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Immigration (Living In America)
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Immigration (Living In America) |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Immigration (Living In America) Susie Wong was trying hard to understand the American movie that seemed to be moving way to fast and possessed a plot too complex for a recent Asian immigrant such as herself. Ten months in the United States seemed to pass very quickly for this young woman from South Korea. Thank God that she had studied basic English skills in her High School in Seoul for without that she would feel totally lost living in Hawaii. Finally she had made it to this land of opportunity. Of course she could have found a job in Korea. She always did before. But in most cases the pay was minimal and the work was long and exhausting. From sunup to sunset she had worked in a factory with no air conditioning in the summer and no heat in the winter. Her reward for enduring these conditions would amount to what would be about fifty two American dollars for a weeks labor. Barely enough to pay the exorbitant rent that her landlord was charging for a one bedroom place wih no indoor plumbing and a hot tin roof. And with little left over for the necessities of life. Without her roommates she definitely would not have made it. Later she was able to continue her education and found a job working in a hospital. First as an Assistant and eventually working her way up to the prized job of a Hospital Administrator. Yet she found that it was still a struggle financially as women were not paid the same wages as men holding similar positions. A few of her friends had moved to Hawaii and on visits home they would tell her stories that would whet her desire to move to this land of opportunity. Of course they would not tell her the whole story. Just the juicy stuff, the good things. The stories that hopes and dreams were built upon. So she saved her money religiously with her goal to move to this land of opportunity. It took her three years to get a travel Visa but she would wait forever for this chance to better herself if necessary. Her condition definitely was not improving in Seoul. She packed her bags with sad thoughts of leaving her family and friends and as she found herself stepping off the plane in Hawaii she thought to herself "Welcome to America." But she would discover that America was as much a land of hard work and struggle as it was a land of opportunity. She learned that it was not easy to obtain the necessary green card. Without that she did not qualify for many of the more skilled and higher paying jobs. She found herself working three jobs just to survive. She did not consider the working conditions that hard if compared to some of the previous jobs she held in Korea. But the hours were very long and the owners were demanding. They knew that they had a large labor pool of recent immigrants to draw from and if one didn't jump at the appropriate time they would find themselves on the outside looking in. Once more to find themselves looking for a job with the same pay and with the same conditions. The pay didn't seem that bad when compared to her former pay. But then again the living expenses were much higher in Hawaii. She still found that the rent would take the majority of her paychecks. In fact, without her two roommates she would never be able to afford the rent and the utilities. Also she found that the food was much more expensive than at home. She was shocked at how much it cost for just a few bags of groceries. She was able to save some money by buying in the Chinese and Korean markets located in Chinatown. If she had any left she would buy an occasional blouse or a new dress or shoes. She liked to buy shoes. But she would always buy these items at the discount stores such as Ross where they were at a thirty to seventy percent discount. And then there was the rare movie. A luxury this young woman was more than happy to occasionally enjoy. She wanted to go back to school and study English so she would have more to offer to her employers. She would if she could but she barely made enough to survive even though she was working three different jobs. Little time was left to attend English classes. If she could just get that green card things would be better for her. Would they not? Why was life such a struggle in Hawaii? Susie Wong hoped she had made the right decision moving to America. Only time and determination would tell her story. JamesLee May15 2002 [This message has been edited by JamesMichael (05-16-2002 06:59 PM).] |
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| © Copyright 2002 JamesMichael - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Kethry Member Rara Avis
since 2000-07-29
Posts 9082Victoria Australia |
James, this is a good beginning. I'd like to hear more. There are a couple of typo's condition is only slept with one "n". Payed should be paid, wet should be whet meaning to sharpen. Then at home should be "than" at home. Still all in all it's a well written narrative. Keth Here in the midst of my lonely abyss, a single joy I find...your presence in my mind. Unknown |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
interesting. it is ironic sometimes that people don't find the land of opportunity quite as opportune as it used to be... sometimes especially for those coming from the outside. i liked the sympathetic, yet non-pitying tone you set here. it created a good atmosphere for reality and understanding. Chris |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Thank you Kethry and Christopher for responding to this... Although this is not an actual true story it was partially based on recent discussions and observation of some immigrant friends of mine...and they are definately struggling...it seems to be the second generation of an immigrant that reaps the rewards...they can go forward without green card problems and language problems...also the immigrant parents I know are very diligant about making sure their children receive a good education...they are encouraged to study all of the time. James |
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