Immigration to america

This was the starting point of Leslie's journey to America. She had spent all 13 years of her life growing up in Port-Au-Prince. Her parents had moved from Les Cayes a few years prior to her birth, so she had only known Port-Au-Prince. She boarded and took the plane to Kingston, Jamaica as a connecting flight to the US. Her final destination was to meet her mother in Boston. She felt a little wary getting on the plane, as “It felt weird leaving the place I’d always know, to a place I had more or less dreamed of.”

Kingston was the first stop on the whirlwind of connecting flights. Being young and new to flying, Leslie nearly missed her connecting flight to Miami. When she did arrive on the plane, she took the first open seat she could see. She was then promptly asked to leave the 1st class section. From there, she flew to Miami

Miami was a surreal experience for Leslie. Although it was only a connecting flight, it was her first moments in the states. However, it was short-lived, as she had to catch her next connecting flight to Baltimore

"Once we landed in Baltimore, I initially thought we might be in Boston. I spoke broken English, so I turned to the man next to me and said 'Boston?' And he said, 'Nooooo, Baltimore. Sit tight.' I can only imagine my confusion had I had gotten off there"

Leslie was picked up by her mother after landing in Boston, and then began the tedious process of attaining a visa. Leslie spent many afternoons at the Haitian consulate a few blocks away from Boston Common waiting for her appointments to finish applying and receiving her visa.