Life Story of an Immigrant

This week was very interesting and very emotional for me. This is because I had the opportunity to find out a lot about my family’s history and how they came to Canada. In the “Leaving” section of my blog I indicated how my family came to Canada but I didn’t know their feelings and thoughts towards the whole situation. So this week I had an interview will my sister to found out her feelings towards that situation.

I was very interested in my sister’s thoughts and feelings about her struggles of being an immigrant in Canada and the struggles she had to face. At that time my sister was only a little girl, and she had to struggle to become a normal child, which never happen. Within the interview, I had to stop it a lot of times because as she was telling me her story, I could have seen the pain and hurt that was within her emotions and soul at that time. It brought me to the point where I starting crying because it was a very sad life that she went through. The part that hurt me the most was when she said, “I never had a childhood, I was fighting to make a better life for you and my own children”. All I could say was thank you. 

My interview was very emotional and hurtful because I was interviewing a family member.  It allowed me to respect my sister a lot more. As I was writing her story, a song came in my head; it’s called “Ghetto Story by Baby Cham feat. Alicia Keys”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZnY7J-7Tws

I personally love this song, especially Alicia Keys part because it basically shows the struggle that most children have to face just to survive and to have a better life for themselves and their future generation to come. This relates a lot to my sister’s life and what she had to do.

Sometimes I wonder why it is so hard to be a part of a new country.  Why is it so hard for the first generation? These are the questions that are still unanswered.

Arrivals

As you have noticed in my blogs, I have been expressing my thoughts about the life of an immigrant who migrates to a new country. I have covered my thoughts on departing, and crossing the border, which results in a lot of struggles of emotional and physical effects on a person, but the important unit of the whole process is the arrival to a new country.

The arrival into a new country is the most confusing process to experience. There are a lot of feelings and emotions that surrounds a person’s body. They can feel excitement, scared, nervousness, anxiety, happiness, fear; basically it’s all a new process to face. Although a lot of feelings arise within a person, it can be successful decision for the fact of the arrival to a new country because it can provide greater and better opportunities for higher level employment, better life and the opportunity for your family to have a better life.

Arriving into a new country is very fearful. You may not know what to except, you may feel lost and alone, feel depress, feel out-of-place, just don’t fit into the country’s culture, society and background. Have a feeling of losing your own culture, image and background of who you are and trying to be someone you’re not. But sometimes, it can be a happy arrival because this can give a chance for others to reunite with their families.

Sometimes beginning a new life into a new country can be very hurtful, especially to a new family or person. These hurtful situations can result in racism and discrimination. This causes an emotional pain and stress that is unnecessary.

In this picture it makes me think back to the fact that immigrants think it’s so easy to go and start a new life in another country, but it really isn’t.

In my opinion, I know it’s tough starting a new life in a new country and the arrival of that new country can be a struggle but I find that once you be yourself and try to take the positive image of what the new country has to offer, you can have the chance of a better life, but it’s not that easy to encounter. Sometimes I wonder why their can't be peace in the world that we live in?

The Border

I find that when crossing a border from one country to the next is a very intense moment to experience. It basically explores the difference of boundaries within places, nations, people, languages, religion, ideas and cultures. Before my parents became Canadian Citizens they crossed a lot of borders, which was very emotional for them, but it makes me realize that it is a struggle to be apart of a country that is worth a lot more than just living. This week in class, my classmates and I were watching a documentary on the development of India and Pakistan, which was a terrible time. It was so interesting that I decided to watch more of it at home. This documentary is so moving that I couldn't believe my eyes. The conflict between India and Pakistan should be that way. I feel that everyone should respect everyones religion, but back in those days when Pakistan became a country that wasn't the case. I am wondering why is that? Why were people like that in the 1940s? Why were their so many conflicts in the world? Why is crossing the border so hard to do? All these questions, so little answers. I guess all these questions can be answered by the lives of others and towards history.