Your Dream of a Better Life Isn’t Always by Becoming an Immigrant

Chasing the American dream and facing the reality

America is not for everyone.

Neither are other first-world countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the U.K. that top the list among migrants.

I consider myself lucky. My immigration process to the U.S. was seamless.

A journey that began with my grandmother, a peasant farmer from the Caribbean Island, Jamaica, over 45 yrs ago, led to a trail of sponsorship of more than 300 of our family migrating to the United States of America.

My son and I were the last to make the trip. We had no interest in migrating initially.

But my son had a new plan after graduating college to further his studies and for a new beginning.

How did I eventually settle in the U.S? That's a different story.

But here I am, grateful for the growth, progress, and achievement that immigration brought me.

The Dream versus the Reality isn't the same for everyone.

Unlike many others, I didn't have a big dream or grand expectations when I migrated.

I didn't sell my possessions or uproot foundations in my country of origin.

My options were always open, even as I lived in a foreign land.

They still are.

Experiences and situations caused me to yearn for a life on my sunshine Island. My homeland, Jamaica, will always be a special place for me. However, the little bumps along the journey of living in another country are manageable things I can handle.

But what about the many migrants who have given up so much, some everything, searching for the American dream?

Only to make the journey and face a different reality.

Like the Uber driver who talked with me last Sunday on my trip from Queens to Brooklyn, Hamish is a medical doctor back in Pakistan who won a U.S lottery entry visa to the envy of others in his homeland. He told me that he arrived in the United States two years ago with hopes for a better life.

But Hamish's qualifications as a doctor are useless in the U.S.

He cannot practice medicine.

Hamish's dream is a different reality.

"I cannot afford to go back to school; at 47, I'm a lonely man trying to survive." He said, his frustration deeper than his Pakistanian accent. He continues. "I make friends with the passengers I carry. It lessens my stress and loneliness,"

"Give me your number," he said as I exited the ride at my destination.

I unfortunately decline. I don't give my number to strangers.

On our televisions and the news media, we often see stories of illegal immigrants coming into the U.S. by various means. Some have taken treacherous journeys and crossed forbidden borders in search of a better life. But unfortunately, their faith hung in the balance with the mercy of authorities, government agencies, and assistance programs.

Some eventually settle on paying large sums to marry strangers for immigration papers.

Children are brought here by their parents without the proper documents. As a result, they live in an uncertain future.

Even some legal migrants struggle to get by. Life is a daily struggle for various reasons that causes them to lose hope in their American dream.

These are just a few realities immigrants face in their quest for a better life.

Living in America.

Trading the life you have grown accustomed to will take time.

But living in a foreign country isn't always easy.

For me, it's missing the culture of my people, trading my all-year-round tropical climate for the yoyo too cold, too hot conditions I've experienced in the U.S.

I've made a lot of adjustments — living in a smaller space is just one of them. Household help seems like a luxury though not needed — laundry, ironing, and cooking are now my full responsibility.

I don't know if I will ever get accustomed to overcrowded trains and buses and people up in my face. Also, adjusting to the noise pollution — car engines and activities in a city that never sleeps took me a while.

I still miss my quiet, serene life.

Proving my worth as a minority sometimes feels like an uphill battle, but in recent times, a lot has changed. Things are getting better.

Could your homeland be the better option?

I have seen the good, bad, and indifference. I know immigrants who are today faced with so many uphill battles.

I know I couldn’t endure some of what I’ve seen some migrants go through on their quest for happiness.

But what are you willing to sacrifice for a better life?

• Is it the almighty U.S. dollar you chase by working too hard and long hours?
• Is it leaving your friends and family behind to be lonely and stressed?
• Is it risking the comfort of your bed to end up in a shelter amongst strangers?
• Is it getting married to someone you don't know to meet immigration requirements?

Food for thought

Would you not rather live a life where you breathe fresh air, and feel happy, included, and surrounded by your friends and family?

Would life have been better for you at home in your country?

I would love to hear about your experience or views about living in a foreign land.

Tell me about them in the comments.