Veronica Ramirez
Spring 2022
“My experiences have created and raised me to be nothing but determined and strong no matter what obstacles are to come.”
F.S. was ten years old when she immigrated with her parents and brother to the United States from The Gambia in search of higher-paying jobs, access to education and services like healthcare, and overall have a better quality of life. At first, F.S. did not quite comprehend why they were immigrating from their homeland to the United States. She states, “I thought that things were well for my family like, although, we did have struggles.” It was not until after two months of living in the United States, F.S. realized the real reason why they left the Gambia. “I was at home with my dad, and he just suddenly had a heart attack in front of me. And I do not even know that he was having a heart attack. Like I didn’t even know what a heart attack looked like. I just knew that something was not right with him. I didn’t know that the emergency phone number was 911. So luckily my neighbors, were able to call an ambulance and get my dad the medical attention he needed.” F.S. realizes that her dad’s “poor mental health brought us to America for him to get better.”
Growing up, F.S. would constantly see her mother and other woman figures only being responsible for household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare. It was common for the women in a household to be expected to stay home and help with household tasks. However, her parents had different ideas about women and education. Her parents worked endlessly to pay for her education, but unfortunately, there were times when they did not have sufficient money to pay for the school fees and expensive supplies. The opportunity to receive a free education in the United States became another reason the family decided to immigrate to the United States. Neighbors around her village were disappointed in her parents for providing F.S. the opportunity to go to school instead of staying home to learn “the responsibilities of a woman.” Her mission was to show the village the importance of a female’s right to education. “I always knew that I wanted to become the person who will forever break the statistics of uneducated females in The Gambia.”
F.S. and her family immigrated to Houston, Texas, through the International Organization on Migration (IOM) resettlement program. Her parents went through multiple 2-hour interviews that required the family to travel to Senegal for the last two interviews. To enable resettlement, IOM works closely with governments, UNHCR, NGOs, and other partners, such as airlines and airport authorities. F.S. and her family were fascinated by the apartment’s luxurious furniture and access to utilities. “The apartment had a bunk bed, carpet, restroom, freshly painted walls, and so much more. I looked at everything like as it was a magical place.”
F.S. felt fortunate enough to be provided with free education, resources, and tools to thrive in school, but the bullying from her peers affected her ability to make friends. The elementary students would make fun of her clothes, shoes, hair, school supplies, and accent, which led to F.S. wanting to go home to The Gambia. “I was like yes, America has all these different opportunities but people are so mean and I just want to go back to the Gambia. However, I knew that staying in the U.S. was going to benefit my future.” F.S. became friends with other immigrants in the school, becoming inseparable.
“As a child of immigrant parents from Africa, you are constantly trying to make sense of both worlds. I’m glad to have some part of home with me in Houston.”
Like many immigrant groups, Africans are keen to preserve their cultural identity and ensure their children do not replace traditional values with foreign ideas. Although F.S. did not have any friends and family from her home country living in Houston, F.S. and her family were able to be a part of a close-knit community that helped preserve African beliefs and values. Her mother enjoys cooking traditional Gambian and Sierra Leonean food for her family and neighbors. “As a child of immigrant parents from Africa, you are constantly trying to make sense of both worlds. I’m glad to have some part of home with me in Houston.” African grocery shops, fabric stores, hair braiding salons, and restaurants are near her neighborhood. F.S. enjoys how these areas showcase a potent blend of African cultures, customs, and languages, symbolizing efforts by African immigrants to project and protect their cultural identities.
F.S. received citizenship through her mom at the age of 18. She is currently in college pursuing a degree in Psychology in hopes of becoming a therapist for disadvantaged youth in Houston. “As I have allowed my hard work to water the seed to my future happiness, I am able to continue developing the person I am today which is fearless and relentless to take on the obstacles that are to come in my way of being successful. My experiences have created and raised me to be nothing but determined and strong no matter what obstacles are to come. I have worked hard and I look forward to the future happiness that will blossom from the goals I will achieve in life.”