Will Newman’s Immigration Story:

Since its establishment by the first Europeans, The United States of America has always been one of the most popular destinations that people desire to immigrate to. The most common pull factors that attract people to come live in The United States are to seek religious freedom, a higher economic status, and a more secure future for themselves and their children. Since transportation was very primitive up to the middle of the twentieth century, the first American destination for many immigrant families was Ellis Island- an island located at the south of Manhattan, New York. The classmate whom I interviewed, Will Newman considers himself to be a third generation immigrant. Ellis Island was the first destination that Will’s ancestors arrived to when they came to this country.

Will Newman’s family has a very compelling immigration story for one to learn and contemplate on its many rich qualities. The maternal side of his family is mainly of Irish ancestry. His great-grandmother, Huddy was born and raised in Ireland and came to New York in the 1920’s. She worked as a maid in New York in order to provide a decent lifestyle for herself and her family in this new and different society. Huddy was very impoverished in Ireland and became lower-to-middle class by conscientiously working in the United States. Will’s great-grandfather, Tuohy, was also born in Ireland and held a job at a department store when he came to New York. The great-grandmother and great-grandfather settled together in Yonkers, New York. Will’s grandmother, Mildred was the youngest of her five siblings. Mildred’s parents were very stern and distant from her that she treated her friends as if they were part of her immediate biological family. Her siblings were much older than her so she became friends with them as she became older and more mature. Mildred’s family emphasized hard work and as a result, her siblings became very successful individuals in their unknown fields. Will’s grandfather is a second generation American who was mostly raised by his grandmother, because his mother was unable to take care of him. Will’s great-granduncle worked in advertising and frequently travelled to Japan. He befriended Japanese immigrants and opened successful restaurants in Midtown Manhattan. Until now, the restaurants still exist and Will’s family still keeps in touch with their Japanese friends. Will is very distantly related to an Irish rent collector who was murdered in cold blood for his support of the English Monarchy and for his very arrogant and overall unpleasant personality. A story about this Irishman was written in the New York Times, but Will was not able to retrieve it from the Internet. Despite the fact that Will claims that he finds the story fascinating, he is still not very proud of this man’s actions nor of his tragic death.

Will’s paternal ancestry is also very unique and diverse. The ancestors of Will’s paternal grandmother, Dorothy Houston have resided in the United States since the 1600s. They settled in the Midwest and just like many Midwesterners at the time, they were farmers. Will’s paternal great-grandfather, Thomas lived in Budapest, Hungary and was a middle-to-upper class citizen. He was a banker and an owner of many buildings. Shortly, after Thomas escaped from Hungary for religious reasons, communists sieged his buildings in the 1930’s. In the late 1930’s, Thomas moved to three different countries. He left Hungary to go to Vienna, Austria and then left Austria to go to Paris, France. His last and final migration occurred when he moved to New York in the early 1940’s. Thomas remained in the continent of Europe for a very short time after leaving Hungary, because Jewish people were targeted by the Fascist Nazis and were put through abysmal living conditions that involved physical, economic, and emotional hardships.

Will’s paternal grandfather moved with his father (Will’s great-grandfather) to various places in Europe before coming to the United States. Will’s grandfather was a jokester and a dilettante of the card game, bridge. Unfortunately, Will has a very vague memory of his grandfather, because he passed away in the 1990’s when Will was a young child. Will’s father grew up in Stamford, Connecticut and was the youngest of his three siblings. Will’s mother was born in Manhattan, New York and grew up in Westchester, New York. The setting of her upbringing is described to be suburban with a New York City influence. Despite the NYC influence, the place still possesses the essential qualities of offering a relaxed and comfortable life.

One very bizarre story that Will learned from his mother deals with his aunt who currently resides in Switzerland. One time his aunt brought a pie to avoid entering her Irish relative’s home empty-handed. When Will’s aunt went to knock on their door, the household violated normal hospitality and sentimental etiquette by taking the pie from her and shutting the door behind on her face! This story is very hard to digest, because it makes the listener curious about the reasons behind a person’s acceptance of a pie as a gift from someone that s/he apparently despises and wants to deliberately ignore. There were no sufficient pieces of information provided during the interview that can address the reasons behind this very peculiar moment.

Will Newman’s family immigration story is very unique, because his maternal and paternal sides of the family came to the United States for various reasons- religious and socioeconomic. Will is very glad that he grew up in Westchester, New York and that he was not forced to relocate to different places, whether for economic or religious reasons like some of his ancestors. He is also very thankful that his ancestors come to the United States. He believes that if he were to move to the United States as a first generation immigrant, he would have experienced the commonly known cultural and economic challenges that all immigrants, especially those of the twenty-first century encounter during the first few years of their emigration.

“I am American,” Gisella Dionio states when asked if she considers herself to be an immigrant. She doesn’t fit her personal definition of an immigrant, who she identifies as “someone born/raised in a culture different from that of America’s who comes to America.” Although she was born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, New York, she still identifies herself with Filipino culture, considering both of her parents immigrated to the United States from the Philippines. While Gisella and her younger brother are first-generation American and do not speak Filipino, their parents’ native language, they possess a love and respect for the Filipino culture.

Although her mother and father share the same occupation in the medical field and both immigrated to the United States at roughly the same time, their backgrounds and upbringings vary tremendously. Born to an upper class family in the Philippines, Gisella’s mother was the first of her family to come to America. Her family members were very successful—working in politics—and established a reputable name for themselves. Growing up in a financially stable and well established house hold, one would assume that everyone in the family would be content with that life style and would not seek change. Yet, Gisella’s adventure-driven and strong-willed mother wanted to make her own money and establish her own identity. She always stood out from the rest of her ten brothers and sisters, whom were more conservative and reserved. As the adventurous, fearless, and strong-minded one of the family, at the age of twenty-two, she emigrated from the Philippines in search of a journey for vast opportunities.

Gisella refers to her mother’s journey as the “typical American dream”, one seeking greater prospects and change from the traditional and conservative Filipino culture. At the young age of twenty-two, her mother immigrated to New York right after finishing college in her native land. She wanted to pursue a career in nursing because she wanted to help people and was passionate about that field. While in the Philippines nurses are looked down upon and belittled, she recognized that nursing was a promising and respectable career in the United States. She knew that if she was to remain in the Philippines, she would be looked down upon because of her chosen career path, and not be content with her life in such a setting. The highly esteemed and well paying job of a nurse in America appealed to a young, educated woman from the Philippines who saw a bright future for herself.

Although assimilation is often difficult for immigrants, what placed Gisella’s mother at an advantage was her knowledge of the English language. Although the official language of the Philippines is Filipino, English is considered the “professional language”, Gisella notes. Her mother already knew how to speak English and obtained her nursing degree in her birth country, therefore, she did not have to start from scratch—on a professional note—which was very beneficial in her journey of finding herself and succeeding in a foreign country.

Although she was familiar with the language, she was far from accustomed to the culture. In relation to the United States, the Philippines is more conservative and reserved, in terms of tradition, customs, and dress. Group and social norm engulf individuality in the Philippines, whereas the Unites States is generally the opposite. Gisella’s mother initially experienced a culture shock and fear of diversity, as she was accustomed to seeing only one race of people, whom largely shared the same religion, beliefs, and culture. In New York, she became exposed to eccentricity, liberal views, revealing dress, and individuals of differing sexual orientations. Although the change was initially shocking, she doesn’t believe she can move back to her native country because she has become familiarized with American culture and appreciates the opportunities this country has given.

Unlike his wife, Gisella’s father was not born to an upper class family. His family in the Philippines was very poor and even education was deemed as a luxury, as they could not afford it. Although the economic status of their families differed, both Mr. and Mrs. Dionio came to America for the same objective: to live out the American dream. Mr. Dionio met his wife at the nurse-training program, while he was seeking to obtain a managerial position at a hospital. He too was cognizant of the condescending nature of the Filipino culture toward nursing positions; therefore he immigrated to the United States in hopes of a more promising career and successful future. It’s interesting to see two individuals from differing socioeconomic classes and backgrounds that share similar career goals and ideals find love among one another in a foreign country.

Gisella reflects that her parents have realized their dreams by coming to the United States, carrying out their career goals, and establishing a family. Although Gisella and her younger brother, William, are first generation American, they appreciate their Filipino roots and their parents’ culture. Their latest visit to their parents’ country of birth and land of their heritage was this past summer. Gisella proudly states that “it’s honestly such a beautiful country and I love the people and the culture.” While she can understand the language, she cannot speak it, which sometimes makes it difficult for her to join in family conversations and communicate with family members in the Philippines who solely speak Filipino. It hasn’t proved to be severely problematic because most of her relatives speak English as a second language, as they were taught in school. She would like to teach her future children about Filipino culture because she is proud of her heritage and it will become a part of who they are as well. Her neighborhood will likely make it easier to introduce the culture, as there is a large Filipino community in that Queens region. Filipino residents compose the majority of the tenants living in the apartment buildings surrounding her. Although she doesn’t attend any cultural services, she knows several established Filipino youth groups, which make it easier for her to get in touch with her roots.

Bethany Herrmann’s story begins with strife and ends with love. Her maternal grandmother, Esther Elstein, was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1930. Her whole life changed at the age of nine when the Nazis invaded Poland and her family was forced into a concentration camp. Esther was blonde and blue-eyed and with the sacrifice of her mother, she was able to escape. Unfortunately, she never saw her family again. After her escape, Esther stayed in Poland, worked as a nanny, and pretended not to be a Jew; her Aryan looks benefited her for no one suspected her true identity.

When World War II ended and Nazi Germany was defeated, it was still unsafe to live as a Jew in Poland. Esther then moved with her husband, Abba, to Haifa, Israel in search of safety and happiness. Once there, they had Bethany’s mother and uncle. Although Abba was a doctor, it was difficult for the couple to live and support a family comfortably in Israel. Esther did receive some schooling, but she couldn’t find a steady job. Abba and Esther decided to move to the United States when Bethany’s mother was nine and her uncle was seven. Their decision to move to New York, specifically, was not only due to the need for better opportunities and work, but also for religious freedom. America, in their minds, was a place of acceptance.

The family moved to Mount Vernon, New York, an especially Catholic and African American area at the time. There weren’t many synagogues in their new home, but Bethany’s mother and uncle went to Jewish schools and unlike their mother, they did not live their lives in fear of being Jewish. According to Bethany, her mother’s lack of dedication to her Jewish religion may be because of the fear produced by the war back in Europe. Although she isn’t particularly Jewish, Bethany says, she is still proud of her culture.

Esther Elstein thrived in America; always a gifted seamstress, she opened her own store in New Rochelle (a town close to Mount Vernon) where she sold lady’s undergarments, including underwear, bras, corsets, stockings, nightgowns, and lots of customized pieces. She also sold prosthetic breasts to women who had undergone mastectomies. Esther owned that store for forty-two years. Bethany’s grandfather, Abba, was a doctor and never had trouble finding a job. Her grandparents pressured her mother to do well in school and in turn, Bethany’s mother went to SUNY Binghamton and received a degree in social work and anthropology.

Bethany considers this side of her family to be immigrants because they came from Europe to the U.S., longing for liberty and happiness. She doesn’t consider herself an immigrant, though, because she was born in the States and was raised American.

Ironically, Bethany’s other side of the family is from Germany. At first, when Bethany’s mother and father started to date, Esther did not approve. As a woman who escaped the Holocaust, it was natural for her to disapprove. However, as she got to know her daughter’s boyfriend, Esther realized that they wanted to be together and she disregarded her own prejudices and accepted Bethany’s father into the family. Bethany is especially proud of her grandmother’s decision to accept her father and she has every right to be. A traumatizing experience with a certain group of people inevitably taints someone’s view of the group, but in Esther’s case, she ignored her deep-rooted resentments and embraced love over hate.

Bethany’s paternal grandfather came from Germany to the United States as a young boy. His family left Europe due to extreme poverty and settled in The Bronx. They had a large family of five children and were practicing Christians. Their hope was to move to a place in which they could live comfortably, but in reality, it was difficult even in New York. The family struggled. Bethany’s grandfather, however, rebelled against his Christian upbringing and eventually considered himself an agnostic; he strived to fit in with his American peers. He eventually married and had Bethany’s father who also grew up in The Bronx, close to Yonkers. According to Bethany, her father wasn’t urged by his parents to excel in school and as a result, he never became academically strong. Her father never went to college; he was more into craftsmanship for he worked on cars, air conditioners, and framing for a long time before he started his own business. Perhaps Bethany gets her craft from her father, for she strives to be an architect and she gets her intellect from her mother, for she is a Macaulay scholar. Bethany doesn’t consider her father an immigrant because he was born in the United States.

When I interviewed Bethany, she said that she owes her existence to World War II. In her opinion, if the war never happened, neither side of her family would have fled Europe in search of freedom. And if her family hadn’t left their native countries, her parents never would’ve met and she would never have been born. She smiles when she says this: “I can’t believe I exist because of a war.” I ask her if her grandmother Esther ever thought about this. “What do you mean?” she asks. I clarify, “I mean, I wonder if while she was a nanny living in disguise in Poland she ever thought of the positive consequences of the war. When there is war, those affected by it focus on the negatives. Who would’ve known that if the war didn’t occur, she wouldn’t have been blessed with a granddaughter like you?”

Bethany’s family history is an inspirational one for many reasons. Her family was relentless in their demand for liberty and happiness. They sacrificed their lives as they knew them, left behind their homes and family, boldly took control of their lives and came to the New World. They overcame countless struggles, including their own prejudices, and welcomed love in lieu of hate.

The story of Carl Colena’s family’s arrival to the United States dates as far back as the 1800s and as recently as a few decades ago. His paternal ancestors have been in America for far too long for anyone to remember their countries of origin with certainty. Carl’s paternal grandfather was born in Berkeley, West Virginia and it is suspected that he is of Sicilian descent, although it is unknown when his ancestors first arrived in the US. His mother died during childbirth and he was raised by his father. He had been a child laborer, working in West Virginia’s coal mines because his family’s financial insecurity prevented him from attending grade school and because the state’s poor economy and high unemployment rates did not allow him to choose any other field. Some time before World War II, he moved to New York, leaving his family behind, in search of better wages and more varied job opportunities. Upon his arrival, he enrolled in the Merchant’s Marine Academy in Kings Point. He graduated and worked onboard merchant ships. When the war started, he was assigned by the Coast Guard, which was commanded by the US Navy, to work on ships that carried supplies to Russian allies under the Lend-Lease Program. He met his wife after the war.

Carl’s paternal grandmother was born in Virginia. She is believed to be of Irish descent, with her ancestors possibly originating from Galway, Ireland. As is the case with Carl’s grandfather, it is unknown how long ago her ancestors first arrived in the US. At the time of her birth, her mother already had more children than she could handle to raise on her own and her paternity was unknown, so she was taken in to be raised by a neighboring African American family. The South lacked a formal adoption system at the time so this was a common practice in poor areas. She grew up alongside her adoptive family’s daughter, whom she considered her sister. Her adoptive sister moved to New York State to study at Cornell University. After graduating, she moved to Manhattan to work in the business sector. Carl’s grandmother moved from Virginia to New York to live with her, as well as in search of better job opportunities than those that were available in Virginia at the time. Despite living in New York, she chose to marry Carl’s grandfather, a fellow Southerner, instead of a native New Yorker. The tendency to marry someone from one’s own place of origin is a common practice among early generations of immigrants to the United States. The fact that it occurred between Carl’s grandparents, who were migrants within the US, suggests that they might have felt more closely connected to other people from the South than to New Yorkers and that their regional identity might have been stronger than their national one. Because they both migrated to New York from the South more or less independently, they grew apart from their families back in their home states and Carl currently has very little contact with his extended family on his father’s side.

After they were married, Carl’s paternal grandparents settled in Jamaica, Queens, where they raised Carl’s father alongside their other three children. Carl’s father spent most of his early life in Jamaica, until he eventually moved out to Long Island. However, before he left Jamaica, he met his wife, Carl’s mother.

Carl’s maternal grandparents both originated from Mainland China but migrated to Taiwan. His maternal grandmother was from Sichuan Province, and his grandfather from Jiangsu Province. The civil war that was fought in the mainland between 1927 and 1936 forced them to move to Taiwan. They were supporters of Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Chinese National Party, and when his government evacuated to Taiwan, many supporters and refugees followed. They did not originally intend to remain in Taiwan permanently. When Chiang Kai-shek moved his government to Taiwan, he still claimed sovereignty over the rest of China, including territories that were claimed the People’s Republic, as well as some claimed by foreign governments. His presidency in Taiwan lasted for twenty-five years (1950-1975) and during that time he raised an army in preparation for an invasion of mainland China to regain control of the nation. His supporters expected him to recapture the Mainland and to return to their homeland after his victory. Carl’s grandparents emigrated from China separately and met each other after moving to Taiwan, where they married and had three children.

Carl’s mother spent her early life in Taipei, growing up with a brother and a sister. She spent her college years studying at National Taiwan University, and after graduating, went on to study abroad in New York. She enrolled at the New York Institute of Technology and lived in the dormitories in Central Islip for her first year. For the remainder of her academic career at NYIT, she moved to Hicksville and later to Flushing, Queens. While in Hicksville, she worked as a live-in assistant for a family. One of the members of the family was a woman who had lost nearly all of her limbs and required a lot of assistance with her daily functions. When she moved to Flushing, she shared an apartment with several other NYIT students while working on completing her studies. She had chosen to attend NYIT primarily because of its prestigious Computer Graphics Lab, which was reserved for students enrolled in a specialized graduate program, in the hopes of learning computer graphic animation. Many of the people who attended this program had successful careers and served pivotal functions in startup companies such as Pixar, Dreamworks, Disney Animation Studios, Microsoft, and Nvidia, among others. Unfortunately, she was rejected from this program. After completing her education at NYIT, she went on to study at the New York School of Visual Arts, where she pursued a master’s degree in computer arts. Shortly before she finished her studies at SVA, she met Carl’s father. They married and continued to live in Queens, where Carl was born.