Humanitarian Considerations of Immigration - Speech or Presentation Example

      If I only knew how much the ticket to a new life would cost me!      It was a beautiful day when I received the mail saying that I won the green card! Unbelievable! I could go to the United States! I could fulfill my dreams, I could have new opportunities! Without hesitation, I rushed to the travel agency to buy a ticket. The ticket that changed my life!      Though I was migrating to USA on a good note, to take up a secured part-time job and to continue my studies, separation from my own people was a touching experience.

Recollection of agony suffered by my mother and other close family members at the airport of Minsk (Belarus), who came to me see me off, was difficult for me to bear. I will be away from the affectionate, protective custody of my family for the next five years! Tears welled up in my eyes with the final embrace of my mother, before I checked into the airport lounge. I looked back to see my mother and with that final glimpse, I moved away from her sight.      I landed at the JFK airport in New York.

What an astonishing picture opened in front of my eyes! I felt as if I have stepped into the modern age from middle age. Though Minsk is a city, as compared to New York, it stands nowhere. The galaxy of lights, the awe-inspiring skyscrapers, the buzzing cars, people racing in a hurry, all mesmerized me. The cumulative effect of the first interaction with the surroundings stunned me.      This green card has opened up new vistas in my life. I was able to find a good job and went to school.

Now I can plan the future and hope to achieve something tangible in life, to make my family proud of me.      However, a big piece is missing in a complete happy picture. It is my family. It is unbearable not to see them for so long. Not to talk to my mom about big problems and small girly things.  Not to feel the protectiveness of my father, not to be surrounded by my family during holidays. When other families enjoy Christmas or Easter dinner, will I be longer in New York?

Perhaps yes. The inner void can never be filled up by a secular gathering of friends.      The law does not let me visit my country often.  It is designed the way that does not allow re-uniting with a family for 5 years and then it takes additional 2 years to process the paperwork. I wish it could be more flexible. The immigration law has remained a social problem for decades now because in some areas it is designed to be strict on the immigrants and lacks the human touch.