Math for Life & Work
Migration Experiences Across Cultures
Winner of Black History Month Essay Contest
T
he migration process
is usually difficult,
and migrants face
a new country, new
people, and new
customs without knowing the fu-
ture.I interviewed two immigrants
who have moved from differ-
ent countries. Both participants
moved from distinct situations. In
2014, Carlos migrated alone from
Brazil to Malta when he was 23
years old for a language exchange
program. In 2007, Antonio mi-
grated from Mexico to USA
when he was 26 years with his
wife to improve his family’s life.
Carlos was excited to discover a
new country, find more indepen-
dence, and work hard to reach his
goals. However, it was often over-
whelming to be away from his
family, go through the visa pro-
cess, and learn a new language. If
he stayed in Brazil his life would
not have changed. He probably
would have continued with his job
and tried to grow in his company.
When asked about what sugges-
tions he would have for anyone
moving to a new place, he says:
“study a lot about the country you
are moving to, and try to connect
with immigrants from your home
country.” If he had to do it again,
he would learn the language ear-
lier, and research in detail the
country’s culture and population.
For Antonio, the well-paying
work opportunities and better liv-
ing standards were motivations to
try to live the American Dream.
On the other hand, a new lan-
guage, new food, and long hours
at work were the cons of moving
to a new place. If he stayed in
Mexico, his life would not have
changed. He suggests to anyone
that moves to plan as carefully
as they can because things can
change all the time. He would not
migrate again if given the choice.
The main cause that motivated
him to migrate was his family.
Getting a job and making mon-
ey are obligations when sur-
viving in a new country. Immi-
grants must work long hours to
get a decent life, face discrimi-
nation, low pay and learning a
new language during adult life.
Thus, these are their frustrations.
Carlos and Antonio had differ-
ent incentives to migrate, how-
ever. They went through simi-
lar challenges such as learning
a new language and working a
lot. Consequently, they learned
more about themselves. They see
themselves as more mature, more
open minded and stronger peo-
ple. Both their lives would not
have changed if they had stayed
41
Jenifer Dodds
in their home countries. They
strongly recommended more
planning to make things easier.
Carlos would dedicate more time
to learning the language before
immigrating since it would open
more doors. He also reinforces the
importance of studying and hav-
ing something to contribute to the
new country. Antonio highlights
planning, but in hindsight, he
would not migrate since for him
the experience was too difficult.
No matter the situation people
face during migration, it will al-
ways be challenging. People
make decisions to leave their
comfort zone and start their lives
from the beginning in a new coun-
try and then realize it was the best
decision they could ever make.
But in the same group, there are
the ones who feel the frustra-
tion for leaving their countries
and everything behind. It is not
possible to know if moving to
a new country will be a success.
There are no guarantees, but you
will never know if you don’t try.
During the migration journey
you will not just learn about the
country to which you are mov-
ing but more importantly, you
will learn about yourself and
reinvent yourself every day.