Immigrating into the United States creates a similarity between all who do it. However, every person who immigrates has a completely different perspective and disposition regarding the transition. The photo inserted is a photo of my immediate family. My parents immigrated into the United States from Haiti about 30 years ago. My mother was about 20 when she immigrated. My maternal grandfather was a doctor in Haiti so my mother came from a fairly affluent background. Instead of going to college in Haiti however, she decided to move to the United States to escape the emerging political instability in the country. My  father was not as privileged as my mother but he was able to gain an college education in Haiti. When he came to the United States in his late 20s he continued his education here. Once my parents began dating they moved into my fathers apartment in Hollis, Queens. While living together my father primarily controlled the financial aspects of the household. This was perhaps due to the rigid gender norms stemming from Haitian society. However when my family was facing some financial turbulence my mother took control of the finances. This caused issues because it was a break away from the traditional norms of their society. When my brother and I were born, the entire family moved to Long Island. In terms of demographics, majority of my neighborhood was Haitian. This proves that people migrate and settle into areas where they can still preserve their culture and values. Overall, my family has preserved bits of Haitian culture and mixed it with American culture. 

– FR

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant