There are many opportunities in this country and as an immigrant, you arrive starry eyed and head filled with thoughts on the things you can and want to accomplish, eagerly looking for directions on how to get started.
I was one of those immigrants. I came to America (Brooklyn, N.Y.) on April 3rd 1981 after graduating High School to join my mom who had been traveling to and from the US to Jamaica since I was 4 years old. Three years earlier on one of her returned trips to the US she decided to stay for awhile. She was a green card resident so she was able to stay legally.
When I lived in Jamaica I often heard the phrase "the streets of New York are paved with gold." In my innocent mind I actually thought the streets were really paved with gold. Imagine my surprise when I arrived in New York and saw the dirty concrete sidewalks and streets that looked like any other street in Jamaica except in better cindituon! In my mind I am asking "where is the gold?" It took me awhile to realize it was an anology to reflect that making money and the many unlimited opportunities to do is available in New York....Yes I was that stupid, but I rather use the term literal.
My first job was a cashier in a grocery store but wanting more I decided to join an agency that provided in-home care to the elderly. This started my journey into the medical field.
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