I was born in country of Georgia and when I was four years old and my sister was seven, I was raised by my grandparents. My parents, my sister and me won The Green Card which gave us the chance to go to America. My parents decided that my sister and I were too young to face America so they left us with our grandparents, while they went to the U.S. The reason why they left Georgia was because they wanted our future to be full of opportunities and challenges.  It was really difficult for them when they came to America, to communicate with others because my parents didn’t know how to speak English. They struggled a lot through years living without us, but they came to visit us in Georgia almost every year. My parents lived in Maine for nine years and became proud, American citizens. My dad tried multiple times to bring us here, but sadly it didn’t work out. In January 2014, he got a third notification from the Immigration Service to let us try to go through. My dad had to present multiple documents and answer many questions, then we waited and let them decide if we could pass into the United States, and we did!  After I came here, it was challenging for me and my sister to fit in. We were anxious about talking in English and connecting with other people. Eventually, the teachers and the new friends I made, made me believe in myself and my abilities. I gained confidence and more knowledge by reaching out to others. I grew up in both countries and I both call them my home.  

– Tamta Jologua

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant