I Am An Immigrant – Voices

As this country is continuously becoming more diverse, I feel proud to call myself the child of an immigrant father. My father was born in Senghenydd, Wales and later moved to Portsmouth. Growing up he was part of the lower working class in Britain and sought to find more opportunity for success in America. He came to live in the United States in 1986 as a 22-year- old young adult looking for work in the photography industry. He began working in a photo lab, printing and processing wedding and sports photos. After remaining an illegal immigrant for some time, he was granted citizenship. After I was born, my father landed a prosperous job at Newsweek Magazine. The pride I have in my father comes from his journey to America as a lower class immigrant and his gradual success to becoming who he always dreamed to be. I view my father’s story as the epitome of the American Dream. He tells me the struggles he faced due to his accent and the stereotypes that came with being a British man. As an American-born child of my British immigrant father, I believe I have been given a unique perspective on culture and the customs of the United Kingdom. I feel privileged to have family that lives in another country and I believe having this part of my heritage has brought me immense experience and knowledge. America has shown to be the land of opportunity and without immigration into this country, my father would not have had the life he has today.