My family came from Kerala, a state in south India known for its beautiful scenery and its rich culture. Before my family moved to America, my older brother and sister were still attending elementary school. My mother stayed at home to look after them and the house, while my father searched for work as a repairman in Dubai. My parents believed my older siblings would have better lives and career opportunities if they immigrated to America. They bid their families farewell as they moved on to the next chapter in their lives in 2005, with the help of my aunt who already became a citizen of the U.S. Even with her assistance, they still struggled. The hectic city of New York greatly contrasted the rural area of Kerala they were accustomed to, so it was arduous to figure out how to rent an apartment, find jobs, and live the life of an American citizen. Around the time my family managed to settle down in an apartment in Queens is when my parents had me, making me the only person in my family to be born in America. They obtained legal citizenship not too long after. 

– PP

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant