Imagine a tree planted in a small plot of land containing trees that are just like it. Collectively, these trees receive sunlight, water, and nutrients from the fertile soil. The environmental conditions in the area are suitable for the trees to grow, like the average annual temperature, humidity, and rainfall. After several years, the trees grow taller and their roots grow deeper into the ground and branch out in many directions. One day, the farmer decides to uproot one tree from the plot of land because the environmental conditions are changing and are becoming inhospitable for the tree to grow. The farmer only has one choice: to save one or none. Subsequently, the farmer decides to pull the tree out of the ground and transplant it to a different area where the environmental conditions are much different compared to the initial conditions the tree was originally placed in and where the species of tree are radically different compared to this tree. Since the farmer is in haste, he places the tree on top of its roots without bothering to dig a hole to properly place the tree in its new environment. The tree still stands albeit in a very makeshift fashion. The tree faces competition because it has a limited amount of resources to grow and survive, but nevertheless, it still finds a way to adjust in a completely new environment.
My parents were born in India, in a small state called Kerala. At the time when they were born, which is in the sixties, India had only recently gained independence from Britain. The British had established an excellent education system in India and it was quite evident in Kerala since it had and currently has one of the highest literacy rates among all twenty-nine states in India. Education itself in India is not that expensive compared to those of Western institutions, so thankfully, both of my parents were able to obtain an education. Both of my parents were also able to continue past a secondary education to receive a college education. My father obtained his B.A in Economics, History, and Philosophy. Later, he received his M.A in Economics and continued his education further to receive his Bachelor’s in Law degree. My mother studied for eighteen years of her life in Kerala and then obtained admission at the AIIMS (The All India Institute for Medical Sciences) in New Delhi, India, where she obtained her B.Sc. in Nursing and later her M.Sc. in the same field. After receiving their education, my parents met each other as a result of the efforts of my father’s brothers and an arranged marriage was decided for them. After they got married, my father continued practicing law in Kerala and my mother left Kerala to go work in Saudi Arabia.
Not too long after, my parents came to a joint decision to leave Kerala for the United States where economic opportunity was a large possibility, in contrast with the meager opportunities in India. At the time, India was very peaceful politically, economically, and religiously speaking. The only drawback was of the lack of lucrative employment opportunities for those who spent years studying for their bachelors, masters, and postgraduate degrees. Many of those who had done so could not find work that corresponded to the degree they studied for. There were two groups: those who did not have a means to leave and would not leave and those who had the means to leave and did so. Those who chose to stay mostly found odd jobs around town. For the group that chose to leave, many chose the United States or the Gulf countries as a final destination. As for my parents, leaving their families and friends behind to go to a foreign country was difficult yet necessary in order to secure a brighter and better life for themselves and their children.
Arriving and subsequently residing in the U.S. was an interesting yet difficult experience for both of my parents. My parents came to the U.S with only $500. My mother had an employment visa but my father came to the U.S as a dependent. Both of my parents lived in my father’s brother’s house in Queens, NY, for a couple of years. During this time, both of my parent’s visa’s expired and they had a very difficult time trying to get it renewed. It was during this period of time that my parent’s were planning to return to Kerala rather despondently because of the inherent inability to renew their visas. Almost like an answer to a prayer for rain in the desert, an employer was ready to file visas for both of my parents several weeks later. An empty-handed and inefficacious return to India was fortunately averted.
Both of my parents had varied success in obtaining jobs they studied for in the United States. Because my Mom was apart of the medical field, she was able to find a job in a hospital relatively quickly after applying for a license to practice nursing in the United States. My father, on the other hand, had to take twenty-four extra credits and had to take the bar examination in order to practice law in the United States. Even if he had done so, he recognized that a significant language barrier impeded his entry into the practicing law in the United States. He also was cognizant of the fact that he was about to have his first child during this time, so this endeavor would be detrimental in raising a family. At this time, my parents lived in a small apartment in Port Chester, NY. My dad worked as a librarian in a school library, where he worked for a couple of years. He eventually took the civil service exam in order to work in the local government. He eventually took and passed more civil service exams in order to rise higher in the local government.
Recounting the story of my parent’s immigration to America has always been a humbling experience for me. Realizing that a significant sacrifice had to be made by my parents in order to live in the United States serves as a source of motivation to further my own education and become successful in America. I realize that my parents could have potentially been very successful in Kerala, my dad potentially becoming a lawyer there and my mother a medical professional. For the most part, their immigration to the United States was not done for their own betterment, but for a better life for my siblings and I. When they retire, my parents return to Kerala and build a house for themselves so that for the remainder of their lives, they can live happily with their friends and family. They only ask that we become successful here so that they can assure themselves that coming to America to secure a better life for their children was all worth the struggle and sacrifice.
