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6 October 2017

Experiences of an Immigrant

The immigrant being interviewed is from Syria, a war-torn country that poses a threat to all civilians living there. Unlike other Syrians who waited for years waiting for the war to subside, the interviewee took the first flight out of Syria before things became too heated. The interviewee is a thirty-two-year-old male who has been living in America for five years now. He came into the country when he was twenty-seven years old, with the hopes of a better life. He says the decision was easy to make; he did not have a family of his own at the time. He thereby applied for a scholarship to a university to pursue photography. Luckily for him, he was blessed to land a full scholarship in America so fast. Maybe he was he ethnic background, or it could have been his immigration status that gave him an edge over other applicants who mainly came from within America. The interviewee says that even though his motivation to leave his homeland was to avoid the civil conflict and unrest; he married this motivation with the thirst for knowledge in the hopes to enrich his experience in America.

The process of migration was smooth for the respondent. People with green cards, education, and work permits had the easiest time with immigration. His mother and father were elated that their son was going to study abroad. They paid for his travel to America and credited his account to ensure his upkeep once he arrived. In short, the interviewee’s immigration process was smooth, but for the sorrow he felt after being separated from his loved ones. The interviewee did not relocate (migrate) to another region in Syria before emigrating to the U.S. However, he notes that his parents had to leave their hometown two years after his departure because it became a hotspot for terrorism and violence. A safer place to reside in for his parents was a necessity due to their age and health. They decided to move to a more remote location which affected their ability to communicate with him in the U.S. Had he chose to stay in Syria and not taken the opportunity to advance his education abroad, he would have also been trapped in the process of internal migration.

Having grown up with friends, family, and a familiar culture, the interviewee was shocked when he first arrived in America. He did not have any relatives in America, and he felt like he was starting his life afresh. Luckily, his school provided him with accommodation in the dorms so that he did not undergo the hassle of looking for an apartment in an unfamiliar location. The language barrier posed the biggest challenge to him considering that he had taken English classes, but he had not taken them seriously since he never thought he would never be required master the English language. The registration process in the University was strenuous since he could not communicate fluently. He understood what people were saying, but he could not pronounce words correctly. Often, he had to repeat requests two or three times before the University receptionist could understand that he was asking for the direction of to his classes.

Other than communicating, making friends was another challenge for the immigrant. Unlike his hometown in Syria where socialism is on a very high level, individualism is prominent in America. People often kept to themselves, hardly talking to strangers except in dire situation. His exact words are that Americans “mind their business” whereas people are open and social at home. Shockingly and luckily for him, his photography class had only twenty-five students. Consequently, it was a close-knit unit that shared not only academic knowledge but also looked out for each other. Even though he was the only immigrant in the classroom, he felt like he belonged since his classmates went out of their way to engage and include him in activities both outside and inside the classroom. The generosity and openness of his classmates made him considerate to the plight of other immigrants who may feel lost and at lonely in a strange land. However, he did not interact with any immigrants in the college and only began meeting them after he secured a job in a renowned company in New York. After his families living situation progressed, he kept close contact with his parents. His father would continuously call to ask him about the progress of his education. They often engaged in video calls which made them feel contented seeing each other faces. He regrets not prompting and pestering them to immigrate to America with him due to the fact they were among nine other civilians who killed after being trapped in the midst of the constant fire exchange between Assad’s forces and the resistance.

Before completing his photography course, he applied for a scholarship to pursue a master’s in photography, and he was awarded another scholarship. This time, however, he would have to support himself through employment because his parents were dead and could no longer finance him. That is when he began looking for a job in photography companies. He recalls experiencing racism in two different settings. The first time is when he went in to see the manager of a large company and exhibit his photography skills. The woman did not even open the envelope and proceeded to ask him if he had been a terrorist before he came to the U.S. He was so upset that he did not even wait to hear the next question. He shook his head in awe at how shallow people could be then he departed the organization. The second incident happened at a photography exhibition when one of the guests made a racist joke about him photographing bombs and guns. Although everyone in attendance thought it was funny; the interviewee was extremely hurt by the blatant disrespect and ignorance of the attendees.

The interviewee has been integrated into the American culture and has since renounced Islam to become an atheist. After losing his parents in such an inhumane way, he no longer believes Mohammad takes care of innocent people. Although he opened up to me about this, he says that this is his secret and that he would never tell another Muslim because they may make attempts to take his life. He attends atheist meetings at the university where he is pursuing his masters. The one tradition he would never renounce is indulging in his homeland’s cuisine. He loves to eat the Middle-East affiliated food like camel meat and spicy lamb. He says that it makes him feel connected to his motherland. He also likes the American dressing style and has since abandoned the ‘Kanzu,’ a fashionable garment for men in Syria. He loves Khakis, t-shirts, and jeans.

The experience of this immigrant relates to the stories we read in class because of his interaction with pain and sorrow. It changed this man’s life and made him abandon all he knows. He feels that most immigrants usually clutch closer to religion as a beacon of hope, but he has chosen a different path. He is similar to other immigrants because even though he renounced religion and cultural clothing, there is still a part of him that seeks to connect to his homeland, through cuisine.

This immigration experience has affected my life by making me realize that a person’s ethnicity does not necessarily have to lean towards a single ethnic affiliation. For example, this interviewee took the best of both worlds; the Syrian customs, American dressing code, and religious independence appear to satisfy him. I do not harbor any doubts concerning his stories because he is extremely passionate when he is talking about his experiences. Also, he gives me vivid examples that are impossible to create through pure imagination. Besides, I doubt whether the time has changed his memories because he has a very sharp mind considering he is in a demanding field that calls for a photographic memory for success.