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As told to Rebecca Sharma by her father |
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My dad immigrated to the U.S. in 1989 to pursue his graduate studies. Guyana is a small English speaking country in South America. It has population of less than a million people and lies north of the equator. When he left, my father took a taxi to Timeheri International Airport in Guyana and boarded a Guyana Airways flight at 4:30 pm on November 21, 1989 bound for New York. It was a Boeing 747 plane with over 200 passengers. The plane made several stops in the Caribbean before landing in John F. Kennedy Airport late that night at about 11:30 pm. He was poorly dressed, and felt cold. He was alone. |
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It was his first trip to the United States. He was impressed with what he saw. The subways, tall buildings, and the endless crowds in Manhattan fascinated him. He visited Times Square and liked its lights and hustle and bustle. At first he was uncomfortable because of the cold weather, and the indifference of people in New York. He was, however attracted to New York because of its prominence as the world's business and financial capital. My dad decided to stay with a friend in the Bronx.
My dad was a senior geologist in Guyana. He needed to develop skills
in finance and business to better manage his geological projects. He came
here to pursue a Masters Degree in Business Administration, with a major
in Finance at the New York Institute of Technology.
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My dad thinks the American lifestyle "is very dynamic, and lends itself to the constant redefinition of the individual. In this context, it affords us the unique opportunity to realize our goals, and become better citizens. As a result, people tend to become very self-centered, and spending less time to nurture meaningful relationships." My dad believes "this threatens the core of a family structure." My dad told me, "It seems that the American lifestyle is defined more by drive with less emphasis on values." |
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My dad has adopted a goal centric approach to life, and he endorses the pursuit of goals. However he has added to this, the need to develop, cherish and sustain family relationships. Guyana, a Commonwealth country and former British colony shares laws that are very similar to those of the U.S. Obvious differences are that in Guyana motorists use the right side of the road, age of majority is 21 and sale of tobacco and alcoholic products is not regulated.
My dad thinks the biggest adjustment was learning to drive on the left
side of the road. Like many immigrants coming to the United States, he
took a series of menial jobs to support himself when he first arrived.
Years later, after he became an American citizen (naturalized) he sponsored
his mother. His mother was given a ‘green card’, and traveled to the U.S
on a Guyana Airways flight.
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My dad's best experiences during his first years in the United States were: 1- Successfully completing his MBA. He felt very happy to have overcome many obstacles and realize a goal he had set for himself. 2- Meeting a wonderful
person who later became his wife
My dad's earlier bad experiences resulted from being underpaid. Without
a valid work permit, ‘my choices were very limited,’ says my dad.
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Below is a family favorite recipe. Food was important in keeping
ties to our country. The recipe is old, but a new part of it is the
use of the microwave (very American).
Roti (from Guyana) Ingredients:
- 2 cups of flour
Utensils:
- Bowl
Procedure:
- Mix ingredients in a bowl
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