Nicaragua is one of the few countries that still has a communist government present. Unfortunately, this leads the country’s citizens on the road to engaging in civil war often. In order to fight for their families, these people go through the immigration process so they can live a better life in the United States.
Karla Solari and her family migrated here in hopes to give all of her family better opportunities. She stated, “We think about a better future for our children since the country where we come from does not offer many employment and education opportunities.” Being here also gives them the opportunity to help their family back at home.
“Base your actions so that your children do not suffer unnecessarily, and do not let yourself be carried away by impulses.” – Karla Solari, Nicaraguan Migrant
However, the journey to America wasn’t an easy one for them. The cost of the process is a factor that isn’t acknowledged enough. According to the U.S. Embassy, visa fees can range between $160 to $205. Transportation fees, Insurance fees, and so on also need to be accounted for. Clark stated, “The cost is something unexpected and necessary in which we have to invest and that sometimes ends with savings and takes time to pay.”
Hugo Clark, who also immigrated from Nicaragua, agrees with Clark. He stated, “Another difficult part is the decision to leave the little you have in your country and come to a new world with the uncertainty of not knowing if everything will be okay. Above all, the most difficult thing is to make a decision that will affect the lives of our children.”
Transitioning to a new country can be difficult, specifically when it comes to adjusting to the culture. Coming from a country where you commonly see dirt roads and horses being used instead of cars, the U.S. can be a little hard to adapt to.
Solari stated, “To be honest we haven’t adapted yet, but I think my youngest baby is the one who has adapted the best.” Her mother, husband, and two children have come here with her, with her youngest just being the age of 1. She continued, “It’s like a new world, everything is different, thank God we have very kind people who have supported us and made some things a little less complicated for us.”
Clark added, “Our culture is very different so when we came here, we realized that things are really different and we have to adapt to this to get ahead.”
Work can be difficult to find, especially when in the process of getting your documents needed for work authorization. Luckily, through the help of friends here, they have been able to get by and secure these documents. Solari stated, “Although we have legal documents, the challenges are great, the language is essential and the knowledge that studies in our country are sometimes not valid here. In our current job, every day is a challenge and we put everything in God’s hands to move forward with a good attitude.”
For those who may want to embark on this same journey, Solari has given some advice.
She states, “Make sure you make the right decision, if there are people in this country who are supporting you, you should clarify your doubts before moving to avoid frustration.
