"Crossing Flatbush Avenue". Kimi

Everybody who migrated to America came here in order to find better life than back in theirs homeland. When you ask people why did they decide to move here you could here: “because streets in the United states made from gold”, or “America is heaven”, or “There is free speech, there is democracy in here”, etc. all these are most common reasons why people are dreaming to come to United States.

I wasn’t exclusion. My name is Kimi. My American dream story started 20 years ago.

In 1989 there was a communism regime in Yugoslavia (Kosovo nowadays). If you don’t know what it means, I would just say that there was no free speech… even by saying something against communism you could get in the jail for as long as 25 years.

We had an extended family. That’s why when my uncles run away to America; we are (family members who left in the country), were discriminated. It was inappropriate to have a traitor in the family.

After living in such conditions I decided to do something to escape from that terror.

Of course, I had a dream to go to America, but according to situation that time I decided to try something closer... my choice came to Germany.

That’s how I left Kosovo in 1989.

I was a good engineer – contractor, that’s why it wasn’t a problem for me to find a job. I work for one German guy Ditor, he likes me for being hard worker and honest. He treated me like a son.

While living in Germany for 5 years I got a passport. Of course not without Ditor’s help. That’s how I got one step closer to reach my goal to come to America.

Now door for America were open for me!

One winter day in 1994 I arrived in the Chicago International Airport.

YOU ARE INTERESTING WHAT WAS MY FIRST EXPRESSIONS ABOUT AMERICA?

Shock! Upset! And this is place I was dreaming about? This is for what I left my beautiful life in Germany? Where can I get a ticket to go back?

The most memorable from first night being in America was A HUGE RAT, I saw right next to my bed in the motel I stayed.

My uncles came to pick me up to take to New York.

Few days I enjoyed staying with my family and afterwards I become “a slave”. What do I remember about my first year in USA? 18 hours work day in my uncle’s bakery, seeing no sun, no rest, and no money.

When I looked back at that time I realized how wrong I was about my family. By keeping in touch with them before they always used to say how sorry they are that we have to straggle because of them; how much they would like to help any of us if we would JUST COME TO America. In fact when I came here they scared me so much about strict rules for illegal and that a little mistake could cost me a trip back home. They knew our mentality and they manipulate me in the way which was comfortable for them. They even found “a lawyer” for me to get an immigration paper through asylum. They pretended that they pay him instead of giving salary to me.

While working in the bakery I spoke with one Albanian guy who had a construction company; he told me when he would have a job he would take me to work.

That’s how came a day when I left my uncle’s “sweet home”.

I had worked for that guy for 2 years. He paid me a little money, but still I had money in my hands and I did a job I like!

My next move was to work for some company where I would be able to learn language. 3 years in the country and I still couldn’t handle any simple conversation.

I worked for nasty Italian man, who use us as a 24/7 workers. But I had a reason why I was there and I kept going.

Those 2 years were enough for me to move forward again. I learnt a lot while working for that man, the way he does the business, the way he does the job. With a customer you have to be fair and you would be successful!

I bought used truck and some instruments and from that moment to nowadays I pray of the God for all goods I got in my life. Thank for his blessing.

Now after 10 years I can say I reached all goals I pointed for myself when I came to America. I built two houses for my family; I have cars and my lovely son.

I forgot to mention that as I found out later “the lawyer” my uncles found for me didn’t do anything with my paper process. After 5 years being in America I finally got legalization. That was a very good lesson for me: trust yourself and your eyes. Try to do everything yourself because people around you could be the worst enemies.

This country gives great opportunity for those who want to become somebody in this world, those who ready to work, learn, and go through a lot of difficulties.

From my experience I can say that in so many cases immigrants attain better life positions than people who born here and have all the privileges from the birth.

We are - immigrants- who have to go step by step, from getting legal in this country to building a new better life for us and our families.