Before migrating to America in 2000 my parents worked on a farm to provide for my siblings and I. We lived on the rural side of Poland; therefore agricultural work was the only type of occupation available to them. Both of my parents would work hard and yet still struggled to make ends meet. Thus, they made the painful decision to leave everything behind in Poland and immigrate to New York in pursuit of a better life. They wanted my siblings and I to have better opportunities than they did. The transition to American life was very difficult primarily because of the language barrier. They faced challenges in finding jobs and settled for lower wages. My mom spent many years as a housekeeper, while my dad found work in construction. Although my parents took on riskier jobs, they were now able to provide for my siblings and and accomplished their goal of providing a better life for us. 

– N

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child