I thought a long time ago to go to USA but, it was a very hard decision due to parents, brothers, relatives and friends. It was not easy to think about changing my life for another unknown, new life that I don't know if it would be good or bad.

When I decided to move to USA, I made a plan. First, I talked about USA with people living there. The people told me: 'USA is a very good place to save money. It is a secure country, but the native people have a lot of prejudice about immigrants. The USA is a big distance from your parents and relatives. Second, I needed to choose one state to live. I had two options: Minnesota or Massachusetts for the reason that I have relatives in these two states. I chose Massachusetts because my cousin has a company there, and it would be easier for me. And finally, I needed to save money before the trip because it is very expensive, and my wife and I are going to start a new life, and we will need to buy everything. My wife and I had big expectations about the trip. After that, we bought the tickets and went ahead with our plan.

After one a half years living here I have my own opinion. Many things the people said to me are true. The USA is a very interesting place to live. It is a really secure country. It is easier to make money, but the distance from my parents and relatives is really big. The other things the people told me aren't true. Americans are good people, and I don't have any problem about prejudice. I'm studying English in the public school, and it is fantastic. My neighbors are admirable. My adjustment was easy. My wife and I like to live here. It will be perfect, when we become citizens.

Living here is very different from my native country, and we have much to learn and to improve. God Bless America and all other nations too.

About the Author

Jovino Miranda Abreu, author of “My Experience – Expectation and Reality“, moved to the United States two years ago from her home in Brazil. “I am married to Monalizza Pereira and we are both students at the Clinton Adult Learning Center. I am in Gabriella Ivic’s class. We live in Leominster and I work at Lucidi Irrigation.”