Emigrate
By Luis Antonio Henríquez
Leaving your country of origin is never an easy task when the conditions are not favorable to do so. Family, friends, and memories fill your life full of anecdotes that will follow you for the rest of your life. However, when we make the decision to leave, we must maintain the beauty of the things we lived but we also must strengthen our expectations of what we have left to live.
The United States of America is a country full of opportunities. It is a country full of folks waiting with arms wide open, for people from all over the world who want to be productive members of society. People that will contribute in building a better future for all. A future filled with ideas of prosperity waiting for those to take a leadership roll in executing those ideas.
I’ve been in this country for three years and I’ve learned a lot in that time period. I know that there are things that I should change because perfection among all things human does not exist. The possibility to better things is only achievable in our great democracy. I am in this country by way of political asylum; I am a Venezuelan citizen and the realities of my home country, made it difficult for me to stay. Unfortunately Venezuelan is going though extremely difficult time due to a complicated political environment and the dictatorship that it is in place.
Although I will never forget Venezuela, my experiences in the United States of America have enabled me to put aside my nostalgia, and it has given me a great sense of appreciation. I’m extremely grateful for what my wife and I have been able to accomplish in order to provide a better life for our daughter.
I will admit that even though negative situations are normal for anyone moving to a new land, the positives far outweigh the negatives by a wide margin. I feel the need to express my gratitude for all the good things I’ve experienced while living here. Although I may not always agree with everything that happens here, I can only bring solutions to the table that will benefit the future generations as well as my family, thus never letting me regret the decision to leave everything behind and move to this land.
Thank you very much United States of America.