My parents were able to immigrate from the Philippines to the US back in the 1980s. My mother came first, and after being in a (very) long distance relationship with my father, he was able to come to the US a couple of years after. They left behind parts of their family, as well as the place they grew up in, to be able to live in a land where they have never been to.
Growing up, I never realized the sacrifices they both made. I lived with a roof on top of my head, in a nice neighborhood, and was able to live comfortably. I had meals every day, I went to a good school, my parents let me have whatever I wanted as long as I was a good person that got good grades in school. I was lucky to not have to work hard in order to have a happy life, because they were able to provide that for me. When I was old enough to realize everything they’ve done for me, I learned how grateful I am for it all.
My parents came to America knowing it would be hard for them to go back to the Philippines. When I was growing up, it became very expensive to fly overseas. My parents spent years being unable to see some of their family. This meant losing the chance to be with them, watching their siblings' families grow, missing birthdays and missing funerals, as well. I remember watching my father hear the news of one of his brothers dying. It never occurred to me how hard it would be for him to fly back to the Philippines to be there for his family. It never occurred to me how hard it was to live so far away from where you are from.
My parents worked unbelievably hard to provide for my sister and me. My mother used to work all day, and my father was able to get the graveyard shift at work. This meant that I was lucky to have a parent with me every hour of the day. But that meant that my dad had to take care of me all day, and then continue to work all night with no sleep. My mom had to work all day only to continue her work once she came home to me.
When I was 8, I had a school performance singing in the Veteran's Day assembly, and I couldn't wait for my mom to watch me on stage. I asked her if she could, and I remember the guilt on her face when she had to tell me that she couldn't, that she had to work that day. I cried for hours, not knowing that my mom couldn't do anything about it. That she had to work, because she had to be able to provide for my sister and me.
When figuring out where to go to school, I was able to attend a university rather than the colleges near my home. My parents told me to go where I wanted to, and they’ll be able to figure out how to pay for it. They had to take out a lot of loans, and my father decided to put aside his retirement to be able to work more in order for me to go to school. I know after I graduate, it will take a long time for them to be able to pay those off, but they did it because I was able to have this opportunity that they could not have. They wanted me to be able to have the best future possible because I am exposed to these opportunities here in America.
America is known to be the land of opportunity. Everyone comes here with the promise of the American Dream. Owning your own house, getting an amazing job, and growing a family with a bright future. People often forget that there are a lot of things that need to happen before that American Dream can really come true. For immigrants, there are a lot of battles in order to achieve that. Building a life from basically scratch is hard. Getting a job without knowing a lot of English is hard. Many immigrants are forced to assimilate to a Western lifestyle in order to be able to achieve these things in life. That’s dressing the part, speaking the part, becoming as "American" as possible.
I could never imagine coming to a different country with absolutely nothing. I also can’t imagine being able to leave some of my family behind in order to live a better life for myself. However, my parents did both of those things, and I am eternally grateful for all of the sacrifices they made in order for me to be in the country I am today. We are lucky to be one of the families that are able to come into America. I have relatives who never got approved to come overseas, other family members that it took decades to even get a response back. There are so many reasons people want to come to America, and with how things are today, it is much harder for people to leave their country. For a place that is built on the labor of immigrants, it’s amazing how difficult it is for those people to receive refuge here.
So I just want to say thank you to my parents for coming to America so I could have a brighter future. You both have done so many little things in my life that I never became aware of it until I grew old enough to understand. Thank you for dealing with my crybaby self when I was younger, and dealing with my angsty, “I-hate-the-world” phase when I was older. You were always patient with me, and I never took the time to realize just how much you have both sacrificed until I was older and out of the house. I also want to say thank you for teaching me the things I would have learned back in the Philippines as well. My favorite foods will always be lumpia and adobo, and I will never forget the first time I learned a traditional dance. Thank you for not forgetting where you came from, and teaching your daughter to have pride in where her blood runs. Thank you for everything you have done; you both did so much more than I ever deserved, and you did it all in love.
