Sairishitha Week #5: A Brand New Start
Personal Image of my Sister and Mom during a Pooja
With my older sister in hand, my parents immigrated to Fremont, California, in 2006. 3 years before I was born. It was my mom’s first time going abroad, leaving her little suburban town in Southern India. As for my dad, he was the first person from his entire village to arrive in the land of the free.
My parents understand and speak English daily to a moderate extent; however, my mom’s grammar is mediocre, but it is sufficient nonetheless. The move here proved difficult for them. Beyond the language barrier, they had to pack their entire lives into suitcases filled to just under 50 pounds, bringing only a small piece of the past into the present.
My mom and her parents were under the impression that my dad and her would be returning to India after only a year. Spoiler alert: we are still here!
My dad moved here because of a job opportunity, and they stayed in an apartment not too far from where we currently live. Although I was not able to experience the great move of 2006, I lived vicariously through Google Photos albums growing up. My dad was an avid photographer with his budget camcorder, capturing my mom and sister at Disneyland or the Mall of America during their first years living here.
Due to his job, my family relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota for six months, and this was a truly revolutionary experience for the three. Growing up, I would hear not only stories about the treacherous weather with snowy, frosted balconies (which my parents had never seen before), but also about the incredible community of neighbors in the apartment complex. Just meeting a few families that spoke the same language as them created an environment in which my parents felt a sense of belonging and made this new country feel less intimidating. It gave them something familiar to hold onto while adjusting to a new life.
Moving here also did not mean that they forgot where they came from. My parents made a continuous effort to continue their traditions, going to temples, poojas, and making the same food as before.
I can only imagine the questions that raced through their mind on that flight to California. Where are we going to eat? WHAT are we going to eat? How do you translate “curd rice” to English? (This was a real concern my parents had…they did not know how to say yogurt.)
My parents had a stable place in India, but they took a risk to come here. I know they sometimes still think about life if they had not moved to America and whether the sacrifices were worth it, but I hope that they know it was.
Seeing the photos of my parents smiling with their neighbors showed me how language connects cultures and identities, especially when people are placed into new settings. It reassures me to know that my parents had the support they needed to seize this country’s endless opportunities.
Hi Sairi! My parents share a very similar experience to yours, and I have always wondered how immigrants find the courage to leave everything they have ever known behind for a future that is not guaranteed. Moving to an entirely new country means they are losing comfort and their traditions. I think that many of our parents were fortunate to find a community in the Bay Area that helped them adjust to life in America.
ReplyDeleteI think this also plays into the idea that immigrant parents risk their future and make sacrifices to create better opportunities for their children. They leave lives behind because they know their children might have access to opportunities that were not available to them. However, I wonder if so many people immigrating away from a third world country would stop the development in that country; is the reason that the opportunities are lacking in these countries because the skilled citizens immigrate to other countries. One thing you could expand on in your blog is how your parents’ experience as immigrants have shaped the values they tried to pass on to you.
Hi! I really liked how you used your parent’s experience to show that immigrants can be more than moving to a new country but learning how to adapt into that place. The part when your parents met the new neighbors who spoke the same language stood out to me since it illustrated how a small connection and similarity can create a new environment that feels less intimidating. I resonated with your post because I also grew up surrounded by Japanese culture while living in America. Your post made me think about how important a community that shares similar experiences and cultural background is important. Before, I felt that it was off and maybe a little racist that all the kids only hung out with kids of the same ethnicities as them but I can see why that could be easier to be around.
ReplyDeleteHello Sairi! I really liked how you drew your own experience into how language can help people feel more comfortable in America, especially people who have fears of alienation in a foreign land. My family went through a similar experience, my parents came here for university. I feel it is additionalyl important to expand out of your comfort zone, as learning about new cultures can be a good experience. To do such, I feel our country should welcome immigrants, and treat them with grace. I also like how our communities here in the Bay Area are accepting to immigrants in ways that help them, such as different languages in voting booths, widespread bilingualcy and such. I wonder how you grew up, as you were born a few years after the move, and whether things had changed in your household. Overall, very unique blog, and I look forward to future ones!
ReplyDeleteHey Sairi! I like how you use personal anecdotes to illustrate the immigrant experience through your parents’ perspective rather than relying on generalized descriptions of cultural adjustment. Your description of packing their lives into suitcases weighing just under fifty pounds is significant as it transforms the idea of leaving one’s homeland into an image of everything that had to be sacrificed or left behind. Your humorous reflection about translating curd rice and explaining yogurt is particularly memorable because it illustrates the small everyday challenges of immigration in a relatable way. While, your acknowledgement that your parents continued visiting temples, performing poojas, and preparing familiar foods demonstrates that adapting to a new country did not require abandoning their cultural identities. The photo you used also serves as evidence of your parents gradually becoming more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.
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