Our Journey from India
Coming to America
We waited for a long time to get our visas to come to the United States. Some of us even had to wait 10 years! It seemed like there were so many papers to fill out and a lot we had to do. Because India is overpopulated, many people want to come to America because it is less crowded. Indians also come for education and jobs. The American dollar is still worth a lot more than the rupee, even though the gap is closing. The plane tickets to America are so expensive. It cost us about $32,000 rupees or $1,275 dollars for each ticket. As a result, only relatively rich people can afford to come here. Our plane trip from India was very long. It seemed like it took forever to get through the airport too. The 16 hour airplane ride makes a stopover in a European city like Brussels before arriving at Newark or JFK.
What We Left Behind
It was so sad to say goodbye to our families. It is especially sad when you do not know if you will ever see your grandparents again. Everybody came to the airport to say goodbye, and we were all crying. We left our hearts in India. This is the place of our birth, the place we are from. We left our language. We left our families and everything we know. We left our schools and friends. In India, everywhere you go people want to meet and talk with you. In America, people don’t seem as friendly. We left our means of transportation. In India we could get from one place to another by walking or riding our bikes. In the U.S., we have to rely on a car to take us everywhere. We feel handicapped when we can’t get a ride!
What We Found Here
We found schools and teachers we really like. We found old and new friends here. There are many Indian families in the Albany area. Some of us joined families and friends here. We found a way to continue our culture. We helped build temples and cultural centers where we can honor our traditions. We also found American food. Some of it is good, but we still eat Indian food. We also like American music and movies.
Click on the flags below to learn more about other countries.
