Philomena and Samson Sadiq, my grandparents, were originally from Pakistan, they came to America because they wanted to fulfill their dream to work hard in the land of opportunities. In Pakistan, Philomena went to a Catholic school where she was educated by priests and nuns, on the other hand, Samson went to schools where he would be the only Christian in the class and maybe even the entire school. In Pakistan, simple things like getting a job, would be extremely difficult for Philomena and Samson because Christianity was not valued as much as larger religions in the area. Samson got the idea to move to America from his older brother that had already made the move. Philomena had an arranged marriage with Samson and went with him; she had only read and seen things on television about America. 

The hardest part of the move from Pakistan to America, is leaving family behind and the fear of the unknown. In school, both Philomena and Samson were taught the English language, they said the only language barrier they had was understanding American slang. I asked if it was tough to make the decision to move to America and Samson said, “ It was not hard, I was going to America.” When they arrived in America, the first impression of the new country was how big the buildings were, all of the paved roads, how big the grocery stores were, and how helpful everyone was. Since Samson’s older brother was already in America, he was able to guide Samson into getting a job and introduce him to the American traditions.

Being in America opened doors for great job opportunities to build assets to allow their children to attend good schools, make memories, and set up roots, as first generation Americans. Raising children in a different country was challenging because they didn’t grow up in this society, while the kids grew up, it was hard to determine how much freedom should be allowed. But no matter how hard it was to leave their families, friends, and their country, it was well worth it because they got to raise their three children here and watch them grow in their professional lives.