Life in America
After buying a house in 2015, my father had to wait even longer before joining his family here in Needham. Despite having closed on the house in May and packed up the old apartment in June, he had to wait until his permanent residency was finalized in October to move in. The timing of the move was settled in 2014, but my father had been preparing for the possibility of such a departure for years. He recounts that “despite me hiring a lawyer, despite me marrying an American citizen, despite me having two American children, it still took over two years.” The process of becoming an American permanent resident was grueling, and he remembers the hours-long visits to American consulates that would often leave him with no further clarity as to where he was in the system. Surpassing these difficulties, he managed to secure his green card status and move to America.
Right, above: One of the first winters after moving to Needham
Right, below: Rio's American consulate, where much of the immigration process occurs
Below: Faneuil Hall, where naturalization ceremonies occur in Boston
In the seven years since moving to the United States permanently, my father has noted a few minor changes in his life. Perhaps one of the most notable changes from his early life was the separation from family. In the United States, he is thousands of miles away from his extended family and draws attention to the change between how close he was to them in Mexico and how much more difficult it is to remain connected when nations apart. Despite this, he has also grown more at home in the United States, having now lived almost ten years here in total. During this time, my father took the final step. In the summer of 2019, he finalized a multi-year process and was naturalized to become a US citizen, and in November of that year, he cast an American ballot for the first time.
Conclusion: Overall, my father reflects on his immigration journey as a very positive experience. He states that “it shaped who I am,” and has exposed him to opportunities he would never have had otherwise. Despite the positives, it has also been a challenging experience, and he is thankful for the support he received from all his family throughout the process. Looking forward, he sees Needham as his home for the near future but always aims to remain in touch with his home in Mexico.