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Packeiza on her last birthday
Introduction
Introduction
For my Wesearch project, I decided to research my mom Packeiza Shaheed. I decided to research her because she knows a lot about Guyana, and I never really heard asked about her past before. My mom has always encouraged me, and my brothers do whatever we wanted in life, but I never knew what caused the encouragement. From time to time, she would talk about her past, and from those few moments you can tell how deep her past affects who she is today. To start researching my mom I did 3 different interviews to gather pieces from her childhood leading to where she is today. Along with interviewing her I would also routinely ask questions to clarify parts of my essay as I wrote it. In addition to me questioning my mom I also researched Guyana's past, and what aspects of it could have affected my mom's life. While doing this interview I learned a lot about my mom and her family. Something I learned was that my mom's grandma (my great grandma) used to let a lot of people stay with her because they didn't have the money to afford their own home. Additionally, her grandma was an unregistered mid wife until she was in her 50's. I also learned that my mom and her siblings raised a lot of animals when they were growing up. Another thing that I didn't know was that my mom came to the US in January of 1995 when she was 18.
A Brief Biography
A Brief Biography
Packeiza was born on October 20, 1976, in East Bank Herstelling Guyana. She was the last-born child of Rifa and Farouk Mohamed. Her and her 3 older siblings are all of Indian descent. This was the to replace the work force in Guyana after Britain abolished slavery. Guyana was a british colony until 1966.
Most families in Guyana were poor during this time. Packeiza's family was no exception. For example, during lunch in order to eat many kids had to find a tree to pick some fruit from because there was no food at home that they could eat. When Packeiza was 13 her mom died, and she was left alone with her siblings since her dad was in the US. This limited Packeiza's ability to attend school because there was no one to buy supplies and uniform for her to attend. It wasn't until a little later that Packeiza and her sister moved in with their grandmother. Their grandmother was a hardworking and caring person. Every day their grandma would wake up at 4 in the morning to make breakfast and dinner than walk 2 miles to get to work.
When Packeiza turned 18 she moved to the United States on January 26, 1995, to live with her dad. After moving to the US, she didn't like it because she was used to being around a lot of people and she barely knew her dad. To make matters worse she also constantly fought with her dad because he treated her like a child. But that didn't stop her from building a life in the US. After moving she attended Elmcor Youth and Adult Learning to further her education, and soon after got a job at Roy Rogers earning $4.25 an hour.
After about a year of being in the US she met Shahab Shaheed (my dad), and they started dating. Packeiza's dad didn't approve of him, so she decided to move out and rent an apartment. She was able to rent the apartment with the help of my dad. After several more years of dating, they got married in August 2000. Together they have 3 kids and still live in Queens NY.
Packeiza when she was 18
Packeiza and Her 3 sons on Vacation in 2022
How does your individual family member’s story help you to understand the American Dream?
How does your individual family member’s story help you to understand the American Dream?
My mom believed that the American dream meant that you could work to build your own future or goal. In her case her goal was to have a home and a loving family. This helps me understand the American dream as a tangible idea that differs between person to person. There is no set idea of what the American dream is, it's just what you make of it. But this also taught me that just coming to America doesn't mean you instantly achieve your American dream, it just means that this is a point where you can start or continue your path to achieving that one specific goal.
There was something else that my mom added to when I asked her about the American dream. She said, “It’s achievable, but not impossible. From the outside, it looks like a bed of roses, but it’s not. You have to work on holidays, work long hours and be financially responsible to maintain your family. Not everyone is capable of achieving the American dream. It takes a lot of sacrifices and time away from your family.” This made me think that if you're not willing to make sacrifices in order to reach your final goal, the American dream is not for you. For example, my mom left her life behind in Guyana where essentially everyone she knew was in order to build a life in America. She saw this as the best way to for herself to build a family. Thinking about this quality and the American dream as a whole; The American dream seems like it was made to be an end goal or a driving force for something. But this end goal doesn't have to be about materialistic gain, it can also be about achieving an idealistic goal like creating a family full of love where you can watch generation grow and be greater than the last.
Excerpt From Family Narrative Essay
Excerpt From Family Narrative Essay
"In the heart of East Bank Herstelling, Guyana, a young girl named Packeiza stood with the warmth of her family's love enveloping her, she tended to the animals under the morning sun. But amidst the tranquility, A shadow cast itself—a sign of change that would forever shape her destiny. It was the night she lost her mother, a tragedy that shattered her world and left her adrift in a sea of sorrow. Yet, from the depths of despair, Packeiza found the strength to carry on. As she journeyed through life in search of a new beginning, she carried with her the memories of her mother's love, a guiding light in the darkness of uncertainty"
By: Evan Shaheed
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