As immigration now takes its place on the front burner of the news, it is important to see and hear the truth behind it all. There are countless amounts of misconceptions and stereotypes that come with the word “immigration”, and today I am here to give you the perspective of an immigrant and what it is like growing up with one foot in America and the other in a different country.

The most common stereotypes that come with immigrants are that they are uneducated, poor, and have committed crimes. People, especially in the media, believe that they are perceived to be dishonest, untrustworthy criminals who came to the U.S. to take advantage of Americans and their economic system. On top of that, a lot of conservatives tend to say “they should come here the right/legal way,” when in actuality the “right” way is how you can get you and your family here or anywhere else safely.

Mrs. Andrea Vento, a green card holder of 19 years, explained her experience. “As I think about the process that I went through applying for and obtaining Permanent Resident status, I felt a lot of frustration with the unnecessary bureaucracy that made the process more complicated than it needed to be.”

The process of getting a green card can take years and without a green card or permanent citizenship, immigrants can be deported at any moment. The process of obtaining citizenship is extremely challenging — not to mention costly. 

My own family left Albania for political asylum due to dangerous circumstances in  the country at the time. Asylum tends to be the most common reason people flee their home countries. Even though many families may not know English or have any plans, the instability of coming to the United States is better than being in a dangerous environment. 

Growing up with parents from a different country is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, but trust me when I say it wasn’t easy. My mother raised four children without being able to construct a single sentence in English, while my father worked countless hours at multiple jobs.

They moved to America with young children with nothing but twenty dollars in their pocket. Together they had to start their lives over in their forties and create a life where their children were safe and could have opportunities to make something of themselves. They had to raise their children in survival mode. While doing this, they still continued to pay taxes, pay for everything they bought, and do everything citizens had to do.

Flash forward eighteen years:  their status has remained the same as it was, but their dreams and aspirations they had created together for their children and themselves have come true. 

Their oldest daughter, who left her birthplace at the age of ten years old, attended Pace University and worked multiple jobs to put herself through it. After college she began her career and followed her passions. Recently married, she has a daughter on the way and could not be happier with her growing family.

Their only son, who was nine years old when leaving the place he called home, attended CCRI and now is in California pursuing his dream of becoming a director. 

Their second daughter, who was four years old, became a registered nurse and is now tirelessly working on the front lines during COVID-19. 

It is easy to give in to what the media says about immigrants, but it is important to realize that the most dangerous immigrant came in 1492. This country is nothing without the strength, drive, and the dreams of immigrants.

My parents sacrificed their lives and dreams to make ours come true. They opened more doors for us than they will ever understand. With every decision we make and every accomplishment we achieve, we owe it all to our mom and dad whose blood, sweat, and tears got us there.  I take great pride in standing on the shoulders of two immigrants whose fingerprints I see on everything I do. My family came to the United States for a reason, and I look forward to fulfilling that reason.