Fiji Immigrants
Immigrants, how and why do people leave their native country and settle in a different country. This has been happening for many years and is happening till today. But do we ever wonder why people do this? Why would they just have to leave their native land, their own people, their families and friends and try to live a different country with a different life style? I had a great pleasure of interviewing an immigrant who is very close to me. I had any eye opening interview with my own mother, who is an immigrant from Fiji Islands. My mom was 14 years old when she migrated to United States of American from Fiji Islands seeking for better future and life with her parents and 2 sisters. She heard wonderful stories about a country called United
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States of America. How everything in this country was so advanced and everything is like a fairy tale. As excited as she was to go to a new country for the first time with better and bigger opportunities, she was sadden to leave all her friends, relatives and her house behind with her memories to take only. But nothing was as it was describe to her about United States. It was just a beginning of her new life and long journey of struggle.
1) Who did you migrate with? (already on the 1st paragraph) 2) Who & what did you leave behind?
My mom was born in 1973 in Suva capital of Fiji Islands and lived in Fiji until August 22, 1987.
My mom is an Indian and follows Hinduism cultural. According to my mom they had a pretty good and relaxed life until they were forced to leave Fiji. Due to coup in 1987, they were forced to live the country for survival and better future. In August 1987, the Fiji government was taken over by the Fijian military commander when an Indian person was selected as the Fiji Prime Minister. Fiji Prime Minister and other Indian parliament members were taken as hostage and was threatened to give up their positions or their lives will be taken. Military commander wanted all the Indian parliament members to resign from their positions and give it to native Fijian people. Her uncle was selected as the Chief Justice of High court and was one of the hostages. Their families and relatives were involved with in the coup and all their lives were threatened. While the hostage was held in a remote place all the native Fijian were destroying Suva city, the capital of Fiji Islands by burning the Indian business owners stores, stealing from their stores, putting thieves to their throat, threatening their life’s , burning the whole town , taking over their farm land and beating them to death. After held for a week or so, the Indian Prime Minister and parliament member gave up their positions for their life’s and things in Fiji was never the same! There were always fights between Indian and Fijian people. Indian people lived in fear day and night thinking when it will be they turn to die. It became very difficult for the Indians in Fiji to live a normal life as they used to. Having everything in life for what my grandfather worked hard for, he was forced by family members to leave Fiji. Pressurized by relatives, my grandfather left all his belongings, he’s house, all the things in the house and left Fiji forever. My grandfather left Fiji for better future and opportunities for he’s daughters,
but life was never the same again for my mom’s families. 3) How did you feel when you first came to the US? When she first arrived at San Francisco airport, she left like an outsider immediately. She did not feel that she belonged here. My mom wanted to turn around and leave. It did not feel like home. She was very upset and just wanted to scream on top of her voice and ask God why you even sent us here. This is not home and she remembered asking God, over and over again, why? First of all the weather was cold according to her in August. Everything she saw was bigger than what she was used to. People at the airport looked at them differently and stared. My mom stated she also stared back since she had not seemed so many different kinds of people in her life and wondered which cultural people were they. My mom was laughing when she was stating how she has never seemed Mexican or black people in her life. She was surprised to see how familiar the black people looked like the native Fijians back at home. 4) Were you treated differently where you settled? Explain how.
My grandfather’s cousin picked them from the San Francisco airport an d took them to her house. She had a big and beautiful house in Foster City where she lived with her husband, her two sons and her old mother. At the beginning, my mom’s aunty promised her dad that she will take care of them and guide her dad to get a job and settle down. But as time processed, her parents was miss-treated by her aunt and her family. My mom was sad when she told me how her aunty had her parents cleaned the house, cook and take care her old mother. Her aunty was an alcoholic and as soon as she got home from work, she will start to drink and start to fight with her parents. Every night they stayed in the house in fear. My mom’s parents used to cry every night before going to bed. Her aunty gave them a small room where her parents slept on the floors with their three daughters. Three months went by just like this and finally her dad got a job as a construction worker. My grandfather who worked as an accountant all he’s life now had to work as a construction worker since he was told by he’s cousin that this is the only job he can get. Wanted to move from this abusive house, my grandfather took the job and moved to Hayward. My mom and her older sister were left behind since they already started school, but were promised by my grandfather that as soon as he finds a school in Hayward, he will come and get them. Meanwhile, my mom and her older sister was miss treated my their aunt. Ones got drunk, her aunty, made my mom cook dinner, wash all the dishes, take care of her old mom and then do the homework. My mom and her older sister walked to the bus stop for school bus in rain and used to get wet before arriving to school. Kids in the bus and school used to make fun of them .My mom was not allowed to use the phone to call her parents. After many months living like this, her parents came and took them and promised her aunty never to return back to the house.
5) What items did you bring along while migrating? The only things I brought with me were my clothes. The biggest thing I brought with me was my memories. I remember my mom crying back home while packing her things, since she was not able to take every thing she had in the house. All the valuable items, her house decoration, her dishes, her pot plants, her memories in the house and everything my parents worked hard for. Our house which was paid for and was left with my father’s sister. My dad’s car was left behind with my mom’s families, all the furniture in the house was left behind. This was the most saddest moment in my life. I looked at my parents and was helpless.
6) On a scale from 1-10, what were your living conditions? Explain your living condition. 7) How was life in your native country? 8) What was your 1st school you attended when you started school in the US?
On the first day of school, my mom had a difficult day. First of all the way people spoke at school with different tones, it was hard to understand them. In Fiji Islands, English is spoken, but since Fiji Islands were under British government, they spoke like them. Communicating with Americans was not hard but understanding them was every different since they had different tones. My mom remembers the first day at Tennyson High School, she and her older sister left right after first period since kids were staring at them and making comments on their clothes. My mom remembers telling her parents she will not go back to the school and she wants to go back to her country. As time went by, things became calm and smooth in school and my mom got used to everything and made some friends. But she remembers some kids in school never changed and always made fun of her just because she was an outsider. From ninth grade to senior, my mom was always on Principles Honor Roll list and she was proud of herself. My mom knew she wanted to be a doctor but how to reach them, she had not idea. She knew the difficult path she had to pass and did not know if she would able to reach the path she was looking for. Some how she managed high school and made friends. She had very limited friends, but who ever they were, she is still in contact with them. These friends made her feel like home at some point. 9) What were you expecting in the US?
My mom was expecting to have a luxury life since she heard so much about US, but it did not turned out as expected. At the age of seventeen my mom started working in a motel on weekends to support her parents. She used to get three fifteen per hour and brought home about forty dollars for two days. She would get excited every time she saw her pay check. Life was very difficult in US for her parents raising three girls. My mom and her older sister walked to school since they had only one car. Her dad did not have any work in winter since he was a construction worker and due to rain there was no work. They lived in a same two bedroom apartment for fifteen years. There were times when they did not have anything to eat in the house. Her dad was not used to paying rent every month and since he did not work in winter he did not get any money to support the family. They did not get any support and guideness from relatives. Most of the times they had to figure out how to do things on their own. Whether is was right or wrong the family managed some how or other. They had to learn the American system, American life style, American way of talking and eat American food in order to fit in. My mom’s family never once seek help from the government. At that time they did not know anything about getting help from government.
10) How were people different from your home country than people in the US?
They will be always good people and bad people in every country. Back in Fiji Islands, my mom had to deal with native Fijian people, not all of them were bad but my mom used to hear it all the time from native Fijians that, Fiji belongs to Fijian, why are you Indian here in Fiji, go back to India that’s where you belong. Very country has to deal with all sorts of people. She remembers when she used to talk in her own language to her older sister in school, kids were rude and told her “this is America, so speak in English only”. My mom use to tell them, I can talk, walk, eat, and dress however way I want. You are right “this is America” and I know my freedom. (mom laughed) She stated how she has the American influence in her and she would stand by for herself and not be afraid of her action. She said this was the best part of been in America, you have your freedom of speech, religion and act. Now my mom understood why people came to America. 11) What were you plans for the US?
My mom had plenty of plans to fulfill in US, but due to hardship she faced with her family, it did not happen. First she started working at the age of seventeen in a motel to support her parents. As a senior in high school she worked after school and weekends so that she can have money to help out. My mom planned to finish her college and become a doctor, but it did not happen. My mom was selected in UC Berkeley but due to finical reasons she was not able to continue her studies at UC Berkeley. Secondly her main goal was just to work to bring income. All of the sudden she only thought of working and making money. My mom got married at the age of nineteen. She struggled with her studies and working outside. She could do only one thing - whether work or go to college. She attended two years of community Chabot College and quit since she was not making enough money to survive. Her dream to become a doctor became just a dream. 12) Do you regret migrating to US?
My mom has some regrets of been in United States. First she stated that it was not up to her to be her in US, secondly she it was not her choice to work and thirdly she does not know why they had to go through such difficult times in US. She regrets been in US since she did not finish her college. My mom indicate that if she were in Fiji she would have finished her college and became a doctor since back in Fiji her family was pretty wealthy and her dad only had to work. She regrets been in US, since she was never able to play with her cousins and been close to her relatives. None of my mom’s dad or mom’ s side of families are here in US. She only talked with them over the phone. She regrets the fact she was never close to any of her aunty or uncles. She regrets, all the difficult times her parents had to face raising them and never enjoyed their life’s. She regrets how her parents struggled many years to survive and gain what they have now. She regrets how her mom was not able to attend her grandmother’s funeral due to lack of money to go Fiji Islands. Some things will never been forgotten.
In some way she does not regret been in US. The experience she went through, the freedom she got from US and most importantly she does not regret been a mother of two beautiful kids she has. The experience made her a stronger and wiser person. She does not regret the fact that she lives in a land of opportunities, you just need to know when and how to use this opportunity. She does not regret that she lives in United States today since she doesn’t know what would had happened to them if they were in Fiji Islands. She does not regret that she is part of a country where she can raise her kids the way she wants to.
Conclusion
According to my mom, a journey of an immigrant like her is still not over, the journey has just begun. She states, she still have to raise my little sister and me and make sure we succeed before she can said, “yes my journey is over.” She always lectures us how difficult life is and how we should take our education seriously to succeed. She always uses her example to explain us what to do when opportunities are there. Today she is proud to be an American and live an American life. Today she still follows and teaches Indian cultural to her kids but at the same time tells her kids that there are an American first before anything. They should be proud of what they are and which country they live in.
An immigrant will always be an immigrant no matter which country you go to. Some immigrants get lucky in life with support of others and do well, but some gets no support and guidness and ends up struggling and goes through difficult times.
States of America. How everything in this country was so advanced and everything is like a fairy tale. As excited as she was to go to a new country for the first time with better and bigger opportunities, she was sadden to leave all her friends, relatives and her house behind with her memories to take only. But nothing was as it was describe to her about United States. It was just a beginning of her new life and long journey of struggle.
1) Who did you migrate with? (already on the 1st paragraph) 2) Who & what did you leave behind?
My mom was born in 1973 in Suva capital of Fiji Islands and lived in Fiji until August 22, 1987.
My mom is an Indian and follows Hinduism cultural. According to my mom they had a pretty good and relaxed life until they were forced to leave Fiji. Due to coup in 1987, they were forced to live the country for survival and better future. In August 1987, the Fiji government was taken over by the Fijian military commander when an Indian person was selected as the Fiji Prime Minister. Fiji Prime Minister and other Indian parliament members were taken as hostage and was threatened to give up their positions or their lives will be taken. Military commander wanted all the Indian parliament members to resign from their positions and give it to native Fijian people. Her uncle was selected as the Chief Justice of High court and was one of the hostages. Their families and relatives were involved with in the coup and all their lives were threatened. While the hostage was held in a remote place all the native Fijian were destroying Suva city, the capital of Fiji Islands by burning the Indian business owners stores, stealing from their stores, putting thieves to their throat, threatening their life’s , burning the whole town , taking over their farm land and beating them to death. After held for a week or so, the Indian Prime Minister and parliament member gave up their positions for their life’s and things in Fiji was never the same! There were always fights between Indian and Fijian people. Indian people lived in fear day and night thinking when it will be they turn to die. It became very difficult for the Indians in Fiji to live a normal life as they used to. Having everything in life for what my grandfather worked hard for, he was forced by family members to leave Fiji. Pressurized by relatives, my grandfather left all his belongings, he’s house, all the things in the house and left Fiji forever. My grandfather left Fiji for better future and opportunities for he’s daughters,
but life was never the same again for my mom’s families. 3) How did you feel when you first came to the US? When she first arrived at San Francisco airport, she left like an outsider immediately. She did not feel that she belonged here. My mom wanted to turn around and leave. It did not feel like home. She was very upset and just wanted to scream on top of her voice and ask God why you even sent us here. This is not home and she remembered asking God, over and over again, why? First of all the weather was cold according to her in August. Everything she saw was bigger than what she was used to. People at the airport looked at them differently and stared. My mom stated she also stared back since she had not seemed so many different kinds of people in her life and wondered which cultural people were they. My mom was laughing when she was stating how she has never seemed Mexican or black people in her life. She was surprised to see how familiar the black people looked like the native Fijians back at home. 4) Were you treated differently where you settled? Explain how.
My grandfather’s cousin picked them from the San Francisco airport an d took them to her house. She had a big and beautiful house in Foster City where she lived with her husband, her two sons and her old mother. At the beginning, my mom’s aunty promised her dad that she will take care of them and guide her dad to get a job and settle down. But as time processed, her parents was miss-treated by her aunt and her family. My mom was sad when she told me how her aunty had her parents cleaned the house, cook and take care her old mother. Her aunty was an alcoholic and as soon as she got home from work, she will start to drink and start to fight with her parents. Every night they stayed in the house in fear. My mom’s parents used to cry every night before going to bed. Her aunty gave them a small room where her parents slept on the floors with their three daughters. Three months went by just like this and finally her dad got a job as a construction worker. My grandfather who worked as an accountant all he’s life now had to work as a construction worker since he was told by he’s cousin that this is the only job he can get. Wanted to move from this abusive house, my grandfather took the job and moved to Hayward. My mom and her older sister were left behind since they already started school, but were promised by my grandfather that as soon as he finds a school in Hayward, he will come and get them. Meanwhile, my mom and her older sister was miss treated my their aunt. Ones got drunk, her aunty, made my mom cook dinner, wash all the dishes, take care of her old mom and then do the homework. My mom and her older sister walked to the bus stop for school bus in rain and used to get wet before arriving to school. Kids in the bus and school used to make fun of them .My mom was not allowed to use the phone to call her parents. After many months living like this, her parents came and took them and promised her aunty never to return back to the house.
5) What items did you bring along while migrating? The only things I brought with me were my clothes. The biggest thing I brought with me was my memories. I remember my mom crying back home while packing her things, since she was not able to take every thing she had in the house. All the valuable items, her house decoration, her dishes, her pot plants, her memories in the house and everything my parents worked hard for. Our house which was paid for and was left with my father’s sister. My dad’s car was left behind with my mom’s families, all the furniture in the house was left behind. This was the most saddest moment in my life. I looked at my parents and was helpless.
6) On a scale from 1-10, what were your living conditions? Explain your living condition. 7) How was life in your native country? 8) What was your 1st school you attended when you started school in the US?
On the first day of school, my mom had a difficult day. First of all the way people spoke at school with different tones, it was hard to understand them. In Fiji Islands, English is spoken, but since Fiji Islands were under British government, they spoke like them. Communicating with Americans was not hard but understanding them was every different since they had different tones. My mom remembers the first day at Tennyson High School, she and her older sister left right after first period since kids were staring at them and making comments on their clothes. My mom remembers telling her parents she will not go back to the school and she wants to go back to her country. As time went by, things became calm and smooth in school and my mom got used to everything and made some friends. But she remembers some kids in school never changed and always made fun of her just because she was an outsider. From ninth grade to senior, my mom was always on Principles Honor Roll list and she was proud of herself. My mom knew she wanted to be a doctor but how to reach them, she had not idea. She knew the difficult path she had to pass and did not know if she would able to reach the path she was looking for. Some how she managed high school and made friends. She had very limited friends, but who ever they were, she is still in contact with them. These friends made her feel like home at some point. 9) What were you expecting in the US?
My mom was expecting to have a luxury life since she heard so much about US, but it did not turned out as expected. At the age of seventeen my mom started working in a motel on weekends to support her parents. She used to get three fifteen per hour and brought home about forty dollars for two days. She would get excited every time she saw her pay check. Life was very difficult in US for her parents raising three girls. My mom and her older sister walked to school since they had only one car. Her dad did not have any work in winter since he was a construction worker and due to rain there was no work. They lived in a same two bedroom apartment for fifteen years. There were times when they did not have anything to eat in the house. Her dad was not used to paying rent every month and since he did not work in winter he did not get any money to support the family. They did not get any support and guideness from relatives. Most of the times they had to figure out how to do things on their own. Whether is was right or wrong the family managed some how or other. They had to learn the American system, American life style, American way of talking and eat American food in order to fit in. My mom’s family never once seek help from the government. At that time they did not know anything about getting help from government.
10) How were people different from your home country than people in the US?
They will be always good people and bad people in every country. Back in Fiji Islands, my mom had to deal with native Fijian people, not all of them were bad but my mom used to hear it all the time from native Fijians that, Fiji belongs to Fijian, why are you Indian here in Fiji, go back to India that’s where you belong. Very country has to deal with all sorts of people. She remembers when she used to talk in her own language to her older sister in school, kids were rude and told her “this is America, so speak in English only”. My mom use to tell them, I can talk, walk, eat, and dress however way I want. You are right “this is America” and I know my freedom. (mom laughed) She stated how she has the American influence in her and she would stand by for herself and not be afraid of her action. She said this was the best part of been in America, you have your freedom of speech, religion and act. Now my mom understood why people came to America. 11) What were you plans for the US?
My mom had plenty of plans to fulfill in US, but due to hardship she faced with her family, it did not happen. First she started working at the age of seventeen in a motel to support her parents. As a senior in high school she worked after school and weekends so that she can have money to help out. My mom planned to finish her college and become a doctor, but it did not happen. My mom was selected in UC Berkeley but due to finical reasons she was not able to continue her studies at UC Berkeley. Secondly her main goal was just to work to bring income. All of the sudden she only thought of working and making money. My mom got married at the age of nineteen. She struggled with her studies and working outside. She could do only one thing - whether work or go to college. She attended two years of community Chabot College and quit since she was not making enough money to survive. Her dream to become a doctor became just a dream. 12) Do you regret migrating to US?
My mom has some regrets of been in United States. First she stated that it was not up to her to be her in US, secondly she it was not her choice to work and thirdly she does not know why they had to go through such difficult times in US. She regrets been in US since she did not finish her college. My mom indicate that if she were in Fiji she would have finished her college and became a doctor since back in Fiji her family was pretty wealthy and her dad only had to work. She regrets been in US, since she was never able to play with her cousins and been close to her relatives. None of my mom’s dad or mom’ s side of families are here in US. She only talked with them over the phone. She regrets the fact she was never close to any of her aunty or uncles. She regrets, all the difficult times her parents had to face raising them and never enjoyed their life’s. She regrets how her parents struggled many years to survive and gain what they have now. She regrets how her mom was not able to attend her grandmother’s funeral due to lack of money to go Fiji Islands. Some things will never been forgotten.
In some way she does not regret been in US. The experience she went through, the freedom she got from US and most importantly she does not regret been a mother of two beautiful kids she has. The experience made her a stronger and wiser person. She does not regret the fact that she lives in a land of opportunities, you just need to know when and how to use this opportunity. She does not regret that she lives in United States today since she doesn’t know what would had happened to them if they were in Fiji Islands. She does not regret that she is part of a country where she can raise her kids the way she wants to.
Conclusion
According to my mom, a journey of an immigrant like her is still not over, the journey has just begun. She states, she still have to raise my little sister and me and make sure we succeed before she can said, “yes my journey is over.” She always lectures us how difficult life is and how we should take our education seriously to succeed. She always uses her example to explain us what to do when opportunities are there. Today she is proud to be an American and live an American life. Today she still follows and teaches Indian cultural to her kids but at the same time tells her kids that there are an American first before anything. They should be proud of what they are and which country they live in.
An immigrant will always be an immigrant no matter which country you go to. Some immigrants get lucky in life with support of others and do well, but some gets no support and guidness and ends up struggling and goes through difficult times.