The classmate I interviewed was Ledia Duro, who came to America from Albania in 2002. At eight years old, she, her older sister, and her parents moved to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, as the last of their family to immigrate to America. To Ledia, an immigrant is a foreign born individual who comes to reside in another country. This being so, the relatives who already lived in America when her family arrived included her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her grandparents and uncle who lived in Bay Ridge were the ones who provided a home for Ledia’s family for approximately six months, allowing the family to get situated. During this time, her parents got jobs and the children were enrolled in school. Today, her family frequently visits them, despite the grandparents and uncle moving to the Bensonhurst region of Brooklyn. Other extended relatives originally lived in other parts of America as well, such as New Jersey and Michigan. However, most of her relatives now live in Brooklyn.
The reason why Ledia’s family moved in the first place was to create better opportunities for her and her sister Marlin, who is now 21. As Albania was very poor and corrupt, with little hope for upward social mobility (meaning that if you wanted to move up in society, you had to know people), her parents believed that their children would have a better education and job market in America. In order to achieve these hopes, her father applied for a lottery aimed at giving children more opportunities by granting them residency in this country. And luckily, his family was one of those selected under her father’s name. After several interviews and documentation, all four of them were given the chance to come to America despite having to buy the plane tickets themselves. To her parents, it was worth it.
In a flight that took less than a day, their lifestyle was drastically changed. They had just taken the first step to fulfilling their version of the American Dream and drawing on such a blank slate would not be easy. For example, Ledia’s father owned a warehouse store in Albania and her mother was a teacher. But the language barrier that came with being Albanian immigrants forced her parents to change their jobs completely. Not only would they have different occupations, but they were also required to go to college again to learn English, eventually working as medical assistants. Taking into account the obstacles associated with undergoing a major cultural transition, this fresh start proved to be a challenge for the whole family. For Ledia and her sister, going to school was difficult since they didn’t have any basics of the language, such as reading and writing. It was even hard to make friends, as they were unable to easily communicate with the other kids. According to Ledia,
“Mine and my sister’s transitions were different. She knew more of the language and was more willing to accept the change. I was a bit more reluctant. I would sometimes get so frustrated and lost in class since I didn’t speak a word of English, I would cry.”
In the present-day she sometimes still feels judged and belittled for being an immigrant because of her accent. Although this causes people to underestimate her, she chooses not to take the judgment too personally and instead lets her actions speak for themselves. This positive, self-assured outlook reflects other aspects of Ledia and her family’s perspectives as immigrants. Despite the drawbacks they faced and the ways in which they have shaped her family, they have each come to view the move as a fulfilled goal. Her parents are proud to know that their ambitions were realized, Ledia being a successful honors student and her sister now in her senior year of Macaulay Honors College. She is planning on attending law school after graduation. In turn, Ledia is also grateful for the sacrifices her parents made for her, knowing that they had happy lives in Albania.
As for the experience of living here for about ten years, Ledia doesn’t even consider living in Albania anymore. However, she has visited a few times and is always happy to do so because she gets to see her family. She appreciates that America is diverse and different, a place with structure and sense of individuality. Here, there are chances for everyone and hope is always present. At home, Ledia’s family speaks a combination of English and Albanian, and she has no problem communicating to her parents in either language. She has said that their ongoing support throughout the whole experience has only strengthened her relationship with her parents and that she respects them greatly for giving her a better circumstance, which wouldn’t have been possible without their initiative.
