MY FAMILY’S IMMIGRATION FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO AMERICA

Kyla Pomer

My Mom’s Life in the Philippines

Lived in the province of Bataan on the island called Luzon

Parents are Doroteo (salesman) and Rufina (teacher) Herrera

2nd out of 4 children Although, the Philippines has

a high poverty rate, they did not struggle financially

They had a two-story house and a maid (which was common for a middle-class family)

My grandparents were able to send all four of their kids to elementary school, high school, and college

Taken around 1969

MOM

Family is a very important aspect of Filipino life. A lot of kids in America are out of their parents’ homes by the time they turn 18. But my mom and her siblings lived together even when I was born.

The ImmigrationProcess

My grandma’s younger brother (Alberto Roman) was the first person from our family to come to America. He came with very little money in his pocket. But he was eventually able to open his own grocery store, which he later converted to a Filipino Restaurant.

Soon after he came here, his 6 other siblings and his mom were petitioned to become American citizens.

During my mom’s childhood, my grandma would often go back and forth between America and the Philippines

Alberto (Lolo)

My grandma (Mama

The Immigration Process (cont’d)

After my grandma became a citizen, she petitioned my mom and her sister and brothers to come to America

When all four of them graduated from college they moved to America in 1989 and later became citizens.

Adjusting to Chicago

Mom had to get used to a long distance relationship with her boyfriend (my dad )

My grandfather was also left in the Philippines

Weather here was different Except for those things, adapting to the

country wasn’t too hard. This was mostly because the whole family was there and because she already knew how to speak English

Adjusting to Chicago (Cont’d)

mommy

Also, most other nurses she worked with were also Filipino immigrants. She was never too far away from home

mommy

Another thing that made the adjustment easier is the fact that mom was a nurse. It is an in demand job which made her financially stable.

Getting Married

My parents had been dating for 10 years before they got married.

Since my mom was in America, my Dad asked her to marry him over the phone…(I think)

So mom went back to the Philippines to marry him, but she went back to America after the honeymoon.

My mom found out she was about to have me when she came back to America, but my dad was still trying to get a visa to come here.

Mom petitioned for my dad to come to America. As the petition was processing…

I was born

I was really sickly as a kid

And my mom didn’t want to wait for the petition to follow through for me to meet my dad

So we went to the Philippines every 6 months to visit my dad

He was finally able to come here when I was four years old. (1997)

Dad Adjusting to America

It was more of a struggle for my dad than my mom

My dad left his family in the Philippines

Dad was a doctor in the Philippines, but he had to start over here.

He had to find a hospital that would accept him into a Residency program.

We moved a lot to try to find a hospital for my dad to become a Resident. (even to California for a few months)

Dad Adjusting to America (cont’d)

2001-2004 Dad was finally accepted into a Residency program in 2001 at Mount Sinai Hospital

He finished the program in 2004 and became a licensed family doctor

He and my mom opened up a clinic in 2006 (on my birthday )

In Conclusion…

My parents’ immigration stories showed me that immigrating with a family can make a big difference in how well you adapt