"Real" People who May have Responded to Immigration Advertising

Stories of people who may have responded to immigration advertising depict the lives of people who relocated to the United States. Many individuals seemed to have had humble beginnings but still believed in the sacrifices they were making to improve their circumstances.

One young person from India identified as “Aditi” speaks of how their grandparents were refugees from what is now Pakistan. According to Aditi, the grandparents worked long hours at blue-collar jobs hoping that their parents would have a better life than they did. Then, the parents followed suit and entered the U.S. because the mom obtained a university fellowship. The dad already had a master’s degree, but he returned to school in the U.S. to be able to receive the American accreditation he needed.

Because of Aditi’s parents and grandparents, the third-generation children of this eastern family had new opportunities. For instance, Aditi and her sister were able to attend what would be considered to be some of the best schools in the U.S. Eventually, Aditi ended up in law school, and the sister became an English teacher.

Another young person shares her story. A girl, Rekha, moved to the U.S. with her brother and sister when she was 16. This was after she had already emigrated to Venezuela from India, so Rekha shared how she struggled with choosing an identity after having already experiencing three different cultures. Still, the parents moved her to the U.S. to offer her educational opportunities she and her siblings would not otherwise have in Venezuela or India.

Nicole, a young woman from Argentina, also tells her tale. She was born in the U.S., and as she grew up here, her parents often spoke of returning to their homeland. Nicole even was given the opportunity to visit Argentina at least once a year for several years. Nicole said she did not want to move back to Argentina and even refused to speak Spanish at home in America. However, she then started to embrace both cultures – that of her ancestors and that of her current life in the U.S.