The Belizean immigrant
I interviewed my brother, Amin Lopez. He is a 25 years old desktop technician and aspiring pastry chef. We share the same father but have different mothers. I met him for the first time in 2013. Since then, we have become very close but I never asked him about his past. This interview gave me the opportunity to do so. I conducted the interview in English and over the phone since he lives in the Mid-West.
Notice: This will be from the perspective of Amin. I have interviewed him and am now putting my self in his shoes by writing in first person.
My name is Amin Lopez. In 1993 I was born in Belize. Belize is a country in Central America that borders Mexico and Guatemala. I migrated to the United States of America when I was only three years old. In 1995 my mom came to the US. She left first so that she could secure a job and a place to stay. In the meantime, I stayed with my grandparents. The next year, 1996 [the year Gabriel was born. A year where they both basically began their life], my mom came back to bring over me and my grandmother. The three of us took a flight from our homeland to our new home. Our new home was Illinois. My mother says she moved to the United States because the US is known to have more jobs and ones that make better money. She has also told me that we moved so that we could have a better life. My mother chose to move to Illinois because we already had family living there in Chicago. Although we eventually ended up in Zion Illinois, an hour away from Chicago. My mom most likely moved because it was a small town so it was slower pace and safer than Chicago. It was also very culturally diverse so I’m sure that swayed her as well. When I was young I believed that this unique melting pot was how the rest of the United States were. As I got older and traveled I realized this was not the case.
At home my mother spoke English, Spanish, and Creole. Although, English and Creole were mostly spoken. The best way to describe Creole is a mix of English, Spanish, and native dialect. In result of this, I gained an accent. As a kid I was made fun of for having accent. This is when I learned how to deal with conflict. If someone is trying to start something, for example say something racist, I get up and remove myself from the situation. Although, if the person continues to harass me and even goes as far as putting their hands on me, I am not afraid to fight. My worst experience in the United states so far is dealing with ignorant people as well as people who like to make racist jokes. Since my last name, Gabourel, is unique I receive a lot of jokes, especially of the racial variety. When people do this I try to make the person feel uncomfortable. I do this by calling them out on it. That usually make it clear that I am not one to make those jokes around.
I try and stay in contact with my family in Belize by calling them from time to time. When I was young, my grandfather used to send things in the mail and I would call him to tell him I had received the package. We would talk for an hour or so about how we both were doing and what we’ve been up to. I also stayed connected through the many occasions where my family from Belize would come up to visit us. I try to stay connect to my culture by attending Belizean festivals in Chicago. At home I also cook traditional food which reminds me of my grandparents.
I can be a bit put off by the media when it comes to immigration. Whenever I hear about White Nationalists it makes me feel concerned. Although I feel safe in my residential area is safe, it is disconcerting to know that things are happening to people like me in this same country. That is why I am not comforted by the fact that it might not be near me. There is still a possibility that I could be directly affected by this. Although hearing about things like this is discouraging, I know the United States isn’t all bad. One of my favorite experiences is meeting people who are genuinely interested and curious about my culture and heritage. I am glad I grew up in the US. I believe this country gives you more options and opportunities to grow. Living here has expanded my horizons and help me encounter new cultures and experiences. I believe this would not have been as possible to do in Belize. Belize is not anywhere near as culturally diverse. The pace of life there is also a lot slower. I definitely believe that if I had not migrated I would have a completely different demeanor and maybe even personality. Although I migrated at such a young age I definitely consider myself a Belizean immigrant. At the same time, I would consider myself American because I have lived here for most of my life. Identity can be difficult when you consider yourself a part of two very different cultures. When I start a family I would want my kids to know that they do not have to choose. They can learn about their heritage and live in the US and that does not affect who they are. I will never be the kind of parent that forces strict cultural guidelines on my children. I want them to know they can decide who they want to be and how involved they are in their cultural heritage.
After living in the US as a migrant for over twenty years I definitely have some suggestions for the United States about things that they should change. Since I am not a US citizen, I couldn’t receive financial aid. I had to pay for it all out of pocket. I would create college scholarships for undocumented students. Although I’m sure since the time that I started college there are a few. I believe having a scholarship or two would have helped me a lot. I also have constructive criticism about the process immigrants have to go through to become citizens. I would say that the process for immigration can be improved by making it quicker and more efficient. I know people where the process took up to 30 years. That is ridiculous! That amount of time is completely unnecessary. This country was created by immigrants and until we realize immigration is inevitable and even beneficial for the US things will only get worse.