From The Philadelphia Tribune

Unrealized Expectations. Many immigrants who come to this country come with “grandiose” expectations and their suitcases in tow. In their minds life is definitely going to be better than back home in their country. Afterall, it all looks so GREAT on television. Watching Americans living lavish lifestyles or having such a great time on television looks really appealing. For those without a television, at one time or another someone in their town who had a TV or went to America talked about its freedoms and opportunities, opportunities to realize dreams. And who doesn’t want to make their dream a reality?

According to the Migration Policy Institute online as of 2017 there are 4.4 million Caribbean immigrants living in the United States. The majority of these immigrants are in the United States for a better life however the path to our success is not always easy. Sometimes there are small disappointments, or even greater obstacles that seem insurmountable. That rings true for many Caribbean immigrants who had to learn the hard way.

A prime example is a well-publicized case is the shooting of an unarmed civilian, Botham Shem Jean, in his apartment in Dallas, Texas on Sept. 6, 2018 by a Dallas police officer, Amber Guyger. It was reported that Jean was a graduate of Harding University, an associate on the rise at Price Waterhouse, an active member in his church and an overall good citizen. Videos were posted of him leading songs at his church, Dallas West Church of Christ and at Harding University chapel.

His mother and father, still living in his native St. Lucia, thought that their son was making a good life for himself in America, the land of opportunity. They were sure that he had a promising future. Imagine how mind-blowing it was for them to receive a call informing them that they had to come to the United States immediately because their son had been shot dead. Definitely, not the what they envisioned! At least once, it must have crossed their minds, “would this have happened to our son if he had stayed in St. Lucia?”

What about the cases of the migrants from South America who walked hundreds of miles through Mexico to the U.S. border looking for a better life for themselves and their families. They are separated and put into detention camps? What about the families who have lost their children in the process? I will never forget how my heart dropped as they showed pictures of a small child lying face down dead in the river, dead. What a sad, sad day for those parents. Do they wish that they had never made the trek?

Not as extreme is a case where a young woman was mistreated at the University that she attended. She was awarded a track scholarship back in the 1990s to a University in U.S. The young woman was somewhat shocked when she was told that she had to work as a part of her housing. She was ordered to clean the toilets in the dorm building where she lived. She had to dig deep inside of herself to overcome this challenge. Yes! She thought about walking away but she sighed deeply and cleaned those toilets even though she did not get paid. In her young mind she rationalized — “This is not only an opportunity for me to get a college education but to also to become a star athlete.” Today she works as a manager and can now smiles at the thought that her success did not come easily.

My Caribbean brothers and sisters, you have to look at the big picture when you are making a decision to leave your homelands and come to this country. Realistically speaking, you have to be prepared to deal with the ups and downs of life and you have to decide what is most important to you. Are you in a place where you can make life work where you are or do you reach for that seemingly “golden opportunity?”

For more on this story go to; https://www.phillytrib.com/caribbean_currents/contrary-to-popular-myth-being-an-immigrant-is-not-easy/article_0372f92b-d413-58f1-8abc-76ba2932d7ce.html