Memoirs of An Illegal Alien
I just started reading what must be a one-of-a-kind account of a Jamaican who migrated to the US back in what looks like the 1980's.It's called Memoirs of an Illegal Alien and I have just reached the part where the author, a Campion College graduate and prior resident of Forest Hill Gardens with gardener, helper and satellite dish has gotten his first job cleaning toilets. This after lying to immigration in Miami about how long he intended to stay.
It makes very good reading, and even though we may not all have gone through the exact same experiences, every Caribbean immigrant to the US or Canada can relate to some degree to his personal story. There are a full 21 installments to date, and they are in chronological order, starting from the bottom.
posted by fwade @ 6/18/2006
2 Comments:
I stumbled unto this web site Jamaicans.com years ago, and found 'memoirs of an Illegal alien'. I can hardly wait for the new postings. As another blogger wrote, leaving one's home country to live and work in the US or Canada illegally, really requires an ability to simply become prepared to do anything you are morally allowed to do in order to achieve your projected goal. Once the decision is made, and the process starts, you are very unlikely to reverse it. In-variably it takes you down to levels you would have never fallen to in your home country, before eventually starting to turn-around if it ever does.
The challenge is to remember your goals, and never forget the valuable lessons you will have learnt, starting from the foundation you developed at home, to the hard lessons assimilation requires along the way.
Jamaicans.com is to be commended.
I too have stumbled upon this man's memoirs. They are incredibly revealing, humourous, tear jerking all at the same time. His recollections have stirred some powerful emotions as he hits so close to my own experiences. It allows us an opportunity to be thankful and also to cherish the wonderful freedom of oue homeland. I still reside in the U.S afetr leaving my beautiful Jamaica at a tender age of 13. It has been 16 long years now, and I have every intention of making Jamaica my home once more.
I feel I was forced into the circumstances ans experiences of being an illegal alien, especially so young. I think every one should read these memoirs, not only are they quite entertaining, they allow a coonection only an immigrant can treasure. Much love my fellow expats!
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