Immigrants recall life before America

By: Zoe Deno

Editor-in-Chief

A community college campus is usually home to a diverse round of students. Some students at Hudson Valley traveled farther than others to end up at the Troy campus.  

Criminal Justice student Jimmy Harris traveled from Iraq. “I miss everything about my home country. I miss my childhood, the memories, the area I grew up in and the people I grew up with. It is always in my mind, and my heart but I can’t go back and change anything. I am stuck here,” said Harris.

Harris traveled to the U.S. after working as an interpreter for the U.S. military. Harris’s father had been shot by a group of terrorists, leaving him permanently handicapped. Harris hoped that if he worked for them, the Americans would help him catch the people who hurt his father.

After he got the job, Harris led the military to where his father was shot. The military was able to track down the terrorists.

Among other Iraqis, Harris was considered a traitor. Eventually his life was in serious jeopardy and the army granted him a visa to go anywhere. Harris chose N.Y., however he failed to specify where in N.Y. and ended up in Albany.

Individual studies student Kathreen Myrzelle arrived in the U.S. 16 months ago. Myrzelle was born in the Philippines. She came to America after meeting her fiance’ who was working in the Philippines at the time. They dated for six months before he went back to America.

Myrzelle didn’t know what was going to happen until her fiance called her, and told her he was working on getting her papers. Her parents were shocked, and it took them six months to fully grasp that she was leaving. While she misses her country, Myrzelle does not regret her choice.

“My favorite part about America is that no one bothers you. Where I came from it was a very tight knit community. Everybody knows you, and you know everybody,” said Myrzelle.

“If something happened to you, everyone already knew what it was before you even told anyone,” continued Myrzelle.

For computer services major, Moudyad Khalafalla, the different culture was one of the more difficult aspects of moving. “I miss the people in Sudan. I get the country is not the greatest, its poor. There’s always conflicts because it’s a dictatorship country. But the people make up for everything,” said Khalafalla.

Khalafalla came to America when he was 14 with his parents because his father had a job opportunity to be a pharmacist here.

“Now that I am an American citizen I can say whatever I want about the [Sudan]  president, and they can’t hurt me,” said Khallafalla.

The best aspect of American life for Khalafalla is freedom of speech. He disagreed with the government, but couldn’t speak out because he could be arrested. During his last visit to Sudan he was able to speak without reservation.

“The last time I went back to Sudan I said whatever I wanted. People got scared, and moved away from me. They were scared they would get arrested. I didn’t get scared, I said what I wanted to say,” said Khalafalla.

Business student Chevan Newell came to America for opportunity.  

“I came to America because there are not enough jobs in Jamaica, and the crime rates are really high,” said Newell.

When Newell first came to America, people didn’t understand his ability to speak English. “It was irritating, we speak English in Jamaica,” said Newell.

Newell came to America when he was 15 with his mother and sisters. He liked American high school better than his school in Jamaica because it was easier and the people were more laid back.

Fine arts major, Minling Lin came to America when she was 18 years old. She waited ten years before going to college. She chose Hudson Valley out of convenience, but once she did it exceeded her expectations.

Lin said, “Here at college, people don’t see my asian face. They don’t look at me as a Korean, or Japanese or Chinese and think that I am different, they look at me like a Hudson Valley student.”