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American
Nations
To
many born in this country, it may be hard to realize that the United
States is only a small spot in a booming hemisphere that contains all
of North, Central and South America. From Canada to the north and Argentina
in the south to all places in between, the Americas are home to a set
of nations that are a mix of immigrants and indigenous cultures that
thrived for thousands of years before Christopher Columbus “discovered”
the New World just over 500 years ago
. And
just as the people who settled the Americas over the last 20,000 years
came to this side of the world seeking better lives, their descendents
come to Queens to find a better place for their families, hope and prosperity.
(photo
caption 32-Americas.jpg) South American immigrants register for programs
at an immigrant aid center.
Argentina
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Claudia Mollina
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Name:
Claudia Mollina
Age: 40
Years in America: 5
Claudia Mollina left her native Argentina in search of what she calls
“a better life.” The original plan was to stay in New York
for five years. That was five years ago. Now, the Kew Gardens resident
says she’s in no hurry to leave.
Leaving
the Homeland
Mollina, 40, didn’t need much convincing to leave her homeland.
In 1999, with her husband looking for work, the decision to leave for
New York City was not a difficult one.
“He couldn’t get a job and he said he wanted to come to
America and live in New York City,” she said. “I said, ‘OK.’
It really was that simple. We knew that being in New York City would
be a wonderful opportunity for a better life.”
The hardest part, she said, was leaving her mother and sisters behind.
“I call them every day,” she said. “And they come
out here to visit. But they are what I miss most about my country. All
of my family is there. I went back home once three years ago and I was
happy to see them, but while I was there, I realized I really wanted
to be back in New York.”
In
Queens
Learning the language proved to be the toughest obstacle for Mollina
once she arrived in Queens, but once she sought out an unlikely “instructor”
- her television - things started falling into place.
“I had a lot of difficulties at first,” she said. “I
would cry every night out of frustration. But I started watching TV
in English, and started getting involved in the community and little
by little, I started to learn. It’s important to integrate with
the place you’re living, not fight it. I was fighting it.”
She started volunteering at the Ecuadorian International Center in Queens,
and soon, she joined her husband in the full-time work force. She now
works as a community advocate for HIV awareness with Safe Space in Jamaica.
“Being in New York City is a wonderful opportunity,” she
said. “It’s really living the American Dream, which isn’t
money or wealth or cars or anything like that. The American Dream is
having the opportunity to do all the different things you can do here.”
Living in Queens is amazing, Mollina said. “You walk down one
street and you’re in India. You walk down another and you’re
in Ecuador. There are all of these cultures out there and you can learn
so much from them. They’re everywhere here.”
- By Jack Buehrer
Bolivia
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Juan Rios
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Name:
Juan Rios
Age: 54
Years in America: 18
No matter how many things changed in Juan Rios’ life, he always
knew that he wanted what was best for his family and he always wanted
to be a carpenter.
Leaving
the Homeland
Rios left Bolivia for Italy when he was in his late teens to study carpentry.
According to Rios, studying in Italy had always been his dream, so he
learned to speak Italian prior to his trip. His transition from Bolivia
to Italy was smooth sailing, and three months after completing carpentry
school, he set out to find a job.
In
Queens
After arriving in Queens, Rios spent months searching for a carpentry
job. He soon realized that there were more opportunities as a woodworker
or finisher, so Rios began focusing on those parts of his trade. According
to Rios, “I did not have much of a chance to work in carpentry,
but I found more success in woodwork and finishing.”
With strong determination and dedication, Rios continued to perfect
his trade thru long hours every day, all day and lots of practice.
After building up a strong clientele, Rios opened Juan Rios Furniture
Finishing in Brooklyn. Rios’ passion for woodwork has kept him
in the business for the last 16 years, and he said, he will still be
in the business for a long time to come.
Although Rios’ store is in Brooklyn, he said he knew he wanted
to live in Queens since the first time he visited. “It was nicer
than Brooklyn or the Bronx, so I decided I wanted to stay in Queens,”
said Rios.
Rios moved to Woodside and has built a better life for his wife and
three kids. Two of his children have graduated from college and one
is still in high school - yet none of them have any intentions of joining
the family business.
- By Raynelle Cerica Bull
Brazil
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Wladimir Oliveira
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Name:
Wladimir Oliveira
Age: 39
Years in America: 15
Wladimir Oliveira arrived in the U.S. 15 years ago with $1,000 in his
pocket, but it didn’t take long for the cash to disappear, he
said.
Leaving
the Homeland
“When I left Brazil, everybody told me that taxi rides were very
expensive in the U.S., in New York, especially,” Oliveira said.
“So when the taxi driver pulled up to my hotel in Manhattan, I
didn’t think anything was wrong when he said the ride cost $800
(from JFK Airport). I showed him my money, and he took it all, leaving
me only a few dollars. I had to borrow money to survive.”
Oliveira said he was scared to tell anyone or go to the authorities
about the cab driver.
“I was scared of immigration,” he said. “I had a visa
and was here legally, but I was still scared - so he got away with it.”
Oliveira said the cabbie had his luggage in the trunk of the car and
would not give it to him until he paid the fare. “I’d like
to run into him today,” he said.
Oliveira got a job as a bus boy at a Manhattan Hotel as soon as he arrived.
He made $120 a week until he was fired several weeks later. He worked
next as a dishwasher, but was fired from that job four months later,
he said.
The jobs came and went after that, as he worked to achieve his American
dream - to become a musician in a successful band.
“I was a musician in Brazil,” Oliveira said. “But
my band had nothing there, no instruments, guitars, drums - things like
that. Everything we needed to do a show, we did not have. I knew it
would be better in the U.S.”
“I have a band now,” he said. “Mizo Mizael is the
most popular “country” Brazilian band in the Brazilian community,
he said.
“We have everything here. We are planning to cut an album next
year,” he said. “My dream is coming true.”
In
Queens
Oliveira is married now, with an 8-year-old son. The family lives in
Astoria. “The garden spot of the world,” he said.
“I love it here so much,” he said. “I would like to
go back to Brazil to visit, but my son is an American citizen, so we
have to come back here to do what is best for him.”
“He plays the drums,” Oliveira said. “And he’s
picking at the guitar.”
Oliveira’s mother, father and sister still live in Brazil, and
he said he plans to visit them in “about two years.”
He travels with the band on a regular basis, to Miami, Boston and other
cities with a large Brazilian population, where fans love his brand
of country music, he said.
“Life is good here,” he said. “It was the right choice.”
- By Liz Goff
Colombia
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Juan Correa
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Name:
Juan Correa
Age: 25
Years in America: 18
Juan Correa is a true American success story. From a shoeless boy in
Columbia, Correa has transformed himself into a student and working
specialist - all here in Queens. With hard work and determination, Correa
has prevailed and continues to succeed even more every day.
Leaving
the Homeland
Correa was born into a poor family in Columbia. His mother struggled
daily to bring food and happiness to Juan’s life. “You know
how you, one person, eat a huge steak here in America,” he said.
“But over there we would eat a big steak between the whole family.”
His amusements in his homeland included playing with his favorite toy,
a car tire with a stick, and rolling down hills inside of tires. But
an empty stomach and a lack of toys were not the only problems Correa
had in tumultuous Columbia - violence also shrouded him. “I would
wake up and have to walk over people lying in the street,” he
said. “You had to watch how you talked to people or they could
just shoot you.”
Correa’s mother decided to move to America for a better life first,
then she sent for her 7-year-old son. But life in New York was very
hard.
In Queens
Not knowing anyone in New York and being left at people’s houses
while his mother went to work, Correa started to feel very lonely. Life
was not easy. “We picked toys out of the garbage,” he said.
“It has been very difficult.” More tragedy struck Correa
as his mother had a heart attack. Correa had to grow up fast. At 12
years old he learned how to cook and got a job work for money to pay
the bills. “Coming here so young,” he said, “I always
felt I had to be somebody.” And now he has turned his life around.
Working as an electrical mechanic, he is also in school at Empire State
College to further his skills. He is a member of a local union, which
pays his school bills. “If you want it, you can have it,”
he said about success in America. “It’s not like that in
Columbia. Being in America has given me a lot of opportunities. It gives
you experience that you can’t get in no other country.”
“It’s hard to keep with the culture,” he said. “In
the U.S., everything is so routine.” Yet, he still manages to
retain some distinctively Columbian traditions. He celebrates Christmas
Sept. 24 instead of Dec. 25. He also observes Three Kings’ Day,
Sept. 24, and sends his godson gifts. And, of course, he keeps up with
Columbian foods: from empanadas to chicharon, a pork, bean and fried
rice dish, Correa loves his native cuisine. “Even though I am
American,” he said, “my heart is still in Columbia.”
- By Lisa Spinelli
Cuba
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Eduardo Marti
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Name:
Eduardo Marti
Age: 63
Years in America: 45
When the Cuban revolution to |
