Immigration Experiences of a Pakistani Family

This is a bracelet that I bought for myself when I moved to America in 2015. It is a map of my beloved country Pakistan. I never take this bracelet off because it reminds me of Pakistan and whenever I look at it, all the nostalgic feelings start coming in, and it feels like a part of Pakistan is still with me. Growing up in Pakistan is an experience on its own. The country has so much to offer in terms of culture, arts and cuisines. Moreover, this map bracelet reminds me of all the provinces and mountains that I have visited in Pakistan. Fun Fact: Pakistan has 8 out of 20 of the tallest mountains in the world. Nature has bestowed some of its greatest assets on this country, making it the epicenter of mountain tourism. It also has an incredible Islamic heritage, with beautiful mosques and tombs. 

Moving to America has not been very easy for me. It was extremely hard to leave my cousins and friends. My Dad made the decision to move here, and we had no say in it. He wanted to move because there was so much corruption going on in his side of the family. He had always dealt with his greedy relatives, who would fight over land and property, and he did not want the same for his own children. After a hard life, he hoped that all four of his children would live the American dream. However, we on the other hand were not prepared for it because we were being taken away from everything that we knew and loved. My dad had to face countless physician and psychological challenges, and sometimes I feel that I will never be able to repay him for all that he has done for me. 

When I moved here, I realized that there were so many cultural differences. I always find myself stuck between two cultures. Nonetheless, I never mix the two cultures and try to keep the American culture outside of home, and try to keep the Pakistani culture whenever I am with my family. It gets pretty rough sometimes because I feel like I am stuck in the middle, and it gets difficult to keep balance between the two. The first few months were the hardest because during the beginning, homesickness started to kick in. The six of us used to live in a small 3 bedroom apartment. We were quite not used to this lifestyle because we had lived in big houses in Pakistan as living is much cheaper there. I had also applied for a transfer at some colleges nearby my house, but unfortunately my credentials were not being recognized because of which I had to start college all over again. I was fluent in English but as a requirement I had to take ESL classes which made me realize that language is a huge part of adjustment. My parents daily struggle with the basic tasks such as filling out information on a piece of paper, or getting some sort of assistance, or even something as simple as communicating with people at the grocery store, however, they have still managed to achieve a lot. The sad part is that no matter how much we try to blend in, just because we looked different, and were limited in English, we were treated differently than others. Now when I look back, I see how much we have grown in these past 6 years. I have learned so much from all the people that I have met here. Even though Pakistan is my home as all my childhood memories are there, I cannot deny the fact that America is also my home. That is because now I live here and this country has also given me so many opportunities that I couldn't ever have thought of. I have accepted the American way of life, but I can also never forget my Pakistani values, and I am grateful to my dad who has given me this chance.