts. He managed his time between school and work all through high school. My mother came with a visa like my father in 1992. She came with her younger brother to live with their mother. My mother went to school in the morning, and worked in the afternoons in a part time job at a jewelry place. My mother’s visa expired and she wasn’t able to go to college as much as she wanted to. In 2010 my mother became a legal resident. Right after she registered at CCRI, she finally graduated with an associates in science. My ancestors are 100 percent Guatemalan and have worked hard in order to succeed in America.

Immigration Stories

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories