Coming To America
This is the story of an immigrant woman.
She came with her children to this country in 1985 and was allowed to stay. She raised her children, worked many years in many menial jobs in this country and over 50 years altogether.
Then she retired, and at the age of 70 decided to go to school and become an artist. She could do this here, in this country, because of the opportunities available that allowed her to become independent.
In a faraway country,
In a faraway town,
A long, long time ago,
There lived a young woman with her two children,
Her husband had just died.
She felt lost and abandoned,
Had nowhere to go;
She turned to drugs and drinking
Because she thought
This would help her out
Of her misery.
Misery.
One day, her heart gave up
Because of the heavy drinking.
She became very ill,
And was at the brink of death.
She was saved and survived.
She spent a long time in hospitals
Until she had recovered
And was ready to start
A new life.
But for what?
A new life?
This was easier said than done.
Where to go, what to do?
She had no money, no future, no help
So what now?
She had read books about America,
And she thought: well, why not?
It seemed like the only place to go,
Where nobody knew her past
And where she could start again,
With her life.
With her life.
She planned and talked to her children
And came up with an idea.
She sold all their belongings
And found a place to go to,
In America.
People back home laughed at her,
Told her she was crazy,
Had lost her mind.
She would never succeed and how dare she
Take her children out of their world?
Her children had agreed
And she knew she would succeed.
She just knew, she had to do it.
Had to do it.
The beginning was very difficult
For all of them.
A new country, new culture, and new language,
But also a new life
In a new and exciting world.
The struggle was hard but worth the prize,
Because they could say:
We did it, we succeeded.
If you have set your eyes on a goal
With all your heart
And are willing to endure
Hardship and ridicule
You can make your dreams
Come true.
Come true.
I am dedicating my story to all those women who came with their children to this country,
were not as lucky as I was, but were denied entry, separated from their children, and are facing an uncertain future.
Think of them.
