Throughout the course of the semester I’ve written pieces about immigration, as well as immigrant stories. However, tonight in my podcast I will be covering how immigration affects others. I’ve had the pleasure of talking to Cheryl Muzia, who gives an insight to how immigration has affected her life in some interesting and powerful ways.
“As far as how immigration affected me, that’s kind of an interesting question. I would say significantly because the man I married was an immigrant. I believe marrying an immigrant changed me, and kind of shaped the person I am today.”
“One of the things I will always remember is when I first met him and first started dating made me really realize how much people in this country take for granted living here… Like no clue… I mean we are so sheltered from what so many other immigrants have gone through or see or why they strive to come here.”
“There are times I remember when we’d get a call from his family because his mother was a diabetic, and there was no medicine for treatment in the country…it was almost heart breaking… So we’d try to figure out how to get a care package of insulin to her.”
“I remember struggling to find ways to get it there. Sometimes we’d find someone flying into Baghdad, and pay him to take it…Sometimes we were lucky and it got there, and sometimes we were unlucky and it didn’t make it there.”
My final question in my podcast hints towards the divide in our nation on this subject. This is a topic that wont fade away, or simply can't be swept under the rug.
Q: Do you still think the U.S. is a beacon of hope for those trying to leave or flee their country, Given today’s climate?”
A: “Yes because even…well…I certainly want to believe it is, and I think it is. Because, there are many things not right here, but there are still so many people trying to make it right and make it work for everybody. And so just as much as they want to hope that they can find happiness or this is a place where they can eventually find their dreams… It’s the same thing I want to believe that this country can mend itself and correct itself to continue to allow people to continue to feel that.”